Hong Kong: CE thanks central govt support Chief Executive Carrie Lam today expressed her gratitude to the central government for its ceaseless support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to fight the epidemic. Addressing the commencement ceremony of the construction of community isolation and treatment facilities at Pennys Bay this afternoon, Mrs Lam said that the central government, in response to the request of the Hong Kong SAR Government, had commissioned a Mainland construction team to build some 10,000 community isolation and treatment units at Penny's Bay and Kai Tak within a very short period of time. Such an act would significantly enhance the Hong Kong SAR's anti-epidemic capacity, she said. Mrs Lam said the Hong Kong SAR Government would also spare no effort in increasing community isolation and treatment facilities by all means, including the requisition of newly completed public housing estates, rental of commercial hotels and conversion of indoor sport centres. Some 20,000 extra units were estimated to be made available for people who tested positive for COVID-19 but had no or mild symptoms for isolation. Three Community Isolation Facility Hotels, namely Dorsett Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel and iclub Fortress Hill Hotel had started taking in confirmed patients. In addition, the Hong Kong SAR Government has decided to turn the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal into a community isolation and treatment facility providing about 1,000 beds. Upon the on-site inspection by the relevant departments yesterday, work will commence at full speed. Following the arrival of four Mainland epidemiological experts, a number of testing technicians and two mobile testing vehicles two days ago, the central government today sent four experts in critical care medicine and 110 nucleic acid testing personnel to Hong Kong to participate in the anti-epidemic work. The four experts in critical care medicine will share with Hong Kong health officials and the Hospital Authority experts their experience in treating COVID-19 patients tomorrow to gain a good understanding of how patients, especially those with severe symptoms, are diagnosed, treated and taken care of in Hong Kong. The Mainland specimen collection team will participate in a liaison meeting on work techniques, after which they will immediately commence specimen collection and testing work. Mrs Lam was pleased to learn that businesses, be they local enterprises or Mainland enterprises stationing in Hong Kong, have also rendered their full support to the anti-epidemic work in response to appeals. This support includes allocating hotels for turning into isolation facilities, setting up vaccination stations at some malls or offices, providing land or venues for the construction of isolation and treatment facilities, ensuring the supply of anti-epidemic provisions and daily necessities to Hong Kong, and donating rapid test kits and anti-epidemic supplies to the grassroots. Mrs Lam thanked the enterprises, adding that she hoped that property developers and landlords can also offer rent concession to their commercial tenants, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to foster solidarity. Coupled with the fifth and sixth rounds of the Anti-epidemic Fund rolled out by the Hong Kong SAR Government, the support will tide the affected enterprises over these difficult times, she said. The Chief Executive said she is sincerely grateful to the central government for its assistance which is stronger and speedier than ever. She emphasised that she will lead the Hong Kong SAR Government to assume the main responsibility to fight the epidemic for the people of Hong Kong to resume their normal lives as soon as possible. This story has been published on: 2022-02-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Giant pandas an ongoing signature of 50 years of China-Mexico friendship Xinhua) 18:10, February 20, 2022 With a yellowed newspaper in hand, Fernando Gual Sill recalled when the first giant pandas from China arrived in Mexico almost five decades ago as a symbol of friendship between the two countries. "It was big news," Gual Sill, general director of Mexico City's public zoos, told Xinhua. The September 1975 newspaper and a photo album are treasures he has carefully tended. That year, China gifted Mexico with a pair of giant pandas: a male named Pe Pe and a female named Ying Ying, who made their new home at the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. "When they arrived they were just cubs," Gual Sill said. "At the time, not much was known about pandas in zoos or how they reproduced. We were fortunate that a few years later, giant pandas were born in Mexico City." To preserve the species in Mexico, experts from the two countries have collaborated closely and conducted academic exchanges. "Several Mexican veterinarians traveled to China for academic and training visits, including for medical, geriatric and offspring care, and reproduction, which were key," the expert said. Pe Pe and Ying Ying turned out to be one of the most prolific panda couples in the world, breeding seven offspring in captivity. Currently, two females -- Shuan Shuan, born in 1987, and Xin Xin, born in 1990 -- live at Chapultepec and they are the longest living giant pandas in captivity outside China. Gual Sill confirmed that the pandas are the stars of the zoo, with thousands of people visiting and getting to know the Chinese species and Mexican offspring. For the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico on Feb. 14, Gual Sill invited Chinese friends to the zoo's giant panda pavilion to celebrate together. Javier Ojeda, a member of the veterinary team at the zoo, said the pandas represent the friendship between the two countries because reproduction and conservation could not have been successful without both individual and governmental collaboration. "It's a privilege to work with this species," Panda keeper Elias Garcia Ramirez, who has over 20 years of experience, told Xinhua, adding that he considers the pandas part of his family since he spends most of his time with them and has a close emotional connection with them. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Gov. Ned Lamonts budget director has assured state legislators the administration has no plans to strip enforcement authority from the states contracting watchdog board. But Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw also told the Appropriations Committee that the administration and the State Contracting Standards Board still dont see eye-to-eye on whether the watchdog should receive extra funding for investigative staffing. Advertisement Melissa McCaw, secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the state budget director, has assured state legislators the administration has no plans to strip enforcement authority from the states contracting watchdog board. (Courant file photo) (Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant) Now more than ever, you know, we want to ensure that [executive branch agencies] are fully adhering to expectations surrounding contracting, McCaw told the committee during a hearing on administration budget proposals. The spending and revenue plan Lamont delivered for the fiscal year that begins July 1 does not modify any of [the contracting boards] statutory role or any authorizations that they currently have in law. Advertisement Contracting board Chairman Lawrence Fox disagrees. A policy bill the administration proposed to complement the budget says the watchdog may refer issues of concern to the Auditors of Public Accounts a longstanding agency within the legislative branch that periodically reviews the finances and practices of most agencies, quasi-public entities and certain other state programs. Foxs reading of the policy bill is that the contracting board also would lose its existing authority to suspend any agency procurement process if its deemed in violation of existing statutes or regulations. Fox also said the board already can refer matters to the auditors office which has no enforcement authority and questions why any modification to existing law is necessary. McCaw said Friday that all parties could work with legislative legal staff to resolve any confusion. We look forward to working with the General Assembly over the course of the session on this issue, she said. Its good news, because we certainly dont want our authority diminished, Fox said, adding that the contracting board also would work with lawmakers to ensure the groups powers remain as they were established more than 14 years ago. The linchpin in the landmark Clean Contracting system was created in 2007 by the Democrat-controlled legislature and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell. The watchdog board was Connecticuts response to the contracting scandals that drove Republican Gov. John G. Rowland from office amid an impeachment inquiry in July 2004. Rowland later served 10 months in federal prison after admitting he accepted about $100,000 in gifts from state contractors and his staff. But the board never has been staffed with more than an executive director. And all legislatures and governors since then effectively have left it without resources to carry out its mission of ensuring state purchasing is cost-efficient, transparent and enhances public services. Advertisement The two-year budget that legislators and Lamont adopted last June included just under $700,000 per year for the contracting board the same level the board was supposed to have when it was launched 14 years ago. That included $450,000 in each year to fund additional positions. But shortly after that was passed, legislative leaders, at the request of the Lamont administration, adopted a subsequent budget policy bill that effectively stripped the funding and barred the board from spending the extra $450,000. The budget revisions Lamont proposed last week for the fiscal year that begins July 1 make no changes to that funding roadblock. State Rep. Lucy Dathan, D-New Canaan, who serves on the Appropriations Committee, said she believes a contracting watchdog with resources and enforcement powers represents a really forward-looking opportunity to ensure the state spends all taxpayer funds wisely. McCaw noted that the volunteer members of the contracting standards board rather than professional staff recently have been doing audit work. This should be performed, she added, by an agency with expertise, such as the auditors office. The administration proposed adding $320,000 to the next fiscal years budget to add three new staffers to the state auditors office. Advertisement Contracting board members, some of whom have backgrounds in procurement issues, say they recently prepared their own analysis of the Connecticut Port Authority even without the extra staff they asked for because the matter was too important to ignore. Lamont and the contracting board have bumped heads since 2019, when the latter took an interest in the port authoritys efforts to enhance the State Pier in New London. The authority wants to make the pier an optimal staging point to help Eversource and its Denmark-based partner, rsted North America, develop an offshore wind-to-energy project. The contracting board specifically focused on $523,000 in success fees paid in May 2018 to Seabury Capital Group to help with search for a pier operator three months after Henry Juan III of Greenwich, who was a managing director with Seabury, resigned from the port authority board. Contracting watchdogs concluded those success fees were eerily similar to the finders fees scandal that sent former state Treasurer Paul Silvester to prison in 2001. Lawmakers banned finders fees after Silvester admitted he had accepted kickbacks in exchange for steering investment of state-controlled pension funds. Keith M. Phaneuf is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/ ). Copyright 2022 The Connecticut Mirror. A 16-year-old boy who died after a collision with an unmarked police car is being remembered as a really loving boy, who would light up the room and make us smile. Jai Wright, an Indigenous boy from Revesby, who was studying to be an electrician, died on Sunday afternoon after suffering head injuries when the trail bike he was riding collided with an unmarked police car on Saturday morning. Jai Wright, who died following a collision with an unmarked police car. Everyone wanted to be around him. He was funny and quirky, said his father Lachlan Wright, who is the operations manager at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation. Mr Wright said that his son grew up a Rabbitohs fan and was named after family member Jai Jago, who was a promising South Sydney Rabbitohs junior before he was murdered in 2003 at just 18. The federal government could help more Australians into the property market by co-purchasing homes with lower-income earners, a leading think tank has proposed as the nations housing crisis pushes the dream of homeownership further out of reach for many. A national shared equity scheme, where the federal government co-purchases up to 30 per cent of a propertys value, is being called for by the Grattan Institute ahead of the next election as a way to help arrest declining rates of homeownership among poorer Australians. More Australians could become homeowners if the federal government began to co-purchase properties, a public policy think tank has proposed. Credit:Getty The proposed scheme would enable first-home buyers and older Australians re-entering the market to buy with as little as a 5 per cent deposit when co-purchasing with the government, which would then take the same proportionate share, of up to 30 per cent, of any profits when the home was sold. The scheme would be restricted to single people with incomes below $60,000, or couples with combined incomes below $90,000, purchasing their principal place of residence. Regional price caps would mean participants could only buy homes costing less than the median property price in their city or region. Many others painted the same picture, contradicting the official version such as Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharovas claim that Ukraine was committing crimes against humanity and Russias Investigative Committee report of massive shelling by Ukraine of civilian villages. All has been denied by Ukrainian officials, and journalists in Ukraine have witnessed no major offensive actions by Ukrainian forces. I honestly do not have the feeling that someone is attacking someone, the woman from the separatist region said, neither Ukraine nor Russia. No one is preparing to attack. Others who were in the separatist areas on Saturday said the situation was calm with few signs of a major evacuation. Several people interviewed said that those who left were motivated by a 10,000-ruble payment on arrival in Russia, about $180, that the Russian government announced on Friday. A 55-year-old tradesman from Donetsk said in a phone interview on Saturday that the evacuation was not active. There is no panic in the city. People do not want to leave the territory. And I dont want to go anywhere. Yesterday there were small queues at the gas station, but now they are gone. There are also no queues in stores. Its calm outside. A 37-year-old small-business owner from Donetsk added by phone: Everything is normal. From what I see, people are not afraid and are not going to leave. Loading Nikolai, a Donetsk resident interviewed via Telegram, said the same thing, explaining: You know that we have been living through this for the past eight years? Some people rushed to the ATMs last night and to the grocery stores, but today everything is back to normal. A man from the city of Makeyevka in Donetsk dismissed claims of attacks or planned attacks. All this action is just deception he said in a Telegram interview. As Russian and separatist claims of major attacks came thick and fast, creating a cascade of alarming events on state TV, officials offered no evidence of genocide, crimes against humanity or terrorism. Western officials warned that Russia appeared to be manufacturing a false-flag scenario, to use as a pretext to attack Ukraine in coming days. The evacuation of people was specially organised in order to show the atrocities of the Ukrainian army, said Yevgeny Vasiliev, a Kyiv activist with the Ukrainian group SOS Vostok, which supports victims of armed conflict in Ukraine. He is currently in eastern Ukraine working near the front lines. You see, its easy to take children out of orphanages, or old people out of nursing homes. Nobody asks them. The sane people are not going to leave, he said. But he added that separatist disinformation about explosions and attacks blamed on Ukraine was designed to intimidate others into leaving. And it partially works. Almost as soon as the evacuation announcement was made, the narrative of a massive Ukrainian attack began to fray. First, there was no sighting of a major attack from Ukraine, despite a massive foreign media presence in the country. Journalists from The Washington Post and other media organisations on the line of contact reported shelling from the separatist side. The video announcements ordering the evacuations from the two insurgent leaders were quickly unmasked by several analysts, including the Netherlands-based Bellingcat investigative group. It found that metadata on both videos indicated they were recorded two days before Fridays supposedly urgent evacuation of 700,000 people. Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilins video said, Today, on February the 18th . . . suggesting that the videos were coordinated ahead of time and that the timing was staged. Loading The separatist claim of a Ukrainian attack on a kindergarten on Thursday also fell apart quickly when it turned out the kindergarten was on the government-controlled side of the front line. The shelled wall faced separatist territory but that did not stop an online disinformation campaign by pro-Moscow figures who circulated images of the kindergarten with construction machinery added digitally to suggest the machine punched the hole. According to Bellingcat, another grainy video that aired on Russian television on Saturday, purporting to show Ukrainian saboteurs attempting to blow up a chlorine cylinder at Stirol chemical plant in Horlivka in separatist territory at dawn Saturday, was actually filmed in early February, based on an analysis of the metadata. Men aged from 15 to 55 in the separatist areas were called up to fight. Call-up announcements were made on Telegram channels and loudspeakers in the streets. HEIRESSES: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies Author: Laura Thompson Publisher: St. Martins Press Price: $29.99 Pages: 378 You might think that being an heiress is all fun and games actual games, like whist, or tag in a topiary maze but to read Laura Thompsons new book, Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies, is to apprehend two serious risks you may not have considered: (1) getting kidnapped and (2) boredom. Were not talking about a little mild ennui (Anglo-American heiresses, the focus of Ms Thompsons scrutiny, often prefer French words, like le gratin for high society or bel homme for a particularly toothsome man). This is a mal de vivre so deep that it might induce one to receive guests from the bath while wearing a cellophane cape, keep a lion cub as a lap pet or something more dramatic, like shoot ones lover and oneself with a pearl-handled revolver. Anything to vary the days, alleviate the ineffable melancholy, the shadowless sameness of being financially solvent through a mere accident of birth. Heirs, of course, have their share of problems; several Gettys spring to mind, including John Paul Getty III and his severed ear. But female stories have an extra dash of piquancy, Ms Thompson argues citing the uncommon spectacle of Patricia Hearst, the newspaper scion famously abducted in 1974, wielding a semiautomatic weapon and a prurience. They also tend to feature better jewels, like the cherry-size baubles Margot Liddon Flick Hoffman gave to her grande horizontale of a lover, with whom she bought a palazzo in Venice. Maud Burke of San Francisco, who married into the Cunard shipping family, liked jewels so much that she renamed herself Emerald. Barbara Hutton favoured a string of black pearls once owned by Louis XIVs mother. Ms Thompson, who has written biographies of Agatha Christie, the six Mitford sisters, a few of whom make cameos here, and (returning for more) Nancy Mitford, spreads herself far more thinly with the organising principle that it really is different for girls. Her well-informed but slightly breathless narrative ranges from the 17th century to the 21st, crisscrossing continents as if on the Concorde rather than one of Cunards pokey liners, and her choice of which female stories to tell can feel somewhat arbitrary. We spend quite a bit of time with Consuelo Vanderbilt, for example, and her godmother but Huguette Clark, the copper scion and painter who abandoned her mansions for hospitals, dying at 104, isnt mentioned. Other well-known figures, like Doris Duke and Sunny von Bulow, are crammed fleetingly into footnotes. This is not so much an encyclopaedia of heiresses as a starter pack. With diligence and proper indignation, Ms Thompson shows how, long before Ms Hearsts ordeal hit the airwaves, these ostensibly fortunate daughters had an inherent vulnerability. Marriage was tantamount to losing their property. Men were gaslighting them before gaslight was even invented. Mary Davies, whose real estate holdings became the foundation for some of the poshest parts of London, had an apparently happy union of more than two decades with Sir Thomas Grosvenor still, she was only 12 when it commenced, and was victimised by ghastly schemes after he died. Heiress-snatching would go on to become an activity almost for its own sake, a modish crime. Its a relief when the slim ghost of feminism turns up in the 1900s. Even after women secured more legal rights, Ms Thompson writes, heiresses remained tragedy magnets; hungry for hunger, some developed actual eating disorders, turned to drugs or prostrated themselves for love. Ms Thompson is an obviously hard-working author who admits to envying the very wealthy, fantasizing about how to spend all that dough. She has the consolation of history, at least, moving on from ghastly scenes of teens whisked to Gretna Green, Scotland the Las Vegas of its time to upstart Americans with fresh new money from railroads, baking powder and the like, eager for the finishing touch of an English title and ready to fix and raise the roof of the ancestral pile. Neglectful parenting abounds; one heiress supposedly admires three little girls minded by a nanny, in Hyde Park not realising theyre her own children. We feel the goose bumps on exposed arms in arctic drawing rooms, and smell the exquisitely distilled fumes of leisure in the Newport dwellings of people like the Astors: (bay rum, Floris scent, thoroughbred horseflesh). Ms Thompson strives mightily to connect heiresses, a somewhat antiquated concept, to the present, which sometimes misfires, like when she writes that Hutton was shooting herself in the Blahniks by divorcing Cary Grant in 1945. (Dahling, please! Manolo Blahnik, the shoe designer, was then only a toddler.) And this book about million-dollar babies has a lot of million-dollar words: etiolated, accidie, budgerigar. Trapped in a silk-draped Venn diagram with the socialite and hostess, the heiress has been an unfair object of ridicule. After years of getting dragged through the tabloids and trotted out on reality shows like one of her beloved show ponies, she is both restored to dignity by Ms Thompsons concerned embrace and pushed away with an air kiss. Its a complicated romp. German brand Sebamed, a newcomer to the Indian space, has shifted focus to smaller units and sachets to expand its reach in the domestic market. The personal care and baby care company is bringing down the price points of its products. It has introduced pack sizes priced as low as Rs 10 as it looks to broaden its distribution and sell its products even through the general trade route. The brand typically caters to a premium consumer in the personal care and baby care categories. We launched Rs 10 a sachet a couple of months back for our entire shampoo range. We started launching smaller versions of our products two and a half years ago so that people can try them, Shashi Ranjan, country head at Sebamed, told Business Standard. Currently, its range of products are available at 60,000 outlets in 50 cities, which it plans to expand to 100 cities by the end of this calendar year. The company intends to make its products available even at mom-and-pop stores. Sebamed entered India through the pharmaceutical route as it tapped doctors to recommend its products. As the company is expanding its reach, it only sees 20 per cent of its total sales through the chemist channel. It has taken an omnichannel approach to increase its distribution reach and is adding more cities in a bid to grow its topline. This move by the company comes at a time when it sets a target of increasing revenue by 10 times over the next five years in order to become a billion-dollar brand in India. In 2021 (calendar year), Sebamed's India revenue stood at Rs 600 crore. USV, which markets Sebamed products in India, has also launched Little Birdy hair oil to expand its product offering. It also plans to enter into the nutrition category with its range of products. We are getting into the nutrition segment, and these are early signals in terms of our intent to look at products, which really appeal or fill the need gap of consumers. We will continue to explore such possibilities in the future, Ranjan said. Sebamed has increased its advertising spends by three times in the past three years even during the pandemic, Ranjan said. In the baby care category, Sebamed stands at number three in value terms, Ranjan said without sharing its market share number. In 2021, the company took on Hindustan Unilever soaps by comparing pH levels. Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS), a business-process management firm, said on Sunday that its subsidiary has won a contract from the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) worth 211 million (Rs. 2,100 crore). HGS will provide customer support to citizens for two years, with an option to extend the contract. The partnership started last week and contract will employ more than 2,000 work-at-home positions across the UK. The UKHSA runs the National Health Services Covid-19 test and trace exercise and this contract will assist with future contact-tracing needs and other health security risks such as a large flu outbreak or new pandemic. HGS has been operating in the UK market for over 10 years. While revenues for year ended March 2021 were approx. GBP 67 million, in the nine months ended December 2021, HGS UK more than doubled its revenues to GBP 87 million, said the company. Our public sector business has been a key part of this success story with some marquee clients. The UKHSA engagement is a fantastic addition to the UK business, both from a growth and complexity perspective, said Partha DeSarkar, Executive Director and Group CEO, HGS. Over the last decade, HGS has developed and grown its partnership with the UK government, with this becoming its biggest-ever win in the public sector to date. Adam Foster, CEO of HGS Europe, said, Winning this opportunity is a credit to the past 10 years of expansion of the UK business, and the public sector expertise weve developed and have become recognised for. Our partnership with UKHSA and the responsibility this has bestowed on HGS isnt being taken lightly. We understand the reality of the requirement and are confident in our ability to deliver service of the utmost quality, said Graham Brown, Chief Revenue Officer, HGS UK. Taking cognizance of a complaint by a Maharashtra heritage expert, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is probing allegations of certain activities reported from the vicinity (buffer zone) of the ancient Khajuraho Temples - a World Heritage site. The quiet development follows objections by the Jalgaon-based Heritage Foundation Director Bhujang Bobade to the ASI Director-General, ASI officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others. Bobade said in his complaint that a group of Jain Temples in the close proximity of the Khajuraho Temples have recently carried out certain minor renovations and used chemical/synthetic paints. "This poses a severe threat to the safety of the 11-12 centuries old Khajuraho Group of Monuments, comprising two dozen temples. They were declared a World Heritage Site in 1986 and accorded global protection. Surprisingly, not a single concerned authority has bothered to acknowledge my email complaints so far," a miffed Bobade told IANS. It was in December 2021-January 2022 that locals were taken aback to witness painting and minor repairs being undertaken on the equally ancient cluster of Jain Temples outside the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, but falling within the 'buffer zone' of the World Heritage site. "As per UNESCO rules, there is a minimum 300-metre 'buffer zone' around all such World Heritage Sites, where no such activities that can potentially harm the designated protected monuments are permitted. The Jain Temples here have apparently flouted the rules," claimed Bobade. Social media was agog with viral photos and videos of the facelift work that has now given the old Jain Temples a sparkling white facade -- barring two, the Parshvanath and Adinath Temples -- a sharp contrast to the dark-greyish brown demeanour of the world heritage complex beside, and later confirmed in a site visit by IANS. When contacted, the ASI Jabalpur Circle Head Dr Shivkant Bajpeyi said that the Jain Temples do not come under their jurisdiction and hence they don't interfere in their activities. "However, after the concerns raised in certain quarters, we have sought a 'Status Report', which has been received. After studying it we shall examine further measures," Bajpeyi told IANS. The temple trustees vehemently denied having effected any repairs-renovation but admitted that the Jain Temples around the Khajuraho complex were given a makeover with a coat of fresh paint. "This is a part of the regular maintenance that is carried out periodically, as required This is not the first time and we have painted these temples in the past," asserted the Jain Temple Prabandhan Committee (JTPC) Member Ramesh Jain to IANS. When asked why the Parshvanath and Adinath Temples were spared the brush and paint, Jain said those two temples are managed by the ASI. A cross-check by IANS with the local ASI office verified the claim. ASI officials in Delhi said that the JTPC has been demanding that the ASI hand over the remaining two (Parshvanath and Adinath) temples for proper upkeep, but that would not be possible on several grounds. Now, with the ostensible blessings of a prominent Digambar Jain guru, Acharya Shri Vidyasagarji Maharaj, a new Jain temple is also being constructed, some 300-350 metres from the boundaries of the existing Jain temples, near the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, sparking concerns afresh in officialdom. The Acharya is revered by top politicians including the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and other bigwigs across the political spectrum. The Jain Temples are described as 'live monuments' with top religious leaders and commoners congregating or praying and celebrating festivals there. Bobade cautioned that if the UNESCO rules are flouted, it could lead to forfeiture of the 'World Heritage Site' tag, resulting in a huge embarrassment for India, and urged that prompt remedial steps be taken to protect the Khajuraho Temples, its identified 'buffer zone' plus the coveted title. Built during the reign of the Chandela Dynasty, the Khajuraho complex is the largest concentration of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, coming up over 11 centuries ago. Originally, the site comprised 85 Khajuraho Temples sprawled across 20 sq kms, but now barely two dozen temples survive in a 6 sq km area. The temples are noted for their intricate, detailed carvings, symbolism, stunning erotica and the expressions of ancient Indian art that continue to amaze the modern world. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in & Praveen Dwivedi can be contacted at praveen.d@ians.in) --IANS qn-pd/bg (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 on Sunday attacked Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has an "anti-nation mindset", and accused him of "buying votes" by taking money from Khalistanis. Kejriwal has been under attack from both the Congress and the who have questioned him over former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and poet Kumar Vishwas's accusations of he supporting separatists in Punjab, where voting for assembly polls was held on Sunday. In a video, Vishwas also claimed that Kejriwal had spoken about becoming prime minister of a separate state. Kejriwal has, however, termed the allegations as "laughable" and said he must be the "world's sweetest terrorist" who builds schools and hospitals. Addressing a gathering during a protest here, chief Adesh Gupta said Kejriwal's "low and anti-nation mindset" had come to the fore when he had staged a sit-in "opposing" the Republic Day parade. In 2014, Kejriwal, while demonstrating against the Police and demanding safety for women, had staged a protest near Parliament and outside the Rail Bhawan. He had also issued a threat of disrupting the Republic Day celebrations that year. Gupta also said that the protest by the BJP against Kejriwal has entered its third day. "The harsh truth is that he is buying votes by taking money from Khalistanis and agreeing with whatever they say. He now calls himself the sweetest terrorist and it is right as well because he included those in his AAP who were involved in the Delhi riots," he said. "Also, it was him who first supported the issue of referendum 2020 by Khalistani supporters in Punjab," he said. At the protest, BJP leader Vijay Goel claimed that Kejriwal is now even prepared to sell the country for his lust of power. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that the education and health models that Kejriwal has been talking about for the past seven years are hollow. "There is a shortage of 24,000 teachers in Delhi schools now and not a new school or college has been built during this period. Besides, he has thrown out 5,000 guest teachers from their jobs," he claimed. (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.) Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya appeared before the Police on Sunday in connection with an FIR registered against him for alleged violation of COVID-19 norms, an official said. The FIR was registered at suburban Santacruz police station in September last year under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), and the police had issued summons to the BJP leader on Monday to appear before them within 15 days. On Sunday, Somaiya reached the Santacruz police station where a copy of the FIR was provided to him. He was asked to file his response within 14 days, the police official said. Somaiya has been targeting some leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) in and has accused them of wrongdoings. The police had registered the FIR against Somaiya last year after he visited state minister Chhagan Bhujbal's bungalow in Hasnabad lane of Santacruz (West). Somaiya had on Thursday tweeted the summons copy and said the Uddhav Thackeray-led government/police had registered one more case against him for visiting Bhujbal's "benami" property in Santacruz. (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 Sunday reported 377 COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 12,20,562, while nine deaths increased the toll to 10,896, a health department official said. So far, 12,04,656 people have been discharged post recovery, including 1,148 during the day, leaving the state with an active tally of 5,010, with 41 patients being on ventilator support, he said. "Ahmedabad led with 136 new cases, followed by Vadodara with 72 cases, Surat 26, Gandhinagar 18 and Rajkot six cases, among others. The deaths comprised five in Vadodara, two in Jamnagar and one each in Surat and Bhavnagar," he informed. A government release said 44,497 people were given COVID-19 vaccine jabs on Sunday, taking the total number of doses administered so far to 10.21 crore. In adjoining Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the tally remained unchanged at 11,407, while the discharge of two people took the recovery count to 11,398, leaving the Union Territory, which has seen four deaths so far, with five active cases, a local official said. Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 12,20,562, new cases 377, death toll 10,896, discharged 12,04,656, active cases 5,010, people tested so far - figures not released. (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.) Hartford HealthCare faces two lawsuits accusing them of anticompetitive practices. Along with Yale New Haven Health, Hartford HealthCare has come to dominate health care in Connecticut. (Kenneth R. Gosselin / Hartford Courant) When Yale New Haven Health recently announced its intent to purchase three additional hospitals, the news marked the latest development in a long-running trend in Connecticut and nationwide: the consolidation of hospitals into large, sprawling systems. If Yale New Havens acquisition of Waterbury Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital were to gain regulatory approval in the coming months, more than half of Connecticuts acute-care hospitals accounting for far more than half the states hospital beds would be owned by just two health systems. Advertisement While the two large systems, Yale New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare, argue that consolidation makes for more efficient services, allowing patients statewide access to higher-level care, others arent so sure. In January, Saint Francis Hospital sued Hartford HealthCare, claiming the latter was attempting to crush or bury competitors by buying up physician networks. A month later, six Connecticut residents sued Hartford HealthCare, accusing the system of driving up prices with anticompetitive practices. [ Yale New Haven Health to acquire Manchester Memorial Hospital, Rockville General Hospital and Waterbury Hospital ] Meanwhile, Hartford HealthCares attempts to close the maternity ward at Windham Hospital have drawn backlash from locals, who see the hospital behemoth as stripping services from their corner of the state. Advertisement These big consolidations have basically eroded the word community out of the title of some of these hospitals, said Lynne Ide, a Windham resident and director of program and policy for the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. Its now part of what [serves] the bigger chain. As the Yale New Haven acquisition and the Hartford HealthCare lawsuits proceed, consolidation is expected to emerge as a key issue during the current legislative session, with some lawmakers eyeing tighter regulation for the hospital industry. I have heard from folks all over the political spectrum that this is something they want us to tackle in 2022, said state Sen. Matt Lesser, a Democrat from Middletown who chairs the legislatures Insurance Committee. It seems like a really critical problem that we have to address. When Yale New Haven Health recently announced its intent to purchase three additional hospitals, the news marked the latest development in a long-running trend in Connecticut and nationwide: the consolidation of hospitals into large, sprawling systems. (Courant file photo) (Brad Horrigan/The Hartford Courant) Consolidation concerns If Yale New Havens latest acquisition goes through, it and Hartford HealthCare will together own 14 of Connecticuts 27 acute-care hospitals. Smaller systems, Nuvance Health and Trinity Health of New England, each own three additional hospitals, leaving seven operating independently. Connecticuts hospitals werent always so concentrated within a few systems. A decade ago, Hartford HealthCare and Yale New Haven Health owned four hospitals apiece, leaving the majority of hospitals in the state either independent or owned by smaller systems. Then Hartford HealthCare purchased Backus Hospital in Norwich in 2012, Yale New Haven Health bought Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London in 2016, and Hartford HealthCare added St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport in 2019. Yale New Havens recent acquisition of Waterbury Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital, pending regulatory approval, marks the latest and largest move. Hartford HealthCare purchased Backus Hospital in Norwich in 2012. (Courant file photo) (Cloe Poisson) Along the way, the two systems have also bought up physicians practices, prompting Saint Francis Hospital to sue Hartford HealthCare, alleging a campaign of exclusion, acquisition and intimidation. Hartford HealthCare says the lawsuit is without merit. This trend toward consolidation isnt unique to Connecticut. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the United States saw 778 hospital mergers between 2010 and 2017, at which point two-thirds of all hospitals were part of a larger system (as compared to 53% in 2005). Advertisement This consolidation can have consequences for patients. Research has shown that concentrated control of health care services can lead to higher prices and not necessarily better care by giving large hospital systems greater leverage over insurers. Speaking generally and not about Connecticuts situation in particular, Victoria Veltri, executive director of the states Office of Health Strategy, said unchecked mergers can lead to a situation of extreme market power, which leads to higher prices. At the same time, were not seeing an improved level of quality with these kinds of transactions, Veltri said. Concerns about cost are central to a class-action lawsuit filed last week by six Connecticut residents, who claim Hartford HealthCare has used anti-competitive methods to charge unreasonably high prices and reduce quality of care at its facilities in ways that would not be possible in a fair, competitive market. These high prices are only possible because Hartford HealthCare first acquired numerous facilities and practices and then leveraged that acquired market power to limit competition and raise prices, lawyers for the plaintiffs claimed in a release. [ Six Connecticut residents sue Hartford HealthCare, accusing hospital system of anticompetitive practices that drive up prices ] Hartford HealthCare has responded that the allegations misrepresent the many ways Hartford HealthCare is working to transform health care, building a system of care that is more accessible, has lower-cost options, is a champion for equity and both attracts and delivers excellence. Advertisement Some see consolidation as part of a broader problem. John Brady, a former registered nurse at Backus Hospital who is now vice president of AFT Connecticut, said he doesnt view consolidation as inherently bad but that too often, in his view, hospital conglomerates fail to act in a broader public interest. The important thing is that hospitals seem to often forget that they have a mission to society, he said. Theyre not Walmart. They dont exist to buy and sell goods. They exist to provide a needed service to the people of Connecticut. Hartford HealthCare CEO Jeffrey Flaks has often touted the systems statewide reach as a benefit to patients, allowing the system to attract top doctors and spread their expertise widely. (Courant file photo) (Kassi Jackson/Kassi Jackson) An opportunity Not everyone views consolidation as problematic. Dr. Robert Russo, chief medical officer for the Connecticut State Medical Society, said physicians are often content to sacrifice some autonomy by joining a larger network if it means no longer needing to interface with insurance companies or stress other administrative tasks. Doctors as a group dont really worry about the hospitals getting together, because it is one solution for their problems, which are the hassle of working with the insurance companies, Russo said. Meanwhile, the large hospitals themselves say that consolidation allows them to provide care more efficiently. In an interview Thursday, Yale New Haven Senior Vice President and Chief Policy and Communications Officer Vin Petrini said that Connecticut still has ample competition among hospitals and that large systems ability to purchase goods and services in bulk helps lower costs for both providers and patients. You can focus on providing a high-quality care locally, invest in those services, and you can create efficiencies as well through scale, he said. Theres an opportunity there. Advertisement Though Hartford HealthCare did not make any officials available for interview, CEO Jeff Flaks has often touted the systems statewide reach as a benefit to patients, allowing the system to attract top doctors and spread their expertise widely. In a statement Friday, Hartford HealthCare spokesperson Tina Varona said the system is transforming a fragmented model of care that is too often inefficient and inequitable. We are doing this by investing in expertise, expanding access and creating jobs all for the purpose of delivering better health outcomes, she said. Veltri, from the Office of Health Strategy, said the hospitals make fair points about efficiency and integration but that those benefits are often counterbalanced by a reduction in choice and an increase in prices for patients. That should be of concern to people, she said. Hartford HealthCare owns seven acute-care hospitals in the state, including Hartford Hospital. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant) Top of the list for legislature Even in a short legislative session, Lesser said he expects legislation regarding hospital consolidation to move forward. Advertisement This is the top of the list, he said. My colleagues in the northwest corner are screaming about it. My colleagues in Windham are screaming about it. Its an issue in Manchester and Waterbury all over the state. Ide, the activist from Windham, said shed like to see further regulation on hospitals ability to reduce or eliminate services and tougher penalties for those who violate the existing rules. Hartford HealthCare was recently fined $65,000 for ceasing labor and delivery services at Windham Hospital prior to filing the necessary documentation with the state a sum Ide described as inadequate in acting as a deterrent. [ Residents push back as Hartford HealthCare seeks to close maternity ward at Windham Hospital ] Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > Veltri said she sees significant gaps in Connecticuts statutes, limiting what OHS can review and regulate. In 2017, a state task force proposed extensive recommendations to tighten the Certificate of Need process that governs hospitals, but a bill that would have implemented those suggestions failed to advance in the legislature. In addition to tighter regulation, Veltris wish list for the current legislative session includes funding for an updated health systems plan for the state. Where government can have a role here is to exert its authority to say, For public health purposes and for rational distribution of health care services, we need to insist on having a plan for the state, she said. You have to have that vision of where we need to be, and then you can look at these transactions to see if they make sense and are consistent with this plan. Lesser said he would support letting the state set hospitals rates directly, as Maryland does, but that more likely solutions include closing loopholes in the CON process, further empowering OHS and providing relief to struggling independent hospitals to ensure competition. Advertisement If you have a monopoly, you either break them up or you regulate them up aggressively, Lesser said. But what we have right now is increasingly unregulated monopolies, and thats bad for everybody. Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com. Technology is a tiger that everyone is riding, India's top stock exchange NSE's then CEO had told PTI eight years ago. At the time, she herself was riding the tiger at the helm of the National Stock Exchange, which had overtaken over 100-year-old Bombay Stock Exchange as India's biggest bourse within a year of its launch in 1994. Ironically, it was a major technical glitch in the NSE'S sophisticated algorithm-based superfast trading that had propelled her to the top as its first woman CEO in the male-dominated world of stock trading: On the morning of October 5, 2012, was hit by the so-called 'fat finger trade' which resulted in a trade getting executed in a fraction of a second for a whopping amount of Rs 650 crore and triggering a massive 'flash crash', wiping off nearly Rs 10 lakh crore from investors' wealth in the Indian within seconds. Such was the momentum that a mandatory trading halt could be put in place only after a sudden 16 per cent crash in the benchmark index Nifty -- it missed two check-posts, first at 10 per cent and then at 15 per cent within six seconds. The madness ended after 15 minutes but still someone had to pay the price. The head that rolled was that of CEO Ravi Narain. A few months later, Narain's baton was formally handed over to his deputy, Chitra Ramkrishna, on April 13, 2013. Today, the 59-year-old Ramkrishna stands at the centre of an equally bizarre scandal after it was revealed that she was guided by a mysterious "Himalayan Yogi" in taking key business decisions of the exchange decisions that impacted the business of an exchange which recorded a daily average turnover of well above Rs 2 lakh crore last year and which ranks as the world's largest derivatives exchange and the fourth largest for cash equities in terms of the number of trades. Several people aware of the developments said on condition of anonymity that the time has now come for a deep-cleansing of this marquee institution and directions have come right from the top to all regulatory, enforcement and investigative agencies to get to the bottom of the murky goings-on amid suggestions that malpractices including serious cronyism were covered up by officials, even though it was known to them several years ago. A former top regulatory official, who had looked into the exchange's affairs at that time very closely, said the top management and some key directors clearly failed to discharge their duties, largely because they trusted people at an institution that serves as a frontline regulator for the Indian capital market, where has a near-monopoly with over 90 per cent market share in some key segments. Virtually every regulatory, administrative and probe agency in the country is on the job and those under the scanner include all directors who served on the NSE board during those years, the top management personnel as also those from the regulatory and government sides, a senior official said. Issues being probed are not limited to identifying the 'Yogi', but also encompass much-bigger concerns such as lapses at various levels, including the board, the regulator and the government, including those relating to the controversial co-location facilities and high-frequency trades, the official added. Another ex-regulator, who also did not wish to be named, said NSE owes its existence and rise to a collective effort of the government, regulators and the industry, and it could be put back in shape by a group of committed and visionary individuals. However, it appears that a coterie comprising former and serving bureaucrats, some highly ambitious brokers, top government functionaries and a few corporate executives, including those at the exchange, created and exploited various loopholes for their own personal gains, he added. With the years-old case finally attracting public attention, officials said, directions have come from the top now that no one should be spared and all veils must be lifted to expose every single wrongdoing or lapse, from the smallest to the biggest one. The former regulator said it was astounding that the entire saga has remained buried for almost a decade despite multiple orders passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), which points to the power play at work in this cocktail of corruption, deceit, money laundering, illicit trading and business rivalry. Such concerns are also being cast on the "fat finger trade" fiasco of October 5, 2012. The exchange was also told by Sebi it was wrong in resuming the trade in 15 minutes, as against a much larger trading halt that was required under the regulations, and in not informing the other major stock exchange, the BSE. "Fat-finger trade" is a term used for punching error or wrong pressing of orders on the trading terminals. But there were allegations that the crash was triggered by something else -- perhaps wasn't a technical error but a deliberate manipulation. The exchange was later censured by Sebi after a probe and was asked to beef up its systems and processes. Yet, what followed appears to have been quite the opposite, at least at the human resource level. Soon after her elevation, Ramkrishna appointed Anand Subramanian as her adviser, and later promoted him to Group Operating Officer at a huge salary of Rs 4.21 crore. He also happened to be the husband of her friend and an NSE staffer. The NSE board turned a blind eye to the appointment on the grounds that he was a consultant, and that the CEO had the authority to appoint him. A much bigger lapse was revealed when a Sebi-ordered audit and a regulatory intervention in October 2013 found out about the presence of an unknown person, who Ramkrishna said was a 'Himalayan Yogi' and her spiritual mentor, guiding virtually all her business decisions, including the controversial appointment and promotions of Subramanian. The audit uncovered several email exchanges between Ramkrishna and the unidentified yogi. In its final report, sometime in October 2016, the audit and the bourse dismissed the information exchange, which the regulator had found to be sensitive, as a routine matter by declaring that Subramanian himself was posing as the Yogi to manipulate Ramkrishna and all was well since both of them were quitting the NSE, the official said. Ramakrishna left in December 2016. It was clearly a white-wash by the exchange in an attempt to keep the scandal under wraps, and to allow Ramkrishna a graceful exit, said the official, adding that Sebi in its final order had refused to accept that Subramanian was posing as the yogi. Multiple people, including those who worked with the top leadership of the exchange at that time and at regulatory and government departments, said it looks almost certain that this Yogi is an imaginary identity created by one or multiple people, including some in key positions to control Ramkrishna. Sebi has levied a fine of Rs 3 crore on Ramkrishna, Rs 2 crore each on the NSE, Narain and Subramanian and Rs 6 lakh on V R Narasimhan, who was the chief regulatory officer and chief compliance officer. In addition, Sebi has barred the NSE from launching any new product for a period of six months, while Ramkrishna, Subramanian and Narain have been restrained from associating with any market infrastructure institution or any Sebi-registered intermediary for 2-3 years. NSE said there have been several changes at the board and management level at the bourse over the last few years and it has operationalised the directives of Sebi on various matters over the years and has taken measures to further strengthen the control environment, including the technology architecture. The exchange also said it is committed to the highest standards of governance and transparency and will extend full co-operation to the regulator for a satisfactory closure of the matter. Ramkrishna was part of the initial leadership team selected by the government to set up NSE, which got incorporated in 1992 and became operational in 1994. She was the third person to head the exchange after R H Patil, its first chief, and Narain. Incidentally, she was also part of a team that drafted the legislative framework for the securities market regulator Sebi in 1987. (Reported by Barun Jha.) (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.) External Affairs Minister (EAM) on Sunday began his three-day visit to during which he will attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the amid Chinese assertiveness in the region. During his visit, Jaishankar will hold a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. Jaishankar will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council. EAM will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from EU and other countries on the sidelines of the Forum. He will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). "EAM Jaishankar begins his 3-day visit to France, a key strategic partner; he will attend the EU Ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, hold bilateral meetings with @JY_LeDrian and @florence_parly, interact with think tanks and chair India Heads of Missions in EU Conference," India in wrote in a tweet. Meanwhile, China has formed 3,200 acres of artificial land in the South China Sea, raised an airstrip with the capacity to land fighter jets and large commercial planes, built 72 fighter-jet hangers, and commissioned 10-12 large aircraft on Fiery Cross, Subi, and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly Islands. It has made military installations in the Woody Island of the Paracel Islands. The construction of these artificial islands is in clear violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, of which China is also a signatory. This visit comes after Jaishankar participated in Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 in Germany and held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. (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 COVID-19 tally in reached 10,34,440 on Sunday after the detection of 950 new cases, while the deaths of two patients took the toll to 10,715, a health department official said. The positivity rate came down to 1.3 per cent from 1.4 per cent on Saturday, he added. The recovery count stood at 10,16,198 after 1,785 people were discharged during the day, leaving MP with 7,527 active cases, he said. Bhopal and Indore, the two worst coronavirus-hit cities of Madhya Pradesh, registered 214 and 76 cases, respectively, during the past 24 hours, he said. With 68,952 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,73,68,919, the official added. A government release said 11,30,31,862 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 12,924 on Sunday. figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,34,440, new cases 950, death toll 10,715, recoveries 10,16,198, active cases 7,527, number of tests so far 2,73,68,919. (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.) Pakistan's maritime authorities have arrested 31 Indian fishermen and seized five of their vessels for allegedly fishing in the country's territorial waters, officials said on Wednesday. The Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) said that it apprehended the intruding vessels on Friday during patrolling in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) announced that it made the arrest from Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC) on 18 February. The PMSA said that one of its "ship apprehended five Indian fishing boats along with 31 crew." The boats were towed to for further legal proceedings as per Pakistani Law and UN Convention on Law of the Sea, it said. Pakistan and regularly arrest fishermen from either side for violating the maritime boundary which is poorly marked at some points. Fishermen from Pakistan and usually end up in jails after they are arrested for fishing illegally in each other's territorial waters. (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.) Prime Minister on Sunday greeted the people of and on their statehood day and hailed their contribution. "Greetings to the people of on their Statehood Day. India takes great pride in the vibrant Mizo culture and the contributions of to progress," Modi said in a tweet. "I pray for the good health and well-being of the people of Mizoram," he said. Modi also extended best wishes to the people of on their statehood day. "The people of the state are known for their stupendous talent and hardworking nature. May the state scale new heights of development in the times to come," he said. Both Mizoram and were given statehood on this day in 1987. (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 K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday met his counterpart here as part of efforts to bring together various like-minded parties against the BJP at the national level. Following an invitation from Thackeray, Rao arrived at 'Varsha', the official residence of CM. Thackeray, who is also president of the Shiv Sena, recently spoke to Rao over phone and invited him to Mumbai. mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday said the meeting will expedite the process of political unity at the national level against the BJP. MP and party's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut is also attending the meeting. Later in the day, Rao is also scheduled to meet NCP president Sharad Pawar, whose party shares power with the and Congress in . Thackeray had earlier announced "complete support" to Rao's fight against the BJP's alleged anti-people policies and to uphold the federal spirit. The CM, who has been critical of the BJP and the Centre on a number of issues, had said he will hold meetings with his Maharashtra and West Bengal counterparts as part of efforts to unite various political parties against the BJP and the NDA government. (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 death of former Left leader Anish Khan Sunday snowballed into a major controversy in West Bengal, with political parties alleging involvement of ruling TMC leaders in the incident, though the government rubbished the charges and pointed fingers at a deep rooted conspiracy hatched outside the state. Hundreds of activists of CPI(M)'s student wing SFI broke barricades placed before Amta police station in Howrah district earlier in the day, and organised demonstrations across in protest against the death of Khan. Khan's family had alleged that people donning police uniforms entered their residence in Amta on Friday night, dragged the student activist, who had gained prominence during the anti-CAA stir, to the terrace and threw him down, causing his death. Police, however, denied the allegation that any law enforcer had gone to his house, and said that he was found dead near his residence. SP Howrah Rural, Soumya Roy, said a DSP-ranking officer will conduct a high-level investigation. He added that a forensic team went to the spot, collected samples and reconstructed the alleged incident. The father of Khan, 27, demanded a CBI probe, contending that "we don't have faith in the state police. Khan, who had been with the SFI in the past and a prominent face in the anti- Amendment Act (CAA) protests at Park Circus Maidan in late 2019 and 2020, later joined the Indian Secular Front. He continued to speak against the policies of the central government and those of the Mamata banerjee-led dispensation, and also alleged corruption at the panchayat level. "We demand a high-level probe. We could have stormed into the police station, but we restrained the protesters as we believe in a democratic movement," senior SFI leader Dipsita Dhar said, after submitting a memorandum, claiming inconsistencies in the version of police about the unnatural death of Khan. "We will take out a rally from The Statesman House point in Esplanade to Mahajati Sadan area near M G Road (on Monday) demanding justice for Anish and the arrest of those sheltered by local TMC leaders," Debnil Paul, another SFI leader, said. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Bhattacharya, who joined the protests, also sought an investigation into the death of Khan by an independent agency, and said the party will move the Calcutta High Court in this regard. Bhattacharya later went to the residence of Khan, a student of Aliah University who had recently enrolled for a PG course at Kalyani University, and spoke to his family members, as did a Congress delegation led by former MLA Asit Mitra. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that TMC leaders were responsible for the former Left leader's death. "TMC men are behind every such incident. How could the assailants procure police uniforms and rifles?" he said. State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also alleged that it was a "pre-planned murder" and demanded that those guilty should not get any political protection. However, Transport Minister and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim claimed that the incident was a result of a conspiracy hatched outside the state. "... It is reminiscent of happenings in Uttar Pradesh, and not a state like West Bengal, which has a history of progressive movements and democratic traditions. We suspect that it was planned outside by those who didn't want Khan to be around. Let the investigation be completed," he said. Countering him, BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar said: "From what I gather, the four intruders at Anish's residence were speaking in Bengali. And, they came soon after the young student activist returned from a musical soiree in the area on that fateful night. This indicates local involvement. Which party has a strong network in that area?" Actors and social activists like Kaushik Sen and Bolan Gangopadhyay also urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to bring to book the culprits. Otherwise, there will be serious erosion in public faith about the state administration," they 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.) Union Home Minister on Sunday urged the people of and to vote as both the states go to the Assembly polls today. The third phase of the assembly polls is underway while is voting in a single-phase election. "I appeal to the voters of the third phase of that each and every vote of yours is very important to elect the government which will accelerate development by keeping the state free from dynasty, casteism and appeasement. So vote in maximum numbers," Shah tweeted in Hindi. " has a golden and glorious history, which every Indian is proud of. I appeal to the people of Punjab to vote for the government which keeps the state safe and keeps the cultural heritage and rich tradition of gurus ahead to keep Punjab and the country united," he said in another tweet in Hindi. After weeks of high voltage poll campaigning for Punjab Assembly elections, over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1304 candidates in the fray from 117 constituencies on Sunday. Polling began across 117 seats in the state at 8 am today. Polling in 59 constituencies for the third phase of Uttar Pradesh elections at 7 am on Sunday. In the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls, 59 assembly seats across 16 districts are going to the polls on Sunday. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray. Over 2.16 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 25,794 polling places and 15,557 polling stations in the third phase of Assembly elections. Counting of the votes will take place on March 10. (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.) Polling on all Assembly seats in and 59 constituencies for the third phase of elections at 7 am on Sunday. In Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1304 candidates in the fray from 117 constituencies. The state is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former chief minister Amarinder Singh's Lok Congress party as key players. CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who is the Congress's chief ministerial face, is contesting from two seats Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur. Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is facing SAD's Bikram Singh Majithia, AAP's Jeevanjyot Kaur and BJP's Jagmohan Singh Raju in Amritsar (East). AAP Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur and party's CM face Bhagwant Mann is contesting from Dhuri seat. Punjab Lok Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh is seeking re-election from the Patiala constituency. Five-time Chief Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal is in the fray from the Lambi seat while SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal is in the electoral contest from Jalalabad. The BJP has pitted its Punjab unit chief Ashwani Kumar Sharma from the Pathankot constituency. In the third phase of polls, 59 assembly seats across 16 districts are going to the polls on Sunday. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray. Over 2.16 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 25,794 polling places and 15,557 polling stations in the third phase of . Among the key constituencies where polling began today include Karhal where former chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting his maiden Assembly election. The BJP has pitted Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice Satya Pal Singh Baghel against Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh's uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) supremo Shivpal Singh Yadav is contesting from Jaswantnagar seat. Elections in are being held in seven phases and will conclude on March 7. Besides UP, polling for in Goa and Uttarakhand has recently concluded. Manipur will go to the polls in two phases- on February 28 and March 5. The counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur will take place on March 10. (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.) Samajwadi Party (SP) president and Union Minister S.P. Singh Baghel are fiercely contesting the Karhal Assembly seat in Mainpuri, but they will not be casting a vote for themselves in their constituency on Sunday. Akhilesh is a registered voter in Jaswant Nagar in Etawah district, from where his uncle Shivpal Yadav is contesting the polls. He will cast his vote there. Akhilesh's family members, including his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, will also be casting his vote in Jaswant Nagar. Baghel is from Agra where voting took place in the first phase of the elections. According to reports, there are eight such candidates in Karhal who are contesting elections but will not be able to vote for themselves in third phase of voting which is being held on Sunday. Three BJP candidates from Mainpuri -- Jaiveer Singh who is fighting elections from Mainpuri (city) has his vote in Sirsaganj in Firozabad; while state Minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri, belongs to Mainpuri (city) but is contesting from Bhogaon Assembly constituency; and Dr Priyaranjan Anshu Diwakar is contesting from Kishni seat and his vote is in Mainpuri (city). Similarly, the SP's Alok Shakya's vote is in Mainpuri (city) but he is contesting polls from Bhogaon, while the BSP's Kuldeep Narayan is from Bhogaon and is contesting from Karhal. Congress nominee Vineeta Shakya from Mainpuri (city) is a registered voter in Kisni. --IANS amita/ksk/ (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.) Some of the books that have helped Virginian-Pilot reporters as they explore Norfolk's history of segregation. (Sara Gregory/The Virginian-Pilot) When Conor Collins teaches his Advanced Placement U.S. History class, he asks students to think about some of the challenges Black people could have faced during Reconstruction after American enslavement was abolished. He talks about when Black people could participate in the American political sphere for the first time. But he also talks about the backlash in the southern states through the formation of the Klu Klux Klan and exploitative legislation such as the Black Codes. Advertisement Could that be considered a divisive concept, and thus something that could run afoul of Gov. Glenn Youngkins executive order that seeks to prevent it? Collins said he doesnt know. Advertisement The Newport News high school teacher said he didnt find any answers when he reviewed the Jan. 15 order only open-ended criteria that led to more questions. The dilemma stems from recent debates to ban contentious topics from being taught in schools a debate that some school administrators maintain has placed more burdens on teachers. Youngkin promised parents he would eliminate critical race theory in schools, and although its not taught in K-12 schools, its become a catchall term referring to what and how children are taught about racial issues. Without specific definitions, critics of Youngkins order say its an attempt to roll back progressive efforts to provide students with an equitable, inclusive education. Collins said its his responsibility to open his students minds to different perspectives and teach them about often overlooked historical events. According to Atif Qarni, Virginias former Secretary of Education, those are the types of lessons some parents and elected officials aim to bar from classrooms. The debate around whether CRT, as its often referred to, is taught in schools misses the point. We have to call it for what it is this is an attack on intelligent thinking, about really grappling with our complex society and trying to understand deep-rooted systemic barriers and racism, he said. Auditing Virginias curricula School officials repeatedly have pointed out that critical race theory isnt taught in K-12 schools, nor are any similar instructional practices. Advertisement [ Related: What is critical race theory? And why has it received so much attention in Virginia? ] Over the past four years, Virginia took steps to improve the states Standard of Learning and provide an equitable education for students. Qarni said he received emails from parents and elected officials saying they didnt want students learning about some of the topics that would be incorporated in the curricula, which was first reported by the Richmond-Times Dispatch. Youngkin told state legislators last month his order intends to dissolve concerns about the states curricula. Virginia parents want our history all of our history, the good and the bad to be taught. And they want their children to be told how to think, not what to think, the governor said. Thats why we should not use inherently divisive concepts like Critical Race Theory in Virginia. And why we should not be teaching our children to see everything through the lens of race. Supporters of Youngkins order have argued that the path the state is following is itself racist. A Christian legal group sued the Albemarle County school division late last year, saying the current curriculum classifies all individuals into a racial group and identifies them as either perpetually privileged oppressors or perpetually victimized. The Virginia Beach-based Students First Va, a political action committee co-founded by School Board member Vicky Manning that supports an attempt to recall several other board members, is among those backing Youngkins effort. Co-founder and President Tim Mack said pubic schools are teaching political heresy, not facts and treating children differently based on race. These destructive concepts are cancerous to students and education and need to be surgically removed before they metastasize. They certainly do not help develop healthy, happy, strong, independent, well-educated citizens that our community and country need, Mack wrote in an email. Advertisement The states Secretary of Education, Aimee Guidera, echoed Youngkin during a Jan. 17 House Education Committee meeting. She said many parents dont know what their children are learning in schools and want more transparency to ensure divisiveness and political agendas arent imposed on students. She said the audit Youngkin ordered will remove anything from the past four years that Guidera and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow think is controversial but also that any changes made will not prevent an honest account of U.S. history. Guideras office did not respond to a request for comment. On Tuesday, Youngkin told The Associated Press the executive order will get divisive concepts out of our schools while also ensuring that we should teach all of our history, the good and the bad. And I think those two concepts absolutely fit together very well. But without any real definition, educators say anything could be seen as controversial depending on whom you ask. In 2020, a state commission made edits to Virginias social studies standards to improve how Black history is taught in K-12. The African American History Education Commission also recommended professional development opportunities for teachers to become more culturally responsive because roughly half of public-school students are people of color, while a large majority of teachers are white. Some of those changes could take effect in the 2022-23 academic year, Qarni said. Advertisement Multiple bills proposed during the 2022 legislative session sought to codify Youngkins order. A Senate committee struck down a bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Jen Kiggans, whose district covers parts of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, that deems teaching anything divisive as an unlawful and discriminatory practice. The policy, like the order, said a divisive concept is anything that goes against two sections of Civil Right Act of 1964 that prohibits educational institutions from discriminating against students because of race and other factors. The GOP-controlled House passed a similar bill Tuesday that would ban controversial topics after at least 10 amendments to safeguard teaching about landmark events and policies such as the Jim Crow era and the Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that gay marriage was constitutional. Youngkins order also targets other plans, including Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiatives, which received criticism last year under the assumption that students wouldnt be able to take advanced courses before 11th grade for equitable learning outcomes. Virginias Board of Education has yet to review any changes to the states math standard routine revisions happen every seven years until 2023. Qarni said the criticism of the Pathways Initiative comes from the mistaken belief that helping people who may be at a disadvantage will take away from others. Were adding more resources, creating more seats, he said. Were a really well-resourced country. We have a lot of bandwidth to meet the needs of everyone. Advertisement Making matters worse Educators have expressed growing concerns that the ripple effect of COVID-19s impact on schools coupled with recent backlash from parents and elected officials will drive teachers and administrators out of the profession and cause communities to mistrust the public education system. Retired elementary school principal Krista Arnold and superintendent Ben Kiser said Youngkins recent actions could exacerbate the problem. It could also cause those in leadership roles, such as principals and superintendents, to follow suit because of the social and political climate. They are really struggling to keep their staff and community and students together moving forward in a healthy learning environment, said Arnold, who is the executive director for Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals. Principals are being challenged with just crisis after crisis this year. [ Related: Hampton Roads teachers, students suffer under pressures brought on by COVID-19 ] Kiser, executive director of Virginia Association of School Superintendents, and Arnold agreed that Youngkins order and tip line to report divisive teachings are counterproductive. Although both hope to work with his administration, Kiser said the order was emotionally driven. Kiser, who served as superintendent in Gloucester County until 2014, stressed the importance of encouraging students to think critically and draw their own conclusions based on the facts. He said hes confident the state curriculum doesnt enforce or include contentious lessons. Advertisement Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Our schools are microcosms of what we see in our society as a whole, he said. We should be setting the example to help our children understand how to become independent, critical thinkers and productive within our society. And you cant restrict that opportunity for them to learn in that modality while theyre in classrooms. Collins said he wont let the fear of professional repercussions keep him from teaching true and honest lessons to his students, he said. He described it as, what the late Civil Rights activist and U.S. Rep. John Lewis would call, good trouble. Giving kids the tools to look deeper into things in the current world drives his lessons, Collins said. You should read into any type of law to make sure that its actually being done equitably for all people in our society. Advertisement Sierra Jenkins, 229-462-8896, sierra.jenkins@virginiamedia.com Union Home Minister on Saturday said the agenda of the is to make a proud state once again. Taking a dig at Jawaharlal Nehru, Shah said it took a Modi government to complete an irrigation project whose foundation stone was laid by the country's first prime minister. The agenda of the is to once again take to the top of the list of most prosperous, most literate states, Shah said during the enlightened class conference' organised by Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Seth here. Referring to the inauguration of multiple long-pending irrigation projects in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, Shah said, The Bhoomi Pujan was done by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1961 and it has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just a few days ago. It took 59 years to complete the projects, which is more than my age (57 years). Even the foundation stone of the project, which was laid back then, was lost. We have worked to get a stone named after Jawaharlal Nehru installed, Shah said. The home minister cautioned that the governments running on the basis of casteism, dynasty and appeasement can never do good to Uttar Pradesh. Appreciating the works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Shah said the BJP government improved law and order in the state and as a result, Azam Khan, Ateeq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari were all in jail at the same time after 15 years. Stressing that the BJP ended criminalisation of politics and politicisation of administration, Shah said, Today, officers take decisions according to the Constitution, laws and rules, due to which many things have been set right. He said in the last five years, development in Uttar Pradesh was evident in health, education and infrastructure sectors with financial support from the central government. Targeting Samajwadi Party, Shah said a state that lacks adequate infrastructure cannot progress. Akhilesh Yadav used to provide 24 hours electricity to Saifai and Lucknow, but the Yogi government has given enough electricity to every village and city, he said. Further, Shah said the BJP government had in the last five years fixed three big issues in Uttar Pradesh the Ram Janmabhoomi controversy, the temple of Kashi Vishwanath and Ma Vindhyavasini temple. (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.) Attacking Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Prime Minister on Sunday said the chief ministerial candidate was "insecure" about his seat and had to seek help from his father whom he had "humiliated" to capture the party. ''The seat, which these people considered as the safest, is also getting out of their reach," Modi said at a rally here, in an apparent reference to the Karhal constituency from where Yadav is contesting in his family stronghold of Mainpuri. Ahead of the third phase polling in Uttar Pradesh, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had campaigned for his son in the constituency, though he maintained a low profile during this election. The Karhal seat with a majority of Muslim and Yadav voters is considered safe for the SP as these communities have over the years favoured the party in the caste-dominated politics of Uttar Pradesh. Modi targeted who was seen in a video purportedly pushing Mulayam Singh Yadav on the stage during a power struggle within the party before the 2017 Assembly elections. "You must have seen, the father who was pushed from the stage was humiliated and the party was captured, he had to plead to him for saving the seat," the prime minister said, without naming anyone. "If the chief ministerial candidate himself is insecure about his constituency, you can gauge the direction of the wind," Prime Minister Modi said. Modi alleged that mafia and criminals dictated the terms during the Samajwadi Party rule. "Due to riots, curfew, extortion, the life of traders and businessmen was extremely difficult. The BJP government has brought UP out of this darkness, Modi said. "Under Yogiji's government, UP has shown improvement in law and order. That's why UP is saying - we will bring those who have brought security and honour," he added. He also took a swipe at over his outburst against police personnel at a recent election rally. ''Those abuses from the stage, that threat was not only for the police of UP. It was an attempt to give courage to rioters and his mafia friends," the prime minister said. Batting for a second term for Yogi Adityanath, Modi said, "Today in UP there is only one echo everywhere- '2017 me haraya tha, 2022 me phir se harayenge, UP ke log keh rahe hain Yogiji ko layenge' ( People of UP are saying that you will be defeated in 2022 as in 2017, and we will bring Yogiji again). "For the dynasts, the biggest priority is their and their close one's interests. If the people of UP are insulted anywhere, they turn a blind eye to it if it does not serve their interest," he said. Hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for campaigning for the SP in UP, Modi said, "Those who had insulted the people of UP during the West Bengal polls were also brought here by these dynasts." "They dynast spread red carpets and invite such people for their campaign, who laugh at people of Uttar Pradesh for their food, dressing and dialect. Such parties neither care about UP nor but people here. All they need is 'kursi' (chair)," he said. He alleged that for the SP, the "government means ATM". "Take out as many notes as you want and fill your house through government. For the BJP, the government is only a medium and an opportunity to serve crores of citizens," he said. Referring to the problem of stray cattle, the prime minister said, "A new system will be made after March 10 to deal with the problems that you people face due to stray animals. A system will be made so that you can earn income from the dung of an animal that does not give milk." Attacking opposition parties for speaking against the COVID-19 vaccine, the prime minister said many countries were queuing up for the vaccines made in India. "But these people opened a front against the vaccine that saved the life of the poor. It was said that this is BJP's vaccine," he said. Taking a dig at rivals, Modi said after the assembly election results are out on March 10, these parties will say they lost because of the "BJP vaccine which made people press the lotus symbol" on the voting machines. Unnao is going to polls on February 23 in the fourth phase. (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.) leader on Sunday urged the people of to vote for the peace and progress of the state. Taking to Twitter, the leader said that if a new government is formed then a new future will be formed. "Voting will be in . Change will come across the country! Vote for peace and progress - if a new government is formed, a new future will be formed," he tweeted. Polling in 59 constituencies for the third phase of the elections began at 7 am on Sunday. In the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls, 59 assembly seats across 16 districts are going to the polls on Sunday. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray. Over 2.16 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 25,794 polling places and 15,557 polling stations in the third phase of Assembly elections. Among the key constituencies where polling began today include Karhal where former chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting his maiden Assembly election. The BJP has pitted Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice Satya Pal Singh Baghel against Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh's uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) supremo Shivpal Singh Yadav is contesting from Jaswantnagar seat. The counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh will take place on March 10. (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.) Voting for 59 Assembly constituencies spread across 16 districts of began on Sunday morning. Polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. This is the third phase of the Assembly polls in the state, where elections are to be held in seven rounds. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray in this phase, in which over 2.15 crore people are eligible to vote. The districts where polling is being held are Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba. The Karhal Assembly seat, from where Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting, is also going to polls in this phase. The BJP has fielded Union minister S P Singh Baghel from the seat. Sunday's polling will also seal the fate of the Samajwadi Party chief's uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is contesting from his traditional Jaswantnagar seat. Before the campaigning ended for the third phase on Friday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra undertook a door-to-door march in Kanpur, Kalpi, Jalaun and Hamirpur while BSP chief Mayawati addressed election meetings in Jalaun and Auraiya. Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav sought votes for his son Akhilesh Yadav in Karhal. The BJP had approached the Election Commission seeking deployment of paramilitary forces at all booths in Karhal. Among other prominent faces in the fray in this phase are BJP's Satish Mahana (Maharajpur in Kanpur) and Ramvir Upadhaya (Sadabad in Hathras), and Louise Khurshid, who is contesting on the Congress ticket from Farrukhabad Sadar. Louise Khurshid is the wife of senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid. Former IPS officer Asim Arun is contesting from Kannauj Sadar on the BJP ticket while minister Ramnaresh Agnihotri is also in the fray in this phase. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 49 of the 59 seats while the SP had settled for nine. The Congress had got one seat while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) drew a blank. (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.) registered a poll percentage of 60.70 per cent in the February 19 urban local bodies election that witnessed an interesting multi-cornered contest with the constituents of the opposition AIADMK alliance contesting on their respective party's own strengths, rather than remaining together, against the DMK combine. Among the 21 corporations, which went to polls, the Greater Chennai Corporation registered the lowest turnout of 43.59 per cent while Karur polled the maximum of 75.84 per cent on Saturday, according to the State Election Commission (TNSEC). The single-phase election was held to fill up 12,838 posts in 21 corporations, 138 municipalities, 490 town panchayats and 649 urban local bodies in the state. A total of 74,416 candidates including many independents entered the fray. Among the municipalities, Dharmapuri registered an impressive turnout of 81.37 per cent and Nilgiris recorded the lowest voter turnout of 59.98 per cent, the SEC said. On the whole, the town panchayats and municipalities recorded a good voter turnout of 74.68 per cent and 68.22 per cent respectively, while the highly urbanised corporations saw a low turnout of 52.22 per cent. The electoral fortunes of the candidates of various political parties and independents, as well, will be known on February 22 when the SEC takes up the counting of votes. The local body in TN were held after more than a decade. The polls were last conducted in 2011 when the AIADMK was in power 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.) US President will hold a meeting of the National Security Council on the situation in on Sunday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki says. "President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team. They reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against at any time," Psaki said in a Saturday statement. According to the White House, Biden has already received an update on the meetings held at the Munich Security Conference, including those with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Tomorrow, the President will convene a meeting of the National Security Council on the situation in Ukraine," Psaki said. Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kiev's sabotage of the Minsk agreements. The self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) in Ukraine's southeast (Donbas) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region on Friday over the escalation of tensions on the contact line. DPR and LPR have been reporting ongoing shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces since Thursday. (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.) Most of the streets around the Canadian Parliament are quiet now. The Ottawa protesters who vowed never to give up are largely gone, chased away by policemen in riot gear. The relentless blare of truckers' horns has gone silent. But the trucker protest, which grew until it closed a handful of Canada-US border posts and shut down key parts of the capital city for weeks, could echo for years in Canadian and perhaps south of the border. The protest, which was first aimed at a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers but also encompassed fury over the range of COVID-19 restrictions and hatred of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reflected the spread of disinformation in and simmering populist and right-wing anger. I think we've started something here, said Mark Suitor, a 33-year-old protester from Hamilton, Ontario, speaking as police retook control of the streets around Parliament. Protesters had essentially occupied those streets for more than three weeks, embarrassing Trudeau and energising Canada's far right. Suitor believes the protests will divide the country, something he welcomes. This is going to be a very big division in our country, he said. I don't believe this is the end. While most analysts doubt the protests will mark a historic watershed in Canadian politics, it has shaken both of Canada's two major parties. The protest has given both the Liberals and the Conservatives a black eye, said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. Trudeau's Liberals look bad for allowing protesters to foments weeks of chaos in the capital city, he said, while the Conservatives look bad for championing protesters, many of them from the farthest fringes of the right. The conservatives have to be careful not to alienate more moderate voters, who are generally not sympathetic to the protesters or right-wing populism more generally, said Daniel Bland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. The self-styled Freedom Convoy shook Canada's reputation for civility, inspired convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands and interrupted trade, causing economic damage on both sides of the border. Hundreds of trucks eventually occupied the streets around Parliament, a display that was part protest and part carnival. Authorities moved quickly to reopen the border posts, but police in Ottawa did little but issue warnings until the past couple days, even as hundreds and sometimes thousands of protesters clogged the streets of the city and besieged Parliament Hill. Truckers ignored warnings that they were risking arrest and could have their rigs seized and bank accounts frozen under the new emergency powers invoked by Trudeau. The truckers, parked on the streets in and around Parliament, blared their horns in defiance of a court injunction against honking, issued after residents said the constant noise was making the neighbourhood unlivable. It's high time that these illegal and dangerous activities stop, Trudeau declared in Parliament a few days ago, speaking just a few hundred metres from the protests. On Friday, authorities launched the largest police operation in Canadian history, arresting a string of Ottawa protesters and increasing that pressure on Saturday. Eventually, police arrested at least 170 people and towed away dozens of vehicles. Many protesters retreated as the pressure increased. The Ottawa protests - the movement's last major stronghold - appeared to be largely over by Saturday evening, though some protesters warned they were only regrouping. As it did in the United States, COVID-19 quickly became a political issue in . health restrictions became a political cudgel for Canada's far right, which accused Trudeau of authoritarianism. But while the restrictions clearly benefitted the far-right People's Party of Canada, things are more complicated in the Conservative Party. Only recently have some Conservative leaders fully embraced the pushback against vaccine mandates and restrictions. Even so, the protests may open the door to the sort of populism that former President Donald Trump used to vault himself into the White House. Pierre Poilievre, who is running to become the next leader of the Conservative party, has cheered on the protesters, gambling that voters will back him. But it remains unclear whether that will get him to the top of the party, or whether it would help or hurt him if there is a showdown between him and Trudeau or the next Liberal party leader. Poilievre is clearly playing by the populist playbook right now, said Bland. If he becomes Conservative leader, the party might effectively shift towards Trump-style populism. However, it's unclear whether enough Canadians support this vision to make it appealing beyond the party's base. The protests have been cheered on in the US by Fox News personalities and conservatives like Trump. Millions of dollars in donations have flowed across the border to the protesters. About 44 percent of the nearly $10 million in contributions to support the protesters originated from US donors, according to an Associated Press analysis of leaked donor files. Prominent Republican politicians have praised the protesters. But experts say the US support of the Canadian protesters is really aimed at energising conservative in the US, where midterm elections are looming. And some in the United States have pushed back. When I say democracy is fragile I mean it, Bruce Heyman, a US ambassador to during the Obama Administration. Stand up for our friend Canada and let your voice be heard. Meanwhile, though the situation in Ottawa appeared to be ending, there were new signs the protests had not died out entirely. The Canadian border agency warned late Saturday afternoon that operations at a key truck crossing from western Canada into the United States had been slowed by protesters, advising travellers to find a different route. (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.) Police aggressively pushed back protesters in Canada's besieged capital on Saturday, seizing trucks and finally retaking control of the streets in front of the country's Parliament building. Scores of trucks left under the increasing pressure, raising authorities' hopes for an end to the three-week protest against the country's COVID-19 restrictions and the government of Prime Minister . The street in front of Parliament Hill was the heart of the protests. It had been occupied by protesters and their trucks since late last month, turning into a carnival on weekends. They are trying to push us all away, said one protester, Jeremy Glass of Shelburne, Ontario, as authorities forced the crowds to move further from the Parliament building. The main camp is seized now. We're no longer in possession of it. Canadian authorities also announced they had used emergency powers to seize 76 bank accounts connected to protesters, totalling roughly $3.2 million ($2.5 million US). On Saturday, they also closed a bridge into the nation's capital from Quebec to prevent a renewed influx of protesters. Ottawa police addressed the protesters in a tweet: We told you to leave. We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers and the horses. Based on your behaviour, we are responding by including helmets and batons for our safety. Police said one protester launched a gas canister and was arrested as they advanced. By Friday evening, at least 100 people had been arrested, mostly on mischief charges, and nearly two dozen vehicles had been towed, including all of those blocking one of the city's major streets, authorities said. One officer had a minor injury, but no protesters were hurt, interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said. Those arrested included four protest leaders. One received bail while the others remained jailed. The crackdown on the self-styled Freedom Convoy began Friday morning, when hundreds of police, some in riot gear and some carrying automatic weapons, descended into the protest zone and began leading demonstrators away in handcuffs through the snowy streets as holdout truckers blared their horns. The capital and its paralysed streets represented the movement's last stronghold after weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the US and created one of the most serious tests yet for Trudeau. They also shook Canada's reputation for civility, with some blaming America's influence. The Freedom Convoy demonstrations initially focused on Canada's vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau's government. Ottawa residents complained of being harassed and intimidated by the truckers and obtained a court injunction to stop their incessant honking. Trudeau portrayed the protesters as members of a fringe element. Canadians have largely embraced the country's COVID-19 restrictions, with the vast majority vaccinated, including an estimated 90% of the nation's truckers. Some of the vaccine and mask mandates imposed by the provinces are already falling away rapidly. The biggest border blockade, at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, disrupted the flow of auto parts between the two countries and forced the industry to curtail production. Authorities lifted the siege last weekend after arresting dozens of protesters. The final border blockade, in Manitoba, across from North Dakota, ended peacefully on Wednesday. The protests have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the US. (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.) Jinghai district in northern is hardly a rice-growing paradise. Located along the coast of the Bohai Sea, over half of the regions land is made of salty, alkaline soil where crops cant survive. Yet, last autumn, Jinghai produced 100 hectares of rice. The secret to the bountiful harvest is new salt-tolerant rice strains developed by Chinese scientists in the hope of ensuring food security thats been threatened by rising sea levels, increasing grain demand and supply chain disruptions. Known as seawater rice because its grown in salty soil near the sea, the strains were created by over-expressing a gene from selected wild rice thats more resistant to saline and alkali. Test fields in Tianjinthe municipality that encompasses Jinghairecorded a yield of 4.6 metric tons per acre last year, higher than the national average for production of standard rice varieties. The breakthrough comes as searches for ways to secure domestic food and energy supplies as global warming and geopolitical tensions make imports less reliable. The nation has one-fifth of the worlds population, and that many mouths to feed, with less than 10per cent of the Earths arable land. Meanwhile, grain consumption is rising quickly as the country grows more wealthy. Seeds are the chips of agriculture, said Wan Jili, a manager at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center, drawing a parallel between the crucial role semiconductors play in the development of new technologies and their role in the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and . Seawater rice could help improve Chinas grain production in the face of an extremely complicated situation regarding climate change and global food security, she said. China has been studying salt-tolerant rice since at least the 1950s. But the term seawater rice only started to gain mainstream attention in recent years after the late Yuan Longping, once the nations top agricultural scientist, began researching the idea in 2012. Yuan, known as the father of hybrid rice, is considered a national hero for boosting grain harvests and saving millions from hunger thanks to his work on high-yielding hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s. In 2016, he selected six locations across the country with different soil conditions that were turned into testing fields for salt-tolerant rice. The following year, China established the research center in Qingdao where Wan works. The institutes goal is to harvest 30 million tons of rice using 6.7 million hectares of barren land. We could feed 80 million more people with salt-tolerant rice, Yuan said in a documentary broadcast in 2020. Agricultural researchers like us should shoulder the responsibility to safeguard food security, he told a local newspaper in 2018. Climate change has made the task more urgent. Chinas coastal waters have risen faster than the global average over the last 40 years, a worrying trend given the countrys deep reliance on its long and low eastern coast for grain production. Successfully growing salt-tolerant rice on a large scale would allow the country to utilize more of the increasingly salty land in the area. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels around the world could rise as much as 59 centimeters by the end of the century if the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius. Oceans surrounding the U.S. will swell faster within the next three decades than they did in the past century, according to a report this week led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. President Xi Jinping has stressed in several recent meetings with top government officials that ensuring the supply of primary goods is a major strategic issue given climate and geopolitical pressures. The food of the Chinese people must be made by and remain in the hands of the Chinese, he said at a gathering of the Politburo Standing Committee meeting in December. Chinese scientists are betting that land once dismissed as barren can be turned into productive grain-producing plots. About 100 million hectares of land in the country, about the size of Egypt, is high in saline and alkaline. Meanwhile arable land has decreased 6 per cent from 2009 to 2019 because of urbanization, pollution and overuse of fertilizers. To make use of salty soil, farmers traditionally dilute their fields with large amounts of fresh water. The approach is still commonly used in some coastal regions. But the method requires vast amounts of water and often doesnt improve yields enough to make sense economically. China is looking at another method now, to develop grain varieties that can withstand the soils saltiness, said Zhang Zhaoxin, a researcher with Chinas agricultural ministry. While seawater rice has mostly been planted on trial fields so far, Zhang said he believes commercial cultivation will soon take off with the governments support. The research team in Qingdao said last October that it can meet the goal of growing 6.7 million hectares of seawater rice within ten years. In 2021, the group was put in charge of 400,000 hectares of land to expand production of seawater rice. If China can be more self-sufficient in staple foods, it would be a contribution to the world's food security too, said Zhang. The less China imports, the more other countries will have. Dismissing the notion that the is an Asian NATO, External Affairs Minister has said that there are "interested parties" who advance such analogies and one should not slip into it, underlining that the four-nation grouping is a kind of 21st century way of responding to a more diversified and dispersed world. Jaishankar was speaking during a panel discussion on 'A Sea Change? Regional Order and Security in the Indo-Pacific' at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 on Saturday evening. " is a grouping of four countries who have common interests, common values, a great deal of comfort, who happen to be located at four corners of the Indo-Pacific, who found out that in this world no country, not even the US, has the ability to address global challenges all on their own," Jaishankar said. Jaishankar dismissed the notion that the four-member grouping is an Asian- as completely misleading term and said there are interested parties who advance that kind of analogies. "I would urge you not to slip into that lazy analogy of an Asian- . It isn't because there are three countries who are treaty allies. We are not a treaty ally. It doesn't have a treaty, a structure, a secretariat, it's a kind of 21st century way of responding to a more diversified, dispersed world," he said on the grouping which has the United States, India, Australia and Japan as its members. The incarnation of the Quad started in 2017. It's not post-2020 development, he said, referring to the tension along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh with China. "Our relations with the quad partners -- the US, Japan and Australia -- have steadily improved in the last 20 years. The quad has a value in itself. It is four countries who recognise today that the world would be a better place if they cooperated. And that's essentially what's happening," the minister said. He said that the Quad has a range of views on its COVID-19 vaccine project, including on the TRIPS waiver, and observed if it was right to conduct "business as usual" when it comes to producing vaccines to contain the once-in-a-century pandemic with such horrific consequences. "The Quad has agreed to do a vaccine project. I don't think the quad necessarily has an identical view on all subjects, including on the TRIPS waiver. I think we have a range of views on that. Perhaps ours are, in my view, the most progressive. "The point which is troubling is... if you have a once-in-a-century pandemic with such horrific consequences and then say it has to be business as usual when it comes to producing vaccines, ask yourself- are we doing the right thing?" Jaishankar said. In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of COVID-19. In May last year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia. Jaishankar said that one of the deep worries for the order is that large parts of the world will be under or non-vaccinated. "This will be stretching out of a pandemic possibly which need not have happened. If we collectively had had more effective policies," he said. He said that it is not just with the issue of vaccines but the same is happening when it comes to climate change. "And this is not a one-off on vaccines. I would argue that is what is happening on climate change as well. We get these homilies on how this is an existential issue but when it comes down to actually putting resources or spreading technology for public good, we don't see that. There are real issues, I think the global south has serious concerns," Jaishankar said during the discussion. Jaishankar said that India will come out of the COVID-19 pandemic more competitive. "We expect a 9.2/9.3 growth rate this year which I think is more than decent. Secondly, our exports are at a record high. So it shows that despite not being a member of free trade arrangements, the reforms we have done, the belt tightening we have done, and the learnings of the COVID period have actually created a fairly resilient economy," he said. It is working on assuring more reliable supply chains, it is looking at critical emerging technologies, making sure that 5G, 6G domains are trusted and transparent. It is looking at promoting education, maritime security, ensuring that connectivity projects are market-based and viable. "There is a lot of a global element to what Quad is doing. Now, obviously, if there are challenges to global norms, global order, to law, to rules-based order, it makes sense that anybody who is working for the good will also look at the challenges to the good," Jaishankar said. Speaking about connectivity, Jaishankar said that each of the Quad partners today has a connectivity initiative as the EU and if connectivity initiatives are based on similar outlooks like the vaccine policy, it's natural that you would congregate, synergise and see how it works for each other. "We would certainly encourage countries whose connectivity principles and policies are similar and I have spent some time discussing with the German development minister how we can work our development policy much closer. It is a conversation we have had with the Japanese, Americans, Australians within Quad but a lot of them are bilateral as well and I think this is going to be among the big issues in intl relations in the coming decades," he stressed. Replying to a query that a recent poll published last week indicates that the levels of trust between India and South East Asian countries is fairly low. India ranks 5th after Japan and the US, UAE and China, Jaishankar said that India's relations with the ASEAN are growing well. "I am a politician, so I believe in polls. But I have never seen any polls which made any sense to me when it comes to foreign policy... but I would like to say that our relations with ASEAN are right now actually growing well..." he said. He said that India has much stronger physical connectivity and security cooperation with the ASEAN. The country has signed agreements for military supplies to the Philippines and has strong bilateral relations with Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam among others. Talking about India's G20 chairmanship next year, Jaishankar said that it would be too early to say anything. He said that being a very strongly contributing member to the G20, India's priority is to make sure that the Indonesian chair of the G20 this year is completely successful. Other panelists in the discussion included Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, US Senator and Chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Jeanne Shaheen and Lynn Kuok (Moderator), Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia Pacific Security, Institute for Strategic Studies. (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.) Lubbock, TX (79409) Today Mostly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Storms may produce some hail. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Storms may produce some hail. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. The German government on Saturday urged its citizens to leave immediately, while plans to partially suspend flights to and from from Monday. "A military conflict is possible at any time... Leave the country in good time," The German Federal Foreign Office said in its security instructions on its official website, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Lufthansa, the flag carrier and largest airline of Germany, announced that it will suspend its regular flights to Kiev and Odessa until the end of February. Certain flights will still operate Saturday and Sunday, in order to offer travel options to those who have already booked. Those affected by the cancellations will be informed and rebooked on alternative flights, the company added. However, said that flights to Lviv in western will continue on a regular basis. --IANS int/pgh (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.) External Affairs Minister Dr met with Foreign Minister Simon Coveney during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, he said, "Concluded the day meeting with FM @simoncoveney of . We have worked closely together at UNSC. can play a greater role in our EU engagement." Jaishankar also met with Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to German Chancellor Jens Ploetner and reviewed the global developments. Furthermore, he held a meeting with German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze. Jaishankar and Schulze discussed the respective development partnership outlook and shared their commitment to promoting green growth and clean tech. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and discussed several issues including Afghanistan, Indo-Pacific and the ongoing tension between Ukraine and Russia. He also held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world during his visit to Germany. (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.) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday held a telephonic conversation with his French counterpart where they discussed the deteriorating situation in Donbas and the ways to immediately de-escalate the crisis and resolve it by political and diplomatic means. Moreover, as per Elysee Palace, Macron is ready to take all the necessary measures to prevent a major conflict in . After Macron's Saturday phone call with Zelenskyy, the French presidency said, as quoted by BFM TV, that the likelihood of a major escalation in is "very high" and Macron "will take all the risks to preserve stability and peace in Europe." The Elysee Palace added that if another visit by Macron will be necessary, the French president is prepared for that. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy told Macron that he does not want to "respond to Russian provocations," according to the French presidency. Notably, Zelenskyy and Macron met in Kyiv on February 8, a day after the French leader held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following the conversation, Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter, "Had an urgent conversation with President @EmmanuelMacron. Informed about the aggravation on the frontline, our losses, the shelling of [Ukrainian] politicians & journalists. Discussed the need and possible ways of immediate de-escalation & political-diplomatic settlement," In the past few months, Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of . Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone. At the same time, Moscow expressed strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe. (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.) Evidence suggests that is planning "the biggest war in Europe since 1945", UK Prime Minister told the BBC. "All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun," he said on Saturday from Munich where world leaders are meeting for an annual security conference. Intelligence suggests intends to launch an invasion that will encircle Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Johnson told the BBC. "I'm afraid to say that the plan we are seeing is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale. "People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail," he said. The latest estimates by the US government suggests that between 169,000 and 190,000 Russian troops are now stationed along Ukraine's border, both in and neighbouring Belarus - but this figure also includes rebels in eastern . Johnson also indicated that the UK would bring in even more far-reaching sanctions against Russia than have been suggested before. He said the UK and the US would stop Russian companies "trading in pounds and dollars" - a move that he said would "hit very very hard" with its impact. Western officials have warned in recent weeks that Russia could be preparing to invade at any time, but Russia has denied the claims, saying troops are conducting military exercises in the region. Asked whether a Russian invasion is still thought to be imminent, Johnson told the BBC: "I'm afraid that that is what the evidence points to, there's no burnishing it. "The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun." The Prime Minister said US President Joe Biden had told Western leaders intelligence suggested Russian forces were not just planning on entering from the east, via Donbas, but down from Belarus and the area surrounding Kiev, the BBC reported. --IANS san/ksk/ (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.) 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 plan was announced by the Korea Industry Association based on a recent survey of its members on their investment plan in the new year, including Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix. If fully executed, the amount represents a 10 per cent increase from 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 field will make an investment 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, reports Yonhap news agency. "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 on 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. --IANS wh/svn/ (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.) will extend military drills in that were due to end on Sunday, the Belarusian defence ministry announced, in a step US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said made him more worried about an imminent invasion of . The defence ministry said the decision was taken because of military activity near the borders of and as well as the situation in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region. Incidents of shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in that region which were sporadic in the past increased sharply last week and continued on Sunday. Speaking to CNN, Blinken said that while all signs suggested was on the brink of invading, the United States and its allies would use every diplomatic opportunity to dissuade the Kremlin. The two countries foreign ministers will meet in the coming days to that effect and will work on a possible summit at the highest level with Russia, and allies to establish a new security order in Europe, the Elysee palace said. did not say how long Russian troops in Belarus estimated by NATO to number 30,000 might now remain in the country, which borders to the north. Belarus Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said the focus of the extended exercises was "to ensure an adequate response and de-escalation of military preparations of ill-wishers near our common borders". The Kremlin did not comment on the Belarus drills. Russia previously said the troops would return to permanent garrisons once the drills were over. NATO says Russia could use the troops as part of an invasion force to attack Ukraine. Moscow denies any such intention. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, told Reuters the extension of the Belarus exercises underlined that official promises from Moscow should not be taken as binding. Russia and its allies say the West is whipping up tensions by sending NATO reinforcements to eastern Europe. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the repeated warnings by the West that Russia was about to invade were provocative and could have adverse consequences, without giving details. Sanctions Western countries are preparing sanctions they say would be wide-reaching against Russian companies and individuals in case of an invasion. Blinken said, however, that sanctions were a deterrent that should not be unleashed before an attack. The focus of tensions in recent days has been on the swathe of eastern Ukraine that Russian-backed rebels seized in 2014, the same year Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. More than 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict in the east. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country. On Sunday, a Reuters reporter heard explosions in the centre of Donetsk city in the eastern Donbass region controlled by separatists. Heavy shelling was heard elsewhere in the region. SMS messages sent to residents of Donetsk urged men to report for military duty. More than 30,000 people from Donetsk and nearby Luhansk have crossed the Russian border in the past 24 hours, TASS news agency said, quoting authorities in Russia's Rostov region. The separatists began evacuating residents on Friday saying that Ukraine was planning to attack - which Kyiv denied. Kyiv's Western allies are concerned Russia might use the escalation as a pretext for wider conflict. Local military forces in one of the separatist areas, Luhansk, said on Sunday that two civilians had been killed and five buildings damaged in shelling by the Ukraine military. Russia's Investigative Committee will investigate the case, the RIA news agency quoted it as saying. Two Ukrainian soldiers were reported killed and four wounded on Saturday. Troop build-up The renewed fighting in eastern Ukraine follows a build-up over several weeks of Russia troops to the north, east and south of the country. The West estimates 150,000 or more Russian troops are currently near Ukraine's borders. Russia, which has demanded NATO prevent Ukraine from ever joining the alliance, calls Western warnings it is planning to invade hysterical and dangerous. However, it has warned of unspecified "military-technical" measures if its demands for NATO pullback from Eastern Europe are not met. US President Joe Biden was due to convene his top advisers later on Sunday to discuss the crisis. Biden said on Saturday he believed Russia could launch an attack "at any time," despite Kremlin assurances that some troops were returning to their permanent bases after military exercises. (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.) Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears Sunday that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion. Western leaders warned that was poised to attack its neighbour, which is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. held nuclear drills Saturday in neighbouring Belarus and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea. The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does. ALSO READ: Russia holds strategic deterrence exercise amid tensions with Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place to meet where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement, Zelenskyy said Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. There was no immediate response from the Kremlin. Zelenskyy spoke hours after separatist leaders in eastern ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. In new signs of fears that a war could start within days, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave . German air carrier Lufthansa canceled flights to the capital, Kyiv, and to Odesa, a Black Sea port that could be a key target in an invasion. NATO's liaison office in Kyiv said it was relocating staff to Brussels and to the western Ukraine city of Lviv. They are uncoiling and are now poised to strike, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday of Russia's readiness to launch an attack. U.S. President Joe Biden said late Friday that based on the latest American intelligence, he was now convinced that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine in coming days and assault the capital. A U.S. military official said an estimated 40% to 50% of those ground forces have moved into attack positions closer to the border. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. assessments, said the change has been underway for about a week and does not necessarily mean Putin has settled on an invasion. Lines of communication between Moscow and the West remain open: the American and Russian defense chiefs spoke Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron scheduled a phone call with Putin on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to meet next week. Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed that claim as a fake statement. Top Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the nearly eight-year separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. The officials fled to a bomb shelter before hustling from the area, according to an Associated Press journalist who was on the tour. Elsewhere on the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ..." the soldier started to explain before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. "Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post. Sporadic violence has broken out for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from the Russia-backed separatists, but the spike seen in recent days is orders of magnitude higher than anything recently recorded by monitors: nearly 1,500 explosions recorded in 24 hours. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU's Executive Commission, said Russian access to financial markets and high-tech goods would be sharply limited under Western sanctions being prepared in case of a Russian attack. The Kremlin's dangerous thinking, which comes straight out of a dark past, may cost Russia a prosperous future, von der Leyen said. Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government in Ukraine's Donetsk region, cited an immediate threat of aggression from Ukrainian forces in his announcement of a call to arms. Ukrainian officials vehemently denied having plans to take rebel-controlled areas by force. I appeal to all the men in the republic who can hold weapons to defend their families, their children, wives, mothers, Pushilin said. Together we will achieve the coveted victory that we all need. A similar statement followed from his counterpart in the Luhansk region. On Friday, the rebels began evacuating civilians to Russia with an announcement that appeared to be part of their and Moscow's efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor. Metadata from two videos posted by the separatists announcing the evacuation of civilians to Russia show that the files were created two days ago, the AP confirmed. U.S. authorities have alleged that the Kremlin's effort to come up with an invasion pretext could include staged, prerecorded videos. Victims in have lost more money to bogus investment schemes than any other ruse in the last three years, especially falling prey to Chinese-origin "pig-butchering" scam, losing SGD190.9 million last year, over five times the SGD36.9 million in 2019. Fraudsters spend months cultivating a relationship with the victims before urging them to invest in such schemes, according to a report in The Sunday Times. A recent variant that has appeared in is the "pig-butchering" scam, said the report, adding that the Chinese term "sha zhu pan" means to fatten a pig before slaughtering. It was coined by the perpetrators themselves to describe their scam. Fraudsters spend months cultivating a relationship with the targets before urging them to invest in bogus investment schemes. The daily cited news reports saying that pig-butchering scams started in China in 2016. Back then, scammers groomed their victims to place bets on fake gambling websites. The Chinese government cracked down on illegal betting in 2018. But fraudsters then targeted Chinese-speaking diaspora in South-east Asia. As the demographic expanded to include Europe and the United States, scam tactics evolved to keep abreast with the growing popularity of investments. In response to queries, the Singapore Police Force said victims here ended up transferring money to banks predominantly in China, including Hong Kong. "They were asked to pay administrative fees, security fees or taxes in order to reap profits. In many cases, victims earned a profit in the initial stage, leading them to believe that the investment is legitimate and lucrative," the broadsheet quoted police as saying. "Once larger amounts of monies were deposited into the designated accounts, the scammers became uncontactable." There is no official data on the number of pig-butchering scams busted in Singapore each year but the report said that professionals, aged 30-40, lost SGD10.7 million, citing the non-profit Global Anti-Scam Organisation (GASO) which was formed last May by pig-butchering scam victims and currently has around 60 members in its Singapore chapter. About 70 per cent of the victims were women aged between 25 and 40 years old. The victims were predominantly highly educated - nearly 90 per cent held a bachelor's degree or higher. GASO, a volunteer-driven advocacy group, said most victims of pig-butchering scams had emptied their savings account and many even ended up in debt. Losses average USD 134,940 per person, based on over 400 victims surveyed by the organisation from North America, Europe, Taiwan and South-east Asia, according to the report. To combat investment scams, the Singapore authorities uses technology to identify and warn potential victims by sending them targeted SMS advisories. The police said they also work with foreign law enforcement agencies on joint operations to cripple syndicates, according to the Singapore daily report. (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.) Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is urging Swiss nationals to leave the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine's southeast (Donbas) amid escalations on the contact line. "The FDFA recommends that people of Swiss nationality in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions leave these regions temporarily by their own means. Some airlines have reduced or suspended their flights to Ukraine," the foreign ministry said in a Saturday travel update. According to the FDFA, is ready to support dialogue aimed at resolving the conflict peacefully. The Donetsk and Luhansk self-proclaimed people's republics (DPR and LPR) have been reporting continued shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces for the past several days. LPR and DPR announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region on Friday. " is concerned about the increase in armed hostilities observed by the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Special Monitoring Mission in eastern . We call on all sides to recommit to the ceasefire and actively contribute to de-escalation," the Swiss foreign ministry said on Twitter, adding that is ready to support "constructive dialogue." Pierre-Alain Eltschinger, a spokesman for the Swiss foreign ministry, told Sputnik on Friday that Switzerland is ready to host a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Earlier this week, Blinken proposed to Lavrov to hold another meeting next week. Western countries and Kiev have been accusing of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of . Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe. According to Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kiev's sabotage of the Minsk agreements. (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.) Britain has an issue with Russian money funnelling through the City of London and it must be dealt with, Prime Minister said on Sunday. Johnson has threatened to impose harsh sanctions on if it invades Ukraine, with Russian companies blocked from raising capital on financial markets, and the ownership of companies and properties revealed. We have an issue with Russian money in the city, Johnson told the BBC. "We've got to deal with that. All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun. Intelligence suggests intends to launch an invasion that will encircle Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Mr Johnson said. People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail, he said. Johnson warned that any conflict could be bloody and protracted, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin was possibly thinking illogically about this and did not see the disaster ahead. I think it's vital for us all now to get over what a catastrophe it would be for Russia, he added. He indicated that the and US would bring further sanctions against . New Delhi: Amid complaints of malfunctioning of EVMs in Uttar Pradeshs Yadav family stronghold, the state voted in the third phase while Punjab voted in the single-phase election on Sunday. Punjab recorded a voter turnout of 68.3 per cent as the polls closed late in the evening, and officials said a total of 18 FIRs were filed over poll-related incidents. In the third phase in UP, a turnout of 60.1 per cent was registered as the polls closed. The Samajwadi Party took to the social media to complain of problems with EVMs. It said the EVM at Farrukhabad 194 booth no 38 did not have its party symbol, the cycle. At Hathras booth number 322, the EVM was not functional and people were reported to be returning without being able to cast their votes. A similar complaint came from Kannaujs Chhibramau along with the allegation that at booth number 462 the election officer had broken the seal and was trying to get some votes cast before the scheduled time. In Etawah, there were allegations that the slips given by booth level officers were not being accepted and many people were not allowed to cast their votes. The SP also said that in Kanpur Rurals Bhognipur Assembly seat booth number 121, the BJPs slip was coming out while pressing the SP button. The party also alleged that the administration was helping a BJP candidate in Auraiya booth number 186 while in Mainpuri booth numbers 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 the SP candidate was not being allowed in. The party also alleged that in Mainpuris Bhagpur villages booth numbers 224 and 225, the villagers were not allowed to cast their votes. Among all this SP spokesperson I.P. Singh commented on Twitter: ECI was nowhere in sight. In UPs Kanpur, BJP mayor Pramila Pandey recorded herself as she cast her vote for her party nominee and shared this on the social media, after which an FIR was ordered to be filed by the Kanpur district magistrate. A similar act was repeated by another BJP leader, Nawab Singh. The public is unhappy with the BJP and this time the elections are about removing it from Uttar Pradesh. They (BJP) are anxious that the public is angry with them, so their language and behaviour has changed, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said in Saifai. In Punjab too, there were allegations flowing. Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, who was barred from entering polling booths and asked to stay at home, took to Twitter to accuse other party candidates of trying to buy off votes. His sister Malvika Sood is contesting from Moga as a Congress candidate. Moga district PRO Pradbhdeep Singh said Sonu Sood was trying to enter a polling booth when his car was confiscated and he was sent home. Action will be taken against him if he steps out of his house, the official said. However, Sonu Sood said: We got to know of threat calls at various booths by the Opposition, especially the people of the Akali Dal. Money was being distributed at some booths. So, it is our duty to go check and ensure fair elections. That is why we had gone out. Now, we are at home. There should be fair polls. In Ferozepur Urban, two sons of BJP candidate Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and Bollywood actor Mahie Gill, besides an aide of the constituencys Congress nominee, were booked for poll code violations. In Punjab, the Congress, AAP and the BJP-Amarinder Singh alliance are up in an enthusiastically contested poll for 117 seats. The Congress Party will form a government with a two-thirds majority in Punjab, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi said, while Akali Dals Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Akali-BSP alliance will win 80-plus seats. They (Congress) are concerned about what I am able to achieve in Punjab, which is going against them. I can predict that the Congress will not get more than 20-30 seats. What is Charanjit Singh Channi? Is he a magician that in three months he can perform miracles in Punjab? He was given all the credit to try to make him a hero before the elections, former Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh said. The Ukrainian defence ministry has reported further ceasefire violations in the east, after a day of heavy weapons fire Saturday, CNN reported. The ministry said that in the first 11 hours of Sunday, "20 incidents of ceasefire violation by the Russian occupation forces were observed, including 18 incidents when the Russian occupation forces utilised weapons prohibited by the Minsk Agreements". The Minsk II agreement led to a shaky ceasefire between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatist forces, and bans heavy weapons near the line of contact between the two sides. said it recorded a total of 136 ceasefire violations on Saturday, the report said. The Ukrainian Border Guards said that because of the shelling, one crossing point for humanitarian organisations, Shchastia, at the Line of Contact, had been closed since 8 a.m. local time Sunday. An UNHCR convoy that used the crossing point on Friday said that it had been caught in crossfire. Some residents of Donetsk -- which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists -- reported heavy shelling early Sunday. One woman contacted by CNN said she and her children wanted to move closer to the city centre because of shelling in her district, Abakumova. It's unclear where the shelling originated. The authorities in the breakaway republics persistently claim shelling by Ukrainian forces, who in turn regularly deny firing artillery across the front lines. The Russian authorities say that more than 40,000 people have arrived in after being evacuated from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, according to the acting head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Alexander Chupriyan, CNN reported. --IANS san/arm (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.) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet can visit but the Beijing doesn't welcome any investigation in the region. "(China) rejects all kinds of biases, prejudices and uncalled-for accusations," Wang, who is also a Chinese state councillor, said by video at the Munich Security Conference when asked if Bachelet would have unrestricted access to Xinjiang, a Pakistani media outlet reported. This comes as rights groups and the US have accused of committing genocide against ethnic Uyghurs. has been accused of widescale abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups, including torture, forced labour and detention of one million people in internment camps. Non-governmental organizations and media outlets have documented numerous serious human rights violations by Chinese authorities. These include arbitrary detention, torture, and forced labour of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic groups in (the Uyghur region); the decimation of independent media, democratic institutions, and rule of law in Hong Kong; high-tech surveillance systems enabling authorities to track and unjustly prosecute peaceful conduct, including criticism shared through apps and many other human rights violations. (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 United States and Britain would seek to cut off Russian companies' access to U.S. dollars and British pounds if the Kremlin orders an invasion of Ukraine, British Prime Minister told the BBC. "The plan that we are seeing is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale," Johnson said. Johnson said that sanctions on Russia in the event of an invasion would go much further than previously suggested in public. He said the United Kingdom and the United States would stop Russian companies "trading in pounds and dollars" - a move that he said would "hit very, very hard" with its impact, the BBC reported. Britain, home to the centre of global foreign exchange trading, had threatened to block Russian companies from raising capital in London and to expose property and company ownership if Russia invades . Russia denies it plans to annex another part of and President says the West is sowing hysteria in a crude attempt to lure Russia into war after ignoring the Kremlin's concerns about NATO enlargement after the Cold War. Russia has more than 150,000 troops on the Ukrainian border and the United States, Britain, the European Union and NATO fear Putin may be planning to invade in a bid to restore some of the territory and clout lost by Moscow when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Given Russia's position as one of the world's top exporters of oil, gas and metals - which are largely priced and settled in U.S. dollars - blocking Russian companies from access to dollar markets could have a stinging impact. Putin has repeatedly called for reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar trade. Russia's largest oil company Rosneft fully switched the currency of its contracts to euros from U.S. dollars to shield its transactions from U.S. sanctions, CEO Igor Sechin said in 2019. Johnson has said the government would target Russian banks and Russian companies. Britain has not spelled out who would fall under the sanctions, but has pledged that there would be nowhere for Russian oligarchs to hide. Hundreds of billions of dollars have flowed into London and Britain's overseas territories from Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and London has become the Western city of choice for the super-wealthy of Russia and other former Soviet republics. Western intelligence services believe Putin may order an unconventional attack on which might require the West to make a swift judgement call on the imposition of Russian sanctions, a senior Western official said on Friday. "In that situation, the reality is that it would be more difficult to call exactly when a line had been crossed," the official said. "When we judge that Russia crossed a line on this... then we need to act quickly and at scale in terms of our sanctions response." (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the past few weeks, U.S. officials have warned several times that plans to create the appearance of an attack on its own forces and broadcast those images to the world. Such a false flag operation, they alleged, would give the pretext to invade by provoking shock and outrage. By exposing this plan, the Biden administration sought to undermine its emotional power and stop the Kremlin from manufacturing a casus belli, or justification for war. But false flag attacks arent what they used to be. With satellite photos and live video on the ground shared widely and instantly on the internet and with journalists and armchair sleuths joining intelligence professionals in analyzing the information its difficult to get away with false flag attacks today. And with the prevalence of disinformation campaigns, manufacturing a justification for war doesnt require the expense or risk of a false flag let alone an actual attack. The long history of false flag attacks Both false flag attacks and allegations that states engage in them have a long history. The term originated to describe pirates wielding of friendly (and false) flags to lure merchant ships close enough to attack. It was later used as a label for any attack real or simulated that the instigators inflict against friendly forces to incriminate an adversary and create the basis for retaliation. In the 20th century, there were several prominent episodes involving false flag operations. In 1939, agents from Nazi Germany broadcast anti-German messages from a German radio station near the Polish border. They also murdered several civilians whom they dressed in Polish military uniforms to create a pretext for Germanys planned invasion of Poland. That same year, the Soviet Union detonated shells in Soviet territory near the Finnish border and blamed Finland, which it then proceeded to invade. The U.S. has also been implicated in similar plots. Operation Northwoods was a proposal to kill Americans and blame the attack on Castro, thereby granting the military the pretext to invade Cuba. The Kennedy administration ultimately rejected the plan. In addition to these actual plots, there have been numerous alleged false flag attacks involving the U.S. government. The sinking of the USS Maine in 1898 and the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 each of which was a critical part of a casus belli have been claimed as possible false flag attacks, though the evidence supporting these allegations is weak. Global visibility, disinformation and cynicism More recent and even less fact-based is the 9/11 Truth movement, which alleged that the Bush administration engineered the destruction of the twin towers to justify restrictions on civil liberties and lay the foundation for invading Iraq. Right-wing pundits and politicians have promoted the conspiracy theory that Democrats have staged mass shootings, such as the one at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, in order to push for gun control laws. If people believe that false flag operations happen, it is not because they are common. Instead, they gain plausibility from the widespread perception that politicians are unscrupulous and take advantage of crises. Furthermore, governments operate in relative secrecy and have recourse to tools of coercion such as intelligence, well-trained agents and weapons to implement their agenda. It is not a huge leap to imagine that leaders deliberately cause the high-impact events that they later exploit for political gain, notwithstanding the logistical complexities, large number of people who would have to be involved and moral qualms leaders might have about murdering their own citizens. For example, it is not controversial to note that the Bush administration used the 9/11 attacks to build support for its invasion of Iraq. Yet this led some people to conclude that, since the Bush administration benefited politically from 9/11, it therefore must have caused the attacks, despite all evidence to the contrary. The challenge of credibility The willingness to believe that leaders are capable of such atrocities reflects a broader trend of rising distrust toward governments worldwide, which, incidentally, complicates matters for leaders who intend to carry out false flag attacks. If the impact of such attacks has historically come from their ability to rally citizens around their leader, false flag attacks staged today may not only fail to provoke outrage against the purported aggressor, but they can also backfire by casting suspicion on the leaders who stand to benefit. Furthermore, investigators using open source intelligence, such as the Bellingcat collective of citizen internet sleuths, make it more difficult for governments to get away with egregious violations of laws and norms. Even as the Biden administration attempts to blunt Russias ability to seize the initiative, it too faces credibility challenges. Reporters were justifiably skeptical of State Department spokesman Ned Prices warning about Russias false flag plans, especially since he did not provide evidence for the claim. Skeptics pointed to the August 2021 drone strike during the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul, which the military initially asserted was a righteous strike to kill a suicide bomber but that later turned out to be a mistaken attack on an innocent man and his family. It took overwhelming and undeniable evidence from media investigations before the U.S. government admitted the mistake. [Over 140,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.] Insofar as the Kremlin might expect to benefit from executing a false flag attack, it would be to manufacture a casus belli among Russian citizens rather than to persuade audiences abroad. Surveys have shown that the vast majority of Russians are opposed to invading Ukraine, yet they also harbor negative attitudes toward NATO. The spectacle of a provocation aimed against on state-run television might provide a jolt of support for an invasion, at least initially. At the same time, Russians are cynical about their own leaders and might harbor the suspicion that a purported attack was manufactured for political gain. False flag alternatives In any event, Russia has other options to facilitate an invasion. At the start of its incursion into Crimea in 2014, the Kremlin used active measures, including disinformation and deception, to prevent Ukrainian resistance and secure domestic approval. Russia and other post-Soviet states are also prone to claim a provocation, which frames any military action as a justified response rather than a first move. By contrast, false flag operations are complex and perhaps overly theatrical in a way that invites unwanted scrutiny. Governments seeking to sway public opinion face far greater challenges today than they did in the 20th century. False flag attacks are risky, while leaders seeking to manufacture a casus belli can select from a range of subtler and less costly alternatives. Scott Radnitz, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Washington. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has questioned National Stock Exchange (NSE) former chief executive officer (CEO) Ravi Narain in the case related to the co-location scam amid fresh revelations about irregularities at the countrys largest stock exchange. Contrary to some reports, Narain is very much in India and he was examined by in Delhi on Saturday, said a official, on condition of anonymity. on Friday questioned Chitra Ramkrishna, former managing director (MD) and CEO of . The agency issued lookout circulars against her, Narain and Anand Subramanian, group operating officer, to prevent them from leaving the country. Business Standard on Saturday reported that CBI is likely to interrogate Narain also. Narain was the MD and CEO of from April 1994 to March 31, 2013. Thereafter, he was appointed vice-chairman, in a non-executive category on the companys board from April 1, 2013 to June 1, 2017. A Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) order states that Narain, in spite of being aware of the irregularities on the appointment of Subramanian as group operating officer and correspondences of confidential information by Ramkrishna with unknown person on October 21, 2016, and November 29, 2016, neither opposed the serious governance lapses in nor recorded the aforesaid matter in the minutes of the meeting in the name of confidentiality and sensitive information. Further, the report on irregularities was submitted to Sebi only after repeated reminders. The report also states that Narain had made incorrect and misleading submissions before Sebi on the appointment and selection of Subramanian. The CBI action came days after the income tax (I-T) department raided the premises of Ramkrishna and Subramanian. It was to gather evidence on charges of alleged financial irregularities and tax evasion against the two. As the I-T department continues its investigation on Ramkrishna and Subramanian, it will also look at what the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found in its investigations into the co-location scam, an official said. The tax department has been examining a possible fund diversion to tax havens. Meanwhile, the ED has been exploring the money laundering angle in the since 2018. We will coordinate with the ED as part of our investigations and see if there are dots that can be connected from their investigation into the co-location case. There has been frequent travel to tax havens like Singapore and Mauritius by the persons under investigation. One has to see if money laundering provision comes in, a government official said. ED had filed its enforcement case investigation report in January 2019, following the CBIs FIR in the case on May 28, 2018. It was against OPG Securities promoter Sanjay Gupta, his brother-in-law Aman Kakrady and Ajay Shah, who facilitated Guptas operations by developing and providing a software called Chanakya. It was also against some unnamed officials of NSE and Sebi. Sebi had, in February 2021, dropped allegations of fraudulent and unfair trade practices against NSEs former heads Narain and Ramakrishna in the co-location case. It had only charged them for violation of the Securities Contracts Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations (SECC) Regulations. Retirement fund body is mulling a new pension product for organised sector workers who are getting basic wages of more than Rs 15,000 per month and are not mandatorily covered under its Employees' 1995 (EPS-95). At present, all those employees in the organised sector whose basic wage (basic pay plus dearness allowance) is up to Rs 15,000 per month at the time of joining service are mandatorily covered under EPS-95. "There has been demand for higher pension on higher contributions among the members of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Thus, it is under active consideration to bring out a new pension product or scheme for those whose monthly basic wages are more than Rs 15,000," a source privy to the development told PTI. As per the source, the proposal on this new pension product could come up for discussion in the meeting of EPFO's apex decision making body Central Board of Trustees (CBT) on March 11 and 12 at Guwahati. During the meet, a sub-committee constituted by the CBT on pension related issues in November 2021 would also submit its report. The source explained that there are subscribers who are getting more than Rs 15,000 monthly basic wages who are forced to contribute lower (at the rate of 8.33 per cent of Rs 15,000 per month into EPS-95) and thus they get lower pension. The had amended the scheme in 2014 to cap monthly pensionable basic wages to Rs 15,000. The threshold of Rs 15,000 applies only at the time of joining service. It was revised upward from Rs 6,500 from September 1, 2014 in view of price rise and pay revisions in the formal sector. Later, there were demands and deliberations to raise the threshold monthly basic wage to Rs 25,000, but the proposal was not approved. As per industry estimates, raising pensionable pay could have brought 50 lakh more formal sector workers under the ambit of EPS-95. "A proposal for increase in the wage ceiling from Rs 15,000 per month to Rs 25,000 per month for coverage under the Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 has been submitted by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). No decision in this regard has been taken," former labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya had stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha in December 2016. The source said there is a need for a new pension product for those who are either forced to contribute lower or who could not subscribe to the scheme as their monthly basic wages were higher than Rs 15,000 at the time of joining service. The source added that there is no move to hike the pensionable salary cap by the EPFO in the immediate future and in that scenario, the body has to think about giving coverage to those formal sector workers who are excluded from the EPS-95 due to higher basic wages. The matter of pensionable salary cap is also sub-judice in the Supreme Court. In 2014, Kerala High Court allowed the employees to contribute into the EPS-95 on the basis of the actual basic wages drawn by them. In April 2019, the apex court had dismissed a special leave petition filed by the EPFO against the Kerala High Court judgment. In January 2021, the apex court recalled the dismissal order in the review petitions filed by EPFO. In February, 2021, the apex court restrained the high courts of Kerala, Delhi and Rajasthan from initiating contempt proceedings against the Centre and EPFO over non-implementation of their verdicts. (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 Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister constituted the "National Working Committee" reinstating as the All-India General Secretary of the party. However, the Trinamool Congress supremo clipped his wings by including her loyalists in all the layers of the working committee, She, thus not only healed the rift within the party but re-established her firm control over the organisation. Banerjee, who had earlier dissolved all the posts and formed a 20-member working committee, reinstated as the All-India General Secretary but evenly balanced his powers by including three national vice-presidents -- Subrata Bakshi, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Yashwant Sinha -- all considered to be close to her. The others who found place in the new working committee include Amit Mitra, Partha Chatterjee, Sudip Bandopadhyay, Anubrata Mondal, Aroop Biswas, Firhad Hakim, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Mahua Moitra, considered to be trusted aides of the chief minister. Leaders like Saugata Roy, Derek O'Brien and Kunal Ghosh who owe their allegiance to have been left out of the committee. Firhad Hakim has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating with the Chairperson of the party. Political analysts are of the opinion that this carefully chosen working committee is an effort to quell any kind of rebellion in the near future. "There will be no one-man show in the party apart from the chief minister and all the posts are finely balanced. Most interestingly Firhad Hakim's new post is the product of the present crisis within the TMC and an initiative to avoid future similar types of crisis," political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said. This is not the first time since the inception of the Trinamool Congress in 1997 that has faced a rebellion within the party and in most of the cases it came from the closest of her aides. Whether it be Mukul Roy or Suvendu Adhikary, Sudip Bandyopadhyay or Subrata Mukherjee, has blunted them with clinical precision. Mamata after forming the party first faced a challenge from Ajit Panja -- one of the most towering personalities and leader who was also the founder member of the party. Panja fell out with Banerjee when she decided to quit the NDA over the Tehelka expose in 2001. Following Panja's public outburst against Banerjee, including calling her 'insane', the TMC stripped him of all posts, including that of the chairperson of the party's policy making body in April 2001, and suspended him in July. He was taken back into the party in 2004 and Panja contested the Lok Sabha election from the Calcutta North- seat but lost. Panja died in 2008. Pankaj Banerjee -- one of the most trusted aides of Mamata Banerjee whom she made chairman after the party was formally formed on January 1, 1998 -- fell out with her and returned to the Congress in June that year. Later he came back and Mamata again made him the chairman of the party's policy making body and after after the 2001 assembly election, made him the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. Pankaj again developed differences with her in 2006 and retired from altogether. One of the four sitting Congress MLAs who joined the TMC at the time the party was born, Sudip Bandyopadhyay was the TMC's chief whip in the Lok Sabha since 1999. In 2003, the party rejoined the NDA. Trouble broke out in the TMC after Mamata got information that the BJP was planning to induct her as a cabinet minister and Sudip as a junior minister. Mamata fell out with Sudip Bandyopadhyay because he shared a good relationship with the then Union Home Minister L K Advani. Mamata thought that Sudip was behind everything and Advani was interfering in the party's internal affairs and taking decisions without consulting her. She refused to accept her portfolio and expelled Bandyopadhyay from the party. In 2006, Bandyopadhyay won the assembly election on a Congress ticket. However, in 2008, Mamata took him back into the party and gave him the Lok Sabha election ticket in 2009. Since 2011, he has been serving as the party's leader in Parliament. In 2014, Mamata also gave an assembly bypoll ticket to Naina Bandyopadhyay. She continues to be a TMC MLA. Another founder member of her party, Mukul Roy was perhaps the closest of her aides since 1997. He was known as the uncrowned 'number 2' in the party even before it came to power and all the more so after 2011. However, Roy fell out with Banerjee, apparently over Abhishek's sudden rise which he thought was a threat to his organisational power. They again fell out in 2017. The rift between Mamata and Roy reached a flashpoint and he was shown the door in 2017 after which he joined the BJP. The veteran leader again came back to the TMC after the 2021 assembly polls. These are only some of the most prominent leaders but there are many more who had defected from the party. Interestingly enough most of them have returned to the party and Mamata Banerjee has never deserted them. Whether it be Rajib Banerjee or Sabyasachi Dutta the leaders who had once served the party but left because of some differences have always found a place of honour when they decided to come back. But this was closer home. It not only involved her nephew and expected successor but he was also getting support from other members of Banerjee's family who are of his generation - one of Mamata's nieces, Aditi Gayen and another nephew, Akash Banerjee, for example. Having brought in political strategist Prashant Kishor to work with the party after the backlash in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Abhishek was considered one of the architects of the party's 2021 victory and the party chief had probably thought it was the right time to initiate the succession process. However, a set of events over the past one month indicated a souring of their relations, culminating in Abhishek's indications that he might step down. Mamata Banerjee took it as his ploy to blackmail her. History is proof that she has never taken blackmailing lightly. "By dissolving all the posts last week, she made it clear that she is still at the helm of the party. She reinstated Abhishek as the All-India General Secretary but gave a clear message that she has forgiven him but he will have to acknowledge his mistake and accept her superiority," a senior cabinet minister considered to be close to Banerjee said. --IANS sbg/bg (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.) Conference president and MP on Sunday said that is an underlying component of one's culture and identity, and every effort should be made to protect the linguistic diversity of Jammu and Kashmir. In his message on International Day, Abdullah said the must be the medium of instruction in schools, especially at formative stages. "It lays a strong foundation for the expression of creativity and personality development. It also fosters creativity at the formative stages. As far as the Kashmiri language is concerned, it is richly endowed with classical as well as folk literature watered over thousands of years by various poets, sages, rhetoricians and linguists," he said. The NC president said having a large number of speakers, Kashmiri enjoys the privilege of being one of the 22 languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule, yet that does not put the language out of risk of getting extinct. "Therefore, the need of the hour calls for taking radical steps to protect it and propagate it. Urdu, no doubt glues all the people of Jammu and Kashmir together, but languages like Kashmiri, Dogri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi should not be relegated to obscurity," he said. Calling for a comprehensive strategy to help keep Kashmiri, Dogri, Punjabi and other languages in Jammu and Kashmir alive, the NC MP from Srinagar called for prioritising it in the education sector, especially during formative years of learning. In addition, he emphasised having special grants for scholars pursuing research programmes in vernacular languages. Abdullah urged parents to use their mother tongue as a medium of communication at home. "Communicating in one's mother tongue should be a matter of pride for all of us in Jammu and Kashmir," he 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.) Days after a court convicted 49 people for the serial blasts, Prime Minister on Sunday said he had vowed to punish the perpetrators even if they took refuge in paatal, and accused the Samajwadi Party of being sympathetic to such terrorists. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Hardoi, Modi slammed the Samajwadi Party for being sympathetic towards terrorists and claimed that the previous government headed by it had sought to withdraw cases against several terror accused. "When I was the chief minister of Gujarat, the serial bomb blasts took place. I can never forget that day. In those days, my government had taken a sankalp (vow) that these terrorists would be traced, even from paataal (netherworld), and punished. I remained silent for so many years because the hearing on the blasts case was going on. Today, when the court has given them the punishment, I am raising the subject before the country, he said at the rally. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, Modi said when it came to power in UP, its government tried to withdraw a case against Shamim Ahmed who was an accused in the bomb blasts in Sankat Mochan Temple and Cantt railway station in Varanasi in 2006. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress MLCs stage a protest against the Karnataka Minister K.S. Eshwarappa over his controversial statement regarding the national flag, during Karnataka Legislative Council session at Vidhana Soudha, in Bengaluru (PTI Photo) Bengaluru: The Congress in Karnataka continued its agitation inside the Karnataka Assembly for the past three days demanding removal of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa for his alleged statement on the national flag. The Congress legislators have been camping in the Vidhana Soudha inside the Assembly Hall and have been sleeping there in the night. "The agitation is happening because of the adamant stand of the BJP. Who is asking for Eshwarappa's resignation? No one. We want his dismissal. Our appeal is also to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to dismiss him," KPCC chief D K Shivakumar said. He was confident that the minister would be dismissed from office in the next two days. Stating that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is under pressure from within the party, Shivakumar said if the CM has self-esteem then he would have thrown out "foul-mouthed" Eshwarappa from the government when the latter had said Medium and Large Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani would become the next chief minister. However, the Chief Minister said on Saturday that the Congress has lost the morality to be the opposition party. Reacting to a question about the protest and camping inside the Karnataka Assembly by Congress party members, Bommai said they had lost morality to be either the ruling party or even sit in the opposition. "D K Shivakumar and other Congress legislators go home for a while to come back again. The agitation will continue either till the dismissal of Eshwarappa or till the end of the current assembly session," a source close to Shivakumar told PTI. The source said the legislators have been sleeping at night inside the Assembly, perform yoga under the rising sun and jog and walk around the Vidhana Soudha in the morning. The Congress in Karnataka has been demanding the resignation of the minister and that he be booked for sedition regarding his statement about the national flag. The party's agitation led to chaos in the assembly and council proceedings for three days. Eshwarappa had said on February 9 that 'Bhagwa dhwaj' (saffron flag), may become the national flag some time in the future. The senior party leader, however, had said the tricolour is the national flag now, and it should be respected by everyone. "Hundreds of years ago, the chariots of Sri Ramachandra and Maruthi had saffron flags on them. Was the tricolour flag there in our country then? Now, it (tricolour) is fixed as our national flag, what respect it has to be given, should be given by every person who eats food in this country, there is no question about it," Eshwarappa had said. Responding to a question by reporters, whether the saffron flag can be hoisted on the red fort, he had said: "Not today, some day in the future." "Discussions are today taking place in the country on 'Hindu vichara' and 'Hindutva'. People used to laugh at one point when we said Ram Mandair will be constructed in Ayodhya, aren't we constructing it now?" he said. "In the same way some time in the future, after 100 or 200 or 500 years Bhagwa dhwaj may become the national flag. I don't know," Eshwarappa added. The 'overnight agitation' by the Congress came even as protests by the party legislators rocked the proceedings in both houses. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Hyderabad: Ruling TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday left for Mumbai from here to meet his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar as part of his campaign against the BJP's alleged "anti-people" policies. Rao, also known as KCR, left for Mumbai from Begumpet airport here along with his party leaders to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai and have lunch with him, TRS sources said. After the meeting with Thackeray, Rao would go to Pawar's residence and discuss national political issues, the sources said. Rao would return to Hyderabad in the evening. Thackeray, the president of Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena, telephoned Rao last week and invited him to Mumbai. Thackeray announced "complete support" to Rao's "fight" against the BJP's alleged anti-people policies and to uphold federal spirit. The Maharashtra CM proposed that the future course of action on the issue be discussed when Rao meets him. Appreciating Rao's efforts, Thackeray pointed out that the former has "raised his voice at the right time to protect the nation from divisive forces", the release said. Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H D Deve Gowda had recently called up Rao and extended support to the latter's "fight". Rao had told Gowda he would visit Bengaluru and meet him on the issue. The Telangana Chief Minister, who has been critical of the BJP and the central government on a number of issues, had said he will soon have meetings with his Maharashtra and West Bengal counterparts, Thackeray and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, as part of efforts to unite various political parties against the saffron party and the NDA government. Holding that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government should be dumped for its alleged "anti-people" policies, Rao had said he would play a major role in uniting anti-BJP political parties. TRS and BJP in Telangana have been engaged in a bitter of war of words over different issues for several months now. In what seems to be a regular occurrence at this point, Mazda has announced a product stoppage anew at their Japanese factories this May. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Japanese animator Manabu Ohashi has died at 73, bringing to a close a remarkable career that stretched over more than half a century. Ohashi, who sometimes worked under the name Mao Lamdo, might have become a mangaka were it not for a job listing from Toei Doga (now Toei Animation) he spotted in his teens. The studio, which had ambitions to become the Disney of the East, was looking for in-betweeners. Ohashi got the job aged 15, dropping out of school to pursue his newfound career. He animated on series such as Kaze no Fujimaru (196465) and Rainbow Sentai Robin (196667) before leaving Toei in 1968. There followed one of his professional crises, which would recur throughout his life: the young artist was on the verge of quitting the industry, but was drawn back in after watching Osamu Dezakis Ashita no Joe, which deeply impressed him. Ohashi would become one of Dezakis closest collaborators, working with him on series such as Jungle Kurobe (1973), Adventures of Gamba (1975), and Space Adventure Cobra (1982), for which he animated the opening. Photo: CTV News UPDATE 10:25 p.m. The Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey, B.C., has reopened following a protest against COVID-19 public health measures. RCMP say the "vast majority" of protesters and vehicles have left the area near the border crossing and that a small group of protesters remain at an intersection a short distance away. They say traffic is moving again on 176th Street in all directions and the public can now access the border crossing. The Mounties say police will be maintaining a "large presence" throughout the evening and continuously assessing the situation. ORIGINAL 6:10 p.m. Demonstrations from hundreds of protestors against public health measures on Saturday led to police blocking access to the U.S. border crossing near Surrey as a safety precaution. The protesters had gathered in the intersection of 176 Street and 8 Avenue in south Surrey, according to CTV News Vancouver. Police set up checkpoints to keep demonstrators away from the Pacific Highway border crossing and had to close 176 Street to all traffic due to the increased protest activity in the area. "As a preventative measure, and to help ensure public and officer safety, vehicle and pedestrians cannot access the Pacific Highway Border Crossing at this time. The public are advised to use alternate border crossings during this service disruption until further notice," the RCMP shared. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra also asked demonstrators at the border crossing to go home, reiterating in a tweet the government has been clear that illegal blockades will not be tolerated. "We are committed to keeping the Canada-U.S. border safe and secure to allow goods to enter without disruptions. Occupiers at the Surrey border crossing must go home," his tweets reads. On Monday, a dozen people were arrested in the area during related protests against COVID-19 mandates. The anger towards members of the media from protestors in Surrey also prompted the RCMP to step in to ensure safety on Saturday. In a press release from the RCMP, police stated they are aware of several alleged incidents from earlier in the day that involved a group of "aggressive protesters surrounding members of the media." "Police intervention was required due to the actions of the protesters, and to ensure that media members had safe passage to their vehicles," their statement reads. Police will be following up with the reporters and camera operators involved to gather their full accounts of the situations, including the collection of any video evidence. "These kinds of acts of aggression and intimidation towards media, or any member of the public, are simply unacceptable," Sgt Elenore Sturko said in the release. "While it is not always safe for our officers to take immediate enforcement action at the time of the alleged offences based on the size of the crowd of protesters, these incidents will be fully investigated and could lead to subsequent arrests or charges." - With files from CTV News Vancouver and the Canadian Press Photo: The Canadian Press Police in Laval, Que., are investigating the deaths of a man and a woman in their 70s. Police in the Montreal suburb say the couple's son called 911 shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, after finding the bodies of his parents in their home. Police spokeswoman Const. Stephanie Beshara says police believe the deaths may have been a homicide followed by a suicide. She says an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of the deaths. The names of the couple, a 71-year-old woman and a 75-year old man, have not yet been released. Meanwhile provincial police say they are investigating a separate incident in Dunham, Que., around 100 km south-east of Montreal, in which another couple was found dead in their home late Friday afternoon. Spokeswoman Sgt. Marythe Bolduc says investigators believe the deaths of Patrizia Rao, 59, and Frederic-Lynn Blair, 62, Friday were the result of a homicide followed by a suicide. UPDATE: 5:40 p.m. Ottawa police are reassuring businesses in parts of the city's downtown core that they should feel safe to reopen if they had closed during a weeks-long protest against COVID-19 public health measures. The force issued a tweet saying Rideau Street is now open at Sussex Drive but closed westbound at Dalhousie Street. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Avenue southbound, Sussex Drive northbound and Colonel By Drive are open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Police thanked businesses and residents for their patience during their efforts to put an end to the protest, while noting that supporting local businesses is considered lawful if residents are entering the secure area. In an earlier tweet, police said they distributed notices under the Trespass to Property Act to protesters at their base camp on Coventry Road, declaring that people are prohibited from having any fires and having and/or driving any motor vehicle on the premises unless expressly permitted. Police say demonstrators were given until 4:30 p.m. today to clear the site and a police operation was underway to "ensure the area is vacated." UPDATE: 2 p.m. Interim Ottawa police Chief Steve Bell says 191 people have been arrested and 389 charges have been laid against 107 people in connection with anti-government blockades in the city. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Duheme says law enforcement, federal partners and financial institutions have frozen 206 financial accounts, and proactively froze a payment processor's account valued at $3.8 million. Bell says police are not finished securing the streets of downtown Ottawa, and will eventually demobilize once they have determined there is no threat of further demonstrations coming to the city. UPDATE: 12:55 p.m. Ottawa police say 79 vehicles have been towed from downtown Ottawa. The force issued an afternoon tweet saying officers have laid 389 criminal charges in connection with operations to disperse anti-government protesters in the citys downtown core. Earlier in the day, police said 103 people are facing criminal charges. They say 191 people have been arrested since law enforcement operations began in the city last week. Interim Chief Steve Bell is speaking to reporters this afternoon. UPDATE: 10:25 a.m. Ottawa police say 103 people are facing criminal charges after they were arrested during police operations to disperse anti-government protesters in the citys downtown core. The force issued a tweet saying those arrested primarily face charges of mischief and obstruction. Of those who have been charged, 89 have been released with conditions that include a boundary, requiring them to stay out of certain designated areas, while the rest were released without condition. Police say 191 people have been arrested since law enforcement operations began in the city last week. Photo: The Canadian Press ORIGINAL: 9:40 a.m. Ontario's police watchdog says it's investigating two incidents stemming from Saturday's massive enforcement operation to clear anti-government protesters from downtown Ottawa. The Special Investigations Unit says preliminary information suggests a Toronto Police officer on horseback allegedly had an encounter with a 49-year-old woman resulting in an undisclosed, serious injury. They say they're also looking into the use of anti-riot weapons, which they say were deployed by members of the Vancouver Police Department on Saturday evening. The SIU says no serious injuries were reported during that interaction. It's asking anyone who may have been struck by a projectile to contact the unit. The alleged incidents come amid an enforcement blitz that Ottawa Police say has resulted in 191 arrests since it began on Thursday. New Delhi: Predicting the BJPs victory in the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the Samajwadi Party and the Congress for being sympathetic to terrorists, referring to the 2008 Ahmedabad bomb blasts and the Batla House encounter, and without naming SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, said the seat they (SP) were considering the safest is also getting out of their hands. Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav made his debut in the Assembly polls by contesting from Karhal, a SP stronghold, which went to the polls on Sunday in the third phase. Urging voters at Hardoi and Unnao, where the PM addressed public rallies, to vote for double-engine government, Mr Modi alleged criminals had full protection from the government of the Parivarwadis. The PM claimed the parivarwadis, who are losing the polls by a huge margin, will try to spread poison in the name of caste but UP must remember that UPs development is Indias development. Targeting rival parties, the PM recalled the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts and said some parties were sympathetic to such terrorists and accused the erstwhile SP government of seeking withdrawal of cases against those involved in terror attacks in the state. Mr Modi said that when the Ahmedabad serial blasts took place, he was Gujarats chief minister and had taken a pledge the terrorists would be punished no matter where they hide. Addressing a BJP rally in Hardoi, Mr Modi said the people have seen how the Samajwadi Party, when in government, gave a free hand to those using katta (country-made pistols) and its cadres. He also cited the serial bomb blasts in Kashi and the terrorist attacks in Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Ayodhya to claim that while terrorists were creating havoc, the then SP government was not even allowing these terrorists to be prosecuted. The people of Hardoi have seen those days when these people had given a free hand to those using katta and those in satta (power)," he said as he recalled the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts which had claimed 56 lives and left over 200 injured. On February 18, a special court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat had sentenced to death 38 members of the Indian Mujahideen terror outfit in the serial blasts case. The court also sentenced 11 other convicts to life imprisonment. Attacking the BJPs opponents over the politics of appeasement, the PM said: Those who used to stop our festivals owing to their politics of appeasement they will get an answer from the people of Uttar Pradesh on March 10. Mr Modi claimed that it was only after the double engine government was formed in 2017 that the state saw its government working for the poor, who benefited from the housing for the poor, toilets for all, gas cylinders for women and various other health schemes. He said during the global Covid-19 pandemic, the BJP government made sure that no poor people went to bed hungry as free rations were being given to every poor person through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Claiming that the SP chief, who was contesting from the safe seat, was unlikely to win, Mr Modi said the father (SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav), who was pushed aside (by Akhilesh) to grab the partys reins, was now being asked (by the SP chief) to seek votes for himself. When the CM candidate himself is not safe, one can imagine what the situation is, said the PM. Photo: Twitter - @PeteRic42459493 A fire at the Pacific National Exhibition park destroyed a building, vehicles and stored fuel. UPDATE: 11:20 a.m. Police are calling the cause of the massive fire at the PNE in East Vancouver Saturday night "suspicious." In a brief statement from the Vancouver Police Department Sunday, police say the fire caused thousands of dollars in damage at Hastings Park, but no one was injured. About 20 vehicles were damaged in the blaze. "VPD officers were patrolling East Vancouver shortly after midnight when they discovered a building in flames on the west side of Hastings Park," said Sgt. Steve Addison of the VPD. "The officers alerted Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, which contained the fire." The VPD's Major Crime Section remains at the scene Sunday collecting evidence. ORIGINAL: 10:45 a.m. A massive fire at the PNE in East Vancouver has destroyed a building and multiple vehicles after burning for several hours overnight. The fire was reported to Vancouver Fire Rescue around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, according to Asst. Chief Brian Bertuzzi. When they arrived the fire was already quite large. "Upon arrival crews found a massive free burning through the roof fire," Bertuzzi says. The fire was quickly upgraded to a three-alarm blaze and 40 firefighters worked to knock it down. The building on fire was described as a warehouse-style structure in the technical works yard. It was completely destroyed, as were a couple of Zambonis and around a dozen trucks, Bertuzzi says. Part of the reason for the size of the fire was what was stored in the area; up to 500L of fuel and several propane tanks which exploded. "It was quite volatile and dangerous," says Bertuzzi. "It was shooting propane tanks into the air; there were flames 100 feet into the air upon arrival." Crews were able to take a defensive position and kept the fire from spreading. A sign shop adjacent to the fire received some damage but only a minor amount. No injuries were reported. "It took a couple of hours to get under containment," says Bertuzzi. "Fire crews were there until 5 a.m." Fire investigators remain on the scene. No cause has been determined at this point. The PNE is thanking firefighters for their efforts. "The Pacific National Exhibition would like to thank the firefighters from Vancouver Fire Rescue Services who responded and put out the fire, it was due to their quick work that the fire was contained to only one of the buildings and significant damage and losses were prevented," the organization writes in a statement. They note that while the building, equipment, tools and supplies were lost it could have been worse. "We are grateful that there were no injuries as a result of this incident, and the quick work of our Vancouver city fire crews prevented much larger losses," they write. "Todays incident will not impact any of the events scheduled to occur at various locations on the site." A man called police to the Speedway, 3956 Brainerd Road, and said a man had gotten in the back seat of his car and would not get out. Police opened the rear door of his vehicle and there was no one there. The man said he was under the blanket. Police removed the blanket and showed him there was no one there. The man then gave police his information and thanked them for coming out. * * * A possibly unconscious person was reported at the Mapco, 1227 East Main St. Police found a man in his vehicle asleep. The vehicle was parked. The man told police he had been waiting for a friend and fell asleep while waiting. Police told the man he should get a ride home due to his current state. Police provided a ride home to the man on Union Avenue. His vehicle was left parked and locked at Mapco. * * * A woman called police and said she received a phone call that her daughter and her husband were in a verbal argument at a home she owns on Newton Street. She said she has been letting them stay there. She said she wanted police to escort her so she can ask the husband to leave the residence. When police arrived, the husband said that he would leave. * * * Police initiated a traffic stop on Shallowford Village Drive on a red Ford Mustang for a registration violation. The driver provided a citation from the East Ridge Police Department for the same offense. He said he was working on getting it fixed. Police ran the man and the vehicle through NCIC with no return. Police gave him a verbal warning. * * * While conducting a routine patrol, police observed a man flag down Medic 3 in the middle of Lee Highway at Bonny Oaks. Police detained the man and ran him through NCIC. The man had no warrants and was released. * * * A woman on Wheeler Avenue told police that her granddaughter's boyfriend was causing a disorder and she wanted him to leave. Police spoke with the boyfriend, who agreed to leave and left without further incident. Per the woman's request, police informed him that he was trespassed from the residence on Wheeler Avenue. * * * Police received a call from a woman who said that she believed her stolen car was at the Microtel Inn & Suites, 7014 McCutcheon Road. Police checked the parking lot and found the woman's vehicle. She told police she wanted to come down to retrieve the car if she could find the keys for it. The woman was not able to and called police back out for a tow. Rhea County was notified and took the car out as stolen in NCIC. Doug Yates towing responded and towed the vehicle to their lot at 2220 E. 23rd St. * * * A man told police he left his belongings at the Community Kitchen, 727 E. 11th St., in order to dry off. He said upon his return, his medications had been stolen from his bag. He said he did not have suspect information. * * * Police responded to unknown trouble at the Motel 6, 2440 Williams St., room #318. The man in the room said he accidentally called 911, and was trying to make contact with the front desk about a plumbing issue. The man did not need police assistance. He had no warrants on file. * * * An employee of Tuftco on South Holtzclaw Avenue told police the company had made a payment of $6,375 to Chattanooga Pattern & Foundry by check through the mail. At some point the check was intercepted and altered to a person named Jesse Ridley and then mobile deposited to the PNC bank. By the time the error was noticed, it was too late to halt the payment. It is unclear who Jesse Ridley may be or who owned the account where the funds were deposited. The employee was in contact with his bank over the issue. Follow up will be required with PNC bank and possibly the U.S. Post Office for suspect information. * * * A man told police he had dropped his phone in the parking lot at Chattanooga Hardwood Center, 2420 East Main St., without realizing it and someone had taken it, along with a credit card. The card was later used at Rias Market in the amount of $75, and Champys in the amount of $55. The man did not want to prosecute if police were able to locate the suspect. He merely wanted police made aware. * * * A man told police he arrived at a residence on Galahad Road to work on the property around 11 a.m. He said he came back to his vehicle around 11:45 a.m. and noticed his center console was open. He said he left his car keys on top of his center console and they were no longer in the vehicle. He said he had left his vehicle unlocked while he went inside the home. Taken from the vehicle were the set of keys to the vehicle, as well as $8. Police spoke with the neighbor who reviewed video footage, but was unable to obtain any video of the suspects. * * * A woman on Croll Court told police she believed a man there had stolen her money. The woman wanted the man to leave her residence and not return. The man collected his belongings and left without incident. * * * An employee at FootLocker in Hamilton Place Mall told police a black male came into the store and stole an outfit. She said she filed a report with security and needed a police report. * * * A woman on Glass Street told police that she and her husband were in a verbal altercation. She said she was upset because he was not helping her move furniture. The man began yelling and that is when she called police. She told police that their marriage is failing and she wants him out by the end of the week. Both of them said they felt comfortable staying in the same house and would stay away from each other for the night. When Reba McEntire worked with icon, Burt Reynolds, on The Man from Left Field, she found out he was using a hidden acting trick. But she didnt judge the icon and said if shed known such an option was available, she would have asked for the assistance herself. So, what did McEntire catch Reynolds doing? And where on his body did she find evidence of his secret? (L) Burt Reynolds | Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images (R) Reba McEntire | Steve Eichner/Getty Images Reba McEntire: Burt Reynolds was a great actor and a great director According to McEntires autobiography, Reba: My Story, she first got the chance to act with Reynolds on his show, Evening Shade. And following that experience with him, she said she felt he was a great actor and director. So, she was excited for the chance to work with him again for his film, The Man from Left Field. It seems McEntire learned some new things about the actor during that time together. For instance, they shot the movie in Jupiter, Florida, where she found Reynolds was well known for giving back to the community. They all think the world of him just like I do, she shared. But McEntire said she also learned new techniques for her own acting from working with Reynolds. He talked so slowly that he inadvertently helped her learn to moderate her own speech in watching him. Hed look down at the tablecloth or stare into space when I thought he should be talking, she noted. But that was just the timing that makes him Burt Reynolds. Reba McEntire said, Someone off camera was feeding Burt Reynolds his lines Burt Reynolds | Scott Flynn/AFP/Getty Images While working on a scene where Reynolds was required to recite what seemed to McEntire like a lot of dialogue, she began to notice something just a little unusual. If Id thought about it, I would have wondered how in the world he could memorize all of that, the country star wrote in her autobiography. Suddenly I heard a tiny, muffled voice. First, she wasnt quite sure where the unexplained noise was coming from but stayed in character as she was supposed to do. However, she eventually realized what was happening when she saw the wire inside Reynolds shirt. Someone off camera was feeding him his lines! she wrote. I thought that was clever. And McEntire didnt imply it took away from his credibility as an actor in the least. In fact, she said she might have done it herself if she had known the assistance was an option. Reba McEntire paid tribute to good friend Burt Reynolds when he died My good friend has started a new journey. Rest in my peace my friend. Ill never forget the wonderful times we spent together. #BurtReynolds pic.twitter.com/DXzIchYDjl Reba McEntire (@reba) September 6, 2018 On Sept. 6, 2018, Reynolds died of a heart attack at the age of 83. An actor to the end, he was cast in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and was practicing lines soon before he died per The Hollywood Reporter. McEntire took to Twitter to wish her good friend luck in his new journey. Ill never forget the wonderful times we spent together, she wrote. RELATED: Reba McEntire Was Told Shed Ruined Her Career When She Stopped Playing Honky-Tonk Clubs While watching Inventing Anna on Netflix, many viewers were shocked to see that Anna Delvey (portrayed by Julia Garner) stayed at Billy McFarlands (Ben Rappaport) place and made fun of his Fyre Festival. Was this something added for dramatic effects, or did the two scammers cross paths in real life? Viewers may recall McFarland from another Netflix true-crime drama, Fyre, about a music festival that went horribly wrong. Find out how many of the details in Inventing Anna are true, similar to how accurately Shonda Rhimes portrayed the real-life journalist behind Vivian Kent. Inventing Anna: Ben Rappaport as Billy McFarland | Nicole Rivelli/Netflix RELATED: Inventing Anna: Chase Sikorski Is Based on a Real Person From Anna Delveys Life Inventing Anna: Anna Delvey crashed at Billy McFarlands loft for 4 months in real life The Netflix drama Inventing Anna opens with a disclaimer, This whole story is completely true, except for all the parts that are totally made up. However, the part about the two convicted scammers hanging out together for months is not made up. In 2013, Anna Sorokin arrived in New York City and became Anna Delvey. She posed as a fake German heiress worth $60 million. However, she let friends foot the bill for her lavish lifestyle and crashed upscale hotels without paying. Many of the characters in Inventing Anna portray real-life people from Delveys life. RELATED: Inventing Anna Is Only the Beginning; Where Anna Sorokin Is Today Soon Becomes a New Docuseries Before Billy McFarland defrauded investors and let his $1,000-ticket holders stay in FEMA tents at his luxury music festival, he headed the credit-card company Magnises. According to Page Six, Delvey stayed in McFarlands SoHo headquarters of Magnises for four-month, rent-free. She scammed the Fyre Festival con artist before his music extravaganza failed miserably. How did Anna Delvey scam Billy McFarland into letting her stay for so long? According to Page Six sources, Delvey became friends with people on McFarlands team. Like in Inventing Anna, Delvey quickly got to know someone and then began calling in favors. Anna knew people on Billys team, explains an insider. She just asked to stay for a few days then she wouldnt leave. A few days turned into four months because McFarland only hinted that he wanted her to leave. In the meantime, she hung out and went to parties. She had Balenciaga bags and clothes everywhere, sources told the outlet. The company wound up moving into a townhouse. Thats the only way they got her out! She had been there for four months! The Anna Delvey Foundation and Fyre Festival scam were very similar In Inventing Anna, viewers watch as Delvey convinces Alan Reed (Anthony Edwards) that her Anna Delvey Foundation dream is a reality. She shows real plans and falsified documentation stating that she has a trust fund of $60 million. However, shes not a German heiress, and she has no money to her name. Similarly, Billy McFarland used fake documents to attract investors who put more than $26 million into his company. According to BBC, McFarland pled guilty in 2018 to two counts of wire fraud and admitted to using fake documents. A Manhattan federal court sentenced McFarland to six years in prison. Meanwhile, Sorokin served approximately four years of her maximum 12-year prison sentence. However, after her release in February 2021, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detained Sorokin for overstaying her visa. As of February 2022, she is fighting her deportation to Germany while in prison. All nine one-hour-long episodes of Inventing Anna are currently available for streaming on Netflix. RELATED: Inventing Anna: Talia Mallay is Probably Based on Jayma Cardosa From the Hamptons One of the most famous classic rock love songs is Eric Claptons Wonderful Tonight. During an interview, Claptons then-wife, Pattie Boyd, said she thought she upset Clapton and inspired the song instead. She also revealed why it was painful for her to hear the track sometimes. Eric Clapton | Michael Putland/Getty Images Pattie Boyd told Taylor Swift she thought she upset Eric Clapton but she inspired a song instead In a 2018 Harpers Bazaar article, Boyd discussed Wonderful Tonight with Taylor Swift. Swift said she wanted to know what inspired the song. She learned the song was about a time Boyd took her time to pick out an outfit before going to a party. Boyd expected Clapton to be upset with her. I came downstairs with trepidation thinking [Clapton] was going to be so angry that Id taken far too long, and instead he said, Listen, Ive just written this song,' she recalled. RELATED: The Hit Cream Song George Harrison Wrote With Eric Clapton in the Late Beatles Years Pattie Boyd said Eric Claptons Wonderful Tonight tore into her even though its a beautiful song In her 2007 book Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me, Boyd wrote about the song of the same title. It was such a simple song but so beautiful and for years it tore at me, he said. To have inspired Eric, and George before him, to write such music was so flattering. Yet I came to believe that although something about me might have made them put pen to paper, it was really all about them. And I think the depressions they suffered were due to the creative process the need that all creative people have to delve deep inside themselves to bring to the surface whatever they are creating, she added. Wonderful Tonight was the most poignant reminder of all that was good in our relationship, and when things went wrong it was torture to hear it. RELATED: When Neil Young Mocked Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton for Selling Their Music for TV Ads The way listeners in the United States and the United Kingdom reacted to Wonderful Tonight Wonderful Tonight became a hit. It peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 17 weeks. The song appeared on Claptons album Slowhand. Slowhand hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 74 weeks. Wonderful Tonight charted twice in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the original version of Wonderful Tonight reached No. 81 in the U.K. It stayed on the chart for four weeks. Subsequently, a live version of Wonderful Tonight hit No. 30 and lasted on the chart for seven weeks. Meanwhile, Slowhand hit No. 23 and remained on the chart for 12 weeks. Wonderful Tonight was later covered by artists such as David Kersh, Damage, and Michael Buble. Wonderful Tonight is a classic love song even if Boyd didnt want to hear it all the time. RELATED: Eric Clapton Is Grateful Despite His Health Problems: I Shouldve Kicked the Bucket a Long Time Ago TLC heavily featured Kody Brown and Christine Browns marital problems on season 16 of Sister Wives. Fans have long suspected the distance in their marriage was present for far longer than either Christine or Kody were willing to admit, though. Some of Christines supporters theorize that the trouble in the couples marriage could be traced back to around the time Kody married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown. Now, Kody is flipping the script. In the much-anticipated third installment of the shows tell-all episode, the divisive polygamist appears to reveal that Christine was unhappy with her lifestyle before TLCs cameras and before Robyn Brown. Kody Brown insists Christine Brown has hated plural marriage for a long time in Sister Wives tell-all episode Sister Wives fans spent months trying to decipher exactly when things went bad for Christine and Kody. Many viewers have theorized that Robyns addition to the family was the beginning of the end. According to Kody, that wasnt the case. Christine doesn't believe polygamy is for her anymore, and Kody is questioning everything. Watch the conversation unfold on the finale of the special 3-part #SisterWives event, TOMORROW at 10/9c. pic.twitter.com/gFSSk0psUz TLC Network (@TLC) February 19, 2022 TLC posted a clip of the third installment of the Sister Wives tell-all episode to Instagram and Twitter that reveals when things went bad. In the clip, Kody said that Christine admitted to hating plural marriage before Robyn ever joined the family. He claims Christine expressed feelings of resentment while still living in a basement apartment in Lehi, Utah. Kodys words seem to align with what Christines aunt, Kristyn Decker, has long suggested. Decker, who has fallen out of touch with the Brown family in recent years, once theorized that Christine was unhappy from day one. Decker is a vocal critic of polygamy after leaving her own plural marriage. Where is Christine Brown now? Christine Brown didnt just separate from her husband ahead of season 16 of Sister Wives. She opted to put hundreds of miles between them. After splitting from her spiritual husband, Christine sold her home in Flagstaff, Arizona, and moved to Utah, where several of her adult children are based. Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Kody Brown, Christine Brown and Robyn Brown | Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Based on social media activity, shes happy with her decision and so are her children. Several of her adult children appear to be taking her side in the separation. Paedon Brown, Christines only son, has taken to TikTok to prove he is on Christines team. Paedon appears to have less than positive feelings about his father and his fathers fourth and legal wife, as well. Several other Brown children have implied the same. Janelle Brown, Kodys second wife, suggested Kody isnt speaking to at least a few of his adult children. RELATED: Sister Wives: Janelle Brown and Christine Brown Both Predicted the Familys Breakdown Years Ago Even though Paul Newman never won a competitive Academy Award, few would argue he wasnt one of the greatest movie stars of all time. From 1958 to 1982, Newman gave seven Oscar-nominated performances. And yet, his presence can be distantly felt even in the 2022 Oscar race. The reason? Newman has a surprising connection to the Best Picture frontrunner, The Power of the Dog. Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke | Silver Screen Collection The Power of the Dog is based on a 1967 novel Written and directed by Jane Campion (The Piano), The Power of the Dog is a Western drama set in 1920s Montana. The story which is based on a 1967 novel by Thomas Savage follows a rancher (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose life is turned upside down when his brother (Jesse Plemons) takes a new wife (Kirsten Dunst). Campion didnt come across Savages book until 2017, when she received a copy from her stepmother. It was around that time the director had completed season 2 of her BBC series Top of the Lake. On the lookout for her first movie in more than a decade, Campion sought out the movie rights to The Power of the Dog. And the rest is Oscars history. RELATED: Oscars 2022: The Power of the Dog Star Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals Which Stars Hes Most Excited to Meet Paul Newman was once connected to a film version While some viewers are not familiar with its source material, Hollywood considered a film adaptation of The Power of the Dog for quite some time. In fact, Deadline reported that Savages book had been optioned to be turned into a movie five times before. Newman was one of those to attempt it, which won over Cumberbatch as he considered the project. Hey, if its good enough for Paul Newman, who am I to shy away from the opportunity? Every time I hear that I go, Damn, I wish Id seen that film.' Its unclear exactly when Newman circled The Power of the Dog. But he actively produced films as early as 1968 and as late as 2005. Assuming he would have taken Cumberbatchs lead role then, Newman would have been the same age in the late 1960s/early 1970s. That puts his version of The Power of the Dog right around the time Newman really focused on producing movies. Will Benedict Cumberbatch win the Best Actor Oscar? Ironically, The Power of the Dog could help Cumberbatch accomplish something Newman never did: win an Academy Award for Best Actor. Cumberbatch is one of four actors including Plemons, Dunst, and Kodi Smit-McPhee to receive Oscar nods for Campions movie. And pundits believe he has a good chance to win. Cumberbatchs biggest competition is Will Smith, nominated for King Richard. But much like Smiths previous nominations, Cumberbatch lost a Best Actor trophy for 2014s The Imitation Game. But will Cumberbatch or Smith take Best Actor, or will the formers Spider-Man: No Way Home co-star Andrew Garfield pull a sneak attack. The 94th Academy Awards air on ABC on March 27, 2022. RELATED: The Power of the Dog: Oscar Contender Benedict Cumberbatch Breaks Down his Toxic Character at Venice Film Festival ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS When Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan met Isabel May he knew he had to have her for 1883. The prequel actually went from an idea in Sheridans head to a show on Paramount+ in seven months. May calls Sheridan the busiest man shes ever met, and doesnt think fans understand just how much 1883 means to the uber producer. 1883 creator Taylor Sheridan and star Sam Elliott | Ethan Miller/Getty Images Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan says that when he met Isabel May, he saw the perfect personification of prequel 1883. It was because of May that 1883 went from an idea in Sheridans head to a series premiering on Paramount+ in just seven months. The story of how Sheridan got 1883 on the air so incredibly fast is quite remarkable. According to May, Yellowstone fans have no idea how much work Sheridan put into 1883. Much less how much the show means to him. Paramount+ really loved Taylor Sheridans pilot script for the Yellowstone prequel 1883 When Sheridan signed his $200 million deal with ViacomCBS, he agreed to deliver five new shows over the next three years. Including the prequel 1883. Sheridan says that when he delivered a pilot script, Paramount loved it so much that they made an impossible demand. They wanted the series on the air in seven months to help launch streamer Paramount+. It was impossible to have something air in seven months that wasnt cast, with no locations, and no other scripts, Sheridan explained to Wide Open Country. I said this first episode Ive written is the best thing Ive ever written. If I cant have the time to make it right, I need everything else. I need the toys, I need the cast, I need the team. You will need to trust me, and its going to hurt. And I did not hear the word no, at all. The first series to go into development in the spring of 2021 was the Jeremy Renner-led prison drama Mayor of Kingstown. Sheridan still had the idea for 1883 in his head. But, he hadnt found the hook yet. He found his Elsa Dutton during a failed audition That all changed when he met May during her audition for Mayor of Kingstown. She says she was terribly wrong for that show. But, Sheridan knew right away she was his Elsa Dutton because she could represent innocence and hope. Sheridan says that after meeting May, he called Paramount and told them that he had good news and some you-need-to-trust-me news. At this point I had not figured out how to tell this story and I had Sam Elliott over here and I had Tim McGraw here and Faith Hill and I had not found the bridge between them all. When I met Isabel, the whole story, all 10 episodes, went right through my head, Sheridan explained. I called Paramount and said, Im going to sit down and start writingbut I need to hire the lead, the female lead, whos a complete unknown, right now, before I start writing. Because it wont work if we dont get her.' Yellowstone fans have no idea that 1883 is Taylor Sheridans baby Without seeing a script, May agreed to the role of Elsa Dutton because she trusted Sheridans vision. She explained that the Texas native cares deeply for this project and Elsa in particular. She admits she got very, very lucky on that end because Sheridans attention is a precious thing. Hes the busiest man Ive ever met in my life, May shared. Despite having so many projects on his plate, May says that 1883 is definitely one of Sheridans favorites. She explained that Yellowstone fans dont understand just how much 1883 means to Sheridan. RELATED: 1883: When Eric Nelsen Confronted Taylor Sheridan and Asked Him Why He Simply Answered It Has to Happen This Way Thats probably the greatest thing about this project. Its Taylors baby, and I dont think people understand how much it means to him, May explained to The Hollywood Reporter. I certainly dont want to speak on his behalf, but hes expressed that. So he spent pretty much the entire time on this project. He was on set almost every day. He was in constant communication. The 1883 creator turned his backyard into a set May revealed that they shot the first few episodes of season 1 in Texas. And they were all shot on land that Sheridan owns. They even shot scenes in his backyard. We were shooting at his house not inside of his house, obviously but in his backyard. He owns all of the land that we were shooting on in Texas, and then we moved to Montana and all around. But he was always accessible and he still is always accessible, May said. Isabel May knew the Yellowstone prequel will get a season 2 Even before Paramount+ officially renewed 1883 for season 2. May hinted she thought there would be one. Not only is the show one of the top performers on Paramount+, but May says she knows the story a little beyond the first season. The 21-year-old revealed that shes been let in to Sheridans overall plan for 1883 because she hasnt poked and prodded. RELATED: Why Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Told 1883 Star Sam Elliott Youll Hate Me at the End of This Thing Hes always been very forthright with me, and its probably because I dont poke and prod, May concluded. New episodes of 1883 drop Sundays on Paramount+. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Many are waiting for the largesse for more than three years now. (Photo: PTI/Representational) Hyderabad: Poturi Venkatamma and Ginjupalli Krishnaiah from Khammam district, Rachapalli Pochamma from Karimnagar and Vadla Mallesham from Vikarabad district could not be more different from one another. But they, as do 3,15,258 others in Telangana, have one thing in common that binds them in misery-a seemingly interminable wait for getting Aasara pensions from the state government. The pension is given to people who are over 57 years of age, widows, disabled, toddy-tappers, weavers, beedi workers, single women, and AIDS and filariasis patients. Alas, many are waiting for the largesse for more than three years now. It is a sad commentary on the state-of-affairs that they have been reduced to begging to eke out a living, as in the case of 55-year-old Rachapalli Pochamma from Bijigiri Sharif village of Jammikunta mandal in Karimnagar district. I had applied more than three years back for a widow pension. I reminded village panchayat officials on umpteen occasions but they never gave any categorical assurances, Pochamma told Deccan Chronicle. Her plight is such that in order to survive she goes around begging for a morsel. Buying medicines that she requires regularly is almost a luxury for Pochamma, who lives alone. For 68-year-old Vadla Mallesham from Vikarabad, the situation is even more traumatic. Suffering from a disability that rendered him mute, he needs someone to do the talking on his behalf every time he has to make a case for his application to be processed for getting disability pension. When Deccan Chronicle reached out to find out about the status of his application, he depended on his son. It emerged that Mallesham was receiving disability pension till 2014 but that was stopped unceremoniously. And now, his application for a pension is among the lakhs awaiting approval from the government, his son pointed out. Several Aasara pension applicants with whom DC spoke had similar tragic tales even as the benefits remain elusive. While the official figure of those waiting to receive Aasara pensions from the state stands at 3,15,262, obtained through an RTI request filed by Rythu Swarajya Vedika, this number does not include nearly 7,80,000 old-age pension applications that got added to the pending list after the state government reduced the eligibility criteria to 57 years from 65 years. This section of applicants saw the biggest rise, said Bannuru Kondal Reddy, who filed the RTI inquiry, adding nearly eight lakh additional applicants are not being reflected in the official records. According to him, all nine categories of Aasara pension applicants are waiting for three and a half years for the succour. They are eligible to receive dues for that period also. Unfortunately, there are no assurances about when the disbursements would commence, he said. Currently, a total of 36,42,999 beneficiaries receive Aasara pensions, including 10,86,782 old-age pensions, 13,93,503 widows and 4,68,684 disabled persons with beneficiaries from other categories making up the rest. (Inputs from Puli Sharath Kumar in Karimnagar, Pillalamarri Srinivas in Adilabad, Ravindra Seshu in Khammam and Naveen Kumar in Vikarabad) Burkina Faso coup leader sworn in as president, vows to defeat Islamic extremism Burkina Faso coup leader Paul-Henri Damiba has been sworn in as president and vowed to win the war on Islamic extremism that has plagued the country in recent years, leading the U.S. government to restrict $160 million in aid. To ... gain the upper hand over the enemy, it will be necessary ... to rise up and convince ourselves that as a nation we have more than what it takes to win this war, Damiba said at the swearing-in ceremony Wednesday, Reuters reported. Once considered relatively peaceful, Burkina Faso has seen an exponential rise in Islamic terrorism since 2016 that has led to the displacement of over 1.5 million people. The United Nations stresses that a 50% rise in internal displacement in the former French colony in 2021 is the highest proportions of internal displacement on the continent. Since 2016, there has been an increase in Islamic State fighters fleeing from the Middle East to Africa, which has led to a sharp rise in extremism across the Sahel and other regions in Africa. To fight extremism, Damiba said, he would improve the coordination between the armed forces and the intelligence service. He vowed to make logistical support more flexible. Damiba was a lieutenant colonel who commanded the military region in charge of protecting the national capital, Ouagadougou. He serves as head of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration, which oversaw the Jan. 24 coup overthrowing President Rock Kabores administration in response to an inability to thwart extremist violence. The new president has said he would work with the Economic Community of West African States to make sure that the country returns to democratic elections. After last months coup, the ECOWAS suspended Burkina Faso from its governing bodies. During the January coup attempt, Kabores political party headquarters was burned and looted by protesters as gunshots rang out at military bases around the city. On Friday, the U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed that $158.6 million in foreign assistance that benefits the government of Burkina Faso will be restricted under a U.S. law that prohibits foreign aid from going to countries where a military coup has overthrown a countrys elected leader. According to Reuters, the State Department stated in a notice to Congress that it would try to work around the aid restrictions in light of U.S. national interests and to provide humanitarian assistance to those impacted by the conflict. Since 2020, coups takeovers have occurred in African countries Mali, Guinea and Chad. The rise of extremism in Burkina Faso has caused international concern, with the U.N. vowing in 2020 to step up its response after displacement in Burkina Faso rose 1,200% in 2019. The U.S. State Department created a special envoy position to maximize U.S. diplomatic efforts to address the terror threats in the region, which have also impacted countries like Cameroon, Mali and Niger. Both Muslims and Christians bear the brunt of Islamic extremism in Burkina Faso. According to the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, Christians comprise just over 20% of Burkina Fasos population, while Muslims make up over 60%. In its "Persecution Trends 2022" report, Release International said, The situation facing Christians in Burkina Faso is now similar to Nigeria, where terror groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have killed thousands and displaced millions. In 2021, jihadis targeted Christians in the north of Burkina Faso, forcing churches to close and meet in secret, the report notes. The attacks ranged from bombings, killings, kidnappings and school burnings to assaults on religious leaders and places of worship. Pressure in the region is likely to continue in 2022, particularly following the drawdown of French troops in the area, Release International warned. Open Doors USA, which monitors Christian persecution in over 60 countries, ranks Burkina Faso No. 32 on its 2022 World Watch List of countries where its hardest to be a Christian. In a January 2022 report, Open Doors warned that the impact of Islamic extremism has expanded as jihadis have made their influence felt even in cities that had previously been beyond their reach. Militant groups that operate in Burkina Faso include Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, Islamic State West Africa, Islamic State Greater Sahara, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Murabitoun, Ansar Dine and Boko Haram. Christians have been targeted and killed and churches have been destroyed, the report states. Christians of Muslim background are the most persecuted Christian group in the country. Similar attacks in Niger, Mali and the greater Sahel region is making the situation in Burkina Faso very serious. Christians have been targeted in villages, churches and workplaces. Hundreds of churches have been closed due to jihadist activities. According to the U.N., the Sahel region is facing an unprecedented rural exodus as many displaced people are moving to urban areas under governmental control. Boris Cheshirkov, a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters last month that Burkinabe refugees have told UNHCR staff that civilians had been killed and their homes burnt down by extremists. In defense of Encanto from Christian critics The trailers for Encanto never interested me. In fact, I busied myself with other matters when my family first watched the film. And when I did finally see it myself, I cant say I particularly enjoyed it. I could appreciate its artistry, but I didnt consider it something worth repeat viewing. The rest of my family, however, fell in the love with the story from the get-go, and with each successive watch, I have come to appreciate it more and more. Strangely enough, the more I have grown in my love for this movie, the more Ive heard from my film-critic friends (I am blessed to know a handful) whose responses to the film have ranged from indifference to forceful opposition. The more negative opinions I hear, the more motivated Ive become to share why I think Encanto warrants more appreciation and less criticism especially from Christian audiences. Before we go any further, I need to make a couple of clarifications. First, I am not the biggest fan of Disney as of late. Many of the conglomerates business practices and ideological leanings rub me wrong. So when people lob critiques at the company, Im not the first to rush to Mickeys defense. This case is an exception to the rule. Second, attention must be drawn to the songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. They may not be to everyones tastes, but Miranda does something strikingly original (for a Disney film, at least): he weaves melodic phrases and lyrics throughout the movie so that a snippet of one song will show up in another. There is a thematic continuity among the musical numbers, where each relies on the others for its full and complete expression. The interconnectivity between the songs provides a rich musical tapestry, rewarding each successive viewing with additional insights on what that particular line means, why this particular sentiment is phrased exactly like it is, or why that musical measure appears in that particular section of the song. A proper evaluation of Encanto must take into account the wealth of information included in the films musical numbers. Fair warning: the following analysis contains spoilers galore. You would do well to watch the film before reading any further. As I see it, most of the serious objections to Encanto are based on a mischaracterization of Abuela, the matriarchal figure, as the functional villain. Abuela may be an antagonist in a technical sense (in that she opposes Mirabel, the heroin, on nearly every step of her journey), but she is not the antagonist in the sense of being a villain, or heavy, or bad guy. The movie doesnt have a villain in the traditional sense, choosing rather to find conflict in family relationship tensions. Imagining Abuela as the films functional villain morphs her character into something it is not and warps the narrative intent of the filmmakers. If there is a functional villain (from the standpoint of the characters in the story, at least), it is Bruno, the self-exiled son of Abuela. We find out, of course, that Bruno is not a bad guy. Far from it. If anything, he plays the crucial role of mentor in Mirabels mission quest thing (so to speak). For much of the film, however, the Madrigal family operates as if Bruno is a bad guy, emphasizing their memories of him with the lime-green colors of traditional Disney villains in the song We Dont Talk About Bruno. (Well discuss Bruno more in a bit.) For her part, Abuela is a character who has failed to properly deal with the loss of her husband for the last 50 years. Grasping at the memory she has of him (personified by their wedding candle, which has been transformed into a dispenser of magical gifts), she has dedicated her life to keep the miracle burning, controlled by her fear of losing anyone or anything else. This reality is illustrated throughout the movie. For one, she repeatedly dons a black shawl, stuck in a cycle of unending grief. For another, the song Dos Oruguitas (Two Caterpillars), which plays over her backstory, includes the repeated refrain Dont you hold on too tight, since both she and her husband (the caterpillars of the song) must part ways and be reunited later. The melody for Dos Oruguitas plays under Abuelas part in the films opening number, The Family Madrigal, hinting thematically at what is controlling her an insistence on hold[ing] on too tight and refusing to let her husband go. She confesses as much in the song, All of You: And Im sorry I held on too tight Just so afraid Id lose you too The miracle is not some magic that youve got The miracle is you, not some gift, just you The miracle is you Abuela first comes to this realization when she has returned to the river where she lost her husband. It is here where the song Dos Oruguitas stops referring to her as a caterpillar and starts referring to her as a butterfly, underscoring the reality that Abuela is crawling out of the cocoon of her grief-infused fears, which enables her to love her children and grandchildren for who they are, not how they can help her keep a precarious balance ignoring family problems for the sake of a mirage she heretofore has failed to relinquish. It is this understanding of Abuelas character arc that informs and clarifies the narrative beats of the rest of the film. The paradox of an 'earned' salvation For example, Abuelas refusal to accept the loss of her husband, and the literal salvation obtained by his self-sacrifice, leads her to view the magical gifts her family has received into an achievement they have acquired. In religious language, she has turned salvation by grace into salvation by works. This paradigm of earning salvation through self-effort underscores her entire demeanor, as well as the standard she imposes upon her children and grandchildren: Make your family proud. As the story shows, this standard is proving, over time, to slowly suffocate her family. Those under the matriarchs rule are buckling under the weight of her expectations. Abuelas lofty standards are shown, not only in her words and actions but also in many of Encantos songs. During the opening number, as we have already seen, Abuela sings about how the family must earn the miracle they have received. Hers is a paradigm that requires nothing less than perfection from its adherents. And sure enough, when Mirabel sings about her two older sisters, she shows how Abuelas mindset has infiltrated her own thinking: My older sisters[are] perfect in every way; and The beauty [Isabela] and the brawn [Luisa] do no wrong. Thats the expectation passed down from Abuela: absolute perfection. This expectation is recognized with frustration by both Luisa and Isabela in their respective songs. In Surface Pressure, Luisa focuses mostly on the pressure placed on her specifically (I feel, I cant, I fail, etc.), but she also mentions how the entire family feels the same weight (we measure this growing pressure, all we know is pressure). Similarly, in What Else Can I Do? Isabela sings how she makes perfect, practiced poses, but after accidentally creating her first cactus (instead of roses), she says, Its not symmetrical or perfect, and adds later, What could I do if I just knew it didnt need to be perfect? The demand from an authority figure to be perfect which Isabela clearly experiences throughout the film is a burden no child can bear without pride (in the face of perceived success) or despondency (in the face of perceived failure). (Interestingly enough, as we get to know these characters, Isabela demonstrates the former, while Luisa demonstrates the latter.) The burden of Abuelas expectations is felt by her family members, even if its not fully understood. No less than three of Abuelas grandchildren try to convince themselves in song form that they are fine: Mirabel tells herself (unconvincingly), I'm fine, I am totally fine (in Waiting on a Miracle), and both Dolores and Isabela insist (unconvincingly), Im fine! (in We Dont Talk about Bruno). There are relational problems within the family Madrigal, but those problems are being neither acknowledged nor addressed. So when Isabela is finally able to confess the burden of the facade shes been keeping up (to make her family proud), it enables her to create more than just roses: now she can create cacti, jacarandas, figs, vines, a Palma de Cera, tabebuia, and so on. This newfound creativity is not just simply another example of our cultures hyper-individualized, follow your heart indoctrination; it is not the result of Isabela rejecting her gift for the purpose of self-expression to the detriment of her family. Rather, her newfound creativity is the expression of her freedom from what is essentially works-righteousness. This freedom allows her to utilize her gift more fully. She is finally experiencing what its like to live outside of the crushing burden of her grandmothers unrealistic expectations. A manly woman and unmanly men? Before evaluating a few key thematic applications of Encanto, there are a couple of specific critiques I wish to briefly address. Both of them have to do with gender roles. First is the character design of Luisa. With a large and muscular build, she is considered by some to be an assault on reality, and a subtle and intentional effort by Disney to substitute masculinity for femininity. While I can understand where this criticism comes from (I dont think its being pulled entirely out of thin air), I havent found the supporting evidence for a literal conspiracy to be convincing. The most glaring hole in this argument is the fact that it was Luisas artists not Disney executives that pushed for her particular body build. In fact, Luisas character designers had to fight Disney for their vision of Luisas character, as the studio pushed for a more petite design. Second, is the role of men in the film. Some consider each and every male character to be passive, sidelined and lacking any real agency. While I can see traces of evidence that would lead some to such a conclusion, I dont think that does justice to the full scope of these characters personalities. Mirabels father (and mother) actively work to protect and encourage their daughter. They remind Mirabel (in what appears to be a daily, or at least a repeated, ritual), Remember, you have nothing to prove. And when the father, Agustin, is confronted by Abuela about keeping Brunos vision a secret, with her saying, You should have told me right away think about the family, he doesnt back down: I was thinking about my daughter! Mirabels uncle, Felix, shows obvious affection for his family, and persistent patience with his emotionally fraught, storm-causing wife, Pepa. This patience is shown in at least a couple of places. First, when Pepa is singing about how Bruno ruined her wedding day, Felix sings along with her, and when she complains about Brunos actions, the natural thing would have been for Felix to agree with her. And yet he gently pushes back against her soiled memory of the day by singing, What a joyous day, but anyway. Her sentiments dont exactly match his, and hes not afraid to (gently) push back. And near the end of the movie, when Bruno clarifies his words to Pepa on her wedding day (singing, I wanted you to know that your bro loves you so), Felix responds with, Thats what Im always saying. Then, of course, theres Bruno. Hes absent for much of the film, but it is his vision, and his encouragement of Mirabel that propels the story forward, enabling Mirabel to find the solution to the disintegration of their home, Casa Madrigal (or Casita). And while its even been said that the song We Dont Talk About Bruno could be a clandestine way of the filmmakers saying, We dont talk about men, the reality is that everyone involved in singing that song is shown to be wrong utterly and completely wrong. Not talking about Bruno (and, if you so choose to believe, not talking about men in general) is a mistake based on misinformation. In the end, the characters do talk about and love and celebrate Bruno. And rightly so. Not to mention, of course, the single and greatest act of selfless love shown in the entire movie: when Pedro a man sacrifices his life for the good of his family. His actions not only save Abuela and her three newborns but also usher in the miracle that protects them throughout the rest of the film. Pedro is a man who chooses not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. In short, if not for the men of Encanto, there would be no Encanto. Grief and grace and growth, oh my! As it seems was intended by the filmmakers, Encanto acts as an exploration of a wrong response to grief and loss. As not intended by the filmmakers, Encanto can illustrate numerous distinctly Christian themes as well. We will briefly explore just three. First, and as hinted at earlier, the story illustrates the difference between law and Gospel, between the freedom of grace and the bondage of legalism. As a friend of mine puts it in an online discussion: [T]he more [the Madrigals] drift away from the joy and unity [the miracle] intended to bring to the family the more harm they suffer in their relationships and souls. It is when they stop trying to be perfect for the sake of maintaining the miracle that they really experience peace and enjoy it. Second, Encanto acts as an adept examination of the Church and spiritual gifts. Just as the Madrigals emphasized their more demonstratively magical members (Isabela and Luisa), so can the church prioritize the more flashy gifts (prophecy, healings, etc.) at the expense of more mundane gifts (mercy, administration, etc.). And yet, as the body of Christ, we all need each other. As 1 Corinthians 12:22 points out, [T]hose members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. There should be no division within the church between special and not special members and gifts: there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another (v. 25). Third, Encanto shows how God can use suffering to correct our priorities and provide us with what we really need rather than what we think we need. When we petition God to help us grow in faith and love and every grace, He often answers by inserting trials into our lives and showing us more of our sin. This brings us to the end of ourselves, which drives us closer to God and enables us to enjoy and glorify him more. In the same vein, Abuela prays (so to speak) the following: Open my eyes. If the answer is here, help me find it. Help me protect our family. What she doesnt realize is that she is the one damaging her family. Mirabels actions disrupt Abuelas overbearing and precarious control, razing the matriarchs misaligned priorities (and the familys home) to the ground. The answer to Abuelas prayer feels at first like the opposite of what she wants, and yet it is exactly what she needs. She asked for protection, and what she receives is an awareness of her sin, leading to repentance, absolution, and the rebuilding of the family (and their home) on a new and better foundation. What better protection could there be for her family than that? A charming and magical gift Encanto is not a perfect film. Certain story beats stretch credibility, certain character arcs are relegated to song lyrics, and one particular resolution (related to the infamous Bruno) feels rushed. Nevertheless, and especially after multiple viewings, the films strengths outweigh its weaknesses. Encanto is a charming break from the Disney mold, beautifully (albeit, inadvertently) promoting a distinctly Christian understanding of the world in a kaleidoscope of narrative elements, the likes of which have not been seen in a Disney film in years if not decades. Who knows, this may be our Esther moment If you have been observant to any degree, you should have noted by now that the times we are living in are what Scripture would describe as evil days. It is a time of external and internal strife, a time that is unfavorable to the message of the Gospel, a time when people are conducting themselves as fools, and a time when crazed fanatics are securing the allegiance of the masses under the guise of a religion fashioned by culture and not by almighty God. Christians and the American church are under stress and turmoil of a type that has never before been seen in our great nation. In the Old Testament book of Esther, the Hebrew people who had been taken captive into Persia faced similar challenges to their faith. The story reveals a young Jewish woman named Esther who became the Queen of Persia. As the book unfolds, a heinous plot to destroy all the Jews is uncovered by Esthers uncle, Mordecai. Knowing that in her role as queen, Esther is in the unique position of influencing the king, Mordecai challenges Esther to intercede on behalf of her people. The dilemma she faces, though, is that to enter the kings presence without an invitation could be punishable by death, even as queen. Faced with the choice between life for the Jewish people set against the real possibility of the loss of her own, Esther is understandably reluctant. Mordecai responds: Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this. The Scripture records that Esther asks that Mordecai call all the Jewish people together for fasting and prayer. Following this request, she makes this daring commitment: Then I will go to the King and if I perish, I perish. Through Esthers obedience to the call of God on her life, her people not only are spared but also become honored citizens of their country. In Ephesians 5, Paul, in addressing Christians in his day who were facing persecution, says that followers of Christ should open our eyes to what is happening around us and act as wise people as senseful people. Just like in the days of Esther and Paul, this is the time in our great nation when Christians must choose whether or not we will seek the way of God or turn to some other path that will ultimately lead to our sudden and certain destruction as a nation. The Church in America has become so preoccupied with the comforts of our culture that our current activity for the Lord has been reduced to nothing more than recalling our memories of how things used to be. We continue to stroke our trophies of long-ago victories encased in the recesses of our minds while we refuse to accept any new challenge from God that would cause us to be about the business of fulfilling our Great Commission. The story of Queen Esther and the ringing challenge of Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus smash against the walls of ease that we have so carefully constructed about us as individuals and as Christs Church. Hear me well! The good times are really over for good, and they are not coming back. We are living in a new paradigm brought on by the infiltration of godless Marxist philosophy hidden behind the curtains of diversity, sexual hedonism and overreaching governmental intrusion into the basic rights of American citizens. They do all this in the name of some idea they call equity, which in reality has very little bearing on the concept of equality upon which our nation was built. Make no mistake, the Church in America is already in the crosshairs of this movement as are the churches in Canada, Europe, Australia and other parts of the globe. This crowd will not stop with the simple neutering of the Gospel, but rather seek the Gospels full and utter destruction along with its remaining influence wiped from the face of the earth. Those of us who choose to remain silent or who seek to compromise with the cancel culture in order to keep jobs, comforts or a perceived preferable position within the mainstream will soon discover that our neutrality has been in vain. The very inaction through which we seek to preserve a way of life will undoubtedly result in the loss of it. If we as Christ-followers and the Church think that we are saving our lives by staying silent, then we are dead wrong because the world is screaming at us to either join in with their sordid ways or die anyway. The time has long since passed for us as Christians to shake off the shackles of our lethargy, put aside our sluggishness and rise up from our grave of idleness. Then and only then, as Paul also says, will Christ make day dawn on us. The ceiling of our great country is falling in on us right now, and we have yet to awaken to the opportunities God is now placing before us. The challenge of the Christian faith, the call of God and human events have come together in the lives of Christians everywhere. However, many of us, like Jonah of old, are asleep oblivious to what is going on around us. While I firmly believe that Christians should be involved in politics (after all, I have spent practically all of my adult life doing so), please do not mistake this as a call to political action. The Democratic Party is not the enemy, nor is the Republican Party our savior. No, America, we are locked in a battle with forces far beyond our comprehension. The stakes are extremely high and the challenges we face call for fasting and prayer before almighty God, along with the true courage born only of the Holy Spirit. These tactics will enable us to live out with clarity what we believe and in whom we believe. Fanaticism is not the answer, and we simply cannot bear any more fainthearted approaches to the conundrum. But take heart, for ultimately, we cannot lose; the end has already been determined. Please hear me clearly, though. It is sheer idiocy for us to say that we are going to win this world for Christ when we are unwilling to nurture our own families in true faith and to offer our precious children and grandchildren adequate protection from the darts being thrown at them by the principalities of darkness permeating the culture in which we live. If we do not awaken now, and as Paul says, rise from the dead, we may find ourselves in the same dilemma in which Samson found himself after Delilah cut his hair and robbed him of his strength. For the scriptures record that as the Philistines fell upon him, "he went out to do battle and did not realize that the Lord had departed from him. For individual Christians and Christs Church in America, this is our Esther moment. The choice is clearly delineated now between the Gospel and the gods of this world. It may well be a difficult choice and one that may even cost us our lives in the end. No matter what gyrations we may go through, this cup will not pass from us, and who knows whether we have come into Gods kingdom for such a time as this. As the grains of sand filter through the hourglass of our lives, they are being weighed in the balance of Heavens grand scales. The history that is presently being written about Christs Church in America will record whether or not we will be found steadfast in the Truth. God help us, and God help America, if we choose unwisely. Desiring God co-founder says Christians should extend grace to people undergoing deconstruction The co-founder of the popular online theology ministry DesiringGod.org is encouraging Christians to extend the grace of Christ to people who say they are undergoing deconstruction. Teacher and author Jon Bloom examined deconstruction and how it applies to Christians struggling with their faith in a piece published Tuesday on the website he co-founded with theologian and Pastor John Piper. After explaining the different ways in which the word is used by Christians regarding their faith, Bloom noted that deconstruction isnt new and that Christians should respond with grace. Since the churchs earliest days, some have endured faith crises, some have been harmed by sinful cultural influences, some have questioned traditional doctrines and church authorities, and some have departed the faith, Bloom wrote. And to each person, whatever their struggle, we are called to extend the grace of Christ. The author of three books noted that the extension of grace can sometimes be tender or tough. But he stressed that it must be an issue of prayerful discernment since the deconstructing Christian is often someone in significant pain. Anyone, like me, who has gone through a faith crisis (or multiple ones) knows that its not some abstract academic exercise. Questioning our foundational beliefs and wrestling with doubts about them often feels like were being, in Francis Schaeffers words, torn to pieces, he continued. So, as we seek to extend the grace of Christ to someone experiencing deconstruction however passively or actively, however privately or publicly it will be important to press in carefully, ask clarifying questions, and listen well, to inform how we do or do not respond. In recent years, some notable Christian public figures have announced that they had undergone the process of deconstructing their faith, with some of them leaving the faith altogether and others solidifying their faith in the process. Josh Harris, a former megachurch pastor who authored the 1997 best-selling book on sexual purity Why I Kissed Dating Goodbye, briefly offered an online course on deconstructing belief titled Reframe Your Story. In 2019, Harris announced that he no longer considered himself a Christian. Announced last August, the course was originally going to cost $275 to enroll unless a person either was harmed by my past work and by purity culture in general or cant afford it. Its not specifically about purity culture but for anyone who is unpacking and rethinking religious beliefs, wrote Harris last year, before he dropped the course following negative feedback. I believe Im offering something of value to others. In May 2021, author and pastor Dominic Done appeared on The Crazy Happy Podcast to discuss his own period of spiritual doubt. He said that it was trendy to deconstruct belief. The trendy thing right now is that weve got to deconstruct our faith, walk away from the faith, walk away from the church, said Done at the time. I think deconstruction can be healthy if its a sloughing off of things that are unhealthy in our life, views of God that arent correct, things that weve kind of taken on board that [arent] essential to our faith that form of deconstruction can be really healthy. But if its just deconstruction for the sake of deconstruction, its not going to lead you anywhere. More recently, Christian rapper Phanatik, one of the founders of the trailblazing rap group The Cross Movement, renounced his Christian faith. In January, he sent a letter to his church withdrawing his membership. I began to look at the faith and say, Man, you could turn this Rubiks cube any particular way and end up with a different understanding, he stated in a Facebook video announcement. And who can say that understanding is right or that understanding is wrong? In a recent interview with The Christian Post, Christian rapper Lecrae said that he has gone through periods of what he calls reconstruction of his faith. I went through reconstruction and thats what a lot of people dont talk about, he added. They miss that one. Deconstruction is not a bad thing if it leads to reconstruction. Sometimes you have to demolish a building that has mold and then build something else on that foundation. Were not getting rid of the foundation. The foundation is Christ. But were building on that foundation and tearing down some things that were unnecessary. In January, Lecrae tweeted: Once upon a time I thought I was done with Christianity. But the reality was I was just done with the institutional, corporatized, gentrified, politicized, culturally exclusive version of it. How a mission trip inspired a fashion industry veteran to launch a 'purpose-driven' shoe brand Nelli Kim walked wordlessly through the filthy streets of Mumbais infamous red-light district. Barefoot children chased each other past piles of trash while women stared impassively past the bars in open windows. Grim-faced men in doorways warily eyed the small group of Americans. It was like witnessing hell on earth. Nelli blinked away tears as she realized the price of one pair of shoes from Bergdorf Goodman, the Fifth Avenue department store where she was the merchandise manager of womens footwear, could sustain the people on this block for days. God, theres nothing separating these people from me except our circumstances and the luck of my birth, she thought. Nelli had not known what to expect when she signed up for the short-term mission trip through Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City in 2014. But on the flight home, she resolved to use her gifts in service to others, although she was unclear how that might look. Im in fashion! she thought. Im not a doctor or a social worker; Im a buyer for a luxury department store. I have no idea what I could do with the purpose of giving back. Could God use even her skills for His glory? She prayed, thought, schemed and dreamed. And she didnt give up on her idea even when she faced a life-threatening battle with ovarian cancer. And today, Nelli is selling shoes from her own company, REDEN, which stands for restoration to Eden." REDEN shoes are radically different created to be stylish and comfortable, even for people suffering from foot pain, such as Nelli experienced due to chemo treatments. And Nelli has pledged to give half of the company profits to charity. I wanted my shoes to solve a problem. To offer shoes that will allow people to be pain-free and promote optimal health, Nelli explained. So she worked with an orthopedic surgeon to design the shoes, which began shipping to customers in late 2021. I wanted a purpose-driven brand, to be comfy and look cool. REDEN grew from the commitment Nelli made after her first trip to India to find a way to use her unique talents to do good for other people. But the road has not been easy, and there were many times she doubted she would ever make it this far. Looking back, however, she can see Gods hand throughout her journey. Nelli and her three siblings grew up in Hawaii, the children of Korean immigrants. She headed east for college, and after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, moved to New York City. She began to climb the ranks of fashion and retail, eventually becoming the vice president/divisional merchandise manager of womens footwear at Bergdorf Goodman. Along the way, she married a successful young lawyer. An ambitious couple, they seemed poised for the type of lucrative future that only the best and brightest achieve. Visions of that future dimmed, however, when her marriage fell apart suddenly in 2014. Searching for comfort and answers, Nelli began revisiting the Christian faith she had grown up with but ignored in her young adult years. She began attending Redeemer Presbyterian Church, hoping to reconnect with God. At church one Sunday, she heard about the mission trip to India and signed up immediately. A few months later, she was on a plane with six other New Yorkers, eager to offer the love of Christ to impoverished communities and victims of human trafficking. Along with assisting healthcare workers in the red-light district, Nelli and the other volunteers visited a slum community, where they met a family who served tea and cookies to the Americans and offered to pray for them. The following year, Nelli returned to Mumbai as a mission trip co-leader with a Redeemer team that spent several days at a safe house with girls rescued from sex trafficking. The team brought an array of lotions, facial masks, makeup and nail polish, which filled the girls with joy. That trip cemented Nellis determination to make a difference. This was no fluke, she thought. I have a true calling to help these people. I need to seek out opportunities that will get me there! Determined to become an entrepreneur for social change, Nelli left Bergdorf for opportunities with other companies, where she learned various aspects of running a business, manufacturing processes, and American shoe-buying habits. She realized that shoes were either attractive, expensive and uncomfortable or unattractive, affordable and comfortable. There must be a better way to make shoes, she thought, as she began to draw up plans for her own company. But those plans were shelved when she was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in 2016. Doctors scheduled surgery and chemotherapy treatments while warning that even with treatment her chance of survival after five years was only about 30%. Nelli was shocked and confused. Im young; Im only 39! Wow, God, I thought I had all the answers and that you were honoring the journey I was on. But now this! The months that followed were filled with punishing surgeries and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, but her family and friends and church community rallied to support her. Nellis parents and siblings were instrumental to her recovery, and her sister often worked from Nellis apartment so she could offer companionship and support. I felt the community rise up to meet me during my time of need, she said. Nelli listened repeatedly to Hillsong Uniteds song, Another in the Fire, which reminded her that Jesus is always with her. Nelli endured multiple rounds of chemo and also battled multiple infections that led to several ER visits and hospitalizations. Ten months after her last chemo session, Nelli was thrilled to travel to Seattle for work. But she wound up in the hospital far from home for several days, suffering from an infection that was complicated by her depleted immune system. Even worse, she developed neuropathy, and her feet were so sensitive that she couldnt wear any of the shoes in her closet. The irony was not lost on her after a career of selling designer shoes, she had to set aside her favorites. During her illness, Nelli felt the need to set aside her dreams of starting her own business. Her frequent infections made her doubt her own body and her future. I need a stable job, health insurance. I need to support myself! This is NOT the time to get risky! However, in 2018, Nellis health had stabilized, and she began dreaming again. Its time, she thought. Im finally going to start my own company! She returned to the business plan she had shelved a couple of years earlier, raising money for the company through Kickstarter. Nelli knew that she wanted her shoes to be different, so she brought in an orthopedic surgeon to help design the shoes. It took us a year to design one shoe, and it was a huge amount of effort, Nelli said. But our goal is to optimize foot health, so we took every step seriously. Despite all the challenges, Nelli created what she always wanted a shoe company that isnt just about shoes. Its a product with a purpose. REDEN shoes have arch supports and cushioned insoles and a classic design that looks far more stylish than most shoes designed to optimize foot health. And each shoe incorporates a butterfly joint detail found in woodworking as a reminder that each of us is more beautiful because of our imperfections. Initially, Nelli plans to support several charities on rotation through REDEN, including one Nelli co-founded in 2018. This nonprofit, Embers International, raises funds for counseling, childcare and schooling for sex-trafficking survivors and their children in India. I didnt want to be an entrepreneur. I didnt set out to change the world, Nelli said. But God put me down this path, and if theres one thing hes shown me, hell be with me every step of the way. We dont get to choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose our response to it. 20-foot tall Jesus statue destroyed by govt in India after Hindu nationalists complain Authorities in Indias southern state of Karnataka demolished a 20-foot-tall statue of Jesus, which had been standing in the village for 18 years, claiming it was built on land earmarked by the government for an animal pasture. The administration in the Kolar district said last weeks demolition of the statue next to St. Francis Xaviers Church in Gokunte village. The Karnataka High Court had ordered the destruction, but local Christian leaders said the case was still pending. Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado condemned the statue's demolition, stating that the church possessed ownership documents for the land where the statue sat. According to Machado, church leaders tried to work with authorities to save the structure, but local authorities were uncooperative. It is sad to note that yet another ruthless demolition of a Christian Structure, which included a 20- feet Statue of Jesus and 14 Stations of Cross was carried out by the taluka authorities in a Christian Village, Gokunte, in Kolar, a District of Karnataka touching the border of Andhra, Machado announced in a statement. Though the Church has documents of the two acres of the land where these structures were located, the local authorities considered them as not proper or incomplete. The matter is still being heard in the Courts. In fact, the trial court had issued a stay order on the demolition, prior to the High Courts directives. A local official told the Catholic news outlet Crux that the high court ordered the demolition after seven or eight hearings. However, Machado maintains that there was a stay issued delaying the demolition. Fr. Theres Babu, a priest and lawyer, refuted the governments claim. The government has been repeatedly saying that the demolition letter was issued. We have been asking her to show the demolition order. It is not clear if it was a judgement. But [the government official] never showed us the order, Babu was quoted as saying. She has been claiming that the government advocate has sent her an email, saying that the high court has given an order and based on that she went ahead and demolished the statue. The priest also said a new hearing on the case had been scheduled for Wednesday, the day after the demolition, reports Fides, a Vatican news agency. The villagers believe a Hindu nationalist group filed a petition in the high court to create tensions in the region. The video of the demolition was widely circulated, and the Christians are really alarmed and pained at such repeated acts by the pro-Hindu government machinery, Fr. Faustine Lobo, the spokesperson of the Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops Council, was quoted as saying. Machado reports that over 200 policemen came for the demolition, which was done with bulldozers. It was heartbreaking to see hundreds of people shedding their tears. Even assuming that the structures were not fully authorised, Government agencies could have had the magnanimity to regularise these structures, which were in place for over 25 years, Machado said. Are there no other communities of other religions who have illegal structures on public or government properties? Why this discriminatory attitude towards the Christian Community only? What was the tearing hurry to initiate this action? Are there the pressures from fundamentalist groups who were bent on the demolition of these Christian structures? Machado stressed that in the last two years, there had been at least six similar demolitions. He warned of attacks on the Churches across the State. These religious places were patronised and maintained as places of devotion in Bangalore, and its surroundings for decades, he said. Karnataka state is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Days before Christmas, Karnataka became the 10th state in India to pass an anti-conversion law, which presumes that Christians force or give financial benefits to Hindus to convert to Christianity. While some of these laws have been in place for decades in some states, no Christian has been convicted of forcibly converting anyone to Christianity. Open Doors USA, which monitors Christian persecution in over 60 countries, reports that persecution against Christians and other religious minorities has increased since the BJP took power in 2014. For Indias Christians, 2021 was the most violent year in the countrys history, according to a report by the United Christian Forum. At least 486 violent incidents of Christian persecution were reported in the year. The UCF attributed the high incidence of Christian persecution to impunity, due to which such mobs criminally threaten, physically assault people in prayer, before handing them over to the police on allegations of forcible conversions. Police registered formal complaints in only 34 of the 486 cases, according to the UCF. Often communal sloganeering is witnessed outside police stations, where the police stand as mute spectators, the UCF report states. Christians make up only 2.3% of Indias population and Hindus comprise about 80%. Russia on the naughty list over Ukraine We know what Americans think of Joe Biden but what about the rest of the world? Everyone is about to find out, courtesy of major trouble brewing on the Ukrainian border. Just how badly has our global credibility been damaged by this administration? As the Kremlin moves closer to a terrifying invasion, the next several weeks will tell. Most Americans probably aren't staying awake at night worrying about what's happening in Russia but maybe they should be, experts warn. With Russian President Vladimir Putin inching closer to a full-scale invasion in Ukraine and China licking its chops over Taiwan, the United States could soon be on the verge of a full-scale global emergency. "Ukraine and Taiwan have much in common," Jay Nordlinger points out, "as nations trying to hold on to their independence and sovereignty against hungry, empire-minded dictatorships in whose shadow they live." For the last several decades, America and the West have been these countries' big brothers, fighting to protect their borders and our interests from the two power-hungry regimes. Now, with a weakened Biden at the helm and the rest of the world still trying to get their depleted economies and COVID under control, the window of opportunity has never been wider. Think about it from China or Russia's perspective, David Leonhardt explains in a good primer on the issue. "If you were a foreign leader hostile to the United States ... [y]ou would know that it has conducted two largely failed wars in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 20 years, and that many Americans have no interest in fighting another faraway conflict with a fuzzy connection to national security. You would know that the U.S. itself can't seem to decide how strongly it feels about democracy ... And you would know that the U.S. is so politically polarized that many voters and members of Congress may not rally around a president even during a foreign crisis." Considering all of that, "you might not be feeling especially intimidated by the U.S.," he says. America still has the "world's largest economy, the most important currency, and strongest military," but as one of those leaders, you're becoming less and less worried that America has the stomach to stand up to your aggression. So, you do as Vladimir Putin has you send 70,000 troops to the Ukrainian border and test the waters. Putin has long thought the Ukraine, formerly a part of the Soviet Union, should belong to Russia. "The two countries share a 1,200-mile border as well as cultural and linguistic ties (which many Ukrainians think Putin exaggerates)." Russia already "annexed" Crimean Peninsula in 2014, so gathering troops along the border is particularly worrisome to Ukraine and the rest of the world. In a two-hour video conference with Putin Wednesday, Biden threatened all sorts of measures if Putin went ahead with his plan (which he denied having). The president vowed "strong economy and other measures" if there was an invasion. But just how much of a deterrent is that coming from Biden? FRC's Lt. General (Ret.) Jerry Boykin says not much. He thinks it's "very questionable" whether Biden still has the credibility to be taken seriously on threats like that. When a former Defense secretary says that Joe Biden has "been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades," Boykin explained, Russia is paying attention. And, if given the chance, he believes, Putin would absolutely invade. "They don't just have troops, they don't just have infantry and armor up there in that staging area. They have artillery, they have air defense and they have the enablers or the support mechanisms to sustain a battle. So yes, I think that Putin is very serious here, and I think that this is a very tense situation now. What we have to do is we have to provide the lethal material to the Ukrainians and make this a bloody battle ... because the reason the Russians came out of Afghanistan was because after several years of sending young men home and body bags with no explanation as to why they were dying, the people in Russia really rose up against their own leadership ... And the same thing has to happen this time. If they invade, it's got to be a bloody battle and there's got to be a lot of Russians killed and sent home in body bags because that will get the attention of the people of Russia, and they will not tolerate it." With the Russian birth rate collapsing (barely 1.3 to 1.6%), Boykin points out, Putin is becoming more desperate. "If you think about the size of the country of Russia it's nine time zones across. You can't secure the borders of a nation like that unless you have buffer states. That's why they went into Georgia. That's why they went into Central Asia." Of course, in many ways, Biden rolled out the red carpet for Putin when he lifted the sanction on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline the minute he got into office. He turned off America's pipelines but bent over backwards to give the Russians an avenue to Europe. "What do you think that said to the Russians? I mean, does that make sense? ... I mean, I don't know how it could make sense to anybody that is objective about this issue. So that... contributes to the lack of credibility of our president and his resolve to actually stop the Russians from moving into that part of the world and in a big way." Let's say Russia does invade Ukraine next year. Why should Americans care? What's at stake for us? Well, for one, the global dominos would start to fall, Boykin argued. "If there was an invasion and the United States does not respond ... do you think that China might be watching this? Do you think that China might think, 'Well, now is the time for us to go into Taiwan,' because that is their number one objective: to take Taiwan. And if they if we let them go in unopposed, they will take Taiwan." And that would have a tremendous and dangerous destabilizing effect on the whole world. It impacts the global economy, it impacts national security, and it impacts neighboring countries. Maybe Biden will follow through with sanctions, but America needs stronger leadership to be effective and to have the international cooperation we need to actually stop these bad actors. "I think one of the long term setbacks [from the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal] is that other countries don't trust us. They don't trust our president," the general warned, "and they don't trust this administration. And that's a bad thing at a time like this." Originally published at the Family Research Council. This week in Christian history: Falwell loses at Supreme Court; UMC backs traditional marriage Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance. Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births, notable deaths and everything in between. Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while other happenings might be previously unknown by most people. The following pages highlight anniversaries of memorable events that occurred this week Feb. 20 to Feb. 26 in Christian history. 1 2 3 4 Next 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. HYDERABAD: In a major setback to senior IAS officer Y. Srilakshmi, the Telangana High Court on Saturday dismissed her petition requesting it to declare a pending CBI case against her as arbitrary and quash the first supplementary chargesheet filed against her. The chargesheet was filed by the CBI on March 30, 2012, under Section 173(8) of the CrPC in CC No. 1 of 2012 and has been pending on the files of the special judge of CBI court in Hyderabad. The CBI has been investigating her role in the alleged illegal mining activity by the Obulapuram Mining Company in Bellary reserve forest in Anantapur. In the supplementary chargesheet, the CBI alleged that Srilakshmi had misused her office during her term from 2007 to 2009 as secretary, industries and commerce. It said she had misused powers vested in her by conspiring to grant illegal mining licenses to favour Obulapuram Mining Company Private Limited and made her the sixth accused in the case. Justice K. Lakshman rejected the request of Srilakshmi and observed that prima facie, serious allegations existed as she had committed the alleged offences of abusing her official position in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy to grant illegal mining leases. He said though Section 482 of CrPC conferred wide powers on the High Court to quash the proceedings in criminal cases, they should be used sparingly. The power could be used only when there was abuse of court process or to secure ends of justice, he said. The IAS officers case did not come under such an exceptional case. Justice Lakshman disagreed with the contentions of Srilakshmi, who argued that the investigation was entrusted to the CBI only with regard to boundary disputes and illegal mining activities of OMCPL in the Bellary forest and other related matters, But, the CBI went into issue of pre-grant and granting of mining leases, which it was not entrusted to investigate, she claimed. Justice Lakshman said that CBI had wide jurisdiction in light of the phrase other related matters as used in the GO, which entrusted investigation to CBI. The court also did not accept her argument that the Union of India had the dominion over iron ore and she had no role to play in granting the leases. A perusal of the record, prima facie, indicates that Srilakshmi sent the proposal to grant leases to OMCPL. It was she who had sent a comparative table including the applicants for leases. She had the duty and power to reject applications by issuing show cause notices, to hear the rejected applicants and issue reasoned orders. Therefore, she cannot contend that she had no role to play and Section 409 of the IPC is not attracted, Justice Lakshman said. The court considered the aspect of a specific allegation that one M. Rakesh Babu, who is the brother-in-law of Srilakshmi had acquired properties during her term as the secretary, industries and commerce. Therefore, the petitioner cannot contend that no offences were committed and has to face trial under section 13(1)(d) and Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the judge said. February in Laredo celebrates the first U.S. President George Washington. And the Laredo Masonic Lodge decided to do something extra special this year as it brought actual artifacts held by the first president as they honored his statue Friday. The Laredo Masonic Lodge worked with various lodges across the state and in Washington, D.C. to get a gavel and trowel held by Washington to the area in a first for the Gateway City. As well, the lodges offered a ceremony in honor of the first president to commemorate him, not only as the first president of the country but as a fellow Masonic brother. We have the trowel and gavel that was used at the corner store laying of the United States capital in 1793, said David Vella, the senior warden of the Masonic Alexandria Lodge #22 which owns the trowel. It is quite an honor to be here. Ruben Bazan III, the junior warden of the Laredo Masonic Lodge #547, was the one in charge of the event. He also worked with the City of Laredo in efforts for them to allow the lodge and other visitors to hold the event locally. City Hall gave us the permit to be here, and even though it is public property, we did want to kindly ask them for permission and let them know that we were going to be here and doing this and be getting on the statue, Bazan said. We dont want any officers coming out and (asking), What are you doing? Bazan thanked the interim city manager and his team for allowing the lodge to be outside city hall to commemorate the ceremony. Although no city officials attended the one-hour event, several city employees did show up for the ceremony to see what was happening and also look at the historic artifacts. Bazan said the locally-made apron put on the Washington statue in downtown Laredo for the ceremony would be taken down and most likely given as a gift to the Texas Grand Lodge. According to Bazan, even though the Washington Birthday Celebration Association events are in full swing, he does say no coordination between them was done in terms of hosting the artifacts or the event. However, he looks forward to working with the WBCA next year. This was completely independent from the WBCA, but we are open to working with them for next year, Bazan said. So I am going to approach them to see if they want to do something together. Amid the WBCA celebrations, Vella says commemorating the first president is a positive as he laid the building blocks of the United States. Washington was a great uniter of people, and I think that this festival is a great uniter of all sorts of people in South Texas, Vella said. So this is quite an honor, and we are so glad to be here. The artifacts shown have been held from various presidents in the past, and Queen Elizabeth II in the 1980s even used one of the objects during a ceremony. The Masons point this out as ironic, as a British monarch held such object when it was used to fight off monarchies when Washington used it. Nevertheless, even more historic is that one of the objects had never flown via plane, as this marked the first time it had done so and the furthest it has ever traveled. For the trowel, it is the every first time that this artifact has flown, and this is the farthest we have ever taken it. We havent reunited with the gavel in four years, so before the pandemic, Vella said. We are neighbors, but we dont get together as often as we should, so it is good to see everybody down here in Laredo. Vella also said that as their duties are to protect the artifacts, they cannot step away from them at any moment for long periods of time in efforts to protect them for historical preservation. We are required in our bylaws to travel three brothers at a time with the trowel at all times, Vella said. So there is always a person, and one of us is actually a law enforcement officer so he is armed. And we take it very seriously. This is a super important artifact of American history, so it is quite a responsibility. During the ceremony, there were Masons from various parts of the state and even from across the Rio Grande present to witness the event. It is the international community that we have here, where we invited every Mason in the area both Nuevo Laredo, Laredo and we got people from Waco, Houston, Austin and people are coming from all over the place to see this ceremony, as it is the first time weve done it, Bazan said. We are proud to be able to do this and honor him as a Mason, as he was basically the patron saint of Free Masonry in the United States. According to Bazan, a Mason is a man who always strives to become a better person both externally and internally, and who focuses on doing good things for the community in efforts to become a better father, son, husband and overall have a better sense of belonging in the community. We dont believe that there are any perfect people out there, so we take good men and make them better, and it's a constant polishing of the soul, Bazan said. Although Vella and those in charge of protecting and preserving the security of the gavel will not stay for the remaining WBCA celebrations scheduled for this weekend they flew out of the city with the artifacts on Saturday morning they said their stay in Laredo was a pleasant one and was one they will always remember. Thank you so much, and we look forward to seeing you in February 2023 when our lodge celebrates the 100th anniversary of the George Washington Masonic Memorial, which the Grand Lodge of Texas contributes money to every year, Vella said. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com 956-728-2538 Munich Security Conference focuses on "unlearning helplessness" Xinhua) 18:11, February 20, 2022 Against such backdrops as the deepening crisis over Ukraine and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing 58th edition of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), held from Friday to Sunday, focuses on the theme of "unlearning helplessness." In the face of a growing number of crises and conflicts, there is a mounting feeling of "collective helplessness" in many societies across the world, according to the Munich Security Report 2022 published ahead of the conference. The answer to the "collective helplessness" lies in greater solidarity and cooperation under the banner of multilateralism, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who attended the MSC on Saturday via videolink. "COLLECTIVE HELPLESSNESS" Whether it is the seemingly endless pandemic, the increasingly tangible threat of climate change, the vexing vulnerabilities of an interconnected world, or increasing geopolitical tensions, all these challenges contribute to a feeling of a loss of control, said the Munich Security Report 2022. "Collective helplessness and how we can overcome it is at the core of the Munich Security Report 2022," Wolfgang Ischinger, the chairman of the MSC, noted in his foreword in the report. "The feeling of helplessness is becoming a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, which leads (us) to give up, even though we have all the tools and resources to address such challenges as the pandemic, climate change or great power confrontations," said Ischinger in his opening remarks at the MSC. The three-day conference gathers over 30 heads of state and government and more than 100 ministerial officials and leaders of important international organizations to discuss current crises and future security challenges around the world. Among them are United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia did not send official representatives to the MSC. A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the annual conference had lost its objectivity and has become a Transatlantic Forum only. LOGICAL CONTINUATION "Collective helplessness" is a logical continuation of "Westlessness," which was a theme of a previous MSC and refers to the loss of the common standing of what it means to be part of the West, Zhou Bo, a senior fellow of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, told Xinhua. Zhou, who attended the MSC in 2018 and 2022, said Europe's capacity in changing the world has dwindled and therefore its influence in the international arena has declined significantly. These, coupled with significant obstacles to multilateral cooperation, have contributed to a sense of "collective helplessness." On the organizer's agenda, the Ukraine issue has been specially highlighted. However, according to some analysts, without Russia's attendance, most participants at this year's MSC can only send messages toward Moscow without discussions. For Zhou, the root cause of the Ukraine crisis is that the decades' old efforts of the U.S.-led NATO in expansion in Russia's periphery have eventually backfired. If the West only talks about Ukraine's sovereignty but does not heed Russia's legitimate concerns, it will be difficult to achieve a real solution to the Ukrainian issue, and Europe's "helplessness" in terms of strategic security will only increase, he said. MULTILATERAL COOPERATION Alongside Ukraine, this year's MSC also covers topics like the situation in Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East, the COVID-19 pandemic, governments' climate change policies, technology supply chain security and the future of the European Union, among others. It is clear to all that resignation is not an option. To "unlearn" the helplessness, true multilateralism and cooperation should be the way forward, as this year's MSC only reinforced the notion that no single country could solve all problems today by itself. Man-made problems can be solved by man, Ischinger said, calling on everyone to collectively unlearn and overcome helplessness. Ischinger noted that institutions like the United Nations Security Council, the World Trade Organization, and the World Health Organization have been neglected, circumvented, and even undermined. Overlooking such bodies and deeming them irrelevant in bringing positive changes "is a huge mistake," the outgoing MSC president said. Noting that the world once again faces the danger of division and confrontation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said certain big powers are reviving the Cold War mentality and stoking confrontation between blocs. "Only when countries row the oars together and cheer up each other, rather than undercut and come after one another, can we overcome the current challenges and sail into a bright future," said Wang. When answering questions on the eastward expansion of NATO, European security, and the situation in Ukraine, Wang urged all parties to take due responsibility and make efforts toward peace on the Ukraine issue, instead of just escalating tensions, creating panic and even playing up the threat of war. Ukraine should become a bridge of communication between the East and West, instead of the front line of confrontation between major powers, he added. "China is ready to work with all countries as passengers in the same boat and, with unity as the sail and cooperation as the oar, sail through the pandemic and toward a brighter future," Wang said. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Revenue Minister R Ashoka interacting with the people at Kokkarne village during the Grama Vastavya programme. (Photo by arrangement) Udupi: As the COVID situation has eased, the Karnataka government has resumed the Grama Vastavya (Village Stay) programme from February 19. The programme initiated by Revenue Minister R. Ashoka was temporarily suspended due to pandemic. The Revenue Minister restarted the programme at Kokkarne and Arooru villages in Udupi district. The programme was held in 247 places across the state on Saturday. The BJP government initiated the Village Stay programme about two years ago to bridge the gap between the villages and district administration authorities. The Deputy Commissioner of each district and the Tahsildars of the Taluks will visit a village on the third Saturday of every month, will listen to the grievances of the residents and resolve the issues. Revenue Minister R Ashoka along with elected representatives and the team of officials were given a grand traditional welcome by the villagers. He listened to the villagers grievances and launched various facilities at Kokkarne. During the interaction with the people, the minister sat on the ground amidst the villagers and avoided the sofa on the stage. The Minister directed the officials to take necessary steps to solve the longstanding problems of the villagers. The minister also visited the Olabail village and interacted with members of Kudubi community. He also visited Aroor village, interacted with the people, and stayed there. Earlier villagers had to go to district headquarters to access the government services. But we are reversing the order and making officials come to you. Government is coming to your doorstep to solve your problem, the minister told villagers. The officials and elected representatives can understand the ground reality when they visit the village, he added. The Minister had discussions with the student community at the Morarji Desai Residential School hostel on Saturday and stayed there. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Police and protesters clash in Ottawa Saturday as efforts continued to clear the streets of the capital of so-called Freedom Convoy participants who have occupied the area around Parliament for more than three weeks. 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. Florida, US (34429) Today Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Thunder possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Thunder possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Instead, the reply to RTI stated that citizens can ask for copies of documents containing the information. But they cannot seek an opinion through a questionnaire. (Representational image: DC) HYDERABAD: To the utter dismay of a group of social activists, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), in its reply to a query under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, said citizens could not seek opinions using the Act. On December 29, 2021, Save Our Urban Lakes ( SOUL) convener G. Balaswamy complained of alleged encroachment and violation of irrigation, revenue and WALTA (water, land and trees) Act at Gurunadham Cheruvu at Miyapur, Serilingampally. In a written complaint, he alleged that a builder had encroached more than three acres of land from the lakebed, where a residential complex was being constructed. The complaint stated that water from the lake was being pumped out and diverted, causing loss of more than 15,000 cubic metres of the lakes rainwater storing capacity and increasing the danger of flash floods in downstream areas. The complaint was sent to the Rangareddy district collector, SE, lake division, GHMC, principal secretary (irrigation), principal secretary (MA&UD) and special chief secretary (revenue). Over a month later, on February 3, 2022, the SOUL filed an RTI seeking details of the action taken by the GHMC over the complaint, and also sought a copy of the permission letter and the approved construction plan obtained by the builder of the residential complex on the lakebed. However, the reply to the RTI did not divulge any of the information sought. Instead, it stated that citizens can ask for copies of documents containing the information. But they cannot seek an opinion through a questionnaire. The reply states that the information which the applicant/appellant requested was about receiving advice and opinion from the public information officer about existing Act, rules and instructions. Environmental activist B.V. Subba Rao said he did not know what to make of the convoluted RTI reply. Straightforward questions were asked in the RTI, but they used Shakespearean language in the reply. Balaswamy said they would appeal to the Telangana State Information Commission regarding the information which was not provided to them in the RTI reply. Wilkes Barre, PA (18701) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Claremore, OK (74018) Today Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 48F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 48F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Beachwood, OH (44122) Today Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 48F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 48F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) Conservation group Masungi Georeserve on Saturday said seven of its rangers were attacked by a mob, with two ending up hospitalized. The organization said about 30 attackers "harassed and detained" its rangers while they were just eating at a food stall Friday morning. "When the rangers refused to be accosted without a warrant or due cause, the mob of about 30 people ganged up, clobbered, and mauled 7 rangers with fists and big rocks," Masungi said. The group shared footage of the attack as well as photos of its personnel's injuries. It showed a scuffle, with some individuals blocking the way of the vehicle carrying the person taking the video. Masungi trustee Ann Dumaliang told CNN Philippines that police responded to the incident but there were too many perpetrators to initiate arrests. Masungi alleged that one of the attackers was an employee of Erin's Place resort. The resort's management received a cease-and-desist order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in July 2021 for building an illegal structure inside a protected area. Masungi added that another attacker was the individual earlier caught with freshly cut trees that were later confiscated and turned over to authorities. CNN Philippines has reached out to DENR Calabarzon and the resort's management for comment. This is just one of the many attacks that happened in the protected area in recent years. READ: The fight to #SaveMasungi Dumaliang appealed to the Philippine National Police (PNP) to "designate the Regional Mobile Force Battalion present in the area as official partners and active responders to environmental crime." The PNP has vowed to train forest rangers on protective measures after two of them were shot in the head while guarding the reforestation site. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20) The Department of Foreign Affairs has accused the European Parliament of attempting to influence the outcome of the May polls after the latter adopted a resolution against reported human rights abuses in the country. In a strongly worded statement issued Sunday, the DFA called the resolution "unfair" and "baseless," as it maintained the Philippines upholds the rights of its citizens. We condemn the misguided attempt of the European Parliament to interfere in the Philippine electoral process through its resolution raising already discredited allegations of human rights violations in the thin hope of heavily influencing the outcome in favor of its choice, the DFA said. The European Parliament adopted the motion on Thursday with 627 votes in favor, 26 against, and 31 abstentions. It cited alleged human rights violations targeting suspected drug offenders and red-tagging activities against activists and critics of the Duterte administration. The parliament also again pushed for the revocation of the Philippines trade privileges if the government fails to act on the concerns. READ: European Parliament to PH: Stop killings, red-tagging The DFA, however, claimed these calls were prompted by European supporters of libelous journalists and bitter critics of the current administration. It added that the United Nations Joint Program for Human Rights was already launched in July 2021 to address such allegations. We therefore strongly advise EU Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala to prove her information, specifically with the EU delegation to the Philippines before she demands anything from the Philippines, the department said. Still, the DFA said it looks forward to the European Union's Generalised Scheme of Preferences monitoring mission from Feb. 28 to March 4, saying it understands that the views of the parliament members do not reflect those of the European Union as a whole or of its individual member states. Hyderabad: TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's seven-hour tour to Mumbai on Sunday has created a lot of buzz in political circles besides attracting national headlines throughout the day and creating an impact on national politics. TRS leaders are upbeat over the grand success of Chief Ministers very first tour and said it boosted the image and stature of Rao and the TRS in national politics. Rao's daughter and MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha and actor Prakash Raj, who were part of Chief Ministers delegation garnered the attention of all. The TRS circles too were surprised to see Kavitha and Prakash Raj in the delegation as there were no indications of them accompanying the Chief Minister to Maharashtra until they boarded the special flight at Begumpet airport. The other members of the delegation included party's Lok Sabha members G. Ranjith Reddy, B. B. Patil, Rajya Sabha member J. Santosh Kumar and MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy. Rao's back-to-back meetings with Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar also attracted a lot of attention on social media platforms and were trending on Twitter. TRS leaders are upbeat over the 'grand success' of the Chief Ministers tour to Maharashtra saying that the very first tour of Chandrashekar Rao to forge an anti-BJP front for 2024 Lok Sabha polls created a huge impact on national politics. They said Rao had announced to play a key role in national politics only on Sunday last and his first tour to Maharashtra on this Sunday ended on a successful note with both Thackeray and Pawar extending complete support to Raos attempts to bring all parties together against the BJP-led government at the Centre. They said the Mumbai tour boosted the image and stature of Rao in national politics. Rao left for Mumbai by a special flight from Begumpet airport at 11.45 am and reached Mumbai airport at 12.45 pm. The Chief Minister reached Thackerays official residence Varsha at 1.55 pm, where he was extended a warm welcome by Thackeray and his family members. The leaders had lunch and a meeting from 2 pm to 4 pm. They addressed a joint press conference at 4.10 pm for 15 minutes. Later, Rao proceeded to NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence at 4.30 pm where he was extended a warm welcome by Pawar's family members. He reached Pawar's residence at 4.45 pm. They held talks till 6 pm. They addressed a joint press conference for 20 minutes. Later, Rao left for Mumbai airport at 6.20 pm and returned to Hyderabad by 7.30 pm. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20) Five people died while three others were injured in two separate fire incidents in Metro Manila on Sunday. A 76-year-old woman was killed while a 10-year-old minor was hurt after a fire hit a building in Makati City before dawn. The Makati City Fire Station reported that the blaze started at the third floor of the building located along Kalayaan Avenue in Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo at around 4:12 a.m. It reached second alarm at 4:39 a.m. and was declared fire out at 6:03 a.m. Firefighters rescued the minor and rushed the child to the hospital. The body of the victim was discovered at the mezzanine area of the building after the fire was put out. The damage was pegged at 4 million. No other establishments were affected by the blaze. The second incident occurred almost four hours later. A fire in Sta. Cruz, Manila resulted in the deaths of four people and injury to two others. A police report said the blaze in Barangay 316 started at around 9:45 a.m. and reached second alarm before it was declared out at 10:26 a.m. The injured individuals was taken to the hospital for treatment. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20) Arrested community doctor Ma. Natividad Castro on Saturday met her family in a police headquarters in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) said on Sunday. FLAG and the Commission on Human Rights demanded to know Castros whereabouts after the police and military arrested the doctor in her residence in San Juan City on Friday morning for alleged kidnapping. Authorities claimed that she is a high-ranking communist official. The Free Legal Assistance Group and the family of Dr. Maria Natividad Castro wish to convey, by the way of this update, that two of her sisters were able to meet with her at the police headquarters in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur yesterday (February 19), FLAG said in a statement. They were able to speak with her and spend some time together. The Philippine National Police Regional Office 13 on Saturday said Castro was brought from PNP National Headquarters in Quezon City to Bayugan City Police Station to face the regional trial court. FLAG maintained that Castro is not a communist official. FLAG and Doc Naty are still unaware of the exact circumstances of the case that has allegedly been filed against her and the reason for her arrest, the group said. Doc Naty is not a communist nor she is a terrorist. She is a health worker who has been helping those who need help most, the group added. FLAG also assured that it will pursue legal remedies to immediately dismiss the case filed against Castro. Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija (CNN Philippines, February 20) Thundering applause echoed inside the covered court of this farming town as the Lacson-Sotto tandem called for a review of the controversial Rice Tariffication Act. The law was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019 with the promise of lowering rice prices and fast-tracking the modernization of the agriculture sector. Both presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson and running mate Senate President Tito Sotto voted for the passage of the measure. But after almost three years since it was signed into law, Lacson said the Rice Tariffication Act is not keeping up with its promise and even brought more hardships to farmers. "Yung binibiling farm inputs, unang-una defective ang implementation. Pangalawa, mali ang calculation na bababa ang presyo ng 7 per kilo. So dapat i-revisit talaga kasi ang projection, ang intent ng batas, di na-realize. So, something is wrong either with the law or in the implementation," Lacson said in a town hall-style meeting with farmers. [Translation: First of all, there is defective implementation when it comes to purchasing farm inputs. Second, the calculation that the price would drop by 7 per kilo was wrong. Theres really a need to revisit the law, because its projection and intent were not realized. So, something is wrong either with the law or in the implementation.] Sotto, meanwhile, promised that if they win in the elections, the government will buy 50 percent of farmers' produce to control farmgate prices. "Kung di-diretsuhin natin ito, alam mo, hindi sila magiging alipin ng traders o ng mga middleman. Magiging stabilized ang presyo ng bigas, ng mga gulay, sapagkat may presyong binibili ang gobyerno sa kanila," Sotto said. [Translation: If we will directly purchase, farmers will not be a slave to traders or middlemen. Prices of rice and vegetables will stabilize because the government has a set buying price.] Onion planters also complained about their situation, including Teddy Ramos who raised the issue on importation and smuggling that kills local farmers. "Ang problema po namin sa sibuyas ay mahal na farm inputs, pumapasok ang importation during harvest season, tapos kakaunti ang post-harvest facilities para sa maliliit na magsasaka...Gusto po nila i-storage ang sibuyas nila, pero ang storage na pinagdadalhan nila, puno na ngayon ng imported na sibuyas," Ramos told the senators. [Translation: Our problems are expensive farm inputs, the entry of imported onions during harvest season, and a low number of post-harvest facilities for small farmers. They want to store their onions but the storage facilities are already full of imports]. The tandem said corruption is the root cause of the problem. Sotto even said that there are people from the government who earn from the importation of imported agricultural products. "Alam niyo ba kung bakit gustong-gusto nilang mag-import? Kickback, walang iba [Do you know why they want imports so much? Its because of nothing else but kickbacks]," Sotto answered. "Mag-uusap tayo hanggang magdamag dito, talagang ang kahihinatnan ng usapan natin, corruption. Kaya pangunahin talaga sa plataporma namin, corruption talaga ang dapat tugunan," Lacson, the Partido Reporma standard bearer, said. [Translation: Even if we talk all night, our discussion will all point to corruption. Thats why our platform primarily focuses on addressing corruption.] (CNN) Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday vowed there would be a "swift, severe and united" response if Russia invades Ukraine and assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the US "stands with Ukraine." In remarks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Harris laid out retaliatory measures in a manner befitting her past career as a prosecutor, promising "significant and unprecedented" economic costs. "We will impose far-reaching financial sanctions and export controls. We will target Russia's financial institutions and key industries. And we will target those who are complicit and those who aid and abet this unprovoked invasion," Harris said as she took center stage at the security conference, which is taking place as the brewing conflict between Russia and Ukraine reaches a boiling point. The vice president continued, "Make no mistake: The imposition of these sweeping and coordinated measures will inflict great damage on those who must be held accountable." In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour Saturday after he met with Harris, Zelensky said any list of sanctions on Russia should be made public before an invasion of Ukraine occurs. "We don't need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen and after our country will be fired at or after we will have no borders, or after we will have no economy ... why would we need those sanctions then?" he said. In their meeting in Munich, Harris told Zelensky that the US "takes seriously the importance of the integrity and the territorial integrity of Ukraine and your sovereignty, and the United States stands with Ukraine in this regard." "Any threats to your country we take seriously, and we have rallied our allies and our partners to speak with one voice," the vice president said. Harris' office said in a statement that Harris and Zelensky "discussed the united Transatlantic approach if Russia further invades Ukraine, and the Vice President outlined the swift and severe economic measures that have been prepared alongside our Allies and partners." Zelensky said he was grateful for the US support, particularly in bolstering Ukraine's defense capacity. "This is our land and the only thing we want is to have peace, bring the peace back to our country," he said. Harris held additional meetings Saturday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, according to a White House official. "In each meeting, they discussed Ukraine, recent developments, and the united Transatlantic response. In particular, they discussed the swift and severe economic measures that the U.S., the EU, and others are poised to impose if Russia further invades Ukraine. They also discussed ongoing efforts at both deterrence and diplomacy," the official said. 'Until the very last minute' US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday said Russia was "moving into the right positions to conduct an attack," and echoed President Joe Biden's assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made up his mind on invading. "They're uncoiling and now poised to strike," Austin said, speaking from Vilnius, Lithuania. Austin said the US would pursue a diplomatic solution "until the very last minute, until it's not possible." An attempt by international mediators to convene a meeting of Ukrainian and Russian representatives on the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine failed Saturday after the Russian delegation did not attend. The meeting was due to be held under the auspices of the Trilateral Contact Group, which is chaired by a representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Ambassador Mikko Kinnunen. The US intends to sanction elite Russian government officials and business leaders if Russia invades Ukraine, CNN has reported. Biden has said he would consider sanctioning Putin himself, but the administration has not revealed the names of those it is looking to sanction. Another option US lawmakers are weighing that would have major repercussions inside Russia is cutting the nation off from the global banking system. Russia could be removed from SWIFT, the high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world. The move would make it nearly impossible for financial institutions to send money in or out of Russia, which would deliver a shock to Russian companies and their customers abroad. If Russia is cut off from SWIFT, senior Russian lawmakers have said shipments of oil, gas and metals to Europe would stop. A unified response Harris' remarks at the conference Saturday echoed repeated pledges from top US officials in recent days of a unified response to efforts by Russia to mount an invasion. A bipartisan delegation of 40 members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, was also in Munich in a show of solidarity with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "Not since the end of the Cold War has this forum convened under such dire circumstances," Harris said. "Today, as we are all well aware, the foundation of European security is under direct threat in Ukraine." The vice president emphasized the importance of international organizations, institutions, laws and treaties that she reiterated have led to "unprecedented peace, security and prosperity" in Europe in the wake of two world wars. Harris stressed that at the heart of these defining principles is the belief that the sovereignty of nations must be respected, that nations have the right to choose their own governments and alliances, and "national borders should not be changed by force." "In the face of Russian aggression, I have been reassured and heartened by the widespread agreement across the trans-Atlantic community that these rules and norms will be defended," Harris said. Ratcheting up the rhetoric, Harris accused Putin of feigning "ignorance and innocence" while simultaneously working to fabricate a false pretext for an invasion. Harris warned the "playbook" of Russian aggression is "too familiar to us all." "We now receive reports of what appears to be provocations and we see Russia spreading disinformation, lies and propaganda. Nonetheless, in a deliberate and coordinated effort, we together are one, exposing the truth and two, speaking with a unified voice," Harris said. Harris emphasized the US maintains an "ironclad" commitment to Article 5 of NATO, which says that if any alliance member is attacked, every other member will consider it an attack against all members and will take any swift action to retaliate. "We will not stop with economic measures," Harris said. "We will further reinforce our NATO allies on the eastern flank." Biden formally approved the deployment of 3,000 US troops to Poland, Germany and Romania in order to bolster NATO countries in Eastern Europe as tens of thousands of Russian troops are amassed along Ukraine's border. The President has stressed these troops will not be deployed to fight inside Ukraine and are instead there to show support to NATO allies feeling threatened by Russia's military moves. "Today, the United States, our allies and our partners are closer together," Harris said. A high-stakes moment The vice president's emphasis on Russia-Ukraine tensions follows several efforts by the United States on Friday to publicize Russia's aggressive actions in the region and attempt to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine under the guise of false pretenses. Biden said that he is now convinced Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine, adding that the US believes Russian forces intend to attack Ukraine "in the coming week" or sooner and that an attack will target the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. It was a major rhetorical shift for the President, who had previously indicated that he believed Putin had not yet made up his mind about an invasion. Still, Biden emphasized on Friday, there was room for diplomacy. Russian misinformation is building up to a false justification for Putin to order an invasion, Biden said, accusing Russia of cease fire violations in the "rapidly escalating crisis." The White House on Friday also blamed Russia for a massive cyberattack on Ukraine earlier in the week and warned that Russia could face extensive sanctions if it invades Ukraine, with Daleep Singh, deputy national security adviser for international economics and deputy director of the National Economic Council, calling them "the most severe measures we've ever contemplated against Russia." This story has been updated with additional reaction and background information. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Harris says US 'stands with Ukraine' while warning Russia of 'swift, severe and united' consequences" (CNN) He risked his life fleeing from one of the world's most repressive regimes, traversing a militarized stretch protected by barbed wire fences. Then a year later, he went back -- the way he came. More than one month since the man crossed the demilitarized zone from South to North Korea, much of his life in both countries remains a mystery -- as do his reasons for returning to the isolated nation ruled by Kim Jong Un. South Korean media reported that the defector -- who hasn't been officially named, although fellow defectors say he was called Kim Woo-jeong in South Korea -- was a former gymnast who largely kept to himself. According to South Korean police, he was a construction worker in his 30s who earned money by doing manual labor. The man's case is rare -- while more than 10,000 North Korean defectors have arrived in South Korea in the past decade, just 30 have returned home, where they face the prospect of being put into forced labor camps, according to official South Korean data. But defectors and advocates say even if the man's rationale for leaving South Korea is unclear, the fact that some North Korean defectors are willing to return to one of the world's most politically isolated countries only highlights how challenging life can be in the South for North Koreans. Why people defect Since the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953, North and South Korea have been separated by an almost impenetrable border preventing anyone from crossing to the other side. Over subsequent decades, South Korea has modernized, becoming one of the world's richest and most technologically developed countries. Meanwhile, North Korea has become increasingly isolated, with citizens subject to widespread poverty and limited basic freedoms. So it isn't hard to see why people may want to escape. Since 1998, more than 33,000 people have defected from North Korea to South Korea, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry. However, numbers have dwindled in recent years after Kim imposed even tougher border controls to prevent Covid inflows. On very rare occasions, defectors -- like the former gymnast -- manage to escape through the heavily guarded demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea. The vast majority, like defector Kang Chun-hyuk, flee over North Korea's lengthy border with China. Kang's family made the trip in 1998 when he was 12 years old, before finally making it to South Korea a few years later. In North Korea, Kang remembers barely having enough food to survive. Sometimes, his family would make a single portion of dry noodles into a meal that would feed him and his parents for a week. "It wasn't worth going to school, so me and my classmates stole food like corn or potatoes," he said. According to a survey of 3,000 people released this year by the North Korean Refugees Foundation, food shortages are one of the most common motivations for defection, with nearly 22% saying that was why they had defected. The most common reason given -- at 23% -- was that people didn't like being controlled or monitored by the North Korean regime. Once they arrive in South Korea, there are measures in place to support them. Defectors undergo a compulsory, 12-week education session to help them adjust to life in their new home. They're given financial support and accommodation, and access to health care and employment services. But even so, life for defectors is often a struggle. Finding work and fitting in Before Kang Na-ra -- no relation to Kang Chun-hyuk -- defected in 2014 as a teenager, she thought her life in South Korea would mirror the K-dramas she watched in secret in the city of Chongjin. But South Korea was a far cry from the romantic world she'd seen on screen. Kang Na-ra's mother defected before her -- she does not want to say why -- but their life together in South Korea was not what she'd hoped. Her mother worked long hours and was often away from home dancing in a North Korean defectors performing group to make ends meet. Although Kang Na-ra spoke the same language, she was lonely and had few friends in South Korea. Another defector, who asked not to be named or further identified for fear of repercussions for his family remaining in North Korea, said he also struggled with culture shock when he defected a few years ago -- even bright and colorful signs and the abundance of English words used in language in South Korea made him feel uncomfortable. "You don't see things like that in North Korea," said the defector. "I didn't like many things in South Korea at first." He also said many defectors found it difficult to get a job. Statistics for 2020 released last year by South Korea's Unification Ministry found defectors had a higher unemployment rate than the general population, with 9.4% of defectors unemployed, compared with 4% of the general population in December 2020. "Getting a good job is important, but even South Koreans who are raised and educated here find it difficult to get a decent job," he said. "You can imagine how hard it can be for North Korean defectors." Kang Chun-hyuk's family was given a flat by the government when they made it to South Korea in 2001 after three years in China. But his thick North Korean accent made it hard for him to fit in at school and he dropped out. He worked in manual labor until he was 25 years old, unsure if he would be able to ever do anything else. For others, the struggle to adjust and find work can have deadly consequences. In 2019, North Korean defector Han Sang-ok was found dead in her apartment with her 6-year-old son after she failed to pay her bills for months. A water meter inspector noticed a foul smell coming from the apartment and called the police, who found two heavily decomposed bodies and an empty fridge, leading the police officer to note starvation as the suspected cause of death. Separation pains But not all defectors have dreams of a bright life in South Korea. Kim Ryon-hui is a rare case of a defector who arrived almost by accident. The 54-year-old, who lived a relatively upscale life in North Korea, went to China in 2011 to visit relatives and seek medical care for liver disease. But when she arrived, she found Chinese doctors wanted payment upfront. Kim said a broker told her Chinese people often went to South Korea to earn money. So, she signed up for a journey to South Korea and left her North Korean passport with the broker group -- not realizing that meant she would never be able to return home. Kim feels hostility from South Koreans, especially when North Korea's leader fires missiles. She told CNN she struggled to adapt to a capitalist society governed by market pressures and to understand what she sees as a dog-eat-dog world. "It's like we're oil and South Korea is water, so we can't mix," she said. That's a common sentiment for defectors. According to the North Korean Refugees Foundation survey, while most people are happy in South Korea because they can live a free life and earn relative to how much they work, many are unhappy with the level of intense competition. But the hardest part for Kim is the separation from her family. South Korean law prevents any communication with people in North Korea and South Koreans cannot travel there. Unless Kim sneaks back into North Korea, or the two Koreas reach a peace agreement, she has little chance of seeing her family again. Kim last saw her daughter when she was 17 -- now her daughter is 28. Kim is only able to communicate with her family through journalists who take letters and gifts for her to North Korea, but that hasn't been possible since North Korea closed its borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. "It's scary to be alone," she said. "When I see lights on in other apartments in the evening, I imagine families having dinner together. That's the saddest and loneliest feeling." Why defectors return Despite the difficulties of being in South Korea, the vast majority stay put. For most, that's because the benefits of staying in South Korea are far greater than the risks they face if they return. Seo Jae-pyeong, the director of the Association of the North Korean Defectors, defected in 2001. In the 20 years he's lived in South Korea, he's only known one defector personally who returned to North Korea. She was a doctor with a family back in North Korea who didn't realize her brother was bringing her to South Korea, he said. "She didn't have a reason to defect and she couldn't get used to life in South Korea," Seo said. He questioned how many of the 30 defectors who returned to North Korea had left of their own free will. He said some may have been blackmailed or kidnapped near the border between China and North Korea. Others might have had major financial difficulties that left them with few other choices. Lee Na-kyung, a defector activist for single parents and people with disabilities from the North, said by the time many defectors arrive in South Korea they already have major debts to brokers who helped them cross the border. Some defectors pay their government settlement money to the brokers, and then sink further into debt as they struggle to find work, according to Lee, who defected from North Korea in 2005 after her husband was framed for a crime she says he didn't commit. For some, the hardship of life in South Korea doesn't meet their expectations. She knows of one man who was a high-ranking military officer in North Korea who could only find work in a junkyard in South Korea. "He said that he would rather die at home instead of dying as a junkman," she said. What next? A month after the gymnast Kim crossed back into North Korea, it's unclear whether he is still alive. Although the South Korean military spotted him on surveillance footage crossing the barbed wires into the demilitarized zone, they failed to stop him, the South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Won In-choul said in a briefing in January. He was seen four times on security camera on the south side of the border, and once after he crossed the Military Demarcation Line. At one point, soldiers mistook him for a defector coming from the North. At another point, they went to find him. Later, they found no trace of him except a feather caught on a wire that they suspected had come from his puffer jacket. There were "no unusual movements" of the North Korean military over the incident, South Korea's Defense Ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan said last month at another briefing. And while North Korean state media has crowed about past defectors returning home, there has been no mention of last month's defector in state news publications. For those in South Korea, it's a reminder that the country's policies to help defectors could still be improved. Last week, the South Korean government announced it was launching a new team to improve the safety of defectors, noting that despite its current efforts, some defectors were still "experiencing difficulties settling into our society." But defector advocates were dubious about how effective those new steps would be, pointing out that support measures are in place -- they just don't work. Even defectors who appear to have successfully made their transition sometimes struggle with the pull back to North Korea. Two years after she defected, Kang Na-ra told her mother she wanted to go back. But she didn't want to risk her life after going through so much to get to South Korea. Now Kang, 25, is a television personality and YouTuber with more than 300,000 subscribers who watch her clips about life in North Korea. Her income is unstable, but at least she's enjoying life. "Still today, I wonder if I made the right decision," she said. "Life here is tough." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Why some North Korean defectors return to one of the world's most repressive regimes" Following a year of virtual fundraising and celebration, THON 2022 came back together in the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time since 2020. With hours of anticipation and excitement built, THON captains revealed the year's fundraising efforts in traditional style through signs lifted one by one. Attendees cheered seeing the reveal in person after watching the event through a screen in 2021. THON raised a total of $13,756,374.50 for pediatric cancer, shared during its 50th iteration. That's an increase in $3,118,295.90 from 2021's $10,638,078.62. Like THON Weekend, fundraising began to transition back to an in-person format over the past year. On Oct. 28, THON announced the weekend celebration would take place in person with a variety of coronavirus precautions in place including masking, vaccine requirements and testing. This is the largest total raised to date in THON history. The second largest came in 2014 with $13,343,517.33. THON 2022 is finally back in person after a two-year absence because of the coronavirus, and the participants could not be happier especially the older generation of graduates and parents. The fundraiser to beat childhood cancer has been a spectacle on Penn State's campus for 50 years now. Today, THON is the largest student-run philanthropy with thousands of dancers, including those whove graduated, that share the same goal to support those who cant dance with them. Though THON is mostly attended by Penn State students, there are quite a few attendees who are from the generation before, some of whom participated in the event in their own time on campus. I danced in the White Building, Deb Berlin, 1987 graduate, said. I think we made $200,000. The $200,000 that was raised when Berlin danced has been blown out of the water as the event consistently raises money in the seven figures in recent years. In 2021, THON raised $10,638,078.62. Weve had some friends of ours that have had kids go through childhood cancer, Karen Cummings, 1987 graduate, said. It just has a special place in our heart. Just like the original THON in 1973, the event remains entirely in the hands of Penn State students to organize and run the ever-growing spectacle. The ability of the student committees to put on a 46-hour long event that includes special guests is applauded by the older THON attendants. One thing that impressed me the most is that it is the largest student-run philanthropy, and it really is the most efficiently run event I think Ive ever gone to, Suzanne McKernan, 53, said. And Im impressed by the kids and what they do and how they handle themselves and present themselves. The core ideology of THON is what makes the event so special for many people a crowd of people, young and old, all dance together to bring energy to the BJC. Everybody in this building, standing, and the effort for the kids, it's just amazing, Ray Guzman said. The fact that Penn State is able to achieve its goals and exceed the goals year after year is quite amazing. Even though the older generations time has passed in State College, they're just as lively as the student participants, laughing and smiling with each other in every corner of the building. Im 28, Dennis McKernan, 53, joked. Most of the older attendees arrived early in the morning and plan to stay until night falls on the BJC, not sitting down for even a second in accordance with the tradition. We came Friday and we stood for two hours outside, in the cold, and then we got in after it started, but we stayed the whole night, Janice Guzman said. Then, today, we got here around 11:30 a.m. With a little under a day left of the weekend, older attendants of THON 2022 plan to continue supporting the cause and bringing energy to the BJC. MORE THON COVERAGE Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Citizens undergo thermal screening as they wait to cast their votes a polling station during Punjab Assembly elections, in Jalandhar, Sunday, Feb 20, 2022. Polling is underway for all 117 seats in Punjab. (PTI) Chandigarh: An average voter turnout of 17.77 per cent was recorded till 11 am in Punjab on Sunday. Voting for 117 Assembly seats in the state started at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm. Tight security arrangements have been made for the peaceful conduct of the polls. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray for the high-stake electoral contest. Counting of votes will take place on March 10. According to the Punjab chief electoral office, an average voter turnout of 17.77 per cent has been recorded till 11 am. Among many places, Amritsar recorded a voting percentage of 15.48 till 11 am, Barnala 20.15 percent, Bathinda 21.08 per cent, Fatehgarh Sahib 20.12 percent, Fazilka 22.55 percent, Ferozepur 19.29 percent, Malerkotla 22.07 percent and Muktsar 23.34 percent. Those who voted so far included former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, ministers Manpreet Singh Badal, Pargat Singh and Vijay Inder Singla, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa and Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma. AAP's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann exercised his franchise in Mohali. Besides, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also cast their votes. Sukhbir Badal himself drove a vehicle and brought the family to cast their votes in Muktsar. Voters standing in the queues could be seen at the polling stations in the state. There were some youngsters who came to vote for the first time. People were being given masks, gloves and their hands sanitised at the polling booths before casting their votes. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal appealed to voters to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. In the morning, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi paid obeisance at religious places at his home constituency Chamkaur Sahib. A total of 2,14,99,804 people, including 1,02,00,996 women, are eligible to vote. There are 24,740 polling stations, of which 2,013 have been identified as critical while 2,952 are vulnerable, said Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju. Punjab is witnessing a multi-cornered contest among the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political front of various farmer bodies. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is contesting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The BJP is fighting the elections in alliance with Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt). The SSM is contesting the polls with Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni-led Sanyukt Sangharsh Party. Prominent faces in the fray include Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, former CMs Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma and former Union minister Vijay Sampla are also in the contest. A total of 700 companies of the central armed police force besides the state police personnel have been deployed. There are 196 pink polling stations for women while 70 polling stations are being managed by persons with disabilities Corsicana, TX (75110) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Corsicana, TX (75110) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday ordered the Telangana state Chief Electoral Officer to register an FIR under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Representation of People Act, 1951 against BJP Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh for his statements threatening voters in Uttar Pradesh. The commission prohibited Raja Singh from holding public meetings, processions, rallies, road shows and interviews and public utterances in connection with the ongoing elections for 72 hours from 6 pm on Saturday, according to ECI Secretary Ajoy Kumar. The orders issued by ECI secretary Ajoy Kumar stated, "After seeing the video recording of the impugned statement, the commission has observed that being a public representative such statements made by Raja Singh were utterly irresponsible and intimidating to voters that have undertone and propensity to undue influence the elections in Uttar Pradesh." The EC had issued a notice to Raja Singh on Wednesday directing him to furnish his reply within 24 hours of receiving it. Raja Singh through his advocate K. Anthony Reddy sought time till February 21 to furnish his reply. Following this, the commission gave him time till 1 pm on Saturday. The notice stated that in the event that he does not respond it will be presumed that he has nothing to say in the matter and the ECI will take appropriate action. No response has been received from Raja Singh or his advocate in the stipulated time. In a short video released on Tuesday last, Singh was heard saying, "I want to make it clear to those traitors who don't want Yogi Adityanath to become the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Yogi will identify them after the elections and they must know what bulldozers are used for. They must chant Yogi Yogi or else they will have to run from Uttar Pradesh." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The remains of a woman identified this month were found in a remote wooded area in Litchfield County that has become known as a possible dumping ground for homicide victims dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. Authorities say there is no connection between the death of Brianna Beam, whose remains were identified this month after being discovered in December, and the other deaths over the years. But the discovery has resurfaced questions about the wooded area, which straddles the border of the towns of Harwinton and Litchfield along the Naugatuck River, as being a dumping ground where the remains of at least six people some believed to be victims of a serial killer have now been found since the 1980s. "It's secluded," former Harwinton First Selectman Frank Chiaramonte said Friday. Beams remains were discovered Dec. 19, 2021 by a person walking a dog about 100 feet off Campville Road on the Harwinton side of the Naugatuck River, officials said. Connecticut State Police on Thursday said Dr. James Gill, the states chief medical examiner, confirmed through dental records on Feb. 3 that the remains were Beams. It remains unclear why police waited two weeks to release the information. Beam, who state police said was born in October 2001, had ties to the Waterbury, Thomaston and Bristol areas, as well as Rhode Island. Authorities have not said how or when Beam may have died. When asked about a possible cause and manner of death on Friday, Gill said there was nothing to report. Its unclear if there is any additional testing that could be done to help determine these factors. Beams remains were recovered in an area where at least five others have been found since the 1980s. Officials have previously said the area was known by locals and authorities as a notorious body dumping ground. In November 2006, a hunter found a human skull in the wooded, remote Campville area. The remains were later identified by authorities as 22-year-old Jessica Marie Muskus, who had been reported missing in August 2004. Her remains being found spurred speculation about a possible serial killer because of other similar discoveries over the years. In 1994, the naked, mutilated body of 32-year-old Olga Marie Cornieles-Ubiera, of Waterbury, was found off Route 262 in Thomaston. In October 1988 and January 1989, the bodies of 24-year-old Karen Everett and 30-year-old Mildred Alvarado were found. The Waterbury residents were each found strangled and partially clothed. Everett was found down a 40-foot wooded ravine and Alvarado was found in a wooded area. A headless torso of a hitchhiker from the Midwest 26-year-old Jack Andrews was found in 1986. A statewide task force was created in the early 1990s to investigate these cases, as well as other unsolved homicides statewide, but no arrests were made. Chiaramonte said many in the community were not overly concerned at the time because he said they felt the incidents were not occurring nearby. "Most of them were from Waterbury, he said. It wasn't a local thing. The investigation into Beams death remains active, and police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Michael Mengacci at 860-402-7608 or at michael.mengacci@ct.gov . By Julie Jason Are you comfortable that the services your financial professional provides you are those that you expect? Making sure that you are in sync with your financial service provider is the goal of Form CRS, the disclosure document that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted in 2019. Individual investors will be grateful to know that regulators are pursuing financial firms that are not meeting Form CRS rules. The SEC recently announced actions against six investment advisers and six broker-dealers. Another 30 financial firms were pursued, and later settled, in 2021. (See the SECs Feb. 15 release at tinyurl.com/ya4e3bhu.) Why do investors need Form CRS? Without it, it is very difficult for an investor to understand how to assess brokers, advisers and the firms they work for. With it, a retail investor (thats you) is able to easily assess the services and conflicts of his or her own financial firm and to compare that firm to others. After all, the CRS is user-friendly and just two pages long (four pages if the firm is a dual registrant regulated as both a registered broker-dealer and an investment adviser). If you are wondering if you ever received a CRS, the first CRS was due to be delivered to you in June or July of 2020. Some of the firms that have been pursued by the SEC failed to get the CRS to its customers until much later. If you have not read your financial firms CRS, you can solve that problem by going online to the firms website. Each firm is required to post its CRS for you to access easily. You can also find it by going to BrokerCheck (tinyurl.com/5b8edfsv), which is operated by FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. FINRA regulates the brokerage industry, but you can search for broker-dealers and investment advisers at BrokerCheck. The CRS can also be called a Relationship Summary. For example, look at Vanguards CRS for its brokerage firm and its investment advisory firm at tinyurl.com/ye25uj6y. Also look at Vanguards answers to conversation starters questions that are embedded in the CRS for you to ask your financial professional. Vanguards answers for its brokerage services are at tinyurl.com/2p543s68, and the answers for its investment advisers are at tinyurl.com/zwxdwndy (personal adviser) and tinyurl.com/yckjvuf5 (robo-adviser). I recommend that you spend some time with each set. Then, check out the firm you use. The goal is to compare and contrast firms. In the latest set of SEC cases, the 12 firms, without admitting or denying the findings, agreed to be censured and to pay a civil penalty, with the amount ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, although one firm agreed to a civil penalty of $97,523. In another case, a Georgia broker-dealer filed its Form CRS and delivered Form CRS to its existing retail investor customers on March 30, 2021. Moreover, the Form CRS ... failed to include certain language and information specified in the Instructions to Form CRS and required by Rule 17a-14. On or about December 13, 2021, [the firm] filed an updated Form CRS with additional information and language ... and delivered [it] to existing retail investor customers on December 17, 2021. The firm agreed to pay a civil penalty of $10,000. The reason to read your firms CRS is simple, quoting an SEC Investor Bulletin issued in August 2020 (tinyurl.com/dhf7c6up): It is important to make sure your financial professional provides the services you expect. In order to help you, the retail investor, understand the differences between brokers and advisers including, for example, the services they offer and the fees they charge SEC rules require them to provide you a [Form CRS]. I am a strong supporter of understanding how to invest wisely. The foundational piece of knowledge is understanding the type of firm you engage to invest with. If you havent read your firms CRS, now is a good time to do that. In fact, I cant think of a single good excuse to put that off. If you would like to communicate about what you find, take a moment to complete this quick survey at tinyurl.com/2p9xzcjh or email me at readers@juliejason.com. Julie Jason, JD, LLM, a personal money manager (Jackson, Grant of Stamford) and author, welcomes your questions/comments (readers@juliejason.com). Her awards include the 2021 Clarion Award, symbolizing excellence in clear, concise communications. Her latest book, a curated collection of Julies columns, is Retire Securely: Insights on Money Management From an Award-Winning Financial Columnist. To hear Julie speak, visit juliejason.com/events. BRIDGEPORT Around 150 Black women and their allies marched through the downtown of Connecticuts largest city Saturday demanding policing and government reforms in the wake of the questions and controversy surrounding the untimely deaths of residents Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls. No hate, no fear, Black women are welcome here, they chanted as the group moved from City Hall on Lyon Terrace to the Margaret E. Morton Government Center on Broad Street, named after the first African-American woman elected to Connecticuts General Assembly. This isnt just about these two women. Its about the systematic racism thats taken place in Bridgeport for a long time, state Sen. Marilyn Moore, one of the speakers and a former mayoral candidate, said in an interview. Black women are tired of it and theyre gonna stand up to it. Smith-Fields and Rawls, both Black women, died Dec. 12 in unrelated events. The former, according to the state medical examiner, died from an accidental overdose, while Rawls cause of death has not yet been determined. Their families have complained they were not properly notified of the deaths by police, have been treated callously by the department and that the force has done a poor job investigating the fatalities. Those allegations in January drew national media attention, with questions raised about how the cases would have been handled were either of the women Caucasian. When our sister is dying, it is us that are dying, Bobbi Brown, vice chair of the school board, told the crowd Saturday. When our daughters are dying it is us that are dying. When our children are dying it is us that are dying. Another leader of the early afternoon event, Gemeem Davis with Bridgeport Generation Now Votes, said afterward they wanted to put on a display of our political power and the need to come together for future generations of Black and Brown girls. But she and others were also focused on delivering a message to Mayor Joe Ganim, whose office is inside the government center, ahead of his anticipated 2023 reelection bid. He was not present, though a few of his staffers were spotted in the crowd gathered outside the downtown government center. Davis read aloud a list of demands that included Democrat Ganims resignation over what she said are his years of poor decisions and a lack of leadership related to the police force, which culminated in the issues involving the Smith-Fields and Rawls cases. Barring him not stepping down, we will use our voices and political power to vote him out, Davis said. Ganim, in a statement issued ahead of Saturdays event, said, I am truly sorry if there are some that believe that I, along with others in my administration, do not care or would knowingly allow any of this to happen as it did. That is just not true. But while some of Smith-Fields and Rawls loved ones, who were not involved in the downtown march but participated in a larger Jan 23 protest, have expressed anger at both the mayor and the acting police chief and called for latters removal, Ganim, not Rebeca Garcia, was the target Saturday. Davis, to cheers, said she has receipts of the mayors complicity in the form of all of the controversies that have embroiled the police force since he was elected in 2015 after campaigning to improve that department and public safety. The police have over the last six years been swamped with scandals, from officers being accused and found guilty of excessive force, to racism accusations, to internal power struggles, to the arrest in 2020 of then-Chief Armando Perez. Perez was a close friend of Ganims whom the mayor in 2016 promoted from captain to acting top cop, positioning him to successfully compete in the 2018 search for a permanent chief. But Perez, following a federal probe, pleaded guilty to cheating to become a finalist. He was sentended last April to a year-and-a-day in prison and was released early last month. Generation Now opposed Perez becoming permanent chief and for the past few years has demanded various reforms to the department and its policies. Davis on Saturday argued that if Ganim had taken those concerns more seriously and been more vocal about previous scandals and controversies, the issues involving the handling of Smith-Fields and Rawls deaths would have been avoided. Ganim in his statement said he and municipal government as a whole stand with women of color, especially those who have been victimized or allegedly victimized ... to protect you as we should as a police department, as a fire department, as a city administration. He also reiterated how Bridgeport is moving forward with another national search to find a permanent top cop to succeed Perez and will set up a process for community input and involvement in securing the best and the brightest to be the next chief. Garcia has not said if she intends to compete in what is expected to be a monthslong process. That said, this is not a magic fix to a national issue with local challenges, Ganim said. However, it is a series of some steps in hearing the community feedback and concerns and answering those concerns in an administrative process. Also among the demands listed Saturday was a call for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Bridgeports police department something the local NAACP has also been pursuing and for Connecticut lawmakers to launch a task force to study the state of murdered and missing Black women and girls. City Council President Aidee Nieves also spoke at the march. If we are going to turn this city around, women have to do it and so we must lead together Black, Puerto Rican, white, Nieves told the crowd. The time is now for us to put all our differences aside and stand up for truth and justice. What happened to the families (of Smith-Fields and Rawls) must be corrected. ... Black women deserve more. Women deserve more. ... I demand respect in the name of Black women and will work in my role as City Council president to reshape local policy in a way that centers Black women and girls. Together, building coalitions in addressing the issue, we can transform Bridgeport. Nieves has been pressuring the Ganim administration to move ahead with a race equity study to review and improve diversity within larger departments like the police and to ensure those offices serve all neighborhoods equally. Though endorsed last year for reelection by Generation Now Votes, Nieves was also backed by Ganim. Asked Saturday if she agreed with the call for his resignation, Nieves said afterward, Him resigning at this time is not going to resolve the issues impacting our department. He is the leader. He has to work to rectify them and to rebuild public trust in all of our departments that serve the community, she said, adding the council shares that responsibility given it approves contracts for some mayoral hires, including the police chief. Perez was the popular choice of many council members in 2018 for chief. The criticism has been that, as mayor, this all happens under his watch and hes responsible, Nieves said. The council is as well because we confirm his appointments. Correction: A previous version of this story had an incorrect first name for Brenda Lee Rawls. It has since been updated. Melanie Dallas is a licensed professional counselor and CEO of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health, which provides treatment and recovery services for people with mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in a 13-county region of Northwest Georgia that includes Murray and Whitfield counties. Ashland, KY (41101) Today Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Sunbury, PA (17801) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Get 25% off of the regular $65 annual All Access rate. With this subscription you will get: Digital access to ElPasoInc.com and archives (value $45) Print subscription home or business delivered (value $65) Book of Lists (annual rate only, value $50) El Paso Inc. Magazine (value $20) El Paso Kids Inc. Special sections - OR - Get 15% off of the regular $45 annual Digital-only rate. With this subscription you will get: Complete digital access to ElPasoInc.com. There can be few people who do not now realise how disastrous the Northern Ireland Protocol is for that part of the UK. It is divisive, restrictive and is causing real harm to the local economy. But this terrible arrangement is not just bad for that part of the realm its bad for the rest of the UK as well. Thats because, two years after we formally left the EU, the Protocol still gives Brussels a hold over wider UK policy-making. For example, it is probably fair to say that if it wasnt for the pernicious effects of the Protocol, every family in Britain could be 100 a year better off from scrapping VAT on fuel bills. There can be few people who do not now realise how disastrous the Northern Ireland Protocol is for that part of the UK. It is divisive, restrictive and is causing real harm to the local economy. Pictured: Graffiti in central Belfast reads 'No Irish Sea Border' After all, the power to set our own VAT rates was rightly hailed as one of the benefits of quitting the EU. And with households facing a cost of living spike, driven by spiralling energy costs, the UK government knew that a cut in VAT on energy would help those struggling with their cost of living and deliver on our manifesto pledge. But this very Tory-friendly, tax-cutting idea was effectively ruled out because it could not take effect in NI where VAT rates on domestic fuel bills must still match EU levels. Allies of Chancellor Rishi Sunak may say the VAT cut was ruled out because it would also benefit wealthy people who didnt need it. However, thanks to the Protocol, it was also just too politically embarrassing for Ministers to deliver a tax cut which helped with spiralling energy bills in Great Britain but not in NI. Whatever happened to no taxation without representation? This is why I say it is time for the UK government to show some courage, take unilateral action and end the protocol. Pictured: Sir Iain Duncan Smith So torn between scrapping VAT in Great Britain and leaving Northern Ireland out, or doing nothing at all, the Government chose to leave VAT on energy in place. But thats not all. The Protocol also gives the EU power over whether the UK, post Brexit, can change our rules on the state aid we give to industry and the economy at large. The EU claims the purpose of the protocol is to protect the Belfast/Good Friday agreement, (GFA) by keeping the north/south border open. However ironically, the only people now threatening to re-introduce border checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland in the event of a dispute is the EU. In February last year, animal and food product inspections at Northern Ireland's Belfast and Larne ports were stopped 'with immediate effect' last night over threatening loyalist behaviour The reality is that Brussels is trying to use the Protocol to do as much damage to the UK-wide single market as they can. Already the Protocol is leading to real economic harm in the NI economy. Trade is clearly being diverted to the Irish Republic in contravention of the agreement. Furthermore, no less a figure than Lord Trimble, architect of the Good Friday Agreement, has made it very clear the EU is now damaging the social balance in Northern Ireland - again in contravention of the agreement. There is already a better way to protect the GFA and keep the border open without border checks. It is called Mutual Enforcement. This involves both the EU and the UK mutually enforcing each others rules, regulations and taxes for companies exporting into each others territory. Violence has broken out on the streets of Northern Ireland amid rising loyalist tensions despite desperate appeals for calm. Pictured: Youths attack a PSNI vehicle in the Nationalist area of Shantallow Derry in April 2021 Any company operating out of NI would be required to declare that it had met all the obligations contained in EU law when selling goods to the Republic of Ireland. Any breach of that obligation would be followed up by the authorities in the UK and breaches would carry severe penalties as an effective disincentive to break that obligation, avoiding the need for border checks and safeguarding the integrity of the EU and UKs internal markets. The EUs refusal to discuss replacing the Protocol, flies in the face of the existing agreement. It was always expected that the Protocol would be temporary. Article 13.8 of the Protocol makes it clear the protocol can be replaced. Furthermore, Article 16 of the Protocol states that unilateral action can take place if there are, serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties or diversion of trade. All are now present in Northern Ireland. As I have said, this isnt just a matter for those living in Northern Ireland but for the whole UK. The very idea that a part of the UK should find itself subject to the authority of another collection of states on things as important as taxes, without having a say in the decision, is terrible. Yet that has become the case. Whatever happened to no taxation without representation? This is why I say it is time for the UK government to show some courage, take unilateral action and end the protocol. If the EU really cared about the Good Friday Agreement, it would immediately engage in discussions to replace this temporary arrangement with a much better solution, such as Mutual Enforcement. If not, we have to ask ourselves: whatever happened to no taxation without representation? Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith is a former Cabinet minister and is a fellow of the Centre for Brexit Policy. Having just tested positive for a potentially life-threatening virus which she had hitherto successfully evaded for two years, the Queen did not summon her heir or senior members of her Privy Council for crisis contingency talks on what to do if things take a turn for the worse. Rather, she decided to send a message to the British Curling Team at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The monarch does not normally send messages each time a Brit wins Olympic gold. However, Britain hasnt had very much to cheer about of late and this was a great team effort (by both the women, who won gold, and the men, who won silver). Yesterdays terse statement, confirming that the monarch has tested positive for Covid, will only have been issued through gritted teeth. Her Majesty is pictured above on Wednesday It will not have escaped Her Majestys notice, either, that this all-Scottish success was a triumph for the whole UK at a time when the Union is as vulnerable as it has been in her lifetime. The gesture will have been warmly received North of the Border. In other words, the Queen was getting on with business as usual. It is equally telling that none of this weeks online engagements another round of meetings with incoming ambassadors and an audience with the Prime Minister have, thus far, been cancelled. Yesterdays terse statement, confirming that the monarch has tested positive for Covid, will only have been issued through gritted teeth. The Queen hates discussions about her health, so much so that her last visit to hospital, four months ago, only came to light via the press, rather than the Palace. The official position is that royal medical bulletins are only issued in the event of bona fide hospital procedures or the cancellation of engagements. The Palace did not put out a statement about that last hospital visit because it involved preliminary investigations rather than an operation, though there was widespread media criticism of the royal obfuscation involved. Given that, on this occasion, the Queen is neither in hospital nor even confined to bed she is up and about in her private corner of Windsor Castle her current condition would not normally be deemed worthy of comment, let alone a statement. However, Covid is self-evidently in a category of its own. After Prince Charless last diagnosis, ten days ago, there was concern that he had met the Queen two days before that. However, the fact that several members of staff either have had or now have the virus means that Covid has managed to outwit whatever track and trace precautions were in place On the other hand, there was criticism of the Duke of Cambridge when he kept his Covid diagnosis secret for seven months, all through 2020, because he didnt want to worry anyone. It was left to the Sun newspaper to announce that news The public, quite reasonably, expect to be informed that the head of state has contracted a virus which has dominated all our lives for two years and (for now, at least) imposes specific restrictions on those who catch it. In those dark days at the start of the pandemic, we were told that the Prince of Wales had contracted the coronavirus and, this month, we were informed after he caught it again. When the virus swept through the Government, in the spring of 2020, we had every right to know that the Prime Minister was, initially, laid low, and then desperately ill. On the other hand, there was criticism of the Duke of Cambridge when he kept his Covid diagnosis secret for seven months, all through 2020, because he didnt want to worry anyone. It was left to the Sun newspaper to announce that news. The Queen and her staff certainly dont want to worry anyone but, equally, accept that this is not something that could or should be concealed. The virus, I understand, is now circulating inside Windsor Castle and word of a localised outbreak was never going to remain secret for long. However, having told us that a) the Queen is infected and b) that she is suffering mild cold-like symptoms, we will not be told any more unless there is a drastic change in Her Majestys condition. We are not going to learn which variant the Queen is suffering from any more than we will be told which vaccine she has received. Do not expect to hear any letters from the Greek alphabet emanating from the Palace press office any time soon. We are not going to get into a running commentary, says a spokesman. If there is something to say, then well tell you. Having spent her life adhering to the philosophy of show not tell, the Queen sees no reason why she should tell us how she is feeling today or tomorrow or the next day. However, as and when we see the next images of a smiling Sovereign receiving the credentials of a new diplomatic head of mission via video link, we will be left to draw our own conclusions about the state of her health. At the start of the pandemic, the Master of the Household, the resourceful Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, created a human shield around the monarch, with a closely-monitored skeleton crew of personal staff whom the Falklands veteran nicknamed HMS Bubble. It was a strategy which worked extremely well in the early phase of the pandemic but was later relaxed. The mood inside what now passes for HMS Bubble, I gather, was one of calm stoicism last night. There is no panic in the private wing of the castles Upper Ward, no witch hunt. After Prince Charless last diagnosis, ten days ago, there was concern that he had met the Queen two days before that. However, the fact that several members of staff either have had or now have the virus means that Covid has managed to outwit whatever track and trace precautions were in place. No one will be held to blame for that. Covid is no respecter of rank or bubbles and this is just being regarded as one of those things, says a well-placed source. It is worth saying that no one at Windsor Castle has (as yet) required any sort of hospital treatment. Moreover, there is no member of the Royal Medical Household the Queens medical team in residence. The castle does have a resident staff nurse (primarily for the workforce rather than the Royal Family) but there is no round-the-clock doctor in situ, as there would be if things were serious. On the other hand, no one is taking this lightly. The Queen and her staff are acutely aware that, for many people including those with a full set of jabs this virus can still turn into something extremely unpleasant and dangerous. No one is taking anything for granted, especially in the case of a recently-bereaved widow who will shortly be marking her 96th birthday. It also serves as a reminder, however, that the Queen has had a very good war. Her broadcasts to the nation in the early days of Covid were perfectly judged, most notably her we will meet again reprise of Dame Vera Lynn but also her subsequent messages marking Easter and the 75th anniversary of VE Day. We have seen her embracing video conferencing technology with gusto. She has remained at the forefront of national life, whether knighting Captain Sir Tom Moore on her lawn or throwing a party for world leaders at the G7 summit. The war analogy is entirely appropriate, for that is how she herself really does view this pandemic. This time last year, she made a particularly striking public intervention when she urged everyone to get jabbed. For, when it comes to vax versus anti-vax, the Queen is perfectly happy to abandon her customary position of rigid neutrality since she clearly regards vaccination not as a political issue but as a national imperative rooted in science. Once youve had the vaccine you have a feeling youre protected, which is I think very important, she told a panel of senior NHS executives during yet another virtual audience. Its obviously difficult for people if theyve never had a vaccinebut they ought to think about other people rather than themselves. Reflecting on the strange battle in which the world now found itself, she added: Having lived in the war, its very much like that. And just like the Royal Family, all through the war, the determination, for the moment, will be to keep calm and carry on. The rest of us are still entitled to be very worried about her. However, we can draw some comfort from one more bit of news from within. The red boxes are still going up, an aide tells me. Which is certainly good news for her subjects, if not for the Queen herself. Bobbi Lockyer is an award-winning Aboriginal artist and busy mum-of-four, but prior to her success she experienced unthinkable trauma from ongoing bullying. The 35-year-old from Port Hedland, WA, started being teased for her appearance soon after starting school. 'I was bullied so much for being Indigenous that it made me feel worthless,' Bobbi told FEMAIL. Kids would pick on her appearance by calling her 'ugly' and taunting that she 'doesn't brush her hair', with the most horrific experience seeing her labelled as a 'dead rat'. But her experiences ignited her passion for creativity and 'sticking it' to those who did her wrong, as she spent hours in the art room during her high school years. Scroll down for video Award-winning Indigenous Australian artist and photographer Bobbi Lockyer (pictured) has shared details of her traumatic past Throughout school ids would pick on her appearance by calling her 'ugly' and say she 'doesn't even brush her hair', with the most horrific name labelling Bobbi as a 'dead rat' 'I remember playing with friends in primary school and another kid called me an "A*o", but I didn't know what that meant at the time and went home crying to mum,' she said. Being the oldest of six, Bobbi felt like she had no one to turn to and kept her emotions bottled inside, causing her to lack self-confidence and felt empty inside. 'I never felt like I was good enough,' she said. The bullying never turned physical but the ongoing name calling led to a breaking point during Bobbi's teenage years that she turned to self-harm. The bullying never turned physical but the ongoing name calling led to a breaking point during Bobbi's teenage years that she turned to self-harm Art was always her creative outlet and the 'only reason' she would go to school was to spend time in the art room. 'In high school they really drilled it into us that we needed to pick a "real job" and I felt disheartened because I wanted to be an artist,' she said. 'So I chose the subjects at random and eventually moved to Perth where I discovered more opportunities not offered back home - like graphic design.' Art was always her creative outlet and the 'only reason' she would go to school was to spend time in the art room 'I chose the subjects at random and eventually moved to Perth where I discovered more opportunities not offered back home - like graphic design,' she said In 2021 Bobbi was crowned the NAIDOC Artist of the year, and more recently she collaborated with Aussie blogger Constance Hall on her Free Her campaign advocating for the collective human rights of women and girls in prison After turning to working as a creative full-time, Bobbi has been a part of several successful campaigns. Working with Nikon her work has worked on magazine covers and had her designs featured on the runway at both Paris and New York Fashion Week. In 2021 she was also crowned the NAIDOC Artist of the year, and more recently she collaborated with Aussie blogger Constance Hall on her Free Her campaign advocating for the collective human rights of women and girls in prison. In her personal life, Bobbi recently bought her 'forever home' by herself for her and the kids in Port Hedland not too far from the beach. She believes Australia has 'a long way to go' to embrace Indigenous Australians. If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300 224 636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust. A 23-year-old bar manager who eats 5000 calories a day curled his biceps for 12 hours straight for a TikTok challenge. Matthew Heim, from Auckland, set himself the difficult task to 'stick it' to those who doubted his fitness abilities and prove to others you can do anything you set your mind to. Matt told Daily Mail Australia halfway through the challenge his arms felt 'completely numb' and as if his fingers had 'arthritis'. 'The last four hours was absolute agony; I was numb, my joints were aching and it felt like bone was scratching on bone,' he said. Incredibly, he completed the task on his first attempt last year and on January 10, 2022, finished another challenge of six hours of bicep curls. The former personal trainer turned bar manager doesn't drink alcohol, works out six times a week and eats several pre-prepared meals. Scroll down for video Matthew Heim, from Auckland, (pictured) set himself the difficult task to complete 12 hours of bicep curls for a TikTok challenge The 12-year-old bar manager recorded the whole thing to post online and said his arms felt 'completely numb' halfway through and as if his fingers had 'arthritis'. 'At first a lot of my friends said 'I don't think you can do the curls for that long', so I wanted to try show that if you can push yourself passed a certain point, anyone can achieve anything,' Matt said. 'It was a challenge to prove to myself that I could do it as well as inspire others.' Prior to attempting the fitness test, Matt and his best friend brainstormed different 'ridiculous' ideas that had a 'wow factor'. He decided to go ahead with the idea and curled 6.2kg weights in each hand, but some online said the dumbbells looked 'fake'. 'A lot of people said I used shells of dumbbells, but we weighed the dumbbells on a scale beforehand in a YouTube video to prove they're real,' Matt said. '6.2 kg per dumbbell isn't a heavy weight, but it felt a lot heavier over a long period of time.' Matt said it was a 'coincidence' his training style matched what was required to prepare for the challenge a few months prior. Every day for six weeks he completed 300 to 400 straight repetitions of bicep curls and push-ups. 'It helped prepare my joints, elbows, chest, shoulder and it basically helped me to adapt to ensure I didn't tear or break anything during the challenge,' he said. 'It got to the point where I wanted to see how long I could go for without stopping.' Thanks to the unintentional prep, Matt didn't tear a muscle during the challenge and wasn't injured afterwards. Three months prior to the challenge, Matt said it was a 'coincidence' his training style matched what was required to prepare for the challenge. Every day for six weeks he completed 300 to 400 straight repetitions of bicep curls and push-ups What's Matt's daily food intake? Diet - 5000 calories, 600g carbohydrate, 270g protein, 130g fats Meal 1 - Breakfast (950 calories) Oats 225g Peanut butter 2 tbsp Meal 2 - Pre-workout meal (900 calories) Chicken 125g Rice 430g Vegetables 1 cup Meal 3 - Lunch (900 calories) Chicken 125g Rice 430g Vegetables 1 cup Meal 4 - Snack (950 calories) Oats 225g Peanut butter 2 tbsp Meal 5 - Dinner (800 calories ) Steak 150g Leafy greens 1 cup Rice 430g Meal 6 - Snack (500 calories) Protein shake 2 scoops Cereal 300g Advertisement For this young gymgoer, his 'day on a plate' consists mostly of chicken, rice and vegetables as a source of protein, healthy carbohydrates and fats. At the moment Matt is aiming to maintain his muscle mass and strength and eats six meals each day. And his workout schedule is gruelling. While some opt to complete difficult exercises, such as deadlifts and bench press, one a week, Matt incorporates these movements into his workout routine nearly every day. Four days a week he does deadlifts and bench press in a strength training style and increases the weight by a percentage of his personal best weight he can lift. 'I genuinely love the exercises; I had a horrendous herniated disc two years ago that crippled me from squatting, deadlifting or from doing anything using my legs to workout,' he said. 'I love it, I don't care if I feel tired or sore, I'll still train.' Every week for the rest of the year Matt will attempt a new ridiculous challenge to entertain others online and raise money for charities What's Matt's workout schedule? MONDAY Strength training-style deadlifts and bench press - 6 sets of 6 reps Hypertrophy-focused shoulder workout 4 sets of 10-12 reps TUESDAY Strength training-style deadlifts and bench press 7 sets of 5 reps Hypertrophy-focused back session WEDNESDAY - Arm day THURSDAY - rest day FRIDAY Deadlifts and bench press - 8 sets of 4 reps Hypertrophy-focused leg session - high reps SATURDAY Deadlifts and bench press - 9 sets of 3 reps SUNDAY - rest day Every workout Matt increases the weight by a percentage of his personal best Advertisement Matt first started training when he was 16 and was also a professional swimming who swam for New Zealand until he was 18. He had previously been powerlifting and Olympic lifting but now focusing on strength training and hypertrophy to grow muscle size - a similar style of training body builders do to 'look strong'. Unfortunately, Covid-19 prevented Matt's PT clients from exercising at the gym, so he turned to working in hospitality and making YouTube videos. For this young gymgoer, his 'day on a plate' consists mostly of chicken, rice and vegetables as a source of protein, healthy carbohydrates and fats Later this year in August, Matt will be travelling to Dubai to meet Larry 'Wheels' Williams - an American powerlifter - for a training session. Every week for the rest of the year Matt will attempt a new ridiculous challenge to entertain others online and raise money for charities. On social media Matt is known by the name 'The Last Chad' and shares funny videos online in addition to workout content. A young finance guru has shared a little-known hack that can save you money when ordering a McDonald's meal. While working at the fast food giant as a teenager, Queenie Tan, from Sydney, noticed the kids' McNuggets Happy Meal and small McNuggets adult meal contain the same menu items. But the kids Happy Meal is $2 cheaper and priced at $8.30, while the adult version costs $10.30. Scroll down for video Sydney finance expert Queenie Tan (pictured) revealed you can save $2 by ordering a kids' McNuggets Happy Meal instead of the small McNuggets adult meal 'I used to work at Macca's and something I learnt is that you can buy nuggets or a cheeseburger Happy Meal, which is the same thing but $2 cheaper!' Queenie, 25, wrote on Instagram. Customers receive small fries, Big Mac special sauce and a small drink with both options, but the Happy Meal is slightly cheaper and comes with a toy or book. Queenie said you can ask the employee to keep the book or toy if desired. Daily Mail Australia has contacted McDonald's for a comment. Customers receive small fries, Big Mac special sauce and a small drink with both meals, but the Happy Meal is slightly cheaper and comes with a toy or book To compare, the Happy Meal is priced at $8.30. Queenie noticed the price difference when working at McDonald's as a teenager Queenie told 7News the Happy Meal option is a better value for money, but customers are limited to a few choices. 'You can only get a Cheeseburger, Hamburger, three or six pieces of chicken nuggets or a snack wrap and you can only get a small drink and fries with it - or apples if you don't want fries,' she said. 'Unfortunately you can't order it with a Big Mac or a McChicken burger.' 'I used to work at Macca's and something I learnt is that you can buy nuggets or a cheeseburger Happy Meal, which is the same thing but $2 cheaper!' Queenie wrote online Last year Queenie shared another TikTok video titled 'McDonald's secret' about how she ordered a vanilla soft serve in a lid with hot fudge for just $1. Instead of buying a small ($3) or large ($4.25) sundae with gooey warm fudge, the 25-year-old was able to treat herself to a mini version for one third of the cost. Queenie found a food delivery service charging customers $4.30 for a McDonald's regular sized chocolate sundae. To get a cheaper version, she said you simply ask for a 'soft serve in a lid with chocolate sauce'. 'I order this all the time,' she said. Her video has since been viewed more than 100,000 times, with many saying they are keen to order a mini sundae the next time they're at McDonald's. This fiendish seek-and-find puzzle promises to put your observation skills to the test. Hungarian cartoonist Gergely Dudas, better known as Dudolf, shared one of his classic brainteasers to Facebook, challenging players to find the snake among the tortoises. The adorable animals are all standing in a forest glade full of trees and ferns. Scroll down for the reveal and more puzzles! Hungarian cartoonist Gergely Dudas, better known as Dudolf , shared one of his classic brainteasers to Facebook, challenging players to find the snake among the tortoises But somewhere in the idyllic scene there is also a single smiling snake. To make things even trickier, Dudolf has drawn the tortoises so their long necks look snakelike, making it difficult to tell the animals apart. Still struggling to see it? Look on the left side of the image and pay close attention. If you give up or need the answer then keep scrolling for the reveal. The snake is slithering alongside the tortoises on the left side of the image It comes after Dudolf created a loved-up seek-and-find puzzle in honour of Valentine's Day. The illustration shows loved-up animals embracing in a field of pink flowers. But somewhere in this vibrant image there is a single pink love heart. Do you have what it takes to find it? All loved up! Can you find the single pink heart in this Valentine's Day themed puzzle? In his typical fashion, Dudolf has made things trickier by adding plenty of little details that are designed to distract the eye. The canoodling owls, for example, have a single pink flower between them. Elsewhere a grey cat falls in love with his own reflection. If you're struggling to find the heart then try looking on the left-hand side of the image, near the owls and kissing bears. Still not having any luck? Then scroll down to check your answer. There it is! The tiny pink heart is tucked between some flowers, just above the canoodling owls It comes after players were challenged to find the only love-heart shaped balloon in a busy Valentine's Day scene. The baffling seek-and-find puzzle was created by British retailers 247 Blinds to celebrate the romantic holiday ahead of February 14. So, do you think you'll be able to find the hidden balloon ? Give it a try and put your observational skills to the test. Scroll down for the answer A tricky brainteaser is challenging players to find the only love-heart shaped balloon in a busy Valentine's Day scene (pictured) There are many hearts, Cupid's arrows and roses throughout the print, but hidden within the drawings is a love-heart-shaped balloon. If you're struggling to find the balloon, turn your attention to the middle section of the right hand side of the Valentine's Day scene. If you still haven't spotted the pesky object, scroll down to find the answer. There are many hearts, Cupid's arrows and roses throughout the print, but hidden within the drawings is a love-heart-shaped balloon (circled above) If you want some more, try your hand at these tricky brainteasers below. Designers have hidden a single open umbrella in this crowded street scene which is sure to leave you baffled. The extremely tough seek-and-find puzzle was created by hotel chain Premier Inn following a recent poll revealed that brollies are one of the nation's most lost items. There are many people featured in the crowded design, but only one of them is keeping dry under an umbrella. So, do you think you'll be able to find it or will you be left scratching your head? Give it a try and put your observational skills to the test. Hidden in the crowded street scene is a person holding an umbrella - but it's incredibly difficult to spot The hotel chain commissioned the brain teaser after research found umbrellas are one of the nation's most lost items: 10 per cent of Brits will lose or break 10 or more umbrellas in their lifetime. Almost a fifth of those polled (18 per cent) said they had broken or lost an umbrella after just one outing. The survey of 2,000 UK adults also showed 28 per cent have turned up to an important work meeting soaking wet as they didn't have a brolly. And despite almost a fifth of Brits owning three umbrellas, one in 10 have spent up to 50 on replacements. So, have you been able to spot the hidden brolly? If you're still struggling scroll down for the answer. So, have you been able to spot the hidden brolly? If you're still struggling take a look at the top left-hand corner of the scene Premier Inn commissioned the brain teaser to mark its new rental umbrellas trial in 30 of its hotels launched in partnership with DripDrop with a minimum of 15 percent of each borrowing fee going to the hotel chain's charity partner Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity (GOSH Charity). Elsewhere, an infuriating brainteaser challenges players to find a snowflake in an unlikely tropical scene. The seek-and-find puzzle, created by The French Bedroom Company in collaboration with wallpaper designer Elizabeth Ockford, features beautiful tropical birds and flittering butterflies, as well as palm fronds and ornate bird cages. But hidden among the tropical picture is a single snowflake, which is almost impossible to spot. The seek-and-find puzzle features beautiful tropical birds and flittering butterflies. Hidden among the tropical picture is a single snowflake, which is almost impossible to spot The creators claim it's so difficult that it takes players an average of 7 minutes and 23 seconds to find. The picture shows colourful budgies, butterflies, parrots and golden cages - but where is the snowflake? Nestled within elegant illustrations of botanical birds, leaves and butterflies, the snowflake has proved tricky for Brits to find. Focus your eye on the top corners of the painting - can you see it yet? The answer is below. Answer: The delicate snowflake can be seen in the top left hand coner of the picture beneath one of the palm leaves Can your brain handle more strain? Next up, this autumnal seek-and-find quiz challenges you to find the hidden hedgehog, but will you be up to the challenge? British blinds retailer 247 Blinds have created this challenging brainteaser with a seasonal theme to test your attention to detail. If you're looking for a clue, try focusing your attention on the bottom of the image and you might have more luck. Still struggling? Simply scroll down for the answer. Scroll down for reveal Can you find the tiny hedgehog hiding in this leafy scene for a brainteaser created by British blinds retailer 247 Blinds? To make it harder, the hedgehog is shaped to look like the items that surround him, so that you'll need to have a proper look at the picture to locate him. Struggling to find the little critter? Focus your attention on the bottom part of the picture. Giving up or want to check you got it right? You can scroll down to see the answer. The small hedgehog was hiding at the very bottom of the picture. It was hard to locate, because it was shaped like a pine cone Want to try your hand at other fiendishly difficult seek-and-finds? Look below for Femail's selection of some of the trickiest. To make things even trickier, Dudolf has made only the slightest changes between the mushrooms' markings so you'll really have to be eagle-eyed to spot the difference. The slight changes in colours patterns and shapes distracts the eye from the task. Struggling to find the one mushroom without a match? Try looking towards the lower half of the image. Still having difficulty? Then scroll down for the reveal. The odd mushroom out has a blue cap with red spots and is situated in the lower half of the image It comes after another puzzle challenged players to pick out the two safety pins hidden among vibrant sewing equipment. The brainteaser has been created by Dutch lingerie brand Hunkemoller, with puzzlers asked to spot the two tiny items in the sea of tools. But thanks to the brightly coloured products cluttering the graphic, it is almost impossible to notice the missing safety pins. According to the creators the puzzle takes an average of one minute and 23 seconds to solve, but with the mesmerizing colours, how quick can you spot the hidden items? This new seek-and-find puzzle challenges you to pick out the two safety pins hidden among vibrant sewing equipment (pictured) There's plenty of little details designed to distract the eye, so it's no wonder that some puzzlers struggle to stay on task and find the pins. If you're looking for a clue, try focusing your attention towards the centre of the image and you might have more luck. Still struggling? Don't worry, the answer is coming next so just scroll down to put yourself out of your misery. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The ceremonial uniform worn by Prince Philip as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles has gone on display as part of an exhibition celebrating his long-standing association with the regiment. Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, aged 99, was Colonel-in-Chief of successive Regiments that have made up The Rifles since 1953. Today they largest infantry Regiment in the British Army. In July 2020, Prince Philip transferred his title to the Duchess of Cornwall in one of his final public appearances before his death. The Duke of Edinburgh's uniform is on public view at The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum in Salisbury, Wiltshire, alongside photographs and other artefacts celebrating his ties to the regiment. Piece of royal history: The Duke of Edinburgh's Rifles ceremonial uniform has gone on display as part of an exhibition celebrating his long-standing association with the regiment Proud: The Duke of Edinburgh wore the uniform on important occasions, including marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, pictured On display: The uniform is on display at The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum in Salisbury, Wiltshire, alongside this painting of Prince Philip in the ceremonial uniform He wore the uniform on important occasions, including marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. One photo shows Prince Philip opening the museum in 1982. He flew himself to the engagement in a helicopter. The Rifles were formed in February 2007, following the merger of four celebrated infantry Regiments - The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry; The Light Infantry; The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry; and The Royal Green Jackets. Forged during the campaigns of Iraq and Afghanistan, they are now the largest infantry regiment in the British Army. Their motto is: 'Swift and Bold.' Simon Cook, a retired regimental officer who has curated the exhibition, said: 'The purpose of a colonel-in-chief is to maintain a direct link between a regiment and the Royal Family. Long-standing ties: The Duke of Edinburgh in uniform outside The Rifles museum Flying visit: One photo shows Prince Philip opening the museum in 1982. He flew himself to the engagement in a helicopter. Pictured, Prince Philip landing the helicopter Military history: The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum, where the exhibition is held 'In modern usage, the colonel-in-chief of a regiment is its patron. He or she has a ceremonial role in the life of the regiment and visits it regularly.' A museum spokesperson added: 'The exhibition shows something of the character of the prince. 'Always engaged and interested, he attended parades and other regimental events, met serving soldiers and their families, had lively discussions with old comrades and took part enthusiastically in whatever was going on. Star attraction: The Rifles uniform worn by The Duke of Edinburgh, as seen in the museum 'When he was appointed colonel-in-chief of the Wiltshires in 1953, the regiment sent a signal showing their appreciation to the Queen, which is on display in the exhibition. 'They were right to be delighted but few would have predicted that he would stay in this role for 67 years.' The exhibition runs until the end of November. Duty: Prince Philip, 99, who retired in 2017, transferred the historic military title of Colonel-in-Chief of the infantry regiment The Rifles to the Duchess of Cornwall in July 2020. The pair took part in a socially-distant ceremony, with Philip in Windsor (pictured) and Camilla at Highgrove A 11-year-old boy who had never had a haircut chopped off his locks to donate to a children's cancer charity after his mother was diagnosed with the disease. Eli McGee's long blond locks reached his waist and measured a staggering 27in. The schoolboy, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire, visited a salon to have 16in chopped off and donated to the Little Princess Trust, which proves wigs to children and young people with cancer. Eli McGee's long blond locks reached his waist and measured a staggering 27in The schoolboy, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire, visited a salon to have 16in chopped off and donated to the Little Princess Trust, which proves wigs to children and young people with cancer Eli chopped off his locks to donate to a children's cancer charity after his mother was diagnosed with the disease. Pictured, Eli with his mother The hour-long cut also raised money for Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, which treated his mum Becky Barrett, 55, when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in December. Doctors found Becky's growth early and removed it days later. She didn't need further treatment and has been given the all-clear. Becky said: 'I think Eli saw the hospital's amazing care and that's why he was inspired to raise the money. Before the cut, Eli's long blond locks were separated into sections to make it easier to trim The hour-long cut also raised money for Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, which treated his mum Becky Barrett, 55, when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 'He was probably starting to get a bit annoyed with his hair anyway, it was getting in the way.' Eli's hair was cut on Wednesday by his aunt Collette McGee, who is a professional stylist based in London. Eli has raised almost 1,500 for Royal Papworth Hospital Charity after starting with a 100 target. Royal Papworth Hospital Charity provides support for patients, staff, research and equipment. Proud mother Becky said Eli (pictured after the cut) was growing tired of his long hair Donate to Eli's fundraising campaign here. You can rely on the Fashion Week bus, which ferries fashionistas to each show, to put you firmly in your place. 'I can't let you on,' said a stick insect wielding an iPad like a shield. 'Oh, did you read my piece about being unvaccinated?' 'No. You're too mainstream.' So, not that much has changed with the first full-on, back-on-the-actual-catwalk London Fashion Week since February 2019. Still snooty and elitist. Still crowds of street stylers flocking around the entrance to each show, like seagulls behind a plough. Liz Jones shared her experience of attending London Fashion Week catwalk shows despite storm Eunice on Friday. Pictured: Harris Reed's show On Friday, despite Storm Eunice, girls were in flimsy backless dresses with no tights. As insubstantial as a leaf in the wind. You could tell everyone was thrilled to dress up, despite the weather and the cobbles, as perilous as Everest due to us being unused to heels. There was no uniform: everything from duvet coats to oversized jackets over minis and a T-shirt with the legend: 'I'm still living with my parents.' And pyjamas as outerwear is still a thing. The joy was infectious and even I, jaded, cold, began to long for clumpy Doc Martens and skinnier thighs. Maybe a pair of green hotpants. But as the shows progressed I had a sinking feeling that London's glory days were over: too much stuff with unfinished hems, too many unwearable outfits such as the purple bikini worn, by a man, with over-the-knee socks and platforms. (Wilkinson Sword tweeted Edward Crutchley's design with the caption, 'Great manscaping!') It didn't help that there was no Burberry. No Christopher Kane. No JW Anderson. No Anna Wintour or any American big hitters. Front row, I only spotted one glossy editor from BC before Covid Vogue's Edward Enninful. For the first time, tickets are virtual. It's a shame, as I used to use the huge, stiff, embossed card as an umbrella. We'd get gifts too: Stella McCartney always enclosed a child's wooden toy. Not a single goody bag (Covid? Cost?) but no matter: it generally contained cheap hair products and popcorn. Liz admits that she had a sinking feeling that London's glory days were over as the shows progressed. Pictured: Rixo flappers There were lots of parties, but crucially there wasn't the customary shindig at No 10. I wonder why? No one missed it. And I didn't spot Carrie Johnson; odd for an industry that generated 62.2 billion in 2021. Instead, there was a Canopy to Catwalk event to discuss deforestation in the viscose supply chain. Exciting! Compare that to witnessing Alexander McQueen's spring/summer 2000 Voss show with a Perspex box acting like a giant mirror, before revealing a million moths. Peta asked the late enfant terrible whether the insects would be rehomed. The Peta gals are still going strong, this season dressed as birds to highlight the cruelty of feathers. The main problem with PC post Covid but also politically correct London Fashion Week? There's no exciting star designer, no genuine eccentricity. A few names are still to unveil: Simone Rocha, Erdem and Roksanda have catwalks; Emilia Wickstead remains digital only. (I imagine the Duchess of Cambridge, a fan, will be glued to her laptop.) But there's no John Galliano. At his Fallen Angels show in 1986, I was backstage, aghast that as models walked onto the runway, he waterboarded them. He wanted to smudge their make-up and make the clothes cling. Liz (pictured) said there was nothing where she thought: 'that's new' But it was lovely to be inside the ballrooms of our great hotels again: the Dorchester, the Waldorf. Sitting cheek by jowl with other fashionistas felt strange, but people chatted unlike a decade ago when I'd turned to an important editor and asked who an actress was and she'd snapped: 'What am I? Human Google?' We were all pleased to be alive, allowed to be frivolous. I can report that mwah mwahing is back as well as flares. A stand-out was Harris Reed, the 25-year-old genius beloved of actress Emma Watson and Harry Styles. With a surprise performance by Sam Smith, Reed's gender-fluid designs were exquisite: Seventies platforms, sequined leggings, opulent millinery. A male model, encased in the plaster cast of a woman's torso, was the ultimate gender-bending outfit. It occurred to me that McQueen's 1995 Highland Rape collection would, if debuted this season, be cancelled. I did miss getting up on Sunday for Mulberry at Claridge's. I even missed Sir Philip Green. Every time he spotted me at the now-defunct Topshop Unique he'd snarl: 'Who let you in?' I missed the characters: the late Isabella Blow in a giant hat, an intern bodyguard in case anyone spots she's in fox. This year the young crowd seemed too woke for wicked gossip. I'd expected a sea change, like Dior's New Look after World War II. But there was nothing where I thought: 'That's new.' Liz said the colours to wear are royal blue, red, buttercup, fluoro pink and mustard, as seen at Eudon Choi (pictured) Rixo held a cheerful show in Goldsmith's Hall with pastiche flapper dresses from the previous Roaring Twenties. The colours to wear are royal blue, red, buttercup, fluoro pink and mustard, as seen at Eudon Choi, which showed wearable trenches, shirts cut at a jaunty angle, dresses with sleeves! And lots of khaki: well, we are poised for war. The key item is a statement dress: team with a knit from London Fashion Week golden girl Molly Goddard, or fantastic tailoring at label Labrum London. But too much was unwearable: smocks at Bora Aksu inspired by Europe's first 14th-century feminist? I don't care: I want to look hot for a date. Richard Quinn puff sleeves? I'll have to enter buildings via a window. I was excited for Michael Halpern, showing sequins in Brixton. Unfortunately, they barred me. Luxe brands crave exclusivity and if you have too many readers who aren't deemed edgy (the reason I couldn't get on that bus), you're NFI. So, there were tears of humiliation. But I was rarely moved by the clothes. A garment seldom changes lives. And, while almost every show stated: 'We used organic cotton . . . ethical cashmere . . . eco-friendly viscose and recycled, surplus fabrics,' most will still end up in landfill. There was one significant change. Models of all ages, sizes, races, many whose gender was indeterminate, strode loud and proud. The pivotal moment? London Represents not only featured Special Olympics gold medallist Lily Mills, but a young woman with Down's Syndrome. She beamed ear to ear. In 1999, Alexander McQueen sent double amputee athlete Aimee Mullins down the runway on exquisitely carved wooden legs. I decided to feature diverse models on the cover of my magazine Marie Claire. But it was too shocking, too soon: the industry slipped back into being exclusionary. For the first time this year, I felt fashion has changed and will never revert. And that has to be applauded. Im worried about how completely addicted to our phones we all are. In a small survey among my friends, most said they cant go 15 minutes without checking theirs. Many said their phone is with them when they go to the toilet, all said panic descends when they cant find it (yesterday I upended the house looking for mine only to find it smugly charging in the living room) and the majority said they would rather give up sex for three months than be without it. Photograph: David Venni. Stylist: Sairey Stemp. Jumpsuit, Sezane. Trainers, Veja The statistics say it all. A survey by RescueTime (an app to help us manage our time better) found 20 per cent of people spend more than four hours a day on their smartphones, and on average we check it 58 times a day. But it doesnt take a survey to know this. When we have two minutes spare, we reach for a screen; we watch TV while shopping online and lose hours of our lives down Instagram rabbit holes. Although phone addiction has a name nomophobia it seems bizarre that its not yet considered a thing. Without wishing to sound like a dinosaur, Im terrified for teenagers whose lives are embedded in their phones. Charlotte Parkin, psychotherapist and addictions specialist at Londons Nightingale Hospital, agrees while phones make us feel more connected, they can leave people feeling lonelier than ever. As for adults, my friends tell me how their mental health nosedives and they feel hugely inferior when they go on social media. And dont get me started on the blue light radiating from our screens that Im certain is contributing to the UKs insomnia epidemic. Like any addiction, scrolling our phones is a form of disassociation it stops us engaging with real life or focusing on the things that we need to. Phones also, says Charlotte, stop us being creative. Obviously we cant ditch our devices altogether, and they do make life easier in so many ways, but I think smartphones will one day come with a health warning. In the meantime, here are some tips to bring you back to reality Ask yourself this: do I have a problem? Phone addiction is not dissimilar to drinking alcohol its enjoyable until you cant stop or it impacts your or others lives. If your phone use is affecting your work, mental health or relationships, you may need to acknowledge things need to change. As Charlotte says, We arent passive users we can choose to stop it. Try a little experiment Dont see giving up screen time as a punishment, warns Charlotte. Humans feel good if things are our idea. She suggests not looking at your phone for an evening and seeing it as an experiment. If its really bad, try just for the next hour, or go to bed without your phone tonight. Say to yourself, Just try it. Put in tech boundaries Switch off anything that is shouting, Come here to click. Turn off notifications, silence WhatsApp groups (or, better still, leave them) and set boundaries as to when you can and cant look at your phone. For example, no phone after 7pm or only look at emails in work hours. Push the positives Remind yourself that you are not losing anything by putting your phone down, says Charlotte. Think about what you are gaining by not using it and what you are sacrificing if you do use it: for example, time with your children. Take note Notice how you feel when you havent had your phone for a while and write it all down. Keep reinforcing why you are doing it and you might just keep going. In need of a superpower? Wild Nutrition Vegan Protein + Superfood Blend, 40 Lately I have been making a smoothie in the mornings with Wild Nutrition Vegan Protein + Superfood Blend. Packed with the earths most nutrient-dense foods, from protein to super greens and adaptogenic mushrooms, its like a superhero for your system. I mix with oat milk, some berries and whiz it up. It tastes great, too. 40, wildnutrition.com. Life lessons from a pro While therapy can be life-changing, there are small steps we can all take to help transform our wellbeing, says therapist Jodie Cariss, who runs mental health support service theselfspace.com. Here is her own self-care checklist Set boundaries, especially with yourself. Ban the word should from your vocabulary. Accept you wont always get things right. Say no as much as you can and push back on whats not achievable. Understand your limitations and any feelings of shame so they dont drive actions. Make changes sustainable. Eat delicious food with good people often. @susannahtaylor If you have a problem, email Caroline at c.west-meads@mailonsunday.co.uk. Caroline reads all your letters but regrets she cannot answer each one personally My son's wife is a total nightmare Q Our daughter-in-law is constantly angry and always accuses my wife and me of treating her badly. She and our son have two boys, aged 14 and seven. Our daughter and her ex-husband also have two young children. Weve often helped out, but on a couple of occasions recently we werent able to because we were working. I do feel guilty about one incident when our eldest grandson rang wanting to come round. I refused because wed already had an exhausting day with our other grandchildren. When we next went to see them, our daughter-in-law pointed a finger in my wifes face intimidatingly and accused her of having refused to look after her son. She then yelled, Get out of my house! My son told us that when we left, our eldest grandson was crying and shouting, Please dont leave me, Nan! Our daughters marriage ended acrimoniously a few years ago, and even though my sons wife had never liked our daughters ex she started inviting him to family occasions. He has since claimed that my son and daughter-in-laws house always smells of cannabis, and says that she is a messed-up drug addict. When my son first got together with his wife, a former social worker who knew her told us that she had a history of problems and warned us that she is a piece of work. This situation is getting our son down but he wont confront her because she turns everything into a row. A This is an extremely complex family dynamic. In your longer letter, you also say that your daughter-in-law is often in conflict with your daughter and she certainly seems to be deliberately goading her by inviting her ex round, despite her alleged dislike of him. Unfortunately, your daughter-in-law sounds very difficult. I am not surprised the situation is getting your son down. Im sure he is unhappy and also perhaps intimidated by his wife. He and your grandchildren need help. There are some things that concern me greatly about this situation. Your grandson crying and screaming Please dont leave me, Nan! indicates that he and his younger brother have an insecure home life and that needs to change. The other concern is the drugs which are likely to be behind all this. Cannabis, which many people think is harmless, can have an adverse effect on behaviour. To put it bluntly, your grandchildren should not be with a mother who is on drugs. So please talk to your son and ask him if he is happy in this relationship. Explain that the current situation is not safe for his children. You should also get in touch with Adfam (adfam.org.uk), which supports the families of drug users. If you think your son is being controlled or bullied by his wife, he might need support from the Mens Advice Line (for male victims of domestic violence) on 0808 8010 327. See also Family Lives (familylives.org.uk), whose advisers can help you with the complex family dynamics. Why do I find his accent so offputting? Q I have been in a relationship for three years with a lovely man. He is kind, generous and wonderful with my daughter. He is fun to be with, a dream, but one thing bothers me. I get niggled by his lazy language: he pronounces th words with f. So think becomes fink, thanks becomes fanks. It really spoils his demeanour. He has a good job, and I often wonder what people must think when he is in meetings. I find it offputting. Why is this bothering me so much? I cant get past it. A It might help if you reframe your thinking a little. You call his language lazy but it isnt laziness. Rather, his accent is a reflection of the area and culture that he has been brought up in. I wonder if you are embarrassed by it (especially if it is different from most of the people you know), but please dont fall into the trap of thinking that a difference in accent means that someone is less intelligent. Only you, however, will know if this will be a deal breaker. So, if it really bothers you, you could try gently mentioning it to him and see if he would be averse to changing it a little. Be sure to do it non-judgmentally and acknowledge that the problem could be partly your perception. But he sounds lovely. Wonderful step-parents dont grow on trees and if you ended this relationship because of this small detail, I think you could find you regretted it. Perhaps you are too worried about how other people might view him when you need to look more at who he really is. As for what his colleagues think, he is clearly valued at work and, from your description of his character, I suspect it might be: What a nice guy. Im not a vain person. I might write a column about my life, but I dont really care about myself or what is in my head. But then. I went almost bald. And suddenly I did care. 'My hair was my armour, my protection. Going bald is like grief' It happened one night. It wasnt gradual. It was sudden. It was a shock. I had washed my hair before a trip to London for work the next day. While it was still wet, I walked my dogs. I got back. My hair was one big, matted lump. Dreadlocks. What the hell? It wasnt that windy, was it? What was going on? When I lived in London oh, happy days! I washed my hair every morning. Due to the pollution, the water would run black. It was my ritual. But in the countryside, with cleaner air, I only wash it when Im about to go out for dinner, say, or on a date (rare) or am in town for work. I started to untangle my hair using my fingers, and as I did so, I was shocked to find great big hanks in my hands. At first, I thought this was because I hadnt brushed it. This is normal, surely. Nothing to worry about. Calm, Lizzie. Calm. I collected the hair and put it on the fire, where it fizzed, like a firework. The next day, I broke the habit of a lifetime: I looked in the mirror. Never a good idea. My head looked smaller tiny, like a pea. I could see scalp. I gathered my hair in my fist: it was no longer thick. It felt flimsy. Insubstantial. Fear set in. I didnt want to confront it. I didnt want to put my hair in a top knot for a bath, as surely the elastic hair tie would confirm my deepest fears. I didnt want to wash my hair, because of the fear of what I would find in the plughole: evidence. I didnt want to go out. I didnt want to book my usual roots tint, as I was afraid the hairdresser would recoil and confirm my suspicions. A friend suggested a dog walk: I asked her if she had a spare beanie. In a strong wind, I would put my hand to my scalp, just to check I wasnt completely bald. My hair has always been my thing. I have always had long, dark, thick hair. It is my armour, my protection. My hair has been a constant. I hide behind it. I play with it. I swish it. Men love it. As you hover over them, naked, you tickle them with it. I was always glad, relieved, that my hair covered my breasts, the horrible scars, the abnormal nipples. I kept thinking I was wrong. That it was normal. That it was a passing thing, to do with spring. It was like grief, losing my hair. These things arent supposed to happen. Products are supposed to help. As a child I had split ends: I bought Protein 21 in Boots; I could only afford the sachet. During puberty, my scalp was greasy. I bought products: Wella Balsam, Breck. When I started to go grey, I bought products. But this! This! I went to the Harley Street Hair Clinic. Of course, I did. The lovely doctor told me his wife has thinning hair: children, career decisions, stress. I dont care about your wife! I only care about me! He prescribed vitamins. He said something must have happened about seven months ago to cause this sudden hair loss. I look at my calendar. At that time, I was ill, suffering from vertigo and vomiting. Was that it? Or was it the medication, which Ive now stopped. I dont want to be bald. Id rather throw up and still have hair. We can fix skin problems with make-up. Wrinkles with surgery. I dont want to wear a wig. I have enough problems. Why is this happening to me? Its like the final straw. First cuckolded. Then penury. Illness. And now light bounces off my scalp. I can be enjoying my morning porridge and find Im eating hair. The washing machine is protesting. My pillow is blighted. The hair loss is like a symbol of my fallibility. It never occurred to me that this would happen. Why didnt Vogue warn me? Why can no one do anything other than laugh and stare? Contact Liz at lizjonesgoddess.com and stalk her @lizjonesgoddess Investment fund Pictet Asian Equities ex Japan is very much a best ideas portfolio, comprising shares in companies the asset manager believes will perform strongly over the coming years. Unlike other funds it doesn't favour particular investment sectors or try to shadow any index. Instead, it draws on an extensive team in London to identify the best share ideas with country specialists and research analysts based in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Some 1,200 listed companies are on its radar, but only a minority end up in the portfolio. The result is a fund with a lot of conviction in the stakes it takes in crude terms, it bets big. The 1.2billion portfolio comprises 40 stocks with the top 10 holdings accounting for just short of half of the fund's assets. Getting the bets right is therefore key. So far, the fund's big bets have paid off, although not spectacularly so. Since launch in October 2017, it has delivered modest returns of some 32 per cent, outperforming its benchmark index, the MSCI AC Asia Ex Japan, which has produced a return of 23 per cent. Although the fund is managed b y Pictet's emerging equities team, it's not strictly an emerging markets fund. It has key holdings in the developed market of Hong Kong such as life insurer AIA and consumer shopping platform Meituan as well as big positions in the emerging markets of China and Taiwan. Most of the fund's stakes are also in leading global firms: the likes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and South Korean giant Samsung Electronics companies that are represented in the MSCI AC Asia Ex Japan Index. So, the fund is not about unearthing hidden investment gems that other managers have missed. Instead, it's more focused on identifying best in class companies and then backing them to succeed. It's a modus operandi that Kiran Nandra, head of emerging equities management at Pictet, is keen to explain. 'Our whole focus is on stock picking,' she says. 'We're active managers and our objective is to put together a portfolio that will beat its benchmark. That means being overweight in companies we like. It also means we invest irrespective of where the companies are listed. If it's a good business, we invest in it.' Currently, most are listed in either China or Taiwan. There are common characteristics among the holdings. Most are cash generative businesses that Pictet believes the market currently undervalues. They then tend to fall into two camps businesses that are either 'structural growers' or at an 'inflection' point. Structural growers, says Pictet, are likely to produce above average market returns in the mid to long term. Companies at an inflection point are typically those where earnings are depressed, but are about to take off. Pictet Asian Equities ex Japan is a fund without any real surprises. It's primarily a blue chip portfolio invested in one of the world's strongest growth regions. Although Nandra accepts the region has its geopolitical tensions, it's not a consideration in constructing the portfolio holdings in Taiwan and China sit side by side. It's also not particularly bothered about the Chinese state laying down laws that temporarily cramp the business activities of leading companies such as Tencent and Alibaba hence its holdings in both. Nandra believes the companies have learnt to adapt and so will continue to make profits. The fund's annual charges are a tad over one per cent. Investors should opt for the share class denominated in pounds. Lloyds will come under new pressure this week for its handling of the HBOS Reading affair, one of the most notorious frauds to hit the bank. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the lending giant plans to install a former HBOS banker to lead its involvement in an 'independent re-review' of the scandal at the Reading branch. The 'rereview' is the latest in a string of lengthy inquiries into the affair. According to an internal memo seen by this paper, Simon Amess will oversee the bank's side of the review into the plight of HBOS customers drained of tens of millions of pounds and pushed into financial ruin. 'Independent re-review': According to an internal memo, Simon Amess will oversee the bank's side of the review into the plight of HBOS customers pushed into financial ruin It is understood Amess will not be involved in assessing claims. But his inclusion risks angering the many victims still waiting for compensation long after the debacle. Amess worked at Bank of Scotland before its merger with Halifax in 2001, and worked in the merged banks' acquisition finance and structured credit divisions just before HBOS's meltdown in 2008. HBOS had made billions of pounds of risky loans in its commercial lending division and had to be rescued by Lloyds at a huge cost to the taxpayer. Amess did not have a direct connection to HBOS Reading or small business banking. He was moved across from a role in Lloyds' commercial division by new chief executive Charlie Nunn, who is expected to reveal his strategy for the bank this week on publication of its annual results. Commercial banking chief David Oldfield said Amess would 'take over leadership of the independent re-review of customers impacted by the HBOS Reading fraud'. Hundreds of customers were left in financial ruin because of a scam involving staff at HBOS Reading and consultants between 2003 and 2007, when they used threats and extortion to steal from customers, take control of their firms, and pocket loans granted in their name. Six people, including Michael Bancroft, David Mills, and Lynden Scourfield, were jailed in 2017 after they were found to have plundered 1billion to fund superyachts, sex parties and plush holidays. It is understood Amess will be leading the bank's efforts to provide redress to customers, working in conjunction with an independent panel chaired by retired High Court judge Sir David Foskett. Kash Shabir, whose business was placed into receivership by Lloyds, said: 'The whole process is cynical and entirely conflicted.' Nunn is expected to detail a plan to turbocharge the bank's growth in property, wealth, insurance and commercial banking. Beleaguered telecoms giant Vodafone is planning to shift UK jobs overseas in a cost-cutting drive, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The FTSE100 company which is under pressure from an activist investor is switching roles from its business division to its services teams in Egypt, India, Hungary and Romania. It is not clear how many UK jobs will move offshore. Watching brief: Vodafone is switching roles from its business division to its services teams in Egypt, India, Hungary and Romania Vodafone is creating a new unit, called Vois Business Services, as a result of the restructure, according to an internal memo. It is understood the aim is to reduce expenses by streamlining some teams and sharing more technology, while moving jobs to cheaper locations. But the move raises questions as to the structure of Vodafone Business and its subsidiary Vodafone Global Enterprise (VGE), which provides corporations with workplace mobile contracts. The firm said the restructure would 'enhance efficiency' and help grow 'global products at scale across markets'. The MoS this month revealed that Vodafone is also cutting UK jobs by moving mobile contracts handled by VGE in the UK to wherever the client is based overseas. The moves come after Europe's biggest activist investor Cevian took a stake in the firm. It is understood it could push Vodafone to bulk up operations in key countries and sell businesses elsewhere. Vodafone rejected a recent 9billion offer for its Italian business from French operator Iliad. Vodafone chief Nick Read sent an internal memo last week saying priorities include 'scale in major European markets including Italy'. Britain's biggest banks have warned online shoppers that their cards could be declined when new payment rules come into force next month, stopping millions of pounds of transactions each day. In new moves to prevent fraudsters using stolen credit and debit card details, people will be asked to take extra steps to confirm their identity such as entering a one-time passcode sent by text, a pin number or being required to use a card reader or log into a banking app. The extra checks from March 14 will be applied particularly on more expensive items. Extra checks: In new moves to prevent fraudsters using stolen credit and debit card details, people will be asked to take extra steps to confirm their identity Experts have warned that many firms are unprepared and could see a 'significant' drop in the number of people completing their online check-out. HSBC has told customers: 'Some online retailers may not be ready to ask for these extra checks. This means your online card payment could be declined, even if there's no issue with your account or your card.' Barclays has also emailed its clients warning they might start to see transactions declined. Ian Corfield, chief commercial officer at NewDay, which issues around one sixth of the UK's credit cards, said 'tens of millions of pounds' of transactions could fail every day if businesses miss the deadline. Some card issuers started declining transactions in January to get ready for the March deadline. Sunday Notes: Apple Hardware Updates; Facebook/Meta Changes; AppleTV+; Apple Executive Speculation By Graham K. Rogers There is speculation on what Apple hardware could be released soon. One writer suggested the Touch Bar could continue; and another made a case for a re-release of the Airport Router. Jason Snell suggests side-loading could be good for Apple. There is news of Facebook/Meta and a new role for Nick Clegg as Zuckerberg recedes from the limelight. AppleTV+ releases and notes. Is Tim Cook worth $99 million? I am usually wary of speculation and rumor concerning Apple, but in the 8 months or so that the M1 chip has been around, it was obvious that Apple would develop its silicon solutions further. Many expect that we shall see the M2 later this year, if that is what it is called. As the A15 was an evolution of the A14, so it is anticipated that the M2 will evolve from the M1. What this entails, and which devices will use the new processors (and perhaps further developments of the M1) is speculation at this stage. However, an intelligent assessment of what we know, what we don't know and what we may reasonably expect has been written by Jason Cross on MacWorld and this is well worth a read. One of the rumors that has been floating around for at least the last year concerns the imminent end of the Touch Bar. I will admit, I think this is an error as I find this really useful when I am working. It had a shaky start as few developers had considered it, and the move to provide Touch Bar access was slow. I particularly like this when I am writing or editing. I have Autocorrect off, but the Touch Bar provides possible options for the word I am typing or editing. This can speed up the work no end: indeed, when I was typing Autocorrect (and it did this twice) the Touch Bar suggested the correctly spelled word, including the upper case "A". It is useful in other apps, particularly when editing photographs. Apple's own Photos is a bit weak, but there are a number of Touch Bar options. For example, the Crop and Straighten functions are easier to control than using a mouse or Trackpad. Other apps have basic functions, but in general it does need more engagement from Apple and interested developers to improve controls available. Rather than this coming to the end of its life, however, Michael Simon (MacWorld) suggests that the Touch Bar may still be available in the next version of the 13" MacBook Pro. Although Simon airs the potential, he thinks it is unlikely. There are related reports concerning new product rumors: some backed up with fact. Sami Fathi (MacRumors), for example, reports that certain new Mac models have been listed in the Eurasian Economic Database. Another report refers to the Mac mini and suggests that this is to return to its flat design (Hartley Charlton, MacRumors) which was like the original Airport router. I saw these at MacWorld when they were introduced together with the first MacBook Air in 2008. I asked Greg Joswiak - this was a long time before he was Senior VP at Apple - if they were designed to be stackable. He said no, and added, why would you want to do that? The design of both changed in the coming years and eventually Apple stopped making the Airport routers. I recently retired my Airport router and installed a Netgear wifi 6 router which I am not all that happy with, particularly when it comes to set up and administration. Even following the advice of an online helpline, changing certain settings failed and returned to the default. I am considering re-activating the (802.11ac) Apple router as there is just nothing wrong with it and for home use, it will be fine. Dan Moren (MacWorld) considers this end of line Apple device and wonders if the time is right for a return to the market. That would certainly have my vote. He suggests that discontinuing the line was a mistake. I think adding the disk facility for automatic Time Machine backups was a wrong turn: the disks fill up; and external disks are relatively cheap. The router on its own was just fine. I set it up and left it. Moren suggests that, although there are plenty of other routers in the market, the time is right for Apple's return to the area because of control, adding that "wireless technology has become an even more key part of Apple's ecosystem" [sic]. He provides a number of compelling arguments for the revival of Apple's Airport routers, or something similar. Like Facebook/Meta, Amazon and Google, in different ways, Apple has been under some pressure for a while over the way it manages the App Store. One of the ideas brought up by several critics and legislators is the idea of side-loading: the ability to install an app that comes from a source other than the App Store. Apple is against this and I am one user who would not avail myself of this option. As far as I know, the way apps are made available has kept me safe. I am less sure about the Mac because I have software downloaded from a wide range of sources, so I can quite see why some users would want this available on the iPhone/iPad too. Not me. However, Jason Snell, examines the possibility that side-loading will become available: perhaps forced on Apple by legislation. He speculates the this might actually be good for Apple and for developers who might not have to take the risk of a rejected app. Snell notes that users would need to disable some security in order to install such apps (this is what worries me) but that a Gatekeeper-like feature might help. With a couple of Apple's TV+ movies on the way to the Oscars, Cupertino plans to announce four new series at the South by South-West film festival next month: WeCrashed (without a space), They Call Me Magic, Shining Girls and The Big Conn (Christian Zebreg, iDownloadBlog). Another series, Cha Cha Real Smooth which was seen at Sundance, will also be premiered. Apple is also planning to re-release CODA (Patently Apple, et al), its Oscar-nominated movie on communication in a deaf family. I am all for this, but this movie in particular irks me because, as much as I want to see this, Apple has not made it available to users here. I suspect it is because of the signing and language - in the same way that full Siri options are not made available in certain parts of the world - but this patronises users here as many of my Thai friends and students have high levels of English competence. I watched a couple of new Apple TV+ presentations this week, while also continuing with Suspicion. This is a slow burner with some interesting twists. Uma Thurman appears in this week's episode too, not a one-episode-wonder as one reviewer suggested. The appearances are brief, but many of the scenes are, so that is not a problem and the character fits in as a force behind the curtain, while the rest carry on with the show. A certain amount of suspension of disbelief is needed in terms of the police work, however. Some of that disbelief suspension also needs to be carried over into The Sky is Everywhere. The entirety of the locations used are far too beautiful: technicolor saturated saccharine. It appeared to be a movie about grief and moving on, with a few fast balls thrown in for good measure. None of the characters were fully realistic for me and, while there seemed to be no answers to what the survivors must to to move on after a death in the family, perhaps that is it. There is no one answer that works for everyone, but magic, real or implied is not it. I also watched the opening two episodes of Severance: a scenario in which the memories in the workplace are cut off from any outside the office. When I saw the trailer earlier it reminded me right away of Pay Check (Ben Affleck) who works on a secret project but has no memory when it is done. This was based on a story by Philip K. Dick (who also wrote stories that became Blade Runner, Minority Report, Adjustment Bureau, et al). Severance is directed by Ben Stiller. I used to think his comedy work was shallow, although his resume is sound and there have been a good number of awards. Severance is creepy from the word go and this build the tension. I kept noticing that, within the dialogue there were lengthy pauses and I began to think of Becket (Waiting for Godot) and Harold Pinter (The Dumb Waiter). Each of these playwrights use the pause in a different way: one review I read years ago suggested that Becket's pauses were signified by "?" as an indicator of despair - no knowing what to do - while Pinter's pauses used "!" - adding to tension. I am yet to decide which punctuation mark is right for Severance. A particular device that Stiller used was the maze of corridors so that the staff we focus on are more isolated than usual. They are already cut off, several levels underground. This isolation was enhanced by empty office areas as, Mark explains, the company is expanding. We doubt that statement from the outset, although the character played by Christopher Walken enhances the remoteness of other staff. At the end of each episode, as in all the best examples of the genre, there was a surprise - a cliffhanger. The only parts of the Facebook/Meta empire I use these days are messaging and Instagram. I still regret that this ever became part of Facebook and hold out some hope - as much as I worry about interference - that legislators will split the company up for monopoly reasons. I use Instagram mainly to see how others take photographs, although the Reels feature has had an added draw in recent months. I can always learn lessons from how other people take and present their photos, even those that may be not so good; but I follow several good photographers, working in digital and film, as well as looking at other sites, like Emulsive. A few months ago a new app for photographers appeared: Glass. It is not the same as Instagram apart from the photo display. Those who use the app sign up for a $29.99 fee annually, so there is a certain seriousness about this, as well as a lack of advertising. It is pretty much photos only, some metadata and user information, plus comments. Initially, it was limited to the iPhone, with the iPad display in that annoying portrait-only, x1 or x2 screens. I do not like apps that only work in portrait mode and that makes Instagram (and the shopping app, Lazada) frustrating with the iPad Pro. The developers of Glass took comments from users onboard and have now released an iPad version of the app that does work fullscreen in portrait or landscape mode. This is much better, but I also submitted a suggestion that the content displayed with an image should be hidden (temporarily) for a full-screen display of the image(s). Annoyingly, this is a hard app to find on the App Store: a normal search just would not work for me. Despite having the app installed on iPhone and iPads, I ended up searching with a web browser and using the link on the site page. I now have the link to the App Store app panel for Glass. It was widely reported that, perhaps as a result of the fallout concerning privacy, political bias and the move to the Metaverse, Mark Zuckerberg is stepping away from the font line ("reducing his own role in the company's policy decisions") and Nick Clegg has been appointed to a higher position (Kari Pau, Guardian). I wonder, is Zuckerberg receding into a Howard Hughes-like netherworld? One article online speculated that he was becoming like Warren Buffet (Stephen Warwick, iMore), the latter is engaged in what goes on around him, while Zuckerberg appears to be detached from reality even on a good day. With the elevation of Clegg to a higher executive position - to make day to day decisions, and take the heat off the chief shareholder - Zuckerberg may well have the space to disappear from public view and become even more isolated. Whether that ever reaches the depths to which Howard Hughes descended, while management served his whims and hid him from public view, only time will tell. It was reported earlier in the week that there is a possibility that Luca Maestri could join Nestle (Jonny Evans, AppleMust) Switzerland is close to Italy so might that mean leaving his day job for a position nearer to home? Born in Rome, he is now 58 years old and a return to the old country must be enticing. The article notes that other Apple executives also work for different corporations, their links being useful to Apple; but Kit-Kat? While Maestri is the CFO, the CEO is under fire this week because of his salary and the board's new offering of $99 million for his new contract. Some activist investors are questioning this. Considering how Apple has grown in the last 10 years - not all due to the legacy of Steve Jobs as some insist - that figure may be reasonable. David Price, MacWorld, discusses this. Cook has made a lot of people rather rich, including Warren Buffet, whose deputy made a comment on the management at Cupertino (see above - Stephen Warwick, iMore). My week began last Sunday while I was having lunch in central Bangkok. With the wonders of modern communication, we are able to reach people at almost any time, although I cut communications when I am teaching (some do not) and at bed time. A message followed by a back and forth reply session informed me that a writing component for a course was starting the next day. I had known about this course for a couple of weeks, but the date had not been set. I had about 24 hours to come up with my part: 4 classes. We haggled over the days as I already had other commitments and I bought myself time to prepare. I had enough for a presentation giving an overview of writing needs. I had taught one session on this a couple of days earlier for undergraduate students, so the ideas were in mind, but graduate students need a different approach. I retrieved the Keynote presentation I had used for a graduate class a few months ago, so rewrote that, incorporating ideas that had developed since, and some specifics for the current group. I was ready to roll on Monday in a live classroom. The other sessions I ran from home. Over the last year or so, with online teaching and Work From Home (WFH), my ways of working have changed and my setup reflects this. Many of my materials (not on computer or online) are also at home. Apart from the arrival of builders next door, my home environment allows me to work more effectively than sitting in an office with constant comings and goings. Over Tuesday I wrote most of what I would need, while also revising another class that was scheduled for late Wednesday. I finished that class Wednesday morning; then on Thursday and Friday morning developed most of what I would need for the classes on those two afternoons and for Monday: the last of the four classes. Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. After 3 years writing a column in the Life supplement, he is now no longer associated with the Bangkok Post. He can be followed on Twitter (@extensions_th) The former boss of the London Stock Exchange has called for a revamp of investment rules to keep tech stars such as Arm in Britain. Xavier Rolet said successive Chancellors had missed chances to amend punitive taxes deterring fast-growing British gems from floating in the City. Rolet, who led the LSE from 2009 to 2017, warned that London would continue to lose valuable firms due to the 0.5 per cent stamp duty when individuals buy shares. Warning: Xavier Rolet said successive Chancellors had missed chances to amend punitive taxes deterring fast-growing British gems from floating in the City He said: 'You can't complain that the Arms of the world are going to list elsewhere, where equity markets are more developed. You need to cure that if you want to have a better chance of keeping these companies here.' SoftBank, the Japanese investment giant that backs Arm, said this month it intended to float the Cambridge-based chipmaker in the US. The shock decision came after a 30billion sale to US giant Nvidia collapsed over competition concerns. The Mail on Sunday is campaigning for investors and policy-makers to Back British Tech and convince SoftBank to list Arm in London. Rolet, 62, said the Government needed to abolish stamp duty when individuals buy shares to tempt firms to London. He said: 'In 20 years there's only one Chancellor that did something about this. George Osborne repealed stamp duty on AIM-listed stocks. We saw overnight a huge increase in retail share trading in these stocks. 'UK equities are punished through stamp duty. The cost to the wider economy is far more substantial than what the Treasury collects.' He added that individuals should be able to buy shares when companies float. Typically only large pension funds and professional stock pickers are given access initially, meaning armchair investors miss out on any jump in the share price on the first day of trading. Metro Bank is on the hunt for a deal in the credit card market after eyeing up Sainsbury's card business. The challenger bank is understood to have looked at the Sainsbury's Bank credit card book last year when the lender was up for sale. With mortgage lending margins being squeezed, Metro chief executive Dan Frumkin is aiming to grow its unsecured lending and specialist loans portfolio to boost profits. Profit boost: With mortgage lending margins being squeezed, Metro chief executive Dan Frumkin is aiming to grow its unsecured lending and specialist loans portfolio Metro Bank bought Ratesetter, a specialist site, in 2020 so it has the technology to push into these areas of lending. The bank will report its annual results on Wednesday and analysts expect Frumkin to discuss growing in the unsecured lending market. Metro's chief finance officer, David Arden, stepped down suddenly last week. He was in the role when Metro made an accounting mistake which led to an emergency 375million capital raise. Last year, private equity firm Carlyle held early stage talks about acquiring Metro, before withdrawing in November. Metro Bank said: 'We do not comment on rumour or speculation.' Even more smaller British energy companies are expected to go bust as ministers prepare for 'more supplier failures' if gas supplies are hit by a Russia invasion of Ukraine. The conflict could cause the UK gas price to increase to as much as 1,000 pence per therm - more than double its peak in December which stood at just over 450 pence per therm. The annual bill for a typical household is due to go up from 1,277 to 1,971 from April 1, but some industry analysts are predicting it will go up again to 2,300 from October 1. In fact, the rise could be substantially higher if Russia invades Ukraine, which would hit gas supplies to Europe and drive up global prices. The annual bill for a typical household is due to go up from 1,277 to 1,971 from April 1, but some industry analysts are predicting it will go up again to 2,300 from October 1 The conflict could cause the UK gas price to increase to as much as 1,000 pence per therm - more than double its peak in December which stood at just over 450 pence per therm. Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin In fact, the rise could be substantially higher if Russia invades Ukraine, which would hit gas supplies to Europe and drive up global prices. Pictured: Ukraine soldier An official told the Telegraph, preparations for 'more supplier failures' had commenced following the ongoing Ukraine crisis, 'low levels of storage across Europe and nuclear power plants closing'. This comes as 25 UK power firms went bust within three months last year including Zog Energy, Entice Energy, which had 5,400 households on its books, and Orbit Energy, which supplied 65,000 customers. On Friday, Whoop Energy, which supplied 50 households and 212 businesses and Xcel - used by 274 businesses - announced they are ceasing to trade due to the sudden energy price hike. Regulator, Ofgem, told MPs last week that current forecasts suggest another increase is likely to come into effect before next winter. Ofgems chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, said wholesale gas prices are volatile and it is impossible to make any firm predictions. Ofgems chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, told MPs wholesale gas prices are volatile and it is impossible to make any firm predictions The Chancellor announced new help in the Commons minutes after it was revealed the energy price cap is going up 54 per cent for millions of people in April, meaning typical costs will rise 693 to 1,971. Pictured: The average gas price per kilowatt hour in Great Britain Britain was self-sufficient for natural less than 20 years ago - but now imports more than half of it from Europe including some from Russia A map showing gas pipelines from Russia to Europe. The dotted line at the top is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which when built with make land in Germany - which is heavily reliant on Russia for its energy needs On Friday, Whoop Energy, which supplied 50 households and 212 businesses and Xcel - used by 274 businesses - announced they are ceasing to trade due to the sudden energy price hike. The 25 UK energy firms which have gone bust so far Neon Energy Limited Social Energy Supply Ltd CNG Energy Omni Energy Limited MA Energy Limited Zebra Power Limited Ampoweruk Ltd Bluegreen Energy Services Limited GOTO Energy Limited Daligas Limited Pure Planet Colorado Energy Igloo Energy Symbio Energy Enstroga Avro Energy Green Supplier Limited Utility Point People's Energy PFP Energy MoneyPlus Energy HUB Energy Entice Energy Orb Energy Zog Energy Advertisement But, he said: When you look at the forward prices right now, there is upward pressure in prices still, so you may see a rise in October. It is really hard to say what the price cap will be if Russia invades Ukraine, but...you would see significant rises again in the price that people pay. He added: We are not experts in geo-politics but we expect that if Russia invades Ukraine - there is a sanctions regime and that Russia limits gas supplies to Europe. 'That would drive high price rises and that would ultimately feed through to customers. He did not put a figure on it, but said it could be of the scale we have seen before. If so, that might mean a second increase this year of 700. The watchdogs director of strategy, Neil Kenward, said: What the data is telling us now, if you look at futures markets for next winter, is suggesting there could be a further increase in the price cap, but actually we dont know that yet. Over the next six months, markets will respond to events such as Russia-Ukraine and other factors and that will then determine the price cap level in the coming winter. Details emerged in evidence to MPs on the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, who are investigating prices. It also emerged that the collapse of over 25 energy firms in recent months saw some 200million of customers money go missing. This is money people had overpaid and was being held by their supplier. Ofgem said it will now be up to all consumers to repay this money through a levy on bills that could amount to 10. Mr Brearley admitted that the regulator should have acted faster in testing the financial resilience of new suppliers coming into the market to make sure they would survive increases in wholesale prices. Ofgem has put forward plans for tougher financial checks. It is also proposing to change the price cap more frequently to quickly reflect changes in wholesale costs. Labor is a massive 10 points ahead in the polls but even the party's truest believers are deeply nervous that Scott Morrison will pull off another against-the-odds election win. Politicians and staffers desperate to kick out the Coalition still bear the scars of Bill Shorten's shock defeat after he led the polls for two years ahead of May 2019. Needing at least eight more seats for a majority, they know the path to victory is hard. As Anthony Albanese said earlier this month: 'This is a mountain to climb.' Will Australians pick Anthony Albanese as their next Prime Minister? Labor supporters hope so but there is a fear that Scott Morrison is a better campaigner The three questions Labor is wondering What mud will the Prime Minister sling at them with the help of major dirt-digging by his ruthless spin doctors? What generous cash handouts and vote-buying schemes will be unveiled in the Budget on March 29? And how will Mr Albanese - who turns 59 in March - perform on the gruelling five-week campaign? Advertisement With three months to go until the election, Labor's strategy is clear: remain light on policy to avoid attacks and make this poll a referendum on Mr Morrison's leadership and character. This is the man who went to Hawaii when the nation burned and failed to manage Covid with major mistakes on the vaccine rollout and rapid tests, Labor will say. But while the PM's popularity has dropped to its lowest level since the start of the pandemic, voters don't dislike him enough for this strategy to work on its own. Labor will also run a positive campaign on its policies to reduce the cost of living for squeezed Aussie families including cheaper childcare and free TAFE places. With the Government adopting a net-zero target and Labor wary of upsetting resources sector workers, climate change will feature less than in previous campaigns. The strategy is sound but there are three big unknowns bugging Labor operatives. What mud will the Prime Minister sling at them with the help of major dirt-digging by his ruthless spin doctors? What generous cash handouts and vote-buying schemes will be unveiled in the Budget on March 29? And how will Mr Albanese - who turns 59 in March - perform on the gruelling five-week campaign? Over the past fortnight in Parliament we have caught a glimpse of how hard the Coalition will fight to retain power. Poll Will Anthony Albanese be the next Prime Minister? Yes No Will Anthony Albanese be the next Prime Minister? Yes 222 votes No 484 votes Now share your opinion Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has repeatedly accused Mr Albanese of favouring a raft of taxes even though Labor does not have a single new tax policy in play. At the same time, Mr Morrison and Peter Dutton have controversially blasted Labor as being weak on China despite the lack of any tangible foreign policy differences. The scare campaign - which Labor branded 'Trumpian' - was assisted by Mr Morrison's spinners who trawled the archives to dig up photos, videos and speeches to portray Labor frontbenchers as close to China. We can only expect the PM's media spinning and dirt-digging to ramp up when the campaign is in full swing. It remains to be seen whether the mud will stick. The March 29 Budget is a major asset to the Coalition and will come just before Mr Morrison calls the election. The Government will be able to hand out all sorts of election sweeteners such as tax cuts, infrastructure projects and car parks in marginal seats. Mr Morrison sees his number one strength as economic management and will talk every day about Australia's historically low unemployment level brought about by his Covid stimulus packages. Mr Morrison's wife Jenny and two daughters are the PM's secret weapons in connecting with middle Australia Critics say Mr Albanese (left in Brisbane last year) lacks charisma and is a poor orator who may struggle to inspire the nation on the campaign trail Debt is expected to reach a record $1.2 trillion by 2024-25 but he will say that Labor wanted to spend even more. The Prime Minister's allies believe that if voters walk into the polling booths thinking about the economy and national security then he secures another three years in The Lodge. Perhaps the biggest unknown for Labor is what the punters will make of Mr Albanese, who is relatively unheard of and facing his first campaign as leader. The father of one, who grew up in housing commission in Sydney, has lost 15kg in a bid to 'get fit' and smartened his image with sharp new suits and designer glasses (despite savaging John Howard's makeover as 'same stuff different bucket' in 1998). But critics say he lacks charisma and is a poor orator who may struggle to inspire the nation on the campaign trail. This map shows some of the key marginal seats held by Labor (in red) and the Coalition (in blue) with the percentage margin. There are other seats in contention too Faced with an unknown leader from the socialist Left of the Labor Party, undecided voters may decide that change is too risky. Mr Morrison, on the other hand, is a great campaigner - as he proved before his 'miracle' victory in 2019 - and Labor knows this. It's also not clear how much of a role Mr Albanese's girlfriend Jodie and son Nathan will play, whereas Mr Morrison's wife Jenny and two daughters have been dubbed the PM's 'secret weapons' in connecting with middle Australia. Which seats is Labor targeting at the election? QLD Longman: Held by former businessman Terry Young since 2019 on a 3.3 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is Rebecca Fanning, a former public servant in the Queensland state government. Longman is held by LNP MP Terry Young (left). Labor's candidate is Rebecca Fanning (right) Flynn: Held by retiring MP Ken O'Dowd since 2010 on an 8 per cent margin. State MP for Callide Colin Boyce will run for the LNP. The ALP has selected popular Gladstone mayor Matt Burnett. Flynn: The LNP's candidate is Colin Boyce (left). Labor's candidate is Matt Burnett (right) Capricornia: Held by Michelle Laundry since 2013 on a margin of 12 per cent. Labor's candidate is coal miner Russell Robertson who also contested in 2019. Capricornia is held by LNP MP Michelle Laundry (left). Labor's candidate is coal miner Russell Robertson (right) Leichardt: Held by Warren Entsch since 2010 on a 4.1 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is former Centrelink worker and union organiser Elida Faith. Leichardt is held by LNP MP Warren Entsch (left). Labor's candidate is Elida Faith (right) Petrie: Held by Luke Howarth since 2013 on an 8 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is oil refinery worker Mick Denton. Petrie is held by LNP MP Luke Howarth (left). Labor's candidate is Mick Denton (right) Bowman: Held by retiring MP Andrew Lamming since 2004 on a 10 per cent margin. The LNP's candidate is PR man Henry Pike. Labor's candidate is indigenous health worker Donisha Duff. Bowman: The LNP candidate is Henry Pike (left). Labor's candidate is Donisha Duff (right) Dickson: Held by Peter Dutton on a 4.6 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is communications manager Ali France who also contested 2019. Dickson: Held by LNP MP Peter Dutton (left). Labor's candidate is Ali France (right) Brisbane: Liberal since 2010, held by Trevor Evans since 2016 on a 5 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is businesswoman Madonna Jarrett. Brisbane: Held by Liberal MP Trevor Evans. Labor's candidate is Madonna Jarrett VIC Chisolm: Liberal since 2016. Held by Gladys Liu on a 0.6 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is academic Carina Garland. Chisolm: Held by Liberal MP Gladys Liu (left). Labor's candidate is Carina Garland (right) Higgins: Liberal since 1949. Held by Katie Allen on a 4 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is doctor Michelle Ananda-Rajah. Higgins: Liberal MP Katie Allen (left) and Labor candidate Michelle Ananda-Rajah NSW Reid: Liberal since 2013, held by Fiona Martin since 2019 with a 3.2 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is researcher Sally Sitou. Reid: Liberal MP Fiona Reid (left) is against Labor candidate Sally Sitou (right) Banks: Held by Mental Health Minister David Coleman since 2013 on a margin of 6.2 per cent. Labor's candidate is former diplomat Zhi Soon. Banks: Held by Liberal MP David Coleman (left). Labor's candidate is Zhi Soon (right) Robertson: Held by Lucy Wicks since 2013 with a margin of 4.2 per cent. Labor's candidate is doctor Gordon Reid. Robertson: Held by Liberal MP Lucy Wicks (left). Labor's candidate is Gordon Reid (right) Lindsay: Held by Melissa McIntosh since 2019 with a 5.5 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is fireman Trevor Ross. Lindsay: Held by Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh. Labor's candidate is Trevor Ross WA Swan: Held by retiring MP Steve Irons since 2007 on a 2.7 per cent margin. Sky News commentator and former Tony Abbott advisor Kristy McSweeney will run for the Liberals against engineer Zaneta Mascarenhas for Labor. Swan: The Liberal candidate is Kristy McSweeney (left). Labor's is Zaneta Mascarenhas (right) Hasluck: Held by Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt since 2010 on a 5.4 per cent margin. He'll be challenged by former Woodside Energy manager and state government policy advisor Tania Lawrence. Hasluck: Held by Liberal MP Ken Wyatt (left). Labor's candidate is Tania Lawrence (right) Pearce: Held by retiring MP Christian Porter on a notional margin of 5.2 per cent (which takes into account a redistribution). City of Wanneroo Mayor Tracey Roberts is Labor's candidate. TAS Bass: Held by Bridget Archer since 2019 on a 0.4 per cent margin. Labor's candidate is former MP and lawyer Ross Hart. Bass: Held by Liberal MP Bridget Archer (left). Labor's candidate is Ross Hart (right) Braddon: Held by Gavin Pearce since 2019. Labor's candidate is youth worker Chris Lynch. Braddon: Held by Liberal MP Gavin Pearce (left). Labor's candidate is Chris Lynch (right) SA Boothby: Liberal since 1949. Held by retiring MP Nicolle Flint since 2016 with a margin of 1.4 per cent. The Liberal candidate is doctor Rachel Swift. Labor's candidate is charity boss Louise Frost. Boothby: The Liberal candidate is Rachel Swift (left). Labor's is Louise Frost (right) Advertisement Advertisement U.S. military pilot Gail S. Halvorsen - known as the 'Candy Bomber' for his candy airdrops during the Berlin airlift after World War II ended - has died aged 101. Halvorsen died Wednesday following a brief illness in his home state of Utah, surrounded by most of his children, James Stewart, the director of the Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation, said Thursday. Colonel Gail Seymour 'Hal' Halvorsen is best known as the 'Berlin Candy Bomber' or 'Uncle Wiggly Wings' and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin airlift from 1948 to 1949. Halvorsen was beloved and venerated in Berlin, which he last visited in 2019 when the city celebrated the 70th anniversary of the day the Soviets lifted their post-World War II blockade cutting off supplies to West Berlin with a big party at the former Tempelhof Airport in the German capital. 'Halvorsen's deeply human act has never been forgotten,' Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said in a statement. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also praised Halvorsen, who was born in Salt Lake City but grew up on farms before getting his pilot's license. 'I know hes up there, handing out candy behind the pearly gates somewhere,' he said. After the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Halvorsen trained as an Air Force fighter pilot and served as a transport pilot in the South Atlantic during World War II before flying food and other supplies to West Berlin as part of the airlift. Gail Halvorsen, also know as the 'Candy Bomber,' poses for a portrait at his son's home in Midway, Utah, on October 7, 2020 Colonel Gail Seymour 'Hal' Halvorsen is best known as the 'Berlin Candy Bomber' or 'Uncle Wiggly Wings' and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin airlift from 1948 to 1949 Gail Halvorsen is pictured in July 1948 meeting children who congregated there to watch the airplanes, at the barbed wire fence at the end of the Tempelhof runway, Berlin Candy Bomber Gail Halvorsen and his fellow airmen dropped their rations to the children using makeshift parachutes and a C-54 cargo plane According to his account on the Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation's website, Halvorsen had mixed feelings about the mission to help the United States' former enemy after losing friends during the war. But his attitude changed, and his new mission was launched, after meeting a group of children behind a fence at Tempelhof Airport. He offered them the two pieces of gum that he had, broken in half, and was touched to see those who got the gum sharing pieces of the wrapper with the other children, who smelled the paper. He promised to drop enough for all of them the following day as he flew, wiggling the wings of his plane as he flew over the airport, Halvorsen recalled. He started doing so regularly, using his own candy ration, with handkerchiefs as parachutes to carry them to the ground. Soon other pilots and crews joined in what would be dubbed 'Operation Little Vittles.' After an Associated Press story appeared under the headline 'Lollipop Bomber Flies Over Berlin,' a wave of candy and handkerchief donations followed. 'Candy Bomber' pilot Gail Halvorsen gives thumbs up in front of an old US military aircraft with the name 'The Berlin Train' in Frankfurt, Germany, on November 21, 2016 Former Berlin Airlift pilot Gail Halvorsen from the US sniffing a flower he was given by a girl during a ceremony at the Tempelhof Feld, a former airfield in Berlin, in May 2019 Halverson seen here during the war with some of his candy rations The airlift began on June 26, 1948, in an ambitious plan to feed and supply West Berlin after the Soviets - one of the four occupying powers of a divided Berlin after World War II - blockaded the city in an attempt to squeeze the U.S., Britain and France out of the enclave within Soviet-occupied Eastern Germany. Allied pilots flew 278,000 flights to Berlin, carrying about 2.3 million tons of food, coal, medicine and other supplies. Finally, on May 12, 1949, the Soviets realized the blockade was futile and lifted their barricades. The airlift continued for several more months, however, as a precaution in case the Soviets changed their minds. Memories in Germany of American soldiers handing out candy, chewing gum or fresh oranges are still omnipresent - especially for the older generation born during or right after the war. Many fondly remember eating their first candy and fresh fruit during an era when people in bombed-out cities were starving or selling their family heirlooms on the black market for small amounts of of flour, butter or oil just so they could get by. Halvorsen, of Garland, Utah, who started the airlift's 'Operation Little Vittles' for candy-starved Berlin children, demonstrates how handkerchief parachutes were used to drop sweets. He is pictured at 28 years old, then a lieutenant, in January 1949 Berlin youngsters surround Halvorsen (left), an airlift pilot from Garland, Utah, at Tempelhof Airport, Berlin, in October 1948 Halvorsen's efforts to reach out to the people of Berlin helped send a message that they were not forgotten and would not be abandoned, Stewart said. Despite his initial ambivalence about the airlift, Halvorsen, who grew up poor during the Great Depression, recognized a bit of himself in the children behind the fence and made a connection with them, he said. 'A simple person-to-person act of kindness can really change the world,' Stewart said. Edward Morgan, 60, was booked into jail on Friday on a capital murder charge in the 1984 killing of 21-year-old Mary Jane Thompson in the cold murder case The grieving sister of a young woman who was murdered almost 40 years ago is celebrating the capture of a suspect in the cold case. Edward Morgan, 60, was arrested in the killing of Mary Jane Thompson, 21, who was also sexually assaulted in 1984 and found strangled to death, the Dallas County District Attorney's office said. On Friday, Thompson's sister, Selena Tomasello, was finally able to celebrate with news of Morgan's arrest. 'They finally found the guy that killed my sister. I'm so happy. I'm definitely going to his trial,' Tomasello wrote on Twitter. Investigators arrested Morgan, who would have been in his early 20s at the time, on a capital murder charge after linking him to the crime through genealogical databases, prosecutors said Friday. Morgan is being held Friday at the Dallas County jail on a $500,000 bond. His arrest comes nearly 38 years to the day that Thompson's body was found. Thompson, an aspiring model who worked at a florist's shop and a restaurant, moved to Dallas about six months before her February 1984 death, the Dallas Morning News reported. She previously lived in Houston and Los Angeles. Her sister never gave up hope that one day someone would be brought to justice for her murder. 'Mary Jane Thompson you are loved and missed. I am sorry I was not there for you when you needed me. I hope they find the man who killed you 30 years ago so you can rest in peace. Love you sis - rip,' she wrote in 2014. Mary Jane Thompson, 21, disappeared after taking a bus to a medical clinic which was closed Dallas police found a possible connection between Morgan and Thompson, pictured, who was an aspiring model, thanks to the police department's utilization of DNA testing 'They finally found the guy that killed my sister. I'm so happy. I'm definitely going to his trial,' Tomasello wrote online on Friday Mary Jane's sister, Selena Tomasello, also never gave up hope. She is pictured by he sister's gravesite on what would have been her birthday Mary Jane's sister would often post pictures of her sister including that of her gravesite in an effort to keep her memory alive Selena Tomasello would often post about her sister on Facebook. She was always in her memory. 'Mary Jane Thompson you are loved and missed. I am sorry I was not there for you when you needed me. I hope they find the man who killed you 30 years ago so you can rest in peace. Love you sis - rip,' she wrote in October 2014 Thompson was last seen two days before she was found dead behind a warehouse, near some abandoned railway tracks. She had been strangled to death by her own leg warmers. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered on Irving Boulevard on February 13, 1984. Thompson had been taking a bus to a medical clinic that turned out to be closed, the newspaper reported. Prosecutors said Dallas police reopened the case in 2009 and that DNA testing was performed on swabs from the autopsy. Dallas police, pictured on the scene where Thompson's body was found in footage from 1984 Morgan's body was found behind a warehouse near some abandoned railway tracks two days after her murder A male DNA profile was identified but never matched to a specific suspect and the case went cold again. Dallas Police Cold Case Homicide Detective Noe Camacho opened the case once again in 2018 and worked with a team from the district attorney's office and the FBI on looking at the evidence of crimes using new types of forensic testing techniques. In 2020, the FBI joined the investigation task force. Prosecutors said Morgan was identified as a suspect through technology that uses genealogical websites to identify potential relatives of a suspect based on DNA collected at a crime scene. DNA testing confirmed this week that he matched the unidentified profile taken from the autopsy swab in 1984. Mary Jane Thompson was an aspiring model who worked at a florist's shop and a restaurant. She had moved to Dallas about six months before her February 1984 death At the time of her murder, Thompson's father, Norman, told NBC News that he would not rest until the suspect was found. 'I want to put some effort in. See if I can get some justice,' he said. Sadly, Norman Thompson died in November 2020. Morgan faces one count of capital murder and is being held in the Dallas County Jail. 'This case is yet another example of the incredible collaborative effort between the Dallas Police Department, the FBI and the District Attorney's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Cold Case team,' said Dallas County Assistant District Attorney and SAKI Chief Leighton D'Antoni. Thompson was last seen two days before she was found dead behind a warehouse, near some abandoned railway tracks. She had been strangled by her own leg warmers At the time of her murder, Thompson's father, Norman, told NBC News that he would not rest until the suspect was found. 'I want to put some effort in. See if I can get some justice,' he said Sadly, Mary Jane's father, Norman Thompson, died in November 2020 Dallas County Assistant District Attorney and SAKI Chief Leighton D'Antoni 'Working together, we continue to solve the most difficult cold cases that Dallas has ever seen. 'It is not every day we are able to solve a 38-year-old cold-case capital murder,' D'Antoni added. 'It takes a singular dedication and authentic commitment to justice to see it through.' 'I look forward to working with all our local law enforcement agencies to utilize the advancements in forensic testing techniques to identify, arrest and prosecute the most dangerous predators hiding among us. 'We never, ever forget about these cases, our victims, and their families. Thank you to ADA Leighton D'Antoni and Investigators Tammy Goodman Jon Wakefield of the Dallas County District Attorney's Office for their work on this case.' A Michigan woman soon will celebrate a milestone birthday. How old? Look at her decorative upper arm. Gloria Weberg has 'NY NY 1922' tattooed on her left arm, the year and place of her birth. Weberg is turning 100 on March 2 - not your typical age to visit a tattoo artist. But that's what she has done every 10 years since turning 80, The Herald-Palladium reported. Her birth year and New York is under a goddess representing Mother Earth - added at age 80 - and among seven stars representing her children, which she added at age 90. Weberg's family lived out on the island in Far Rockaway when she was born in 1922. She's the oldest of four girls. Gloria Weberg shows off a new tattoo on Feb. 3, 2022, at her home in St. Joseph, Mich., that the had added recently to celebrate her 100th birthday The 'NY NY 1922' joins stars symbolizing her seven children as well as a goddess tattoo representing Mother Earth The family eventually settled in Washington Heights in Manhattan, but noted they moved a lot due to the Great Depression. 'I didn't realize it because my parents were very good at covering it up. We always had food to eat and that was all we need because when you're young, what do you care?' she said. Weberg and her late husband raised their family in the Chicago area. They moved to St. Joseph 30 years ago. She served in the Navy, in the WAVES program (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services) in World War II when women began being accepted into the service. 'We're the first group of women to leave New York City to go to Stillwater, Oklahoma. I had to look on the map to see where Oklahoma even was!' 'My secret is being active,' Weberg said of her longevity. 'To be aware of whats going on in the world in every way, from what my children were doing, their education, how important that was to me.' Weberg sat for an interview in 2021 speaking about how she used to follow around Dr. Martin Luther King Her job was secretarial work to prepare men leaving for war, which she called a very sad part of their job. Weberg would often take her children to see Dr. Martin Luther King speak while she was raising them, she said. She got a college degree at age 55 from Chicago State University and worked as a social worker. 'My secret is being active,' Weberg said of her longevity. 'To be aware of what's going on in the world in every way, from what my children were doing, their education, how important that was to me.' She performs aerobics while watching TV news and regularly enjoys a glass of red wine. As for a tattoo at 110? 'Probably something like, ''Are you still here?'' or ''I'm still here,''' Weberg said. Before modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel - long known as billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's alleged pimp - was found hanged by his bedsheets in a Paris jail cell Saturday, he was known for partying with celebrities and creating some of his own through his agency, according to former business associates. Epstein's French modeling agent friend Jean-Luc Brunel, 75, who allegedly procured more than 1,000 women and girls for the pedophile financier to sleep with, died on Saturday in an apparent prison suicide. Epstein himself was found hanging in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting child sex charges aged 66. Brunel was known for his talent at spotting some of the biggest models in fashion history, some of whom transitioned to A-list film careers, the New York Post reported. He was called a 'brilliant' talent scout with a 'great reputation.' Post sources also described Brunel as a 'coked-out misogynistic pig from day one,' noting that he was often nicknamed 'Jean Cul,' or 'Jean the A**.' Brunel, 74, co-founded Karin Models in Paris in 1977, turning the modeling agency into one of the most prestigious talent companies in the world. He's credited with finding the likes of Sharon Stone, Milla Jovovich, Angie Everhart, Christy Turlington and Monica Bellucci. Brunel was also often spotted partying with superstars like Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio, often in brightly colored clothing and shoes that became a trademark, according to the New York Post. Brunel was found hanging in his cell in La Sante, Paris, days after Prince Andrew, 62, agreed to settle Virginia Roberts's lawsuit accusing him of sex abuse after they allegedly met through Epstein, 66, and Ghislaine Maxwell, 60. Jeffrey Epstein's French modelling agent friend Jean-Luc Brunel (pictured) died on Saturday in an alleged prison suicide Brunel's death in an alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after the financier also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities concluded was a hanging (Maxwell, Epstein and Brunel pictured together) Jeffrey Epstein was found hanged in his New York jail cell in August 2019 while his alleged pimp Jean-Luc Brunel was found hanged in his Paris jail cell February 19 Prosecutors in Paris confirmed Brunel, who is not believed to have been on suicide watch, was found hanging in his cell in Sante, in the south of the capital city, in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was imprisoned in in the infamous Sante after his arrest at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport while he was trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday' in December 2020. Brunel was originally indicted and placed in pre-trial detention in December 2020 for the 'rape of a minor over 15 years old' and harassing two other women. He was also suspected of being a 'pimp' for Epstein, after becoming a close friend of the billionaire financier. Brunel had been placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness for acts of 'human trafficking' and 'exploiting minors for the sexual purposes.' His death has triggered fresh conspiracies over whether he and Epstein were murdered to keep them quiet about powerful friends who also joined in with their alleged child sex abuse, although there is no indication of foul play in either death. Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Sante one of the toughest jails in France. 'A night patrol found his lifeless body at about 1 a.m.,' said an investigating source. 'A judicial enquiry has been launched, and early evidence points to suicide.' Brunel had a 40-year history of discovery models, some of whom went on to become A-list actresses Jean-Luc Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Sante in Paris. Pictured, the prison's corridor He had been in jail being placed under formal investigation in 2020, accused of sexual harassment and the rape of girls aged between 15 and 18 in France. U.S. prosecutors also alleged that Brunel procured girls for Epstein, flying them from France to the States with the promise they could get modeling contracts. Brunel was described as a lecherous rogue who preyed on young women. 'He was a coked-out misogynistic pig from day one,' an American modeling agency executive who has worked at the top levels of IMG and Ford in Paris for 35 years told the Post. 'He was ridiculously high on coke when I interviewed him and totally despicable. He wanted to hire me but I said no. But some of the girls he got as models - he got them so early and ruined their lives. So tragic.' Brunel met Epstein through convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. He later partnered with Epstein in 2004 on MC2 Model Management, which had offices in Miami and New York. The company was disbanded in 2019, the same year he helped start up The Identity Models in New York. Perhaps Brunel's most famous find is said to be model-turned-A-list actress Sharon Stone Model Christy Turlington (left, pictured with Naomi Campbell leaving a Fendi show on January 27, 2021) is long thought to have been credited to Brunel's agency Actress Milla Jovovich is also said to be among the discoveries made by Brunel's agency Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio (left) allegedly partied with Brunel, as did Jack Nicholson (right) Brunel, posing with some of his models from over the years Allegations made against Jeffrey Epstein's friend and modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel Modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel was arrested at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport on while trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday.' He was indicted in September 2021 on a single count of rape. Other allegations against him include: Virginia Roberts Giuffre, 37, said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19; Notified on Friday, December 18, 2020 of the preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old; Preliminary charges of sexually harassing a 16-year-old girl in 2016; Suspected of having organized the transport and lodging of girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein. Advertisement Following the news of his death, Virginia Roberts said she was 'disappointed' that she was not able to face Brunel at a 'final trial to hold him accountable' and added that his alleged suicide 'ends another chapter.' Taking to Twitter following the news of his death on Saturday, she wrote: 'The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter. 'I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable, but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison.' It was in December 2020 that Brunel was indicted after two days of interviews by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-pedophilia unit. While CCTV is commonplace in the corridors and gateways of French prisons, the vast majority of cells are not under video surveillance. This is ensure a degree of privacy, and to make sure that European human rights legislation is not violated. Inmates are sometimes known to record events using devices including mobile phones, but Brunel is thought to have been in a single occupancy cell, said the source. 'There is an investigation going on to confirm all this, but at the moment it looks like he killed himself alone, and it was a routine patrol that found his body hanging,' he said. The source added: 'There were no obvious fears for the prisoner's health, and he was not on a suicide watch, having already been in prison for many months.' The official inquiry into Brunel's sudden death on Saturday being carried out by offices from the 3rd Judicial Police district in Paris. An autopsy was set to be carried out to establish the exact cause of death. Forensic officers were meanwhile examining the cell where Brunel died. La Sante, which was built in the 19th Century, has housed some of the most dangerous prisoners in recent French history. There is a so-called 'VIP section' where inmates include 'super terrorist' and mass killer Carlos the Jackal, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez. Brunel had been placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness for acts of 'human trafficking' and 'exploiting minors for the sexual purposes.' Epstein an old friend and business of associate of Brunel's committed suicide in his prison cell in New York on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial for a range of offences, including trafficking minors for sex and multiple rapes. Virginia Giuffre (pictured) alleged upon Brunel's death that he 'abused' her and 'countless girls and young women' Former model Thysia Huisman, who is among women who have accused Jean-Luc Brunel of rape Brunel's lawyers suggested Saturday that he, too, killed himself. In a statement, they described his 'distress' at his incarceration and his repeated requests for a provisional release from the prison. 'Jean-Luc Brunel never stopped declaring his innocence,' they said. 'His decision was not guided by guilt, but by a deep sentiment of injustice.' The lawyers would not further comment on what happened, and it was unclear whether the jail had suicide prevention measures in place. Brunel's legal team had repeatedly complained about the conditions of his detention and sought to have him released pending trial. Many women have identified themselves as victims and spoken to police since the French probe was opened in 2019. One of them, Thysia Huisman, said the news of Brunel's death sent her into 'shock'. 'It makes me angry, because I've been fighting for years,' Huisman, a Dutch former model who told police she was raped by Brunel as a teenager, told The Associated Press. 'For me, the end of this was to be in court. And now that whole ending, which would help form closure, is taken away from me.' For Giuffre and other victims, the news of Brunel's death was 'devastating,' according a statement from her lawyer, Sigrid McCawley. McCawley said Brunel's death did not end the search for justice. 'For the women who have stood up and called for accountability from law enforcement around the world, it is not how these men died, but how they lived, and the damage they caused to so many. The fight to seek truth and justice goes on,' McCawley said. A lawyer representing Huisman and other victims, Anne-Claire Lejeune, said other women involved in the case feel the same as Huisman. 'Great disappointment, great frustration that (the victims) won't get justice,' she told The AP. She expressed doubt that the investigation would lead to a trial because Brunel was so central to the case. She also voiced concerns that Brunel's death means his accusers will not get official recognition of their status as victims. 'To rebuild yourself (after abuse), that is one of the essential steps,' Huisman said. She expressed hope that Brunel's death would not discourage women from continuing to speak out about abuse. The investigation, along with a growing reckoning in France about sexual misconduct, has 'freed up women to talk about it', she said. 'It's a difficult step that requires a lot of courage and strength.' Brunel was born into a wealthy family in Paris two years after the end of World War II. His father was a successful realtor who amassed a sizable fortune. Brunel's brother, Arnaud Brunel, is a businessman who is regularly featured in society columns. Advertisement Alec Baldwin was spotted heading out for coffee in New York City on Saturday, as a New Mexico DA revealed it was possible the actor might have fired the bullet that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins without pulling the trigger. The breakthrough revelation by Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies comes just days after Hutchins' family sued the beleaguered actor, claiming he is in 'complete denial' of his role in her death and is 'blaming others' over the October 21 shooting. The slain cinematographer's family also claimed Baldwin, 63, is 'not accepting any responsibility' for her sudden death last year and noted that he 'refused any gun safety training, number one.' Carmack-Altwies told Vanity Fair that it was possible the gun that killed Hutchins went off without Baldwin pulling the trigger, as he had previously claimed in a December interview with ABC. 'I didn't pull the trigger,' Baldwin said at the time. 'I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.' The DA said she asked an investigator in the case to bring their own revolver and conducted an unofficial test with two independent inspectors who made sure the gun was empty. 'One of the investigators in my office happens to have a very old type revolver, and so he brought it, at my request, so that we could look at it and see if that was at all possible,' Carmack-Altwies told Vanity Fair. 'Then they visually showed me you can pull the hammer back without actually pulling the trigger and without actually locking it,' she added. 'So you pull it back partway, it doesnt lock, and then if you let it go, the firing pin can hit the primer of the bullet.' Exclusive photos by DailyMail.com show Baldwin, who is back in the United States from his first acting gig since the tragic shooting on the set of Rust, chatting with wife Hilaria, who waited inside the couple's SUV as he made a coffee stop in New York City on Saturday. Alec Baldwin was spotted heading out for coffee in New York City just days after he was hit with a wrongful dead lawsuit by the family of Halyna Hutchins Baldwin, who is back in the States from his first acting gig since the tragic shooting on the set of Rust, chatted with wife Hilaria, who waited inside the couple's SUV, as he made a coffee stop in New York City Baldwin was in England filming the thriller 97 minutes, his first foray back into acting since the prop gun that he was holding went off on the set of now-abandoned Western Rust The slain cinematographer's family also claimed Baldwin, 63, is 'not accepting any responsibility' for her sudden death last year and noted that he 'refused any gun safety training, number one' In an interview with abc in December, Baldwin claimed the prop gun that killed Hutchins went off without him pulling the trigger Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies (pictured) corroborated that Baldwin's claims he did not pull the trigger could be true Baldwin and Hilaria, 38, are parents to six children - daughter Carmen, eight, and sons Rafael, six; Leonardo, five; Romeo, three, and Eduardo, one; and newborn Lucia, one. Alec is also father to model Ireland Baldwin, 26. On Tuesday, the actor purchased a historic 50-acre farm in Vermont for $1.7 million - the same day he was hit with a wrongful death suit by Hutchins' family. The purchase in the small mountain town of Arlington, comes after the actor spent months in the area after fleeing his home in New York City following the tragedy in New Mexico. 'Obviously a purchase is public information,' broker Faith Rhodes, who handled the sale, told local outlet the Bennington Banner on Thursday when asked about the deal. 'It's an historic farm. East Arlington Village is historic itself.' According to Rhodes, the farmhouse is nearly 250 years old and was built in 1780 or 1783. Baldwin's family has deep ties to the area, with his wife Hilaria's grandfather, David Lloyd Thomas Sr., having having resided there for most of his life until his death in March 2020, at 92. On Tuesday, the actor purchased a historic 50-acre farm in Vermont for $1.7million - the same day he was hit with a wrongful death suit by Hutchins' family The home features 'a 3,600 [square foot] main house, and a nicely renovated 1800 [square-foot] guest cottage with 2 baths' (pictured) As the Santa Fe Sheriff Office approaches its fourth month of investigation into the tragic accident on the set of the low-budget Western, criminal charges have yet to be filed against Baldwin. 'Everyone was shocked. The gun was supposed to be empty,' Baldwin said during an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos in December. 'I was told I was handed an empty gun. She [Hutchins] goes down, I thought to myself ''Did she faint?''' Carmack-Altwies' office is expecting that a full forensic report to be conducted later this month will shed light on the make and type of ammunition that killed Hutchins. The Santa Fe DA was reportedly shocked when she first heard Baldwin's claim that he had not pulled the trigger. 'I didn't know too much about guns, certainly not about 1850s-era revolver. So, when I first heard that, I was like, ''Oh that's crazy,''' she told Vanity Fair. Carmack-Altwies' remarks followed Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza's comments saying that 'guns don't just go off. So whatever needs to happen to manipulate the firearm, he did that, and it was in his hands.' She said her office is investigating claims that the shooting had been the result of a carefully planned sabotage by scorned staff, but highlighted there was not evidence that had actually occurred. 'The notion that theres sabotage I mean, there is not one iota of evidence at this point,' she said. An aerial view of the film set on Bonanza Creek Ranch where Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza The Hutchins' family attorney, Brian Panish said that Baldwin had 'refused' training for the kind of gun draw he was doing when he shot Hutchins The revelation comes after Baldwin's return from England, where he was filming the thriller 97 Minutes, his first foray back into acting since the prop gun that he was holding went off on the set of the now-abandoned Western Rust. The movie follows the tale of a hijacked 767 plane that will crash in just 97 minutes when its fuel runs out. Baldwin's role has not been revealed. The actor took to Instagram on Tuesday as he was in Hampshire, saying that 'it's strange to go back to work.' 'I said I would keep a little diary of when I was traveling and working,' Baldwin said in the clip. 'We had our first day today which is always tricky. I don't work as much as I used to ... you go to work and you forget what you're supposed to do.' He added he continues to 'find that hard to say' nearly four months after the tragic incident. 'I went back to work today for the first time in three-and-a-half months,' he said. 'Movies are nearly always the same - everyone's young compared to me, everyone's young. Especially in independent films where there are good people, there are very good people.' Baldwin commented how independent films often feature young people earlier in their careers working hard under time constraints. The suit against Alec and Rust producers, filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles, claimed 'reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures led to the death of Halyna Hutchins,' noting that Hutchins 'would be alive and well, hugging her husband and nine-year-old son' had proper protocols been followed on set. 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 goes on to say 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, unit production manager Katherine 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.' At least three other lawsuits have been filed over the shooting, but this is the first directly tied to one of the two people shot. A 10-minute video created by the attorneys showed a 3D animated recreation of the shooting during a rehearsal in a church. The law firm handling the case produced this video that shows an animated recreation of the shooting, complete with a Baldwin avatar In the video, Baldwin accepts the revolver and points it at Hutchins, who is standing next to the camera in a church set Baldwin fires, and the round strikes Hutchins, 42, in the chest (left). Moments later Hutchins collapses on the floor after being shot (right) The animation shows that the round in the gun was not a typical 'dummy' bullet with a hole drilled in the middle It shows a computer-generated avatar representing Baldwin accepting the Colt gun from Halls, pointing it in Hutchins' direction and firing. The animation shows that the bullet in the chamber was live and not a 'dummy' with a hole drilled into it. The round strikes Hutchins, who clutches her chest and collapses in the video. The Hutchins' family attorney, Brian Panish, said that Baldwin had 'refused' training for the kind of gun draw he was doing when he shot Hutchins. The lawsuit also claims that Baldwin never checked the gun himself for ammunition before using it. They also presented a list of 'at least 15 industry standards' an attorney for the family said producers had ignored on set. These included failure to use a prop gun rather than a live weapon, a lack of individuals qualified to handle weapons on set at the time of the shooting, and lack of protective equipment for crew. Panish also produced a copy of a text message where a local camera operator made safety complaints to producers that there had been three unsafe weapons discharges on the set, calling the environment 'super unsafe'. The unit production manager responded 'with callous sarcasm,' according to the lawsuit. He said in response that it was 'awesome' and 'sounds good'. International tourists will be welcomed to Australia with toy koalas and jars of vegemite as Scott Morrison finally opens the border. The prime minister said the reopening of Western Australia and the rest of the country heralded a new phase of the Covid pandemic, with the first tourists scheduled to arrive on Monday morning. 'What we will see is these flights increase, and we will particularly see them increasing imports like here in Melbourne,' he told reporters at Melbourne airport. 'Already in Sydney, where we have had the airports and other areas open for much longer, I have no doubt Melbourne will start to receive even more of those flights.' International tourists will be welcomed to Australia with toy koalas and jars of vegemite as Scott Morrison announces a new phase in the Covid pandemic (pictured, arrivals in Sydney) Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) said the reopening of Western Australia and the rest of the country heralded a new phase of the Covid pandemic Mr Morrison said a $40 million campaign from Tourism Australia launched last week will coincide with the highly-anticipated border reopening. 'They have been getting ready over the course of the pandemic. I know the tourism industry and the airlines have been getting ready, so all the readiness puts us in a strong position to go forward from tomorrow,' the prime minister said. The first Qantas plane is due to land at 6.30am on Monday and will mark the country's first convoy of international tourists in two years. Arrivals will be greeted by drag queens and a Surf Life Saving crew and be gifted a goodie bag containing vegemite and stuffed koalas and kangaroos. Airline staff will be poised to hand the first load of visitors signs, flags and eucalyptus leaves with a DJ to play Australian hits at a party in Sydney airport. Across Australia, 56 international flights will bring tourists from Canada, the UK, the US, and Japan over 24 hours. International arrivals will be greeted by drag queens and a Surf Life Saving crew and be gifted a goodie bag containing vegemite and stuffed koalas (pictured, arrivals in Melbourne) The first Qantas plane is due to land at 6:30am on Monday and will be the country's first convoy of international tourists in over two years (pictured, arrivals in Brisbane) Mr Morrison reminded citizens the closure of the international border meant Australia had one of the lowest Covid death rates in the world. He added that high vaccination rates and effective handling of the virus allowed the country to scrap its hard border and finally open up to tourists. 'That's why the wait is over, Australia, because you've done the hard yards. You've done the work, you've pushed through,' he said. Tourism Minister Dan Tehan echoed the PM's sentiments and said the welcoming of international arrivals was a vital step in recovering from the virus. 'Australia's health and economic response to the pandemic has been among the best in the world, with one of the highest vaccination rates and low mortality,' he said. Mr Tehan said international tourists would come to see the country's iconic attractions, enjoy the food and drink and learn about Indigenous culture. 'Millions of people around the world dream of visiting Sydney and our regional areas, it's great to see the planes return and their dreams coming true,' Dominic Perrottet (pictured) said Unvaccinated returning Australians from overseas will need to stay in hotel quarantine for one week (pictured, a passenger is swabbed in Sydney airport) 'Australia is the best country in the world and we're excited to be sharing it with the rest of the world again,' he said. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said a $530 million recovery package would provide a much-needed boost to the tourism sector as the first flights touched down. He said the arrival of international visitors would advance the state's recovery. 'Millions of people around the world dream of visiting Sydney and our regional areas, it's great to see the planes return and their dreams coming true,' the premier said. Australia opened its border in stages after only allowing Australian citizens and permanent residents from March 2020. Since November, 92,000 visitors, 80,000 international students, 35,000 skilled visa holders and 5,600 working holiday makers have arrived in the country. On Friday, WA Premier Mark McGowan announced his state would finally reopen to the rest of the world with the hard border to be lifted at 12am on March 3. Both interstate and international travellers will be required to complete a G2G pass before entering the state, and take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours of arrival. Only interstate travellers who have had three Covid doses, if eligible, will be able to enter the state without quarantining upon arrival. Since November, 92,000 visitors, 80,000 international students, 35,000 skilled visa holders and 5,600 working holiday makers have arrived in the country (pictured, Sydney airport) On Friday, WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) announced his state would finally reopen to the rest of the world with the hard border to be lifted at 12am on March 3 Unvaccinated returning Australians from overseas will need to stay in hotel quarantine for one week. 'We have an outbreak in WA that we can't stop and its numbers continue to climb,' Mr McGowan said. 'Eventually there comes a point where the border is ineffective.' Tourists must be double-vaccinated to land in Australia and will need to undertake a negative PCR test three days before their flight - or a supervised rapid test 24 hours before departure - to be exempt from any quarantine. Mr Morrison said the decision was made because Australia is now ravaged with the Omicron variant of Covid, meaning international travellers don't pose an extra risk. 'The variant is here in Australia. And for those who are coming in who are double vaccinated, they don't present any greater risk than those who are already here in Australia.' Ric Grenell, a former German Ambassador, said that Joe Biden ignores diplomatic channels that could stave off conflict, and he disapproves of what the president is doing. He called out the national media drowning out sense and only makes it worse. Predictions of a Russian invasion have not come to pass, but the White House is pushing war hysteria despite being asked by the Ukrainians to stop it. US Should Consider Diplomacy To Prevent Conflict Biden is marching everyone to war, said ex-Ambassador Ric Grenell last Friday when he told Newsmax that it was a wrong decision. He lamented that Biden's lack of insight into foreign policy led the United States to another disaster.Remarked the diplomatic core is not used when talking to Russian officials would be better than how it dealt with. Grenell, the former Acting Director of the United States National Intelligence, spoke to Stinchfield last Friday, saying to question the POTUS and his decision to commit US forces to conflict on a non-NATO ally is willing to sacrifice American lives for that. More than ten soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan, and now he is letting that happen again that easily. The ex-intelligence officer states why the administration doesn't place pressure on Berlin, the wealthiest bloc member and has the most surplus budget but has not paid its NATO dues, leading to the question of whether the president is incapable of forcing Germany to face down Russia. It is wise for the US president to do that instead of sending military forces. Grenell further asks why benching diplomats to negotiate a peace pact is not being done. Read Also: Joe Biden's Agenda Not To Prioritize Fossil Fuel Development in the US Backfired With a Looming Fuel, Energy Crisis All the pronouncement of bloody conflict and that it is coming should not be happening when it can be avoided. Grenell added that sanctioning the Nord Stream 2 should snuff the funds that drive this conflict, per Euractiv. Despite this, the president seems to be unable to find a solution, even if it is already apparent. US Warns To Sanction Grenell added that Moscow has a pipeline but not a healthy economy, and the natural gas pipeline is what they need. But the Biden administration is not sanctioning anything but only empty threats, which is not a show of strength. Vladimir Putin is not fazed by Joe Biden and has outmaneuvered him. Some of the previous measures discussed are for the US to convince allies to cut Russia off the international banking system to force Putin to desist. It is not happening at all. The administration should consider peaceful diplomacy, not prove Vladimir Putin. It is not used fully compared to other options, so ambassadors are not doing anything about it. Ignoring it could be dangerous to everyone. Donald Trump Would Have Handled It Better A comparison was drawn to ex-president Donald Trump, who did not start any new wars in four years. Reuters noted that Biden, who's done the opposite, whose foreign policy allegedly sent young soldiers home in coffins from Kabul. Trump brought everyone home in one piece most of the time. Last Friday, Washington persisted in claiming that President Putin wanted a conflict by an invasion of Ukraine, which he repeatedly denies. Grenell stated that the White House is making a mistake not prioritizing diplomacy over expecting an invasion. Related Article: Republican Senator Tells Joe Biden To Take Responsibility For Rising Fuel Prices, Stop Using Putin as an Excuse To Deflect Blame @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It is Mr Johnson's third trip to Europe for talks over a potential conflict breaking out in eastern Europe Advertisement Boris Johnson has warned that evidence suggests that Vladimir Putin is planning 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945' and said there are signs the plan has 'in some senses' begun. The Prime Minister told the BBC's Sophie Raworth that intelligence suggests Russia intends to launch an attack coming down from Belarus to encircle Ukraine's capital Kiev - a city with a population of 2.8 million people. Speaking after the Munich Security Conference, he said: 'The plan that we're seeing is for something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale.' His comments mirrored President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting Kiev. Mr Johnson also said that people needed to understand 'the sheer cost in human life' that such an invasion could 'entail', both for Ukrainians and Russians. He added: 'All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun.' His stark warning came after he warned an invasion of Ukraine appear to be 'in motion' and could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Boris Johnson said intelligence suggests Russia intends to launch an attack coming down from Belarus to encircle Ukraine's capital Kiev. Pictured: The Prime Minister meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kiev on February 19 Mr Johnson also said that people needed to understand 'the sheer cost in human life' that such an invasion could 'entail', both for Ukrainians and Russians. Pictured: Russian president Vladimir Putin A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told world leaders at the Munich Security Conference that an invasion of Ukraine by Russia would bring about the 'destruction of a democratic state', as he called for unity among the West in reacting to any attack Ukrainian civilians are trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday Citizens of the Donetsk People's Republic are seen at a railway station in Debaltsevo during a mass evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region As tension escalated in east Ukraine on Friday, the leaders of the Lugansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic announced a mass evacuation of civilians to Russia Volunteers are seen at a mobilisation station as tension escalated in east Ukraine on Saturday when a mass evacuation of civilians to Russia was announced The Prime Minister said that aggression in separatist-held areas in the east of Ukraine had the potential be a 'prelude to bigger action', with the West fearing a so-called 'false flag' operation that could give Moscow cover to wage war on Kiev. Mr Johnson made the comments to broadcasters following his speech to the Munich Security Conference, where he is meeting world leaders to discuss the tension in eastern Europe. Speaking at the summit today, Mr Johnson said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. While in Munich, Mr Johnson has held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to whom he offered the UK's 'unequivocal support' - and has met German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of Latvia and Estonia. Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Johnson said: 'If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections. Mr Boris jetted to the annual conference in Bavaria to make a plea to avoid 'unnecessary bloodshed' by diplomatic means if the West speaks with 'one voice'. Volunteers are seen at a mobilisation station in east Ukraine on Saturday after a mass evacuation of civilians to Russia was announced as tensions escalate Johnson used the summit to address the rising tensions over a potential war breaking out with a Russian invasion of Ukraine While in Munich, Mr Johnson has met with new German chancellor Olaf Scholz (pictured together) and the leaders of Latvia and Estonia German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson pose for media prior to their meeting Police officers stand guard at a railway station as citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic board a Russia-bound train during a mass evacuation from Lugansk, east Ukraine Citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic arrive to a railway station to board a Russia-bound train during mass evacuation from Lugansk, east Ukraine. The train is the first to depart for Russia from the Lugansk People's Republic since 2014 Ukrainian civilians are trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday Ukrainian male civilians were seen wearing camouflage gear and firing guns as they were trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday The formation of the Territorial Defense Force is to harness well-trained civilian reservists around the country, led by professional soldiers, to help combat Russia's possible invasion Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, the Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment' In a video posted on social media, the Mr Johnson said: 'Unity is absolutely vital if we are going to deter what I think would be an absolutely catastrophic act of aggression by Vladimir Putin' 'And every time Western ministers have visited Kiev, we have reassured the people of Ukraine and their leaders that we stand four-square behind their sovereignty and independence. 'How hollow, how meaningless, how insulting those words would seem if at the very moment when their sovereignty and independence is imperilled we simply look away. 'If Ukraine is invaded, the shock will echo around the world, and those echoes will be heard in East Asia they will be heard in Taiwan. Speaking about Ukraine tensions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the 'omens are grim' from Russia. He added: 'We should not underestimate the gravity of this moment and what is at stake. 'As I speak to you today, we do not fully know what President Putin intends, but the omens are grim and that is why we must stand strong together. Mr Johnson was joined in Munich by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who met with counterparts including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Speaking at the summit, Ms Truss said Uraine could face the worst-case scenario of a Russian invasion as soon as next week, and that Europe was facing one of its most perilous security situations since the early 20th century. 'The reality is that Russia does want to turn the clock back,' said Truss. 'In the last week alone, we've seen a doubling of disinformation, and we've seen false flag operations in the Donbass region. I'm afraid that Russia has shown that they are not serious about diplomacy.' Ukrainian civilians are trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic as tensions escalate in east Ukraine Citizens of the Donetsk People's Republic are seen at a railway station in Debaltsevo during a mass evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region Citizens of the Donetsk People's Republic are seen outside a train at a railway station in Debaltsevo during a mass evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region The Prime Minister has arrived at the Munich Security Conference where he will make a plea for 'unnecessary bloodshed' to be avoided by pursuing a diplomatic route to prevent a conflict in eastern Europe Boris Johnson met with Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian President Egils Levits during the summit Before his arrival at the security conference in Germany, Mr Johnson posted a video on social media from his plane in which he said: 'Unity is absolutely vital if we are going to deter what I think would be an absolutely catastrophic act of aggression by Vladimir Putin. 'My message today is that there is still time to avert a disaster, that diplomacy will prevail.' It is Mr Johnson's third trip to Europe this month to meet allies to discuss the situation in Ukraine, having met NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and Poland's leaders last week. He also held a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 1, where Mr Johnson said: 'A further Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a political disaster, a humanitarian disaster, and in my view it would also be for Russia and the world a military disaster.' Whitehall figures are now said to be convinced Vladimir Putin is planning to order Russian forces to attack. Melinda Simmons, the British ambassador to Ukraine, has said she hopes to be working in the Ukrainian capital again 'as soon as possible' after it was announced the UK's embassy was being 'temporarily' relocated to the west of the country, near the border of Poland. World leaders are convening in Bavaria as fears grow that instability in Russian separatist-held areas of Ukraine could spark an invasion by Moscow forces. The annual summit comes against a backdrop of President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting the capital Kiev. Mr Biden told a White House press briefing on Friday he was 'convinced' Mr Putin had 'made the decision' to move his military across the border, having spent weeks saying he thought the Russian leader was undecided. Mr Johnson was joined in Munich by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who met with counterparts including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Speaking at the summit, Ms Truss said that Russia actions in the last week showed that they 'were not serious about diplomacy' World leaders are convening in Bavaria as fears grow that instability in Russian separatist-held areas of Ukraine could spark an invasion by Moscow forces. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also at the summit, pictured here with other foreign ministers The annual summit comes against a backdrop of President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting the capital Kiev - a city with a population of 2.8 million people Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic on Saturday A police officer stands guard at a railway station as citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic board a Russia-bound train during a mass evauation from Lugansk, east Ukraine Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic on Saturday A Ukrainian serviceman points to the direction of the incoming shelling next to a building which was hit by a large caliber mortar shell in the frontline village of Krymske, Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic as tension escalated in east Ukraine this weekend Only hours before his statement, the UK Foreign Office announced it had decided to 'temporarily' move its diplomats out of Kiev, relocating them to the west of the country. The department said British embassy officials will relocate to Lviv, situated near the border with Poland. With estimates that 150,000 Russian troops are posted around Ukraine's borders, Mr Johnson has previously called the situation 'very grim'. But in comments made before embarking on his trip to Germany, the Prime Minister said 'diplomacy can still prevail' if the West puts on a united front in terms of agreeing punishing sanctions to slap on Moscow. 'There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,' he said. 'Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. 'Diplomacy can still prevail. 'That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.' The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Mr Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. Pictured: Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin Tank army units loaded onto a troop train return from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Mr Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. Vladimir Putin today personally oversaw a series of the nuclear as he sends a MIG armed with a hypersonic missile over the Mediterranean amid increasing fears of an imminent invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko joined Putin in the Kremlin's situation to watch over the strategic drills on screens. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels. Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today's manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are 'purely defensive' and do not represent a threat to any other country. There are concerns among western allies that the Kremlin could use 'disinformation' and a possible 'false flag' operation to justify an offensive, particularly with growing activity in separatist-held areas of Ukraine. Mr Biden said claims by Russian separatists that Ukraine is planning to launch an offensive into the battle-torn Donbas region 'defies basic logic', given the country is currently surrounded by foreign troops. The annual summit comes against a backdrop of President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting the capital Kiev - a city with a population of 2.8 million people. Pictured: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the conference today The US leader also said suggestions made in the Russian state media that a genocide is taking place in the Donbas were 'phoney'. Tensions in separatist areas have increased with reports of separate explosions in recent days. Two explosions shook the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk early on Saturday, while another was reported to have occurred in the centre of the city of Donetsk on Friday. The Luhansk Information Centre said one of the blasts was in a natural gas main and cited witnesses as saying the other was at a vehicle service station. There was no immediate word on injuries or a cause. Luhansk officials blamed a gas main explosion earlier in the week on sabotage. The conflict between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists erupted in 2014 following the ousting of the pro-Moscow government in Kiev and has killed more than 14,000 people. Holidaymakers face a 25 per cent rise in air fares this summer due to the rising cost of jet fuel. International fares will go up by an average of five per cent each month until June, with the most significant rises between now and March, according to travel app booking company Hopper. Analysis by The Mail on Sunday found that the 25 per cent rise would increase the average price of a return trip from London to Orlando home of Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park in early August from 918 to 1,148. Analysis by The Mail on Sunday found that the 25 per cent rise would increase the average price of a return trip from London to Orlando (pictured) in early August from 918 to 1,148 A family of four travelling from London to Majorca during the August school holidays would pay 600 for flights an extra 120. Record oil prices have led to the average barrel of jet fuel, the single largest expense for airlines, rising 68 per cent over the past 12 months. Independent aviation consultant Chris Smith said: 'The fuel price will wash directly through. If it goes up, then airlines will pass that on to the consumer.' He said this was unlikely to deter Covid-weary passengers, who would put up with the added costs to get away. 'People who would normally go on holiday three or four times a year haven't been able to go,' he said. 'They will want to resume normal operations as soon as they can.' Larger airlines, such as British Airways, typically agree a fixed price for much of their fuel in advance to reduce exposure to sudden jumps in oil prices. 'However, the recent spikes have been so large and sustained that they are likely to be left with little choice but to pass these costs on to passengers.' Former BA chief executive Willie Walsh, who is now director-general of the International Air Transport Association, said it was 'unlikely that most airlines will have significant hedging in place to protect them against this increase in the oil prices'. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said this month that air fares for this year's summer rebound would be significantly higher than pre-Covid prices for the same period in 2019. The rises will cause dismay to households already battling increased bills for everything from energy to food. But John Strickland, who heads aviation consultancy JLS, said airlines would be wary of charging hard-pressed passengers too much. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said this month that air fares for this year's summer rebound would be significantly higher than pre-Covid prices for the same period in 2019 (stock photo used) He said the 'fragile recovery and competition would make it difficult for airlines to pass it on to the customer'. The UK boss of Air France-KLM last week warned that higher air fares had become 'quite unavoidable'. Fahmi Mahjoub said passengers should brace themselves for costlier trips as a result of higher fuel and airport costs. He said: 'The increase in cost of living is a very concrete issue for many households but also the airline industry. 'So I think there is an expectation that airline tickets could become more costly and I think the advice we have for customers is simply to plan earlier to be able to avoid those price increases.' Tory MP Penny Mordaunts brother has condemned the Governments stance on gay and trans rights, saying that Conservative MPs are complicit in the hatred. James Mordaunt, who is the Trade Ministers twin, has previously been very supportive of his sister, with the pair sharing pictures and speaking of their pride in each other. But in recent weeks Mr Mordaunt, who is gay, has told his 45,000 Twitter followers that LGBTQI+ rights have gone backwards under the Tories. The 48-year-old added: If you are a member of the Conservative Party, a Conservative MP, part of this homophobic transphobic Government, you are complicit. James Mordaunt, who is the Trade Ministers twin, has previously been very supportive of his sister, with the pair sharing pictures and speaking of their pride in each other It doesnt matter what your voting record is, you are now very clearly working in a system that makes the lives of LGBTQI+ people drastically worse off All people in my community want is to live their lives as themselves. James, a Virgin Atlantic steward and keen bodybuilder, singled out Oliver Dowden for criticism following a speech he made last week railing against woke warriors. The co-chair of the Conservative Party denounced an obsession with pronouns and movements attempting to erase history through attacks on past political figures. Speaking to the Heritage Foundation, Mr Dowden said: For them, nothing is sacred A West confident in its values would not be obsessing over pronouns, or indeed seeking to decolonise mathematics. But Mr Mordaunt took aim, telling his followers: Im done with these people. A white straight cis man saying how dangerous the ideology of woke is and how threatening it is having to use pronouns. What the hell do you know about threat, you privileged entitled awful man. Not a shred of compassion for people different to you. He has never criticised his sister on social media and offered praise at an event they attended in 2019. He wrote: Always proud of my amazing sister but watching her and Sadiq Khan open London Pride and walking the march at the very front was just the coolest thing ever. Ms Mordaunt, who has been an advocate of gay rights, has also praised her brother, including when he volunteered to work in a Nightingale Hospital during the pandemic. A black female high school student has admitted to scrawling racist graffiti over the drinking fountains at her high school, district authorities said Friday, telling them that it was a 'prank that went sideways.' The vandal inked the words 'colored' and 'white' over two water fountains at McClatchy High School in what appeared to be a reference to segregated drinking fountains found during the era of segregation in the Jim Crow South. The unnamed girl was caught on video and confessed to the act. The school district has said she will still be disciplined. 'It was a prank that went sideways is my characterization of what the young woman said in her confession,' Mark Harris, a community liaison for the Sacramento Unified School District, said at a press conference. He said that he didn't think that the girl was motivated by racism or hate. 'I don't believe those words that were on those water fountains were racist,' Harris said. 'I do not believe they were hate crime or hate speech. Part of it quite honestly is because the admitted perpetrator is a young African American woman.' A black female student has confessed to scrawling racist graffiti over water fountains at McClatchy High School, according to Sacramento School District officials. Local activists say they doubt the investigation because other older racist graffiti investigations have not concluded Mark Harris, a community liaison with the school district, said that the racist graffiti was just a 'prank gone sideways' Harris, who stood beside local black leaders at a press conference, specializes in civil rights issues and was hired by the district to help address racism and racial equity issues in local schools. He asked the community for its patience and understanding when it comes to the fallout for the vandalism. 'It should be a moment for our community to come together and make sure this doesn't destroy this person's life,' he told the Sacramento Bee. 'We don't know why she did it,' said Harris. 'This is not a situation that is the same as an overt deliberate move to do something that is racist, destructive, negative, etc.' Nevertheless, school district authorities said last week that they will discipline the child. 'Sac City Unified takes any instance of racial intolerance extremely seriously because such acts harm our students and our entire community,' Superintendent Jorge Aguilar said. 'While identification of the person involved in this incident has been addressed, we also will remain focused on supporting the healing of students and staff who have been impacted by this troubling act of vandalism.' Local parents are disturbed by the multiple incidents of racism in the Sacramento schools A black girl was caught on video in the act of scrawling racist graffiti above two school drinking fountains The McClatchy High School administrators said that the girl would face appropriate discipline for her act of vandalism Black leaders said that they distrusted the city school district's investigation and said that the race of the offender shouldn't be a factor in determining whether or not it's a hate crime. Berry Accius, who heads Voice of Youth, told DailyMail.com that he was told by a local council member that the culprit was a black male - not a female - and that he distrusts the district's investigation at this point. He said that the district is trying to sweep the incidents under the rug because of the negative attention that it has brought to Sacramento. He called on Harris and the district authorities to release the video footage that obscures the face of the girl but proves once and for all that it is in fact a black student. 'I disagree with it not being a hate crime because at the end of the day we understand when you have ''colored'' on one water faucet and ''white'' on another kind of faucet what that means whether it's 1950 or 2022,' Berry Accius, who heads the group Voice of Youth, told CBS News 13. He called the act 'ignorant.' Youth activist Berry Accius said that he was told that the culprit was a black male. He believes that the district is trying to underplay the problem of racism in the Sacramento schools Berry Accius, head of Voice of Youth, says that it doesn't matter if the culprit is black, it should still be considered a hate crime. He said he doubts the conclusion of the district's investigation Harris defended the findings. 'I've been practicing law for 40 years, people typically don't confess to things they didn't do, unless they're under duress or coercion. And nobody has claimed that; not her, not her family,' Harris said in front of the high school. 'There is video corroborating her confession.' There have been multiple incidents of racist and hate-filled graffiti in Sacramento schools lately. Last week, the N-word, a swastika and 'KKK' were written on a wall at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Sacramento. Racist graffiti was written about an assistant principal at West Campus High School last November five times on a wall near her parking spot. Sacramento Police are investigating the incident and have identified three suspects. Sacramento Police released this surveillance video of men that they spoke to in connection with racist vandalism that targeted a West Campus High School vice principal Sacramento Police have not said that the men in the video surveillance were responsible for the racist graffiti that targeted a West Campus High School vice principal In January, a seventh-grade teacher was fired after she used a racial slur in front of her students at Kit Carson International Academy. 'Why is it when you find something like this we find the Black students quicker than we find the white students,' Greater Sacramento NAACP president Betty Williams said. 'I want you to put that same energy into West Campus. I want you to put that same energy into every school district that's dealing with these issues. It's a problem. We have racism that's rooted in this school district.' A British woman who fled the UK to be with her fugitive husband has been found dead from a single stab wound. Police initially assumed that Tracey Brown had taken her own life after her body was discovered at a Black Sea resort on Christmas Day. But The Mail on Sunday has learned that Bulgarian prosecutors are now examining other possibilities, including foul play, after receiving new information from the UK. Her husband Martin a fugitive who faces assault charges in Britain dating back to 2017 is understood to have told investigators that he discovered his wifes body in their Fiat camper van after he returned from walking their dogs near the coastal city of Burgas. Her husband Martin a fugitive who faces assault charges in Britain dating back to 2017 is understood to have told investigators that he discovered his wifes body in their camper van The 39-year-old has not been questioned as a suspect. Mrs Brown, 54, sold her successful accountancy business and five-bedroom farmhouse near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, four years ago after her husband fled Britain, later joining him in France. She left behind a son, now 18, from a previous marriage which ended when she began an affair with Mr Brown ten years ago. A close friend said: She was besotted with him and bought him a motorbike and a car. She loved the fact that he was 16 years younger than her. The pair travelled across France in a motor home, at one stage planning to run a guest house, before moving to Portugal, Spain and finally Bulgaria, where they ran out of money. Her father Alan Kershaw, who runs an engineering business, said: We never believed this was suicide so we welcome the latest development. We just want the police to get to the truth of what happened. Mr Kershaw and his wife Ann, both 73, said they have heard several conflicting accounts of their daughters death, including that she bled to death from a knife wound to the groin, but nothing official. It has been extremely difficult getting anything out of the Bulgarian police, he added. He last saw the couple in May 2018 in Italy. Relations had been strained for some time, but [Tracey] rang me on my birthday and I thought it might be an opportunity to mend bridges, Mr Kershaw added. He said in recent months the pair asked frequently for money, including 1,000 for a new tyre for the camper van, which he refused. Lancashire Police said Mr Brown faces three outstanding charges from January 2017 assault with intent on a police officer, a separate charge of assault and another of damage to a property. A senior SAS commander has called for a violent revolution in Australia with 'traitor' nurses, politicians, and billionaires to be hanged for inventing a 'hoax pandemic'. Riccardo Bosi, 61, is a former Lieutenant-Colonel, motivational speaker, and leader of an unregistered political party called AustraliaOne. The ex-soldier's Covid conspiracy theories have circulated on far-right social media as well as his public calls for the execution of several high-profile Australians. Riccardo Bosi, 61, (pictured) is a former Lieutenant-Colonel, motivational speaker and leader of an unregistered political party called AustraliaOne The former Lieutenant-Colonel has appeared and spoken at several 'freedom rallies', including the Convoy to Canberra held last weekend (pictured, protesters in Melbourne) The former Lieutenant-Colonel has appeared and spoken at several 'freedom rallies', including the Convoy to Canberra held last weekend,' the West Australian reported. In a recent video interview Bosi called for the shut-down of Australia's power, sewerage and 'communications to every globalist and elitist enterprise'. 'If our international friends want to help, you can do the same. Shut down every Australian business, every Australian industry, every Australian High Commission and every Australian Consulate,' he said. The former soldier warns he has a list of names of 'traitors' who will face a violent end if found guilty of playing a role in the 'pandemic hoax'. 'One by one we'll get them,' he told supporters in Western Australia last year. 'I'm not a nice guy. This (the coming war) is going to be brutal, but only in direct proportion to the brutality that these people have visited upon us.' Bosi said former prime ministers and Justices of the High Court will be first 'to swing' followed by state premiers, billionaires, and even doctors and nurses. 'We're going to be hanging an exemplar from every piece of the Australian machinery: the polity, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, the military, the media,' he said. 'Everybody is up for the high-jump. If they do deserve to hang, they will hang.' The former soldier (pictured) warns he has a list of names of 'traitors' who will face a violent end if found guilty of playing a role in the 'pandemic hoax' Experts say as anti-vaxxer demonstrators look for other outlets to oppose the Australian government, movements like Bosi's can satisfy that desire (pictured, freedom rally in Sydney) He refers to Nuremberg 2.0 as the rationale for trying and prosecuting individuals who played a role in the pandemic 'hoax' - in the same way Nazi leaders faced tribunals after the Holocaust. Bosi warned the doctors and nurses who injected the Covid vaccine into the arms of Australians would be held to account for their actions. 'It's not just the various chief health officers around Australia who are going to be compelled to answer for their actions. Every doctor, every nurse that participated in this, to whatever degree, is going to be held to account,' he warned. In another video he warned followers the violent uprising could cost them dearly but had to be done anyway. 'Be brave. Some of us might be hurt, and some of us might die,' he said. 'We are about to enter a period of history without precedent, a war for the world and we you and I are on the front line.' His plans for a violent revolution follow a failed political career in which he unsuccessfully contest the 2019 federal election for the Australian Conservatives. The former colonel received just 513 votes when he ran as an independent in the Eden Monaro by-election in 2020, and finished second-last when he ran for the seat of Nicklin in Queensland's state election a few months later. The former soldier's plans for a violent revolution comes after a failed political career which saw him unsuccessfully contest the 2019 federal election for the Australian Conservatives The AustraliaOne party has over 46,000 followers on Facebook and has been represented at major rallies in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra (pictured, a protester in Canberra) The AustraliaOne party has over 46,000 followers on Facebook and has been represented at major rallies in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Dressed head-to-toe in army camouflage, Bosi told crowds of protesters in the nation's capital that immediate action had to be taken. 'If we f**k this, we lose. Do you understand this? We either win, or lose. There is no middle ground. Those bastards out there are already killing our kids,' he warned. 'What do you think they've got in store for us next? This is our last throw the dice. 'You've seen what they have planned for us. You've seen the vaccination camps. Have you seen how they have gas pipes connecting them? 'Has that happened before? Don't get into the cattle cars and get shipped off like a bunch of cattle or sheep There are no more chances folks, this is it.' The former SAS officer, among many other conspiracy theoriests, accused the Australian Federal Police of using long range acoustic and electromagnetic weapons to force crowds of demonstrators to move on. He claimed the interruptions meant attendees were unable to upload footage from the march to social media in yet another attempt to silence crowds. 'You've seen what they have planned for us. You've seen the vaccination camps. Have you seen how they have gas pipes connecting them?' Bosi asked attendees during a march in Canberra experts fear far-right and anti-vaccine movements could result in individuals carrying out terror attacks after being radicalised (pictured, protesters in Melbourne last November) Ending mandates is just one of Bosi's goals for his AustraliaOne party and he plans to create a new executive government council to take the place of parliament once it is dissolved. Bosi says the council will have three months to 'clean up the electoral system' before the 'first free and fair election in 60 years' is held. 'That's when you get a chance to decide for yourselves what should be done as a result of this monstrous Covid plan-demic that has been foisted upon us and the entire world,' he told the crowds. Bosi holds bizarre views about coronavirus, and insists it can be easily cured and therefore Covid restrictions were 'not about health'. 'The virus can be simply killed by staying in the shower for 15 minutes at a time and breathing through the nose,' he said in one speech. 'To think that ending the mandates is any sort of victory is just insane,' he said. 'It's one of the reasons we're here but you don't negotiate with a bunch of politicians who have been robbing from us, maiming us and killing us,' he told the crowds. Bosi was also photographed delivering a speech to about 70 attendees of the True Blue Crew Aussie Pride March in June of 2018. They are self proclaimed 'patriots' against the 'Islamisation of Australia' and the 'left wing' and are led by Blair Cottrell, a known neo-Nazi and far-fight activist. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess last month expressed grave concerns about right-wing groups hijacking large rallies to recruit new followers. Experts warn as anti-lockdown and anti-vaxxer demonstrators look for other outlets to oppose the Australian Government, movements like Bosi's can satisfy that desire. They fear far-right and anti-vaccine movements could result in individuals carrying out terror attacks after being radicalised by talk of taking up arms and executions. The growing presence of extremist groups on social media within Australia has intelligence officials deeply concerned (pictured, a protester in Melbourne last November) The growing presence of extremist groups on social media within Australia has intelligence officials deeply concerned, after reports of neo-Nazis infiltrating and hijacking anti-vaccine rallies around the country. Bosi himself has threatened and encouraged executions of notable public figures, including Alan Jones, Peta Credlin, and Ita Buttrose for their silence over what they describe as 'vaccine genocide'. In a 60 Minutes story earlier this year, Mr Burgess said right wing extremist groups took up the majority of the intelligence agency's work. 'They are getting our full attention at this particular time. We're seeing people as young as 16 and 17 in these groups, that concerns us,' he told the program. 'They're middle class, they're well educated. They understand the ideology, they look like every day Australians and they're not openly showing their violent beliefs.' Even if we knew nothing of the subjects, it would still be a tawdry snap. Having loosened her blouse mid-air, a grinning middle-aged woman flashes her cleavage at two puffed-up tycoons basking in the luxury of a private jet. At best, it might be said that it must have seemed like good fun at the time, a carefree moment between intimate friends. This, though, was Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel a more repellent triumvirate it is hard to conceive. Of the first two Maxwell the sex trafficker, Epstein the paedophile little remains unsaid, but the alleged atrocities of the third, French model agency boss Brunel, had not yet seeped into public consciousness before he was found hanged yesterday. Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel pictured on a private jet together Not only was he said to have raped minors, Brunel also offered modelling jobs to girls as young as 12 and took them to the United States to farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein. In a 2015 affidavit, Virginia Giuffre Prince Andrews sex abuse accuser claimed that Brunel could get dozens of underage girls and feed Epsteins (and Maxwells) strong appetite for sex with minors. Often the girls were from poor backgrounds and were lured with a promise of making good money. As the police net closed on the clique surrounding Epstein, his French friend simply vanished, just like Maxwell. None close to him were surprised given he was nicknamed Le Fantome (The Ghost). He was always secretive, always difficult to pin down, recalled one friend. Then in 2020, as he was about to board a Paris flight to Senegal, he was finally captured. In Epsteins inner circle, the unease was palpable. Prince Andrew must have been particularly rattled, since it was reported at the time that French investigators wanted to question him about his own links to Brunel. Are you sweating yet, Prince Andrew? Ms Giuffre wrote on social media. You should be. Your buddy Jean-Luc Brunel is behind bars. Virginia Giuffre Prince Andrews sex abuse accuser claimed that Brunel could get dozens of underage girls and feed Epsteins (and Maxwells) strong appetite for sex with minors She said that she had sex with Mr Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19 and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times when she was 17, which he has always denied. Brunel began his career as a talent scout before becoming head of the Karin Models agency in Paris. He became a member of Epsteins inner circle in the early 2000s. In 2004, Epstein invested up to a million dollars in the launch of Brunels modelling agency, MC2 Model Management, based in Miami Beach, Florida. A year later, Brunel sued Epstein, claiming that his business lost millions of dollars due to the adverse publicity surrounding Epstein and his illegal activities, and publicity falsely linking [him] with sex trafficking. Brunel also complained that he was emotionally destroyed and fell into a deep depression as a result of Jeffrey Epsteins actions. In reality, however, the two men were best of friends and frequently flew around the world together. When Epstein was first jailed in 2008 for soliciting a minor, the Frenchman visited him behind bars. At the time of his own arrest, the Paris prosecutors office confirmed that Brunel was detained as part of an investigation into accomplices of Epstein. Are you sweating yet, Prince Andrew? Ms Giuffre wrote on social media. You should be. Your buddy Jean-Luc Brunel is behind bars. He is suspected of having committed acts of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment on various victims, including minors, and for having organised transport and accommodation for young girls and young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein, it said. Brunel always denied wrongdoing. French officials had begun investigating Brunel 16 months earlier. Thysia Huisman alleged that she was drugged and raped by him in 1991, when she was 18, and gave a statement to the Paris prosecutor. Her lawyer, Anne-Claire Le Jeune, also represents three other women two French and one Canadian who say they were drugged and raped by Brunel when working as models in Paris. Ms Le Jeune said they all described a similar experience. With all of them, it was dinner, a drink, poisoned with I dont know what drug, she said. Then they wake up having been raped. Red Wall seats are facing a threat from rising crime rates coupled with crippling court closures, Labour has said. Eighteen marginal seats hit with court closures have been identified by research as targets for the Labour Party. By the end of last year, the Crown Court backlog stood at 58,350. More than a fifth of those cases have been outstanding for more than a year the highest since 2014. The statistics come as almost 300 courts have been closed since the Tories came to power in 2010. But England and Wales has seen a steady rise in the number of firearm and knife offences while the latest figures show police are solving far fewer crimes. In the year to September 2021, just six per cent of offences resulted in a charge down from 7.3 per cent the previous year and 15.5 per cent six years ago. A map showing police forces in England and Wales, coloured by their respective crime rates for 2021. Cleveland in Yorkshire merged in top spot, followed by West Yorkshire. The statistics come as almost 300 courts have been closed since the Tories came to power in 2010. Pictured: Manchester Crown Court Hartlepool is one of the areas identified by Labour as a seat that could swing back to red amid concerns about crime. The constituency, which has a Tory majority of just under 7,000, has seen two magistrates courts close. Another hit by a court closure is Bishop Auckland, won by Conservative MP Dehenna Davison in 2019 the first time the seat has ever been held by the Tories. Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said: After years of cuts, voters are feeling the impact of a Conservative Government that is high on tax and soft on crime - with rising delays to cases keeping victims desperately waiting for justice. Bungling [Justice Secretary] Dominic Raab talks tough on crime but endless court closures and delayed cases shows voters that the Conservatives are letting criminals off and letting victims down. An additional 477 million was also allocated in the spending review to improve waiting times for victims of crime and reduce the Crown Court backlog. Pictured: Boris Johnson in Munich, Germany on February 19, 2022 Labour will put security at the heart of its contract with the British people, rolling out police hubs and neighbourhood prevention teams to put officers back into the heart of local communities. Last month, the Government announced magistrates would have the power to jail offenders for up to one-year in a bid to cut the backlog. An additional 477 million was also allocated in the spending review to improve waiting times for victims of crime and reduce the Crown Court backlog. Last night a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: The Crown Court backlog has fallen in recent months while the magistrates court is down to pre-pandemic levels. During the pandemic we opened Nightingale courts and two new super courtrooms, removed the cap on sitting days and increased magistrates sentencing powers to tackle the backlog and return the swift access to justice victims deserve. Prince Andrew has been secretly visiting the Queen under the cloak of night to discuss his 12million sex case settlement and his future role in the Royal Family, it was revealed today. The Duke of York, who turned 62 on Saturday, was driven the five-mile distance from his home at the Royal Lodge to Windsor Castle every single night this week to hold the meetings with his mother. The disgraced royal has apologised to the 95-year-old monarch, a sourced claimed, as well as his daughters Beatrice, 33 and Eugenie, 31 - whose young children he fears may have to grow up hearing about the case. The Duke's nightly rendezvous came after Prince Charles ordered him to stop being photographed cheerfully driving into Windsor Castle grounds last month at the height of his civil case with Virginia Roberts, who had accused him of sexually abusing her on three occasions - claims Andrew had always denied. The pair reached an out-of-court settlement earlier this week, but questions remain over whether the Queen - who is said to favour Andrew - is helping him foot the bill, which includes a 2million donation to Ms Roberts' charity, which helps victims of sexual assault and trafficking. A royal insider told the Sun on Sunday that Andrew realises the seriousness of the scandal and 'the damage it has done to the monarchy.' The Duke of York (pictured), who turned 62 on Saturday, was driven the five-mile distance from his home at the Royal Lodge to Windsor Castle every single night this week to hold the meetings with his mother The disgraced royal has apologised to the 95-year-old monarch (pictured), a sourced claimed, as well as his daughters Beatrice, 33 and Eugenie, 31 - whose young children he fears may have to grow up hearing about the case While revealing his night time visits to his mother, they said: 'Andrew has been very careful and is trying to keep out of sight. 'He knows there are photographers in the daytime and his best chance to avoid them is after dark. 'He knows he is meant to be keeping his head down and it's a short trip, but he is extremely contrite and apologised to the Queen for all the trouble he has caused her.' The source said the last thing he wanted to do was 'cause his beloved mother so much anguish at her age and in her Platinum Jubilee year.' They added: 'He is just so grateful for her support and it's certainly true that the Queen has a soft spot for Andrew and regards him as her favourite son.' Pictures taken Saturday showed flowers and cards destined for Andrew being collected from a Range Rover at the gatehouse at Royal Lodge. The Duke marked the quietest royal birthday in modern history Saturday as he looked to lay low after settling his sex abuse case with Ms Roberts earlier in the week. There was no tolling of the bells or hoisting of flags to celebrate the Queen's son's birthday - both of which were scrapped by Westminster Abbey and the Government respectively. The Duke's nightly rendezvous came after Prince Charles ordered him to stop being photographed cheerfully driving into Windsor Castle grounds (pictured) last month at the height of his civil case with Virginia Roberts, who had accused him of sexually abusing her on three occasions - claims Andrew had always denied The exact details of Andrew's conversations with the Queen this week are not known, but sources told the Sun on Sunday he is exploring life as a non-royal, potentially in the US - and he may be seeking advice from nephew Prince Harry, 37. A source said: 'Andrew has been in turmoil about the whole thing. 'And one thing he has done is reach out to Harry about life outside 'The Firm' and things like security and what he can do in the future. 'He has seen how Harry has managed to carve out a new life for himself away from the Royal Family. 'He has also said sorry to Beatrice and Eugenie and voiced his fears that their children would grow up hearing about the case.' Beatrice shares a five-month old daughter, named Sienna, with her husband and millionaire property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 38, while Eugenie has a one-year-old son, August, with husband Jack Brooksbank. Majesty magazine editor Ingrid Seward said: 'I have heard from a very good source that Andrew did think he could reinvent himself like Prince Harry has.' It comes after leading LA attorney Lisa Bloom, who represents six Epstein victims, said on Saturday she believes Andrew could get a 'second chance' across the pond. She said: 'People will tend to say, 'Well, you know, he paid his settlement, it's over, we'll give him a second chance'. There's that kind of an attitude in America. 'It's certainly not a bad idea for him to go somewhere far away from the UK and try to do something different with his life.' But there was risk of further media spotlight on Saturday, when Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, Jeffrey Epstein's alleged 'pimp', was found hanged in his cell in France. Brunel had been facing preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old. Among those who spoke out against him was Epstein victim Virginia Roberts, who said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19, while she said she was being trafficked by Epstein. Ms Roberts has also said that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions starting when she was 17 - claims the Duke always denied. French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for paedophile financier Epstein to sleep with, was found hanged in his prison cell today in an alleged suicide It came just days after the Duke of York agreed a significant out-of-court settlement with Ms Roberts, which could reportedly end up costing 12 million. It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Roberts ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year celebrations. However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement. And now Brunel's suicide is likely to pile further controversy onto the Duke. It was reported in 2020 that French investigators could consider questioning Prince Andrew about his links with Brunel, who had shared Epstein as a mutual acquaintance. Remy Heitz, the Paris prosecutor, said that Mr Brunel was 'suspected of having organised the transport and lodging of girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein', and were seeking to establish the nature of his alleged activities on behalf of Epstein who killed himself in a New York prison the year before. Brunel had been facing preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old. Among those who spoke out against him was Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19, while she said she was being trafficked by Epstein. Giuffre had become a key witness in the prosecution of Brunel Brunel had denied all allegations against him. The French inquiry had also conducted a video interview Ms Roberts, a victim of Epstein, according to The Times. She said in court papers that Brunel had offered modelling jobs to girls as young as 12 and took them to the United States to 'farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein'. Ms Roberts alleged that she had had sex with Brunel several times, and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, which Andrew denied. Brunel was then arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with a one-way ticket to Dakar, capital of Senegal, in West Africa. Giuffre alleged that she had had sex with Brunel several times, and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, which Andrew denied. Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia and Ghislaine Maxwell at Maxwell's London flat Following the arrest, Ms Roberts taunted Prince Andrew on social media. 'Are you sweating yet, Prince Andrew?' she wrote. 'You should be. Your buddy Jean-Luc Brunel is behind bars. Remember those girls he supplied to you on the island?' According to French law, a French citizen such as Brunel can be tried in France for offences committed abroad. The French investigation however suffered obstacles because of a statute of limitations that covers rape prosecutions that are 20 years old or 30 years old in the case of minors. Both Prince Andrew and Brunel vehemently denied the claims, with a source close to Andrew telling the Royal Observer: 'He has never met Brunel. No ifs, no buts.' Despite vowing to fight Ms Roberts' allegations directed against him in the civil case filed in New York - and repeatedly protesting his innocence - Andrew last week agreed to pay a large sum to settle the case before it reaches a jury. The Telegraph reported 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. It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Giuffre ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year celebrations. However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Ms Roberts was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls. A statement announcing the settlement 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. 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.' Britain's biggest police force has been plunged into a new racism row after at least three Muslim officers made a formal complaint against their bosses. The Metropolitan Police officers complained they were subjected to Islamophobic abuse at their station canteen as they went to a mosque. When a Muslim police officer at the same station failed to take part in a voluntary team-building exercise on religious grounds, he claims he was ordered to wash police cars as an act of humiliation. When he refused, his sergeant posted a complaint note on his employment file. The Metropolitan Police officers complained they were subjected to Islamophobic abuse at their station canteen as they went to a mosque In addition, a health and safety rule was brought in at the North London station requiring Muslim officers to put their names on a board if they took a prayer break, even if it was in the buildings multi-faith prayer room. They said non-Muslim officers on a break did not have to log their names. The MoS understands the PCSOs made the complaint in the presence of members of the Association of Muslim Police and the Metropolitan Black Police Association, which are supporting them. It has emerged just days after Met Commissioner Cressida Dick resigned after London Mayor Sadiq Khan lost confidence in the way she dealt with racism in the force. In the first incident, which is said to have occurred around October, a sergeant let three officers visit a mosque for Friday prayers. But they were reportedly mocked by a PC, who said it was an excuse to skive off. The PC said he wished he was a Muslim or a Jew so he could take time off duty as well. Weeks later, a Muslim PCSO at the same station was asked to join a voluntary team-building exercise, involving weight training, on a Sunday. The officer declined on religious grounds as it would make him sweaty a state in which he could not pray. He claims the sergeant did not accept this reason and told him to wash police cars. The officer refused as PCSOs never clean cars as they do not use them. Sources say a note of complaint was placed in the PCSOs file. The third complaint relates to Muslim officers performing their ritual daily prayers. Sources said Muslim officers were always allowed to pray at a local mosque or in the station prayer room. The Met declined to comment last night. Political commentator Nigel Farage is not convinced of Vladimir Putin's alleged Russian aggression and never thought to trample Ukraine from the start, which is to shock Ukraine and the leader of the free world 'Joe Biden' and NATO into his mind game. He added the EU could not stop him because they are not unified and are bickering over many issues. It leaves the EU divided and, in a quagmire, trying to get its act together with invasion hysteria making it harder to do anything. West Falls Into Putin's Plans Farage said the more than 100,000 Russian forces and equipment are to pressure Kyiv, and it does help with Washington screaming invasion for more shock value at the shared border, reported the Express UK. Advised against sanctioning Moscow, which does not hurt Putin due to the weaknesses of the bloc. When the Kremlin decides to turn the screw on the EU's head, it would be troubling. The GB News host remarked they should discuss the happenings in Ukraine. British PM Boris Johnson mentions false flag activities that Putin will commit to so that it appears his army is under assault. It sets the pretext of armed invasion to follow allegedly. He added it's the same thing every week, remarked that it is not part of Putin's plans to take over Ukraine. So far, the West has been getting fidgety every he moves, and it] is confused chaos of Western leaders from the US to Europe. Putin's plans seem to work, and the gangster style is shaking them up. According to Nigel Farage, Putin is probing and pushing buttons to gauge how far alleged Russian aggression can go, like a statesman. Read Also: British Broadcaster Nigel Farage Not Happy With Joe Biden Ignoring Calls of Boris Johnson Amid Afghan Crisis Weak Washington, Encumbered NATO It is a divide and conquers which the West fell for, hook line and sinker, and the bloc struggling internally is proof; one example Poland and Germany (Baltic states) cannot see eye to eye. The Kremlin did well in achieving it, cited ApXap. Ironically, it's the opposite, when bloc members warn sanctions, it is Moscow with the last word. If the Russian Finance Minister says it's that, then the next thing is natural gas supplies get diverted. Sorry, no more gas EU. Western leaders should admit that Vladimir Putin is a master statesman and outclassed the US and NATO leaders using means than war. Farage still cautioned that the Russian leaders' mastery of political chess could not be discounted even a farfetched invasion is possible. He added that other commentators speculate on a terrible war; a conflict between Russia and the West could happen. Even as the commentator says it is psyching the West, the Ukrainian army said a Luhansk was allegedly attacked by Russian, according to News Lanes. Media outlets immediately circulated pictures of a pock-marked nursery due to Russian shelling. One Ukrainian military serviceman, who is unnamed and not verification of his statements, said it was the fault of Russians for the attack. Two civilians got shell shocked by the artillery attack, said the report. Nothing more was mentioned by local sources. PM Boris Johnson will meet senior Government Ministers in Munich to talk about an invasion by Russia after nothing happened to Joe Biden's prediction. Nigel Farage says that alleged Russian aggression is a means to an end; Vladimir Putin is getting far ahead due to a faulty EU lost in a myriad of differences. Related article: Former Brexit Leader Nigel Farage Critiques Joe Biden in Scathing Rant Referring to the US President's Missteps in Kabul @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Advertisement A victim of Jeffrey Epstein's French modelling agent friend Jean-Luc Brunel, who was found dead today in an alleged prison suicide, has said it is 'past time' for Prince Andrew to 'speak openly' with the authorities. Prosecutors in Paris confirmed Brunel, who is not believed to have been on suicide watch, was found hanging in his cell in La Sante, in the south of the capital Paris, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Virginia Roberts has accused Brunel, 76, of procuring more than a thousand women and girls for Epstein to sleep with and he was awaiting trial in France for raping minors. Following his death, which came on the same date as Andrew's 62nd birthday, an alleged victim of Brunel said it is 'past time' for Andrew to 'provide justice' for the victims of Brunel and Epstein. Courtney Powell Soerensen called on the Duke to stand by his vow to help sex-trafficking victims by speaking 'openly' with investigators. In his out-of-court settlement with Virginia Roberts, he 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'. The former model told The Sun: 'If he truly means what he said in his settlement statement, he should speak openly with all authorities about what he knows.' It comes days after Prince Andrew agreed to settle Ms Roberts's lawsuit accusing him of sex abuse after they met allegedly through Epstein and Maxwell. In the settlement, there was no admission of liability by Andrew, who has always denied the specific allegations. Courtney Powell Soerensen, an alleged victim of Jean-Luc Brunel, said it is 'past time' for Prince Andrew (pictured in September 2019) to 'provide justice' for the victims of Brunel and Epstein and 'speak openly with all authorities' After Brunel's death, Ms Roberts said she was 'disappointed' that she was not able to face Brunel at a 'final trial to hold him accountable' and added that his alleged suicide 'ends another chapter'. Taking to Twitter following the news of his death on Saturday, she wrote: 'The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter. 'I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable, but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison.' Another alleged victim, former Dutch model Thysia Huisman, said: 'It makes me angry, because I've been fighting for years. 'For me, the end of this was to be in court. Now that whole ending which would help form closure is taken away from me.' Brunel's death in an alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after the financier also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities concluded was a hanging. Controversy over Epstein's death has been fueled by the fact that prison video cameras at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correction Center were not running at the time Epstein died in the cell he shared with another inmate. Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Sante one of the toughest jails in France. 'A night patrol found his lifeless body at about 1am,' said an investigating source. 'A judicial enquiry has been launched, and early evidence points to suicide.' Prosecutors in Paris confirmed that Jean-Luc Brunel (pictured), 76, was found hanging in his cell in La Sante, in the south of the capital city, in the early hours of Saturday morning His death in an alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after he also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities say was a hanging. Pictured, Brunel with Maxwell and Epstein on a private jet Following Brunel's death, Maxwell's family described the news as 'shocking' and said they are scared for Maxwell's (pictured in a courtroom sketch) safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is currently being held Following Brunel's death, Maxwell's family described the news as 'shocking' and said they are scared for Maxwell's safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is currently being held. Speaking from his home in London, Maxwell's brother Ian told the New York Post: 'Another death by hanging in a high-security prison. My reaction is one of total shock and bewilderment.' Mr Maxwell claimed that despite her psychiatrist advising 'to the contrary', his sister was 'deemed a suicide risk' and said she is woken up every 15 minutes in the night. He described it as 'complete violation of prisoner rights and human rights', insisting that Maxwell is not suicidal. He added that it was 'ironic' that his sister was on suicide watch in prison, but Epstein and Brunel were not. In December of last year, Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking minors, giving way to federal prosecutors to bring her to justice for her involvement in helping Epstein with luring underage girls before he would sexually assault them. Her team of four lawyers requested a federal judge to grant her a new trial, saying questions asked to a juror about sexual abuse violated Maxwell's right to a fair trial, according to the Wall Street Journal. It was in December 2020 that Brunel was indicted after two days of interviews by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-paedophilia unit. He was arrested at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport on while trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday'. While CCTV is commonplace in the corridors and gateways of French prisons, the vast majority of cells are not under video surveillance. This is ensure a degree of privacy, and to make sure that European human rights legislation is not violated. Inmates are sometimes known to record events using devices including mobile phones, but Brunel is thought to have been in a single occupancy cell, said the source. Others involved in the ring include Epstein's ex-girlfriend, the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, who is currently in prison in the USA after being found guilty of sex trafficking. Pictured, Brunel with Manwell on Epstein's private island The Dutch model, Thysia Huisman (pictured), who was 18 when she first stayed with Brunel, said she was raped by him in 1991. Huisman is now one of at least four alleged victims represented by Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a Paris barrister, who said Brunel being in custody was a huge relief, because their complaints now 'take on meaning' 'There is an investigation going on to confirm all this, but at the moment it looks like he killed himself alone, and it was a routine patrol that found his body hanging,' he said. The source added: 'There were no obvious fears for the prisoner's health, and he was not on a suicide watch, having already been in prison for many months.' The official enquiry into Brunel's sudden death was on Saturday being carried out by offices from the 3rd Judicial Police district in Paris. An autopsy was set to be carried out, to establish the exact cause of death. Forensic officers were meanwhile examining the cell where Brunel died. La Sante, which was built in the 19th Century, has housed some of the most dangerous prisoners in recent French history. There is a so-called 'VIP section' where inmates include 'super terrorist' and mass killer Carlos the Jackal, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez. Brunel was originally indicted and placed in pre-trial detention in December 2020 for the 'rape of a minor over 15 years old' and harassing two other women. He was also suspected of being a 'pimp' for Epstein, after becoming a close friend of the billionaire financier. Brunel had been placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness for acts of 'human trafficking' and 'exploiting minors for the sexual purposes.' Brunel committed suicide because he was 'crushed' by the allegations against him, his defence lawyers said in a joint statement. 'His distress was that of a 75-year-old man crushed by a media-judicial system which it should be time to question,' said Mathias Chichportich, Marianne Abgrall and Christophe Ingrain. 'Jean-Luc Brunel has continued to proclaim his innocence. He multiplied his efforts to prove it. His decision [to end his life] was not driven by guilt, but by a deep sense of injustice.' A French judicial enquiry into Brunel's conduct was opened in August 2019, when prosecutors heard allegations that Brunel and the Queen's second son shared a lover. Pictured, Brunel with models he scouted Brunel is pictured with models who worked for his agency. The model scout's name appears frequently in the flight logs kept for Epstein's private jets and prison records show he visited Epstein 67 times when he was in jail A Dutch model, Thysia Huisman, who was 18 when she first stayed with Brunel, said she was raped by him in 1991. She is now one of at least four alleged victims represented by Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a Paris barrister, who said Brunel being in custody was a huge relief, because their complaints now 'take on meaning,' she said. After news of Brunel's death broke Ms Huidman said she felt disappointed by the 'completely different ending without any real justice for his victims. Brunel was suspected of having been part of a global underage sex ring organised by the late American multi-billionaire Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019, while awaiting trial for numerous sex crimes. Others involved in the ring include Epstein's ex-girlfriend, the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, who is currently in prison in the USA after being found guilty of sex trafficking. Billionaire paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein's jail cell suicide: Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself inside his New York City jail cell in August 2019. The billionaire paedophile was found in cardiac arrest shortly before 7am on Saturday, August 10 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan. He was rushed to nearby New York Downtown Hospital where he was pronounced dead. In a statement, Metropolitan Correctional Center told DailyMail.com that the FBI is now launching an investigation into Epstein's death. The former financier, 66, was awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking and was being held at the high-security complex without bail. Epstein - who once boasted an array of high-profile friends including Prince Andrew and President Bill Clinton - was arrested on July 6, accused of arranging to have sex with dozens of underage girls at his residences in New York City and Florida between 2002 and 2005. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges. Epstein's suicide comes just two weeks after he was hospitalised following what may have been an initial attempt to take his own life. Advertisement A French judicial enquiry into Brunel's conduct was opened in August 2019, when prosecutors heard allegations that Brunel and the Queen's second son Prince Andrew shared a lover. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an American, has told lawyers she was employed as a 'sex slave' when she was forced to sleep with the Duke of York after being trafficked to him at least three times when she was 17. Almost all of the accusations leveled against Brunel were from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, meaning they fell outside the 20-year limit for prosecuting sex crimes in France. This meant that Brunel was considered 'untouchable' by police who nicknamed him 'The Ghost' as he carried on living and working in the French capital, while frequently traveling abroad on scouting assignments and holidays. But in November 2020, Giuffre responded to an online English language appeal by French magistrates for alleged victims to come forward. Ms Roberts Giuffre said she had 'sexual relations with Brunel on several occasions', between the ages of 16 and 19, according to legal papers filed in America and France. 'Ms Giuffre now lives in Australia but responded to the appeal,' said an investigating source. 'She was interviewed remotely, and provided considerable evidence against Brunel. 'She said that she was raped by Brunel in the early 2000s, including in 2001. This was a considerable breakthrough for the enquiry.' It meant that the alleged crime was well within the statute of limitations, and therefore prosecutable. Officers were set to arrest Brunel in January 2020 following further enquiries, but on December 16 he was intercepted at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with a one-way ticket to Dakar, capital of Senegal, in West Africa. 'This led to his immediate arrest and he was placed in custody,' said the source. 'The multiple rape charges solely relate to the testimony of Virginia Giuffre, and not any of the other alleged rape victims. 'The sexual harassment indictment is nothing to do with the Epstein case, and instead relates to incidents in 2016 following a complaint by another woman who has not gone public.' The 'multiple rapes' of Giuffre now a mother of three who was called Virginia Roberts before her marriage were said to have mainly taken place at Epstein's home on the private island of Little Saint James, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Giuffre had produced sworn testimonies saying that both Brunel and Prince Andrew attacked her there. According to French law, a French citizen such as Brunel can be tried in France for offences committed abroad. Both Prince Andrew and Brunel vehemently denied these claims, with the Prince considered a key witness who both the Americans and the French wanted to interview in person. Prosecutors in Paris confirmed Brunel was found hanging in his cell in La Sante, in the south of the capital city, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Pictured, a cell at the prison Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself inside his New York City jail cell in August 2019. Pictured, Epstein's cell after his body was found by prison guards Allegations made against Jeffrey Epstein's friend and modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel Modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel was arrested at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport on while trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday'. He was indicted in September 2021 on a single count of rape. Other allegations against him include: Ms Roberts Giuffre, 37, said that she had had sex with Mr Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19; Notified on Friday, December 18, 2020 of the preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old; Preliminary charges of sexually harassing a 16-year-old girl in 2016; Suspected of having organised the transport and lodging of girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein. Advertisement Despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince has agreed to pay a large sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury. Reports suggested the Queen herself will provide money to pay for the settlement, according to the Telegraph. The paper reported 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. 'He has never met Brunel. No ifs, no buts,' a source close to Andrew told the Royal Observer. The rape of a minor is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in France, while aggravated sexual harassment comes with a three-year prison sentence and a fine equivalent to around 40,000. Giuffre said Epstein told her he had slept with 'over a thousand women that Brunel brought in', in an NBC Dateline special that aired in 2019. Brunel, who denied any wrongdoing, was being held in custody until a criminal trial on a date to be fixed. In 2015, Brunel denied involvement 'directly or indirectly' in any of Epstein's offences in a statement issued in 2015. It said: 'I strongly deny having committed any illicit act or any wrongdoing in the course of my work.' Brunel was also suspected of using his contacts in the fashion industry to provide victims to Epstein and his friends. He is said to have flown three 12-year-old sisters from a Paris housing estate to America so they could be abused by Epstein as 'a birthday present'. Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia and Ghislaine Maxwell at Maxwell's London flat Virginia Giuffre, 37, (pictured) is now the key witness in the prosecution of Brunel, 75, after claiming that both him and Prince Andrew, 60, used her as their 'sex slave' Epstein an old friend of Andrew's and a business associate of Brunel's committed suicide in his prison cell in New York on August 10 2019, while awaiting trial for a range of offences, including trafficking minors for sex, and multiple rapes Brunel was the founder of MC2, the model agency that prosecutors believe was used as a cover for the sex trafficking ring. The out-of-time evidence against Brunel comes from a number of former models, who like Giuffre have waived their anonymity to make their allegations public It was in December 2020 that Brunel was indicted after two days of interviews by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-paedophilia unit. Pictured, the prison where Brunel was found dead Epstein an old friend and business of associate of Brunel's committed suicide in his prison cell in New York on August 10 2019, while awaiting trial for a range of offences, including trafficking minors for sex, and multiple rapes. Among his alleged victims, it is claimed in court documents, were the 12-year-old triplets from Paris. Brunel was the founder of MC2, the model agency one that prosecutors believe was used as as a cover for Epstein's sex trafficking ring. Brunel started his career as a model scout, and has worked with celebrities including Jerry Hall, Sharon Stone, and Monica Bellucci. Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt, Mr Brunel's lawyer, has insisted her client is innocent of any wrongdoing. Evidence against Brunel came from a number of former models, who had waived their anonymity to make their allegations public. New Zealander Zoe Brock has claimed in statements made to French investigators that she was abused in his Paris home in the early 1990s. The hellhole prison where Epstein's pimp Jean-Luc Brunel 'hanged himself': Infamous 19th century Le Sante jail houses some of France's most dangerous criminals and has so-called 'VIP wing' where inmates include Carlos the Jackal By Peter Allen and Emer Scully for MailOnline The hellhole prison where Jeffrey Epstein's pimp 'hanged himself' is one of the toughest jails in France and boasts a so-called 'VIP section' where 'super terrorist' Carlos the Jackal is housed. Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, was imprisoned in the infamous La Sante in Paris after his arrest at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport while he was trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday' in December 2020. Brunel is thought to have been in a single occupancy cell at the time of his death inside the 19th Century prison. 'There is an investigation going on to confirm all this, but at the moment it looks like he killed himself alone, and it was a routine patrol that found his body hanging,' a source said. They added: 'There were no obvious fears for the prisoner's health, and he was not on a suicide watch, having already been in prison for many months.' The hellhole prison was inaugurated in 1867 with 500 cells, expanding to 1,000 to eventually house up to 2,000 convicts within the jail's walls. Before the banning of public executions in 1939, deaths by guillotine were regularly held outside its walls. The last execution by guillotine took place in 1972. In modern days there is a so-called 'VIP section' where inmates include 'super terrorist' and mass killer Carlos the Jackal, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez. The 72-year-old Venezuelan was convicted of terrorist crimes, and is serving a life sentence for the 1975 murder of an informant for the French government and two French counterintelligence agents. Jean-Luc Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Sante in Paris. Pictured, the prison's corridor Many of the rooms inside the prison are single-occupancy, but others feature bunk-beds for cellmates to share. The cells also have a metal toilet and desk area Brunel (pictured) is thought to have been in a single occupancy cell at the time of his death inside the 19th Century prison. 'There is an investigation going on to confirm all this, but at the moment it looks like he killed himself alone, and it was a routine patrol that found his body hanging,' he said The prison is split into two levels, an upper and lower, with prisoners racially segregated until 2000. There used to be a block for 'Western Europe', 'Black Africa', 'North Africa', and 'The Rest of the World' Other infamous inmates include the businessman Bernard Tapie, rogue financier Jerome Kerviel, Manuel Noriega and the gangster Jacques Mesrine. Mesrine, a French bank robber and kidnapper nicknamed 'the man of a thousand faces' and declared 'public enemy number one', climbed over the prison's walls and went on the run in 1978. The most daring escape from the prison was performed by Michel Vaujour in 1986, when his wife, Nadine, piloted a helicopter into the courtyard to snatch him up. A few months later he was shot down and crippled in a vengeful stand-off. During the Second World War the Germans executed French Resistance fighters at the prison. Eighteen were either guillotined or shot by firing squad before the occupation ended with a riot during which 28 prisoners were shot on the orders of the German regime. The prison is split into two levels, an upper and lower, with prisoners racially segregated until 2000. There used to be a block for 'Western Europe', 'Black Africa', 'North Africa', and 'The Rest of the World'. The maximum-security cells have been described as boxes where you can almost stretch your arms and touch both walls at the same time. In 2000, Veronique Vasseur, La Sante's chief medical officer, published a book, Medecin-chef a la prison de la Sante, to reveal what life inside the prison's walls was really like. She claimed the prison was infested with rats and cockroaches, with suicidal prisoners left in chains. Severe wounds including trench foot and other skin infections raged and the place was known as a 'city within a city' with its own rules and a morality governed by violence. In 2014, the prison closed for four years for renovations. The official enquiry into Brunel's sudden death was on Saturday being carried out by offices from the 3rd Judicial Police district in Paris. An autopsy was set to be carried out, to establish the exact cause of death. Forensic officers were meanwhile examining the cell where Brunel died in La Sante. While CCTV is commonplace in the corridors and gateways of French prisons, the vast majority of cells are not under video surveillance. The prison was inaugurated in 1867 with 500 cells, expanding to 1,000 to eventually house up to 2,000 convicts within the jail's walls The prison, which boasts a VIP section for its worst criminals is pictured, left, in 1931, and right, in 1934. Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Sante one of the toughest jails in France French bank robber and kidnapper Jacques Mesrine, nicknamed 'the man of a thousand faces' and declared 'public enemy number one', in the high-security quarters of Sante Prison, from which he managed to escape There is a so-called 'VIP section' where inmates include 'super terrorist' and mass killer Carlos the Jackal (pictured left, in 1975, and right, in 2000), whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez. The 72-year-old Venezuelan was convicted of terrorist crimes, and is serving a life sentence for the 1975 murder of an informant for the French government and two French counterintelligence agents Brunel was originally indicted and placed in pre-trial detention in December 2020 for the 'rape of a minor over 15 years old' and harassing two other women. He was also suspected of being a 'pimp' for Epstein, after becoming a close friend of the billionaire financier. Brunel had been placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness for acts of 'human trafficking' and 'exploiting minors for the sexual purposes.' His death in an alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after the financier also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities concluded was a hanging. Controversy over Epstein's death has been fueled by the fact that prison video cameras at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correction Center were not running at the time Epstein died in the cell he shared with another inmate. Prosecutors in Paris confirmed Brunel, who is not believed to have been on suicide watch, was found hanging in his cell in La Sante, in the south of the capital city, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Brunel is thought to have been alone at the time of his death and there were no cameras to record his final hours, according to an investigating source at La Sante one of the toughest jails in France. 'A night patrol found his lifeless body at about 1am,' said an investigating source. 'A judicial enquiry has been launched, and early evidence points to suicide.' It was in December 2020 that Brunel was indicted after two days of interviews by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-paedophilia unit. Prince Andrew marks quietest birthday in modern royal history as he faces fresh controversy after Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp' Jean-Luc Brunel dies in prison 'suicide' a week after settling Virginia Roberts' sex claim for 12m By William Cole and Laurence Dollimore For Mailonline Prince Andrew marked the quietest royal birthday in modern history on Saturday as he looks to lay low after settling his sex abuse case with Virginia Roberts. The muted celebration of his 62nd birthday came just hours after the death of Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp', who was accused of trafficking hundreds of girls to the paedophile financier. French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for Epstein to sleep with, was found hanged in his prison cell in an alleged suicide on Saturday morning. The death risks causing fresh embarrassment for the Duke of York as he attempts to draw a line under the scandal. It comes as there was no tolling of the bells or hoisting of flags to celebrate the Queen's son's birthday - both of which were scrapped by Westminster Abbey and the Government respectively. The Duke will mark the day privately at Royal Lodge, reports the Telegraph, following his out-of-court settlement with Ms Roberts, estimated to be in the region of 12million. Pictures taken today showed flowers and cards destined for Andrew being collected from the gatehouse at Royal Lodge and being placed into the back of a Range Rover. The death of Jeffrey Epstein's 'pimp' - on Prince Andrew's birthday - will cause fresh embarrassment for the Duke (pictured) as he attempts to draw a line under the scandal The muted celebration of his 62nd birthday came just hours after the death of Jeffrey Epstein 's 'pimp', who was accused of trafficking hundreds of girls to the paedophile financier. (Pictured: Flowers and cards are collected from the gatehouse at Royal Lodge for Prince Andrew) There was no tolling of the bells or hoisting of flags to celebrate the Queen's son's birthday - both of which were scrapped by Westminster Abbey and the Government respectively. (Pictured: Gifts for Andrew being collected at Royal Lodge today) Following Andrew's scandal and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the Queen and Prince of Wales are now the only members of the Royal Family who will have their birthdays marked by official flags and bells. A spokeswoman for Westminster Abbey said: 'Due to the financial challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Westminster Abbey will ring its bells only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales.' In 2020, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was 'no longer a requirement' for them to fly the flag in Andrew's honour. However February 19 remained on its 'designated days' list before being discreetly removed on February 11 this year. A government spokeswoman said: 'Since 2021 the default position in Great Britain is that the Union Flag flies all year round unless another flag is being flown. 'However we routinely review the list of designated days for flying the Union Flag on UK Government Buildings. 'These changes make the days consistent with other commemorative events, such as gun salutes.' A source told the Telegraph Andrew will be spending today 'quietly at home'. His birthday fell on the same day that Brunel, Epstein's alleged 'pimp', was reportedly found hanged in his cell in France. Brunel had been facing preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old. Among those who spoke out against him was Epstein victim Virginia Roberts, who said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19, while she said she was being trafficked by Epstein. Ms Roberts has also said that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions starting when she was 17. French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, who allegedly procured more than a thousand women and girls for paedophile financier Epstein to sleep with, was found hanged in his prison cell today in an alleged suicide It comes just days after the Duke of York agreed a significant out-of-court settlement with Ms Roberts, which could reportedly end up costing 12 million. It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Roberts ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year celebrations. However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement. And now Brunel's suicide is likely to pile further controversy onto the Duke. It was reported in 2020 that French investigators could consider questioning Prince Andrew about his links with Brunel, who had shared Epstein as a mutual acquaintance. Remy Heitz, the Paris prosecutor, said that Mr Brunel was 'suspected of having organised the transport and lodging of girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein', and were seeking to establish the nature of his alleged activities on behalf of Epstein who killed himself in a New York prison the year before. Brunel had been facing preliminary charges of raping girls between 15 and 18 years old. Among those who spoke out against him was Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who said that she had had sex with Brunel several times when she was between the ages of 16 and 19, while she said she was being trafficked by Epstein. Giuffre had become a key witness in the prosecution of Brunel Brunel had denied all allegations against him. The French inquiry had also conducted a video interview Ms Roberts, a victim of Epstein, according to The Times. She said in court papers that Brunel had offered modelling jobs to girls as young as 12 and took them to the United States to 'farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein'. Ms Roberts alleged that she had had sex with Brunel several times, and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, which Andrew denied. Brunel was then arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with a one-way ticket to Dakar, capital of Senegal, in West Africa. Giuffre alleged that she had had sex with Brunel several times, and that she had been forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, which Andrew denied. Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia and Ghislaine Maxwell at Maxwell's London flat Following the arrest, Ms Roberts taunted Prince Andrew on social media. 'Are you sweating yet, Prince Andrew?' she wrote. 'You should be. Your buddy Jean-Luc Brunel is behind bars. Remember those girls he supplied to you on the island?' According to French law, a French citizen such as Brunel can be tried in France for offences committed abroad. The French investigation however suffered obstacles because of a statute of limitations that covers rape prosecutions that are 20 years old or 30 years old in the case of minors. Both Prince Andrew and Brunel vehemently denied the claims, with a source close to Andrew telling the Royal Observer: 'He has never met Brunel. No ifs, no buts.' Despite vowing to fight Ms Roberts' allegations directed against him in the civil case filed in New York - and repeatedly protesting his innocence - Andrew last week agreed to pay a large sum to settle the case before it reaches a jury. The Telegraph reported 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. It was believed that a settlement between Andrew and Ms Giuffre ahead of a jury trial in their civil case would end the prospect of embarrassing the royal family during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year celebrations. However, the settlement has raised serious questions over whether the Queen is helping Andrew to fund the agreement Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Ms Roberts was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls. A statement announcing the settlement 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. 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.' Scott Morrison has condemned as an act of intimidation the lasering of an Australian military aircraft by a Chinese warship. The Australian Defence Department says the lives of ADF personnel could have been in danger from such actions, calling it unprofessional and unsafe military conduct. In a statement released on Saturday, the department said on Thursday February 17, the P-8A Poseidon detected a laser coming from a People's Liberation Army Navy vessel illuminating the aircraft while in flight over Australia's northern approaches. 'I can see it in no other way than an act of intimidation,' the prime minister told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday. 'I thought it was a reckless and irresponsible act.' On Thursday February 17, the P-8A Poseidon detected a laser illuminating the aircraft from this boat pictured while in flight over Australia's northern approaches, Defence says. 'I can see it in no other way than an act of intimidation,' Prime Minister Scott Morrisontold reporters in Melbourne on Sunday He said it was unprovoked and unwarranted, and the issue is being raised directly through diplomatic and defence channels. Defence Minister Peter Dutton said using a military grade laser can result in the blindness of the crew, and the damage of equipment. He said it was most important to 'shine a light on these behaviours'. 'The Chinese government is hoping no one talks about these aggressive and appalling acts,' Mr Dutton told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program. 'It's completely unacceptable.' Labor frontbencher Michelle Rowland agreed. 'This isn't some juvenile aiming a laser at a commercial aircraft, this was a military grade laser,' she told Sky News. 'That is deeply concerning and Labor will be seeking a briefing from Defence on this matter. But unfortunately it comes at a time when China's presence and its actions are continuing to cause concern right across the region and globally as well.'' The vessel was in the company of another Chinese ship and sailing east through the Arafura Sea at the time of the incident. Pictured is the defence department's trace of their movements The Australian Defence Department has condemned the 'unsafe military conduct'. 'Illumination of the aircraft by the Chinese vessel is a serious safety incident,' it says. 'We strongly condemn unprofessional and unsafe military conduct. 'These actions could have endangered the safety and lives of the ADF personnel.' The vessel was in the company of another Chinese ship and sailing east through the Arafura Sea at the time of the incident. Both ships have since passed through the Torres Strait and are in the Coral Sea. The laser was detected coming from a People's Liberation Army Navy vessel (pictured), a statement on Saturday said Farmers will get free veterinarian visits as part of a Brexit dividend, the Environment Secretary will announce this week. Annual check-ups for two to three hours will be paid for by the Government and will cover cattle, sheep and pigs. George Eustice told The Mail on Sunday: Too often farmers only call a vet when there is a crisis, but with an annual vet visit to develop better animal health plans, they will see both animal welfare and their farm profitability improve. Annual check-ups for two to three hours will be paid for by the Government and will cover cattle, sheep and pigs Farmers will be given cash payments to cover the visits for their herds at the following rates: 684 for pigs, 436 for sheep, 522 for beef cattle and 372 for dairy cattle per vet visit. They will then negotiate rates with the vet of their choice. All results of the check-ups will be kept between the farmer and the vet and will not be shared with the Government. A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs official said: Outside the EUs Common Agricultural Policy, the UK is designing a new, fairer farming system that works in the best interests of British farmers. The funding for check-ups will be available from next month and there are plans to eventually expand the scheme to other animals such as goats. George Eustice told The Mail on Sunday: Too often farmers only call a vet when there is a crisis, but with an annual vet visit to develop better animal health plans, they will see both animal welfare and their farm profitability improve' A Government source said this will mean less disease and healthier cattle and help level up farming for those who havent been able to afford regular vet check-ups. Mr Eustice will unveil the plans at the National Farmers Union annual conference this week. He is expected to tell the conference that he aims to support livestock farmers in producing healthier, higher welfare animals, through financial assistance. He will also point out the UK was the first country in the world to pass legislation to protect farm animals in 1822 with the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act. The annual vet check-ups will offer testing, although the vets and farmers will decide how to prioritise their time in each case. The assessments will focus on the health and welfare of the animals, including on the responsible use of medicines. Farmers will receive a report from the check-ups with recommended actions they could take. The measures are part of this springs Animal Health and Welfare Review, aimed at helping farmers adapt to challenges including antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic disease outbreaks and biodiversity loss. Other measures include upgrading housing for dairy cattle which officials said would bring improvements in cow comfort and calf mortality. Hard-pressed UK households were denied the abolition of VAT on fuel bills because the cut could not be implemented in Northern Ireland, it was claimed last night. Senior Tory Sir Iain Duncan Smith blamed the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol for killing off a tax cut potentially worth 100 a year for families facing rising bills. He said: This very Tory-friendly, tax-cutting idea was effectively ruled out because it could not take effect in Northern Ireland, where VAT rates on domestic fuel bills must still match EU levels. Senior Tory Sir Iain Duncan Smith blamed the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol for killing off a tax cut potentially worth 100 a year for families facing rising bills Sir Iain, a fellow of the Centre for Brexit Policy, said: It is probably fair to say that if it wasnt for the pernicious effects of the Protocol, every family in Britain could be 100 a year better off from scrapping VAT on fuel bills. However, Treasury sources insisted last night that that was not the reason Chancellor Rishi Sunak had chosen not to cut VAT. They said an agreed 9 billion of aid for fuel bills provides support to those who need it at the time they need it. The deaths of two patients have been linked to a deadly bug outbreak at a world-renowned heart and lung transplant hospital, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. A coroner has launched an investigation into the deaths which occurred months after apparently successful transplant surgery at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, where surgeons performed Britain's first successful heart transplant in 1979 and the world's first heart, lung and liver transplant seven years later. Karen Starling, 54, and Anne Martinez, 60, were infected with a rare bug called mycobacterium abscessus, which was discovered in the water system three months after the hospital relocated to a 200 million state-of-the-art site. A coroner has launched an investigation into the deaths which occurred months after apparently successful transplant surgery at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge Mother-of-six Mrs Starling, from Ipswich, died in February 2020 following a double lung transplant the previous May. Lawyers for her family believe she developed pancreatitis from the powerful drugs used to treat the infection. 'We have so many unanswered questions about how Karen contracted the bug and whether anything could have been done to prevent her illness,' a relative said in a statement via law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is representing the family at the inquest. Primary school teacher Mrs Martinez, from Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, died in December 2020 after a double lung transplant earlier that year. Friend Helen Wolfson said: 'Anne was a lovely person. I was speaking to her only a month before she died. She was in hospital and we were on the phone. She was telling me she had got this bug they were treating her for.' The outbreak was discovered in August 2019, three months after the new Papworth site opened. A 'serious incident' was declared by the NHS Trust but the hospital decided to continue with operations. A total of 21 patients were infected five of whom had received transplants. One of the five claims he was not informed about the infected water supply. Mycobacterium abscessus is found in soil, dust, tap water and shower heads. While usually harmless to those in good health, it is dangerous for those with severe lung disease or weakened immune systems. A double inquest into the deaths of Mrs Starling and Mrs Martinez is due to be held later this year. Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We offer our sincere condolences to these families. As part of our extensive investigations, we have put multiple measures in place to maintain safety of the water for patients who may be susceptible to this bacteria.' The Russian military published posters with a soldier saying Nyet as he is passed a phone with the TikTok app logo on it Russian security chiefs have launched an advertising campaign urging troops not to use social media networks such as TikTok for fear of giving away military secrets. As fears grow of an invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military published posters of a Russian soldier saying Nyet meaning No as he is passed a phone with the TikTok app logo on it. As fears grow of an invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military published posters of a Russian soldier saying Nyet meaning No as he is passed a phone with the TikTok app logo on it. The campaign is the modern-day equivalent of the wartime walls have ears posters that warned Britons against careless talk that might cost lives during the Second World War. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a massive UK- funded campaign is under way to fight Russian propaganda and disinformation in the country. The project, called Filter, launched last year and is aimed at raising public awareness of how people consume information in times of uncertainty. Media literacy clubs teach Ukrainians how to research whether posts online are true or false. Valeria Kovtun, head of the Filter project, told the Mirror newspaper: One of the priorities is the development of media literacy to make Ukrainian society more resilient to Russian propaganda. Last week, the US revealed new intelligence of a Russian plot to use a faked video as a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine. A Las Vegas woman who admitted to pushing an elderly man off a bus to his death in 2019 was sentenced to prison on Friday as part of a plea deal. Cadesha Bishop, 28, was sentenced to eight to 20 years in jail after the incident that claimed the life of 74-year-old Serge Fournier. Bus surveillance video from March 21, 2019, shows Bishop arguing with Fournier after the elderly man asked her to be nicer to other passengers. Bishop can then be seen pushing Fournier when he turned his back to exit the bus, causing him to fall onto the sidewalk below. Fournier was taken to a hospital but died a month later. His death was ruled a homicide resulting from blunt force trauma to the torso, according to the Clark County Coroner-Medical Examiner's Office. Bishop was initially charged with murder and released on a $100,000 bond on May 16, 2019. Her bail was revoked in 2021 after she was charged with grand larceny, with prosecutors arguing she stole a 2020 Chevrolet Impala from a rental car company. Bishop claimed she lent the rental car to someone and they failed to return it. Court records also show that Bishop was convicted twice, in 2014 and 2015, of misdemeanor domestic battery charges. The prosecution downgraded the murder charge to abuse of an elderly person resulting in death, and Bishop pleaded guilty on December 27. She will be eligible for parole in eight years. Bishop's exact sentence length is expected to be based on her behavior. Her alleged mental health history could also play a part in the parole board's decision. Cadesha Bishop, 28, was sentenced to eight to 20 years in jail after admitting to pushing 74-year-old Serge Fournier off a public bus to his death in 2019 During his sentencing hearing on Friday, Bishop (pictured center in 2019) said she entered the plea bargain because she didn't think she would receive a fair deal otherwise Serge Fournier hit his head on a sidewalk during the 2019 incident and the Clark County coroner ruled his death a homicide resulting from his injuries a month later During her sentencing hearing on Friday, Bishop said she entered the plea bargain because she didn't think she would receive a fair deal otherwise. She will be given credit for the 252 days of time served. Bishop said she was 'sorry for [her] behavior' during the 'lowest and weakest moment of [her] life,' NBC reported. Her attorney added that she suffered from Bipolar Disorder and PTSD. Bishop will face a jury trial in April to address her pending grand larceny charge. A police report says Fournier was moving up the aisle of the Regional Transportation Commission bus just before 5 p.m. on March 21, 2019, when he asked a woman who had been cursing at other people to be nicer to passengers, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Bishop entered a plea deal with the prosecution and was sentenced to eight to 20 years in jail Fournier allegedly told Cadesha Bishop to stop shouting and cursing at fellow passengers as he walked down the aisle of the Regional Transportation Commission bus Serge Fournier was shoved from a bus in Las Vegas on March 21, 2019, and died of his injuries just over a month later In video footage released by Las Vegas police, Fournier could be seen falling face first into the sidewalk after being pushed from the vehicle Bishop was accused of shoving Fournier out the door 'with enough force that he never touched any of the steps' before hitting his head about eight feet from the bus. According to the arrest report, witnesses saw her walking away from the bus without offering Fournier help, grabbing her sons hand and leading him away. In the CCTV clip taken from the bus' security cameras, Bishop can be seen talking to Fournier as he walked past carrying a walker and heading toward the door. Then, as his back was turned, she violently shoved him with both hands, sending the elderly man crashing down the steps head first. According to the arrest report, Bishop walked away from the bus without offering Fournier help, leaving him injured on the sidewalk The incident happened at 13th and Fremont streets in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stop and a RTC city bus on that route are pictured in this image Bishop was identified in part because of a 'Love' emblem on her jacket and her son's distinctive Spider-Man backpack, police said in 2019. 'No matter what his age, she should not have done that. People need a little more patience than what they have these days,' said the man's neighbor, Trevor Taylor, in 2019. Taylor asserted that Fournier was a 'wonderful person' and shared that he would never forget his friend. 'He was an excellent neighbor. Very nice, religious person,' he added. Priti Patel is set to make drink spiking a criminal offence in a bid to crack down on sexual predators following a nationwide spiking 'epidemic' in recent months. The Home Secretary is set to introduce a law targeting anyone who gives a substance to someone without their consent, 'regardless of a perpetrator's motivation'. Opposition peers passed an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in the House of Lords committing them to reviewing spiking under the Sexual Offences Act. But Ms Patel has taken it one step further and ministers will put forward their own amendment tomorrow, calling for a review of all forms of drink spiking, not just those linked to sexual offences. Priti Patel (pictured), 49, is understood to be planning to introduce legislation to target anyone who administers as substance to someone without their consent The Cabinet minister said she had spoken to police chiefs about drink spiking and said there was more to learn about the motivations of perpetrators, saying that some cases were linked to theft. Ms Patel said she would not 'hesitate' to bring in new laws in a bid to protect victims, after figures showed spiking offences made up more than one in 10 of all crimes classed as 'violence with injury'. She told The Times: 'Our response to such appalling acts must be as robust as possible to ensure that everyone is protected, regardless of a perpetrator's motivation. 'That's why we are proposing a more wide-ranging review and, if there is a clear case for making spiking a standalone offence, then I will not hesitate to bring in new laws.' Ms Patel's allies said she may not wait for the review to conclude before drawing up legislation, signalling that they expect a new spiking law to be passed. It comes amid a nationwide spiking 'epidemic' in recent months that has prompted backlash from students and nightclubs. 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. It is understood ministers will put forward their own amendment to the bill tomorrow, calling for a review of all forms of drink spiking, not just those linked to sexual offences (stock image) Figures also showed that spiking offences made up more than one in 10 of all crimes classed as 'violence with injury'. MPs have also been told that cases of spiking on nights out are being 'underreported quite significantly'. 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.' 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. Only seven per cent of drinks that were reportedly spiked in the West Midlands resulted in a positive drugs test, police have said (stock image) 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. A student who formed a club to promote free speech after a series of academics were attacked for their views says he is now in danger of being 'cancelled' by Britain's biggest university. Sam Cowie, 28, formed the Free Speech Society at the Open University (OU) last year but has been told his moves to get official affiliation for the club are currently 'on hold'. The university's Student Association lays the blame for the OU's decision on his posting of a 'statement of solidarity' on social media in support of Professor Jo Phoenix In emails seen by The Mail on Sunday, the university's Student Association lays the blame for the OU's decision on his posting of a 'statement of solidarity' on social media in support of Professor Jo Phoenix, an academic who quit the Open University in December following a campaign by trans activists. Last night, Mr Cowie, a second-year psychology student from Glasgow, who has received the support of the UK's Free Speech Union, said: 'I formed the club because debate is being stifled and people are being bullied and mistreated, especially senior female academics. It's sinister ...why can't people talk about perfectly reasonable things without being slammed?' An OU Students Association spokesperson said: 'The Open University is a place of open debate where a wide spectrum of views are presented by academics and students. 'Newly formed Societies receive OU Students Association affiliation once the application criteria are met.' Scott Morrison has insisted Chinese tourists will return to Australia despite lingering tensions caused by a heated trade war with Beijing. The prime minister was asked if he thought his 'recent rhetoric' would deter travellers from the authoritarian nation from making a trip Down Under. 'No I dont believe so, and theyre not able to travel to Australia at the moment. So thats why were focusing our campaign on those markets that are open to travel to Australia,' he told reporters on Sunday. Scott Morrison has insisted Chinese tourists will return to Australia despite leftover tensions from a trade war with Beijing Australia's relations with China have dramatically soured in the wake of the Covid pandemic after Mr Morrison called for an inquiry into the origins of coronavirus in 2021 He said Australia was considered one of the most popular destinations for international arrivals including those from China, as well as for international students. 'So I know that whether its Chinese travellers or whether its Japanese travellers, or European travellers, North American travellers, this is where they want to come, and now they can come here, and were looking forward to welcoming them,' he said. Australia's relations with China dramatically soured in the past two years after the PM called for an inquiry into the origins of the Covid pandemic in 2021. Beijing responded by progressively blocking some of Australia's top exports including coal, seafood, wine, barley, timber, and meat. Mr Morrison was recently forced to withdraw remarks fired at Labor deputy leader Richard Marles after he called for closer defence ties with China on a trip to Beijing. Australia's relations with China have dramatically soured in the wake of the Covid pandemic after the PM (pictured with Xi Jinping) called for an inquiry into the origins of the virus in 2021 The PM said Australia was considered one of the most popular destinations for international arrivals including those from China (pictured, arrivals at Melbourne Airport) He called the opposition leader a 'Manchurian candidate', a term describing a politician being used as a puppet by an enemy power. Labor rejected the attack as 'desperate' and part of his escalating bid to portray the Opposition as weak on national security ahead of the May election. Australia's border finally opens on Monday and the first international tourists will be welcomed at the airport with toy koalas and jars of vegemite. The prime minister said the reopening of Western Australia and the rest of the country heralded a new phase of the Covid pandemic, with the first tourists scheduled to arrive on Monday morning. 'What we will see is these flights increase, and we will particularly see them increasing imports like here in Melbourne,' he told reporters at the state's airport. 'Already in Sydney, where we have had the airports and other areas open for much longer, I have no doubt Melbourne will start to receive even more of those flights.' International tourists will be welcomed to Australia with toy koalas and jars of vegemite as Scott Morrison announces a new phase in the Covid pandemic (pictured, arrivals in Sydney) Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) said the reopening of Western Australia and the rest of the country heralded a new phase of the Covid pandemic Mr Morrison said a $40 million campaign from Tourism Australia launched last week will coincide with the highly-anticipated border reopening. 'They have been getting ready over the course of the pandemic. I know the tourism industry and the airlines have been getting ready, so all the readiness puts us in a strong position to go forward from tomorrow,' the prime minister said. The first Qantas plane is due to land at 6.30am on Monday and will mark the country's first convoy of international tourists in two years. Arrivals will be greeted by drag queens and a Surf Life Saving crew and be gifted a goodie bag containing vegemite and stuffed koalas and kangaroos. Airline staff will be poised to hand the first load of visitors signs, flags and eucalyptus leaves with a DJ to play Australian hits at a party in Sydney airport. Across Australia, 56 international flights will bring tourists from Canada, the UK, the US, and Japan over 24 hours. International arrivals will be greeted by drag queens and a Surf Life Saving crew and be gifted a goodie bag containing vegemite and stuffed koalas (pictured, arrivals in Melbourne) The first Qantas plane is due to land at 6:30am on Monday and will be the country's first convoy of international tourists in over two years (pictured, arrivals in Brisbane) Mr Morrison reminded citizens the closure of the international border meant Australia had one of the lowest Covid death rates in the world. He added that high vaccination rates and effective handling of the virus allowed the country to scrap its hard border and finally open up to tourists. 'That's why the wait is over, Australia, because you've done the hard yards. You've done the work, you've pushed through,' he said. Tourism Minister Dan Tehan echoed the PM's sentiments and said the welcoming of international arrivals was a vital step in recovering from the virus. 'Australia's health and economic response to the pandemic has been among the best in the world, with one of the highest vaccination rates and low mortality,' he said. Mr Tehan said international tourists would come to see the country's iconic attractions, enjoy the food and drink and learn about Indigenous culture. 'Millions of people around the world dream of visiting Sydney and our regional areas, it's great to see the planes return and their dreams coming true,' Dominic Perrottet (pictured) said Unvaccinated returning Australians from overseas will need to stay in hotel quarantine for one week (pictured, a passenger is swabbed in Sydney airport) 'Australia is the best country in the world and we're excited to be sharing it with the rest of the world again,' he said. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said a $530 million recovery package would provide a much-needed boost to the tourism sector as the first flights touched down. He said the arrival of international visitors would advance the state's recovery. 'Millions of people around the world dream of visiting Sydney and our regional areas, it's great to see the planes return and their dreams coming true,' the premier said. Australia opened its border in stages after only allowing Australian citizens and permanent residents from March 2020. Since November, 92,000 visitors, 80,000 international students, 35,000 skilled visa holders and 5,600 working holiday makers have arrived in the country. On Friday, WA Premier Mark McGowan announced his state would finally reopen to the rest of the world with the hard border to be lifted at 12am on March 3. Both interstate and international travellers will be required to complete a G2G pass before entering the state, and take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours of arrival. Only interstate travellers who have had three Covid doses, if eligible, will be able to enter the state without quarantining upon arrival. Since November, 92,000 visitors, 80,000 international students, 35,000 skilled visa holders and 5,600 working holiday makers have arrived in the country (pictured, Sydney airport) On Friday, WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) announced his state would finally reopen to the rest of the world with the hard border to be lifted at 12am on March 3 Unvaccinated returning Australians from overseas will need to stay in hotel quarantine for one week. 'We have an outbreak in WA that we can't stop and its numbers continue to climb,' Mr McGowan said. 'Eventually there comes a point where the border is ineffective.' Tourists must be double-vaccinated to land in Australia and will need to undertake a negative PCR test three days before their flight - or a supervised rapid test 24 hours before departure - to be exempt from any quarantine. Mr Morrison said the decision was made because Australia is now ravaged with the Omicron variant of Covid, meaning international travellers don't pose an extra risk. 'The variant is here in Australia. And for those who are coming in who are double vaccinated, they don't present any greater risk than those who are already here in Australia.' Chinese FM calls for greater solidarity, cooperation at MSC Xinhua) 21:24, February 20, 2022 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivers a keynote speech at the 58th Munich Security Conference (MSC) via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday attended the 58th Munich Security Conference (MSC) via video link, calling for greater solidarity and cooperation under the banner of multilateralism. Noting that the world faces once again the danger of division and confrontation, Wang said certain big power is reviving the Cold War mentality and stoking confrontation between blocs. "Only when countries row the oars together and cheer up each other, rather than undercut and come after one another, can we overcome the current challenges and sail into a bright future," he said. "In this process, the role and action of major countries are critically important," he added. To make the world a better place, major countries must lead by example, countries must work in sync, and China and Europe must play their part, Wang said. "We expect all major countries to take the lead in supporting multilateralism, living up to their international commitments, acting on the purposes of the UN Charter, and contributing to world peace and development," he said. "We all must guard against and oppose any attempt for a 'new Cold War', and strive for a world of enduring peace," he said. Noting that China and Europe are two major forces and great civilizations, Wang said they can and must provide more stability and positive energy for the world. The two sides need to stay committed to the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, respect each other's core interests, adhere to the basic international norm of non-interference in internal affairs, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation across the board, he said. "China is ready to work with all countries as passengers in the same boat and, with unity as the sail and cooperation as the oar, sail through the pandemic and toward a brighter future," Wang said. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Log in to edit with Ginger Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may not be visiting the UK due to problems with how to go about providing security for their family. Since Megxit, the couple has moved to the US and has been the center of the controversy that affected the Royal Family. Not the least is the Oprah interview that raised eyebrows at what the duchess claimed and how the public reacted to it. Prince Harry' s Family Issues Over Safety in UK The Duke of Sussex raised a furor when he took action against the UK Home Office, and it stated that it would not spend for police protection if he returned, the Express reported. When he ceased royal duties that would have the privilege of security services and protection removed from him due to problems attributed to his wife, he decided to leave the Royal Family as senior royals relinquishing many of the perks enjoyed. A decision laid down by the Home Office a year ago ruled that none of their US security staff can get access to the United Kingdom or intelligence for British security. It did not sit well for the Duke and Duchess that the royal privilege was not allowed for them. Concern for their son, Archie, 2, and Lilibet, eight months old, who were unsafe without security. But, it did not deter Prince Harry from reconsidering the Home Office's decision for review this coming September, a high court started a case for it, cited Diana Legacy. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Return Remains Uncertain It has been predicted by the fans of the Sussexes that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not visit Britain due to complications in the future; the HO is as it is. Read Also: Fox TV Host Tucker Carlson Criticizes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Over Spotify Misinformation, Calls Them Half-Full A user posted a comment that it's hard to believe they are coming back to the UK and facing the public here. A sympathetic post about the Duke and Duchess was on social media. Saying that Harry has been treated harshly and he is the 6th in line to inherit the throne. Adding the Royal Family and press have been heavy-handed; but still wants to return and visit. Critics should give him credit for acting that way. Many have a soft spot for the son of Lady Diana Spencer. Another Sussex fan had this to say about the prince. It is a question on how the royal family cannot allow Harry to spend for his family's safety if he visits the UK. The queen would want to see her great-grandchildren too; it's too quarrelsome and trivial. High Court Case Begins Last Friday, the case opened in high court; the Sussexes lawyer told the venue that the duke wants to visit and see his family friends again. The duke's lawyer, Shaheed Fatima, informed Mr. Justice Swift that the claim is all about how safety should be with adequate security arrangements given on June 2021. She added it should be applied any time he returns, noted News Lanes. She added that the UK is his home. One legal representative informed that the prince feels the protection is not enough for his children to visit Britain. His role has changed but not profile as a royal family member. The duke is willing to pay for security expenses from his pocket too. He made several trips after exiting in 2020. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would return based on the case filed in high court to get the security arrangements he needs; Royal observers have been watching the drama unfold since Megxit. Related Article: Prince Charles' Golden Orb Coronation Speculations; Sussexes Absence on the Royal Balcony Is Expected @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. One of the enduring mysteries of the Trump era - 'who is Q' - appears to be solved, sort of. Two sets of forensic linguists have published two separate papers using two different techniques to conclude that Q appears to be two people: South African tech journalist Paul Furber, 55, and 4chan internet message board moderator and computer entrepreneur Ron Watkins, 34, according to the studies. 'While relying on two completely different technologies, both stylometric [quantitative study of literary style] analyses could establish that QAnon's early period on the 4chan forum, from October to December 2017, was likely the result of a collaboration between Paul Furber and Ron Watkins,' according to Claude-Alain Roten, the CEO of OrphAnalytics. Roten, who worked with Lionel Pousaz, a partner at OrphAnalytics, took the writings of several people identified as potential Q originators and analyzed writings they had authored then cross-referenced it using computer software with early QAnon posts. 'Open your eyes. Many in our govt worship Satan,' was the first post on October 2017 that launched the movement, according to The New York Times, which was given exclusive access to the linguistics studies. When reached by the Times, Furber didn't dispute that Q's writing resembled his own, while Watkins, who is running for Congress in Arizona, told the NYT: 'I am not Q.' This debunks one theory that Q is a high-ranking military insider. Ron Watkins, 35, who is running for Congress in Arizona, defended the messaging of the movement as mostly good but denied being Q South African tech journalist Paul Furber, 55, was identified as one of the earlier advocates of QAnon Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar met with Arizona congressional hopeful Ron Watkins, who was identified as one of the original authors of the QAnon movement, which he has denied 'An accidental stylistic resemblance between Watkins and a still-to-be identified author seems quite unlikely,' said Florian Cafiero, a visiting scholar at Columbia University who co-authored the study with Jean-Baptiste Camps from the French Ecole des Chartes. QAnon started out as a fringe group on the obscure and extremely nerdy 4chan internet forum but grew into a global movement that propagated wild conspiracy, like that there was an international child sex ring run by Democrats operating out of a Washington, D.C., pizza shop called Comet Pizza. Followers of QAnon believed that then-President Donald Trump was a supporter and many of the movement's devotees participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol based on the debunked belief that the 2020 election was stolen due to widespread computer fraud. The FBI labeled the movement a terror threat. A poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 15 percent of all Americans believe the basic tenets of QAnon. QAnon followers believed that an international child sex ring was run out of this DC pizza shop Jacob Anthony Chansley, who also goes by the name Jake Angeli, a QAnon believer known as the 'QAnon Shaman,' speaks to a crowd of Trump supporters in November 2020 Devotees of QAnon believed that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump through widespread voter fraud. That theory has been debunked. Pictured: A Q follower in May 2020 Furber didn't dispute that Qu's writing resembled his own Roten and Pousaz concluded that Furber and Watkins worked together initially, but when the message board migrated to 8chan, Watkins took over. Watkins' father reportedly owned the 8chan message board. Furber told The New York Times that his writing may bare a resemblance to Q because he was so heavily influenced by the moderator's style. In a telephone interview with The Times from his home near Johannesburg, Furber didn't dispute that Q's writing resembled his own. Instead, he claimed that Q's posts had influenced him so deeply that they altered his prose. It 'took over our lives, literally,' Furber told the paper. 'We all started talking like him.' More bluntly, Watkins told The Times: 'I am not Q.' But he defended the messages behind the movement. 'There is probably more good stuff than bad,' he told The Times, enumerating the valuable messages like 'fighting for the safety of the country, and for the safety of the children of the country.' Watkins has been outed before. In March 2021, HBO launched a docuseries called 'Q: Into the Storm' which traces the origins of QAnon to Watkins, whose father owns the 8chan forum. Pousaz defended his unmasking of the QAnon founders as important social science. 'QAnon is going to fuel social studies for a long time, and maybe even history, as one of the most singular and concerning movements of our time. As such, identifying its authors and their motivations is of great importance to orient future debates,' says Pousaz, a co-inventor at OrphAnalytics. Roten and Pousaz concluded that Furber and Watkins (pictured) worked together initially, but when the message board migrated to 8chan, Watkins took over 'There is probably more good stuff than bad,' Watkins told The Times, enumerating the valuable messages like 'fighting for the safety of the country, and for the safety of the children of the country.' QAnon followers recently flocked to Dallas in November under the impression that JFK Jr. - who died in a plane crash in 1999 - was going to 'appear' and announce a vice presidential run with Donald Trump. They later refused to leave, calling the Texas city their 'promised land.' QAnon rapper Pryme Minister reportedly offered property for the conspiracy theorists to set up a permanent headquarters near the infamous grassy knoll at Dealey Plaza - the site of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vice News first reported. The group expected JFK Jr. to appear at 12.29 p.m. on November 2 - the time his father was shot dead - but when he failed to arrive, followers dashed off to the Rolling Stones concert at the Cotton Bowl instead. Michael Brian Protzman, on the group's leaders known to his followers as Negative48, helped organize the gatherings and told his 105,000 Telegram followers that QAnon rapper Pryme Minister, whose real name is Randell Moody, has offered the use of a property in the city that could act as a permanent headquarters for the group, according to Vice News. In an audio chat on a Telegram channel called Occupy Dealey Plaza, someone asks Protzman how long the group was going to stay in Dallas, to which he reveals that they seek to maintain a base in there because it is 'the promised land.' Although there is no official leader of QAnon, Protzman has create his own cult-like group within the movement that recognizes him as a godlike figure, Vice News reported. He uses his devoted following on Telegram to spread his own conspiracy theories and lore JFK Jr. is the Archangel Michael and Donald Trump is the Holy Spirit. Protzman makes predictions and touts theories based on his own interpretation of gematria, the ancient Jewish numerology code that assigns a numerical value to letters, words and phrases and translates them to create a new meaning. The group's leader Brian Protzman (pictured above) maintains that JFK Jr. did, in fact, appear to them that night in the form of Keith Richards during a Rolling Stones concert QAnon rapper Pryme Minister has reportedly offered property for the group to set up a new headquarters in Dallas and called it the QAnon 'promised land' Pictures posted to social media by Steven Monacelli, the publisher of Protean magazine, show QAnon followers congregated on the infamous grassy knoll. At one point, the group stands in the shape of a giant Q' A popular QAnon theory claims that he faked his death JFK Jr. died in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts in 1999, along with his wife, Carolyn Bessette and her sister, Lauren. Navy divers found their bodies still strapped into their seats in the wreckage 18 hours after his plane, which he was piloting, disappeared. In 2019, Forbes reports, some believers expected JFK Jr. to return on July 4, again as Trump's running mate. The conspiracy theorists now reportedly believe JFK Jr., the son of former President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis, will reveal he switched political affiliations and faked his own death to avoid retribution, according to Gizmodo. According to the theory, he would announce that he was running with former President Donald J. Trump in the 2024 presidential election, but Trump would step down and let JFK Jr. step in as president and appoint former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn as his vice president. Trump would then 'most likely' become the king of kings, a popular QAnon Telegram account with more than 100,000 subscribers wrote about the conspiracy in a post on Monday. It did not specify what becoming the 'king of kings' would entail. They also believed that after JFK Jr. would appear, the clocks would go back an hour, people would adopt the Julian calendar, and the date would go back to October 20, according to Newsweek. JFK Jr., the theory posits, will then help usher in a new age American prosperity, as his father did in the 1960s. Protzman also offered the theory that JFK, JFK Jr. and Jackie Kennedy would all reappear, after which JFK would tour the world for seven days, transfer the presidency back to Trump and die, Gizmodo reports, even though that is not how presidential power works. It is unclear why the QAnon followers thought JFK Jr. would appear at the location where his father was famously murdered in 1963. New Zealanders living in Australia and other countries are being urged to go home and do their patriotic duty - picking and packing kiwi fruit for up to NZ$27 (A$25.20) per hour. The come home call is being pitched as being in the national interest, with Covid restrictions having left fruit growers 6,000 people short of what is needed to harvest this year's crop. If they're quick enough, they can help out sending New Zealand's first red kiwi fruit abroad - new variety, Zespri's RubyRed flavour is making its debut this year. New Zealand's annual harvest began in Te Puke this week, a Bay of Plenty town known as the kiwi fruit capital for its hillside orchards teeming with fruit. A woman is pictured buying kiwi fruit in a supermarket. New Zealand needs 6,000 more pickers and packers for this year's harvest Harvesting will take roughly four months and kiwi fruit marketer Zespri is hopeful of a record haul. Last year, 177 million kiwi fruit trays - or 5.3 billion pieces of fruit - were taken from trees, and this year, the forecast is for 190 million trays. That's if they can find enough staff. The workforce is usually comprised of around 60 per cent locals, 20 per cent Pacific workers and 20 per cent backpackers, but with border settings still tightly-controlled, the backpacking crowd isn't there. New Zealand's tight labour market exacerbates the problem; unemployment is a staggering 3.2 per cent, meaning there are fewer Kiwis looking for work than usual. New Zealand Kiwi fruit Growers Inc chief executive Colin Bond says they're appealing to Kiwis - whether at home or abroad - to make up the shortfall. 'We could be around 6,000 short because that's about the number of backpackers that we normally have,' Mr Bond told AAP. Workers on a kiwi fruit orchard train young vines to grow over a canopy frame in Paengaroa, North Island, New Zealand, November 23, 2021 'Our challenge is how do we cover that gap? So we're going to try and attract more New Zealanders.' Last month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a reopening strategy that begins with Kiwis based in Australia, who can enter from next week without quarantining. From March 14, that will extend to working holiday makers, leaving a tight turnaround before the picking peak in mid-April. Given that, growers are hopeful Kiwis in Australia might jump the ditch and roll their sleeves up. Kiwi fruit contains twice as much vitamin C as oranges, more fibre than apples and as much vitamin E as an avocado 'We're a billion (dollar) industry for New Zealand and that money flows back to local communities,' Mr Bond said. 'It is about people pitching in and coming to do your bit, to pick a bit of "kiwiana" and come and help out the growers.' Kiwi fruit is big business in New Zealand. It is the largest horticultural export, outdoing even wine, and is expected to be worth up to $NZ3 billion ($A2.8 billion) this year. KIWI FRUIT'S MANY PROS (AND ONE CON) Pros: Kiwi fruit came top of the crop for health in a fruit league table designed by scientists at Rutgers University in the US. Kiwis contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges, more fibre than apples and as much vitamin E as an avocado. All this for less than 50 calories. This combination of antioxidant vitamins will discourage cancer-producing cells and boost immunity. Kiwis also supply a good amount of potassium, important for maintaining healthy blood pressure and normal heart function. Cons: Watch out for bruised fruit or fruit which is already ripe when buying. Advertisement This year, pickers will get their hands on a new variety: Zespri's RubyRed flavour. The new fruit has been engineered over the past decade to ensure it's the right colour, taste, is easily stored and grown for commercialisation. 'It's a beautiful-tasting fruit,' Mr Bond said. 'When you slice them open you'll get red flesh and they're slightly different on the outside as well. 'The green has the hairy fuzz. The gold has a smooth skin. The ruby red is a slightly different shape and colour again.' Zespri claims the RubyRed has an edible skin, and the fruit is 'high in antioxidants, rich in Vitamin C and it's a good source of folate, potassium and Vitamin E'. Just a few hundred thousand trays are being exported this season, making it a tiny slice of the overall market. Sadly for Australian consumers, they're bound for Singapore, Japan and China - with Australia part of plans further down the track. That means the best route for Australians to try the fruit is to head to New Zealand and pick them. Mr Bond said the vast majority of packhouses pay the living wage - NZ$22.75 (A$21.25) an hour - or above, while pickers can attract an average of NZ$27. A teacher found herself stranded on the other side of the world just days before school started in Sydney because her travel broker didn't pay for her flight. Caroline McKenna went to Dublin Airport in late January to check-in to her Australia-bound flight after spending Christmas with her family in Ireland for the first time in four years. She was surprised when an Emirates staff member looked confused and asked to see her ticket, and was shattered when they told her that Flight Network - the third-party website she bought her ticket from - had not paid the airline. The 30-year-old bought the flexible return airfare from Flight Network because it was cheaper than other flights, which were inflated in the lead-up to Christmas and Australia's border reopening in December. Caroline McKenna, 30, 9pictured) flew to Ireland to spend Christmas with her family for the first time in four years Two weeks before returning to Sydney, she upgraded her ticket to business class but the flight itinerary didn't change. Pictured: Ms McKenna just before leaving Sydney in December She explained that she first became suspicious when she upgraded her flight to business class two weeks before leaving Ireland, but the itinerary didn't change. With just an hour before take-off, Ms McKenna and an Emirates employee called Flight Network and asked them to release the money, but they were unable to do it in time. She cried as the gate closed. 'Flight Network left me stranded in Dublin with no alternative flight,' the expat told 9 News. Ms McKenna, who also runs a podcast and has lived in Australia for six years, had to get back to Sydney in time for the start of term one and had no choice but to book a seat on a flight the next day - which cost her thousands of dollars. Ms McKenna has lived in Australia for six years. She works as a teacher and runs a podcast on the side Caroline McKenna (pictured) said she had a 'wonderful time' visiting family and friends in Ireland for Christmas She eventually made it back to Sydney and issued a warning to other travellers. 'The airport staff in Dublin told me they see this happening constantly,' she said. '(They say) it is always better to pay that little bit extra to go through the official airlines.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Flight Network for comment. Flight Network told 9 News that the company apologised to Ms McKenna. The company said it 'compensated the customer and refunded the cost for the rebooking and the cost for the flexible ticket'. Ms McKenna (pictured) eventually made it back to Sydney and issued a warning to other travellers After she was unable to get on her flight to Sydney, Ms McKenna (pictured) had to spend thousands on another for the next day 'We also asked the customer to send us the receipt for the new ticket so we can go through that cost as well,' it said. 'Unfortunately, we made a manual mistake which led to the customer ending up in the wrong queue and not getting a call from us. 'We apologise for this and will do our best to ensure it doesn't happen again.' Ms McKenna booked the flight through Skyscanner and said the travel search engine was 'really helpful' during her ordeal. 'We were sorry to hear that Caroline experienced a problem with her flight and can completely understand how stressful that must have been,' Skyscanner told 9 News. The search engine said it didn't have control over individual bookings, but would work on behalf of Ms McKenna to ensure the situation was resolved. A Louisiana teenager has been arrested after she allegedly attempted to hire a hitman on a prank website to kill her 14-year-old ex-boyfriend, police said. The girl, also 14, was charged with solicitation for murder and was booked into East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center, according to police. Her lawyer, Michael Nunnery, said on Tuesday he didn't believe his client's actions carried the severity of the charge. 'My client is a juvenile first of all. In order to carry out any crime, you have to have the wherewithal to make it happen. This is a 14-year-old, she doesn't have five dollars to pay a hitman,' Nunnery told local news station WWLTV. The girl, whose identity won't be disclosed because she is a minor, allegedly attempted to hire a hitman on the prank website Rentahitman.com. The joke website was created in 2005 by Bob Innes, who is credited with preventing more than 100 attempted homicides by turning the information of 'clients' to the police. The girl, whose identity won't be disclosed because she is a minor, was charged with solicitation for murder after 'going on prank website Rentahitman.com' to order a hit on her ex-boyfriend' The joke website was created in 2005 by Bob Innes, who is credited with preventing more than 100 attempted homicides by turning the information of 'clients' to the police The satirical website promises confidentiality and makes light of the HIPPA law, which is intended to protect medical patient's privacy. 'Our clients confidentiality is important to us, so rest assured that your information will remain private as required under HIPPA, the Hitman Information Privacy & Protection Act of 1964,' the website reads. The site also 'offers' the service for people who want to target their bullies, nannies, lawyers, lovers and neighbors. Fake testimonials are also featured in the website, with the hypothetical satisfied customers thanking the 'field operators' for 'getting their hands dirty and taking care of the victims.' 'Caught my husband cheating with the babysitter and our relationship was terminated after a free public relations consultation. I'm single again and looking to mingle. Thanks Guido!' one of the fake testimonials read. Another read: 'My business schedule is too busy to get my hands dirty with Human Resources issues, so I consulted with RAH and they handled my disgruntled employee issue promptly while I was out of town on vacation. Gracias, RAH!' The teenager was booked into East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center, according to police The satirical website also 'offers' the service for people who want to target their, bullies, nannies, lawyers, lovers and neighbors. The website has helped law enforcement arrest people soliciting murders in the past. Despite the clear signs indicating the website is fake, Innes said he has received hundreds of requests from people across the globe trying to hire a hitman. Innes reviews every request and if he determines the person truly intends to hire somebody to kill, he sends the information to the authorities. 'The website has prevented, essentially, 150 murders at this point,' Innes told ABC7 News in November. Among those who have been jailed is 52-year-old Wendy Wein, who allegedly tried to have her husband killed in 2020. 'I sent her an email asking her, ''do you still require our services and would you like to put me in contact with the field operative?'' I give everybody a chance to turn around and walk the other way and back out,' Innes told the outlet. 'She said ''yes.'' So, that's when I contacted the Michigan State Police. That's when they started their investigation,' he added. A Chinese international student has been caught on camera ripping down posters supporting Hong Kong democracy and criticising the regime. As she tore down the posters on the Lennon Wall at the University of Queensland, she laughed about Uyghur Muslims being held in concentration camps The woman also dismissed the Tiananmen Square massacre as 'lies' that happened '50 years ago'. The massacre actually happened in June 1989 - 33 years ago. China has been widely criticised internationally for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims, detaining up to one million people in 're-education camps' where human rights groups say they are abused, tortured and even raped. BREAKING NEWS: Chinese international student caught on video ripping down posters supporting Hong Kong democracy and criticizing Chinese dictatorship at University of Queensland Lennon Wall, laughs about Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps and denies Tiananmen Massacre pic.twitter.com/7qX1jcqtzY Drew Pavlou For Senate (@DrewPavlou) February 17, 2022 In February 2022, a Chinese student in the University of Queensland ripped down a poster of a man trying to block a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square, Beijing on June 5, 1989. When the woman, who has already torn down dozens of posters, realised she was being filmed, she said 'Your camera has been on? 'You are ruining my liberty. I don't want to show my face.' 'I'm allowed to film here,' the man said. 'I don't want you to have a nice day,' the woman replied. 'I just want to show that I'm not (afraid) to show my freedom,' she then said as she continued to rip down posters showing the 1989 massacre of students at Tiananmen Square in Beijing and the famous picture of a lone man blocking tanks. The man filming then calmly said: 'I understand that and I will blur out your face, but can you tell me a bit about why you think it's right to rip these down?' A man stands alone to block a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square, Beijing on June 5, 1989. What happened in the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre? April 1989 - people from across China gathered in Beijings Tiananmen Square to mourn the death of the liberal Communist party leader Hu Yaobang and share their frustrations about the slow pace of promised reform. May 13 - hundreds of student protesters went on hunger strike in order to push for talks with Communist party leaders. An estimated one million people joined the protests in Beijing. May 20 - martial law was declared. June 3/4 - thousands of armed troops and hundreds of armoured military vehicles entered the city centre. Soldiers shot at the protesters. Estimates of the death toll vary from several hundred to several thousand. Source - Amnesty International Advertisement The woman got very annoyed at this, raising her voice and saying: 'Do you think you are right to tell these lies to the students, especially those teenagers?' 'I don't think they are lies,' the man replied. 'I do think they are all liars and I think you have the time to figure out what lies to show here,' she said. The man then points his camera to a picture, already partially ripped, of tanks in Tiananmen Square. 'Are you aware of what happened there?' he asked. 'Tanks?' she replied. 'The massacre in Tiananmen Square?' he prompts. 'No, I don't know about that because it happened 40 to 50 years ago... It happened decades ago,' she replied. 'I'm just thinking about now, thinking about the future, the teenagers. 'What's your big influence by this wall?' she then asked. 'I think the intent is to make them think twice...' the man began, before being cut off. 'About what?' she interrupts sharply and loudly. 'I will show you what China is looking like,' she said, pulling out her phone. 'I appreciate your attitude about thinking twice, but I think I have the right to tell you the truth. A Chinese student at the University of Queensland (pictured) tore down dozens of posters that supported democracy in Hong Kong and China 'You always told us that you are telling the truth and I saw that I think you are telling lies.' She was unable to find anything on her phone that might explain 'what China is looking like' or to explain away concerns about human rights there. 'As far as I'm aware, there are Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps,' the man continued. 'Concentration camps. Ha, ha, ha,' she said, seeming to find the notion laughable. 'You have jails in Australia, you have jails in Australia.' China's brutal 're-education camps' are being used to repress the ethnic minority (Detainees in a Xinjiang camp are pictured) There are thought to be more than a million people currently detained in the Chinese Communist Party's brutal 're-education camps' - a legacy of President Xi Jinping who wanted to crackdown on the religious minority after a handful of terror attacks in the region during 2014. Prisoners and guards claimed they experienced or witnessed an organised system of mass rape, torture and sexual abuse of detained Uyghur women in the country's northwest Xinjiang Province. The first-hand interviews reveal the cruelty being dished out at the vast prison network, where those being held are also used as forced labour. At the UN General Assembly in 2019, 23 nation's including Australia condemned China its abhorrent 'human rights violations and abuses'. 'The Chinese government should urgently... (refrain) from the arbitrary detention of Uyghur and members of other Muslim communities,' the statement said. 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.' Daniel Andrews will be investigated by Victoria's workplace safety watchdog after a rogue MP claimed his office bullied her for years. WorkSafe Victoria launched an investigation into allegations of bullying by a former advisor to the premier of Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela. The watchdog is understood to be making inquiries into how the premier's private officer managed Ms Vagahela's complaints, the Herald Sun reports. The Labor MP called Mr Andrews a 'misogynist' and felt personally let down by the state leader and his party. 'He has a problem with women, but he also has a problem with anyone who doesn't hold the same views as him or doesn't do what he wants,' she said. 'People don't see his real side. He's a misogynist, that is what he is. He talks about respecting women but that's not what I saw.' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) will be investigated by Victoria's workplace safety watchdog after a rogue MP claimed his office had bullied her for years Earlier this week, the upper-house MP said she had been 'bullied, harassed and intimidated' by unnamed men in a series of explosive tweets. In texts she claims to have sent to top staffer Lissie Ratcliff in December of 2019, she said the unidentified men were 'trying to defame me and malign my name.' 'I am sick and tired of these men trying to bully, harass and intimidate me in all the ways they can,' she wrote in the text. She then referenced one Labor member whose name was redacted, and claimed they 'actually want to hurt me and my family'. 'I am really scared for my safety,' she continued. 'I really need your help for my and my family's safety.' 'Before I speak to the premier, as a last resort, I am seeking your help to look into this matter. Please take required action.' Ms Vagahela claimed she was forced to wait up to two years for her complaints to be taken seriously, saying she first voiced her concerns in April 2019. Ms Vaghela shared a text she sent to the premier's Chief of Staff in 2019 where she claimed she was scared of her safety from another staffer WorkSafe Victoria has launched an investigation into allegations of bullying by a former advisor voiced by Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela (pictured) The state government rejected this and insisted swift action was taken after a formal written complaint was received in May 2021. The premier's office said there is no such claim of bullying from 2019. Vinayak Kolape, who formerly advised Mr Andrews, was fired following an investigation into Ms Vagahela's claims. The Labor MP said she became a victim of intimidation and harassment after she defected to the party's Right faction. The WorkSafe investigation was initiated by a referral from the state's opposition last Wednesday, with the watchdog due to report by May. Ms Vaghela is poised to be expelled from the Victorian Labor Party after she crossed the floor during a vital vote to support a motion by disgraced MP Adem Somyurek. Without her vote, the motion brought on by the former Victorian Labor powerbroker would have been defeated. It called on Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass to reinvestigate the 2014 'red shirts' scandal and specifically any role Premier Andrews may have played in it. Ms Vaghela has since slammed the premier (pictured with his wife Catherine) as a 'misogynist' after saying she felt personally let down by Mr Andrews and his party During an interview with the Herald Sun, Ms Vaghela said that members within the party are 'scared of the premier because they know he is so spiteful'. 'I'm scared of him and I'm scared about what he's going to do. I was scared before I crossed the floor. He will take revenge. Everybody's scared,' she told the Herald-Sun. 'That's why nobody says anything against him. And anyone, any woman that does, they disappear (from prominence), like Jenny Mikakos. Ms Vaghela also made the sensational claim she was afraid of being alone at events or in Parliament for fears of the Labor Party's 'gang'. She claims the unnamed person who threatened her - presumably a party member - had 'physically assaulted' her husband at a public event. 'The gang says if people do what they say, then in return the gang will advise the Premier or the relevant minister in deciding who should get such roles, in returning favours,' she wrote in the May letter. Mr Andrews confirmed a government staffer had been sacked after a complaint was made but said Ms Vaghela's claims were 'fantasy'. 'Frankly, these claims are just fantasy, fantasy, and I'm not getting into that. No basis in fact,' the Victorian Premier said last week. Mr Andrews (pictured) confirmed a government staffer had been sacked after a complaint was made but said Ms Vaghela's claims were 'fantasy' 'I won't dignify the stuff that's been said about me. I'm just not going to. 'To suggest that that's not dealing with matters promptly and appropriately, I can't think of a stronger rebuttal to that than the fact that it was taken very seriously, it was dealt with appropriately, and the person was essentially dismissed.' Ms Vaghela shared a statement later on last Sunday claiming she was never told the staffer had been sacked. 'Nor did I receive an apology from (the) premier or his office, leaving (the staff member) in that position for years despite my complaints, thus perpetuating his bullying against me,' she said. A spokeswoman for Mr Andrews referred Daily Mail Australia to remarks made by the premier at recent press conferences. Software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and Canadian fund manager Brookfield have partnered up in a takeover bid for Australian power company AGL to accelerate its transition from coal. Cannon-Brookes, 42, is a passionate renewable energy advocate having poured billions into a string of green projects and pledging another $500million in October for start-ups tackling climate change. A joint-offer was reportedly made on Saturday for AGL's entire business including its more than 4.5 million retail customers and its coal, gas and renewable power generation assets. A board meeting was then held on Sunday ahead of a public announcement on Monday morning. Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes (pictured with his wife Annie) want to buy AGL AGL stocks are currently at a two-decade low and the offer would pay a 4 per cent premium on the latest closing price of $7.16 per share, reports The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The offer would be viewed as undervaluing the company by the board and likely wouldn't be approved, a source told the publications. AGL's fossil-fuel power stations are Australia biggest greenhouse gas producers contributing eight per cent to the nation's total emissions. Amid the falling share prices and growing investor demand for clean energy, AGL had already announced a 2050 target to achieve 'net-zero' emissions. The change in ownership to Brookfield and Cannon- Brookes would reportedly bring this forward to 2038 with some coal-fired plants closing earlier. The business had already said their Bayswater plant in NSW would close by 2033 and the Loy Yang plant in Victoria would be offline by 2045. But this would still not meet targets set by the United Nations. In a message on January 15 to the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UN Chief called for the phasing out of coal in OECD nations by 2030 as 'the main climate priority'. Cannon-Brookes has already invested in the $30billion Sun Cable project (pictured) that involves 125sqm of solar panels built in the Northern Territory 'Turning this ship around will take immense willpower and ingenuity from governments and businesses alike, in every major-emitting nation', United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. Cannon-Brookes, Australia third richest person who made his fortune by founding software company Atlassian, has previously said it was his 'night and weekend job' to help usher in a renewable energy revolution. 'I'm very passionate about Australia's opportunity, Australia's potential in a decarbonised world. We should be the winner of the decarbonised world, and we're not going to be at the moment,' he told the AFR. A takeover from Brookfield and Cannon-Brookes would likely see AGL's transition from coal power plants (pictured) fast tracked He and mining magnate Andrew Forrest are already investing in the massive Sun Cable solar farm project which would see solar energy exported from the Outback to Singapore. Brookfield, based in Toronto, is worth more then $690billion with assets in property, infrastructure and electricity, including a recent purchase of Victoria's AusNet grid. Green energy is becoming increasingly cheaper to produce with fossil fuel struggling to keep up on the wholesale power market, contributing to AGL's plunging share price. Boris Johnson today urged people to be 'more confident and get back to work' as he heralded Thursday as Covid Freedom Day. The PM gave an upbeat assessment ahead of unveiling his 'Living with Covid Plan' tomorrow, insisting vaccines and new treatments can be relied upon to keep the public safe. All curbs - including legal self-isolation - are set to end in England within days, and Mr Johnson made clear that the taxpayer cannot keep shelling out 2billion a month on mass testing. In a compromise between the Treasury and Department of Health, he will lay out a timetable for axing free tests - but they are still likely to be available for more vulnerable and older age groups. As cases continue to tumble - down 25 per cent week-on-week - Mr Johnson insisted he did not want people to 'throw caution to the winds' but he wanted to remove 'compulsion' and let individuals take responsibility. 'We will be testing at a much lower level,' he told the BBC's Sunday Morning show. 'We are in a different world. It's important people should feel confident again... people should be able to go back to work in the normal way.' He added: 'We need people to be much more confident and get back to work.' Over-75s and the most vulnerable are expected to be offered a fourth jab within weeks to help heighten their protection. However, the continuing risk of infection was underlined today as Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Queen has tested positive, albeit with 'mild' symptoms. And Labour has accused the premier of trying to distract from the Partygate scandal, saying he is 'declaring victory before the war is over'. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting compared axing free tests to 'being 2-1 up with 10 mins left of play and subbing your best defender'. The British Medical Association has raised alarm that ending Covid rules is 'premature' and 'not based on current evidence'. Mr Johnson will risk the wrath of some Tories by refusing to say when red tape will be removed for UK citizens travelling abroad. Boris Johnson (pictured speaking to the BBC) is poised to unveil his 'Living with Covid Plan', with Thursday earmarked as Freedom Day from virus-related rules Over-75s to get fourth jabs within weeks Vulnerable people and over-75s are set to receive their fourth covid jabs in the coming weeks. It has been six months since many received their last jab in late 2021. Future vaccinations will be organised in a similar way to the annual flu programme and will focus on the elderly and immunosuppressed people. The Government will keep some Covid tracking systems so it can provide a quick response if a more dangerous variant develops. Advertisement Sources say the issue of passenger locator forms, which travellers have to fill in before they return to the UK, will be addressed later in the spring. He is also not expected to ease concerns that hospitals will still limit visits to patients, with Government sources saying that is a matter for individual hospital trusts. Ministers have been encouraged by the continuing fall in infections, deaths and hospitalisations. Covid-19 cases have fallen by a quarter week on week, to 34,377 positive tests in the most recent 24 hours. Deaths are also down by 23 percent on last week to 128. When he signposted the announcement on ending restrictions earlier this month, Mr Johnson made it contingent on the outbreak continued to recede. The Freedom Day plans come despite warnings from Mr Johnson's scientific advisers that Covid cases could soar if the self-isolation rules are ditched. The chair of the Council of the BMA, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, told BBC News: 'I think the right time is when the first leap of faith is supported. 'You have at the moment more people dying, more people in the hospital, than you had before plan B was introduced. 'It seems a rather odd decision to make. Secondly, we need to see case rates fall down even more remembering that people aren't being restricted at the moment in any severe way at all people are living normally. Queen tests positive for Covid but only has 'mild' symptoms The Queen has tested positive for Covid just days after Charles and Camilla both caught the virus, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The monarch, 95, is understood to be experiencing 'mild cold like symptoms', but is expected to continue with light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines. It comes just two weeks after the Queen reached her historic Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne on February 6. Covid symptoms may appear from two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, but it is understood a number of cases have also been diagnosed among the Windsor Castle team. Buckingham Palace said in a statement today: 'Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. 'Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. 'She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson today tweeted his well wishes to the monarch, saying: 'Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.' Advertisement 'The second thing is we do need therefore to continue having surveillance because you won't know whether you've reached that point where the infection rates have come down enough until you've had that surveillance.' Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick and a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M), told Times Radio that at some point the restrictions would have to be eased but that 'the concern now is that we still have relatively high cases'. 'The concern, of course, is with removing testing, removing self-isolation, that may cause quite a big change in behaviour.' Dr Tildesley said one of his biggest concerns was support for people in low-income jobs to isolate and that there was a 'real concern' that getting rid of the rules would lead to more infections in workplaces. 'If we lose free testing then a lot of people won't test any more and without that data that will put us in a much weaker position,' he added. But ministers believe new variants of the virus are likely to follow a similar pattern to Omicron in being more mild than early Covid-19 mutations. Government sources stressed that although lockdowns were necessary to save lives, the restrictions had also taken 'a significant toll'. In future, the emphasis would be on people to show 'personal responsibility' by staying at home if they have Covid just as they would if they had flu. Mr Johnson yesterday admitted that 'Covid will not suddenly disappear', but added: 'We need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms. 'We've built up strong protections against this virus over the past two years through the vaccine rollouts, tests, new treatments, and the best scientific understanding of what this virus can do. 'Thanks to our successful vaccination programme and the sheer magnitude of people who have come forward to be jabbed, we are now in a position to set out our plan for living with Covid this week.' He is set to confirm that the legal duty introduced in 2020 requiring self-isolation for people who test positive will expire later this week. In future, the emphasis would be on people to show 'personal responsibility' by staying at home if they have Covid just as they would if they had flu. (Pictured: Commuters, some wearing masks, arrive at Waterloo train station in London) NHS chiefs call for free virus tests and self-isolation rules to stay Free Covid tests and self-isolation rules must continue, NHS leaders have said in a last ditch attempt to persuade Boris Johnson against dropping all remaining restrictions next week. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of NHS Confederation an organisation that represents leaders across the health service, warned uncertainty over long-term immunity from vaccines and previous infection and the risk of future variants meant it was still too early to drop the final measures. He urged ministers 'now is not the time to take risks', saying the last restrictions should only be relaxed gradually and on the basis of evidence to avoid any sudden flare-ups, even though cases, hospitalisations and deaths have all been trending downwards for weeks as the Omicron wave recedes. Calling for the brakes to be slammed onto No10's 'living with Covid' plans, Mr Taylor Tony Blair's former policy adviser said: 'The Government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat has disappeared entirely.' He added the move to exit the acute phase of the pandemic 'must not be driven by political expediency'. Other healthcare leaders also urged the Prime Minister to re-consider his plans today, saying he should ease the last restrictions 'gradually'. Advertisement Powers to order national lockdowns will also end, with sources saying it would instead be up to local authorities to manage outbreaks. The PM is also expected to leave open the prospect that further Covid jabs could be given, saying he will be guided by expert vaccines body the JCVI. Responding to the Prime Minister's future blueprint for dealing with Covid, Labour said people should not be asked to pay for coronavirus tests. Armed forces minister James Heappey suggested on Thursday that Mr Johnson was likely to announce an end to free lateral flow tests as he called on the public to 'worry less about the need to have tested ourselves'. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door. 'Labour doesn't want to see restrictions in place any longer than they need to be. 'The Government should publish the evidence behind this decision, so the public can have faith that it is being made in the national interest. 'Now is not the time to start charging for tests or weaken sick pay, when people are still being asked to behave responsibly.' Meanwhile, No 10 sources stressed testing 'surveillance systems and contingency measures' would be retained for use if required. Downing Street said pharmaceutical interventions will 'continue to be our first line of defence', with the vaccine programme remaining 'open to anyone who has not yet come forward'. With 85 per cent of the UK's population double-vaccinated, and 38million booster jabs administered, No 10 said it had concluded 'Government intervention in people's lives can now finally end'. But it appeared to keep the door open to state-funded infection sampling remaining in place, following reports that Covid studies could be withdrawn as part of the plan. Officials said Monday's 'living with Covid' plan will maintain 'resilience against future variants with ongoing surveillance capabilities'. It comes after senior statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter argued that the Office for National Statistics' Covid-19 study should remain in place in some form. The Cambridge University professor, who is a non-executive director for the ONS and chairman of the advisory board for the Covid Infection Survey, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the results had been vital for monitoring people's behaviour. 'It has been absolutely so important as we have gone along,' he said on Saturday. 'It has been running since April 2020, and so, as I said, I do have a bias here but it is not just me - I think lots of people are saying how important it is, particularly the statistical community.' Vulnerable people and over-75s are set to receive their fourth covid jabs in the coming weeks as Boris Johnson is set to declare Thursday is Covid Freedom Day with all curbs - including legal self-isolation - to end in England. It has been six months since many received their last jab in late 2021. Future vaccinations will be organised in a similar way to the annual flu programme and will focus on the elderly and immunosuppressed people. The Government will keep some Covid tracking systems so it can provide a quick response if a more dangerous variant develops. Vulnerable people and over-75s are set to receive their fourth covid jabs. Pictured: Margaret Keenan, 90, the first patient in the UK to receive the Covid vaccine on December 8, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson will this week do away with all Covid curbs in England The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) will make decisions about booster campaigns in future. This week Boris Johnson will this week do away with the legal duty to self-isolate if you test positive or are in close contact with someone who has Covid. The power to impose lockdowns will also shift to local authorities. The PM will give an upbeat assessment as he unveils his 'Living with Covid Plan' tomorrow, insisting vaccines and new treatments can be relied upon to keep the public safe. As cases continue to tumble - down 25 per cent week-on-week - Mr Johnson is also announcing a timetable to end free lateral flow and PCR tests which are costing the taxpayer 2billion a week. In a compromise between the Treasury and Department of Health, free tests are still likely to be available for more vulnerable and older age groups. The Prime Minister said: 'Covid will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms. What is the Living With Covid plan? The plan is expected to focus on: Removing regulations and requirements while emphasising public health advice, in line with long standing methods of managing a range of infectious diseases Protecting the vulnerable through pharmaceutical interventions and testing, in line with other viruses Maintaining resilience against future variants with ongoing surveillance capabilities Securing innovations and opportunities from the Covid response Advertisement 'We've built up strong protections against this virus over the past two years through the vaccine rollouts, tests, new treatments, and the best scientific understanding of what this virus can do. 'Thanks to our successful vaccination programme and the sheer magnitude of people who have come forward to be jabbed we are now in a position to set out our plan for living with covid this week.' However, Labour has accused the premier of trying to distract from the Partygate scandal, saying he is 'declaring victory before the war is over' and it is too early to scrap free tests. The British Medical Association has raised alarm that ending Covid rules is 'premature' and 'not based on current evidence'. Mr Johnson will risk the wrath of some Tories by refusing to say when red tape will be removed for UK citizens travelling abroad. No 10 sources stressed testing 'surveillance systems and contingency measures' would be retained for use if required. Downing Street said pharmaceutical interventions will 'continue to be our first line of defence', with the vaccine programme remaining 'open to anyone who has not yet come forward'. With 85 per cent of the UK's population double-vaccinated, and 38million booster jabs administered, No 10 said it had concluded 'Government intervention in people's lives can now finally end'. It appeared to keep the door open to state-funded infection sampling remaining in place, following reports that Covid studies could be withdrawn as part of the plan. Free Covid tests for universities were also stopped on Friday in the first sign Britain's testing scheme was being scaled back, it was suggested. The Government's 'Living Safely With Covid' strategy', due to be unveiled next week, will see free lateral flow swabs dumped from next month, Whitehall sources say (Pictured: Covid testing site in London) Boris Johnson pictured visiting RAF Waddington, in Lincolnshire, on Friday. The Prime Minister has been thrashing out his plan to 'live with' Covid In future, the emphasis would be on people to show 'personal responsibility' by staying at home if they have Covid just as they would if they had flu. (Pictured: Commuters, some wearing masks, arrive at Waterloo train station in London) Students were previously advised to take two lateral flow swabs a week to check for the virus. Yet deliveries of the kits from NHS Test and Trace and the UK Health Security Agency were stopped last week, The Guardian reported. Education leaders only found out about the termination on Wednesday, it reported. Universities are no longer allowed to distribute their stocks on campus as of yesterday. Officials said tomorrow's 'living with Covid' plan will maintain 'resilience against future variants with ongoing surveillance capabilities'. It comes after senior statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter argued that the Office for National Statistics' Covid-19 study should remain in place in some form. The Cambridge University professor, who is a non-executive director for the ONS and chairman of the advisory board for the Covid Infection Survey, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the results had been vital for monitoring people's behaviour. 'It has been absolutely so important as we have gone along,' he said on Saturday. 'It has been running since April 2020, and so, as I said, I do have a bias here but it is not just me - I think lots of people are saying how important it is, particularly the statistical community.' Poultry raisers in some US States were put on alert due to detected bird flu in wild birds and domestic flocks. The highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Vermont, and New York. In recent weeks, U.S. health authorities have pinpointed the virus in wild birds in New Hampshire, Delaware, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina. Chicken and turkey raisers in Vermont were advised to be cautious for the virus which is often transmitted to domestic poultry via infected wild birds. The agriculture agency of the state urged poultry raisers to review their biosecurity measures to protect the health of the birds. Human movement in the farms should also be restricted and contact with poultry must be limited. US News reported that the Vermont Agency of Agriculture announced that anyone involved with poultry production should review their biosecurity activities to ensure the health of their birds, restrict human movement onto the farm and limit contact with poultry to only those who need to be there. The avian flu was also discovered in a flock of birds at a private residence in Long Island that prompted the US Department of Agriculture and the New York State Department of Agriculture to impose measures to contain the fast-spreading virus, per NBC New York. The infection was confirmed in a "non-commercial backyard flock" in Suffolk County. Poultry Raisers Urged To Take Precautions According to the statement of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, State officials have "quarantined" the affected areas and the birds on the identified properties "will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease". It also ensured that the birds from the infected flock "will note enter the food system." State and Federal authorities advise bird owners to avoid allowing their animals to interact with wild birds and report sick or unusual bird deaths in their vicinity. In 2015, 50 million birds across 15 were killed due to a widespread bird flu outbreak. It cost the US government around $1 billion. Chickens are susceptible to the condition, which is highly contagious and often deadly. According to the CDC, human infections with bird flu are uncommon and mainly occur after long-term exposure to sick or dead birds, but they are usually lethal when they do occur. Read Also: Bill Gates Warns About New Pandemic Amid Weakening of COVID-19: "It Will Be a Different Pathogen" Is There A Looming Poultry Supply Problem? As of present writing, the impact of the bird flu on US poultry supply is yet to be determined. Though the industry is facing tough challenges in raising turkeys and chicken due to the pandemic and freezing temperature that caused power supply troubles on farms in 2021. Though export difficulties might theoretically leave more supply trapped in the United States resulting in lower poultry and egg prices, importers may not want to put off purchases for a prolonged period, especially with bird flu spreading around the world and demands still high, according to a report by Bloomberg. One US official suggested that the monitoring system of the US could help in managing the spread of the Bird Flu. Avian influenza spreads through migrating birds carrying the disease. Infections usually happen in winter. Mass culling of birds was done in some countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa since the outbreak of the virus last year. Related Article: WHO Set To Provide mRNA Technology To 6 African Countries To Boost Vaccine Production @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It is Mr Johnson's third trip to Europe for talks over a potential conflict breaking out in eastern Europe Advertisement Boris Johnson has delivered a chilling warning that Vladimir Putin is about to spark 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945' - saying in many ways the invasion of Ukraine has already begun. In a grim update, the PM said intelligence suggests Russia intends to use forces massed on the border to launch an attack coming down from Belarus to encircle the 2.8million citizens of Kiev. Speaking to the BBC after the Munich Security Conference, he said: 'The plan that we're seeing is for something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale.' Mirroring an alert issued by US President Joe Biden, Mr Johnson said that 'all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun' and people needed to understand 'the sheer cost in human life' it could entail, both for Ukrainians and Russians. The premier also upped the ante on sanctions, saying the UK and the US will hit Russian companies 'very hard' by stopping them 'trading in pounds and dollars'. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss argued that an assault on Ukraine might only be a precursor to Russia annexing more former Soviet states. 'We need to stop Putin because he will not stop at Ukraine,' she told the Mail on Sunday. Europe minister James Cleverly told Sky News that the UK is still 'trying very hard' to avert an invasion, but it appeared 'highly likely' and 'very imminent'. Secret discussions are also reportedly under way between Western allies on how to arm a Ukrainian resistance if there is a Russian occupation. Boris Johnson said intelligence suggests Russia intends to launch an attack coming down from Belarus to encircle Ukraine's capital Kiev. Pictured: The Prime Minister meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kiev on February 19 Mr Johnson also said that people needed to understand 'the sheer cost in human life' that such an invasion could 'entail', both for Ukrainians and Russians. Pictured: Russian president Vladimir Putin A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Boris Johnson told world leaders at the Munich Security Conference that an invasion of Ukraine by Russia would bring about the 'destruction of a democratic state', as he called for unity among the West in reacting to any attack Ukrainian civilians are trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday Citizens of the Donetsk People's Republic are seen at a railway station in Debaltsevo during a mass evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region As tension escalated in east Ukraine on Friday, the leaders of the Lugansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic announced a mass evacuation of civilians to Russia Volunteers are seen at a mobilisation station as tension escalated in east Ukraine on Saturday when a mass evacuation of civilians to Russia was announced British firms and government brace for Putin cyber attacks British firms and public services should brace themselves for cyber attacks as tensions with Russia escalate over a potential invasion of Ukraine. In a stark warning, Home Secretary Priti Patel urged organisations to take pre-emptive measures against cyber attacks aimed at the West. Lindy Cameron, head of Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ (GCHQ) national cyber security centre, also described a heightened cyber threat, the Sunday Telegraph reports. The threat comes as Britain takes a central role in criticising President Vladimir Putins positioning of 190,000 troops on the border of Ukraine, with a warning of severe consequences - including raising finance in the City - if an invasion were to go ahead. The heads of food, utility and communications companies have been briefed by GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and told to strengthen their cyber defences. Advertisement Ms Truss said Mr Putin's ambitions were not limited to taking control of Ukraine and the West must 'stand up to' him. 'He's been very clear his ambition doesn't just lead to him taking control of Ukraine, he wants to turn the clock back to the mid 1990s or even before then,' she said. 'The Baltic States are at risk the Western Balkans as well. 'Putin has said all this publicly, that he wants to create the Greater Russia, that he wants to go back to the situation as it was before where Russia had control over huge swathes of Eastern Europe. 'So it's so important that we and our allies stand up to Putin. It could be Ukraine next week but then which country will it be next?' The PM said that aggression in separatist-held areas in the east of Ukraine had the potential be a 'prelude to bigger action', with the West fearing a so-called 'false flag' operation that could give Moscow cover to wage war on Kiev. Mr Johnson made the comments to broadcasters following his speech to the Munich Security Conference, where he is meeting world leaders to discuss the tension in eastern Europe. Mr Johnson said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. 'We have to use the tools we have and those tools are economic sanctions against Russia,' he told the BBC. 'The role of the UK has been to impose the toughest possible sanctions, and that's what we're going to do. 'Not just hitting the associates of Vladimir Putin but also all companies and organisations of strategic importance to Russia. 'We're going to stop Russian companies raising money on UK markets and we're even, with our American friends, going to stop them trading in pounds and dollars. 'That will hit very, very hard.' Mr Cleverly said an invasion appeared 'very, very highly likely and very, very imminent'. He told Sky News: 'We've seen now more aggressive, more belligerent activity by Russia, we're not seeing the things that we had hoped to see. 'So, unfortunately, at the moment, an attack, an invasion seems far more likely than unlikely, but we will continue to work to try and avert that.' He added: 'Everything that we see indicates that an invasion is very, very highly likely and very, very imminent, now we will continue working, every day that we can prevent this conflict is a good day at work. 'So, we will continue working to try and avert conflict to let Russia know, to let Vladimir Putin know, that there will be significant consequences from the international community, including from the UK through sanctions.' While in Munich, Mr Johnson held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to whom he offered the UK's 'unequivocal support' - and has met German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of Latvia and Estonia. Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Johnson said: 'If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections. Mr Boris jetted to the annual conference in Bavaria to make a plea to avoid 'unnecessary bloodshed' by diplomatic means if the West speaks with 'one voice'. A Ukrainian serviceman stands in a shelter on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote yesterday Volunteers are seen at a mobilisation station in east Ukraine on Saturday after a mass evacuation of civilians to Russia was announced as tensions escalate Johnson used the summit to address the rising tensions over a potential war breaking out with a Russian invasion of Ukraine While in Munich, Mr Johnson has met with new German chancellor Olaf Scholz (pictured together) and the leaders of Latvia and Estonia German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson pose for media prior to their meeting Police officers stand guard at a railway station as citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic board a Russia-bound train during a mass evacuation from Lugansk, east Ukraine Citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic arrive to a railway station to board a Russia-bound train during mass evacuation from Lugansk, east Ukraine. The train is the first to depart for Russia from the Lugansk People's Republic since 2014 Ukrainian civilians are trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday Ukrainian male civilians were seen wearing camouflage gear and firing guns as they were trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday The formation of the Territorial Defense Force is to harness well-trained civilian reservists around the country, led by professional soldiers, to help combat Russia's possible invasion Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, the Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment' In a video posted on social media, the Mr Johnson said: 'Unity is absolutely vital if we are going to deter what I think would be an absolutely catastrophic act of aggression by Vladimir Putin' 'And every time Western ministers have visited Kiev, we have reassured the people of Ukraine and their leaders that we stand four-square behind their sovereignty and independence. 'How hollow, how meaningless, how insulting those words would seem if at the very moment when their sovereignty and independence is imperilled we simply look away. 'If Ukraine is invaded, the shock will echo around the world, and those echoes will be heard in East Asia they will be heard in Taiwan. Speaking about Ukraine tensions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the 'omens are grim' from Russia. He added: 'We should not underestimate the gravity of this moment and what is at stake. 'As I speak to you today, we do not fully know what President Putin intends, but the omens are grim and that is why we must stand strong together. Mr Johnson was joined in Munich by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who met with counterparts including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Speaking at the summit, Ms Truss said Uraine could face the worst-case scenario of a Russian invasion as soon as next week, and that Europe was facing one of its most perilous security situations since the early 20th century. 'The reality is that Russia does want to turn the clock back,' said Truss. 'In the last week alone, we've seen a doubling of disinformation, and we've seen false flag operations in the Donbass region. I'm afraid that Russia has shown that they are not serious about diplomacy.' Ukrainian civilians are trained by the armed forces to join a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force in a training ground in Dnipro on Saturday Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic as tensions escalate in east Ukraine Citizens of the Donetsk People's Republic are seen at a railway station in Debaltsevo during a mass evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region Citizens of the Donetsk People's Republic are seen outside a train at a railway station in Debaltsevo during a mass evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region The Prime Minister has arrived at the Munich Security Conference where he will make a plea for 'unnecessary bloodshed' to be avoided by pursuing a diplomatic route to prevent a conflict in eastern Europe Boris Johnson met with Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian President Egils Levits during the summit Before his arrival at the security conference in Germany, Mr Johnson posted a video on social media from his plane in which he said: 'Unity is absolutely vital if we are going to deter what I think would be an absolutely catastrophic act of aggression by Vladimir Putin. 'My message today is that there is still time to avert a disaster, that diplomacy will prevail.' It is Mr Johnson's third trip to Europe this month to meet allies to discuss the situation in Ukraine, having met NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and Poland's leaders last week. He also held a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 1, where Mr Johnson said: 'A further Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a political disaster, a humanitarian disaster, and in my view it would also be for Russia and the world a military disaster.' Whitehall figures are now said to be convinced Vladimir Putin is planning to order Russian forces to attack. Melinda Simmons, the British ambassador to Ukraine, has said she hopes to be working in the Ukrainian capital again 'as soon as possible' after it was announced the UK's embassy was being 'temporarily' relocated to the west of the country, near the border of Poland. World leaders are convening in Bavaria as fears grow that instability in Russian separatist-held areas of Ukraine could spark an invasion by Moscow forces. The annual summit comes against a backdrop of President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting the capital Kiev. Mr Biden told a White House press briefing on Friday he was 'convinced' Mr Putin had 'made the decision' to move his military across the border, having spent weeks saying he thought the Russian leader was undecided. Mr Johnson was joined in Munich by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who met with counterparts including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Speaking at the summit, Ms Truss said that Russia actions in the last week showed that they 'were not serious about diplomacy' World leaders are convening in Bavaria as fears grow that instability in Russian separatist-held areas of Ukraine could spark an invasion by Moscow forces. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also at the summit, pictured here with other foreign ministers The annual summit comes against a backdrop of President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting the capital Kiev - a city with a population of 2.8 million people Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic on Saturday A police officer stands guard at a railway station as citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic board a Russia-bound train during a mass evauation from Lugansk, east Ukraine Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic on Saturday A Ukrainian serviceman points to the direction of the incoming shelling next to a building which was hit by a large caliber mortar shell in the frontline village of Krymske, Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine Volunteers receive uniform at a military compound of the people's police of the Lugansk People's Republic as tension escalated in east Ukraine this weekend Only hours before his statement, the UK Foreign Office announced it had decided to 'temporarily' move its diplomats out of Kiev, relocating them to the west of the country. The department said British embassy officials will relocate to Lviv, situated near the border with Poland. With estimates that 150,000 Russian troops are posted around Ukraine's borders, Mr Johnson has previously called the situation 'very grim'. But in comments made before embarking on his trip to Germany, the Prime Minister said 'diplomacy can still prevail' if the West puts on a united front in terms of agreeing punishing sanctions to slap on Moscow. 'There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,' he said. 'Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. 'Diplomacy can still prevail. 'That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.' The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Mr Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. Pictured: Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin Tank army units loaded onto a troop train return from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Mr Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. Vladimir Putin yesterday personally oversaw a series of the nuclear as he sends a MIG armed with a hypersonic missile over the Mediterranean amid increasing fears of an imminent invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko joined Putin in the Kremlin's situation to watch over the strategic drills on screens. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels. Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but the latest manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are 'purely defensive' and do not represent a threat to any other country. There are concerns among western allies that the Kremlin could use 'disinformation' and a possible 'false flag' operation to justify an offensive, particularly with growing activity in separatist-held areas of Ukraine. Mr Biden said claims by Russian separatists that Ukraine is planning to launch an offensive into the battle-torn Donbas region 'defies basic logic', given the country is currently surrounded by foreign troops. The annual summit comes against a backdrop of President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting the capital Kiev - a city with a population of 2.8 million people. Pictured: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the conference today The US leader also said suggestions made in the Russian state media that a genocide is taking place in the Donbas were 'phoney'. Tensions in separatist areas have increased with reports of separate explosions in recent days. Two explosions shook the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk early on Saturday, while another was reported to have occurred in the centre of the city of Donetsk on Friday. The Luhansk Information Centre said one of the blasts was in a natural gas main and cited witnesses as saying the other was at a vehicle service station. There was no immediate word on injuries or a cause. Luhansk officials blamed a gas main explosion earlier in the week on sabotage. The conflict between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists erupted in 2014 following the ousting of the pro-Moscow government in Kiev and has killed more than 14,000 people. A woman was killed and five others wounded in a shooting Saturday night at a Portland park where people had gathered to protest the police shooting of Amir Locke. Police responded to reports of shots fired at a street intersection near Normandale Park just after 8 pm, before demonstrators could even begin a planned march, which was set to begin at 8, flyers posted on social media show. Arriving officers found one woman dead, and two men and three other women were taken to the hospital, police said. Their conditions were not immediately known. One female victim was found dead when officers arrived, according to the press release. The identity of the victim and the official cause of death will be determined by the Oregon State Medical Examiner, police said. Two suspects have been taken into custody in connection to the incident, KGW8 reported. Their identities have not yet been released. Police responded to reports of shots fired at a street intersection near Normandale Park just after 8 pm, before demonstrators could even begin a planned march, which was set to begin at 8 Arriving officers found one woman dead, and two men and three other women were taken to the hospital, police said. Their conditions were not immediately known The incident took place at the intersection of Northeast 55th Avenue and Northeast Hassalo Street in Portland's Rose City Park neighborhood, next to Normandale Park (pictured) Social media flyers show there was a planned march for Amir Locke, a Black man who was fatally shot by police in Minneapolis, the same time the shooting took place, KOIN-TV reported. The Oregon State Medical Examiner is expected to identify the woman killed and determine the cause of death. An investigation is ongoing. Locke, 22, was shot earlier this month as cops executed a no-knock search warrant at an apartment he was staying at. Police body camera footage released this week showed Locke asleep on a couch and then waking up and holding a handgun toward the floor before the officer opened fire. The case has caused swift backlash across the nation, as Locke had reached for a legally-held gun, only to be shot dead by Minneapolis PD officers as they saw him draw the weapon. Amir Locke, pictured, was shot and killed by cops from Minneapolis PD's earlier this month during a no-knock warrant Amir's name wasn't on the warrant being executed by cops over a homicide case in St Paul. Locke's 17 year-old cousin Mehki Camden Speed was later arrested and charged with that murder. Locke's death has provoked an outcry against no-knock warrants, with a push by his family and others to ban them in Minnesota and beyond. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has come under scrutiny for the citys use of such warrants, as has Minneapolis Interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman. The murder of George Floyd at the hands of former Minneapolis cop George Floyd supercharged the Black Lives Matter movement, with Minneapolis PD since continuing to come under scrutiny. The 54-second clip shows a SWAT officer use a key to enter the apartment followed by at least four others in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48am. As they enter, they repeatedly shouted, 'Police, search warrant!' They also shout 'Hands!' and 'Get on the ground!' The video shows an officer kick a sectional sofa, and Locke begins to emerge from under a blanket, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard, and the video ends. The city also included a still from the video showing Locke holding the gun, his trigger finger laid aside the barrel. The top of Locke's head is barely visible. Bodycam footage shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests As they enter, they repeatedly shout, 'Police, search warrant!' They also shout 'Hands!' and 'Get on the ground!' The footage was released after more than 36 hours of unanswered questions and calls for transparency over the shooting. The Minneapolis Police Department said in a statement Wednesday that Locke pointed a loaded gun 'in the direction of officers.' An incident report said he had two wounds in the chest and one in the right wrist. The U.S. embassy in Russia cautioned Americans to have evacuation plans, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine Advertisement Boris Johnson tonight said the next week will be 'crucial for diplomacy' as he suggested there is still hope of avoiding a war between Russia and Ukraine, despite US intelligence sources claiming Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops to invade Kiev. The British Prime Minister said a phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Putin earlier on Sunday, where the Russian leader agreed on the 'need to favour a diplomatic solution' to the ongoing crisis, was a 'welcome sign'. But US intelligence sources have alleged Russian commanders on the ground have already received orders to proceed with an invasion of Kiev and they are now making specific battle plans on how they will attack. No less than 75 per cent of Putin's conventional forces are now poised at the Ukrainian border, it emerged tonight, as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that 'we are on the brink of an invasion'. It is thought Moscow will start the invasion with a cyber-assault before unleashing a campaign of missile and airstrikes before ground troops attempt to take Ukrainian cities and towns, reports CBS News. The invading Russian force reportedly has the ability to invade and take much of the country. The dire warnings come as Putin and his ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko extended military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, meaning an estimated 30,000 Russian troops will remain there. The concentration of 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment within striking distance of Ukraine including as many as 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft is highly unusual and part of the reason Washington believes Russia is ready to attack, a US official told CNN. Amid the soaring tensions Macron pleaded for peace from his Russian counterpart during a two-hour phone call today but Putin blamed Ukrainian 'provocations' for the escalating crisis that could turn into all-out war. Yet during the phone call, the leaders agreed on 'the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one.' Johnson and Macron agreed during a call later on Sunday that next week will be 'crucial for diplomacy' as the West looks to avert war between Russia and Ukraine. It came as a Russian invasion force of armoured tanks painted with the letter 'Z' and huge convoys were seen rolling towards the Ukraine border - as the eastern region continues to be rocked by shelling and British expats have vowed to 'fight like devils'. It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion, with footage showing the letters sprayed on tanks, self-propelled guns, fuel trucks and supply vehicles. Russian armoured tanks painted with a letter 'Z' and huge convoys are moving towards the Ukraine border. It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion - as shelling rocked the east of the country The tactic mirrors that used by UK and US forces in the First Gulf War when the allied invasion sent to liberate Kuwait marked vehicles with a distinctive upturned chevron [^] to avoid friendly fire once action begins It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion, with footage showing the letters sprayed on tanks, self-propelled guns, fuel trucks and supply vehicles No less than 75 per cent of Vladimir Putin's conventional forces are now poised at the Ukrainian border, it emerged tonight, as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that 'we are on the brink of an invasion' A Russian and Belarussian convoy heading south via the Gomel region towards the border with Ukraine. Memebers of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) on ceasefire and stabilization of the demarcation line inspect a house damaged in a shelling by Ukrainian troops near the village of Pionerskoye A car bomb in Donetsk close to the Government House building at around 7pm on Saturday. It comes as 1,500 ceasefire violations were reported in east Ukraine in one day It comes as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he believed Putin is 'moving forward' which his decision, a move the Kremlin has denied. The concentration of Russian forces within striking distance of Ukraine including as many as 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft - is highly unusual and part of the reason the US believes Russia is ready to attack, a US official told CNN. This includes some 120 of Russia's total estimated 160 Battalion Tactical Groups or BTGs which are positioned within 38 miles of Ukraine, according to the official. While that figure represents 75% of Russia's principal combat units, it is less than half of the total troops in the Russian military. US officials have reported that Russian troops combined with separatist forces could number as high as 190,000 deployed around Ukraine. Some 35 of 50 air defence battalions are deployed against Ukraine. In addition, the US estimates some 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft are within range of Ukraine, as well as 50 medium to heavy bombers. Together, the Russian forces now vastly outnumber Ukrainian military forces, according to the assessment. One British expat said he was part of a small community ready to help armed resistance volunteers and 'fight like devils' in the event of an invasion. He told the BBC: 'We are here, we are ready to fight and we will fight like devils, I tell you. There is a small expat community here but we will join with our Ukrainian partners, our Ukrainian friends and Ukrainian family.' Russia will also extend military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, the Belarusian defence ministry announced, in a step Blinken said made him more worried about an imminent invasion. The defence ministry said the decision was taken because of military activity near the borders of Russia and Belarus as well as the situation in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region. Sporadic shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in that region increased sharply last week and continued on Sunday. Speaking to CNN, Blinken said all signs suggested Russia was about to invade. Russia has repeatedly denied such plans. 'Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion,' Blinken said, adding that the West was equally prepared if Moscow invades. 'Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President (Vladimir) Putin from carrying this forward.' Blinken told CBS: 'Everything we're seeing tells us that the decision we believe President Putin has made to invade is moving forward. 'We've seen that with provocations created by the Russians or separatist forces over the weekend, false flag operations, now the news just this morning that the 'exercises' Russia was engaged in in Belarus with 30,000 Russian forces that was supposed to end this weekend will now continue because of tensions in eastern Ukraine, tensions created by Russia and the separatist forces it backs there.' People evacuated from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic get on a train to be evacuated deep into Russia in the town of Taganrog, on February 20 Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack yesterday - the first fatalities in the conflict for more than a month. Pictured: People evacuated from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic are seen on a bus at a railway station ahead of departing for temporary accommodation facilities on Sunday Separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action People from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the territory controlled by a pro-Russia separatist governments in eastern Ukraine, walk from a train to be taken to temporary residences in the Volgograd region in Russia on Sunday Medical workers and people evacuated from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic are seen at a temporary accommodation facility at the Akhtuba Hotel in Volgograd region in Russia A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a command post to start his shift at a frontline position outside Popasna, in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday Meanwhile, the call between Macron and Putin on Sunday led to the leaders agreeing on 'the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one.' But during the call, Putin told the French leader that Western countries should give point-by-point responses to sweeping demands set by Moscow last December to limit the West's role in eastern Europe and ex-Soviet countries The Kremlin said the supply of weapons and ammunition by NATO countries to Ukraine was pushing Kyiv towards a 'military solution' against separatists in the country's east. 'As a result, civilians... who have to evacuate to Russia to escape the intensifying shelling, suffer,' the Kremlin added. Explosions late on Saturday shook eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Hundreds of artillery shells have exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, further increasing fears that the volatile region could see a Russian invasion. Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed that claim as 'a fake statement.' 'When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,' Putin' spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television. On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. 'Right now, we don't respond to their fire because...' the Ukrainian soldier said before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. 'Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.' Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack yesterday - the first fatalities in the conflict for more than a month. Separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. Sporadic violence has broken out for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from the Russia-backed separatists, but the spike in recent days is orders of magnitude higher than anything recently recorded by international monitors: nearly 1,500 explosions in 24 hours. Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government in Ukraine's Donetsk region, cited an 'immediate threat of aggression' from Ukrainian forces in his announcement of a call to arms. Ukrainian officials vehemently denied having plans to take rebel-controlled areas by force. Military hardware of Russian Army Western Military District tank army units loaded onto a troop train as it returns from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites Anton Olegovich Sidorov, a soldier of the 30th OMBR, is understood to have been killed during the Russian shelling in the East of Ukraine yesterday A convoy of tanks 25km from the Ukraine border as it is confirmed that Russian military exercises in Belarus will continue on Sunday Civilians from Donetsk and Lugansk, located in the separatist-controlled Donbas region, are being evacuated to camps in Rostov, Russia People who have been evacuated from the separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine fill in and submit documents in a temporary accommodation centre in the Rostob region of Russia on Sunday A car bomb in Donetsk on Saturday evening. Civilians have been evacuated from the region, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack Civilians train with members of the Georgian Legion, a paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers to fight against the Russian forces in 201. It comes as one British expat said a small community would 'fight like devils' Russian tanks pictured leaving the border with Ukraine on Friday following the completion of joint exercises with Belarus as diplomatic tensions continue to mount over fears of an imminent invasion Home Secretary warns UK interests could be targeted by Russian hackers as GCHQ tells firms and public services to take 'pre-emptive measures' to defend themselves British firms and public services should brace themselves for cyber attacks as tensions with Russia escalate over a potential invasion of Ukraine. In a stark warning, Home Secretary Priti Patel urged organisations to take 'pre-emptive measures' against 'cyber attacks aimed at the West'. Lindy Cameron, head of Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ (GCHQ) national cyber security centre, also described a 'heightened cyber threat', the Sunday Telegraph reports. The heads of food, utility and communications companies have been briefed by GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and told to strengthen their cyber defences. Advertisement Putin and Macron said during their phone call they would work 'intensely' to allow the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE, to meet 'in the next few hours with the aim of getting all interested parties to commit to a ceasefire at the contact line' in eastern Ukraine where government troops and pro-Russian separatists are facing each other. 'Intense diplomatic work will take place in the coming days,' Macron's office said, with several consultations to take place in the French capital. Macron and Putin also agreed that talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany should resume to implement the so-called Minsk protocol, which in 2014 had already called for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. Both also agreed to work towards 'a high-level meeting with the aim of defining a new peace and security order in Europe', Macron's office said. In Sunday's call, Putin told Macron that he intends to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus as soon as ongoing military exercises there are over, the Elysee also said. The French presidency said that this claim 'will have to be verified', adding it appeared to contradict a statement by the Belarusian government that the Russian military would 'continue inspections' beyond Sunday's previously announced end of the exercises, leaving Moscow with a large force near the northern Ukraine border. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Macron later agreed during a phone call on Sunday that the next week will be 'crucial for diplomacy' as the West looks to avert war between Russia and Ukraine. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'The Prime Minister spoke to French president Macron tonight about the situation in Ukraine. They updated one another on their respective diplomatic efforts, including President Macron's call with President Putin today. 'The Prime Minister noted that President Putin's commitments to President Macron were a welcome sign that he might still be willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution. The Prime Minister stressed that Ukraine's voice must be central in any discussions. 'The leaders agreed on the need for both Russia and Ukraine to meet their commitments under the Minsk Agreements in full. They also underscored the need for President Putin to step back from his current threats and withdraw troops from Ukraine's border. 'The Prime Minister and President Macron agreed next week would be crucial for diplomacy and resolved to stay in close contact.' Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday night issued a NOTAM (Notice to airmen), declaring the Sea of Azov a no-fly zone for commercial flights. The area concerned bordered the crucial Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which is close to the line of contact between Ukraine's and the pro-Russian forces. The move was seen as a possible precursor to a seaborne invasion of Ukraine from the flotilla of six massive landing ships which the Russian Navy has amassed in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, each of which can carry ten main battle tanks and 300 troops. The vessels and their deadly cargo would open up yet another line of attack for the Russians alongside their massive troop build-ups already in place on Ukraine's eastern and northern borders. The ships, all part of Russia's Northern and Baltic Fleets, made the tortuous journey around western Europe, through the Strait of Gibraltar and right across the Mediterranean. It came as a Russian invasion force of armoured tanks painted with the letter 'Z' and huge convoys were seen rolling towards the Ukraine border in Shebekino, Russia. Around 200 military vehicles were spotted in Shebekino, just across the border from Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast, with 'Z' markings 'applied hastily' to the backs of most vehicles. Independent Russian Telegram channel Hunter's Notes, which closely monitors military movements, said 'all equipment [marked with 'Z'] was seen near Kursk and in the Shebekino region of Belgorod' on the border with Ukraine. The tactic mirrors that used by UK and US forces in the First Gulf War when the allied invasion sent to liberate Kuwait marked vehicles with a distinctive upturned chevron [^] to avoid friendly fire once action begins. The Ukraine War Report account on Twitter, which posts about Russian troop movements near Ukraine, said: 'Numerous videos are being uploaded of Russian military vehicles with 'Z' markings. Our assessment is it's 'friend or foe' identification markings used by armies during wartime.' Military analyst Rob Lee wrote on Twitter: 'It appears Russian forces near the border are painting markers, in this case 'Z', on vehicles to identify different task forces or echelons.' 'It would suggest final preparations are complete,' a source in Ukraine told The Sun. 'The Ukrainians have very similar tanks and vehicles and [the Russians] will want to reduce the risk of friendly fire.' It was suggested Russian troops also have the letter 'Z' on their military packs, which could support the friendly fire theory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Vladimir Putin to meet him for talks amid the escalating crisis, saying 'I don't know what the president of the Russian Federation wants', but that Ukraine would continue 'to follow only the diplomatic path'. The Kremlin insists it has no incursion plans, but its test-firing of nuclear-capable missiles Saturday did little to alleviate tensions. British and US intelligence has also suggested that Putin has already issued a 'go' order to trigger his invasion plan. It is expected that Russia will follow false flag operations and brushes with Ukrainian military in the Donbas region with an attack led by separatist groups, before Russian troops 'take a bite out of Ukraine' or launch a full invasion, The Sunday Times reports. A security source added: 'I would expect a massive opening salvo to try to remove the government in Kyiv. The Russians have positioned cruise missiles to take out the capital.' Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, has also accused the West of 'warmongering' by creating an 'artificial crisis' in Ukraine. He told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme that Moscow had the 'right to be concerned' by the placement of Nato infrastructure and troops 'near our border'. President Zelenskyy made his plea for talks with Putin hours after separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilisation and Western leaders warned a Russian invasion of its neighbour appeared imminent. US Vice President Kamala Harris also today warned that 'we are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe'. She added the US would impose 'some of the greatest, if not strongest' sanctions 'ever issued' in the event of a Russian invasion. However, Belarusian Defence Minister Victor Khrenin has confirmed that joint exercises involving Russia and Belarus forces are being extended, despite promises from Moscow that the drills would end this weekend. He said: 'The presidents of Belarus and Russia decided to continue inspections of the readiness of Union State forces.' Mr Khrenin added that the decision was taken due to increased military activity along the Belarusian and Russian borders and because of an 'escalation' in east Ukraine. The drills in Belarus - which had been due to conclude Sunday - have exacerbated already soaring tensions. The Belarus defence ministry said upcoming stages of the large-scale drills would continue the aim of ensuring a sufficient military response to any external threats. It did not specify an end date. The Kremlin insists it has no incursion plans, but its test-firing of nuclear-capable missiles Saturday did little to alleviate tensions. Russia has also been holding joint exercises with Belarus at a firing range near Brest (pictured) A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground A T-72B tank takes part in the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Photos released by Belarus' Ministry of Defence show Russian and Belarusian soldiers shaking hands while taking part in joint operations in Brest In new signs of fears that a war could start within days, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine. German air carrier Lufthansa cancelled flights to the capital Kyiv and to Odessa, a Black Sea port that could be a key target in an invasion. The U.S. embassy in Russia cautioned Americans on Sunday to have evacuation plans, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine, drawing a rebuke from Russian foreign ministry. 'There have been threats of attacks against shopping centres, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine,' the embassy said. 'Review your personal security plans,' the embassy said. 'Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.' Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, questioned if the United States had passed on the information about possible attacks to Russia. 'And if not, how is one to understand all of this?' Zakharova said. Fears of tensions boiling over were backed up by figures released Saturday by the OSCE, which showed there were more than 1,400 explosions in the rebel held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk on Friday. The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission that is deployed in the conflict zone said it had logged 553 explosions in Donetsk and a further 860 in neighbouring Luhansk - adding that it had confirmed one civilian casualty in a government-controlled area of Donetsk. It put the total number of ceasefire violations on Friday at more than 1,500, compared with 870 the day before, suggesting an upwards trajectory of gunfire and mortars. Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy experienced the clashes first-hand Saturday, ducking for cover as mortar shells fell within a few hundred metres of him while he toured the frontline with reporters. It came as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Saturday during a visit to Lithuania that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike'. The origin of the explosions over the weekend are not clear, while there was no immediate comment from separatist authorities or from Kyiv. Last-ditch diplomatic efforts were underway on Sunday to prevent what Western powers warn a catastrophic European war as Mr Macron was to call his Putin as ceasefire monitors and Ukrainian commanders reported intense shelling in eastern Ukraine. Macron met Putin on February 7 and has since, along with fellow Western leaders like Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, been urging his Russian counterpart to pull back from the brink of war. Sunday's call, Macron's office said, represented 'the last possible and necessary effort to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine'. But in a new suspected stunt the pro-Moscow rebel authority in Donetsk claim to have detained a Ukrainian spy who was said to be confessing to Kyiv's aims to overrun the Donbas. Anton Matsanyuk is alleged to have 'confirmed that Kyiv intends to use all its strike power in the forcible seizure of the Donbas', one report said. The alleged saboteur conveniently confirmed a plan touted in recent days by Russia of a Ukrainian plan to invade Donetsk and Luhansk. US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media following an appearance at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. She warned the US would impose 'some of the greatest, if not strongest' sanctions 'ever issued' Prime Minister Boris Johnson greets the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy for bilateral talks during the Munich Security Conference on Saturday French President Emmanuel Macron (R) pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) in Moscow earlier this month. The pair have shared a phone call today amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion of Ukraine This detailed offensive plan, which fell into the hands of Donetsk intelligence officers, was broadcast by Channel One. He was also linked to a plan to blow up the car belonging to Denis Sinenkov, the head of the people's militia directorate of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), said Russian TV. The car was blown up in what the West say was a false flag operation on February 18. Russian TV claimed Matsanyuk had access to classified information on Donetsk leaders, and that it was by 'sheer luck' Sinenkov was not inside his vehicle. 'I was recruited in 2018', he said as he claimed he was an agent of Ukrainian military intelligence. Matsanyuk was allegedly forming a 'sleeping cell' to stage 'terrorist attacks' on orders from Ukraine. In a claimed confession, he said: 'When the 'H-Hour' comes, they will be instructed to place the caches with improvised explosive devices [IEDs], so that in the future these IEDs will be installed in critical facilities of the DPR; these are bridges, this is a crowd of people, these are railway crossings, also on the routes of the first people in the republic and against military motorcades.' It comes after Jens Stoltenberg, NATO chief, warned that the risk of a Russian attack is 'very high', echoing US warnings that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike'. 'Every indication indicates that Russia is planning a full-fledged attack against Ukraine,' Stoltenberg told German broadcaster ARD on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. 'We all agree that the risk of an attack is very high.' The United States dominates NATO, and US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was 'convinced' Russia was going to invade Ukraine within the week, and have its forces target Ukraine's capital Kyiv. The US recently sent nearly 5,000 troops to NATO ally Poland, in addition to the 4,000 that are on a permanent rotation in the country. The aim is to reassure a nervous ally amid fears that Russia could attack Ukraine. The US recently sent nearly 5,000 troops to NATO ally Poland, in addition to the 4,000 that are on a permanent rotation in the country. The aim is to reassure a nervous ally amid fears that Russia could attack Ukraine U.S. troops load equipment onto vehicles in Rzeszow, Poland, on Saturday. The United States dominates NATO, and US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was 'convinced' Russia was going to invade Ukraine within the week, and have its forces target Ukraine's capital Kyiv Nearly 10,000 American troops are now in the neighboring country, set to act if the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border continues to escalate The soldiers' arrival in Poland Thursday came in response to the Russian deployments on Ukraine's borders NATO is also relocating staff from Kyiv to Lviv, in the west of the country, and to the Belgian capital Brussels, which houses NATO's headquarters, for their safety, an alliance official said Saturday. 'The safety of our personnel is paramount, so staff have been relocated to Lviv and Brussels. The NATO offices in Ukraine remain operational,' the official told AFP, without giving numbers. Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin channel NTV has revealed that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov personally ordered a leak damaging to 'insolent' Foreign Secretary Liz Truss immediately after their talks in Moscow earlier this month. He did so because Ms Truss showed herself to be 'a fool, and so arrogant at the same time', it was claimed in a new attack on the Tory politician who has become a Moscow target for her forthright views. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss showed herself to be 'a fool, and so arrogant at the same time' during her trip to Moscow, according to Kommersant newspaper journalist Maxim Yusin NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg (pictured) warned that the risk of an attack is 'very high', echoing US warnings that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike' Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin Huge flames and smoke fill the air after a gas pipeline was struck in the Lugansk region of Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion 'within days' Dramatic moment militants open fire on the Ukrainian interior minister and journalists in eastern Ukraine on Saturday Volunteers are seen during mobilisation process in military, at pro-Russian separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine on Saturday Local residents of pro-Russian separatist-controlled city of Donetsk are seen during evacuation process in Rostov region on Saturday Boris warns Russia is planning 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945' The Prime Minister has warned that evidence suggests that Russia is planning 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945' and said there are signs the plan has 'in some senses' begun. Speaking to the BBC's Sophie Raworth, Boris Johnson said intelligence suggests that Russia intends to launch an attack to encircle Kyiv. 'All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun,' he said. 'People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail. Mr Johnson's comments came after he met with Western leaders and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky in Munich, where he warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state'. Advertisement Kommersant newspaper journalist Maxim Yusin revealed his paper was leaked an apparent blunder by Ms Truss during the talks in confusing two regions in Russia - Voronezh and Rostov - with Ukrainian regions. He said: 'This exchange [with Ms Truss] happened in closed negotiations. Were it not for Lavrov [deciding to leak], and sharing it with Kommersant, nobody would know about [her confusing Ukrainian and Russian regions]. 'I have no doubt there were a lot of blunders when Lavrov was talking to [German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock] who is not much smarter than this madam [Truss] - but [Baerbock] didn't behave as insolently and arrogantly. 'This is why neither her nor other interlocutors of Lavrov who slipped up became victims of making [their blunders] public. [With Truss] one can't be a fool, and so arrogant at the same time. It's either, or.' In the talks, Lavrov had insisted that Russia had every right to move its armed forces on its own territory. But Ms Truss repeated that they should be withdrawn and Lavrov countered - according to Kommersant newspaper: 'Do you recognise the sovereignty of Russia over the Rostov and Voronezh regions?' She allegedly replied after a short pause: 'Britain will never recognise Russian sovereignty over these regions.' At this, British ambassador Deborah Bronnert was forced to intervene to correct Ms Truss and explain that these were Russian - not Ukrainian - regions, according to the accounts in Moscow. Meanwhile, Putin put on a show of military strength today with huge new nuclear drills involving ballistic missiles, submarines, tank convoys and ship-based missiles. In a released photo, the Russian president and Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko - often dubbed the 'Europe's last dictator' - can be seen watching the sabre-rattling drills from a situation room in the Kremlin. It came as world leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference in Germany today - where Boris Johnson warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state', adding that 'the shock will echo around the world'. The Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Western powers at the conference to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts - which earned him a standing ovation from world leaders. The conference had echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler's Germany in an effort to prevent an imminent war. Mr Zelensky said today: 'Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security ... 'But we have a right - a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.' He added: 'For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.' Foreign ministers from the G7 group of rich nations said on Saturday they saw no evidence that Russia is reducing military activity near Ukraine's borders and remain 'gravely concerned' about the situation. 'We call on Russia to choose the path of diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions, to substantively withdraw military forces from the proximity of Ukraine's borders and to fully abide by international commitments,' the countries said in a joint statement released by Britain's foreign ministry. 'As a first step, we expect Russia to implement the announced reduction of its military activities along Ukraine's borders. We have seen no evidence of this reduction,' they added. Elsewhere, NATO is relocating staff from Kyiv to Lviv, in the west of the country, and to the Belgian capital Brussels, for their safety, an alliance official said Saturday. Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday. The exercise is being held from February 10 to 20 as part of the second phase of testing response forces of Russia and Belarus A helicopter is seen flying as Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday A view of a gas pipeline hit by a blast in Frunze Street, Lugansk, Ukraine on Saturday night. Several gas pipelines were blown up in the region amid escalating tensions in the east of the country Close up shows flames bursting from an exploded gas pipeline in Lugansk, Ukraine, as tensions with Russia escalated to new heights on Saturday Military hardware takes part in the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday The military exercise is being held from February 10 to 20 as part of the second phase of testing response forces of the Union State of Russia and Belarus Boris Johnson has warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Pictured: The Prime Minister meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Ukrainian soldier rests a rocket launcher on his shoulder during a military drill at an unknown location in Ukraine on Saturday - as tensions with Russia reach boiling point A tank travels through mud during a Ukrainian military drill on Saturday as the country braces for a potential Russian invasion Reservists take part in a tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv on Saturday Reservists take part in a tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv on Saturday Residents of the Lugansk People's Republic get on a bus at the Lugansk bus terminal before evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region late on Friday night Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022 A Ukrainian serviceman speaks to his comrade walking along a trench on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote Ukrainian troops patrol the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19 - after two soldiers were reportedly killed Saturday by Russian-backed separatists A Ukrainian serviceman walks in a yard of a destroyed house on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote Reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv A man is seen lying down holding a gun as reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and the alliance does not have any forces there, but since the late 1990s it has maintained two offices in Kyiv - a NATO Liaison Office and a NATO Information and Documentation Centre. The liaison office's job is keep up dialogue between NATO and Ukraine's government while encouraging a democratic transformation of Ukraine's defence and security sector. According to NATO's website, it consisted of a civilian head leading a mixed team of NATO military and civilian personnel. The web page, last updated in 2016, said there were a total of 16 staff. The NATO Information and Documentation Centre's number of personnel was not disclosed. Its job was to inform the Ukrainian public about NATO and support Ukrainian institutions in their communications. Stoltenberg has previously said that the alliance will not deploy any forces into Ukraine to defend it from any Russian aggression. But NATO members have sent forces to neighbouring countries which are alliance members, and Stoltenberg has said NATO member countries will vigorously react to any Russian action in those territories, under its collective defence pact. It comes as the Russians are continuing their 'false flag' operations in Eastern Ukraine, seemingly designed to provoke conflict. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are starting to stream into Russia today after Vladimir Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation of two separatist republics as part of a suspected 'false flag' operation to provide the pretext for an invasion. Up to 700,000 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. Hours later, a car bomb rocked Donetsk in an alleged 'assassination attempt' of a top Putin-allied official, which Western intelligence agencies believe was faked as part of the 'false flag' deception. Evacuees from the Donetsk People's Republic arrive Saturday at a refugee camp organised at the Kotlostroitel children's health centre in the village of Krasny Desant, Neklinovsky, Russia Photos released Saturday show Ukrainian paratroopers taking part in exercises in an undisclosed location in Ukraine Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022 Ukrainian Soldiers in camouflaged gear huddle in front of an armoured vehicle during a military drill in Ukraine A militant of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) reads out names of men registered at a military mobilisation point in a school in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday Reservists queue at a mobilisation centre for citizens of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on Saturday Civilians take part in a military training course conducted by a Christian Territorial Defence Unit on February 19, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine Using wooden guns modelled on Kalashnikovs, residents in Kiev receive military training in the event of Russian invasion Russia's Acting Emergencies Minister Alexander Chupriyan (right) visits a tent camp set up by the Russian Emergencies Ministry at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint for evacuees from the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine A woman evacuated from the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine kisses a child in a tent camp set up by the Russian Emergencies Ministry at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint Buses carrying evacuees from Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, arrive at a refugee camp organised at the Kotlostroitel children's health centre in the village of Krasny Desant, Neklinovsky District, Russia Russian Emergencies Ministry employees set up a tent camp for people evacuated from Donetsk at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint Russian Emergencies Ministry employees transport a bunk bed as they set up a tent camp for people evacuated from the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint Civilians of all ages receive military training at an old industrial plant in the Desnianskyi district, outside Kiev, on Saturday A Ukrainian soldier takes aim while training residents in Kiev in the event of a Russian invasion Ukrainian soldiers in camouflaged gear take a break while training civilians in how to defend against a Russian invasion, near Kiev on Saturday A Ukrainian soldier peers through binoculars while helping to train civilians in Desnianskyi, just outside Kiev on Saturday Ukrainian soldiers don balaclavas while training citizens in a district just outside Kiev on Saturday Civilians receive training from the Ukrainian military at an old industrial plant in the Desnianskyi district outside Kiev on Saturday A rebel soldier from the self-declared Donetsk Peoples Republic watches on as residents are evacuated and shipped off to Russia on Saturday A Russia-bound train with citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic is seen before its departure from a station in Lugansk, east Ukraine. The train is the first to depart for Russia from the Lugansk People's Republic since 2014 A woman waves from a train carriage to be evacuated to Russia, at the railway station in Debaltseve, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait for a train at the Donetsk-2 railway station as they evacuate to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region on Saturday A man helps a small child put on a glove as they wait for a train at the Donetsk-2 railway station as they evacuate to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region on Saturday Women take part in a military exercise for civilians conducted by veterans of the Ukrainian National Guard Azov battalion in Kharkiv, Ukraine on February 19, 2022 Later two explosions at a 'gas pipeline' rocked the separatist city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in another suspected false flag attack. Elsewhere, the Russian leader is personally overseeing nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. The Kremlin nuclear drills also involved Mig fighter bombers armed with hypersonic missiles patrolling over the Mediterranean from their bases in Syria. Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko is joining Putin in the situation room in the Kremlin to watch over the strategic drills. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels. Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today's manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Meanwhile, top Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine and were forced to flee to a bomb shelter before leaving the area. A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is launched during Russian training drills as part of the strategic exercises today A Ukrainian serviceman digs a trench on a positions at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Smoke and flame rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of a cruise missile of the operational-tactical missile system 'Iskander' from at the Kapustin Yar training ground, Russia, 19 February 2022 Two Tu-22M3 bombers escorted by Su-35 fighters of the Russian air force fly during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills A Russian nuclear submarine sails in an unknown location during exercises by nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic missiles, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022 Russian guided missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov fires the Tsirkon hypersonic missile during the exercises by nuclear forces in an unknown location A Russian Tu-95MS air-launched cruise missile is tested as part of a planned exercise of strategic deterrence forces Russian and Belarusian multi-role combat helicopters Mi-35M attend the joint operational exercise of the armed forces A resident learns how to point and shoot with a wooden stick as she takes part in a military exercise for civilians conducted by Christian Territorial Defence in Ukraine Russian and Belarusian multi-role combat helicopters Mi-35M attend the joint operational exercise of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia Military helicopters fly over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released Up to 700,00 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. A woman says goodbye to her father through a bus window in Donetsk Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic are placed in tents in the refugee camp in Rostov on Don, Rostov region, Russia Russian and Belarusian servicemen conduct joint drills at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus Fighter jets fly during the joint military drills of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus at a firing range in the Brest Region Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post 'Matveev Kurgan' in Rostov region The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin announced a general mobilisation Boris Johnson warns Russian invasion will 'echo around the world' Boris Johnson has warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, the Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. Boris jetted to the annual summit in Bavaria to make a plea to avoid 'unnecessary bloodshed' by diplomatic means if the West speaks with 'one voice'. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Johnson said: 'If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections. 'And every time Western ministers have visited Kyiv, we have reassured the people of Ukraine and their leaders that we stand four-square behind their sovereignty and independence. 'How hollow, how meaningless, how insulting those words would seem if at the very moment when their sovereignty and independence is imperilled we simply look away. 'If Ukraine is invaded, the shock will echo around the world, and those echoes will be heard in East Asia they will be heard in Taiwan.' Advertisement Russia has also sent a MIG-31K and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Mediterranean in another show of force amid the rising tensions. The warplane is deployed with the new ultra high speed Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles. The 24-foot-long, one-ton Kinzhal - or Dagger - can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and Russia boasts it has no match among Western defences. The hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 1,250 miles and could pummel Ukrainian troops and defences without flying close to the country. Russia is believed to have around 20 Kinzhal-compatible MiG-31Ks in total. Video footage has also emerged which graphically demonstrates the sheer intensity of the bombardment that Russian-backed forces have unleashed on Ukraine in the last two days. In night-time footage taken from the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, just a few miles from the front line, shells could be heard raining down almost incessantly on Ukrainian positions for five hours. The distant flashes from the exploding 122mm and 152mm heavy artillery and mortars on the video posted on censor.net were reminiscent of WW1 trench warfare. One resident of the city posted on Facebook: 'No-one in Mariupol is sleeping tonight.' According to the Ukrainian government there were a total of 66 ceasefire violations by the pro-Russian rebels overnight, involving hundreds of shells. In a separate incident at a front-line checkpoint at Schastia, which ironically means 'Happiness' in Ukrainian, more incoming shells blasted onto a car park in daytime CCTV footage provided by the Ukraine government. Shelling also damaged a pumping station in Donetsk Oblast, threatening water supply to 46 towns and villages in the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region, Ukraine's authorities reported. Amid the new drills today, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said the troops on the border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike' during a visit to Lithuania. This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, shows a MiG-31K fighter of the Russian air force carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile parked at an air field during a military drills An airman checks a Russian Air Force MiG-31 fighter jet prior a flight with Kinzhal hypersonic missile during a drill in an unknown location in Russia, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022 A Belarusian Army military helicopter flies over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Military jets drop bombs flying over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Smoke rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 A military helicopter flies next to a flock of birds in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 A Russian paratrooper takes part in a force inspection at the Obuz-Lesnovsky firing range in Belarus today Tanks and armoured vehicles move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Russian Tu-95MS bomber aircraft flies during the Grom-2022 Strategic Deterrence Force exercise amid threat of an invasion The Russian leader is personally overseeing the nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels Civilians train with members of the Georgian Legion, a paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers, to fight against the Russian aggression in Ukraine Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine have ordered a full military mobilisation amid growing fears in the West that Russia is planning to invade the neighbouring country 'They are uncoiling and are now poised to strike,' he said, adding that troops were 'moving into the right kinds of positions to be able to conduct an attack'. Meanwhile Boris Johnson warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, the Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. Mr Boris jetted to the annual summit in Bavaria to make a plea to avoid 'unnecessary bloodshed' by diplomatic means if the West speaks with 'one voice'. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Johnson said: 'If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections. Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic arrive to the refugee camp in Rostov on Don, Rostov region People sit in a bus for their evacuation in Donetsk on February amid fears of an imminent invasion with troops massed on the border Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are streaming into Russia today after Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation It comes as thousands of Ukrainian refugees are streaming into Russia today after Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation of two separatist republics as part of a suspected 'false flag' operation to provide the pretext for an invasion. Up to 700,00 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. Hours later a car bomb rocked Donetsk in an alleged 'assassination attempt' of a top Putin-allied official, which Western intelligence agencies believe was faked as part of the 'false flag' deception. Later two explosions at a 'gas pipeline' rocked the separatist city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in another suspected false flag attack. Last night, US President said he is 'convinced' the Russian premier has made up his mind to launch an invasion after amassing almost 200,000 troops on the border. In a televised address from the White House, Mr Biden said he has 'reason to believe' it will occur in the 'coming days' and will include an assault on the capital Kyiv. After weeks of saying the US was not sure if Mr Putin had made the final decision to launch a widespread invasion, Mr Biden said that assessment had changed. 'As of this moment I'm convinced he's made the decision,' Mr Biden said. 'We have reason to believe that.' He cited the United States' 'significant intelligence capability' for the assessment. The Ukrainian civilian refugees will be housed in tent cities provided by Putin's government in Russia where they will receive a gift of $132. False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released. Huge convoys of buses were laid on the for the refugees, after the evacuation was announced in video addresses by the leaders of the breakaway Republics which have also ordered a general mobilisation of all men to the army. Multiple explosions could be heard on Saturday morning in the north of the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a Reuters witness said. The origin was not immediately clear. Ukraine said earlier that one of its soldiers had been killed. False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released. A boy looks through a bus window waiting to be evacuated to Russia, in Donetsk, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine Denis Pushilin, the leader of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, has called on all men 'who are in the reserves to come to military conscription offices' following a mass evacuation of women and children in Ukraine's breakaway provinces to southern Russia. Leonid Pasechnik, the leader of the Luhansk separatist region in Ukraine, ordered a general mobilisation shortly afterwards. Pushilin claimed his region's forces had prevented attacks he said were planned by Ukraine, and that the Ukrainian army had continued manoeuvres. Separatist authorities on Friday announced plans to evacuate around 700,000 people, citing fears of an imminent attack by Ukrainian forces an accusation Kiev flatly denied. Less than 7,000 people had been evacuated from Donetsk as of Saturday morning, the local emergencies ministry said. The Ukrainian military said it had recorded 12 ceasefire violations by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in the morning after 66 cases in the previous 24 hours. Separatist authorities also reported what they said was shelling by Ukrainian forces of several villages on Saturday. Both sides regularly trade blame for ceasefire violations. Kiev has repeatedly denied any plans to regain control of separatist-held areas using force, including the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. More than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukraine's army and Russia's proxies. It comes as Ukraine's army claimed today a soldier had been killed in the separatist east and Volodymyr Zelensky is heading to the Munich Security Conference, despite President Joe Biden's warning not to leave Ukraine through fear of an imminent invasion. Yesterday Biden said he is now 'convinced' Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital. After weeks of saying that Washington was not sure if Putin had made the final decision, the US President said that his judgment had changed, citing American intelligence. He reiterated that the assault could occur in the 'coming days'. His comments followed a day of rising violence that included a humanitarian convoy hit by shelling and a car bombing in the eastern city of Donetsk. Huge convoys of buses were laid on the for the refugees, after the evacuation was announced in video addresses by the leaders of the breakaway Republics An explosion was heard in rebel-held Luhansk, one of the main cities in Ukraine's breakaway region of People's Republic of Luhansk, according to reports In this photo made from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on February 19, 2022, a Russian marine takes his position during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus People board a bus during the evacuation of residents to Russia, in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, February 19, 2022 A car bomb sparked 'false flag' fears after it exploded near the headquarters of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic. Just hours later a fireball was seen lighting up the sky after an international oil pipeline running through the key rebel-held city of Luhansk blew up. The blast rocked the Druzhba pipeline which runs from Russia to various points in eastern and central Europe. On Thursday a shell blew a hole through the wall of kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska People look at a memorial dedicated to late Euromaidan activists along the Alley of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes on February 18, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine US President Joe Biden delivers a national update on the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border at the White House in Washington, DC, February 18, 2022 The West must show unity against Putin amid Ukraine war scare, Boris Johnson insists Boris Johnson has called for western leaders to unite against Vladimir Putin and show the Russian leader he will pay a 'high price' if he sends his troops into Ukraine. The Prime Minister will head to the Munich Security Conference on Saturday to make a plea for 'unnecessary bloodshed' to be avoided by pursuing a diplomatic route to prevent a conflict in eastern Europe. Only hours before Biden's statement, the UK Foreign Office announced it had decided to 'temporarily' move its diplomats out of Kyiv, relocating them to the west of the country. The department said British embassy officials will relocate to Lviv, situated near the border with Poland. With estimates that 150,000 Russian troops are posted around Ukraine's borders, Johnson has previously called the situation 'very grim'. But in comments made before embarking on his trip to Germany, the Prime Minister said 'diplomacy can still prevail' if the West puts on a united front in terms of agreeing punishing sanctions to slap on Moscow. 'There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,' he said. 'Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Diplomacy can still prevail. That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.' The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. The Russian defence ministry has announced it will be carrying out fresh exercises on Saturday involving its strategic nuclear forces. Putin will observe the drills involving multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in a demonstration that Russia remains a nuclear superpower. The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are 'purely defensive' and do not represent a threat to any other country. There are concerns among western allies that the Kremlin could use 'disinformation' and a possible 'false flag' operation to justify an offensive, particularly with growing activity in separatist-held areas of Ukraine. Advertisement Pro-Russian rebels began evacuating civilians from the conflict zone with an announcement that appeared to be part of Moscow's efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor instead. One of Vladimir Putin's closest allies, parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin vowed that Russia would 'defend' its compatriots in the Donbas, hinting at military intervention. He said: 'Russia doesn't want war. 'Our president Vladimir Putin repeatedly said this earlier and is saying this these days.' But 'if danger arises to the lives of Russians and compatriots living in the DPR and LPR, our country will defend them.' This came as pro-Moscow rebels claimed a water-pumping station in Vasilievka was hit by Ukrainian fire. Ukraine has denied any such attacks. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has announced massive nuclear drills to flex its military muscle, and Putin pledged to protect Russia's national interests against what it sees as encroaching Western threats. Biden reiterated his threat of crushing economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it does invade, and pressed Putin to reconsider. He said the US and its Western allies were more united than ever to ensure Russia pays a steep price for any invasion. He said: 'We're calling out Russia's plans. Not because we want a conflict, but because we are doing everything in our power to remove any reason Russia may give to justify invading Ukraine. 'If Russia pursues its plans, it will be responsible for a catastrophic and needless war of choice.' Earlier on Friday, Biden said he believed Putin had already made up his mind to invade Ukraine. He said: 'As of this moment, I'm convinced he's made the decision. We have reason to believe that.' He said it was based on Washington's 'significant intelligence capability.' But he insisted Putin could change course if he wanted to. 'Russia can still choose diplomacy,' he said. 'It is not too late to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table.' As further indication that the Russians are preparing for a major military push, a US defence official said an estimated 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the ground forces deployed in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border have moved into attack positions closer to the border. That shift has been under way for about a week, other officials have said, and does not necessarily mean Putin has decided to begin an invasion. The official also said the number of Russian ground units known as battalion tactical groups in the border area had grown to as many as 125, up from 83 two weeks ago. Each group has 750 to 1,000 soldiers. Lines of communication remain open. The US and Russian defence chiefs spoke on Friday, and US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to meet next week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will attend the Munich Security Conference on Saturday and return home later the same day, a statement from his office said. Zelenskiy's trip had been under scrutiny due to concern in Western countries that Russia is poised to launch a military offensive against Ukraine and could do so while the president is out of the country. Boris Johnson has called for western leaders to unite against Putin and show the Russian leader he will pay a 'high price' if he sends his troops into Ukraine. The Prime Minister will head to the Munich Security Conference on Saturday to make a plea for 'unnecessary bloodshed' to be avoided by pursuing a diplomatic route to prevent a conflict in eastern Europe. Only hours before Biden's statement, the UK Foreign Office announced it had decided to 'temporarily' move its diplomats out of Kyiv, relocating them to the west of the country. The department said British embassy officials will relocate to Lviv, situated near the border with Poland. With estimates that 150,000 Russian troops are posted around Ukraine's borders, Johnson has previously called the situation 'very grim'. But in comments made before embarking on his trip to Germany, the Prime Minister said 'diplomacy can still prevail' if the West puts on a united front in terms of agreeing punishing sanctions to slap on Moscow. 'There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,' he said. 'Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Diplomacy can still prevail. That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.' The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. The Russian defence ministry has announced it will be carrying out fresh exercises on Saturday involving its strategic nuclear forces. Putin will observe the drills involving multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in a demonstration that Russia remains a nuclear superpower. The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are 'purely defensive' and do not represent a threat to any other country. The blast, which was first reported by Russian state media, is thought to be the start of Putin's long-predicted false flag operation used to justify an invasion of the country The destroyed UAZ military jeep belonged to Denis Sinenkov, head of regional security in Donetsk, in what Russian state media suggested was an assassination attempt Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a press conference with his Belarus counterpart, following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 18, 2022 An hour before the car bomb went off, separatist leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk had ordered an evacuation of civilians because of what they said was the threat of Ukrainian invasion (pictured, children are evacuated from an orphanage) Children are pictured after being loaded on to a bus for evacuation out of the city of Donetsk, in separatist-occupied eastern Ukraine, after leaders spread rumours that Kiev's troops were about to attack There are concerns among western allies that the Kremlin could use disinformation and a possible 'false flag' operation to justify an offensive, particularly with growing activity in separatist-held areas of Ukraine. Putin will hold a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday as tensions spike in the crisis over Ukraine, Moscow said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the call was 'on the president's schedule'. With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops now posted around Ukraine's borders, the long-simmering separatist conflict could provide the spark for a broader attack. Fears of such escalation intensified amid Friday's violence. A bombing struck a car outside the main government building in the rebel-held city of Donetsk. The head of the separatist forces, Denis Sinenkov, said the car was his, the Interfax news agency reported. There were no reports of casualties and no independent confirmation of the circumstances of the blast. Shelling and shooting are common along the line that separates Ukrainian forces and the rebels, but targeted violence is unusual in rebel-held cities. Adding to the tensions, two explosions shook the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk early on Saturday. The Luhansk Information Centre said one of the blasts was in a natural gas main and cited witnesses as saying the other was at a vehicle service station. There was no immediate word on injuries or a cause. Luhansk officials blamed a gas main explosion earlier in the week on sabotage. Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported more than 600 explosions in the war-torn east of Ukraine on Friday. Separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that form Ukraine's industrial heartland known as the Donbas announced they were evacuating civilians to Russia. Pushilin said women, children and the elderly would go first, and that Russia has prepared facilities for them. He alleged in a video statement that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was going to order an imminent offensive in the area. Metadata from two videos posted by the separatists announcing the evacuation show that the files were created two days ago. US authorities have alleged that the Kremlin's disinformation campaign could include staged, pre-recorded videos. Authorities began moving children from an orphanage in Donetsk, and other residents boarded buses for Russia. Long lines formed at gas stations as more people prepared to leave on their own. Putin has ordered the government to offer a payment of 10,000 rubles (about 95) to each evacuee, equivalent to about half of an average monthly salary in the war-ravaged Donbas region. By Saturday morning, more than 6,600 residents of the rebel-controlled areas were evacuated to Russia, according to separatist officials, who have announced plans to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people. The explosions and the announced evacuations were in line with US warnings of so-called false flag attacks that Russia could use to justify an invasion. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the threat to global security is 'more complex and probably higher' than during the Cold War. He told a security conference in Munich that a small mistake or miscommunication between major powers could have catastrophic consequences. Russia announced this week that it was pulling back forces from vast military exercises, but US officials said they saw no sign of a pullback and instead observed more troops moving toward the border with Ukraine. Ukraine's president condemns Western 'appeasement' of Putin in blistering address in MUNICH and vows to protect the country 'with or without support' from Europe - before leaders give him standing ovation with Russia expected to invade in days By Jack Newman for Mailonline Ukraine's president has called on the West to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts, to a standing ovation from world leaders. Volodymyr Zelensky told a security forum in Munich that his country deserves stronger international support after acting as a buffer against Russian expansion. The conference had echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler's Germany in an effort to prevent an imminent war. Zelensky said today: 'Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security ... 'But we have a right - a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.' He added: 'For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.' Ukraine's president has called on the West to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts The Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces, the military reserve of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, take part in a military drill outside Kyiv What happened at the 1938 Munich conference? The Munich Agreement was signed by Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler and Edouard Daladier in 1938. It was designed to stop Germany invading Czechoslovakia. The agreement by the leaders agreed the annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, occupied mainly by German speaking people. Upon his return home, Chamberlain declared the agreement had secured 'peace in our time'. However a year later Hitler invaded Poland, sparking the beginning of the Second World War. Advertisement Zelensky also said he wants a 'clear' timeframe for when Ukraine can join the NATO alliance. 'What can we do? We can continue forcefully supporting Ukraine and its defences. Present... clear, feasible timeframes for membership of the Alliance,' he said. The president also called for a meeting with Putin in order to avoid any conflict. He said: 'I do not know what the Russian president wants. For this reason, I propose that we meet.' Zelensky was warned not to travel to Munich today through fear that Russia may launch an attack in his absence. Putin is putting on a show of military strength with new nuclear drills as he sends a MIG armed with a hypersonic missile over the Mediterranean. The Russian leader is personally overseeing the nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko is joining Putin in the situation room in the Kremlin to watch over the strategic drills. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels. Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today's manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Smoke and flame rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of a cruise missile of the operational-tactical missile system 'Iskander' from at the Kapustin Yar training ground, Russia, 19 February 2022 A Russian nuclear submarine sails in an unknown location during exercises by nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic missiles, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022 Military helicopters fly over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Russian and Belarusian servicemen conduct joint drills at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus Tank army units loaded onto a troop train return from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post 'Matveev Kurgan' in Rostov region The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin announced a general mobilisation Russia has also sent a MIG-31K and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Mediterranean in another show of force amid the rising tensions. The warplane is deployed with the new ultra high speed Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles. The 24-foot-long, one-ton Kinzhal - or Dagger - can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and Russia boasts it has no match among Western defences. The hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 1,250 miles and could pummel Ukrainian troops and defences without flying close to the country. Russia is believed to have around 20 Kinzhal-compatible MiG-31Ks in total. British firms and public services should brace themselves for cyber attacks as tensions with Russia escalate over a potential invasion of Ukraine. In a stark warning, Home Secretary Priti Patel urged organisations to take pre-emptive measures against cyber attacks aimed at the West. Lindy Cameron, head of Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ (GCHQ) national cyber security centre, also described a heightened cyber threat, the Sunday Telegraph reports. The threat comes as Britain takes a central role in criticising President Vladimir Putins positioning of 190,000 troops on the border of Ukraine, with a warning of severe consequences - including raising finance in the City - if an invasion were to go ahead. The heads of food, utility and communications companies have been briefed by GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and told to strengthen their cyber defences. Ukrainian civilians were pictured being trained yesterday by the armed forces after joining a new military branch: the Territorial Defense Force Home Secretary Priti Patel said there had been recent 'reports of malicious cyber incidents in Ukraine that bear the hallmarks of similar Russian activity' Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the situation in Ukraine as a moment of extreme danger for the world during a speech at the Munich Security Conference yesterday A Ukrainian serviceman walks inside a destroyed house near the frontline village of Krymske in eastern Ukraine yesterday President Putin has personally overseen land, sea and air-based nuclear missile drills and shelling escalates in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian Present Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Western allies to immediately impose sanctions on Russia President Putin has personally overseen land, sea and air-based nuclear missile drills and shelling escalates in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian Present Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Western allies to immediately impose sanctions on Russia. Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the situation as a moment of extreme danger for the world during a speech at the Munich Security Conference. Mr Johnson said he would make it impossible for Russian companies of strategic relevance to raise finance in the City in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. He added: This crisis extends into every domain, which is why the UK is providing Nato with more land, sea and air forces, and it is because we feared a crisis like this, that we were already engaged in the biggest increase in defence investment for a generation. Mr Johnson stated the evidence suggests that Vladimir Putin is planning 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945'. He told the BBC's Sophie Raworth this morning that intelligence services believe Russia intends to launch an attack coming down from Belarus to encircle Ukraine's capital Kiev - a city with a population of 2.8 million people. The Prime minister said intelligence suggested Vladimir Putin (pictured) is planning 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945' Ukrainian troops patrol the town of Novoluhanske in eastern Ukraine yesterday. Ukraine's army said two soldiers died of shrapnel wounds yesterday after shelling attacks from Russian-backed separatists, the first fatalities in the conflict in overa month On Thursday, Russian forces fired on the village of Luhansk and one of the shells hit a kindergarten. According to sources, no children were harmed but two teachers suffered minor injuries Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday Speaking after the Munich conference, he said: 'The plan that we're seeing is for something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale.' His comments mirrored President Joe Biden warning that the US has reason to believe Russian forces 'intend to attack' Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting Kiev. Mr Johnson also said that people needed to understand 'the sheer cost in human life' that such an invasion could 'entail', both for Ukrainians and Russians. He added: 'All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun.' Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Home Secretary Ms Patel stated: Any conflict in Ukraine would not just be a foreign quarrel about which we know little. Reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense in Kievyesterday Its effects would be felt here too. In recent weeks this has included reports of malicious cyber incidents in Ukraine that bear the hallmarks of similar Russian activity. Our National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has confirmed that past Russian cyber activity has included attempted interference against UK media, tele communications and energy infrastructure, and cyber criminals in Russia have targeted well-known firms in recent high-profile attacks. Explosions shook eastern Ukraine late on Saturday, after the NATO chief warned the signals coming out of Russia suggest that Moscow is readying for a 'full-fledged attack' on Ukraine, and Vladimir Putin put on a show of military strength today with huge new nuclear drills. Multiple explosions could be heard late on Saturday and early today in the centre of the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, according to a Reuters reporter. The origin of the explosions was not clear. There was no immediate comment from separatist authorities or from Kyiv. Two regions in eastern Ukraine, where government and separatist forces have been fighting since 2014, were hit by more than 1,400 explosions on Friday, monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said, pointing to a surge in shelling. And up to 700,00 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. The Metropolitan Police have been hit by 'decade-high' sexual offence accusations against officers after 'claims doubled in the year' since Sarah Everard was brutally murdered. New figures show that 251 Met officers or staff have been accused of sexual assault, sexual harassment and other sexual offences in the last year. The majority of those accused have been male members of the force, amounting to 87 per cent of the accusations, and include 190 claims made internally by staff - a 104 per cent rise since 2020. According to Freedom of Information figures obtained by The Telegraph, 'dozens' of those who have been accused of sexual misconduct held the rank of sergeant or above and just 11 out of the 217 were charged of offences last year. This news comes a year after former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard while she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham in March 2020. Couzens, who was nicknamed 'The Rapist' by colleagues, had been accused of indecent exposure three times before he abducted the marketing executive in Clapham, south London, on March 3. Meanwhile, a shattering watchdog report exposed earlier this month how officers joked about 'raping' and 'hate-f*****g' female colleagues, 'killing black children', and beating their partners in a series of highly offensive racist, sexist and homophobic messages which they tried to excuse as 'banter'. Last week Dame Cressida Dick was forced to quit Britain's biggest police force after losing the Mayor of London's support over her plan to implement major reforms to Scotland Yard following a string of scandals and accusations of a 'toxic' working culture. The Metropolitan Police have been hit by 'decade-high' sexual offence accusations against officers after 'claims doubled in the year' since Sarah Everard was brutally murdered (file image) Former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens (pictured) kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard while she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham in March 2020 Couzens had also been accused of indecent exposure three times before he abducted Srah Everard (pictured) in Clapham, south London, on March 3 Last week Dame Cressida Dick (pictured) was forced to quit Britain's biggest police force The Home Secretary previously said that 'problems with the culture of the Met' had been 'clear for some time', as its crisis-prone commissioner was branded 'delusional' and incapable of clearing out the 'cesspit' of 'institutional misogyny and racism' that had developed under her watch. In just one of the horrific messages uncovered by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, a male officer told a female colleague 'I would happily rape you' and 'if I was single I would happily chloroform you'. Another officer was known as 'mcrapey raperson' because of his reputation for ''harassing [women], getting on them, do you know what I mean being like, just a d***''.' Nine of the 14 officers investigated are still serving in the force - with just two sacked - prompting critics to accused the Met's leadership of failing to root out an insidious culture described by investigators as 'widespread' rather than the result of 'just a few bad apples'. At least some of the wrongdoers served in a specialist vice squad. Dame Cressida (left) lost the Mayor of London's (right) support over her plan to implement major reforms to Scotland Yard following a string of scandals and accusations of a 'toxic' working culture String of disasters at the Met under Dame Cressida's watch: Jean Charles De Menezes pictured in Paris three months before he was shot dead on a train at Stockwell station on July 22, 2005 July 22, 2005: Jean Charles de Menezes is shot dead on a train at Stockwell Underground station in South London. The shooting happened when counter-terrorism officers mistook the innocent electrician for one of the terrorists behind an attack on the capital a day earlier. Mr de Menezes, a Brazilian working in the capital, was blasted in the head seven times by police at Stockwell station after being followed by officers from his home nearby. Mr de Menezes's family led a long campaign calling for police officers to be prosecuted for the shooting and criticising Scotland Yard for its handling of the operation, which was led at the time by Dame Cressida. Dame Cressida was cleared of all blame by later inquiries, but Mr de Menezes family expressed serious concerns when she was appointed Met Commissioner in 2017. The top policewoman told the Mail in 2018: It was an appalling thing an innocent man killed by police. Me in charge. Awful for the family and I was properly held to account. We learned every lesson that was to be learned'. April 2017: Appointed as first female Metropolitan Police commissioner with a brief to modernise the force and keep it out of the headlines. April 2019: Extinction Rebellion protesters bring London to a standstill over several days with the Met powerless to prevent the chaos. Dame Cressida says the numbers involved were far greater than expected and used new tactics but she admits police should have responded quicker. September 2019: Her role in setting up of shambolic probe into alleged VIP child sex abuse and murder based on testimony from the fantasist Carl Beech (right) is revealed but she declines to answer questions. 2020: Official report into Operation Midland said Met was more interested in covering up mistakes than learning from them. February 2021: Lady Brittan condemns the culture of 'cover up and flick away' in the Met and the lack of a moral compass among senior officers. The same month a freedom of information request reveals an extraordinary spin campaign to ensure Dame Cressida was not 'pulled into' the scandal over the Carl Beech debacle. March: Criticised for Met handling of a vigil for Sarah Everard, where officers arrested four attendees. Details would later emerge about how her killer, Wayne Couzens (right), used his warrant card to trick her into getting into his car. In the first six months of the year, London was on course for its worst year for teenage deaths 30 with knives being responsible for 19 out of the 22 killed so far. The youngest was 14-year-old Fares Matou, cut down with a Samurai sword. Dame Cressida had told LBC radio in May her top priority was tackling violent crime. June: A 20million report into the Daniel Morgan murder brands the Met 'institutionally corrupt' and accuses her of trying to block the inquiry. Dame Cressida rejects its findings. Mr Morgan is pictured below. July: Police watchdog reveals three Met officers being probed over alleged racism and dishonesty. The same month the Yard boss is at the centre of another storm after it emerged she was secretly referred to the police watchdog over comments she made about the stop and search of Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams. Dame Cressida is accused of pre-empting the outcome of an independent investigation. Also in July she finds herself under fire over her woeful security operation at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley where fans without tickets stormed the stadium and others used stolen steward vests and ID lanyards to gain access. August Dame Cressida facing a potential misconduct probe over her open support for Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Horne who could stand trial over alleged data breaches. December: Two police officers who took pictures of the bodies of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman (right) were jailed for two years and nine months each. Pc Deniz Jaffer and Pc Jamie Lewis were assigned to guard the scene overnight after Ms Henry, 46, and Ms Smallman, 27, were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, north-west London. Instead, they breached the cordon to take photographs of the bodies, which were then shared with colleagues and members of the public on WhatsApp. December: Dame Cressida apologises to the family of a victim of serial killer Stephen Port (right). Officers missed several chances to catch him after he murdered Anthony Walgate in 2014. Dame Cressida - who was not commissioner at the time of the murder - told Mr Walgate's mother: 'I am sorry, both personally and on behalf of The Met had police listened to what you said, things would have turned out a lot differently'.' January 2022: She faces a barrage of fresh criticism for seeking to 'muzzle' Sue Gray's Partygate report by asking her to make only 'minimal' references to parties the Met were investigating. February 2022: Details of messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross Police Station, which included multiple references to rape, violence against women, racist and homophobic abuse, are unveiled in a watchdog report. Advertisement The highly critical report led to a chorus of calls for her to resign or be sacked. Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said: 'The Met Police may be the worst for institutional misogyny and racism but they're not the only ones. Only a statutory judge led inquiry will do. Only new leadership will do.' Commenting on the watchdog's findings, Priti Patel said: 'It has been clear for some time that there are problems with the culture of the Metropolitan Police, which is why last year I tasked the Angiolini Inquiry and the police inspectorate with investigating these deeply concerning issues. 'I expect the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor of London to implement the recommendations of this report as soon as practically possible. The public rightly expects the behaviour of the police to be beyond reproach - standards must be raised.' The report also exposed numerous instances of homophobic language, with officers talking about 'f****** gays' and writing 'f*** you bender', in addition to a mass of racist comments including references to African children, Somali people and Auschwitz. The messages were uncovered as part of nine linked investigations into officers based in Westminster, mostly at Charing Cross police station, which began in March 2018 after allegations that a male officer had sex with a drunk woman at a police station. The Met said it was 'deeply sorry' for the 'reprehensible behaviour' displayed by its officers and said it had taken 'a series of measures to hold those responsible to account and stamp out unacceptable behaviour'. But Dame Diana Johnson, the Labour chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, accused the force of not doing enough to root out racists and misogynists. 'In the report, it is very clear that the IOPC are saying that this is not isolated and it is not simply just a few bad apples,' she told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme. 'So, I think that whole issue of the culture within the police force is one that is incredibly concerning.' Touching on the fact that nine of the officers investigated are still serving in the force, the Hull North MP added: 'There is a question about the fact that only two officers have been sacked.' IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said: 'The behaviour we uncovered was disgraceful and fell well below the standards expected of the officers involved. While these officers predominantly worked in teams in Westminster, which have since been disbanded, we know from other recent cases that these issues are not isolated or historic. 'The learning report we are publishing today is shocking and contains language which is offensive - and some may find it upsetting. However, we felt it was important to provide the context for the public, the Met and other forces, for why such hard-hitting recommendations are necessary.' While the IOPC acknowledged the work that the Met has done since to improve, Mr Naseem said more needs to be done. He said: 'Our investigation showed the officers' use of 'banter' became a cover for bullying and harassment. Colleagues were afraid to speak out about these behaviours for fear of being ostracised, demeaned or told to get another job. 'We are grateful to those officers who were brave enough to speak to us about the cultural issues that existed within these teams, realising that in doing so they risked further bullying. This took courage. Hopefully our learning report and recommendations will give officers the confidence to come forward in the knowledge that people are listening and that changes will be made. 'The relationship between the police and the public is critical to maintaining the principle of policing by consent. The concerns about behaviour and culture addressed in our report, if allowed to continue and go unchallenged, risked causing serious damage to that relationship.' Of the 14 officers investigated, two were fired for gross misconduct and put on a barred list to stop them ever working again for the police. Two officers resigned and two others were disciplined. Deputy assistant commissioner Bas Javid said: 'I am angry and disappointed to see officers involved in sharing sexist, racist and discriminatory messages. It's clear we have a lot of work to do to ensure bullying and discrimination does not exist in any part of the Met. 'The actions of these officers between 2016 and 2018 were unacceptable, unprofessional, disrespectful and deeply offensive. I read their messages with increasing disgust and shame. 'We haven't waited for the IOPC's report to take action - a number of officers have been subject to misconduct proceedings, including one officer dismissed and one who would have been dismissed had he not already resigned. Every Met employee has also been spoken to about responsible use of social media. 'We recognise that there is need for real change in the Met and we are committed to creating an environment that is even more intolerant to those who do not uphold the high values and standards expected of us.' A review of culture and standards in the Met is currently being carried out by Baroness Casey, in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: 'I am utterly disgusted by the behaviour outlined in this IOPC report, which details the shocking evidence of discrimination, misogyny, harassment and bullying by police officers. 'The conduct of these officers was totally unacceptable and what has been revealed by these investigations will only further damage public trust and confidence in the police. 'It is right that the team concerned has been disbanded and the police officers found to be involved have been dismissed, disciplined or have left the police. 'Anyone found to be responsible for sexism, racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, antisemitism, bullying or harassment does not deserve to wear the Met uniform and must be rooted out.' In a statement given to the MailOnline, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'The Met has been rocked by a series of awful events, including the appalling behaviour displayed by officers at Charing Cross police station between 2016 and 2018, the murder of Sarah Everard, the outcome of the Stephen Port inquests and the abhorrent actions of PCs Jaffer and Lewis. 'We are acutely aware that these events have deeply damaged the trust and confidence people have in us. 'There is need for real change in our organisation. More than ever before we have been looking at ourselves critically and asking hard questions to improve our culture and professional standards, and we do not underestimate the scale of the change required. 'Part of rebuilding that trust is making it impossible for such behaviour to be seen as acceptable, telling the public where we have got it wrong and what we are doing about it, and removing officers who have behaved in such an awful way. The Independent Office for Police Conduct and others thoroughly scrutinise our actions. 'The Commissioner has asked Baroness Louise Casey to lead an independent and far-reaching review into our culture and standards of professional and personal behaviour. The review will ask difficult questions to ensure there are lasting improvements to the service we provide for all Londoners. 'While this process is on-going we recognise that we need to take urgent action to improve. We have already boosted the number of investigators in our professional standards department to strengthen our capability to root out people who abuse their positions of trust. Every Met employee has also been spoken to about professional boundaries and actively intervening and challenging wrong doing. 'Further information about what we are doing to tackle the issues raised and on regaining public trust can be read in our Rebuilding Trust Update on Progress.' An aerospace expert believes he has finally discovered the resting place of ill-fated flight MH370 using sophisticated radio wave technology, as he claims the pilot's 'strange' course suggests he was 'being followed'. The Malaysian Airlines flight carrying 239 people, including six Australians, vanished without a trace on March 8, 2014, shortly after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. Despite an extensive four-year $200million international search effort spanning more than 120,000sqm, the Boeing 777's wreckage is yet to be found, with devastated families claiming the crash was not an accident. But British aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey believes MH370 hit the ocean 1,933 km due west of Perth, and lies 4,000m under the water, along a line known as the 'seventh arc'. Using Weak Signal Propagation Reporter analysis, Mr Godfrey tracked disturbances the plane made in radio frequencies across the globe to uncover its final path - creating perhaps the most precise estimate of where the wreckage lies to date. This graphic shows Mr Godfrey's predicted location for MH370's wreckage at the bottom of the Indian Ocean He found unusual patterns in the aircraft's journey, including doing 360 degree turns over the ocean, which he claims supports a theory pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah deliberately took the plane off course. 'Everyone has assumed up until now there was a straight path, perhaps even on autopilot,' he told 60 Minutes on Sunday. 'I believe there was an active pilot for the whole flight.' Three hours into the journey, the aircraft entered an unusual holding pattern, which lasted for around 20 minutes, according to Mr Godfrey's findings. A holding pattern is when a pilot keeps the aircraft in a pattern within a specified airspace, usually to await further clearance to proceed and typically before landing. Mr Godfrey believes the temporary stall may indicate the pilot had stopped to make contact with Malaysian authorities - despite the government maintaining contact with the aircraft ceased 38 minutes after take off. 'It's strange to me, if you're trying to lose an aircraft in the most remote part of the Southern Indian Ocean, that you [would] enter a holding pattern,' Mr Godfrey explained. Pictured: MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, who was flying the plane alongside First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid The seventh arc (pictured) is a vast area of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia where experts believe the plane flew - and likely met its end 'He may have been communicating with the Malaysian government, he may have been checking whether he was being followed. 'He may have just simply wanted time to make up his mind, where he would go from here. I hope that if there was any contact with Malaysian authorities that after eight years now they'd be willing to divulge that.' The expert pinpointed 160 points on a map where signals were disturbed over the Indian Ocean, saying only one other plane was in the area that night - and it was at least an hour away - meaning the disturbances were likely caused by MH370. Danica Weeks' husband Paul was one of six Australians believed to have died when the plane disappeared almost eight years ago. Mapping of 160 signals which were disturbed over the Indian Ocean on the night MH370 disappeared Danica Weeks lost her husband Paul (pictured together) when MH370 vanished almost eight years ago Until Mr Godfrey's findings, she had long insisted the plane had suffered a mechanical failure. Now, she believes the crash was an act of murder. 'I was so staunch about saying it wasnt the pilot,' she told Sky News. 'But now I have to throw all of that out after nearly eight years (since the disappearance) and three years of searching (for the plane, by the authorities). 'I never believed it was the pilot. Unfortunately, Richard Godfrey has said that he believes with this point that the pilot was in control. And look, it makes sense that weve searched for a ghost plane, havent found it. So maybe we have to step forward and search on that basis now.' The mother-of-two, who remarried two years ago, says her life is on hold as she waits for closure to fulfil her promise of bringing her former husband's body home. British aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey has written a report outlining his belief that the remains of MH370 are 4000m under the water 1933km due west of Perth The widow is calling for a renewed search in light of Mr Godfrey's report, which was first released late last year. 'Let's join the dots, if this isn't worth another search, then I don't know what is,' she told 60 Minutes. 'I have done my research on it, and it looks so promising. I get goosebumps. I look at it, and I think, this is it.' 'It has been such a long time with no closure, no answers. There's no day I don't think about it. I promised Pauly I would bring him home. I still haven't fulfilled that.' Ms Weeks said she met with the Malaysian Prime Minister, who vowed to continue the search, but his promises never eventuated. A Boeing 777 flaperon cut down to match the one from flight MH370 found on Reunion island off the coast of Africa in 2015, is lowered into water to discover its drift characteristics 'I [was thinking] yes we have made a mark, they are going to take action, then it was deathly silent. It was all just talk,' she said. 'I believe his finding are solid. And so why wouldn't they search? then I'd be wondering why not. If they don't search, because this is, this is it. I feel this it.' Other experts are peer-researching Mr Godfrey's findings, and if it receives positive reviews they will lobby the Malaysian government to reopen the search. Mr Godfrey said while Malaysian authorities have thanked him for passing on his work, but told him they were 'very busy'. 'If it turns out the pilot was in anyway responsible, they might be faced with multimillion claims,' he said. The Malaysian Airlines plane disappeared in March of 2014 with 239 people on board (stock image) Mr Godfrey claims the plane is located on the ocean floor in an area at the base of the Broken Ridge underwater plateau (pictured) 'So maybe they just hope this will go away.' However, experts have expressed doubts over the reliability of the WSPR data, which places the plane in an underwater mountainous region of the Southern Indian Ocean. Mr Godfrey claims it was missed in previous searches. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau described Mr Godfrey as 'credible' and would renew the data, but didn't confirm if the search would be re-started. Australian air safety investigators, spearheaded by a new director, have quietly renewed their search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board. 'The ATSB is aware of the work of Mr Richard Godfrey and acknowledges that he is a credible expert on the subject of MH370,' ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said in a statement. Queensland couple Rodney and Mary Burrows were among the 239 people on board MH370 on March 8 in 2014 Fellow Queensland residents Catherine and Robert Lawton also perished on the doomed flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing 'But the ATSB does not have the technical expertise to, and has not been requested to, review his "MH370 Flight Path" paper and workings. As such the ATSB cannot offer an assessment of the validity of Mr Godfreys work using WSPR data.' Mr Mitchell said Mr Godfrey's findings would be passed on to Geoscience Australia for review to ensure no items of interest were missed during the initial search. 'The ATSB does acknowledge that Mr Godfreys work recommends a search zone for MH370, a significant portion of which covers an area searched during the ATSB-led underwater search,' he said. 'Out of due diligence the ATSB requested Geoscience Australia review the data it held from the search to re-validate that no items of interest were detected in that area.' WHAT HAPPENED TO MH370? SOME OF THE THEORIES INTO THE MYSTERY EXAMINED 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.' Mr Rosenschein said: 'The U.S. would not have been able to hide this fact and in any event, if it were true, they would have admitted their action as it would have prevented a successful terrorist action on this occasion and acted as a deterrent for future terrorist attacks.' Advertisement The ATSB expects that review to be finalised in coming weeks, the results from which will be made public on the ATSBs website. While a formal conclusion over MH370's fate is yet to be reached, many theories and conspiracies have circulated since the plane's disappearance. A popular theory from respected aviation journalist Christine Negroni is that the plane's cabin pressure system rapidly decompressed, sucking out all the oxygen. With Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah in the bathroom, First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid is believed to have taken over. Negroni surmises that co-pilot Hamid was left with a major problem with zero access to oxygen - and even with a mask, he would have been in trouble and not able to think clearly. His arms also would have started to jerk spasmodically. This is why Ms Negroni believes the plane was switched to 'standby' instead of putting out a mayday call - explaining why the transponder signal stopped and controllers could still see the airplane on radar but couldn't determine its altitude. Additionally, someone was still flying the plane - and flying it on a bizarre course, turning southwest, then north and then south. Ms Negroni is adamant co-pilot Mr Hamid, 27, quickly overcome with oxygen deprivation, was at the controls. 'I think he was no longer doing much reasoning, because his ability to do that was long gone,' she said. 'When you consider how muddled Fariq's mind must have been, you can see many ways in which MH-370's bizarre flight path can be explained.' The plane then flew hours more, likely on autopilot, and vanished. Queensland couples Catherine and Robert Lawton as well as Mary and Rodney Burrows were also on the doomed flight, along with Sydney-based Gu Naijun and Li Yuan. Single men could have better luck finding a partner in one south London borough than anywhere else in the country. This is because Wandsworth has 33 per cent more women in their 20s than males - the highest ratio in Britain. The riverside town and neighbouring borough Lambeth are among the most gender-skewed areas in the country towards women, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Of the area's 61,373 twenty-somethings, 35,015 are female, and only 26,358 male. Single men could have better luck finding a partner in Wandsworth than anywhere else in the country. The south London borough has 33 per cent more women in their 20s than males - the highest ratio in Britain Lambeth has a smaller but still significant disparity of 19 per cent, while Hackney in east London has a 10 per cent difference. Outside of the capital only the Isles of Scilly comes close with 28 per cent more women in their 20s - although there are only 145 of them on the Cornish islands. There may be several reasons why Wandsworth has proven such a popular spot for women to live. 'I think boys are happier to live in a s***hole,' singleton Charlotte Chapman, 23, told The Times. 'The quality of housing here is much better than in other parts of London.' Riverside Wandsworth and neighbouring borough Lambeth are among the most gender-skewed areas in the country towards women, ac cording to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Pictured: Apartments at Battersea Power Station Another single women agreed, saying while Wandsworth felt more 'villagey', men were more likely to factor in proximity to work and the pub which meant they were less likely to live in the predominantly residential area. The area also has one of the lowest crime rates in inner London. 'Its really friendly here you feel safe, its quite a family area,' said Beth McCloskey, 30, a research scientist from Putney. The town's streets are no stranger to romance either, with Hugh Grant famously knocking on doors as the Prime Minister in 2003's Love Actually trying to find his love interest Natalie who had told him she lived in the 'dodgy end' of Wandsworth. The town's streets are no stranger to romance either, with Hugh Grant famously knocking on doors as the Prime Minister in 2003's Love Actually trying to find his love interest Natalie The 'dodgy' part may no longer be true, as the area is home to one of the country's largest regeneration projects around Battersea Power Station, with plenty of studio flats and smaller apartments available not far from the town's luscious park and nightlife. According to Danny Dorling, professor of geography at the University of Oxford, we are seeing internal migration at work. 'More girls go to university than boys; more graduates migrate to London; so Wandsworth ends up with that 33 per cent difference,' he said. Lambeth has a smaller but still significant disparity of 19 per cent, while Hackney in east London (pictured) has a 10 per cent majority of women One off-putting factor may however be the cost of living in the area. Property prices in Wandsworth have soared by over 15,000 during the pandemic to 626,064, and it is now the citys eighth most expensive borough. Boroughs men may wish to avoid include Brent and Westminster, where there is a 19 per cent male majority among 20 to 30 year olds. There are also male dominant proportions in Newham (18.5 per cent), and Hillingdon (14.5 per cent) Outside of London, women in their 20s have notable majorities in several Scottish cities, such as Edinburgh (16 per cent), and Dundee and Stirling (both 5 per cent). According to the ONS data from 2021, Corby had an exactly equal proportion of twenty-somethings, with 4,088 of each sex. Performer-turned-photographer took hundreds of shots of each instrument and digitally put them together Advertisement A new stunning series of photos has shone a light on the remarkable interiors of a range of musical instruments. Images captured by Auckland-based photographer Charles Brooks show the hidden 'architecture' that goes in to creating some of the world's most uniquely crafted cellos, flutes, pianos and saxophones. The astonishing array of shots, each compiled from hundreds of separate images, show in brilliant detail the 'vast and cavernous' spaces inside the instruments, appearing to replicate cathedrals and grand palatial hallways. A cellist since childhood, Brooks spent twenty years performing with orchestras around the world, an experience that incited curiosity about the inner workings of the instruments surrounding him. He has now released a number of the images he has captured in a series called Architecture in Music, seeking to unveil the hidden anatomies of these instruments. Brooks said he became fascinated with the interiors of instrument as he 'never really knew what was going on inside', but would be thrilled by the experience of seeing the inner working of a cello or a grand piano while it was being repaired. A new stunning series of photos captured by Auckland-based cellist-turned-photographer Charles Brooks has shone a light on the remarkable interiors of a range of musical instruments. Pictured: The inner workings of a Fazioli Grand Piano captured at Slys Pianos, Auckland. Inside the F-holes: This photo shows the inside of a rare Lockey Hill cello which dates to around 1780. It was photographed whilst under restoration at the Stringed Instrument Company in Auckland, New Zealand The astonishing array of shots, each compiled from hundreds of separate images, show in brilliant detail the 'vast and cavernous' spaces inside the instruments, appearing to replicate cathedrals and grand palatial hallways. Pictured: The interior of a Burkart Elite 14k Rose Gold Flute at Neige Music Atelier in New Zealand. Brooks said he became fascinated with the interiors of instrument as he 'never really knew what was going on inside', but would be thrilled by the experience of seeing the inner working of a cello or a grand piano while it was being repaired. Pictured: A Fazioli Grand Piano Speaking about the project, Brooks said: 'Concert Halls often reflect the shapes and curves of instruments. I wanted to turn that on its head by making the inside of the instruments themselves appear vast and cavernous.' Pictured: The keys of a Steinway Model D Grand Piano captured at Lewis Eadys in Auckland His photos however have attempts to take an inside glimpse to the next level, by bringing the whole interior of each instrument in the sharp focus, rather than allow a 'tilt-shift' blurring effect to allow the mind to make a flute's insides look small and cramped. Speaking about the project, Brooks said: 'Concert Halls often reflect the shapes and curves of instruments. I wanted to turn that on its head by making the inside of the instruments themselves appear vast and cavernous.' To do this Brooks used specialist techniques and equipment. Using a probe lens with a low aperture of just f/14 'which means you need a tremendous amount of light', he could capture terrific amounts of detail inside each instrument. 'Shooting with Lumix cameras and an exotic Laowa Probe lens, I took hundreds of shots, slowly shifting the focus from front to back, and combined them with a technique called focus stacking,' he added. 'The result is an image which is sharp and in-focus from front to back, and that is what created this wonderful illusion. Pictured: Inside a 1980s Yanagisawa T4 Saxophone which was photographed whilst under restoration at Neige Music Atelier in New Zealand Pictured: The action of a Steinway Model D Grand Piano. Photographed at Lewis Eadys in Auckland Pictured: The strings of a Steinway Model D Grand Piano. Photographed at Lewis Eadys in Auckland. Pictured: The interior of a 1940s Selmer Balanced Action Saxophone, owned by renowned New Zealand Saxophonist Dr. Roger Manins. Photographed whilst under restoration at Neige Music Atelier Pictured: A unique view inside an Australian Didgeridoo by Trevor Gillespie/Peckham (Bungerroo) of New South Wales Pictured: The inside of a 2021 Selmer Saxophone, private collection 'Our brains are wired to expect photographs of small spaces to have a narrow depth of field. When everything is clear we automatically assume that the space is large. This is essentially the opposite of the tilt-shift-miniature effect that was all the rage a few years ago.' In one of his compositions he frames the shadows cast by a cellos F holes over its wooden back, to give the appearance of a creaking old wooden house as sun shines through the windows. In another, a grand piano's uniform row of hammer makes it appear more like a futuristic building project than musical components. 'Some instruments really surprised me,' Brooks added. 'Id never thought to look inside a Didgeridoo before and was astonished to find out that it was carved by termites, rather than by hand!' Of the project he says: 'This is a work in progress. I'm still finding wonderful new instruments, and technical hurdles along with them. Even with the probe lens some are difficult to access, and lighting them can be a huge struggle.' Tomorrow is going to be the bleakest day of the year for romance as singletons give up their New Year hopes of finding love, a study has claimed. The third Monday of this month, falling this year on February 21, has been shown by new research to be the day when lasting love has finally faded for lovers. This is due to the collapse of relationships following Valentines Day disasters or single people feeling lonely after not finding the 'one' before February 14. But people do pick themselves up again, and are more motivated to sign up to dating websites to meet their 'Mr or Ms Right'. During so-called 'Love Action Week, an analysis shows there's a 63% increase in new sign ups on love and relationship matching websites in the week after Valentines Day. Tomorrow is going to be the bleakest day of the year for romance as singletons give up New Year hope of finding love, a study has claimed The third Monday of this month, falling this year on February 21, has been shown to be the day when lasting love has finally faded for those seeking love During so-called 'Love Action Week week, an analysis shows there's a 63% increase in new sign ups on love and relationship matching websites in the week after Valentines Day The research, by new dating website FindingTheOne.com which launches tomorrow, claims that the week after Valentines Day is the optimum time for new sign ups to online dating. One in 10 relationships hit the rocks long before those romantic flowers have wilted Dating entrepreneur Simon Prockter, the founder of FindingTheOne.com, said: Theres the misconception that Valentines Day is all champagne and roses, but it can be the catalyst that drives a vast amount of people towards dating. Our research shows that many couples argue on Valentines Day and relationships fall apart. 'Things go wrong, expectations arent fulfilled, and people find themselves suddenly single. Also, long-term single people are so sick of being alone on that night that they brush themselves down and decide to be pro-active and make a change. 'This week is the key time for finding a new relationship. Spring is also in the air, so theres an added sense of optimism. Dating entrepreneur Simon Prockter, the founder of FindingTheOne.com, said: Theres the misconception that Valentines Day is all champagne and roses, but it can be the catalyst that drives a vast amount of people towards dating' FindingTheOne.com has adopted The Human Leagues classic 1981 song Love Action (I Believe in Love) as its anthem when it launches tomorrow Mr Prockter, from London, has been in the dating business for 20 years and was behind SpeedDater, a speed dating events company, promises FindingTheOne.com will be 'game-changing'. Profile images and biographies will be swaped for a unique algorithm that will find a match automatically from people who have verified with their ID and been fully vetted. Mr Prockter said: 'The emphasis has gone from the sincere hopes of finding a partner, to a cynical game on a mobile phone. It has created little more than a shallow swipe culture where everyone spends countless hours messaging people they never even intend to meet. 'The whole system has become ridiculous, which means the vast majority of people end up being frustrated and disappointed. We are so confident that our system works that if a member doesnt get a date, they get their money back. 'Our website is only for people who are serious about finding a serious relationship. The new campaign has adopted The Human Leagues classic 1981 song Love Action (I Believe in Love) as its anthem. Love Action Week arrives just as all Covid laws will be banished on Thursday. Coleen Rooney invented as many as 39 stories which she placed on her private Instagram in order to catch out a mole selling stories to the media, it is claimed. Just three of those tall tales of a flooded basement, gender selection and a TV comeback appeared in the media before Rooney accused former friend Rebekah Vardy of being the leak in a widely shared Instagram post in October 2019. Dubbed the 'Wagatha Christie' post, the drama looks set for the High Court with Vardy, 40, in the middle of legal proceedings to sue 35-year-old Rooney for libel, The Sun reports. Documents submitted to the High Court show other falsified Instagram stories which did not reach the tabloids, including the Rooney's doubling up on security and getting guard dogs after a break-in. The records are said to show that the posts were created after Rooney restricted access to her Instagram. They show Vardy viewed the posts although most did not end up in the media. A source said: 'This is dynamite stuff and seems to significantly undermine Coleen's case. Coleen Rooney created up to 39 fake stories on her private Instagram from April to October 2019 in order to find a mole selling stories to the media, a court document states Rebekah Vardy, wife of Leicester and England star Jamie Vardy, 35, is suing Coleen Rooney for libel after she was accused of leaking stories to the press 'If Becky was leaking stories for cash, what happened to all the other ones the other 36? 'The records seem to show that she was looking at them, and not doing anything. 'This is what she insists happened with the stories that did appear in the media and feature in the case - that she wasn't bothered enough to think it significant and didn't need to sell stories on her friend.' Lawyers for Vardy have argued that some of the published information also appeared on the Instagram of Mrs Rooney's close friend Claire Rooney, who is a cousin of her husband. A picture of Rooney drinking at Soho Farmhouse Oxfordshire to celebrate her husband Wayne's return to the UK from the US had appeared in an August 2019 article. But court documents showed the image was placed on cousin Claire's Instagram page as well as Rooney's. Sources claim this could weaken Mrs Rooney's claim that the material could only have been accessed from her social media. Rooney carried out a 'mole hunt' between April 2019 and October 2019. Former friends: Coleen Rooney (left) wife of Wayne Rooney, and Rebekah Vardy (right) wife of Jamie Vardy, attend the UEFA EURO 2016 Group B match between England v Wales She later insisted she had restricted access to her stories to one person who she accused of selling information posting: 'It's.Rebekah Vardy's account.' A witness statement filed by Vardy solicitor Charlotte Harris described the 36 planted stories which did not appear anywhere in the press. She stated: 'It is clear that the defendant posted a number of "fake" stories during the course of 2019. She disclosed 40 Instagram posts/stories and is assumed that all of these, apart from those of the Soho House were "fake."' Messages exchanged between Rebekah Vardy and her agent Caroline Watt appeared to show they were aware of Rooney's 'mole hunt' months earlier. A message from Vardy to Miss Watt said: 'Maybe she's (Coleen) put it to see if anyone gives it to the media.' Although Rooney lost her legal bid to have Ms Watt added to the lawsuit, a judge has ruled that more messages between Vardy and her agent should be unveiled. The trial is due in May. A source close to Coleen Rooney said: Coleen and her legal team remain confident of winning the case when the evidence is heard in full in court, rather than being selectively leaked to the media. 'Ms Vardys WhatsApp correspondence heard in court last week shows clearly she was no friend of Coleens. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed frustration during the Munich Security Conference on Saturday amid the growing fears of a Russian invasion of his nation, urging concerned parties to address the crisis through diplomacy. In his speech, Zelensky proposed conducting a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly oversees Moscow's military drills with Belarus near the Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian chief executive said he wants to know the demands of the Russian Federation and why he is pushing to "sit down and speak" with Putin at any platform, per NPR report. "What is the point of us shooting and proposing diplomacy at the same time?" Zelenksiy said. "All we care about is peace." Putin has yet to respond to the call for diplomatic talks as of present writing. Zelensky also remarked that the international security architecture is "almost broken" and "no longer work"; thus, he urged UN Security Council, permanent members, Germany, and Turkey to discuss working on establishing new security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelensky said that the agreements decades ago are no longer effective against new threats, describing them as "cough syrup when you need a coronavirus vaccine." VP Harris Warns Russia of Serious Sanctions United States Vice President Kamala Harris underscored in the Munich Security Conference that the Western alliance is facing a "defining moment" in the crisis in Ukraine. According to the New York Times, she also issued a warning on Russian leaders that the US and its allies will impose sanctions not only on financial institutions and technology exports but also on those "who aid and direct this unprovoked invasion." Harris pointed out that despite Russia's claim that it is "ready for talks," its military movements along Ukraine's borders is part of a familiar "playbook" wherein Moscow "will plead ignorance and innocence" and will make "false pretext for invasion" then it will gather its troops and military hardware "plain sight." "Their actions simply do not match their words," Vice President Harris said. Read Also: Is Russia Invading Ukraine? Kyiv Official Says 'Keep a Cool Head' Amid War Threat Russia Fires Missiles During Military Drills Meanwhile, the strategic nuclear forces of Russia conducted exercises while its troops on Ukraine's border seemingly 'poised to strike,' according to United States intelligence reports. The Kremlin said in a statement that its "strategic deterrence forces exercise" involved launching of ballistic and cruise missiles, personally overseen by Putin in a situation room in Kremlin on Saturday, Reuters reported. Russia explained that the military drills aimed to "check the readiness" of control and command structures and crews involved in combat launches, combat ships, and strategic missile carriers. It is also conducted to examine the dependability of strategic nuclear and non-nuclear troops. Media reports indicate that the Ukraine-Russia border tensions are still high. In a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, officials and foreign journalists had to flee to a bomb shelter after an attack. No injuries were reported, per ABC News. In the Luhansk region, Russian-led forces fired shots on a checkpoint where a convoy of humanitarian aid from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees passed through, according, to Lt. Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhniy, Commander in Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Related Article: UK Food Crisis: Britons Face Massive Price Hikes as Russia Bans Exports of Major Commodities @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Advertisement Nepal Police in Kathmandu fired tear gas, rubber bullets and a water cannon to disperse protesters opposed to a U.S. aid grant that was presented in parliament for ratification on Sunday. Hundreds of protesters tried to push through barbed wire barricades and pelted riot police with stones. Police beat them with bamboo batons, fired tear gas and water cannons, leaving injured on both sides. Police arrested 77 protesters Sunday. 'The protestors were arrested after they pelted stones and tried to push into the restricted area (near parliament),' police spokesman Bishnu Kumar KC told AFP. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund a 187 mile electricity transmission line and a road improvement project in Nepal. But the government is struggling to get parliament to ratify it by a February 28 deadline. Police in Kathmandu fired tear gas, rubber bullets and a water cannon to disperse protesters opposed to a U.S. aid grant that was presented in parliament for ratification on Sunday Nepalese protesters clash with riot police during a protest against the proposed grant agreement from America in Nepal on Sunday The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund a 187 mile electricity transmission line and a road improvement project in Nepal Opposition to the grant comes mainly from two Communist parties that are part of the coalition government who claim the conditions in the grant agreement will prevail over Nepal's laws and threaten the country's sovereignty Major political parties, including members of the ruling coalition, are split over whether to accept or reject the U.S. grant money. Pictured: Nepalese protesters clash with riot police during a protest on Sunday Government officials said the grant will not have to be repaid and has no conditions attached, but opponents say the agreement would undermine Nepal's laws and sovereignty as lawmakers would have insufficient oversight of the board directing the infrastructure project. Despite loud protests, the Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki put forward the agreement in parliament and said the projects would benefit 24 million of Nepal's 30 million population. 'The grant will be an important tool for the socio-economic development of the country,' Karki said in the parliament. Major political parties, including members of the ruling coalition, are split over whether to accept or reject the U.S. grant money. U.S. officials have spoken to Nepalese leaders recently to assure that the grant concerns only Nepal's development. The money is meant to be used for the construction of power transmission lines and improvement of roads in the Himalayan nation. Inside Parliament on Sunday, government Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki presented the grant proposal while several lawmakers chanted slogans opposing the measure. A thick line of security personnel blocked the protesting members from approaching the minister. The debate is expected to last several days before the grant agreement is put to a vote. The discussion was originally planned for last Wednesday but disagreements among political parties and clashes with police outside Parliament led to it being postponed. Nepalese protesters opposing a proposed U.S. half billion dollars grant for Nepal clash with police outside as the parliament debates the contentious aid in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday A Nepalese protester opposing a proposed U.S. half billion dollars grant for Nepal throws stones at policemen during clashes outside the parliament in Kathmandu, Nepal, this week The proposal was scheduled to be presented in the parliament Wednesday for approval but was postponed because of disagreement between the political parties The U.S. Embassy in Nepal described the $500 million MCC grant as 'a gift from the American people and a partnership between our nations that will bring jobs and infrastructure to Nepal and improve the lives of Nepalis.' 'This project was requested by the Nepali government and the Nepali people and designed to transparently reduce poverty and grow the economy of Nepal,' the embassy said in a statement issued late on Saturday. 'Whether Nepali leaders ratify MCC is a decision for Nepal to make, as a sovereign democratic nation, and Nepal's decision alone,' it added. Nepal relies heavily on foreign aid, and donors coordinate development aid policy through the Nepal Development Forum, whose members include donor countries and international financial organizations. Major opposition comes from Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's own coalition partners including Maoist politicians -- seen as traditionally close to China -- who say it undermines Nepal's sovereignty. Local media has reported that Chinese officials have lobbied Nepali politicians about their concerns, seeing the grant as a covert US push to increase Washington's influence. Indian daily the Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday that Washington believes that China is behind a disinformation campaign against the pact. 'Should outside influence and corruption cause parliament not to ratify, it would be deeply concerning for the US, and a loss for the people of Nepal,' the paper quoted a US State Department spokesperson as saying. Prakash Sharan Mahat, spokesperson of the ruling Nepali Congress party said that backtracking from the commitment will only erode Nepal's credibility. 'This grant is expected to help spur the economic growth in Nepal... We will continue to hold dialogue with other coalition partners as well as other political parties to mobilize their support to present the MCC Compact in the next session of the parliament,' he said. The Millennium Challenge, created by the US Congress in 2004, offers large-scale grants to support economic growth and reduce poverty, according to Washington. Protesters are hit with water cannons as demonstrations escalated in Nepal on Sunday Nepalese protesters clash with riot police don Sunday Protesters clash continue to protest in Kathmandu, Nepal on Sunday Demonstrators hold signs Sunday protesting the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, who agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund a 187 mile electricity transmission line and a road improvement project in Nepal The sister of Ponzi king Bernie Madoff and her husband - who were found dead in a murder-suicide - were reportedly among the many victims swindled by the notorious fraudster, losing $3 million and forcing the couple to sell their luxury home at a loss. Sondra Wiener, who died Thursday at age 87, and husband Marvin Wiener, 90, were financially ruined by her brother's scam, her family said. 'She lost millions in this whole thing,' a source told the New York Post in 2009. Added their son David: 'My familys a victim. More so than anybody else. Its very painful.' The scam prompted the couple to sell their 3,400-square-foot home in Florida's exclusive Palm Beach Gardens for $575,000 in 2009. They took a $75,000 loss on the home after paying $650,900 for it in 2003, according to property records. The couple then downsized to a home in a Valencia Lakes gated community, where they were discovered dead. Neighbors described Madoff's sister as an avid swimmer and said the couple kept a low profile, but were 'very well-liked'. Sondra Wiener died Thursday at age 87 in a suspected murder suicide alongside husband Marvin Wiener The sister of the disgraced Ponzi fraudster Bernie Madoff - who died in federal prison in April - has died, along with her husband, in what Florida police are calling a possible murder-suicide Sondra Wiener, 87, and husband Marvin Wiener were both found dead Thursday night in their private gated community home in Valencia Lakes (pictured), outside of Tampa The couple previously lived in a 3,400-square front home in Florida's exclusive Palm Beach Gardens, but they sold the property at a loss after losing millions in Madoff's scam Sources told the outlet that the couple's bodies were recovered by cops Thursday in their home on Barca Boulevard, an occurrence confirmed by an internal email sent to homeowners in the private housing development notifying them of the Wieners' deaths, and confirming the investigation. 'Let me start off by stating that as many of you have heard, we had a tragic situation on Barca Boulevard regarding the passing of Sondra and Marvin Wiener,' the private email obtained by the outlet and penned by an unnamed community leader reads. 'Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family. There is currently an investigation pending. All I can say is at this time there is no security or safety threat to anyone in the community.' Wiener was Madoff's only sister. Cops did not comment on the circumstances of their deaths, nor whom is thought to have killed the other. The couple's deaths comes a little less than a year after Madoff died in prison in April. The couple's deaths come a little less than a year after notorious fraudster Madoff's, who died in prison in April Madoff was a fixture on Wall Street before his fall in 2008, when he was arrested and pleaded guilty to operating a sprawling, decades-long Ponzi scheme that swindled thousands out of their life savings, according to federal prosecutors. Madoff started his scheme nearly half a century ago, in the early 70s, and by the time he was busted by feds in December 2008, the financier had already defrauded roughly 37,000 people in 136 countries - out of up to $65 billion. The crooked speculator's victims included tens of thousands of ordinary investors, as well as big names like Steven Spielberg, Kevin Bacon and Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel. Madoff had been a fixture on Wall Street before his fall in 2008, when he was arrested and pleaded guilty to operating a sprawling, decades-long Ponzi scheme that swindled thousands out of their life savings, according to federal prosecutors Madoff died in federal lockup in North Carolina in April, serving a 150-year prison sentence. The deaths of his sister and brother-in-law come as the latest installment of a series of tragedies surrounding the family of the fallen financier. His son, Mark, hanged himself inside his New York City apartment in 2010, at the age of 46. His other son, Andrew, died of cancer in 2014 at age 48. Moreover, in a prophetic foretelling of the fate of the Wieners and Palm Beach cops' current investigation, Madoff's wife, now-80-year-old Ruth Madoff, has claimed that she and her husband both attempted suicide together during his scandal. Madoff started his scheme nearly half a century ago, in the early 70s, and by the time he was busted by feds in December 2008, the financier had already defrauded roughly 37,000 people in 136 countries - out of up to $65 billion In a prophetic foretelling of the fate of the Wieners and Palm Beach cops' current investigation, Madeoff's wife, now-80-year-old Ruth Madoff (pictured here with Madoff), has claimed that she and her husband both attempted suicide together amid fallout from his fraud scandal However, their attempt, which consisted of downing prescription pills Ambien and Klonopin in December 2008, failed. 'I don't know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening,' Madoff told CBS News years after the incident. 'We had terrible phone calls. Hate mail, just beyond anything and I said "...I just can't go on anymore."' 'I took what we had, he took more,' Ruth told the outlet. 'We took pills and woke up the next day....It was very impulsive and I am glad we woke up.' The details of the Wieners deaths are still mired in mystery, with investigators still keeping mum concerning the exact details of how they died, and what drew them to declare the case a murder-suicide. DailyMail.com reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office to comment on the case Sunday morning, but did not immediately hear back. Seattle officials have overturned a decades-old mandatory law for bicycle riders to wear helmets after a study showed there was discriminatory enforcement of the rule against people of color and homeless people and found that black cyclists were four times as likely to be stopped as white cyclists. The King County Board of Health, made up of elected officials and medical experts from cities across the county, voiced its support on Thursday for the voluntary use of helmets, passing a resolution encouraging riders to don the protective gear, the Seattle Times reported. Seattle is the largest city in the country to enforce a bike helmet requirement, the New York Times reported, and is in King County which has made racial justice reform a priority and declared racism a public health crisis in 2020. The board began to scrutinize the helmet rule after local news site, Crosscut, released an analysis that showed the rule was rarely enforced, and enforced disproportionately when it was. The analysis showed that since 2017, Seattle police had given 117 helmet citations, more than 40 percent of which went to people who were homeless. Since 2019, 60 percent of citations went to people who were homeless. A separate analysis from Ethan Campbell with the Central Seattle Greenways, a safe streets advocacy group, found that black cyclists were almost four times as likely to receive a citation for violating the helmet requirement as white cyclists. Native American cyclists were just more than twice as likely to receive one as white cyclists. He argued that the rule was not serving its intended purpose and was being used as a pretext to stop people. Seattle officials have overturned a decades-old mandatory helmet law after a study found that black cyclists were four times as likely to be stopped as whites cyclists. Pictured: protesters protest the death of George Floyd in Seattle on June 1, 2020 An analysis by Central Seattle Greenways found that black cyclists were almost four times as likely to receive a citation for violating the helmet requirement as white cyclists The board began to scrutinize the helmet rule after several studies showed the rule was rarely enforced, and enforced disproportionately when it was 'It was a law that really just allowed the Police Department, the Seattle Police Department, to harass Black and brown community members,' KL Shannon, an organizer for Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and police accountability chair for the Seattle King County chapter of the NAACP told the Times. Shannon said her 8-year-old nephew and his friends were stopped by an officer for bot wearing helmets and accused of stealing the bikes. 'Until this day my nephew doesn't ride a bike,' Shannon said. 'He's never forgotten that.' The Times pointed to other incidents in which the helmet law was discriminatory toward people of color. In 2016, a Black man was stopped by Seattle police for riding a bike with no helmet, and in the dashcam video, one officer told the other that the man 'matches the description of a burglary suspect,' suggesting the bike helmet stop was a pretense. In 2019, Daniel Oakes was stopped for not wearing his helmet while riding his bicycle on a sidewalk near a homeless encampment and then charged with an unrelated offense. A judge dismissed the case after Oakes' lawyer argued that the helmet requirement had been unconstitutionally used as a pretext to make the stop. A Seattle Police Department spokesperson, Randall Huserik, responded to the analysis of the 2020 data, stating the traffic stops were often used to educate riders about the benefits of wearing a helmet. 'The focus is the behavior, not the status,' he said. 'A risk of serious brain injury/death remains just as dire for someone experiencing homelessness as it does for someone who is housed that is the risk these citations are intended to mitigate.' The repeal affects most of King County, including Seattle (pictured). However, 17 cities in the county, making up roughly one third of the county's population, have their own laws mandating helmet use that won't be affected by Thursday's vote Seattle is the largest city in the country to enforce a bike helmet requirement. In 2020, King County made racial justice reform a priority and declared racism a public health crisis The repeal affects most of King County, including Seattle. However, 17 cities in the county, making up roughly one third of the county's population, have their own laws mandating helmet use that won't be affected by Thursday's vote. 'The question before us yesterday wasn't the efficacy of helmets,' said Girmay Zahilay, a board member who is also a member of the King County Council. 'The question before us was whether a helmet law that's enforced by police on balance produces results that outweigh the harm that that law creates.' 'We have to have a broad view of public health: Yes, we have to think about brain injury, and we also have to think about the impact on our criminal legal system,' Zahilay added. But board member and King County Councilmember Joe McDermott said there are other ways of encouraging helmet use that do not rely on law enforcement, including educational campaigns and free helmet distribution. The King County Council recently budgeted more than $200,000 to buy helmets and expand education programs. The action on Thursday came despite criticism from some in the medical and legal communities who argued the law remained a necessary mechanism to ensure helmet usage remains high in Seattle. Sheley Anderson, attorney for the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington and regional vice president of the NAACP, had pushed the board to do a deeper analysis on the costs and benefits of the repeal, particularly as it relates to communities of color. Emergency room physicians have also expressed concern about the law's repeal. Dr. Steven Mitchell, medical director of the emergency department at Harborview Medical Center, said his opposition to the repeal is rooted in his daily experiences with people who've suffered a head injury. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, helmets reduce the likelihood of serious head injury by 60 percent. In cases where cyclists were wearing helmets, 79 percent of those who were fatally injured in bike crashes between 2010 and 2017 were not wearing them. A SUNY Potsdam music education student and cellist was found shot to death just off-campus by a man who police and school officials say had no affiliation with the school. The body of Elizabeth Howell, 21, was discovered lying on the side of College Park Road on Friday, having been fatally shot allegedly by 31-year-old Michael J. Snow, according to New York State Police. Snow was arrested a day later on Saturday and charged with second-degree murder. In the time between the discovery of Howell's body and Snow's arrest, authorities had urged students and locals to travel in groups and keep their doors locked before police learned the shooting was an isolated incident. Elizabeth Howell, 21, pictured, was discovered lying on the side of College Park Road on Friday, having been fatally shot just outside of the SUNY Potsdam campus Pictured: 31-year-old Michael J. Snow, who police said allegedly shot Howell to death just outside of campus. Snow was not a student, nor was he affiliated with the school in any way It was not immediately clear what the relationship was between the two, however school administrators did confirm that Snow had 'no affiliation with the College, either as a student, employee or graduate.' A mugshot of Snow taken after his arrest on Saturday shows him sporting a slight smirk, alongside long, unkempt hair and a beard. Howell, a cellist from Patterson in Putnam County, was set to graduate this year with a degree in music education, the school said. 'Beth was a cellist who performed with the Crane Symphony Orchestra, and she was an aspiring educator with a bright future ahead of her,' the post stated. Howell, a SUNY Potsdam music education student and cellist, pictured above performing at the school's Crane School of Music SUNY Potsdam, pictured, is located in St. Lawrence County roughly 30 miles from the Canadian border Howell, who was from Patterson in Putnam County, was set to graduate this year with a degree in music education 'No words can express the sadness we share as a campus community following this tragic loss.' SUNY Potsdam, which is located in St. Lawrence County roughly 30 miles from the Canadian border, canceled classes for Monday in response to Howell's death, and has also canceled or rescheduled various activities. The small liberal arts school has an enrollment of 2,352 undergraduate students and 255 graduate students. Meanwhile, a memorial space for Howell has since been set up inside the Hosmer Gallery in the lobby of the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall at the school's renowned Crane School of Music. Snow was arraigned shortly after his arrest on Saturday and taken to St. Lawrence jail, where he is being held without bail. No other information has been released on Snow as of Sunday. An investigation into Howell's death remains ongoing, according to authorities. Boris Johnson today led the nation in wishing the Queen a 'swift recovery' and a 'rapid return to good health' after the monarch tested positive for Covid-19. The 95-year-old monarch is understood to be experiencing 'mild cold like symptoms', but is expected to continue with light duties at Windsor over the coming week, Buckingham Palace said. Her Majesty, whose diagnosis comes just two weeks after she reached her historic Platinum Jubilee, will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines. In a message on Twitter the Prime Minister said: 'I'm sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health. ' Boris Johnson today led the nation in wishing the Queen a 'swift recovery' and a 'rapid return to good health' The Prime Minister offered the monarch a return to good health after the monarch tested positive for Covid-19 today Her Majesty's diagnosis comes just two weeks after she reached her historic Platinum Jubilee Government ministers also sent their well wishes to the monarch on Twitter. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: 'Wishing Her Majesty the a swift recovery. God Save The Queen.' Oliver Dowden added: 'Wishing Her Majesty the Queen a swift recovery.' Health Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: 'Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery.' While Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: 'Wishing Her Majesty a speedy recovery.' And London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: 'The commitment Her Majesty the Queen has shown to our country continues to be unwavering. Wishing her a swift and safe recovery from Covid-19.' Elsewhere Priti Patel said: 'Wishing Her Majesty a quick recovery. God save the Queen. ' While Labour leader Keir Starmer wrote: 'On behalf of myself and the whole of @UKLabour, wishing Her Majesty The Queen good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Ma'am.' In a statement today Buckingham Palace said: 'Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. 'Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. 'She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.' The diagnosis comes as the Queen today sent a message of congratulations to Team GB's women's curling team after they won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The Queen with Rear Admiral James Macleod (right) and Major General Eldon Millar as she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries during an in-person audience at Windsor Castle on Wednesday The Queen appeared via video link to receive the Ambassador of Jordan Manar Dabbas at Buckingham Palace on Thursday The Queen is understood to be triple vaccinated, but has been subject to months of health concerns since mid October after cancelling a run of engagements and spending a night in hospital undergoing preliminary tests. She missed the Remembrance Sunday event at the Cenotaph on November 14 last year due to a sprained back. Prior to that, she missed a reception for business leaders at Windsor Castle on October 19 due to ill health, instead spending a night at King Edward VII's Hospital. That hospital stay was her first in eight years, when in 2013 she was treated at the private clinic for a bout of gastroenteritis. The sovereign was also seen using a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service in early October, the first time she had done so at a major event. She is believed to have spent time with Charles on February 8, when he hosted an investiture at her Windsor Castle home, before he tested positive a few days later. The Duchess of Cornwall also tested positive for Covid, Clarence House confirmed on Monday, with a statement adding that the duchess was self isolating. Jean-Luc Brunel, Jeffrey Epstein's modelling agent 'pimp', was not on suicide watch before he was found dead in his cell on Saturday morning - despite having tried multiple times to kill himself. Since his 2020 arrest, the 76-year-old Frenchman had made multiple attempts to take his own life, reports The Telegraph. Still, Brunel - who allegedly helped procure over one thousand women for Epstein and convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell - was not under 'emergency protection', more colloquially known as suicide watch, at the time he died. Prisoners under emergency protection in France are given suicide-proof cells, with round corners, paper clothes and tearable bedsheets to prevent them doing harm to themselves. Given there are only around one hundred of these suicide-proof cells in France, they are reserved for detainees judged to be facing an imminent risk of suicide - and even in those cases, prisoners are kept there for only 24 hours, pending transfer to a psychiatric facility. Up to six patrols a day at La Sante prison in Paris could not prevent Jean-Luc Brunel, 76, from dying in his cell, where he was on a list of 'vulnerable inmates' receiving extra surveillance while he awaited trial for for the rape of a minor While Brunel was not under emergency protection, he was confined to a special area for so-called 'vulnerable people' - namely, those at high risk of falling victim to violence from other inmates, due to the high-profile or heinous nature of their crimes. By virtue of his inclusion on the 'vulnerable people' list, Brunel received up to six prison patrols a day. Yet these frequent patrols were unable to stop the French modelling agent and alleged sex trafficker Jean-Luc Brunel from dying in his cell at La Sante prison in Paris. Erwan Saoudi, a prison warden trade union representative in the French capital, said: 'On average, there are four to six patrols in for vulnerable people in the prison where Brunel was held.' Despite this, Brunel apparently found a time window between the patrols, and managed to hang himself with prison-issued bedsheets. 'He chose to carry out this act between two patrols,' said Mr Saoudi. 'First aid could not salvage the situation. 'This shows that the prisoner was determined to go through with it. What's for sure is that he was alone at the time.' Despite all the evidence pointing to suicide, Paris judicial police guided by an examining magistrate have launched an investigation into the exact cause of Brunel's death. The alleged hanging will fuel conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair because the financier is also said to have hanged himself while awaiting trial. Video cameras at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correction Center were not running at the time Epstein died in 2019. There were no cameras to record Brunel's final hours in Paris either, as he awaited trial for the rape of a minor. Jean-Luc Brunel allegedly procured more than a thousand women for the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein Brunel's apparent suicide comes days after Prince Andrew agreed to settle a lawsuit with Virginia Roberts Giuffre accusing him of sex abuse after they met through Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The settlement is thought to be worth around 12 million. Mr Giuffre also alleges that she was raped on numerous occasions by Brunel, who was a close friend of convicted British sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in prison in the USA. A number of former models have also waived their anonymity to make their allegations against Brunel public. Among them was Dutch model, Thysia Huisman, who was 18 when she first stayed with Brunel, and she said she was raped by him in 1991. On Saturday, she wrote on Twitter: 'Jean-Luc Brunel has been found dead in his prison cell. Prisoners under emergency protection, otherwise known as suicide watch, in France are given suicide-proof cells, with round corners, paper clothes and tearable bedsheets to prevent them doing harm to themselves Jean-Luc Brunel was not on suicide watch, although he was categorised as a 'vulnerable person' and guards checked on him over the course of four to six patrols a day - not frequently enough, apparently, to prevent his prison death on Saturday morning 'He supposedly hung himself last night. I am in shock. Was this really suicide? And it feels disappointing. 'This is a completely different ending without any real justice for his victims.' She is one of at least four alleged victims represented by Anne-Claire Le Jeune, a Paris barrister who said Mr Brunel's death was a source of 'frustration' for her clients. Ms Le Jeune said: 'Epstein and Brunel died in their cells and Prince Andrew has struck a confidentiality deal. 'All that leaves the impression there are lots of grey areas and it will be hard to get to the truth about this ring.' Brunel was the target of a wider investigation opened in Paris in August 2019 looking into Epstein's associates in France. In a 2016 deposition, Ms Guiffre claimed that Epstein and Maxwell sex trafficked her into Brunel's hands when she was 16. She also claimed Brunel attacked her on several occasions on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean. Speaking last September, Ms Giuffre said Epstein told her he slept with 'over a thousand women that Brunel brought in'. Both Prince Andrew and Brunel have vehemently denied all claims against them, with the prince considered a key witness who both the Americans and the French want to interview in person. Ms Giuffre had urged more witnesses allegedly abused by Brunel to come forward. In a Twitter post on Saturday Ms Giuffre said: 'The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter. 'I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable, but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison.' Following Brunel's death, Maxwell's family described the news as 'shocking' and said they were scared for Maxwell's safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is currently being held. Speaking from his home in London, Maxwell's brother Ian told the New York Post: 'Another death by hanging in a high-security prison. 'My reaction is one of total shock and bewilderment.' A former Florida doctor has been released from jail on probation after agreeing to a plea deal for killing his father and strangling his girlfriend in 2018. Rafael Azulay, 47, was charged with second-degree murder three years ago for the shooting of his father, 67-year-old Asher Azulay. Police said he killed his father in May 2018 after asking his parents to find the charger for his ankle monitor and to bring it to his Weston home, where he was under house arrest for two battery charges in a March 2018 incident involving his ex-fiancee. After fatally shooting his father, Azulay then shot himself in the stomach before being taken to hospital in critical condition. Prior to the homicide, Azulay had also been previously charged with aggravated assault for allegedly threatening his mother. However, under the plea deal, Azulay's murder charge was lowered to a charge of manslaughter with a firearm. The assault charge was dropped. Former Weston doctor Rafael Azulay, 47, signed a plea bargain sentencing him to twelve years of probation, of which two are under community control, also commonly known as supervised house arrest. Azulay fatally shot his father in 2018 and was physically abusive towards his ex-fiancee for five years Dina Azulay (left) told investigators her son asked her and her husband , Asher Azulay (right) to find the charger for his ankle monitor and to bring it to his home. Once they had arrived, Rafael Azulay told his parents that he was going to kill them both before committing suicide. He shot his father before critically wounding himself in the abdomen by gunfire Azulay was previously arrested on domestic violence charges, felony domestic violence battery-strangulation and misdemeanor battery after attacking and strangling his ex- fiancee (pictured) The doctor's ex-fiancee, who remains anonymous but goes by 'Angela', claims she suffered from domestic violence for five years, between 2013 and 2018 Azulay signed a plea bargain that will see him on probation until February 2034, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. For the next two years, he will be on supervised house arrest while wearing a GPS monitor, before serving another ten years on probation for the manslaughter charge. He has already received credit for time served on the battery charges and for serving a year of his community control sentence. Before his plea deal, the Broward State Attorney's Office said that Azulay had been in jail for nearly four years, and that he had been hospitalized on numerous occasions. His 67-year-old mother, Dina, insists her husband's death was accidental and denies that her son had ever threatened her. She also blamed her son's drug usage and history with domestic violence for his actions. If there we a trial on the case, then prosecutors likely would have had to declare her a hostile witness, according to a memo from the local attorney's office. Azulay's lawyer, Hilliard Moldof, told NBC Miami that the former doctor had a traumatic brain injury from miraculously surviving a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Azulay will now live with his mother at a home in Cooper City, purchased by his sister, Rita, in December 2021. Speaking after the plea bargain, Moldof said Azulay was incompetent to stand trial. 'He could understand the ramifications of taking a plea, but in a trial he couldn't,' Moldof said. 'The experts said he couldn't testify relevantly or assist a lawyer in his defense.' Azulay (left) will now be living at home with his mother (center) for the next two years under community control probation, while wearing a GPS monitor As part of the plea deal, Azulay's murder charge was lowered to a charge of manslaughter with a firearm, while his assault charge was also dropped Azulay's ex-fiancee, who wants to remain anonymous and to only be referred to as 'Angela,' feels unsafe after Azulay's release from jail and fears her life may be at risk. Angela shared pictures of her physical condition in the aftermath of domestic violence cases involved with Azulay, ranging from 2013 to 2018 with several local news outlets. 'How has life been for me leading up to this? It's been awful,' Angela said. 'I'm worried about my safety, my family's safety,' '...I think he is going to find me, and he is going to kill me, and then he is going to kill himself.' Azulay's ex-fiancee told local news outlets that she fears for her life after learning of her former lover's release from jail The anonymous woman shared pictures of her physical condition in the aftermath of domestic violence cases involved with Azulay Azulay, who has an expired medical license, will not be allowed to practice or to be in contact with his ex-fiancee during his probation, which runs until 2034 On the other hand, Moldof played down Azulay's ex-fiancee's, saying that she does not believe his client is a threat to anyone. 'He's not a danger at all. I mean, back then whatever was going on I didn't represent him. But he's on a very strict plan,' Moldof said. '... [Angela] said in open court she wants him out, she wishes him well.' Angela denies asking for Azula's release, and conveyed her safety concerns to prosecutors when they told her about the possibility of a plea deal in December. 'No! I did not push for his release,' Angela said. '... I had to push for a 12-year no contact order.' Prosecutors initially told Angela that a two-year no contact order was recommended. She is now planning to change her name and move out of state. As part of the plea deal, Azulay must cede his medical license, issued to him in 2003. The Florida Department of Health said it has already been 'null and void,' stating that it expired after not being renewed. The state took no action to remove his license. U.S. intelligence reveals Russian President Vladimir Putin has already given his troops orders to proceed with an invasion into Ukraine, according to a new Sunday report. 'The intelligence says that Russian troops have actually received orders now to proceed with the invasion,' CBS News' David Martin told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan. 'So not only are they moving up closer and closer to the border and to these attack positions, but the commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sector of the battlefield,' he added. 'They're doing everything that American commanders would do once they got the order to proceed.' Martin's revelation comes after President Joe Biden said Friday that he is very certain that Putin has already made up his mind that he will attack Ukraine based on D.C's 'significant intelligence capability.' Meanwhile, America's top foreign affairs officials warned Sunday that Putin's moves show that Russia is 'dead serious' about invading Ukraine, but insist there likely won't be a threat to U.S. troops. 'He's assembled the kinds of things that you would need to conduct a successful invasion,' Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told ABC's Martha Raddatz of Putin in an interview tapped in Ukraine. 'Are you absolutely confident in the intelligence you're seeing now?' Raddatz asked Austin. 'We have high confidence in the things that we're looking at,' he responded. 'Of course, in terms of being able to predict exactly what's going to happen going forward, you never can,' he said, adding that the Pentagon is 'looking at every possibility.' Austin said that it's 'highly likely' if Russia invades Ukraine, there will be swift movement for Moscow to try and take the capital city of Kyiv. 'You could see a significant amount of combat power move very quickly to take Kyiv,' he claimed. NEWS: The U.S. has intelligence that Russian troops have received orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine. The commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sector of the battlefield, CBS David Martin reports on @FacetheNation. pic.twitter.com/uKsfdWRQjV Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 20, 2022 Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd said in a Sunday interview with ABC News that Russia is prepared for a 'successful invasion' of Ukraine Russian armoured tanks painted with a letter 'Z' and huge convoys are moving towards the Ukraine border. It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion The tactic mirrors that used by UK and US forces in the First Gulf War when the allied invasion sent to liberate Kuwait marked vehicles with a distinctive upturned chevron [^] to avoid friendly fire once action begins When asked what the chances are that Putin is bluffing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN's State of the Union: 'I think while there's always a chance.' 'Everything we're seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion,' he continued. Blinken, whose job is to pursue diplomatic paths and strengthen ties with foreign nations, plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week to try and prevent war as long as Moscow has not already invaded Ukraine by that point. 'It's my responsibility to do everything I can to try diplomatically to prevent a war,' Blinken told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. Blinken is hopeful that there is still a diplomatic path forward, despite President Joe Biden's administration insisting the window for diplomacy is 'narrowing'. If the meeting with Lavrov happens, it means there isn't war, but if the meeting is called off, it means war has begun, Blinken affirmed Sunday. 'I reached out to Foreign Minister Lavrov some days ago, suggested we meet this coming week in Europe to see if we can pursue conversations that would allow us to prevent a war and address the security concerns that we all have, the United States, Europe, and Russia, in that conversation,' Blinken detailed. 'He came back and said, 'Yeah, let's meet.' And we responded and said, 'The meeting's on provided you don't invade Ukraine in the meantime.' Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said Sunday the threat from Russia is 'dead serious' but he still plans to meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week to try and find a diplomatic path forward Blinken said if the meeting goes forward with Lavrov (pictured) it means there's still time to divert war, but if it doesn't that means war is already underway 'So right now, that meeting's on?' NBC host Chuck Todd asked. 'Right now that meeting's on,' Blinken replied. 'We believe President Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are rolling, and the planes are in the air, we're going to try everything we possibly can to get President Putin to reverse the decision we believe he's made and to dissuade him,' he said when asked about the decision for the U.S. to put off sanctions until invasion. 'As soon as you trigger the sanctions, any deterrent effect they may have is gone.' Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby reaffirmed this stance in an interview with Fox New Sunday. 'If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well, then it doesn't exist anymore as a deterrent,' he said. 'He [Putin] has not conducted another invasion in Ukraine yet and we want we still think there's time to prevent that.' Austin also weighed in, insisting: 'The sanctions that we talked about, we're very serious about.' Blinken also reiterated Sunday the U.S. will not 'be in a position to evacuate' any Americans from Ukraine should Russia invade, and urged any remaining U.S. citizens in the country to leave as soon as possible. WATCH: Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week, provided a war hasnt begun in Ukraine. #MTP #IfItsSunday@SecBlinken: "It's my responsibility to do everything I can to try diplomatically to prevent a war." pic.twitter.com/b3ufYQ2WeB Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 20, 2022 The U.S. has already started its deployment of 5,000 troops to Poland and Romania and there are 8,500 more still on heightened alert for potential deployment. 'Do you think there is any risk to our troops?' Raddatz asked the Pentagon chief in her pre-taped interview. 'I think our troops will be fine,' Austin insisted. 'We will be very diligent in terms of thinking through the range of possibilities.' Biden approved deployment earlier this year of troops from the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters Sunday that the U.S. may face 'some costs' associated with involvement in Europe should Russia invade Ukraine, which she also claims is all but certain. When asked before departing Germany for the U.S. if Americans should be braced for economic fallout from involvement, the vice president said 'sure.' 'When America stands for principles, and all of the things that we hold dear, it requires sometimes for us to put ourselves out there in a way that maybe we will incur some cost,' Harris told a group of seven reporters in Munich on Sunday. 'And in this situation, that may relate to energy costs, for example.' A Russian Marine runs during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus on Saturday, February 19, 2022 as a new report emerges that U.S. intelligence found Putin already ordered invasion of Ukraine 'But we are taking very specific and appropriate, I believe, steps to mitigate what that cost might be if it happens,' she added. Harris repeated President Biden's claim that Putin has already made up his mind that he will invade Ukraine and admitted the path for diplomacy is 'narrowing'. 'We believe he has made his decision. Period,' she said when asked if there was any evidence to point to impending invasion. Biden on Friday said he believed Vladimir Putin had already made up his mind to invade. He delivered his verdict at the end of an intense week of diplomacy and amid reports of explosions in territory held by pro-Russian separatists that officials believe could be false-flag attacks and a precursor to an invasion. Pro-Russian rebels accused Ukrainian forces of blowing up a gas pipeline hours after a car bomb hit Donetsk. After delivering an update on the crisis, Biden was asked if Putin had decided. 'As of this moment, I'm convinced he's made the decision,' he told reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon. 'We have reason to believe that.' He said it was based on Washington's 'significant intelligence capability.' But he insisted Putin could change course if he wanted to. 'Russia can still choose diplomacy,' he said. 'It is not too late to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table.' Harris publicly warned Putin in a Saturday speech at the Munich Security Conference of the 'swift and severe' consequences he will face if he escalates tensions in Eastern Europe, but reiterated on Sunday that sanctions will not be imposed until the point of invasion. 'The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence,' Harris said. 'But let's also recognize the unique nature of the sanctions that we have outlined. These are some of the greatest sanctions, if not the strongest that we've ever issued, as I articulated yesterday. It is directed at institutions, in particular financial institutions, and individuals, and it will exact absolute harm for the Russian economy and their government.' It is unclear how the U.S. intends to 'deter' with sanctions if the administration will not allow Congress to pass a sanctions act before the point of invasion. Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated on Sunday that sanctions will not be imposed until the point Russia invades Ukraine, which she suggested is inevitable and claimed the U.S. will face 'some costs' due to involvement in the conflict One reporter pointed to this on Sunday, asking: 'But if Putin has made up his mind, do you feel that this threat that has been looming is really going to deter him?' 'Absolutely,' Harris insisted. 'The Allied relationship is such that we have agreed that the deterrence effect of these sanctions is still a meaningful one,' she continued. 'Especially because remember also, we still sincerely hope that there is a diplomatic path out of this moment. And within the context, then, of the fact that that window is still opening, although I open although it is absolutely narrowing, but within the context of a diplomatic path still being open. The deterrence effect we believe has merit.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for sanctions to be imposed immediately, claiming it was no good to him if they were enacted after Putin attacked. 'What are you waiting for?' he said Saturday. 'We don't need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen.' 'Why would we need those sanctions then?' he lamented. On Sunday, Zelensky called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of Ukraine, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days. He said he supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The group is meant to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the war in the Donbass region of Ukraine. 'We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence,' Zelensky tweeted. Police have found the body of a four-year-old Kentucky girl who has been missing for more than a year - and have charged the girl's mother and her live-in boyfriend with the child's murder. Slain Serenity McKinney's remains were found Friday in brush along a winding road lined by woods in West Point, Kentucky, after her disappearance on December 24 of 2020 had confounded Kentucky State police for nearly 14 months. Serenity was not reported missing until more than a year later, by her grandparents, in January, after the girl's mother, Catherine McKinney skipped town, nixing contact with other family members and refusing to cooperate with police. Slain Serenity McKinney's remains were found Friday in West Point, Kentucky, after her disappearance in December 2020 had confounded Kentucky State police for nearly 14 months Charlotte McKinney, at left, and boyfriend Dakota Hill, 26, are facing murder charges following the discovery, and are currently in police custody. The pair have also been charged with abuse of the preschooler's corpse. Serenity was last seen at the family's home in Shelby County - about an hour from the section of road where she was discovered. Authorities have not disclosed the details of the child's death, but the discovery does provide some closure as to her disappearance. Police said that both McKinney and her boyfriend, Dakota Hill, 26, are facing murder charges following the discovery, and are currently in police custody. The pair have also been charged with abuse of the preschooler's corpse. Serenity was last seen at the family's home in Shelby County - about an hour from the section of road where she was discovered. Cops began a search for here more than a year after she was last seen by family members last month, and recovered her corpse Friday Serenitys grandparents say McKinney cut off contact with them in the fall, telling them Serenity was ok despite family members having no contact with the child over the past year, spurring them to report her missing last month. 'This is out of her character,' step-grandmother Aundrea Wainscott told WHAS earlier this month. 'She had gotten back in contact with us through messenger, pretty much saying theyre OK, but still wouldnt let us talk to Serenity or show us Serenity. Police say that when they contacted McKinney, she refused to cooperate and left the family's Shelby County home earlier this year. The couple were subsequently arrested in Kansas last week and extradited to Kentucky - where they remained when the body was discovered by Kentucky State Troopers. Family members say McKinney cut off contact with them in the fall, telling them Serenity was ok despite family members having no contact with the child over the past year, spurring them to report her missing last month. Cops say that Hill was also involved with her disappearance 'It's just absolutely heart wrenching. It's tough,' Kentucky State Police Trooper Scotty Sharp told WDRB of the discovery. The officer added that crimes such as the one allegedly committed by McKinney and Hill take an 'emotional toll' on officers and investigators, as well as victims' family. 'Obviously, it's tragic,' Sharp said. 'And we hoped it turned out better, but everybody gave their 110 percent, and one way or another, we wanted to find out what happened to Serenity.' Serenitys body was transferred by the Bullitt County Coroners Office to the Kentucky Medical Examiners Office in Louisville for an autopsy that took place Saturday morning. The results have not yet been released. Days before police's discovery of the body, the girl's father, Dave Justice, reportedly received text messages from an unidentified source saying that they knew where Serenity was, cryptically claiming that she was in a suitcase, the Sun reported. 'I know someone who knows where your daughter is,' the first unprompted message read. Justice proceeded to question the unidentified tipster, threatening to get police involved and trying to call the number to no avail, who then responded with a chilling, typo-laden declaration as to Serenity's whereabouts. 'From what I kno, she's in a suitcase,' the sender's second message read. Serenity's savaged body was recovered among brush along this winding road lined by woods in West Point McKinney with daughter Serenity prior to her disappearance. Cops allege that the mom covered up the kid's disappearance - and eventually murder - for more than a year as family and friends grew suspicious as to the fate of the preschooler Authorities have not disclosed the details of the child's death, but the discovery does provide some closure as to her disappearance It is not clear how deep in the woods Serenity's body was when cops came across it Friday. Kentucky State Police and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office have not yet revealed the child's cause of death Justice told the paper of the exchange Friday - the day his daughter was discovered - 'I just want my baby girl home.' At the time, he did not know police had recovered his daughter's body. 'It was the worst thing anyone could possibly hear in my shoes,' Justice said, noting that the sender was a woman. 'She messaged me again 12 hours later still harassing me.' 'I think it is an account being used kind of as like a patsy for the real person, but I cant say who it is for sure, but I believe she knows who has her.' Justice reported the strange interaction to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, which has been leading the investigation. It is currently not clear if police found Serenity's body in a suitcase, as the unidentified informant claimed. DailyMail.com reached out to the Shelby County Sheriff's office regarding the claim Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive a response. The details surrounding Serenitys disappearance and death are currently under investigation. The Queen is expected to make a swift recovery after testing positive for Covid-19 because she is understood to be triple-jabbed - giving her the maximum amount of protection from the virus. Buckingham Palace confirmed the 95-year-old monarch had tested positive for the virus today and was experiencing 'mild cold-like symptoms'. It is expected she will engage in 'light duties' and will be looked after at Windsor Castle by the Medical Household, medical staff who are part of the Royal Household, headed by Professor Sir Hugh Thomas. While it is understood that the Queen has been fully vaccinated, including a booster jab, which affords a high degree of protection against severe infection, the monarch could be prescribed one or more of a number of anti-viral medications designed to protect the most vulnerable in an effort to aid her recovery. The drugs include Ronapreve, approved in August 2021, which contains types of proteins called 'monoclonal antibodies', and has been shown to reduce the risk of hospital admission or death by 70 per cent in those with mild to moderate Covid-19. Another option could be Molnupiravir, a medicine approved in November 2021, which clinical trials suggests reduces the risk of hospital admission or death by 30 per cent. The Queen's diagnosis comes just two weeks after she reached her historic Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne on February 6. The Queen will engage in 'light duties' and will be looked after at Windsor Castle by the Medical Household as she recovers from Covid-19 In a statement today the palace said: 'Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. 'Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. 'She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.' The symptoms for Covid-19 can appear from two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, but it is understood a number of cases have also been diagnosed among the Windsor Castle team. Mild symptoms for Covid-19 usually include a headache, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and loss of smell. However it is hoped the Queen, who is understood to be triple jabbed and is not believed to have any of the conditions which specifically increase the risk from coronavirus, will recover more quickly from Covid. Earlier this month a report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found people who have been triple-vaccinated against Covid had an increased chance of recovery than the unjabbed. In the ONS report, people were classified based on how many jabs they received and whether there had been more or less than 21 days since their last dose. The most vulnerable over-90s saw an 89 per cent fall in risk after getting a booster. It came as separate UK Health Security Agency data showed that around six months after a second dose, protection against Omicron was around 60 per cent in those aged 50 and over. However, this increased to around 95 per cent two weeks after receiving a booster vaccine dose. Today it was also suggested the Queen could also be given recently approved anti-viral drugs after testing positive for Covid-19. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, said: 'With somebody in their mid-90s, even if they're triple vaccinated you are concerned that they could gradually deteriorate over coming days and so you would need to keep a very careful eye on them. 'You would, I think, almost certainly be considering giving anti-viral drugs, of which there are a number around at the moment.' He added: 'If you do get them early enough it does reduce the risk of severe disease developing so I would imagine any doctor for a patient in their 90s would be considering giving these antivirals out.' The drugs include Ronapreve, which contains types of proteins called 'monoclonal antibodies' and Molnupiravir, a medicine approved in November 2021. The Queen's diagnosis comes just two weeks after the monarch reached her historic Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne on February 6 A guard stands on duty outside Buckingham Palace in London on February 20 Royal physicians may choose to prescribe Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer and approved by the UK medicines watchdog in December 2021, which has been shown to be around 90 per cent effective in preventing the need for hospital admission. Other drugs, Prof Hunter said, included other antivirals, Sotovimab, Remdesivir and Dexamethasone. He added: 'Those drugs need to be given quite early, within three days for them to have the best impact with the exception of Dexamethasone.' The Queen's diagnosis comes as the Government plans to lift all remaining Covid restrictions, including the legal requirement for people who test positive for Covid to self-isolate, in the coming days. The Queen has been known for her strong constitution and infrequent ill health. Indeed, in June 2020 the Queen was pictured riding a Fell pony at Windsor while isolating during the coronavirus pandemic. However, she has recently suffered from some health difficulties. On Wednesday, the sovereign, standing holding a walking stick, remarked during an in-person audience: 'Well, as you can see, I can't move.' Buckingham Palace declined to comment but the Queen was understood to have been feeling slightly stiff, rather than having injured herself or being unwell. It comes after she missed the Remembrance Sunday event at the Cenotaph on November 14 last year due to a sprained back. Before that, she attended a busy reception for business leaders at Windsor Castle on October 19. But the next day, she cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice and was admitted to hospital for a night to undergo preliminary tests. She then spent more than three months only carrying out light duties on doctors' orders. The Queen with Rear Admiral James Macleod (right) and Major General Eldon Millar as she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries during an in-person audience at Windsor Castle on Wednesday That hospital stay was her first in eight years. In 2013, she was treated at the private clinic for a bout of gastroenteritis, when she also stayed for one night. The sovereign was also seen using a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service in early October, the first time she had done so at a major event. What is mild Covid? Symptoms of mild Covid can include: Headache Runny nose Sneezing Sore throat Loss of smell If you have had a booster jab it's likely you will have milder symptoms and recover more quickly. How to treat mild Covid at home: Take pain medication such as paracetamol Stay hydrated and have warm drinks as they have a soothing effect You can also drink water, diluted squash and fruit juice To reduce the spread to others you should: Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze Wash your hands regularly Put tissues in the bin Sneeze into the crook of your elbow if you dont have a tissue or handkerchief Source: NHS Advertisement During the coronavirus pandemic, the Queen retreated to Windsor Castle for her safety, where she was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh in lockdown. The couple were vulnerable to Covid-19 because of their advanced age but were protected by the so-called HMS Bubble, their reduced household of about 20 staff. On January 9 2021, the then 94-year-old Queen and the 99-year-old duke received their coronavirus vaccinations, with Buckingham Palace taking the rare step of confirming what would usually have been a private medical matter, as the national rollout of the injections gathered pace. Philip had heart surgery in March 2021, but returned to Windsor where he died a few weeks later in his sleep at the age of 99. In January 2020, the Queen missed her annual visit to the Sandringham Women's Institute due to a slight cold. The year she turned 90, the monarch called time on her overseas travels, leaving long-haul destinations to the younger members of her family, but she still maintains a busy diary of events. The Queen missed the christening of her great-grandson Prince Louis in July 2018 but not because of illness. It was mutually agreed in advance by the monarch and the Cambridges that the Queen would not attend the celebration, which fell at the beginning of a busy week of engagements including the centenary of the RAF and a visit by US President Donald Trump. In June that year, the Queen pulled out of a service at St Paul's Cathedral because she was feeling 'under the weather'. In May 2018, the head of state had eye surgery to remove a cataract. She was treated as a day patient and did not cancel any engagements or appearances, but was spotted wearing sunglasses. In November 2017, the Prince of Wales led the nation in honouring the country's war dead on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph. It was the first time that the Queen, as head of state, had watched the ceremony from a nearby balcony, and was seen as a sign of the royal family in transition and an acknowledgement of her age. Chinese scientists recently developed a rice variety that can be grown in salty soil near the sea as a solution to the threats of rising seawater levels and high demands and disruptions on the grain production that feeds half of the world. The salt-tolerant rice type developed in test fields in Tianjin is expected to help ensure food security. It recorded a yield of 4.6 metric tons per acre last year, which is more than China's national average for the production of standard rice varieties. As global warming and geopolitical tensions make imports less dependable, China searches for measures to guarantee domestic food and energy supplies for its population of 1.4 billion with rising rice consumption as the country's economy shoots up, per Bloomberg. Wan Jili, a manager at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center, drew a parallel between the significance of semiconductors in developing new technologies that include the development of the breakthrough rice strain. He said, "Seeds are the 'chips' of agriculture," and seawater rice could help enhance rice production amid the trade tension between the US and China and the threat of climate change to food supply worldwide. Seawater Rice: A Legacy of China's Father of Hybrid Rice Since the 1950s, China has been conducting research on developing salt-tolerant rice. The term "seawater rice" only came up in recent years when the late ex-top agricultural scientist and "father of hybrid rice" Yuan Longping started developing the concept through cross-breeding and other technologies in 2012, as per Chinadaily. He identified six areas across the country with different soil conditions to test the salt-tolerant rice type in 2016. The following year, the Chinese government established a rice research facility in Qingdao that aims to harvest 30 million tons of rice within 6.7 million hectares of infertile land. Yuan claimed the seawater rice "could feed 80 million more people." He also encouraged agricultural scientists to "shoulder the responsibility" of ensuring enough food supply for the nation. Read Also: Bird Flu Alert Raised in Vermont; How Would It Impact US Poultry Supply? Salt-Tolerant Rice Could Be a Solution to Food Supply Shortage Risk The challenge has become more urgent as a result of climate change. Over the last 40 years, China's coastline waters have climbed faster than the global average. This troubling development has given the country's dependency on grain production along its long and low eastern coast. Cultivating salt-tolerant rice on a big scale would help the country better use the region's increasingly salty terrain. If the Earth's temperature increases by two degrees Celsius, sea levels across the globe would rise as much as 59 centimeters by the end of the century. Oceans around the US are expected to increase faster in the next 30 years than they did in the past century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change cited in the report published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Per CNBC report, rice production is threatened by severe weather patterns and rainfall, making it the world's most important supply of staple grains. However, rice production is also in jeopardy because most of the production takes place in deltas that are at risk of being drowned by seawater. Related Article: Poland Blasts Brussels for High Energy Prices Due to the Energy Crisis Which Causes Dissension Amongst EU Members @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The sister of actress Lindsey Pearlman, who was discovered dead in Los Angeles last week days after being reported missing, is now advocating for suicide prevention by sharing the link of a hotline that helps those struggling with thoughts of self-harm. Pearlman, 43, was known for her work on television series such as Chicago Justice, General Hospital and Empire. She was the subject of a desperate five-day search after abruptly disappearing February 13. Her cousin, Savannah Pearlman, posted a tweet Saturday on behalf of the actress's sister, Marni Pearlman. 'Please know that you are never truly alone,' she tweeted. 'Lindsey's sister has asked that we share the National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255.' Her older sister Marni, 46, posted a brief statement Saturday on Facebook, saying: 'Thank you to everyone who helped spread the news to search for my sister. Shes been found. She is gone. We are broken. Please respect our privacy at this time.' Lindsey Pearlman (left) was discovered dead last week following a nearly weeklong search. Her older sister Marni Pearlman (right) asked relatives to help promote a suicide prevention hotline after the actress's body was discovered The sisters' cousin, Savannah Pearlman, shared the tweet above at the request of Marni, who said she was 'broken' over her sister's death Pearlman was last spotted in Hollywood on February 13, although her body was found several miles away in a parked car. According to a security guard working on a film in nearby Runyon Canyon, when police found the body of Pearlman, there were allegedly pills strewn throughout the inside of the vehicle. She was said to be wrapped in a blanket. Pearlman's friends and family including her husband, Vance Smith, had asked for help from the public to help find her after she did not return home February 13. Lindsey Pearlman, a 43-year-old actress who had been reported missing over the weekend was found dead in the Hollywood Hills area of LA on Friday morning Lindsey Erin Pearlman's body was found in a parked car near the intersection of Franklin Avenue and North Sierra Bonita Avenue, pictured, in Los Angeles according to the LAPD According to a security guard working on a film in nearby Runyon Canyon when police found the body of Pearlman there were pills all over the car and she was wrapped in a blanket Pictured, the area from where police towed the car on Friday night, in Los Angeles He shared news of her death on Friday night. 'The police found Lindsey. She's gone. I'm broken,' Smith wrote on social media. 'I will share more later, but I wanted to say thank you to everyone for their love and efforts and ask you to respect the privacy of her family at this time.' At one point, Smith shared an image of a woman on a beach in Oregon, although it was never confirmed whether it actually was Lindsey Pearlman or not. 'Today around 8:30 a.m., Hollywood Area officers responded to a radio call for a death investigation at Franklin Avenue and North Sierra Bonita Avenue,' the LAPD said in a statement Friday. Husband, Vance Smith, shared news of her death on Friday night. 'The police found Lindsey. She's gone. I'm broken,' Smith wrote on social media Husband, Vance Smith, had asked for help from the public to help find her after she did not return home last Sunday, February 13 Authorities found her in her car on Friday morning with 'pills all over the place' 'The LA County Coroner's Office has since confirmed the individual to be Lindsey Erin Pearlman.' There were no additional details given by police. The cause of her death is now being investigated by the coroner. According to her website, Pearlman was a graduate of The Second City Conservatory and had been active in the Chicago theater community before heading to California to look for additional on-screen roles. Her other television credits include The Ms. Pat Show, Sneaky Pete, American Housewife, Vicious and General Hospital. Elaine Hendrix, who portrayed Meredith Blake in The Parent Trap, paid tribute to her friend on Twitter. 'Thank you to everyone who shared Lindsey's missing person report. I'm deeply saddened & stunned to share that she was found deceased. 'There's no further info to share at this time. Pls send her friends & family love,' she tweeted. Concerned family and friends had asked for the publics help finding Pearlman, who is pictured on an unknown set Husband Vance Smith at one point shared an image of a woman on a beach in Oregon, although it was never confirmed whether it actually was Lindsey Pearlman or not A Mumbai neighbourhood can be seen in a video celebrating the safe return of a stray dog that was missing for a week. The moment when the dog returned to the Indian city is one of pure joy as people woop and cheer its safe return. Applause and happy voices can be heard from hundreds of people in the video, including residents of a tower block. The dog leaps out of the cab in style as it arrives back to the Mumbai neighbourhood. People rush to pet and stroke the dog who had been missing for a week When the stray dog steps out of the car, it is being led on a leash while more cheers can be heard in the background Onlookers from a tower block are looking at the dog's safe return and are full of delight to see it back In the video, the whole neighbourhood is looking out for the stray dog. A cab is then pulling up and carrying a very special arrival, much to the delight of Mumbai residents who can be heard greeting it by sticking their arms up and exclaiming with joy. When the stray dog steps out of the car, it is being led on a leash while more cheers can be heard in the background. A woman in pink can be seen with a plate for the dog before it rushes over to the other side of the road. She chases after the dog and is then stroking it with a boy who is also happy to see the stray back safe and well. The video ends with a man in a salmon shirt stroking the white dog with brown spots. Coronavirus infection rates have plummet by more than a third on last week - as Boris Johnson prepared Britain to fully exit restriction Covid Freedom Day this week. Case rates reported by the UK Health Security Agency on Sunday fell by 37 per cent on last week to 25,696 cases - the lowest figure since August last year. Deaths however increased slightly compared to last Sunday, rising from 52 to 74. It comes as Boris Johnson urged people to be 'more confident and get back to work' as he heralded this coming Thursday as Covid Freedom Day. The PM will tomorrow unveil his 'Living with Covid Plan' tomorrow, insisting vaccines and new treatments can be relied upon to keep the public safe. All curbs - including legal self-isolation - are set to end in England within days, and Mr Johnson made clear that the taxpayer cannot keep shelling out 2billion a month on mass testing. In a compromise between the Treasury and Department of Health, he will lay out a timetable for axing free tests - but they are still likely to be available for more vulnerable and older age groups. 'We will be testing at a much lower level,' he told the BBC's Sunday Morning show. 'We are in a different world. It's important people should feel confident again... people should be able to go back to work in the normal way.' He added: 'We need people to be much more confident and get back to work.' His declaration however came shortly before Buckingham Palace confirmed that The Queen had tested positive today after developing mild 'cold-like' symptoms. Case rates reported by the UK Health Security Agency on Sunday fell by 37 per cent on last week to 25,696 cases - the lowest figure since August last year Deaths however increased slightly compared to last Sunday, rising from 52 to 74. It comes as Boris Johnson urged people to be 'more confident and get back to work' as he heralded this coming Thursday as Covid Freedom Day Boris Johnson (pictured speaking to the BBC) is poised to unveil his 'Living with Covid Plan', with Thursday earmarked as Freedom Day from virus-related rules The move to end Covid restrictions and end free lateral flow and PCR Covid tests comes as The Queen (pictured during an engagement at Windsor Castle on February 16) tested positive for coronavirus Over-75s to get fourth jabs within weeks Vulnerable people and over-75s are set to receive their fourth covid jabs in the coming weeks. It has been six months since many received their last jab in late 2021. Future vaccinations will be organised in a similar way to the annual flu programme and will focus on the elderly and immunosuppressed people. The Government will keep some Covid tracking systems so it can provide a quick response if a more dangerous variant develops. Advertisement The 95-year-old continues to received medical attention but is expected to continue with light duties at Windsor over the coming week. It is believed a number of people at Windsor Castle, where the monarch resides, has recently tested positive for Covid-19. Despite dropping the curbs, Mr Johnson has insisted he did not want people to 'throw caution to the winds' but he wanted to remove 'compulsion' and let individuals take responsibility. Over-75s and the most vulnerable are expected to be offered a fourth jab within weeks to help heighten their protection. And Labour has accused the premier of trying to distract from the Partygate scandal, saying he is 'declaring victory before the war is over'. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting compared axing free tests to 'being 2-1 up with 10 mins left of play and subbing your best defender'. The British Medical Association has raised alarm that ending Covid rules is 'premature' and 'not based on current evidence'. Mr Johnson will risk the wrath of some Tories by refusing to say when red tape will be removed for UK citizens travelling abroad. Sources say the issue of passenger locator forms, which travellers have to fill in before they return to the UK, will be addressed later in the spring. He is also not expected to ease concerns that hospitals will still limit visits to patients, with Government sources saying that is a matter for individual hospital trusts. Ministers have been encouraged by the continuing fall in infections, deaths and hospitalisations. Covid-19 cases have fallen by a quarter week on week, to 34,377 positive tests in the most recent 24 hours. The Government's 'Living Safely With Covid' strategy', due to be unveiled next week, will see free lateral flow swabs dumped from next month, Whitehall sources say (Pictured: Covid testing site in London) In future, the emphasis would be on people to show 'personal responsibility' by staying at home if they have Covid just as they would if they had flu. (Pictured: Commuters, some wearing masks, arrive at Waterloo train station in London) Queen tests positive for Covid but only has 'mild' symptoms The Queen has tested positive for Covid just days after Charles and Camilla both caught the virus, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The monarch, 95, is understood to be experiencing 'mild cold like symptoms', but is expected to continue with light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines. It comes just two weeks after the Queen reached her historic Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne on February 6. Covid symptoms may appear from two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, but it is understood a number of cases have also been diagnosed among the Windsor Castle team. Buckingham Palace said in a statement today: 'Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. 'Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. 'She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson today tweeted his well wishes to the monarch, saying: 'Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health.' Advertisement Deaths are also down by 23 percent on last week to 128. When he signposted the announcement on ending restrictions earlier this month, Mr Johnson made it contingent on the outbreak continued to recede. The Freedom Day plans come despite warnings from Mr Johnson's scientific advisers that Covid cases could soar if the self-isolation rules are ditched. The chair of the Council of the BMA, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, told BBC News: 'I think the right time is when the first leap of faith is supported. 'You have at the moment more people dying, more people in the hospital, than you had before plan B was introduced. 'It seems a rather odd decision to make. Secondly, we need to see case rates fall down even more remembering that people aren't being restricted at the moment in any severe way at all people are living normally. 'The second thing is we do need therefore to continue having surveillance because you won't know whether you've reached that point where the infection rates have come down enough until you've had that surveillance.' Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick and a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M), told Times Radio that at some point the restrictions would have to be eased but that 'the concern now is that we still have relatively high cases'. 'The concern, of course, is with removing testing, removing self-isolation, that may cause quite a big change in behaviour.' Dr Tildesley said one of his biggest concerns was support for people in low-income jobs to isolate and that there was a 'real concern' that getting rid of the rules would lead to more infections in workplaces. 'If we lose free testing then a lot of people won't test any more and without that data that will put us in a much weaker position,' he added. But ministers believe new variants of the virus are likely to follow a similar pattern to Omicron in being more mild than early Covid-19 mutations. Government sources stressed that although lockdowns were necessary to save lives, the restrictions had also taken 'a significant toll'. In future, the emphasis would be on people to show 'personal responsibility' by staying at home if they have Covid just as they would if they had flu. Mr Johnson yesterday admitted that 'Covid will not suddenly disappear', but added: 'We need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms. 'We've built up strong protections against this virus over the past two years through the vaccine rollouts, tests, new treatments, and the best scientific understanding of what this virus can do. 'Thanks to our successful vaccination programme and the sheer magnitude of people who have come forward to be jabbed, we are now in a position to set out our plan for living with Covid this week.' He is set to confirm that the legal duty introduced in 2020 requiring self-isolation for people who test positive will expire later this week. An Office for National Statistics survey found more than 60 per cent of Britons said they were now travelling into work only in the week to February 13. For comparison, those working from home only dropped to about one in six (17 per cent) NHS chiefs call for free virus tests and self-isolation rules to stay Free Covid tests and self-isolation rules must continue, NHS leaders have said in a last ditch attempt to persuade Boris Johnson against dropping all remaining restrictions next week. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of NHS Confederation an organisation that represents leaders across the health service, warned uncertainty over long-term immunity from vaccines and previous infection and the risk of future variants meant it was still too early to drop the final measures. He urged ministers 'now is not the time to take risks', saying the last restrictions should only be relaxed gradually and on the basis of evidence to avoid any sudden flare-ups, even though cases, hospitalisations and deaths have all been trending downwards for weeks as the Omicron wave recedes. Calling for the brakes to be slammed onto No10's 'living with Covid' plans, Mr Taylor Tony Blair's former policy adviser said: 'The Government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat has disappeared entirely.' He added the move to exit the acute phase of the pandemic 'must not be driven by political expediency'. Other healthcare leaders also urged the Prime Minister to re-consider his plans today, saying he should ease the last restrictions 'gradually'. Advertisement Powers to order national lockdowns will also end, with sources saying it would instead be up to local authorities to manage outbreaks. The PM is also expected to leave open the prospect that further Covid jabs could be given, saying he will be guided by expert vaccines body the JCVI. Responding to the Prime Minister's future blueprint for dealing with Covid, Labour said people should not be asked to pay for coronavirus tests. Armed forces minister James Heappey suggested on Thursday that Mr Johnson was likely to announce an end to free lateral flow tests as he called on the public to 'worry less about the need to have tested ourselves'. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door. 'Labour doesn't want to see restrictions in place any longer than they need to be. 'The Government should publish the evidence behind this decision, so the public can have faith that it is being made in the national interest. 'Now is not the time to start charging for tests or weaken sick pay, when people are still being asked to behave responsibly.' Meanwhile, No 10 sources stressed testing 'surveillance systems and contingency measures' would be retained for use if required. Downing Street said pharmaceutical interventions will 'continue to be our first line of defence', with the vaccine programme remaining 'open to anyone who has not yet come forward'. With 85 per cent of the UK's population double-vaccinated, and 38million booster jabs administered, No 10 said it had concluded 'Government intervention in people's lives can now finally end'. But it appeared to keep the door open to state-funded infection sampling remaining in place, following reports that Covid studies could be withdrawn as part of the plan. Officials said Monday's 'living with Covid' plan will maintain 'resilience against future variants with ongoing surveillance capabilities'. It comes after senior statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter argued that the Office for National Statistics' Covid-19 study should remain in place in some form. The Cambridge University professor, who is a non-executive director for the ONS and chairman of the advisory board for the Covid Infection Survey, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the results had been vital for monitoring people's behaviour. 'It has been absolutely so important as we have gone along,' he said on Saturday. 'It has been running since April 2020, and so, as I said, I do have a bias here but it is not just me - I think lots of people are saying how important it is, particularly the statistical community.' Veteran broadcaster Alastair Stewart has hit back at the BBC's Nick Robinson after he made a sneering remark about GB News' viewing figures. In an interview with the creator of the online channel Big Jet TV, which amassed 238,000 viewers while filming planes landing in the high winds at Heathrow Airport on Friday, Mr Robinson said 'they dream of that at GB News'. The comment sparked a backlash on social media, with veteran broadcaster Alastair Stewart, who is also a presenter on GB News, calling it 'rather childish'. The Daily Mirror's Rachel Wearmouth said it was a 'really unattractive attitude. Arrogant, even.' And on Saturday evening, GB News presenter Mark Dolan called it a 'snooty remark', adding: 'these pampered BBC stars and their management haven't got a clue about the real world and the very country in which they live.' In total, more than five million people tuned into Big Jet TV's footage on Friday. According to Barb (Broadcasters Audience Research Board), GB News was watched by 2.2million people in the four weeks to January 2. This compared to 15.9million for BBC and 10.9million for Sky News, Press Gazette reported. Big Jet TV host Jerry Dyer (pictured) became an internet sensation on Friday. He told viewers to 'Batten down the hatches, take the day off , grab the popcorn and tune-in for all the action' During an interview with Big Jet TV's Mr Dyer, Nick Robinson said GB News would 'dream' of reaching the 238,000 viewers the online channel brought in at one point on Friday Mr Robinson was interviewing Jerry Dyer, the founder and host of Big Jet TV, an online channel which provides live coverage of planes landing at airports, on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday morning when he made the comment. The channel went viral on Friday as it began live-streaming jets struggling to land at Heathrow during Storm Eunice. Mr Dyer pointed out that the channel reached 238,000 live viewers at one point, to which Mr Robinson responded: 'They dream of that at GB News, Ill tell you that. It was an extraordinary number of people watching.' Colin Brazier, another GB News presenter, responded to the comment on Twitter, saying: 'Every one of our viewers and, increasingly, listeners - is there because we've earned their interest, loyalty and custom. Our wages are paid, not by a broadcasting poll tax, but through the exercise of choice. Every sneer will cost you dear.' Veteran broadcaster Alastair Stewart, who is also a presenter on GB News called Nick Robinson's comment 'rather childish' On Saturday evening, Mr Dolan began his show by referring to Mr Robinson's comment, adding: 'It's telling that Robinson, this BBC lifer, on a cool 270,000 a year, all paid for by you and me, should seek to have a bit of a dig at a smaller outfit, not even a year old, which seeks to provide you with a voice and provide a hopefully refreshing, balanced take on the days news. 'It's my experience after two decades in broadcasting, that these pampered BBC stars and their management haven't got a clue about the real world and the very country in which they live. 'These characters can laugh at us all they like, but they don't have to worry about ratings, ad revenue and fulfilling the expectations of investors. Because they have a plum job for life, all financed and by a public tax - the license fee.' Twitter user Gordon Clifford said Mr Robinson had 'lost touch with real people and life in general'. While another user, Javier Farje, praised Mr Robinson for his comment, adding: 'nice one Nick'. Maverick planespotter Mr Dyer is a former interior designer who jacked it in to set up a YouTube channel that has riled his rivals. During his interview on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he added: 'When the whole Storm Eunice, and prior to that Storm Dudley... I said in the morning... I wonder if we can possibly reach 30,000 people watching live, as many as we did during Storm Ciara. 'Every now and then you'd glance at the number of people watching and you're like, 88,000 people... 105,000 people - it was just going mad. 'At the end of the day we ended up with... normally we'd have about 100,000-plus views, and we had, from when I went to sleep last night, it was 5.5 million views.' Mr Dyer is the son of an airline captain from Sussex and has loved all things aviation since he was a child but became an interior designer before pursuing his passion in 2016. Subscribers from all over the globe pay around 4-a-month for two live shows a week, commentaries from airports all over the UK and Europe, with access to exclusive footage and invites to fan-only events. Jerry Dyer has a specially modified van which allows him to stand on the roof to provide a superior view of the runway He even has his own modified Big Jet TV van with a scaffold on top so he can film planes on approach from a high vantage point. And it is this battle for a better view that led to him falling out with rivals after he was accused of trimming a bush outside the Heathrow Hyatt hotel to get a better spot than the rivals. One critic has even set up a Twitter site called 'The Lies of Big Jet TV', where the unnamed troll insists his excitable commentary of landings in storms suggest he 'almost wants a crash to happen', adding: 'This is not an aviation streamer, he is an ambulance chaser'. When asked about his critics , Mr Dyer replied: 'There's a group of them who have been doing it for 4 years! I think they secretly love us'. And Friday's live broadcast has won him tens of thousands of new fans. Big Jet TV viewers were enthralled as Mr Dyer yelled over the wind 'that is insane', 'go on my son', 'you beauty', 'bosh, get it down mate' and 'wallop' as the jets touched down. On one occasion he sparked a flurry of tweets as he screamed: 'Here come the Russians' as an Aeroflot plane approached, a phrase which then began trending on Twitter. Later he screamed: 'The big daddy from Qatar is coming in', sang Patsy Kline's 'Crazy' when the winds peaked and promised viewers he would stay next to the runway filming until 'Eunice stops'. He is supported by his friend and assistant Gilly, who is watching off site and tells Jerry which planes are coming in and deals with emails and tweets from fans. A Chicago student who allegedly robbed a train conductor at gunpoint to buy a snack before class was turned into police by his own mother, who recognized him through widely-circulated surveillance images of the brazen daytime robbery. Loyola University Chicago student Zion Brown, 18, was charged with armed robbery for allegedly pulling out a black semi-automatic handgun Tuesday aboard a Metra Electric Line train and stealing the conductor's petty cash. He fled on foot and remained on the lam until later that night, when his mom recognized him through news coverage and drove him to the Calumet City police department to surrender, court heard last week. During a bond court appearance, Brown's defense attorney told Judge Maryam Ahmad that the teen committed the crime because he was hungry and needed to eat before class. But the excuse elicited little sympathy from the judge, who quipped that she too was once a hungry student but never resorted to violence to finance snacks, CWB Chicago reported. Brown was denied bail. The Metra Police Department released this surveillance image after a train conductor in Chicago was robbed at gunpoint last Tuesday. The image above shows the conductor standing with his hands raised above his head as the gunman tucks his weapon into the waistband of his pants The suspect, pictured peering at a surveillance camera, was charged after his mom recognized him in news coverage and drove him to the police department Zion Brown, 18, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault Metra police said the robbery happened at 2.07pm as a train was arriving at the Van Buren Street Station in downtown Chicago. As it pulled in, Brown allegedly produced a gun and announced a robbery before demanding cash, they said. Surveillance images showed the conductor standing on the platform with his hands raised above his head as the gunman tucked the weapon into his pants and made off. Court heard that the robbery was a crime of opportunity. Brown decided to hold up the conductor after observing him handling money and suffering pangs of hunger, CWB Chicago reported. He absconded with about $110 and dumped the weapon in a garbage Court heard that Brown, a Loyola University Chicago student, committed the crime because he was hungry and needed a snack before class Brown on LinkedIn said he was an undergrad student at Loyola University Chicago, where he was majoring in economics. The freshman was expecting to graduate in 2025, although it wasn't clear whether he'll remain a student in good standing following his arrest. It's not the first time a mother has turned in her child. Last month, a woman turned in her 13-year-old son to New York police after recognizing him on a wanted poster for an assault at a Bronx playground. That teen, whose name wasn't released because of his age, was accused of shooting another 13-year-old boy in the knee in a Hunts Point Playground over a SnapChat feud. And in October 2019, a woman in Washington was hailed a hero for reporting her son's troublesome journal entries to local police. She told investigators that her teenage boy detailed in his notebook plans to attack his school on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Police said his detailed journal included times, specific firearms and explosives, locations, an established date of April 20, 2020, and plans to kill his mother and her boyfriend. A family in New York City is taking a Staten Island cemetery to court after a 2,000-pound headstone fell on an employee who was taking care of graves nearby, killing her. On October 2021, mother-of-five Elvira Navarro, 53, was tending graves while working at the Baron Hirsch Cemetery with her son Anthony Rosales when the massive grave monument came down on her, according to court documents. She was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, where she died of her injuries later in the same day. Details of the incident are scarce, as it remains unclear how the victim's death unfolded or where in the 80-acre cemetery it took place. Navarro and her son were both hired by a third party, employed to preserve the Staten Island burial ground, according to the lawsuit. Now her family has filed a lawsuit against the Baron Hirsch Cemetery Association in Manhattan court, accusing it of failing to maintain a safe environment for its workers at the historic Jewish cemetery, which was established in 1899 and is the resting place of many Holocaust survivors. It is seeking unspecified damages. Dailymail.com has reached out to the BHCA for comment. Elvira Navarro, 53, was a mother-of-five when she passed away unexpectedly in October of last year after a 2,000 tombstone unexpectedly fell onto her Navarro was maintaining Baron Hirsch Cemetery (pictured) when she was fatally hit by the grave monument Along with her son, Navarro was employed by a third party to work at the cemetery on a regular basis The suit, filed on February 11, accuses the cemetery of 'causing, permitting, and allowing the Cemetery to become and remain in a dangerous, hazardous, trap-like condition'. It also claims that Rosales' mental and physical health were greatly affected by his mother's death, of which he witnessed, undergoing 'severe and permanent injuries, a shock to his nervous system, psychological trauma and has been caused to suffer severe physical pain and mental anguish'. 'I'm devastated to hear that news,' Rabbi Andrew Schultz, executive director of the Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemeteries, which maintains Jewish cemeteries, told the Post. 'That's what we worry about the most, as an organization. That is the greatest fear we have.' Baron Hirsch Cemetery reportedly has several collapsed gravestones across its 80-acre land Large tombstones can be a hazard for many reasons, especially if their foundations are collapsing, he added. 'That's why in the work we do, one of the very first things we do is making sure the stones are secure It could happen at even the best-maintained cemeteries; you will see stones that are leaning.' Among notables burials at Baron Hirsch are members of the wealthy Newhouse family, famous for its publishing empire; American theater producer Joseph Papp, who passed away in 1991; Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient William Shemin and Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner. The remains of a woman have been discovered in a London flat after neighbours reported a bad smell for over two years. The skeletal remains of the 61-year-old woman were found in a flat in Peckham on Friday, which neighbour say had a letterbox overflowing with post. Neighbours began complaining to the housing association landlord about a 'foul smell' in the building in October 2019, but it wasn't until this week that officers forced their way into the flat to find the occupant had died. Emergency services were called to the scene after police made the discovery Neighbours became increasingly concerned when letters began to pile up in the letterbox Pictured: Italian woman dubbed 'loneliness personified' found mummified in a chair after dying TWO YEARS ago. Neighbours assumed she'd moved away during lockdown The first image has emerged of a woman whose mummified body was found in a chair at her home two years after she died. The decomposing corpse of Marinella Beretta, 70, was found in her living room in Prestino, near Lake Como, on Friday. Marinella Beretta's body was found two years after her death Police stumbled upon her remains when they made a house call during high winds in Lombardy, which risked uprooting neglected trees in her garden. The neighbours, who had not seen Beretta since September 2019, assumed she had moved away at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which hit northern Italy in 2020, the reports said. Advertisement They became increasingly concerned when letters began to pile up in the letterbox of the woman, who locals say owed thousands of pounds in rent, and when they spotted a forced entry notice for a gas check on the door of the flat in 2020. One neighbour, who lived next door to the victim, said she had been forced to put a towel under the door to stifle the smell coming from the flat within the three story complex. 'It's disgusting and I'm shocked,' she said. 'I didn't know her very well, but she would sometimes collect my deliveries for me. 'I came back from a trip abroad in September or October 2019 when I noticed a horrific stench in the building. 'It was so bad, I had to put a towel under the door. 'We repeatedly called the housing association because it was weird - her letter box was full and I could see from the letters she hadn't been paying rent. I called them up again and said I hadn't seen this lady in months. 'The police came but they said lots of people had moved out of London during the pandemic and she could be abroad.' A short while later, a bike was abandoned in front of her door and neighbours complained that it had not been removed. Police finally broke the door down this week to find the deceased woman. 'They broke down the door and it revealed what I had feared the whole time - that she was dead,' the neighbour added. 'They told me she was basically a skeleton and asked me to confirm her ethnicity.' A spokesperson for the force said: 'At 19:01hrs on Friday, 18 February police were called to a flat in St Mary's Road, Peckham. 'Concerns had been raised about the welfare of a woman who lived at the address. 'Officers attended and forced entry. The body of a 61-year-old woman who was deceased was found inside. Neighbours began complaining to the housing association landlord about a 'foul smell' in the building in October 2019 'The woman's death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.' A high school booster club mom from Tennessee faces nearly two dozen rape charges after she allegedly exchanged vape pens for sexual favors with nine underage high school boys, as young as 14 - and officials say there could be more victims. Melissa Blair, 38, of Englewood, was indicted Tuesday was indicted by the McMinn County Grand Jury on 18 counts of aggravated statutory rape, four counts of human trafficking by patronizing prostitution and one count of solicitation of a minor, according to the McMinn County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Joe Guy said in a press conference Tuesday that the alleged encounters happened from spring 2020 through late 2021 with students of McMinn Central High School. Blair, who is the parent of a student at McMinn County Central High School and was involved in school booster clubs, was believed to be talking to the students on social media, authorities said. The sheriff's allege she provided the boys with gifts, including vape pens, in exchange for sexual favors. She has since been banned from school property and activities. Melissa Blair, 38, of Englewood, Tennessee, is accused of having sex with nine underage high school boys between Spring 2020 and late 2021 An undated Facebook photo of Blair, 38, provided by the sheriff's office in a release Tuesday after she had been indicted on numerous charges related to sexual encounters with nine underage high school students Sheriff Guy said that the McMinn County Sheriff's Department received a referral from the Tennessee Department of Children's Services on December 9, 2021 that indicated Blair had been having sexual encounters with male juveniles who were students at McMinn Central High School. An investigation began immediately, and as interviews progressed, additional information came to light, as well as additional victims. On December 15, detectives went to Blair's residence and spoke to her, which was quickly followed by the execution of a search warrant. 'The search warrant revealed additional evidence, and our investigation grew larger as more parents and victims contacted us,' said Sheriff Guy. 'We were finally able to present the case to the Grand Jury on February 15, upon which the indictments were issued.' A letter from Director of McMinn County Schools Lee Parkinson was also served, which banned her from school property or any school activities. She turned herself in at the McMinn County Justice Center after the indictment came down Tuesday. She later posted a $100,000 bond and will appear in court on February 28. During a press conference on Tuesday, District Attorney Steve Crump said there are likely more victims out there. WTVC spoke with the mother of one of the victims, who said her family's been devastated by Blair's alleged conduct. 'I cannot in words describe what it feels like to be going through what we're going through right now,' said the mother, who wished to remain anonymous for the protection of her child. 'It is every emotion that you can imagine. And none of them happy.' The mother confirmed to WTVC that her son was provided with items in exchange for the illicit encounters. 'People focus mostly on the perpetrator, they don't realize how it devastates a family,' she added. 'How the families are at home, and we don't know what to do next. I have no idea how to go forward with this.' Christie Teague is an Englewood resident and a mother of a McMinn Central High School student told the news outlet she feels for the families affected. 'My heart just hurts for them, because I mean, I would be livid if it happened to my kids,' Teague said. Director of Schools Lee Parkison added that the schools will take measures to help the students through this. Pictured: McMinn Central High School in Englewood Sheriff Joe Guy said in a press conference Tuesday that the alleged encounters happened from spring 2020 through late 2021 with students of McMinn Central High School 'People focus mostly on the perpetrator, they don't realize how it devastates a family,' the mother of one of the victims said. 'How the families are at home, and we don't know what to do next. I have no idea how to go forward with this' Teague said if there are other victims out there, she hopes they'll come forward. 'Parents need to talk to their kids to speak up. Because it's not right. It's just really, really not right,' Teague said. District Attorney General Steve Crump also encouraged students to come forward. 'I want you to feel comfortable coming forward,' he said Tuesday. 'We encourage you to come forward and talk to us, to talk to these investigators, so that we can make the fullest amount of justice possible for the most amount of people.' Director of Schools Lee Parkison added that the schools will take measures to help the students through this. 'McMinn County Schools is open to helping these students and families with counseling,' he said. Blair posted $100,000 bond for her release this week. She has not yet entered a plea to the charges, but is scheduled to appear in court for her arraignment on February 28. California has passed a new bill that will allow private citizens to sue gunmakers' whose products are used in shootings - a policy directly modeled after Texas abortion laws that allow residents of the state to target abortion providers. California Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday that he believes the new guidance will force the Supreme Court to reconsider a previous ruling on the contentious Texas law - which lets private citizens enforce the states ban on abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected - while revealing its 'hypocrisy.' 'If Texas can use a law to ban a womans right to choose and to put her health at risk, we will use that same law to save lives and improve the health and safety of the people in the state of California,' Newsom said during a news conference Friday. Scroll down for video Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new bill Friday that will allow private citizens to sue gunmakers' whose products are used in shootings - a policy directly modeled after Texas abortion laws that allow residents of the state to target abortion providers The politician said he believes the new guidance will force the Supreme Court to reconsider a previous ruling on the contentious Texas law - which lets private citizens enforce the states ban on abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected - while revealing its 'hypocrisy' At the conference, held in the coastal town of Del Mar, just north of San Diego, the left-leaning politician asserted that the Texas law was unethical, and slammed the Supreme Courts decision late last year to let it stay in effect despite the fact that it had been appealed as 'absurd' and 'outrageous.' 'But they opened up the door. They set the tone, tenor, the rules. And either we can be on the defense complaining about it or we can play by those rules. We are going to play by those rules,' Newsom brazenly declared to the crowd. He then added: 'Well see how principled the US Supreme Court is.' The law in question, which was approved last year, outlawed all abortions in the Lone Star State once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which generally occurs around the sixth week of pregnancy. The contentious - and unique - part of the guidance, however, is that it does ask, or even let, the government enforce it. Instead, private citizens hold the right to sue abortion providers or anyone they find that 'aids and abets' such a procedure. The reasoning behind such a stipulation is spurred by a desire for legal ambiguity by Texas lawmakers, who have tried for years to ban abortions once a heartbeat is detected but have seen their attempts repeatedly blocked by the courts. If officials cant enforce the law, then abortion advocates cant sue the state to block it, making it much more difficult to challenge in court. The bill unveiled Friday would do the same - but instead of abortion providers, it would allow Californians to pursue lawsuits against gunmakers, and anyone else who sells, makes or distributes assault-style weapons. The move by Newsom comes in direct response to the Texas law, which had maddened the politician and his Democratic allies in the state Legislature. 'Our message to the United States Supreme Court is as follows: Whats good for the goose is good for the gander,' said Democratic State Senator Bob Hertzberg, who penned the proposal. 'I look forward to rushing a new bill to the governors desk to take advantage of that United States Supreme Court guidance.' California had already banned the manufacture and sale of assault weapons decades ago, in the early 90s. However, last year, a federal judge overturned the state's ban, with US District Judge Roger Benitez deeming that it was unconstitutional, comparing an AR-15 rifle - the same make of gun used by Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha and roughly a dozen mass shooters in the past decade - to a Swiss Army knife, saying the weapon is 'good for both home and battle.' The law is currently still in place while the state continues to appeal the judgment. The proposed legislation by Newsom seems to be a direct response to this ruling - and it has members of gun rights groups across the US fuming. California had already banned the manufacture and sale of assault weapons decades ago, in the early 90s. However, last year, a judge overturned the ban, deeming it unconstitutional and comparing an AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife, saying it is 'good for both home and battle' The Firearms Policy Coalition, a gun advocacy group 'aimed to influence legislation and public opinion of gun rights,' according to their website, promised a legal battle should the California bill become law. 'If Texas succeeds in its gambit here, New York, California, New Jersey, and others will not be far behind in adopting equally aggressive gambits to not merely chill but to freeze the right to keep and bear arms,' attorney Erik Jaffe wrote in a legal brief on behalf of the group. The group called Newsom's proposed restrictions 'really just modern-day Jim Crow laws designed to suppress the exercise of human rights the tyrants who run California dont like,' in a statement following Friday's announcement. The Firearms Policy Coalition, a gun advocacy group 'aimed to influence legislation and public opinion of gun rights,' according to their website, promised a legal battle should the California bill become law The group then vowed to 'litigate wherever needed to protect the rights and property of peaceable gun owners in California.' The law, while not yet in place, when filed would apply to companies who manufacture, distribute, transport and import guns into California, as well as those who sell assault weapons, a fact sheet provided by Hertzberg's office reveals. Moreover, the sheet specifically names .50 BMG rifles - a rifle that can fire a .50 BMG cartridge (a .50 caliber bullet) that is not already classified as an assault weapon or machine gun under state law - as being forbidden to be sold. An example of a .50 BMG rifle would be the AR-15. According to the sheet, the new bill would also bar ghost guns and ghost gun kits - guns bought online and assembled at home that dont have serial numbers, making them incredibly difficult to trace. The bill would also allow citizens to seek a court order to stop the spread of these weapons, and be awarded up to $10,000 in damages for each weapon in a particular case, as well as attorneys fees. The bill is just one of several pieces of legislation targeting the gun industry in California. The other bills, of which there are three, aim to make it easier for people to sue gun manufacturers for liability in shooting incidents, outlaw market assault weapons to children, and crack down on the spread and sale ghost guns. Group and Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher, a Republican, called Newsom's prospective guidance a 'publicity stunt,' saying the politician - who was nearly thrust from office last year after a close recall election - is trying to distract from failing policies elsewhere that recently have prompted falling polling numbers. 'California already has the strictest gun laws in the nation, so its not clear what Governor Newsom is hoping to accomplish here besides a sad publicity stunt,' Gallagher said of the bill in a statement Friday, following Newsom's announcement. A newly released UC Berkeley poll revealed that the California governor's approval rating had fallen to 48 percent among registered voters, a 16-point drop since September, when the progressive politico survived a recall bid. In September, Newsom survived the GOP-led recall, beating Republican radio host Larry Elder by a margin of 61.9 percent to 38.1 percent - the same margin by which Newsom won the 2018 election, in a surprise upset against Republican John H. Cox. Donald Trump's new social media venture, Truth Social, launched late last night on Apple's App Store, marking the former president's return to social media after he was banned from several platforms last year. The app was available to download shortly before midnight ET and was automatically downloaded to Apple devices belonging to users who had pre-ordered it. Trump's social platform should be 'fully operational' by late March according to Trump Media & Technology Group Chief Executive Devin Nunes, but many of the app's first adopters have reported problems. Some users reported either having trouble registering for an account or were added to a waitlist with a message: 'Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist.' Truth Social is former President Trump's alternative social media site meant to combat Big Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, which he claimed through his presidency and now silences and censors conservative and right-leaning voices and perspectives. Trump was booted from Twitter shortly after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot as he continued to push claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race, and Nunes has also been banned from that platform for the last two years. 'It's actually very moving for me to see people that are on [Truth Social] that have had their voice canceled,' Nunes said. Truth Social's app store page detailing its version history showed the first public version of the app, or version 1.0, was available last night for free. The current version 1.0.1 includes 'bug fixes,' according to the page. Donald Trump's new social media venture, Truth Social, launched late last night on Apple's App Store, marking the former president's return to social media after he was banned from several platforms last year (app is seen on a smartphone screen before a picture of the former president) Trump was booted from Twitter shortly after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot as he continued to push claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race Devin Nunes said yesterday that Donald Trump's Truth Social will be fully operational by the end of March Truth Social is former President Trump's alternative social media site meant to combat Big Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, which he claimed through his presidency and now silences and censors conservative and right-leaning voices and perspectives TMTG's team is branding Truth as a First Amendment platform that will not censor voices just because they disagree. There is excitement surrounding the launch, Nunes said, from people who were 'booted from social media for the last two or three years.' Parler and Gettr are two other sites that have branded themselves as less moderated alternatives to Big Tech companies. Gettr was launched and is run by former Trump spokesperson Jason Miller. When Trump started promoting Parler after the January 6 attack as a good alternative to Twitter, Apple took it down from its App Store in January 2021. The application made a return to the store in May of last year. But so far none of these social media alternatives have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts. Before being banned by Twitter, Trump had some 89 million followers there and used the platform constantly, both for presidential statements and to attack rivals. The 75-year-old has hinted but never definitively said whether he will seek the presidency again. Nunes was a congressman for California's 21st district from 2003-2013 and the 22nd district from 2013 until present day. But he is ending his tenure in the House of Representatives at the end of this year as he joins TMTG as its CEO. During Trump's presidency, Nunes was chairman and then ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. He was on track to continue toward more leadership positions among Republicans in Congress but opted to join Trump's social media company instead. 'We want (customers) to tell us what they would like to have on the platform, which is the opposite of some Silicon Valley tech oligarch freak telling people what they want to think and deciding who can or cannot be on the platform,' he said. 'I mean, we're really taking just the opposite approach, which is valuing our customers.' Donald Trump Jr. (right) celebrated on Twitter, posting, 'Time for some Truth!!!' and including what he said was his father's first post on Truth Social: 'Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!' Nunes is retiring from Congress at the end of this year to join Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) as the Chief Executive Time for some Truth!!! pic.twitter.com/jvyteDb5gW Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 15, 2022 'TRUTH is coming...' congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the third-ranking House Republican, tweeted Friday, in an allusion to the ominous 'Winter is coming' catchphrase of television series 'Game of Thrones.' She posted a screen grab of her message on Truth Beta, the test version of the new site, saying, 'I'm so excited to be on TRUTH!' And Donald Trump Jr. celebrated on Twitter, posting, 'Time for some Truth!!!' and including what he said was his father's first post on Truth Social: 'Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!' TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth. TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release. Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes. Digital World's activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) found classified information in the 15 boxes of White House records stored at former US President Doland Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. The findings confirmed the issue in a letter that has been sent to the Justice Department. The letter reports Trump's handling of sensitive and classified information during his presidency and when he left the White House. According to the Associated Press, although Trump may argue that he had the ultimate declassification authority as the president, federal law prohibits the removal of sensitive documents to unauthorized sites. Trump's lawyers said they continue to look for additional presidential records belonging to the National Archives in response to allegations about his administration's troubled relationship with NARA. Trump claimed that the National Archives did not discover anything in a statement issued Friday night. Instead, the NARA were given Presidential Records in an ordinary and usual process upon request. Trump Admin Did Not Preserve Records The letter from NARA goes into greater detail about how the previous administration failed to capture and preserve certain social media records. The agency also discovered that White House key employees performed official business using unofficial messaging accounts and even personal phones. NARA also discovered that more paper records were torn up by Trump had been handed over to the agency and "had not been reconstructed by White House." Lawmakers are also interested in knowing more about the contents of the boxes discovered at Mar-a-Lago, but the agency cited the records act as a barrier to disclosing the information. NARA also stated that despite previous warnings to Trump officials, some social media records and messaging on apps used by White House staff were not properly kept as official documents. Those associated with Trump's personal Twitter account, including deleted tweets, are among the missing records mentioned. NARA he Archives had previously expressed concern that Trump's deleted tweets were not being captured and had been notified by White House officers that they were "doing so." However, per CNN, since the administration's end, NARA has "learned that the White House initially used a manual process to capture deleted tweets from @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS," rather than the recommended automated method. The staff failed to duplicate or forward their official messaging counts, as mandated by the Presidential Records Act. The law states that presidential records are the property of the United States government, not the president. A statute makes it a crime to conceal or intentionally destroy government records, punishable by up to three years in prison. Read Also: US Says Russian Forces 'Poised To Strike' Ukraine; Zelensky Seeks UN Security Council 'Guarantees' for Kyiv Trump Is Making A Social Media Comeback Via Truth App Donald Trump is set to make a comeback on social media via his upcoming social media venture Truth Social to be launched in Apple's App Store on Monday, the US Presidents Day holiday. Donald Jr., Trump's eldest son, tweeted a screenshot of his father's Truth Social account, which was uploaded on Valentine's Day with the caption "Get Ready! Your favorite president will see you soon." Time for some Truth!!! pic.twitter.com/jvyteDb5gW Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 15, 2022 Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, will join a growing portfolio of tech firms positioning themselves as advocates of free speech in the effort to attract users who feel their views are repressed on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. It will be led by a Republican and former US Representative Devin Nunes. Reuters reported that the launch of the social media app is expected to restore Trump's social media presence more than a year after he was banned from internet giants Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube following a January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters, in which he was accused of inciting violence through his posts. Truth Social will release a policy on verified accounts in the coming days. Related Article: PM Justin Trudeau Freezes Truckers' Bank Accounts Illegally For Refusal of the Freedom Convoy To Back Down @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Millions of Sydney commuters woke up this morning to find they had no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled. Peak-hour roads were choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other alternative to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the main arteries to the city: the M2 motorway, Victoria Road, the M5, and Hume Highway. Train bosses and the NSW Government suddenly shut down the network with a 1.38am 'dummy spit' email in a dramatic escalation to a dispute with the union. The network shutdown came on the day Australia's international borders finally opened, forcing arrivals into expensive taxi fares, and also when NSW officially lifted work-from-home advice. Universities and some schools closed and others had classes delayed because staff were unable to get to work with no trains and slow commutes. Premier Dominic Perrottet claimed it was 'no accident' the cancellation had happened on one of the busiest days of the year - before accusing the Rail Tram and Bus Union of working with Labor, despite providing no evidence to his claim. A solitary commuter turns back after realising Newtown Station was closed on Monday Long queues of stranded commuters waiting for busses was a common sight across Sydney Inner west Sydney streets were bumper to bumper as commuters opted to drive in rather than wait in long queues for a bus Train stations were left completely deserted with all services cancelled and commuter turmoil ensuing 'The unions were intent on causing chaos,' Mr Perrottet told reporters on Monday. 'This is the unions playing games with the Labor Party for political purposes at the expense of our people.' 'This is the Labor Party in bed with the union movement to cause mass disruption.' The cancellation is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the NSW Government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union over safety guarantees, hygiene, wages, and privatisation concerns. The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of 'hijacking the city' and the union arguing the government of 'locking workers' out after they agreed to work. Transport for NSW announced the sudden train closure at 5am on its social media, and before that in a 1.38am email to staff; far too late for the public to know or for rail replacement bus services to be arranged. 'Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity services are not running today due to industrial action,' it wrote online. 'Please avoid travel wherever possible, use alternative modes of transport and allow extra travel time on other modes of transport. 'This was a difficult decision to make, but we cannot and will not compromise on safety. We apologise to customers for what is clearly an unacceptable course of action.' Back-to-back traffic crippled Victoria Road as train services were shut down on Monday Drivers are forced to wait in gridlock in Newtown with warnings from road authorities to expect massive delays A bus makes it way down King Street in Newtown with other commuters opting to walk to work A bus stops at a station in Newtown to pick up commuters following the abrupt cancellation of train services One of the commuters left in the lurch at Newtown following the abrupt shutdown of train services Not a typical Monday: Congested streets, outraged commuters and Rail Tram and Bus Union and the state government locked in a blame game Ultimately it was Transport for NSW's decision to shut the network down, although it claimed its hand were forced by union 'bastardry' akin to 'terrorism'. Workers never planned to strike and were all going to show up to work under comparatively minor bans on rostering flexibility. However, Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp at 1.38am sent an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a 'dummy spit'. Rail replacement buses could not be organised due to the eleventh hour nature of the shutdown. This was after the state government encouraged staff to get back into the office for the first time since the Omicron wave, and hopes a return of city workers would inject spending and activity into the moribund CBD. Rail, Tram, and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens said Sydney Trains locked workers out of the train network despite them being ready to work. 'For the government to use this as a bulls**t excuse is a new low. They are the ones that are doing all of this,' he said. Traffic slows to a crawl with millions of Australians forced to make impromptu travel plans to work A graphic depiction of bumper to bumper traffic along Victoria Road and the M2, stationed trains at Clyde Train Depot, a shuttered Town Hall, and commuters left stranded in Parramatta The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of 'hijacking the city' and the union arguing the government of 'locking workers' out after they agreed to work Millions of Sydney commuters will wake up this morning to find they have no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed up his Coalition partners in NSW by attacking the 'disrespectful' union for inconveniencing commuters Roads are choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other way to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway Chain of events leading to Sydney train shutdown Past six months: Rail Tram and Bus Union, Sydney Trains, and the NSW Government has 30 meetings trying to resolve long-running dispute over new enterprise agreement. Union demands better pay and conditions and improvements to hygiene, safety, and no moves to privatise the network. Saturday: Two sides meet for conciliation with Sydney Trains and government sending 10 lawyers at a $500,000 cost to taxpayers. Government wants all industrial action halted and is pushing for the Fair Work Commission to arbitrate the contract dispute. Union is dead against that as it claims the Commission is stacked with anti-union members. Union agrees to cancel a ban on overtime and other plans in exchange for being able to go ahead with scaled-down industrial action on Monday for two weeks, and the government withdrawing arbitration push. Action limited to a ban on 'altered working' and other flexible rostering that Sydney Trains uses to respond to changes on the network. Union secretary described altered working as: 'You know you're going to work on a particular time, but you don't quite know the duties you're going to be doing.' Sunday: Government realises it agreed to a deal that still has wide ranging, though comparatively minor, industrial action. 8pm Sunday: Government sends Crown solicitors to the Fair Work Commission to demand the industrial action be called off and 'clarify' the deal. Union leaders are not present but RTBU's lawyers are. Fair Work Commission sides with the union and the industrial action is scheduled to go ahead. Monday, 1.38am: Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp sends an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a 'dummy spit'. He and the government claim the industrial action compromised rail safety and they had no choice but to shut it down. Union secretary Alex Claassens later rejects this, arguing the limited industrial action would cause delays but was easy to work around if Sydney Trains was properly prepared. 5am: Sydney Trains tell passengers via social media that all trains and cancelled and they will need to find alternative transport. Train staff show up to work, only to find themselves locked out. Union bosses are also taken by surprise, thinking the deal was still in place. 8am: Mr Claassens hold an emotional press conference where he lashes the government and explains the death of his friend on the job is an example of why workers are demanding better safety standards. He earlier went on radio to accuse the government of 'spitting the dummy' and shutting down the network to embarrass the union. Advertisement 'The ball is in their court, our members are ready to go to work. As soon as the government decides they want to run trains, we can run them. 'It's Transport for NSW and the government's call to shut down the network. I went to bed last night expecting trains to be running this morning. It's very disappointing.' Mr Claasens held back tears at his press conference on Monday morning as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter. 'Yesterday was also a very important day for me, because it was two years ago a friend of mine died in a train accident,' he said. The veteran union leader paused for a moment to hold back his tears and regather his composure. 'For me to have to go through all this rubbish and stand here and justify why we're taking protective industrial action, which we're allowed to do legally under the law. We have done everything by the book.' Mr Claassens said the 'altered work ban' the union planned to implement would only have caused delays if Sydney Trains failed to adapt to it. 'Workers will be taking protected industrial action, but only transport management will notice the impact, not commuters,' he said. Speaking to media on Monday, RTBU branch secretary Alex Claasens held back tears as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter Town Hall has been barricaded as train services are crippled by widespread cancellations in Sydney Commuters have directed their rage at the NSW government and blamed them for the transport chaos 'If commuters see any impact to their services, it won't be because of workers' actions, but because the NSW Government is spitting the dummy and trying to make a point.' Mr Claassens said union members would be at work ready to go as soon as management and the government let them. 'All members will be at work, ready to work. They will be ready and waiting to crew the trains. There is no impediment, only stubbornness on behalf of the NSW Government,' he said. 'The actions being taken are designed to make life hard for transport management, not commuters. 'There's no strike workers are simply performing the shifts we're set without any changes.' The NSW Government took the issue to the Fair Work Commission on Sunday night trying to cancel the industrial action, after spending another $500,000 in legal fees on conciliation meetings with the union on Saturday. Initially it was thought trains were due to go ahead on Monday but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action. Outraged commuters have taken to social media to vent their frustration over having to catch several buses because of the train service shutdown Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action A closed sign is set up outside the turnstiles at a train station in Sydney with commuters forced to make last minute travel alternatives to get to work Mr Sharp, a former Virgin Australia boss, claimed the industrial action the union planned for the next two weeks would compromise safety. 'These impacts result in hundreds and thousands of customers being left stranded, unable to get to work, school and where they need to be,' he wrote. 'We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact on commuters and sincerely apologise to people inconvenienced by this industrial action.' Transport Minister David Elliot, whose office was responsible for shutting down the trains, tried to blame the union for the debacle. 'This is the most un-Australian act I've ever heard of,' he said. Mr Elliot told Ben Fordham he was 'furious' the union would blame the government. 'I have been negotiating with unions for 20 years and I haven't seen this sort of behaviour for quite some time,' he said. 'Why the hell would I want a strike to occur the day universities are going back? 'They cannot use the city's transport system for some sort of terrorist-like activity.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed up his Coalition partners in NSW by attacking the 'disrespectful' union for inconveniencing commuters. 'There are people this morning who are going to have an overpriced Uber, or they're not going to be able to get to work,' he said on 2GB radio. 'This is just not how you behave and this is not how you treat your fellow citizens. 'This is not how this should be done, and I feel for all of those Sydneysiders today who are affected by this strike. 'The disrespect being shown to their fellow Sydneysiders today who are going about their day, kids trying to get to school, parents getting their week underway all having to deal with the unions carrying on like this in the middle of the night to cause such a terrible disruption.' A huge queue of cars on Sydney's M2 as commuters took to the roads following the train service shutdown A sign at Town Hall Station informing commuters the train station is closed and advising then to use 'alternative modes of transport' Mr Morrison said the first international visitors to Australia in two years were being greeted with no trains at Australia's biggest gateway. 'This is an important day that Australians have looked forward to,' he said. 'The union movement has decided to really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back.' Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope claimed the train network couldn't operate safely as a result of the union bans. 'They won't work their rostered shifts, or overtime, signallers won't work to the roster, notice won't be delivered to change timetables, the train system would be in chaos,' he said. 'It's effectively saying to commuters of Sydney that 'we don't care about your convenience, your business, you taking the kids to school, doctors and nurses trying to get to work. 'It's using commuters of Sydney as pawns to achieve a political outcome, we'll be back before the Fair Work Commission to get this resolved. 'This is industrial bastardry at it's finest.' Commuters wait for buses with no trains to jump on to on their way to work The union, transport authorities, and the state government have been at each others throats for months over a new enterprise agreement, with 30 meetings in the past six months alone. Workers want better safety and hygiene standards and improved pay and conditions and successive negotiations have failed. The union planned a ban on overtime and various flexible rostering conditions that make the network better able to respond to last-minute changes. Both parties met on Saturday for a conciliation meeting to hammer out a short-term compromise, with transport and the government reportedly bringing a team of 10 lawyers estimated to have cost taxpayers $500,000. They agreed to a compromise where the union would drop its overtime ban in exchange for Sydney Trains and the government dropping its plan to force the enterprise agreement to be arbitrated by the FWC. Union bosses claim if the agreement was decided by the FWC it would side with the government and Sydney Trains because it was stacked with anti-union judges. The union stressed that if there was a major incident or safety issue, workers would scramble to clear any risk even if it went against the industrial action. 'If there is a genuine safety risk on the railway, we will always ensure the safety of all workers and the public,' the union said on Sunday. Train schedule board shows there are no services running at all from that, or any other, station Then on Sunday night, both sides accused each other of reneging on the deal and Crown solicitors took the union to court to cancel the industrial action. The government failed and the union resolved to continue with its plans with huge delays expected across the network. 'The NSW Government today used anti-union laws to try and shut down our members' right to take industrial action,' the union said. 'If the last few days have taught us anything, it's that we have a government that is willing to try anything to screw us over, no matter what the cost to taxpayers. 'We need to, and we will, stand together to beat this heartless and mortally bankrupt government. Our anger is palpable.' Both parties will appear before the Fair Work Commission at 9am to thrash out the issue. A passenger who was one of 12 missing people after a ferry fire off the coast of Corfu has been found alive onboard the vessel. Greek emergency workers rescued the Belarussian truck driver on Sunday from the burning ferry off the island of Corfu as they battle the blaze onboard for the third day. The blaze started at 4.30am on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia, which was sailing through the Ionian Sea to Italy from the Greek port city of Igoumenitsa on Friday. One crew member, 42, was injured and the 280 on the ship were evacuated on Friday, the Greek coastguard had said. As they continued to comb the wreckage for missing passengers earlier today, they also recovered the body of another man onboard. It is understood there are still 10 people unaccounted for all of whom are thought to be truckers. Greek emergency workers rescued the Belarussian truck driver (pictured) on Sunday from the burning ferry off the island of Corfu and rescuers believe there may be more survivors onboard A Greek Navy helicopter flies over the burning Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia, which sailed from Greece to Italy early on Friday and caught fire off the coast of the Greek island of Corfu Picured: Firefighters carry a body from the Italian-flagged ferry which is on fire for third day The survivor, a truck driver in his 20s, was able to make his way up to the left rear deck on his own, and told rescue workers he heard other voices below. 'The fact that this man succeeded, despite adverse conditions, to exit into the deck and alert the coastguard, gives us hope that there may be other (survivors),' coastguard spokesman, Nikos Alexiou, told state broadcaster ERT. The victim who was recovered onboard was identified as a 58-year-old Greek truck driver by his family. The Italian-owned Euroferry Olympia, which was carrying more than 290 passengers and crew as well as 153 trucks and 32 cars, caught fire on Friday, three hours after it left the north-western Greek port of Igoumenitsa bound for the Italian city of Brindisi. The Greek coastguard and other boats evacuated about 280 people to the nearby island of Corfu. The ferry has been towed to the port of Kassiopi, in north-eastern Corfu and firefighters were still battling the blaze in spots on Sunday and a thick smoke still blanketed the ship. Smoke rises from the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia, after it caught fire early on Friday Firefighers transporting a body from the burned burned Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia Alexiou said his understanding was that the truck driver had not heard any voices just before making his way onto the deck but added 'the situation is evolving.' The survivor was taken to a hospital for a medical examination. The extreme temperatures in some parts of the ship have impeded the Greek fire service's Disaster Management Unit and a team of private rescuers from searching the whole ship. The ferry is slightly listing from the tons of water poured into it to douse the fire but authorities say it is not in danger of capsizing. Two passengers were rescued on Saturday. One was not on the ship's manifest and was presumably a migrant. The other person, a 65-year-old Bulgarian truck driver, had respiratory problems and is on a ventilator in a Corfu hospital's intensive care unit. A Greek prosecutor on Corfu has ordered an investigation into the cause of the fire. The blaze broke out on Friday as the Euroferry Olympia was sailing through the Ionian Sea The Italy-based company that operates the ferry said the fire started in a hold where vehicles were parked. The ship's captain and two engineers were arrested on Friday but were released the same day, authorities said. Passengers described the initial evacuation as dramatic. 'We heard the alarm. We thought it was some kind of drill. But we saw through the portholes that people were running,' truck driver Dimitris Karaolanidis told The Associated Press. 'You can't think something at the time (other than) your family. When I hit the deck, I saw smoke and children. Fortunately, they (the crew) acted quickly.' There is heavy maritime traffic between the western Greek ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras and the Italian ports of Brindisi and Ancona. The last shipboard fire in the Adriatic occurred in December 2014 on the Italian ferry Norman Atlantic. Thirteen people died in that blaze. Afghanistan is again becoming a breeding ground for terror, with British extremists already trying to travel there, the head of MI5 has warned. Ken McCallum said he is concerned about terrorist infrastructure and networks reconstituting in the troubled country just months after the Wests catastrophic withdrawal. In September, he warned that MI5 was braced for an increase in inspired terrorism and the potential regrowth of Al Qaeda-style directed plots as the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan had heartened and emboldened extremists. Now the director general of the domestic spy agency has revealed that it has detected the beginnings of some travel attempts by aspiring jihadis in the UK. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mr McCallum warned that terror groups may be able to reform in Afghanistan and plan sophisticated operations targeting the UK. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mr McCallum warned that terror groups may be able to reform in Afghanistan and plan sophisticated operations targeting the UK He said that in September, he had flagged two risks, one of which was the immediate morale boost that Afghanistan would give to extremists here. The second was the slower burn risk of terrorist groups reconstituting themselves within Afghanistan and projecting the threat back at the West including the UK. Mr McCallum continued: We have seen versions of both of those risks beginning to materialise. He suggested that the region could become a magnet for British extremists in a similar way to Syria, where hundreds flocked to join the Islamic State terror group. The spy chief said: Clearly we have seen some people interested in travelling to Afghanistan in pursuit of some of those goals. We have seen the beginnings of some travel attempts and so with our partners we remain very vigilant. Until the Wests chaotic abandonment of Afghanistan last August, efforts to combat the terrorist threat there had been largely successful over the last decade. The spy chief said: Clearly we have seen some people interested in travelling to Afghanistan in pursuit of some of those goals.' But Mr McCallum said there is a risk of the return of sophisticated large-scale plots intended to cause mass casualties, such as the thwarted 2006 plan to detonate liquid explosives on seven transatlantic aircraft taking off from Heathrow. He revealed in Saturdays Mail that MI5 is facing tough decisions because the threat from hostile states such as Russia and China now rivals terrorism, and said outdated laws made it impossible to prosecute foreign spies in this country. In a wide-ranging interview, Mr McCallum also spoke about the enduring threat of a biological attack on Britain. He said: Al Qaeda, for example, determinedly engaged in research and development. This is never something which has gone away as a risk. Mr McCallum added that the global impact of the Covid pandemic may also have inspired potential terrorists. It will have occurred to many people that biological or viral or their agents can be tools of significant game-changing events, he said. It does not automatically follow that anyone having that thought has the wherewithal to do something intelligent about it. But this has always been one of the risks that we are mindful of and seek to manage. Energy giant AGL has rejected a takeover bid offer from billionaire Atlassian software co-founder and climate change crusader Mike Cannon-Brookes. The 42-year-old tech entrepreneur and Canadian fund manager Brookfield late last week made an unsolicited for AGL in a bid to end its reliance on coal-fired energy. But AGL on Monday morning released a statement telling the Australian Securities Exchange it had rejected the bid for all of the company at $7.50 a share - a level 4.7 per cent higher than the $7.16 closing level of Friday. 'On the basis of the information presented, the AGL Energy Board has determined the unsolicited proposal materially undervalues the company on a change of control basis and is not in the best interests of AGL Energy shareholders,' it said. AGL Energy chairman Peter Botten said the proposal would see AGL forgo the opportunity to 'realise future potential value'. Cannon-Brookes is a passionate renewable energy advocate having invested billions into a string of green projects and pledging another $500million in October for start-ups tackling climate change. A joint-offer was reportedly made on Saturday for AGL's entire $4.7billion business including its more than 4.5million retail customers and its coal, gas and renewable power generation assets. A board meeting was then held on Sunday ahead of Monday's announcement. Energy giant AGL has rejected a takeover bid offer from billionaire Atlassian software co-founder and climate change crusader Mike Cannon-Brookes (pictured with wife Annie) AGL stocks are now at a two-decade low and less than five years ago, AGL was worth $27.60 a share. The offer would be viewed as undervaluing the company by the board and likely wouldn't be approved, a source told the publications. AGL's fossil-fuel power stations are Australia biggest greenhouse gas producers contributing eight per cent to the nation's total emissions. Amid the falling share prices and growing investor demand for clean energy, AGL had already announced a 2050 target to achieve 'net-zero' emissions. The change in ownership to Brookfield and Cannon-Brookes would reportedly bring this forward to 2038 with some coal-fired plants closing earlier. The business had already said their Bayswater plant in NSW would close by 2033 and the Loy Yang plant in Victoria would be offline by 2045. But this would still not meet targets set by the United Nations. In a message on January 15 to the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UN Chief called for the phasing out of coal in OECD nations by 2030 as 'the main climate priority'. Cannon-Brookes has already invested in the $30billion Sun Cable project (pictured) that involves 125sqm of solar panels built in the Northern Territory 'Turning this ship around will take immense willpower and ingenuity from governments and businesses alike, in every major-emitting nation', United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. Cannon-Brookes was last year ranked third on The Australian Financial Review's annual Rich List with an estimated fortune of $20.2billion, putting him behind only Perth-based mining magnates Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest. He and Forrest are already investing in the massive Sun Cable solar farm project in the Northern Territory which would see solar energy exported from the Outback to Singapore. Brookfield, based in Toronto, is worth more then $690billion with assets in property, infrastructure and electricity, including a recent purchase of Victoria's AusNet grid. Green energy is becoming increasingly cheaper to produce with fossil fuel struggling to keep up on the wholesale power market, contributing to AGL's plunging share price. AGL is receiving advice from Macquarie Capital, Goldman Sachs and Herbert Smith Freehills. A takeover from Brookfield and Cannon-Brookes would likely see AGL's transition from coal power plants (pictured is the Loy Yang coal-fired power station) fast tracked AGL on Monday morning released a statement telling the Australian Securities Exchange it had rejected the bid for all of the company at $7.50 a share - a level 4.7 per cent higher than the $7.16 closing level of Friday Joe Biden had a series of sudden travel plan changes on Sunday that involved him scheduling and then canceling a President's Day trip to his home in Wilmington, Delaware. On Sunday morning, the White House sent out an update schedule saying Biden would fly to Wilmington at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday evening. By the afternoon that trip was canceled. 'The President had a family-related issue that was going to take him to Wilmington, DE tonight but he will no longer be going and will remain in Washington, DC tonight,' a statement from a White House official explained. Biden originally planned to stay in Washington, D.C. for the long weekend as the world looks to Eastern Europe on the brink of war. President Joe Biden changed his schedule twice on Sunday first to travel to Wilmington, Delaware for a 'family-related issue' and again to stay in Washington, D.C. for the long weekend The flip to staying in the city came after he had a 15-minute call with French President Emmanuel Macron The latest update to his schedule to remain in the nation's capital after planing to go to Delaware for the remainder of the weekend comes after a meeting with national security aides on Sunday. Trump also had a 15-minute secure call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday afternoon before his schedule was updated to its original form. The move also comes after Moscow lashed out at North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies on Sunday following Russian President Vladimir Putin's call with Macron. Putin accused NATO of further fanning the flames by providing Ukraine with military assistance. 'Serious concern was expressed over the sharp deterioration of the situation on the line of contact in the Donbass,' Russia's summary of Putin's call with Macron reads. Macron (right) had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) before speaking with Biden. Moscow released a scathing statement from the call claiming France was increasing tensions by sending military aid to Ukraine It added: 'The president of Russia noted that the reason for the escalation is the provocations of the Ukrainian security forces. Attention is drawn to the ongoing pumping by the NATO countries of Ukraine of modern weapons and ammunition, which is pushing Kyiv towards a military solution to the so-called Donbass problem.' BIden said last week that he is 'convinced' Putin has already made the decision to invade Ukraine. And reports emerging this weekend insist U.S. intelligence is consistent with that claim. 'We have reason to believe that,' Biden told reporters on Friday. Grant Shapps is pushing for the forms travellers must complete before entering Britain to be scrapped in time for the Easter school holidays. It is understood the Transport Secretary wants to see the end of passenger locator forms (PLF) by the start of April, making it easier for families to fly off on a break. As an interim measure the forms, in which people must provide contact and travel details, are to be significantly simplified in the coming weeks. The travel industry has been calling for the cumbersome documents to be scrapped, saying they are acting as a drag on British holiday firms. It is understood the Transport Secretary wants to see the end of passenger locator forms (PLF) by the start of April, making it easier for families to fly off on a break As an interim measure the forms, in which people must provide contact and travel details, are to be significantly simplified in the coming weeks But moves to get rid of the forms have been slowed down by objections from the Department of Health, which has been in favour of tougher curbs. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, said: Ministers are absolutely right to remove the remaining restrictions but this needs to cut across all elements of the economy, including travel. If there is no requirement to self-isolate for those with Covid in the UK, jabbed or otherwise, there can be no justification for continuing with travel restrictions for the unvaccinated, including the continued use of the PLF which, although not as bad as testing, remains a deterrent to travel. A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents said: ABTA believes that all Covid restrictions introduced on international travel, including the passenger locator form, should be kept under review and removed as soon as this can be delivered in line with the Governments public health objectives. If the Government isnt willing to remove the PLF at this time, a clear rationale must be provided as to why it is being retained and the policy objective it is serving, and there should be further changes to make the system easier to use for all travellers. Last month Mr Shapps announced that fully vaccinated UK arrivals will no longer need a post-arrival test The travel industry has been calling for the cumbersome documents to be scrapped, saying they are acting as a drag on British holiday firms. Recent simplifications to the PLF are a step in the right direction, but the UKs system for collecting passenger data remains much more complex than that used by many other countries, especially competitor markets in Europe. Last month Mr Shapps announced that fully vaccinated UK arrivals will no longer need a post-arrival test. But he said the forms would remain for the time being, adding: It is our only way of distinguishing between those who are vaccinated and those who are unvaccinated when they use e-gates to come into this country. Last month Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick Airport, called for the forms to be ditched, saying: It will take some time for consumer confidence to fully return. The documents have already been simplified once, to shorten the time it takes to fill them in. And by the end of the month, people will be given an extra day to fill them out. It is a criminal offence to provide false or deliberately misleading information when filling out the form. People who do not provide accurate details about the countries they have visited in the ten days before they arrived in the UK can be fined, imprisoned or both. Now we need to get rid of all travel curbs... and show the world we are open for business in the wake of Covid pandemic, writes Airlines UK boss TIM ALDERSLADE On Thursday, at long last, it seems the final Covid curbs will be scrapped in Britain and the worst of the pandemic can be put behind us. But there is one rule that, strangely, ministers have so far refused to end: the passenger locator form that travellers arriving in Britain are forced to complete. Before setting off, travellers coming to Britain are required to provide their passport details, full information about their travel schedule including flight numbers, dates and times and the address where they will be staying. The reference numbers for any Covid tests they have booked and details of their vaccination status must also be given. Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK writes for the Daily Mail It is a gross invasion of peoples privacy, largely a waste of their time and, with all remaining coronavirus rules set to be removed in Britain, entirely without justification. Over the past two years, the travel industry has suffered a series of crippling blows, from baffling testing rules across different jurisdictions to sudden lockdowns that ruined plans for millions. To their great credit, ministers did the right thing by removing all testing requirements for the fully vaccinated last month. But they now need to finish the job. At a time when Britain needs to show the world that it is open for business as well as offering people a long-overdue chance to enjoy a holiday abroad after so many months at home the passenger locator form represents an unnecessary headache. As a consequence of our world-beating vaccination programme, businesses are roaring back to life. Why should it be any different for the travel industry? Now its time to remove ALL travel restrictions so that we truly are living with Covid. The country needs a firm timetable to return to the status quo we enjoyed before the pandemic. If a new and more worrying variant emerges, we can look again at the regulations. But for now, enough is enough. Its time to end the passenger locator form madness once and for all and set people free to fly again without any frustrating rules. Scott Morrison has blasted the union movement after Sydney's entire train network was shut down causing commuter chaos. Sydney Trains announced all of its services would shut down at 5am on Monday, leaving hapless commuters stranded with no way of getting to work. The operator said it was unsafe to run services because of a refusal by workers in the Rail Tram and Bus Union to work under flexible rostering conditions. The action is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the NSW Government and over safety guarantees, hygiene and privatisation concerns. Scott Morrison (right on Friday in Darwin) has blasted the unions for shutting down Sydney 's trains in last-minute strike action The Prime Minister - who faces a federal election in May - blasted the union on Monday, calling it 'disrespectful'. 'There are people this morning who are going to have an overpriced Uber, or they're not going to be able to get to work,' he said on 2GB radio. 'This is just not how you behave and this is not how you treat your fellow citizens. 'This is not how this should be done, and I feel for all of those Sydneysiders today who are affected by this strike. 'The disrespect being shown to their fellow Sydneysiders today who are going about their day, kids trying to get to school, parents getting their week underway all having to deal with the unions carrying on like this in the middle of the night to cause such a terrible disruption.' The Prime Minister said there would be more strike action under a Labor Government. 'It's a foretaste of what to expect with licence from Labor,' he said. Roads are choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other way to get to work, after the state government encouraged staff to get back into the office for the first time since the Omicron wave The shut-down comes on the day Australia's international border opens to tourists for the first time since March 2020 when it was closed to keep out Covid-19. 'This is an important day that Australians have looked forward to,' Mr Morrison said. 'The union movement has decided to really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back.' The union hit back with a tweet saying: 'Lower than snake's belly: Scott Morrison's pathetic attempt to blame workers for a rail lockout ordered by the NSW Govt shows what a contemptible liar he is. The Perrotet Government must let rail workers go back to work.' Millions of Sydney commuters woke up this morning to find they had no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled. Transport for NSW announced the sudden train closure at 5am on its social media, and before that in a 1.38am email to staff. Millions of Sydney commuters woke up this morning to find they had no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled. Roads are choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other way to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway and huge lines of traffic along Victoria Road, the M5 and Hume Highway. The network shutdown came on the day Australia's international borders finally opened and work from home was ditched in NSW with employees told they could return to the office at their bosses' discretion. Schools are reportedly being closed because teachers are unable to get to work with no trains and huge delays due to traffic. The cancellation is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the NSW Government and the Rail Tram and Bus Union over safety guarantees, hygiene, wages, and privatisation concerns. The two sides are blaming each other for the shutdown with NSW Transport Minister David Elliott accusing the union of 'hijacking the city' and the union arguing the government of 'locking workers' out after they agreed to work. Back-to-back traffic crippled Victoria Road as train services were shut down on Monday Outraged commuters have taken to social media to vent their frustration over having to catch several buses because of the train service shutdown Transport for NSW announced the sudden train closure at 5am on its social media, and before that in a 1.38am email to staff. 'Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity services are not running today due to industrial action,' it wrote online. 'Please avoid travel wherever possible, use alternative modes of transport and allow extra travel time on other modes of transport. 'This was a difficult decision to make, but we cannot and will not compromise on safety. We apologise to customers for what is clearly an unacceptable course of action.' Transport bosses attempted to blame the union for the sudden rail shutdown, but it was Transport for NSW's decision to shut the network down. Workers never planned to strike and were all going to show up to work under comparatively minor bans on rostering flexibility. However, Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp at 1.38am sent an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a 'dummy spit'. Rail replacement buses have not been organised due to the last-minute nature of the shutdown, with commuters urged to find alternative transport. This was after the state government encouraged staff to get back into the office for the first time since the Omicron wave. Rail, Tram, and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens said Sydney Trains locked workers out of the train network despite them being ready to work. 'For the government to use this as a bulls**t excuse is a new low. They are the ones that are doing all of this,' he said. Millions of Sydney commuters will wake up this morning to find they have no way to get to work after all trains were suddenly cancelled Roads are choked with traffic as Sydneysiders jumped into their cars with little other way to get to work, with gridlock as long as 22km on the M2 motorway How the snap shutdown happened The union, transport authorities, and the state government have been at each other's throats for months over a new enterprise agreement, with 30 meetings in the past six months alone. Workers want better safety and hygiene standards and improved pay and conditions and successive negotiations have failed. The union planned a ban on overtime and various flexible rostering conditions that make the network better able to respond to last-minute changes. Both parties met on Saturday for a conciliation meeting to hammer out a short-term compromise, with transport and the government reportedly bringing a team of 10 lawyers estimated to have cost taxpayers $500,000. They agreed to a compromise where the union would drop its overtime ban in exchange for Sydney Trains and the government dropping its plan to force the enterprise agreement to be arbitrated by the FWC. Transport for NSW secretary Rob Sharp at 1.38am sent an email suddenly cancelling all services in what rail workers called a 'dummy spit'. Mr Sharp, a former Virgin Australia boss, claimed the industrial action the union planned for the next two weeks would compromise safety. Rail replacement buses have not been organised due to the last-minute nature of the shutdown, with commuters urged to find alternative transport. Advertisement 'The ball is in their court, our members are ready to go to work. As soon as the government decides they want to run trains, we can run them. 'It's Transport for NSW and the government's call to shut down the network. I went to bed last night expecting trains to be running this morning. It's very disappointing.' Mr Claasens held back tears at his press conference on Monday morning as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter. 'Yesterday was also a very important day for me, because it was two years ago a friend of mine died in a train accident,' he said. The veteran union leader paused for a moment to hold back his tears and regather his composure. 'For me to have to go through all this rubbish and stand here and justify why we're taking protective industrial action, which we're allowed to do legally under the law. We have done everything by the book.' Mr Claassens said the 'altered work ban' the union planned to implement would only have caused delays if Sydney Trains failed to adapt to it. 'Workers will be taking protected industrial action, but only transport management will notice the impact, not commuters,' he said. Speaking to media on Monday, RTBU branch secretary Alex Claasens held back tears as he revealed the shutdown was a very personal matter 'If commuters see any impact to their services, it won't be because of workers' actions, but because the NSW Government is spitting the dummy and trying to make a point.' Mr Claassens said union members would be at work ready to go as soon as management and the government let them. 'All members will be at work, ready to work. They will be ready and waiting to crew the trains. There is no impediment, only stubbornness on behalf of the NSW Government,' he said. 'The actions being taken are designed to make life hard for transport management, not commuters. 'There's no strike workers are simply performing the shifts we're set without any changes.' The NSW Government took the issue to the Fair Work Commission on Sunday night trying to cancel the industrial action, after spending another $500,000 in legal fees on conciliation meetings with the union on Saturday. Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action. Trains were due to go ahead but with significant delays after a series of court actions over the weekend as the union, management, and the NSW Government squabbled over details of long-running industrial action Mr Sharp, a former Virgin Australia boss, claimed the industrial action the union planned for the next two weeks would compromise safety. 'These impacts result in hundreds and thousands of customers being left stranded, unable to get to work, school and where they need to be,' he wrote. 'We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact on commuters and sincerely apologise to people inconvenienced by this industrial action.' Transport Minister David Elliot, whose office was responsible for shutting down the trains, tried to blame the union for the debacle. 'This is the most un-Australian act I've ever heard of,' he said. A huge queue of cars on Sydney's M2 as commuters took to the roads following the train service shutdown Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope claimed the train network couldn't operate safely as a result of the union bans. 'They won't work their rostered shifts, or overtime, signallers won't work to the roster, noticed won't be delivered to change timetables, the train system would be in chaos,' he said. 'It's effectively saying to commuters of Sydney that 'we don't care about your convenience, your business, you taking the kids to school, doctors and nurses trying to get to work. 'It's using commuters of Sydney as pawns to achieve a political outcome, we'll be back before the Fair Work Commission to get this resolved. 'This is industrial bastardry at it's finest.' Commuters wait for buses with no trains to jump on to on their way to work The union, transport authorities, and the state government have been at each others throats for months over a new enterprise agreement, with 30 meetings in the past six months alone. Workers want better safety and hygiene standards and improved pay and conditions and successive negotiations have failed. The union planned a ban on overtime and various flexible rostering conditions that make the network better able to respond to last-minute changes. Both parties met on Saturday for a conciliation meeting to hammer out a short-term compromise, with transport and the government reportedly bringing a team of 10 lawyers estimated to have cost taxpayers $500,000. They agreed to a compromise where the union would drop its overtime ban in exchange for Sydney Trains and the government dropping its plan to force the enterprise agreement to be arbitrated by the FWC. Union bosses claim if the agreement was decided by the FWC it would side with the government and Sydney Trains because it was stacked with anti-union judges. The union stressed that if there was a major incident or safety issue, workers would scramble to clear any risk even if it went against the industrial action. 'If there is a genuine safety risk on the railway, we will always ensure the safety of all workers and the public,' the union said on Sunday. Train schedule board shows there are no services running at all from that, or any other, station Then on Sunday night, both sides accused each other of reneging on the deal and Crown solicitors took the union to court to cancel the industrial action. The government failed and the union resolved to continue with its plans with huge delays expected across the network. 'The NSW Government today used anti-union laws to try and shut down our members' right to take industrial action,' the union said. 'If the last few days have taught us anything, it's that we have a government that is willing to try anything to screw us over, no matter what the cost to taxpayers. 'We need to, and we will, stand together to beat this heartless and mortally bankrupt government. Our anger is palpable.' Both parties will appear before the Fair Work Commission at 9am to thrash out the issue. Smart motorways may be extra deadly because orange paint in emergency refuge areas could be a skidding hazard, leaked documents reveal. Traffic officers fear the paint makes the tarmac slippery, particularly when wet. It could cause vehicles pulling into laybys to crash into other stopped vehicles or passengers standing by their cars, National Highways documents said. National Highways began painting refuges in the smart motorway network orange in 2017 to make them more visible. Pictured, the M3 smart motorway near Camberley in Surrey Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last night demanded answers from road bosses, who have launched an investigation. The AA and RAC branded the revelation 'seriously concerning' and called for action to prevent any serious casualties or deaths. The laybys are a crucial safety feature for smart motorways, where the hard shoulder is a live traffic lane, as they are the only place motorists can go to prevent being marooned in traffic. According to the documents, a terrifying 'near miss' on the M6 near junction 16 was attributed to a slippery refuge. Traffic officers reported that it had the 'potential to reoccur' as it appeared to be 'a design fault' and was likely to be a 'wider problem' affecting multiple emergency laybys. An internal email said the M6 near miss could have been 'a high potential incident with high severity rating e.g. if a member of public had been stood to the rear nearside of their vehicle'. Another said: 'Given there may be a wider problem with other such [refuge areas] using this orange paint, can this be investigated and a solution found?' It was in response to officers reporting the paint caused the tarmac to become 'very slippery under wet conditions'. It was suggested that officers consider requesting the inside lane be closed when attending vehicles in refuges, so they can drop to low speeds before entering them to prevent skidding. There are around 300 refuges in the smart motorway network. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (pictured) last night demanded answers from road bosses, who have launched an investigation National Highways began painting them orange in 2017 to make them more visible. Last night the roads agency said it had launched an investigation and insisted only 'a small number' of laybys were potentially affected. But sources said at least a dozen were. AA president Edmund King said: 'It is a serious concern that skid resistance might be compromised in some emergency refuge areas due to the wrong sort of surface paint.' Nicholas Lyes, the RAC's roads policy chief, said: 'Given these refuge areas are short in length and vehicles will be exiting on to a high-speed road, adequate grip is essential to avoid serious collisions when re-joining the motorway, particularly in wet conditions.' Claire Mercer, whose husband Jason was killed on a stretch of the M1 with no hard shoulder in 2019, said: 'It beggars belief that what was supposed to be a safety feature may have made them more dangerous. 'It is ridiculous and has reduced me to tears thinking about it. It's further proof that there is no replacement for a permanent hard shoulder.' Smart motorways may be extra deadly because orange paint in emergency refuge areas could be a skidding hazard, leaked documents reveal. Pictured, a file photo of the M3 smart motorway near Longcross in Surrey The Department for Transport said Mr Shapps was 'concerned' by the revelation and that it had asked National Highways for an urgent update on its investigation. David Bray, the agency's smart motorways programme director, said: 'Through our own standard internal processes we became aware of an issue involving skid resistance on a small number of emergency areas and we are investigating whether any further surface treatments are required.' It is thought concerns may even have first been raised in 2019. It is the latest controversy over smart motorways. Last week the Daily Mail revealed two thirds of new schemes will open with no extra laybys, despite ministers promising 150 more. Four out of six being built will open with refuges up to 1.5 miles apart, despite Mr Shapps's guidelines for them to be one mile apart. Last month the Mail also revealed how National Highways bosses are being investigated for their handling of alleged fraud, bribery and corruption by construction firms. The U.S. embassy in Russia cautioned Americans to have evacuation plans, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine Advertisement U.S. President Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine provided Russia does not invade its neighbour. French President Emmanuel Macron had pitched both leaders on holding a summit over 'security and strategic stability in Europe'. The White House said that Biden had accepted the meeting 'in principle' but only 'if an invasion hasn't happened', as Washington warned that Moscow is continuing its preparations for a 'full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon'. It comes after intelligence sources alleged Russian commanders on the ground have received orders from Putin to proceed with an invasion of Kiev and they are now making specific battle plans on how they will attack. No less than 75 per cent of Putin's conventional forces are now poised at the Ukrainian border, it emerged tonight, as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that 'we are on the brink of an invasion'. It is thought Moscow will start the invasion with a cyber-assault before unleashing a campaign of missile and airstrikes before ground troops attempt to take Ukrainian cities and towns, reports CBS News. The invading Russian force reportedly has the ability to invade and take much of the country. The dire warnings come as Putin and his ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko extended military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, meaning an estimated 30,000 Russian troops will remain there. In addition, the concentration of an estimated 190,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment within striking distance of Ukraine including as many as 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft is highly unusual and part of the reason Washington believes Russia is ready to attack, a US official told CNN. Meanwhile, Americans were warned on Sunday to draw up plans to escape Russia amid warnings of 'terrorist threats' against Moscow and St Petersburg. It came as a Russian invasion force of armoured tanks painted with the letter 'Z' and huge convoys were seen rolling towards the Ukraine border - as the eastern region continues to be rocked by shelling and British expats have vowed to 'fight like devils'. It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion, with footage showing the letters sprayed on tanks, self-propelled guns, fuel trucks and supply vehicles. Russian armoured tanks painted with a letter 'Z' and huge convoys are moving towards the Ukraine border. It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion - as shelling rocked the east of the country The tactic mirrors that used by UK and US forces in the First Gulf War when the allied invasion sent to liberate Kuwait marked vehicles with a distinctive upturned chevron [^] to avoid friendly fire once action begins It is suspected the markings have been allocated for specific roles amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion, with footage showing the letters sprayed on tanks, self-propelled guns, fuel trucks and supply vehicles No less than 75 per cent of Vladimir Putin's conventional forces are now poised at the Ukrainian border, it emerged tonight, as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that 'we are on the brink of an invasion' A Russian and Belarussian convoy heading south via the Gomel region towards the border with Ukraine. Memebers of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) on ceasefire and stabilization of the demarcation line inspect a house damaged in a shelling by Ukrainian troops near the village of Pionerskoye A car bomb in Donetsk close to the Government House building at around 7pm on Saturday. It comes as 1,500 ceasefire violations were reported in east Ukraine in one day Amid the soaring tensions Macron pleaded for peace from his Russian counterpart during a two-hour phone call today but Putin blamed Ukrainian 'provocations' for the escalating crisis that could turn into all-out war. Macron's office later said Biden and Putin have agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine, before adding that such a meeting would be impossible if Russia invaded Kiev as Western nations fear it plans to. The US is 'committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. 'President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin... if an invasion hasn't happened.' 'We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon,' she added. Despite US intelligence claiming Putin has ordered his troops to invade Ukraine, Boris Johnson tonight said the next week will be 'crucial for diplomacy' as he suggested there is still hope of avoiding a war between Russia and Ukraine. It comes as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he believed Putin is 'moving forward' which his decision, a move the Kremlin has denied. The concentration of Russian forces within striking distance of Ukraine including as many as 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft - is highly unusual and part of the reason the US believes Russia is ready to attack, a US official told CNN. This includes some 120 of Russia's total estimated 160 Battalion Tactical Groups or BTGs which are positioned within 38 miles of Ukraine, according to the official. While that figure represents 75% of Russia's principal combat units, it is less than half of the total troops in the Russian military. US officials have reported that Russian troops combined with separatist forces could number as high as 190,000 deployed around Ukraine. Some 35 of 50 air defence battalions are deployed against Ukraine. In addition, the US estimates some 500 fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft are within range of Ukraine, as well as 50 medium to heavy bombers. Together, the Russian forces now vastly outnumber Ukrainian military forces, according to the assessment. US officials estimate there are some 190,000 soldiers in and around Ukraine, including in the illegally annexed territory of Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014. One British expat said he was part of a small community ready to help armed resistance volunteers and 'fight like devils' in the event of an invasion. He told the BBC: 'We are here, we are ready to fight and we will fight like devils, I tell you. There is a small expat community here but we will join with our Ukrainian partners, our Ukrainian friends and Ukrainian family.' Russia will also extend military drills in Belarus that were due to end on Sunday, the Belarusian defence ministry announced, in a step Blinken said made him more worried about an imminent invasion. The defence ministry said the decision was taken because of military activity near the borders of Russia and Belarus as well as the situation in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region. Sporadic shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in that region increased sharply last week and continued on Sunday. Speaking to CNN, Blinken said all signs suggested Russia was about to invade. Russia has repeatedly denied such plans. 'Everything we are seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion,' Blinken said, adding that the West was equally prepared if Moscow invades. 'Until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President (Vladimir) Putin from carrying this forward.' Blinken told CBS: 'Everything we're seeing tells us that the decision we believe President Putin has made to invade is moving forward. 'We've seen that with provocations created by the Russians or separatist forces over the weekend, false flag operations, now the news just this morning that the 'exercises' Russia was engaged in in Belarus with 30,000 Russian forces that was supposed to end this weekend will now continue because of tensions in eastern Ukraine, tensions created by Russia and the separatist forces it backs there.' But he rejected a plea from Ukraine for the West to act now against Moscow in an interview with the US broadcaster CNN. 'The purpose of the sanctions in the first instance is to try to deter Russia from going to war. As soon as you trigger them that deterrence is gone,' he said. Mr Blinken is due to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had said sustained shelling by pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine in recent days needed an immediate response. 'Russia has to be stopped right now. We see how events are unfolding,' Mr Kuleba told a security conference in Munich, where Western leaders had gathered to discuss the crisis. 'It's time to act. I'm officially saying that there are all the grounds to implement at least a part of sanctions prepared against Russia now.' People evacuated from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic get on a train to be evacuated deep into Russia in the town of Taganrog, on February 20 Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack yesterday - the first fatalities in the conflict for more than a month. Pictured: People evacuated from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic are seen on a bus at a railway station ahead of departing for temporary accommodation facilities on Sunday Separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action People from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the territory controlled by a pro-Russia separatist governments in eastern Ukraine, walk from a train to be taken to temporary residences in the Volgograd region in Russia on Sunday Medical workers and people evacuated from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic are seen at a temporary accommodation facility at the Akhtuba Hotel in Volgograd region in Russia A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a command post to start his shift at a frontline position outside Popasna, in the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday The U.S. embassy in Russia also cautioned Americans on Sunday to have evacuation plans, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine, in an unusual notice to its citizens. 'There have been threats of attacks against shopping centres, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine,' the embassy said. 'Review your personal security plans,' the embassy said. 'Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.' Analysts seized on the idea of false flag terrorist attacks on Russian soil being used to justify an overwhelming attack on Ukraine. The Moscow apartment bombings in 1999 were an immediate prelude to a brutal Chechen war. Critics of Vladimir Putin have always maintained that the Russian state was behind the atrocities. Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, questioned if the United States had passed on the information about possible attacks to Russia. 'And if not, how is one to understand all of this?' Zakharova said. Meanwhile, the call between Macron and Putin on Sunday led to the leaders agreeing on 'the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one.' But during the call, Putin told the French leader that Western countries should give point-by-point responses to sweeping demands set by Moscow last December to limit the West's role in eastern Europe and ex-Soviet countries The Kremlin said the supply of weapons and ammunition by NATO countries to Ukraine was pushing Kyiv towards a 'military solution' against separatists in the country's east. 'As a result, civilians... who have to evacuate to Russia to escape the intensifying shelling, suffer,' the Kremlin added. Explosions late on Saturday shook eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Hundreds of artillery shells have exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, further increasing fears that the volatile region could see a Russian invasion. Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed that claim as 'a fake statement.' 'When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences,' Putin' spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television. On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. 'Right now, we don't respond to their fire because...' the Ukrainian soldier said before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. 'Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.' Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack yesterday - the first fatalities in the conflict for more than a month. Separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. Sporadic violence has broken out for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from the Russia-backed separatists, but the spike in recent days is orders of magnitude higher than anything recently recorded by international monitors: nearly 1,500 explosions in 24 hours. Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government in Ukraine's Donetsk region, cited an 'immediate threat of aggression' from Ukrainian forces in his announcement of a call to arms. Ukrainian officials vehemently denied having plans to take rebel-controlled areas by force. Military hardware of Russian Army Western Military District tank army units loaded onto a troop train as it returns from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites Anton Olegovich Sidorov, a soldier of the 30th OMBR, is understood to have been killed during the Russian shelling in the East of Ukraine yesterday A convoy of tanks 25km from the Ukraine border as it is confirmed that Russian military exercises in Belarus will continue on Sunday Civilians from Donetsk and Lugansk, located in the separatist-controlled Donbas region, are being evacuated to camps in Rostov, Russia People who have been evacuated from the separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine fill in and submit documents in a temporary accommodation centre in the Rostob region of Russia on Sunday A car bomb in Donetsk on Saturday evening. Civilians have been evacuated from the region, where Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died in an attack Civilians train with members of the Georgian Legion, a paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers to fight against the Russian forces in 201. It comes as one British expat said a small community would 'fight like devils' Russian tanks pictured leaving the border with Ukraine on Friday following the completion of joint exercises with Belarus as diplomatic tensions continue to mount over fears of an imminent invasion Home Secretary warns UK interests could be targeted by Russian hackers as GCHQ tells firms and public services to take 'pre-emptive measures' to defend themselves British firms and public services should brace themselves for cyber attacks as tensions with Russia escalate over a potential invasion of Ukraine. In a stark warning, Home Secretary Priti Patel urged organisations to take 'pre-emptive measures' against 'cyber attacks aimed at the West'. Lindy Cameron, head of Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ (GCHQ) national cyber security centre, also described a 'heightened cyber threat', the Sunday Telegraph reports. The heads of food, utility and communications companies have been briefed by GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and told to strengthen their cyber defences. Advertisement Putin and Macron said during their phone call they would work 'intensely' to allow the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE, to meet 'in the next few hours with the aim of getting all interested parties to commit to a ceasefire at the contact line' in eastern Ukraine where government troops and pro-Russian separatists are facing each other. 'Intense diplomatic work will take place in the coming days,' Macron's office said, with several consultations to take place in the French capital. Macron and Putin also agreed that talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany should resume to implement the so-called Minsk protocol, which in 2014 had already called for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. Both also agreed to work towards 'a high-level meeting with the aim of defining a new peace and security order in Europe', Macron's office said. In Sunday's call, Putin told Macron that he intends to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus as soon as ongoing military exercises there are over, the Elysee also said. The French presidency said that this claim 'will have to be verified', adding it appeared to contradict a statement by the Belarusian government that the Russian military would 'continue inspections' beyond Sunday's previously announced end of the exercises, leaving Moscow with a large force near the northern Ukraine border. The British Prime Minister said the phone call between Macron and Putin, where the Russian leader agreed on the 'need to favour a diplomatic solution' to the ongoing crisis, was a 'welcome sign'. Johnson and Macron later agreed during a phone call on Sunday that the next week will be 'crucial for diplomacy' as the West looks to avert war between Russia and Ukraine. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'The Prime Minister spoke to French president Macron tonight about the situation in Ukraine. They updated one another on their respective diplomatic efforts, including President Macron's call with President Putin today. 'The Prime Minister noted that President Putin's commitments to President Macron were a welcome sign that he might still be willing to engage in finding a diplomatic solution. The Prime Minister stressed that Ukraine's voice must be central in any discussions. 'The leaders agreed on the need for both Russia and Ukraine to meet their commitments under the Minsk Agreements in full. They also underscored the need for President Putin to step back from his current threats and withdraw troops from Ukraine's border. 'The Prime Minister and President Macron agreed next week would be crucial for diplomacy and resolved to stay in close contact.' Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday night issued a NOTAM (Notice to airmen), declaring the Sea of Azov a no-fly zone for commercial flights. The area concerned bordered the crucial Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which is close to the line of contact between Ukraine's and the pro-Russian forces. The move was seen as a possible precursor to a seaborne invasion of Ukraine from the flotilla of six massive landing ships which the Russian Navy has amassed in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, each of which can carry ten main battle tanks and 300 troops. The vessels and their deadly cargo would open up yet another line of attack for the Russians alongside their massive troop build-ups already in place on Ukraine's eastern and northern borders. The ships, all part of Russia's Northern and Baltic Fleets, made the tortuous journey around western Europe, through the Strait of Gibraltar and right across the Mediterranean. It came as a Russian invasion force of armoured tanks painted with the letter 'Z' and huge convoys were seen rolling towards the Ukraine border in Shebekino, Russia. Around 200 military vehicles were spotted in Shebekino, just across the border from Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast, with 'Z' markings 'applied hastily' to the backs of most vehicles. Independent Russian Telegram channel Hunter's Notes, which closely monitors military movements, said 'all equipment [marked with 'Z'] was seen near Kursk and in the Shebekino region of Belgorod' on the border with Ukraine. The tactic mirrors that used by UK and US forces in the First Gulf War when the allied invasion sent to liberate Kuwait marked vehicles with a distinctive upturned chevron [^] to avoid friendly fire once action begins. The Ukraine War Report account on Twitter, which posts about Russian troop movements near Ukraine, said: 'Numerous videos are being uploaded of Russian military vehicles with 'Z' markings. Our assessment is it's 'friend or foe' identification markings used by armies during wartime.' Military analyst Rob Lee wrote on Twitter: 'It appears Russian forces near the border are painting markers, in this case 'Z', on vehicles to identify different task forces or echelons.' 'It would suggest final preparations are complete,' a source in Ukraine told The Sun. 'The Ukrainians have very similar tanks and vehicles and [the Russians] will want to reduce the risk of friendly fire.' It was suggested Russian troops also have the letter 'Z' on their military packs, which could support the friendly fire theory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Vladimir Putin to meet him for talks amid the escalating crisis, saying 'I don't know what the president of the Russian Federation wants', but that Ukraine would continue 'to follow only the diplomatic path'. The Kremlin insists it has no incursion plans, but its test-firing of nuclear-capable missiles Saturday did little to alleviate tensions. British and US intelligence has also suggested that Putin has already issued a 'go' order to trigger his invasion plan. It is expected that Russia will follow false flag operations and brushes with Ukrainian military in the Donbas region with an attack led by separatist groups, before Russian troops 'take a bite out of Ukraine' or launch a full invasion, The Sunday Times reports. A security source added: 'I would expect a massive opening salvo to try to remove the government in Kyiv. The Russians have positioned cruise missiles to take out the capital.' Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, has also accused the West of 'warmongering' by creating an 'artificial crisis' in Ukraine. He told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme that Moscow had the 'right to be concerned' by the placement of Nato infrastructure and troops 'near our border'. President Zelenskyy made his plea for talks with Putin hours after separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilisation and Western leaders warned a Russian invasion of its neighbour appeared imminent. US Vice President Kamala Harris also today warned that 'we are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe'. She added the US would impose 'some of the greatest, if not strongest' sanctions 'ever issued' in the event of a Russian invasion. However, Belarusian Defence Minister Victor Khrenin has confirmed that joint exercises involving Russia and Belarus forces are being extended, despite promises from Moscow that the drills would end this weekend. He said: 'The presidents of Belarus and Russia decided to continue inspections of the readiness of Union State forces.' Mr Khrenin added that the decision was taken due to increased military activity along the Belarusian and Russian borders and because of an 'escalation' in east Ukraine. The drills in Belarus - which had been due to conclude Sunday - have exacerbated already soaring tensions. The Belarus defence ministry said upcoming stages of the large-scale drills would continue the aim of ensuring a sufficient military response to any external threats. It did not specify an end date. The Kremlin insists it has no incursion plans, but its test-firing of nuclear-capable missiles Saturday did little to alleviate tensions. Russia has also been holding joint exercises with Belarus at a firing range near Brest (pictured) A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground A T-72B tank takes part in the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Photos released by Belarus' Ministry of Defence show Russian and Belarusian soldiers shaking hands while taking part in joint operations in Brest In new signs of fears that a war could start within days, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine. German air carrier Lufthansa cancelled flights to the capital Kyiv and to Odessa, a Black Sea port that could be a key target in an invasion. At the same time, pro-Russian social media accounts claimed the Ukrainian military was planning a huge offensive in the war-torn eastern region of Donbas. Fears of tensions boiling over were backed up by figures released Saturday by the OSCE, which showed there were more than 1,400 explosions in the rebel held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk on Friday. The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission that is deployed in the conflict zone said it had logged 553 explosions in Donetsk and a further 860 in neighbouring Luhansk - adding that it had confirmed one civilian casualty in a government-controlled area of Donetsk. It put the total number of ceasefire violations on Friday at more than 1,500, compared with 870 the day before, suggesting an upwards trajectory of gunfire and mortars. Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy experienced the clashes first-hand Saturday, ducking for cover as mortar shells fell within a few hundred metres of him while he toured the frontline with reporters. It came as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Saturday during a visit to Lithuania that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike'. The origin of the explosions over the weekend are not clear, while there was no immediate comment from separatist authorities or from Kyiv. Last-ditch diplomatic efforts were underway on Sunday to prevent what Western powers warn a catastrophic European war as Mr Macron was to call his Putin as ceasefire monitors and Ukrainian commanders reported intense shelling in eastern Ukraine. Macron met Putin on February 7 and has since, along with fellow Western leaders like Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, been urging his Russian counterpart to pull back from the brink of war. Sunday's call, Macron's office said, represented 'the last possible and necessary effort to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine'. But in a new suspected stunt the pro-Moscow rebel authority in Donetsk claim to have detained a Ukrainian spy who was said to be confessing to Kyiv's aims to overrun the Donbas. Anton Matsanyuk is alleged to have 'confirmed that Kyiv intends to use all its strike power in the forcible seizure of the Donbas', one report said. The alleged saboteur conveniently confirmed a plan touted in recent days by Russia of a Ukrainian plan to invade Donetsk and Luhansk. US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media following an appearance at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. She warned the US would impose 'some of the greatest, if not strongest' sanctions 'ever issued' Prime Minister Boris Johnson greets the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy for bilateral talks during the Munich Security Conference on Saturday French President Emmanuel Macron (R) pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) in Moscow earlier this month. The pair have shared a phone call today amid rising tensions over an imminent invasion of Ukraine This detailed offensive plan, which fell into the hands of Donetsk intelligence officers, was broadcast by Channel One. He was also linked to a plan to blow up the car belonging to Denis Sinenkov, the head of the people's militia directorate of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), said Russian TV. The car was blown up in what the West say was a false flag operation on February 18. Russian TV claimed Matsanyuk had access to classified information on Donetsk leaders, and that it was by 'sheer luck' Sinenkov was not inside his vehicle. 'I was recruited in 2018', he said as he claimed he was an agent of Ukrainian military intelligence. Matsanyuk was allegedly forming a 'sleeping cell' to stage 'terrorist attacks' on orders from Ukraine. In a claimed confession, he said: 'When the 'H-Hour' comes, they will be instructed to place the caches with improvised explosive devices [IEDs], so that in the future these IEDs will be installed in critical facilities of the DPR; these are bridges, this is a crowd of people, these are railway crossings, also on the routes of the first people in the republic and against military motorcades.' It comes after Jens Stoltenberg, NATO chief, warned that the risk of a Russian attack is 'very high', echoing US warnings that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike'. 'Every indication indicates that Russia is planning a full-fledged attack against Ukraine,' Stoltenberg told German broadcaster ARD on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. 'We all agree that the risk of an attack is very high.' The United States dominates NATO, and US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was 'convinced' Russia was going to invade Ukraine within the week, and have its forces target Ukraine's capital Kyiv. The US recently sent nearly 5,000 troops to NATO ally Poland, in addition to the 4,000 that are on a permanent rotation in the country. The aim is to reassure a nervous ally amid fears that Russia could attack Ukraine. The US recently sent nearly 5,000 troops to NATO ally Poland, in addition to the 4,000 that are on a permanent rotation in the country. The aim is to reassure a nervous ally amid fears that Russia could attack Ukraine U.S. troops load equipment onto vehicles in Rzeszow, Poland, on Saturday. The United States dominates NATO, and US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was 'convinced' Russia was going to invade Ukraine within the week, and have its forces target Ukraine's capital Kyiv Nearly 10,000 American troops are now in the neighboring country, set to act if the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border continues to escalate The soldiers' arrival in Poland Thursday came in response to the Russian deployments on Ukraine's borders NATO is also relocating staff from Kyiv to Lviv, in the west of the country, and to the Belgian capital Brussels, which houses NATO's headquarters, for their safety, an alliance official said Saturday. 'The safety of our personnel is paramount, so staff have been relocated to Lviv and Brussels. The NATO offices in Ukraine remain operational,' the official told AFP, without giving numbers. Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin channel NTV has revealed that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov personally ordered a leak damaging to 'insolent' Foreign Secretary Liz Truss immediately after their talks in Moscow earlier this month. He did so because Ms Truss showed herself to be 'a fool, and so arrogant at the same time', it was claimed in a new attack on the Tory politician who has become a Moscow target for her forthright views. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss showed herself to be 'a fool, and so arrogant at the same time' during her trip to Moscow, according to Kommersant newspaper journalist Maxim Yusin NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg (pictured) warned that the risk of an attack is 'very high', echoing US warnings that Russian troops dotted along Ukraine's border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike' Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin Huge flames and smoke fill the air after a gas pipeline was struck in the Lugansk region of Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion 'within days' Dramatic moment militants open fire on the Ukrainian interior minister and journalists in eastern Ukraine on Saturday Volunteers are seen during mobilisation process in military, at pro-Russian separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine on Saturday Local residents of pro-Russian separatist-controlled city of Donetsk are seen during evacuation process in Rostov region on Saturday Boris warns Russia is planning 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945' The Prime Minister has warned that evidence suggests that Russia is planning 'the biggest war in Europe since 1945' and said there are signs the plan has 'in some senses' begun. Speaking to the BBC's Sophie Raworth, Boris Johnson said intelligence suggests that Russia intends to launch an attack to encircle Kyiv. 'All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun,' he said. 'People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail. Mr Johnson's comments came after he met with Western leaders and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky in Munich, where he warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state'. Advertisement Kommersant newspaper journalist Maxim Yusin revealed his paper was leaked an apparent blunder by Ms Truss during the talks in confusing two regions in Russia - Voronezh and Rostov - with Ukrainian regions. He said: 'This exchange [with Ms Truss] happened in closed negotiations. Were it not for Lavrov [deciding to leak], and sharing it with Kommersant, nobody would know about [her confusing Ukrainian and Russian regions]. 'I have no doubt there were a lot of blunders when Lavrov was talking to [German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock] who is not much smarter than this madam [Truss] - but [Baerbock] didn't behave as insolently and arrogantly. 'This is why neither her nor other interlocutors of Lavrov who slipped up became victims of making [their blunders] public. [With Truss] one can't be a fool, and so arrogant at the same time. It's either, or.' In the talks, Lavrov had insisted that Russia had every right to move its armed forces on its own territory. But Ms Truss repeated that they should be withdrawn and Lavrov countered - according to Kommersant newspaper: 'Do you recognise the sovereignty of Russia over the Rostov and Voronezh regions?' She allegedly replied after a short pause: 'Britain will never recognise Russian sovereignty over these regions.' At this, British ambassador Deborah Bronnert was forced to intervene to correct Ms Truss and explain that these were Russian - not Ukrainian - regions, according to the accounts in Moscow. Meanwhile, Putin put on a show of military strength today with huge new nuclear drills involving ballistic missiles, submarines, tank convoys and ship-based missiles. In a released photo, the Russian president and Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko - often dubbed the 'Europe's last dictator' - can be seen watching the sabre-rattling drills from a situation room in the Kremlin. It came as world leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference in Germany today - where Boris Johnson warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state', adding that 'the shock will echo around the world'. The Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Western powers at the conference to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts - which earned him a standing ovation from world leaders. The conference had echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler's Germany in an effort to prevent an imminent war. Mr Zelensky said today: 'Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security ... 'But we have a right - a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.' He added: 'For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.' Foreign ministers from the G7 group of rich nations said on Saturday they saw no evidence that Russia is reducing military activity near Ukraine's borders and remain 'gravely concerned' about the situation. 'We call on Russia to choose the path of diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions, to substantively withdraw military forces from the proximity of Ukraine's borders and to fully abide by international commitments,' the countries said in a joint statement released by Britain's foreign ministry. 'As a first step, we expect Russia to implement the announced reduction of its military activities along Ukraine's borders. We have seen no evidence of this reduction,' they added. Elsewhere, NATO is relocating staff from Kyiv to Lviv, in the west of the country, and to the Belgian capital Brussels, for their safety, an alliance official said Saturday. Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday. The exercise is being held from February 10 to 20 as part of the second phase of testing response forces of Russia and Belarus A helicopter is seen flying as Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday A view of a gas pipeline hit by a blast in Frunze Street, Lugansk, Ukraine on Saturday night. Several gas pipelines were blown up in the region amid escalating tensions in the east of the country Close up shows flames bursting from an exploded gas pipeline in Lugansk, Ukraine, as tensions with Russia escalated to new heights on Saturday Military hardware takes part in the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground A mixed air striking group performs a bomb strike during the Allied Resolve 2022 joint military drills held by Belarusian and Russian troops at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Russian and Belarusian armed forces take part in Allied Determination-2022 military drill in Gomel, Belarus on Saturday The military exercise is being held from February 10 to 20 as part of the second phase of testing response forces of the Union State of Russia and Belarus Boris Johnson has warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Pictured: The Prime Minister meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Ukrainian soldier rests a rocket launcher on his shoulder during a military drill at an unknown location in Ukraine on Saturday - as tensions with Russia reach boiling point A tank travels through mud during a Ukrainian military drill on Saturday as the country braces for a potential Russian invasion Reservists take part in a tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv on Saturday Reservists take part in a tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv on Saturday Residents of the Lugansk People's Republic get on a bus at the Lugansk bus terminal before evacuation to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region late on Friday night Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022 A Ukrainian serviceman speaks to his comrade walking along a trench on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote Ukrainian troops patrol the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19 - after two soldiers were reportedly killed Saturday by Russian-backed separatists A Ukrainian serviceman walks in a yard of a destroyed house on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote Reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv A man is seen lying down holding a gun as reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and the alliance does not have any forces there, but since the late 1990s it has maintained two offices in Kyiv - a NATO Liaison Office and a NATO Information and Documentation Centre. The liaison office's job is keep up dialogue between NATO and Ukraine's government while encouraging a democratic transformation of Ukraine's defence and security sector. According to NATO's website, it consisted of a civilian head leading a mixed team of NATO military and civilian personnel. The web page, last updated in 2016, said there were a total of 16 staff. The NATO Information and Documentation Centre's number of personnel was not disclosed. Its job was to inform the Ukrainian public about NATO and support Ukrainian institutions in their communications. Stoltenberg has previously said that the alliance will not deploy any forces into Ukraine to defend it from any Russian aggression. But NATO members have sent forces to neighbouring countries which are alliance members, and Stoltenberg has said NATO member countries will vigorously react to any Russian action in those territories, under its collective defence pact. It comes as the Russians are continuing their 'false flag' operations in Eastern Ukraine, seemingly designed to provoke conflict. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are starting to stream into Russia today after Vladimir Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation of two separatist republics as part of a suspected 'false flag' operation to provide the pretext for an invasion. Up to 700,000 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. Hours later, a car bomb rocked Donetsk in an alleged 'assassination attempt' of a top Putin-allied official, which Western intelligence agencies believe was faked as part of the 'false flag' deception. Evacuees from the Donetsk People's Republic arrive Saturday at a refugee camp organised at the Kotlostroitel children's health centre in the village of Krasny Desant, Neklinovsky, Russia Photos released Saturday show Ukrainian paratroopers taking part in exercises in an undisclosed location in Ukraine Ukrainian troops patrol at the frontline outside the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022 Ukrainian Soldiers in camouflaged gear huddle in front of an armoured vehicle during a military drill in Ukraine A militant of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) reads out names of men registered at a military mobilisation point in a school in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday Reservists queue at a mobilisation centre for citizens of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on Saturday Civilians take part in a military training course conducted by a Christian Territorial Defence Unit on February 19, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine Using wooden guns modelled on Kalashnikovs, residents in Kiev receive military training in the event of Russian invasion Russia's Acting Emergencies Minister Alexander Chupriyan (right) visits a tent camp set up by the Russian Emergencies Ministry at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint for evacuees from the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine A woman evacuated from the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine kisses a child in a tent camp set up by the Russian Emergencies Ministry at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint Buses carrying evacuees from Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, arrive at a refugee camp organised at the Kotlostroitel children's health centre in the village of Krasny Desant, Neklinovsky District, Russia Russian Emergencies Ministry employees set up a tent camp for people evacuated from Donetsk at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint Russian Emergencies Ministry employees transport a bunk bed as they set up a tent camp for people evacuated from the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoint Civilians of all ages receive military training at an old industrial plant in the Desnianskyi district, outside Kiev, on Saturday A Ukrainian soldier takes aim while training residents in Kiev in the event of a Russian invasion Ukrainian soldiers in camouflaged gear take a break while training civilians in how to defend against a Russian invasion, near Kiev on Saturday A Ukrainian soldier peers through binoculars while helping to train civilians in Desnianskyi, just outside Kiev on Saturday Ukrainian soldiers don balaclavas while training citizens in a district just outside Kiev on Saturday Civilians receive training from the Ukrainian military at an old industrial plant in the Desnianskyi district outside Kiev on Saturday A rebel soldier from the self-declared Donetsk Peoples Republic watches on as residents are evacuated and shipped off to Russia on Saturday A Russia-bound train with citizens of the Lugansk People's Republic is seen before its departure from a station in Lugansk, east Ukraine. The train is the first to depart for Russia from the Lugansk People's Republic since 2014 A woman waves from a train carriage to be evacuated to Russia, at the railway station in Debaltseve, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait for a train at the Donetsk-2 railway station as they evacuate to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region on Saturday A man helps a small child put on a glove as they wait for a train at the Donetsk-2 railway station as they evacuate to Russia's Rostov-on-Don Region on Saturday Women take part in a military exercise for civilians conducted by veterans of the Ukrainian National Guard Azov battalion in Kharkiv, Ukraine on February 19, 2022 Later two explosions at a 'gas pipeline' rocked the separatist city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in another suspected false flag attack. Elsewhere, the Russian leader is personally overseeing nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. The Kremlin nuclear drills also involved Mig fighter bombers armed with hypersonic missiles patrolling over the Mediterranean from their bases in Syria. Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko is joining Putin in the situation room in the Kremlin to watch over the strategic drills. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels. Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today's manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Meanwhile, top Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine and were forced to flee to a bomb shelter before leaving the area. A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is launched during Russian training drills as part of the strategic exercises today A Ukrainian serviceman digs a trench on a positions at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Smoke and flame rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of a cruise missile of the operational-tactical missile system 'Iskander' from at the Kapustin Yar training ground, Russia, 19 February 2022 Two Tu-22M3 bombers escorted by Su-35 fighters of the Russian air force fly during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills A Russian nuclear submarine sails in an unknown location during exercises by nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic missiles, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022 Russian guided missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov fires the Tsirkon hypersonic missile during the exercises by nuclear forces in an unknown location A Russian Tu-95MS air-launched cruise missile is tested as part of a planned exercise of strategic deterrence forces Russian and Belarusian multi-role combat helicopters Mi-35M attend the joint operational exercise of the armed forces A resident learns how to point and shoot with a wooden stick as she takes part in a military exercise for civilians conducted by Christian Territorial Defence in Ukraine Russian and Belarusian multi-role combat helicopters Mi-35M attend the joint operational exercise of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia Military helicopters fly over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released Up to 700,00 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. A woman says goodbye to her father through a bus window in Donetsk Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic are placed in tents in the refugee camp in Rostov on Don, Rostov region, Russia Russian and Belarusian servicemen conduct joint drills at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus Fighter jets fly during the joint military drills of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus at a firing range in the Brest Region Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post 'Matveev Kurgan' in Rostov region The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin announced a general mobilisation Boris Johnson warns Russian invasion will 'echo around the world' Boris Johnson has warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, the Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. Boris jetted to the annual summit in Bavaria to make a plea to avoid 'unnecessary bloodshed' by diplomatic means if the West speaks with 'one voice'. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Johnson said: 'If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections. 'And every time Western ministers have visited Kyiv, we have reassured the people of Ukraine and their leaders that we stand four-square behind their sovereignty and independence. 'How hollow, how meaningless, how insulting those words would seem if at the very moment when their sovereignty and independence is imperilled we simply look away. 'If Ukraine is invaded, the shock will echo around the world, and those echoes will be heard in East Asia they will be heard in Taiwan.' Advertisement Russia has also sent a MIG-31K and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Mediterranean in another show of force amid the rising tensions. The warplane is deployed with the new ultra high speed Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles. The 24-foot-long, one-ton Kinzhal - or Dagger - can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and Russia boasts it has no match among Western defences. The hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 1,250 miles and could pummel Ukrainian troops and defences without flying close to the country. Russia is believed to have around 20 Kinzhal-compatible MiG-31Ks in total. Video footage has also emerged which graphically demonstrates the sheer intensity of the bombardment that Russian-backed forces have unleashed on Ukraine in the last two days. In night-time footage taken from the port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, just a few miles from the front line, shells could be heard raining down almost incessantly on Ukrainian positions for five hours. The distant flashes from the exploding 122mm and 152mm heavy artillery and mortars on the video posted on censor.net were reminiscent of WW1 trench warfare. One resident of the city posted on Facebook: 'No-one in Mariupol is sleeping tonight.' According to the Ukrainian government there were a total of 66 ceasefire violations by the pro-Russian rebels overnight, involving hundreds of shells. In a separate incident at a front-line checkpoint at Schastia, which ironically means 'Happiness' in Ukrainian, more incoming shells blasted onto a car park in daytime CCTV footage provided by the Ukraine government. Shelling also damaged a pumping station in Donetsk Oblast, threatening water supply to 46 towns and villages in the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region, Ukraine's authorities reported. Amid the new drills today, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said the troops on the border are 'uncoiling' and 'poised to strike' during a visit to Lithuania. This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, shows a MiG-31K fighter of the Russian air force carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic cruise missile parked at an air field during a military drills An airman checks a Russian Air Force MiG-31 fighter jet prior a flight with Kinzhal hypersonic missile during a drill in an unknown location in Russia, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022 A Belarusian Army military helicopter flies over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Military jets drop bombs flying over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Smoke rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 A military helicopter flies next to a flock of birds in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 A Russian paratrooper takes part in a force inspection at the Obuz-Lesnovsky firing range in Belarus today Tanks and armoured vehicles move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground Russian Tu-95MS bomber aircraft flies during the Grom-2022 Strategic Deterrence Force exercise amid threat of an invasion The Russian leader is personally overseeing the nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels Civilians train with members of the Georgian Legion, a paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers, to fight against the Russian aggression in Ukraine Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine have ordered a full military mobilisation amid growing fears in the West that Russia is planning to invade the neighbouring country 'They are uncoiling and are now poised to strike,' he said, adding that troops were 'moving into the right kinds of positions to be able to conduct an attack'. Meanwhile Boris Johnson warned an invasion of Ukraine could cause 'the destruction of a democratic state' and 'the shock will echo around the world'. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, the Prime Minister said the 'omens are grim' from Russia on the possibility of an invasion in the coming days, and that the world could not 'underestimate the gravity of this moment'. Mr Boris jetted to the annual summit in Bavaria to make a plea to avoid 'unnecessary bloodshed' by diplomatic means if the West speaks with 'one voice'. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr Johnson said: 'If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections. Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic arrive to the refugee camp in Rostov on Don, Rostov region People sit in a bus for their evacuation in Donetsk on February amid fears of an imminent invasion with troops massed on the border Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are streaming into Russia today after Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation It comes as thousands of Ukrainian refugees are streaming into Russia today after Putin's allies ordered a mass evacuation of two separatist republics as part of a suspected 'false flag' operation to provide the pretext for an invasion. Up to 700,00 civilians are being evacuated from the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after rebel leaders yesterday claimed Ukraine was about to attack the areas. Hours later a car bomb rocked Donetsk in an alleged 'assassination attempt' of a top Putin-allied official, which Western intelligence agencies believe was faked as part of the 'false flag' deception. Later two explosions at a 'gas pipeline' rocked the separatist city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in another suspected false flag attack. Last night, US President said he is 'convinced' the Russian premier has made up his mind to launch an invasion after amassing almost 200,000 troops on the border. In a televised address from the White House, Mr Biden said he has 'reason to believe' it will occur in the 'coming days' and will include an assault on the capital Kyiv. After weeks of saying the US was not sure if Mr Putin had made the final decision to launch a widespread invasion, Mr Biden said that assessment had changed. 'As of this moment I'm convinced he's made the decision,' Mr Biden said. 'We have reason to believe that.' He cited the United States' 'significant intelligence capability' for the assessment. The Ukrainian civilian refugees will be housed in tent cities provided by Putin's government in Russia where they will receive a gift of $132. False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released. Huge convoys of buses were laid on the for the refugees, after the evacuation was announced in video addresses by the leaders of the breakaway Republics which have also ordered a general mobilisation of all men to the army. Multiple explosions could be heard on Saturday morning in the north of the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a Reuters witness said. The origin was not immediately clear. Ukraine said earlier that one of its soldiers had been killed. False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released False flag suspicions were also fueled by time stamps on the videos announcing the evacuations, that show they were taped by rebel leaders two days before being released. A boy looks through a bus window waiting to be evacuated to Russia, in Donetsk, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine Denis Pushilin, the leader of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, has called on all men 'who are in the reserves to come to military conscription offices' following a mass evacuation of women and children in Ukraine's breakaway provinces to southern Russia. Leonid Pasechnik, the leader of the Luhansk separatist region in Ukraine, ordered a general mobilisation shortly afterwards. Pushilin claimed his region's forces had prevented attacks he said were planned by Ukraine, and that the Ukrainian army had continued manoeuvres. Separatist authorities on Friday announced plans to evacuate around 700,000 people, citing fears of an imminent attack by Ukrainian forces an accusation Kiev flatly denied. Less than 7,000 people had been evacuated from Donetsk as of Saturday morning, the local emergencies ministry said. The Ukrainian military said it had recorded 12 ceasefire violations by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in the morning after 66 cases in the previous 24 hours. Separatist authorities also reported what they said was shelling by Ukrainian forces of several villages on Saturday. Both sides regularly trade blame for ceasefire violations. Kiev has repeatedly denied any plans to regain control of separatist-held areas using force, including the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. More than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukraine's army and Russia's proxies. It comes as Ukraine's army claimed today a soldier had been killed in the separatist east and Volodymyr Zelensky is heading to the Munich Security Conference, despite President Joe Biden's warning not to leave Ukraine through fear of an imminent invasion. Yesterday Biden said he is now 'convinced' Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital. After weeks of saying that Washington was not sure if Putin had made the final decision, the US President said that his judgment had changed, citing American intelligence. He reiterated that the assault could occur in the 'coming days'. His comments followed a day of rising violence that included a humanitarian convoy hit by shelling and a car bombing in the eastern city of Donetsk. Huge convoys of buses were laid on the for the refugees, after the evacuation was announced in video addresses by the leaders of the breakaway Republics An explosion was heard in rebel-held Luhansk, one of the main cities in Ukraine's breakaway region of People's Republic of Luhansk, according to reports In this photo made from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on February 19, 2022, a Russian marine takes his position during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus People board a bus during the evacuation of residents to Russia, in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, February 19, 2022 A car bomb sparked 'false flag' fears after it exploded near the headquarters of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic. Just hours later a fireball was seen lighting up the sky after an international oil pipeline running through the key rebel-held city of Luhansk blew up. The blast rocked the Druzhba pipeline which runs from Russia to various points in eastern and central Europe. On Thursday a shell blew a hole through the wall of kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska People look at a memorial dedicated to late Euromaidan activists along the Alley of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes on February 18, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine US President Joe Biden delivers a national update on the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border at the White House in Washington, DC, February 18, 2022 The West must show unity against Putin amid Ukraine war scare, Boris Johnson insists Boris Johnson has called for western leaders to unite against Vladimir Putin and show the Russian leader he will pay a 'high price' if he sends his troops into Ukraine. The Prime Minister will head to the Munich Security Conference on Saturday to make a plea for 'unnecessary bloodshed' to be avoided by pursuing a diplomatic route to prevent a conflict in eastern Europe. Only hours before Biden's statement, the UK Foreign Office announced it had decided to 'temporarily' move its diplomats out of Kyiv, relocating them to the west of the country. The department said British embassy officials will relocate to Lviv, situated near the border with Poland. With estimates that 190,000 Russian troops are posted around Ukraine's borders, Johnson has previously called the situation 'very grim'. But in comments made before embarking on his trip to Germany, the Prime Minister said 'diplomacy can still prevail' if the West puts on a united front in terms of agreeing punishing sanctions to slap on Moscow. 'There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,' he said. 'Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Diplomacy can still prevail. That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.' The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. The Russian defence ministry has announced it will be carrying out fresh exercises on Saturday involving its strategic nuclear forces. Putin will observe the drills involving multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in a demonstration that Russia remains a nuclear superpower. The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are 'purely defensive' and do not represent a threat to any other country. There are concerns among western allies that the Kremlin could use 'disinformation' and a possible 'false flag' operation to justify an offensive, particularly with growing activity in separatist-held areas of Ukraine. Advertisement Pro-Russian rebels began evacuating civilians from the conflict zone with an announcement that appeared to be part of Moscow's efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor instead. One of Vladimir Putin's closest allies, parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin vowed that Russia would 'defend' its compatriots in the Donbas, hinting at military intervention. He said: 'Russia doesn't want war. 'Our president Vladimir Putin repeatedly said this earlier and is saying this these days.' But 'if danger arises to the lives of Russians and compatriots living in the DPR and LPR, our country will defend them.' This came as pro-Moscow rebels claimed a water-pumping station in Vasilievka was hit by Ukrainian fire. Ukraine has denied any such attacks. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has announced massive nuclear drills to flex its military muscle, and Putin pledged to protect Russia's national interests against what it sees as encroaching Western threats. Biden reiterated his threat of crushing economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia if it does invade, and pressed Putin to reconsider. He said the US and its Western allies were more united than ever to ensure Russia pays a steep price for any invasion. He said: 'We're calling out Russia's plans. Not because we want a conflict, but because we are doing everything in our power to remove any reason Russia may give to justify invading Ukraine. 'If Russia pursues its plans, it will be responsible for a catastrophic and needless war of choice.' Earlier on Friday, Biden said he believed Putin had already made up his mind to invade Ukraine. He said: 'As of this moment, I'm convinced he's made the decision. We have reason to believe that.' He said it was based on Washington's 'significant intelligence capability.' But he insisted Putin could change course if he wanted to. 'Russia can still choose diplomacy,' he said. 'It is not too late to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table.' As further indication that the Russians are preparing for a major military push, a US defence official said an estimated 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the ground forces deployed in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border have moved into attack positions closer to the border. That shift has been under way for about a week, other officials have said, and does not necessarily mean Putin has decided to begin an invasion. The official also said the number of Russian ground units known as battalion tactical groups in the border area had grown to as many as 125, up from 83 two weeks ago. Each group has 750 to 1,000 soldiers. Lines of communication remain open. The US and Russian defence chiefs spoke on Friday, and US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to meet next week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will attend the Munich Security Conference on Saturday and return home later the same day, a statement from his office said. Zelenskiy's trip had been under scrutiny due to concern in Western countries that Russia is poised to launch a military offensive against Ukraine and could do so while the president is out of the country. Boris Johnson has called for western leaders to unite against Putin and show the Russian leader he will pay a 'high price' if he sends his troops into Ukraine. The Prime Minister will head to the Munich Security Conference on Saturday to make a plea for 'unnecessary bloodshed' to be avoided by pursuing a diplomatic route to prevent a conflict in eastern Europe. Only hours before Biden's statement, the UK Foreign Office announced it had decided to 'temporarily' move its diplomats out of Kyiv, relocating them to the west of the country. The department said British embassy officials will relocate to Lviv, situated near the border with Poland. With estimates that 190,000 Russian troops are posted around Ukraine's borders, Johnson has previously called the situation 'very grim'. But in comments made before embarking on his trip to Germany, the Prime Minister said 'diplomacy can still prevail' if the West puts on a united front in terms of agreeing punishing sanctions to slap on Moscow. 'There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,' he said. 'Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Diplomacy can still prevail. That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.' The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Putin continuing to parade Russia's military might. The Russian defence ministry has announced it will be carrying out fresh exercises on Saturday involving its strategic nuclear forces. Putin will observe the drills involving multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in a demonstration that Russia remains a nuclear superpower. The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are 'purely defensive' and do not represent a threat to any other country. The blast, which was first reported by Russian state media, is thought to be the start of Putin's long-predicted false flag operation used to justify an invasion of the country The destroyed UAZ military jeep belonged to Denis Sinenkov, head of regional security in Donetsk, in what Russian state media suggested was an assassination attempt Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a press conference with his Belarus counterpart, following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 18, 2022 An hour before the car bomb went off, separatist leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk had ordered an evacuation of civilians because of what they said was the threat of Ukrainian invasion (pictured, children are evacuated from an orphanage) Children are pictured after being loaded on to a bus for evacuation out of the city of Donetsk, in separatist-occupied eastern Ukraine, after leaders spread rumours that Kiev's troops were about to attack There are concerns among western allies that the Kremlin could use disinformation and a possible 'false flag' operation to justify an offensive, particularly with growing activity in separatist-held areas of Ukraine. Putin will hold a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday as tensions spike in the crisis over Ukraine, Moscow said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the call was 'on the president's schedule'. With an estimated 190,000 Russian troops now posted around Ukraine's borders, the long-simmering separatist conflict could provide the spark for a broader attack. Fears of such escalation intensified amid Friday's violence. A bombing struck a car outside the main government building in the rebel-held city of Donetsk. The head of the separatist forces, Denis Sinenkov, said the car was his, the Interfax news agency reported. There were no reports of casualties and no independent confirmation of the circumstances of the blast. Shelling and shooting are common along the line that separates Ukrainian forces and the rebels, but targeted violence is unusual in rebel-held cities. Adding to the tensions, two explosions shook the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk early on Saturday. The Luhansk Information Centre said one of the blasts was in a natural gas main and cited witnesses as saying the other was at a vehicle service station. There was no immediate word on injuries or a cause. Luhansk officials blamed a gas main explosion earlier in the week on sabotage. Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported more than 600 explosions in the war-torn east of Ukraine on Friday. Separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that form Ukraine's industrial heartland known as the Donbas announced they were evacuating civilians to Russia. Pushilin said women, children and the elderly would go first, and that Russia has prepared facilities for them. He alleged in a video statement that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was going to order an imminent offensive in the area. Metadata from two videos posted by the separatists announcing the evacuation show that the files were created two days ago. US authorities have alleged that the Kremlin's disinformation campaign could include staged, pre-recorded videos. Authorities began moving children from an orphanage in Donetsk, and other residents boarded buses for Russia. Long lines formed at gas stations as more people prepared to leave on their own. Putin has ordered the government to offer a payment of 10,000 rubles (about 95) to each evacuee, equivalent to about half of an average monthly salary in the war-ravaged Donbas region. By Saturday morning, more than 6,600 residents of the rebel-controlled areas were evacuated to Russia, according to separatist officials, who have announced plans to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people. The explosions and the announced evacuations were in line with US warnings of so-called false flag attacks that Russia could use to justify an invasion. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the threat to global security is 'more complex and probably higher' than during the Cold War. He told a security conference in Munich that a small mistake or miscommunication between major powers could have catastrophic consequences. Russia announced this week that it was pulling back forces from vast military exercises, but US officials said they saw no sign of a pullback and instead observed more troops moving toward the border with Ukraine. Ukraine's president condemns Western 'appeasement' of Putin in blistering address in MUNICH and vows to protect the country 'with or without support' from Europe - before leaders give him standing ovation with Russia expected to invade in days By Jack Newman for Mailonline Ukraine's president has called on the West to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts, to a standing ovation from world leaders. Volodymyr Zelensky told a security forum in Munich that his country deserves stronger international support after acting as a buffer against Russian expansion. The conference had echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler's Germany in an effort to prevent an imminent war. Zelensky said today: 'Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. We have no weapons. And no security ... 'But we have a right - a right to demand a shift from a policy of appeasement to one ensuring security and peace.' He added: 'For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.' Ukraine's president has called on the West to stop their 'appeasement' of Russia and warned sanctions will not work on Moscow once the bombing starts The Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces, the military reserve of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, take part in a military drill outside Kyiv What happened at the 1938 Munich conference? The Munich Agreement was signed by Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler and Edouard Daladier in 1938. It was designed to stop Germany invading Czechoslovakia. The agreement by the leaders agreed the annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, occupied mainly by German speaking people. Upon his return home, Chamberlain declared the agreement had secured 'peace in our time'. However a year later Hitler invaded Poland, sparking the beginning of the Second World War. Advertisement Zelensky also said he wants a 'clear' timeframe for when Ukraine can join the NATO alliance. 'What can we do? We can continue forcefully supporting Ukraine and its defences. Present... clear, feasible timeframes for membership of the Alliance,' he said. The president also called for a meeting with Putin in order to avoid any conflict. He said: 'I do not know what the Russian president wants. For this reason, I propose that we meet.' Zelensky was warned not to travel to Munich today through fear that Russia may launch an attack in his absence. Putin is putting on a show of military strength with new nuclear drills as he sends a MIG armed with a hypersonic missile over the Mediterranean. The Russian leader is personally overseeing the nuclear exercises involving 'strategic forces' which will include practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko is joining Putin in the situation room in the Kremlin to watch over the strategic drills. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today's drills 'should not cause anyone concern' and said Russia had informed the proper channels. Russia holds huge strategic drills every year but today's manoeuvres include the Black Sea Fleet, based on the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Smoke and flame rise over a field during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko oversee joint military drills from the situation room in the Kremlin A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of a cruise missile of the operational-tactical missile system 'Iskander' from at the Kapustin Yar training ground, Russia, 19 February 2022 A Russian nuclear submarine sails in an unknown location during exercises by nuclear forces involving the launch of ballistic missiles, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022 Military helicopters fly over tanks and armored vehicles moving during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Russian and Belarusian servicemen conduct joint drills at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus Tank army units loaded onto a troop train return from recent routine drills to permanent deployment sites Local residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic wait in a bus to enter Russia at the customs post 'Matveev Kurgan' in Rostov region The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin announced a general mobilisation Russia has also sent a MIG-31K and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Mediterranean in another show of force amid the rising tensions. The warplane is deployed with the new ultra high speed Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles. The 24-foot-long, one-ton Kinzhal - or Dagger - can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and Russia boasts it has no match among Western defences. The hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 1,250 miles and could pummel Ukrainian troops and defences without flying close to the country. Russia is believed to have around 20 Kinzhal-compatible MiG-31Ks in total. From its hulking headquarters on the north bank of the Thames, MI5 strives to defend the nation from terrorists and spies. The agency has huge powers: to bug and snoop, and to recruit and protect informants. Yet in one vital respect, when it comes to rooting out foreign agents, it has been falling short. As MI5s boss, Ken McCallum, lamented in an exclusive interview in this newspaper on Saturday, the service works with one hand behind our back. What did he mean? Stealing official secrets is a criminal offence but behaviour that falls just short of that threshold is not. The effect and intent may be nefarious, but as long as foreign spies keep their activities within the flimsy confines of the law there is precious little that MI5 can do about them. And that matters. Our world is growing increasingly dangerous, with Russia on the brink of precipitating war in Europe and Beijings hostile regime on the march. Former Prime Minister David Cameron pictured alongside Christine Lee in 2015. Last month, the MI5s spy-catchers issued a highly unusual warning about Ms Lees activities: a UK resident, lawyer and suspected Chinese spy In two essential respects, foreign agents can operate in Britain with virtual impunity. First, they can collect information about the inner workings of our political system: whos up, whos down, and who has personal flaws that can be exploited. That helps the second avenue of attack: shaping our decision-making. With a well-placed donation, or over a quiet drink in a discreet restaurant, they can bend a ministerial ear. A contract in the energy sector, for example could be steered towards a foreign state-owned company. Sanctions, this friendly face might suggest, could be watered down or regulations eased. The border between lobbying and subversion is surprisingly fuzzy. Only a tiny fraction of lobbyists those working for professional consultancies are covered by our toothless regulatory regime. Under whats known as the good chap principle a relic from a more upstanding age decision-makers are mostly not required to declare with whom they have met, nor what was discussed. The dangers of this have been clear for years. After all, David Cameron once called lobbying the next big scandal waiting to happen until he became a handsomely paid lobbyist himself for now-disgraced foreign banker Lex Greensill. Anna Chapman, a Russian-born spy, TV personality and former model (named one of Russias 100 sexiest women) who married a Briton, gained a UK passport and lived in this country for years before she had her passport cancelled after she was caught by the FBI spying in New York in 2010 Chapmans own father had been a senior KGB agent and her hapless British husband (who died from a drugs overdose in 2018) said it wasnt a surprise when she was exposed as a Russian spy The lack of a clear lobbying register is just one way foreign agents can operate here without fear of exposure. Consider Christine Lee, who was surely at the front of Mr McCallums mind when he spoke to the Mail. Last month, the agencys spy-catchers issued a highly unusual warning about Ms Lees activities: a UK resident, lawyer and suspected Chinese spy. Ms Lee had been ubiquitous at Westminster for years: she funnelled some 600,000 to Labours former shadow minister Barry Gardiner, played an active role in parliamentary committees and was photographed with at least two Tory Prime Ministers. None of that is criminal. And yet MI5 was so concerned about her behaviour that it felt it needed to name her, via the Commons Speaker, as engaged in political-interference activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. Home Secretary Priti Patel echoed the warning, arguing that stronger laws were needed as Ms Lees activities fell under the criminal threshold. The crucial question is: should this alert have been necessary? Or, as Ms Patel and Mr McCallum suggest, might our laws instead be amended so that the security services can work as they are meant to behind the scenes? Perhaps MI5 feels chastened by the experience just over a decade ago, when it failed to remove Katia Zatuliveter, a striking blonde who conducted an unlikely four-year affair with Michael Hancock, a grey-haired and portly Lib Dem MP almost 40 years her senior who also happened to be a member of the Defence Committee. (He resigned after the alleged honeytrap affair was exposed by a Sunday newspaper.) The indefatigable Ms Zatuliveter, it emerged, was also involved with a German official who had a senior position at Nato. (She firmly denied she was a spy.) It was suggested at the time that Ms Zatuliveter could not be charged under Britains Official Secrets Act because she had left no trail. Instead, all MI5 could do was to try to cancel her visa. But at a 2011 semi-secret immigration tribunal, British agents were unable to convince the adjudicators that the Russian deserved to be kicked out of the country so she remained. Not long after the tribunal, I happened to spot Ms Zatuliveter observing an anti-Putin demonstration outside Parliament. Doubtless an innocent coincidence. Then there was Anna Chapman, a Russian-born spy, TV personality and former model (named one of Russias 100 sexiest women) who married a Briton, gained a UK passport and lived in this country for years. She certainly appeared to be up to no good here: allegedly money-smuggling and snooping. MI5s boss, Ken McCallum (pictured, lamented in an exclusive interview in the Daily Mail on Saturday, that the service works with one hand behind our back Chapmans own father had been a senior KGB agent and her hapless British husband (who died from a drugs overdose in 2018) said it wasnt a surprise when she was exposed as a Russian spy. The UK cancelled her passport only after she was caught by the FBI spying in New York in 2010. It should never have come to that: Chapman should have been caught in Britain long before the Americans sent her packing. As MI5s Mr McCallum suggests, our legal defences against this sort of spying are utterly feeble and a poor match against our adversaries rich arsenal of espionage techniques. And as the Tory MP Bob Seely has argued, our elites have been blind to the problems posed by authoritarian regimes and too meek in defending our values and interests, or seeing the subtle but corrosive forms of subversion. Money is the biggest weapon and greed our most insidious weakness. Political parties struggle to fill their coffers and politicians are too easily tempted by the prospect of a bulging chequebook. Worst of all, in the grossly overstuffed House of Lords, members face almost no scrutiny for their commercial or personal ties with foreigners. This has to end. Two years ago, a former MI5 chief told the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee that our laws against foreign spies are dusty and ineffective. I gave evidence to the same inquiry: the committees blistering final report highlighted the shocking vulnerabilities of the system, open to spies who promote the nefarious interests of the Russian state not to mention China. Scandalously, Boris Johnsons Government first blocked publication of the report and has now failed to act on its recommendations. A law making it compulsory for foreign agents to register their activities and disclose their clients has been promised since 2019, but still remains off the statute books.In recent months, MI5 officials have gained new powers to search and question inbound travellers. But despite vague ministerial promises to act at pace and speed, little else has happened. This is the depressing backdrop to Ken McCallums comments and it explains categorically why his concerns are so justified. Chapman should have been caught in Britain long before the Americans sent her packing after she was caught spying We need to learn fast from our allies. As far back as 1938, America passed the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires anyone lobbying for another country to disclose their activities. More recently, Australia spooked by the extent of Chinese influence in its political system rushed through in 2018 a package of laws criminalising foreign political interference and also making registration mandatory. Breaches attract five-year prison sentences. Here in Britain, our enemies face no such obstacles and we all pay the price. Make no mistake: Mr McCallums stark warning is born of deep frustration at the dangers we face and our leaders persistent failure to act. It is well beyond time that they listened to him. In this June 13, 2014, file photo, Angelina Jolie, left, and Brad Pitt attend the fourth day of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in London. Pitt is suing Jolie for selling her share of the French vineyard where they got married. AFP-Yonhap Brad Pitt is suing Angelina Jolie for selling her share of the French vineyard where they got married. Superstars Pitt and Jolie, who were once Hollywood's highest profile couple, bought a controlling stake of Chateau Miraval in southern France in 2008, and tied the knot there six years later. But they filed to dissolve their marriage in 2016 and have remained locked in court battles since, including over custody rights for their six children. According to a lawsuit filed by Pitt in California on Thursday, the couple had "agreed they would never sell their respective interests in Miraval without the other's consent." But last October, Jolie sold her stake to a "Luxembourg-based spirits manufacturer controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler," the legal document obtained by AFP says. Pitt's filing alleges that Jolie broke the terms of their original agreement by not offering him first refusal for her share, and that she is seeking to "recover unearned windfall profits for herself while inflicting gratuitous harm on Pitt." "Jolie long ago stopped contributing to Miraval while Pitt poured money and sweat equity into the wine business, building it into the ascendant company it is today," it states. Pitt's lawsuit requests a trial by jury. It describes the vineyard as a "small, unprofitable wine business" that was "in need of renovation" prior to the couple's purchase in 2008. The pair paid "approximately 25 million euros ($28 million)," with Pitt contributing 60 percent and Jolie the remaining 40 percent. But Pitt went on to pay for renovations "in a manner far disproportionate to his relative ownership share" on the understanding Jolie would not pull out of the investment without his consent, the suit says. Pitt brought in Marc Perrin, one of France's top winemakers, to help transform the business into a leading rose wine producer, but "Jolie had no involvement in these efforts," it continues. Revenues reportedly grew from approximately $3 million in 2013 to more than $50 million last year, with Miraval recently launching a new line of rose sparkling wine. A source with knowledge of the case told AFP that Jolie "is seeking a return on an investment she did not make and profits she did not earn." Jolie's lawyer said the actress had not yet been served with Pitt's lawsuit, and that her representatives were "learning about the complaint from the media." "I understand that Mr. Pitt is aware that Ms. Jolie is on a long-haul commercial international flight with their children, out of reach, and unable to respond," said Robert Olson in a statement to AFP. Tenute del Mondo, the drinks company that purchased Jolie's share, said in a statement that it "chose to invest in Miraval as it is an exceptional wine and brand that complements our portfolio." "We entered this partnership wanting to bring the talent, skills and distribution channels that will only further enhance the Miraval offering and make Miraval the most successful brand of rose wine and champagne," the company added. In this Nov. 5, 2015, file photo, actors Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt arrive for the opening night gala premiere of Universal Pictures' "By the Sea" during AFI FEST 2015 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. AFP-Yonhap The sun was shining as families walked down the street in Kiev, passing trees festooned with paper angels and flowers dotting the ground. Children clutched red carnations and candles, placing them beside a series of stark portraits running along the wall. The black-and-white images showed young and old faces: Ivan Horodniuk, 29, choreographer; Vladysym Zubenko, 22, railway worker; Bohdan Kalyniak, 52, entrepreneur; Antonina Dvoretska, 62, pensioner. These are the heavenly hundred pro-democracy protesters slaughtered on this spot eight years ago in mysterious shootings before Russias illegal annexation of Crimea. Galina, a 68-year-old pensioner, brought tulips to place before the memorials to five men she had seen murdered in news footage Galina, a 68-year-old pensioner, brought tulips to place before the memorials to five men she had seen murdered in news footage, saying she came every year because it felt like I lost my own sons. These brutal events which I reported on in 2014 and recalled yesterday as I walked alongside those who came to mark the massacre were the start of Moscows war on Ukraine that continues to this day. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited with his wife Olena to lay flowers, saying the victims gave their lives for the right to live in an independent state, in the family of European nations. His words were a sobering reminder of what is at stake in the struggle between democracy and dictatorship as Russian forces mass on Ukraines borders and Boris Johnson chillingly warns that we might be on brink of the biggest war in Europe since 1945. The Wests rhetoric over Ukraine might often sound inflammatory. Yet yesterdays commemorative events serve as a tragic warning of what Russias brutal President Vladimir Putin can do. But even after five weeks in Ukraine, visiting 12 cities and frozen trenches on the frontline, I find it hard to see through the fog of this weird war, let alone to discern what might be in Putins malevolent mind regarding his menacing military machine. Some things, however, are clear. We know Russia invaded Ukraine eight years ago resulting in a war that has left 14,000 people dead and still directs events in the breakaway Donbas republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, including with it military forces. Britain, although still facing fierce criticism over its failure to tackle dirty Russian money, has become rather popular as a result in Ukraine We also know that the Kremlin which yesterday preposterously claimed that Russia has never attacked another nation repeatedly lies. As a former KGB operative, Putin has pioneered an Alice in Wonderland approach to diplomacy in which he bends or flips the truth so brazenly that it can be hard to counter for his foes. Putin has lied from the start of his presidency: over deadly bombings in apartment blocks that boosted support for war in Chechnya; over Moscows links to the 2014 downing of a Malaysian airliner over east Ukraine; over the 2018 poisoning of former agent Sergei Skripal in Britain; over the hounding of political rivals such as jailed Alexei Navalny. Now we see the propaganda machine turned up full blast again over the Donbas with a blizzard of fake stories about attempted assassinations, genocide, mass graves and even the supposed shelling of sovereign Russian terrain. This is a nightmare for Ukraine and its Western allies to fight: Kiev is being undermined both politically and economically. Indeed, as Ukraines currency crashes due to market uncertainty, Russian cyber attacks hit banks, shipping is disrupted, capital is withdrawn by foreign investors, jobs are lost and energy prices soar, it is possible that a key part of Putins current strategy has been economic damage. Talk of invasion has had dire impact, and this has an added advantage for the Kremlin: It corrodes support for both Ukraines democratic leaders and its system of government. But this brings me to the third thing we know: Politicians in Washington and London seem to have a clearer understanding of Putins approach and are confronting it by sharing intelligence widely and talking in graphic terms about his possible intentions. It is a dangerous strategy. It allows Putin to paint the West as hysterical and risks forcing him into a corner after his unprecedented build-up of military forces. Yet it has also resulted in a largely unified response from Nato. It has bolstered support for Ukraine. Talk of invasion has had dire impact, and this has an added advantage for the Kremlin: It corrodes support for both Ukraines democratic leaders and its system of government And above all, it has blunted Putins propaganda efforts that rely on spreading confusion and disinformation, while stymieing any Russian hopes of stealth attack. I am most definitely not a fan of Boris Johnson, but his government has played its hand well in tandem with President Joe Biden on this conflict and deserves credit on this front at least. Britain, although still facing fierce criticism over its failure to tackle dirty Russian money, has become rather popular as a result in Ukraine. Putin is waging a long hybrid war, fought on many fronts and using weapons from bullets and missiles through to cyber attacks and disinformation. A terrifying full military assault may be next. But it is good to see the West trying to respond to Putins deceit and trickery at last. Additional reporting by Kate Baklitskaya Boris Johnson last night heralded an end to nearly two years of Covid curbs, declaring that it is time for the public to take personal responsibility for their health rather than relying on the state. In a push to 'give people back their freedoms', the Prime Minister will today confirm that the legal requirement to self-isolate after receiving a positive test result will be scrapped by the end of the week. He will reiterate that people should have the 'confidence' to get back to the office. Boris Johnson (pictured) last night heralded an end to nearly two years of Covid curbs and restrictions And he will lay out plans to scrap free Covid tests, saying the 2billion-a-month cost is simply too much for the country to bear. It means most people will soon have to pay for lateral flow tests, although a date has not yet been set for charging to begin. Vulnerable adults are expected to retain access to free tests. The legal requirement to isolate if you test positive for coronavirus could end as early as Thursday, which has been dubbed 'Covid Freedom Day'. But last night, Labour, the unions and medical experts said it was simply too early to consider scrapping Covid curbs. The Prime Minister said today will be a 'moment of pride'. But he insisted it was now time for an end to reliance on government intervention. Mr Johnson said: 'Today will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with Covid. It would not be possible without the efforts of so many the NHS who delivered the life-saving vaccine rollout at phenomenal speed, our world-leading scientists and experts, and the general public for their commitment to protecting themselves and their loved ones. 'The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others.' Following a meeting of his Cabinet, Mr Johnson will lay out his 'Living with Covid' plans in a speech to Parliament, before a press conference this evening. Speaking to the BBC yesterday, the PM said lifting the rules did not mean the public should start acting irresponsibly. People will still be encouraged to stay away from work if they have Covid, but it will no longer be a legal requirement. He said: 'It's very important we should remain careful, and we're certainly not asking people to throw caution to the winds. The Prime Minister will today confirm that the legal requirement to self-isolate after receiving a positive test result will be scrapped by the end of the week (stock photo used) 'We've reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favour of encouraging personal responsibility. 'I think we need resilience, but we don't need to keep spending at a rate of 2billion a month [on testing], which is what we were doing in January.' Mr Johnson hoped to never have to order another lockdown, saying: 'I don't want to go back to that kind of non-pharmaceutical intervention, I want to be able to address the problems of the pandemic with a vaccine-led approach.' But he cautioned: 'Covid remains dangerous if you're vulnerable and you're not vaccinated. But we need people to be much more confident and get back to work.' However, the British Medical Association said the Government should only end self-isolation when case rates are falling. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA council, said: 'You have at the moment more people dying, more people in the hospital, than you had before Plan B was introduced. It seems a rather odd decision to make.' Mr Johnson said: 'The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality' (stock photo used) Meanwhile, education unions Unison, Unite and the GMB urged the Prime Minister to keep free testing and the requirement to self-isolate. They warned that failure to provide detailed guidance risks a 'super-spreader free-for-all' in schools and workplaces. Referring to 'Partygate' probes, Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting said: 'Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door. 'The Government should publish the evidence behind this decision, so the public can have faith it is being made in the national interest.' A government source said vaccines would be available for the 'foreseeable future', saying avoiding the return of curbs would depend on the 'sustained population immunity' provided by the jabs. It came as the Government yesterday logged another 25,696 daily Covid cases and 74 deaths. Manchester United fans are lauding praise on Jadon Sancho following his performance in the 4-2 victory against Leeds. In a chaotic game, Sancho kept a cool head and provided two assists to help his side take the three points. Harry Maguire gave the Red Devils the lead before Sancho got his first assist of the night as his chipped cross was headed home by Bruno Fernandes. Jadon Sancho provided two assists in Manchester United's 4-2 victory against Leeds Leeds scored two goals at the start of the half but it was Sancho who contributed again as United retook the lead after 70 minutes. Sancho played a one-two with Fred with the Brazilian putting United back ahead before Anthony Elanga sealed the points. The 21-year-old has struggled to hit the ground running since his 73m move from Borussia Dortmund. Sancho provided assists to both Bruno Fernandes and Fred in the chaotic win over Leeds However, with goals against Middlesbrough and Southampton, followed by his two assists against Leeds, United fans are confident Sancho is finally on the right path for success at Old Trafford. United Muppetiers commented: 'Sancho looks worth every penny. Only took some common sense to see he would take a little time to get going, but this is who he is. MOTM and absolutely outstanding recently.' Aidan Walsh posted: 'Jadon Sancho has arrived,' while Atwine Tayebwa commented: 'Jadon Sancho - very special player we've got on our hands.' Another Twitter user hoped that Marcus Rashford will return to form like Sancho. Sancho is starting to find his feet at Old Trafford after a tough start to life at the Red Devils They commented: Soooooo happy that @Sanchooo10 is finding his feet in a United shirt. He just needs to give some of the water he's drinking to Rashford. Need to get Rashford of the past 2 or 3 seasons back.' Miles Hackett posted: 'Jadon Sancho has really turned a corner over the last 5 games, nice to see he's starting to find his confidence after a slow start.' Fan account UtdPlug added: 'Starting to feel like Jadon Sancho is in the right hands with Ralf Rangnick!' Fans of Prisoner are now able to visit the actual set locations featured in the popular 1980's drama thanks to a brand new tour. Non-profit organisation Partners in Crime, run by Barry Parker, Maria Grande and Peter Strauss, offer an eerie bus tour that gives Prisoner devotees from across the globe a chance to see and experience the creepy ambience of the locations. The Australian TV soap opera, which attracted an international cult following and inspired Foxtel series Wentworth, was broadcast on Channel Ten from February 1979 to December 1986. Getting in on the action: How YOU can do the creepy Prisoner tour and see all the eerie Melbourne locations from the iconic 1980s drama. Pictured: the cast of the drama Wentworth Detention Centre The centrepiece of the Prisoner story is the Channel Ten Global Studios and is located in Nunawading, Melbourne. A noticeable feature still to this very day is the iconic prison bar windows. Channel Ten continues to use the location to shoot scenes for Neighbours. However the iconic Aussie soap is facing the axe after 37 years, after it was revealed UK broadcaster Channel 5, who foots most of the production bill, won't be renewing the series. Wentworth Detention Centre: The centrepiece of the Prisoner story is the Channel Ten Global Studios and is located in Nunawading, Melbourne Still in use: A noticeable feature still to this very day is the iconic prison bar windows. Channel Ten continues to use the location to shoot scenes for Neighbours Barnhurst Prison The prison that Bea Smith (played by Val Lehman) was briefly transferred to in season three, is located within a large expanse of parkland. It is now a convent with cafes and stalls inside, and is based in Abbotsford. Barnhurst became an important part of the storyline, with some characters never leaving the prison walls. Barnhurst Prison: The prison that Bea Smith (played by Val Lehman) was briefly transferred to in season three, is located within a large expanse of parkland TV run: The television soap opera was broadcast on Channel Ten from February 1979 to December 1986 Joan Ferguson's House The real-life home of ruthless prison officer Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson was featured in multiple episodes throughout Prisoner's run. It was famously burnt down in the final season of the series by bikie gang the Conquerers as part of a revenge attack. The property is now a private residence in Box Hill, Victoria. Joan Ferguson's house: The real-life home of ruthless prison officer Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson was featured in multiple episodes throughout Prisoner's run Driscoll House No. 1 The Driscoll House No. 1 is the second halfway house in the show and the first of two homes run by former prisoner Judy Bryant (Betty Bobbitt). It is now a private residence. The fictional address is 32 Worthington Street and became an integral part of the storyline until episode 400. Driscoll House No. 1: This was the second halfway house in the show and the first of two homes run by former prisoner Judy Bryant (Betty Bobbitt) Woodridge Prison Woodridge is the men's prison on the show, but it was also used to transfer inmates to and from Wentworth. The inmates are transferred to Woodridge soon after due to a fire that's started at Wentworth. Woodridge now boasts residential apartments. Woodridge: Woodridge is the men's prison on the show, but it was also used to transfer inmates to and from Wentworth Blackmoor Prison Referred to as 'The Black Hole' in Prisoner, Blackmoor Prison was heavily featured in the final season of the long-running series. Rita Connors is transferred to the location by Blackmoor's corrupt governor Ernest Craven (Ray Meagher). It the centrepiece for several fights between inmates, and later a riot. It was previously a pumping station, but the building has now been converted into the Scienceworks science museum. Blackmoor: Referred to as 'The Black Hole' in Prisoner, Blackmoor Prison was heavily seen in the final season of the long-running series Burvale Hotel Many of the characters from Prisoner stayed at this hotel over the course of the series. It is best known as the location where Colleen Powell (Judith McGrath) split from her husband. Burvale is still a working hotel today. Prisoner is a highly successful, Australian TV prison drama that aired from the late 70's to mid 80's that was the inspiration behind Wentworth. Wentworth is Foxtel's highest rating Australian drama series of all time. Burvale Hotel: Many of the characters from Prisoner stayed at Burvale hotel over the course of the series After eight brilliant seasons, the critically acclaimed drama came to an end in October last year. The Foxtel Original series has been eagerly followed by fans, praised by critics and garnered worldwide attention since it first aired in 2013. It airs in 173 territories across the globe including the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Canada, Israel, Finland, Japan and the United States. The prison series has won a collection of both local and international TV awards. Wentworth was awarded Most Popular and Most Outstanding Drama at the TV Week Logie Awards in 2018 and Most Outstanding Drama again in 2019 for the fourth time. The third season of SAS Australia premieres on Channel Seven on Monday night, and it certainly won't be a walk in the park with the stars pushed to their absolute limits. And now a crisis manager has revealed to The Daily Telegraph's Confidential on Sunday why the show offers 'quick rehabilitation' to celebrities with controversial pasts in the space of just a few weeks, as opposed to year-long campaigns. Last year's season featured Sam Burgess, who was embroiled in a sexting scandal in September 2018, alongside Schapelle Corby who was arrested in October 2004 at Bali airport with 4.1kg of marijuana wrapped in plastic inside her boogie board bag. Revealed: How SAS Australia can offer 'quick rehabilitation' to stars plagued by controversy in just a few weeks. Pictured: Former NRL star Sam Burgess who starred on last year's season of Channel Seven's military-style show Seven and production company Screentime often cast celebrities with chequered pasts, with a crisis manager suggesting how the show can offer quick redemption. 'You are seeing the other side of people who have been vilified publicly and you are seeing the fact they want to do better,' they told the publication. 'They want to show other people that their dark side doesn't define them,' the source went on to say, adding that rehabilitation can occur in weeks as opposed to years. Quick redemption: A crisis manager revealed to The Daily Telegraph's Confidential on Sunday why the show offers 'quick rehabilitation' to celebrities with controversial pasts in the space of just a few weeks. Pictured: Schapelle Corby, who was arrested in October 2004 at Bali airport with 4.1kg of marijuana One of last year's biggest stars was former NRL player Sam Burgess, 33, who was embroiled in a sexting scandal in September 2018 involving a Melbourne woman who claimed he had cheated on his wife (Phoebe Burgess) the year prior. In the immediate aftermath of the scandal, Phoebe, who was then pregnant with her second child, pulled out of a public appearance but was otherwise publicly supportive of her husband. However, the marriage ended shortly after Christmas the same year, three months after he was cleared of any involvement in an NRL 'sexting' affair. Revelation: Early in the 2021 season, Sam confessed he'd been unfaithful to then-wife Phoebe Burgess (pictured) during their marriage while being interrogated by the directing staff on the show Despite reconciling briefly in early 2019, the couple called it quits for good in October the same year. News of the separation came just days after Sam announced his retirement from sport with immediate effect on October 30, 2019, due to a shoulder injury. Sam said he 'couldn't accept' hearing the decision from his surgeon that he should retire, and so tried to go back and play. Over: The couple ended their marriage shortly after Christmas in 2018, three months after he was cleared of any involvement in an NRL 'sexting' affair 'It was a bit of a knife to the heart,' he explained on the show's launch episode. 'I couldn't accept it. I knew two games in I couldn't do my job anymore, so I retired. It was s**t.' Chief instructor Ant Middleton then asked if Sam had then gone on a 'path of destruction' following the demise of his marriage and the end of his career, to which he replied: 'I didn't know how to manage it. 'I'm not great with managing emotional. Anything to do with my team, myself, press - I don't mind about that. 'When it became emotional stuff with losing my kids, not seeing my kids every day, my marriage breakdown and that put pressure on my ex-wife... I didn't like that. Another loss: The separation came two days after Sam announced his retirement from all sporting competitions with immediate effect on October 30, due to a shoulder injury 'I hated that I'd caused pain for other people that I couldn't manage.' He continued: 'I turned to drinking, taking drugs - I thought I could manage that. Then got pulled [up on a] DUI with drugs in my system, which was all over the press again, which stopped me seeing my kids again. I just checked myself into rehab.' In May last year, Sam avoided a conviction despite pleading guilty to three driving charges following a February 22 police traffic stop where he tested positive for cocaine. It came two months after Sam's conviction for intimidating his ex-wife Phoebe's father Mitchell Hooke in the aftermath of the couple's messy break-up, which was overturned by a judge. Aim: Following the interrogation, Sam concluded by saying he hoped his time on SAS Australia would help him see 'a bit deeper inside myself' Sam later said that going to a four-week long rehab centre had 'saved his life', revealing he had stopped drinking completely in an attempt to change his path for the better. Following the interrogation, Sam concluded by saying he hoped his time on SAS Australia would help him see 'a bit deeper inside myself'. 'I have this theory of life that it's peaks and valleys, ups and downs. Sometimes you don't know when the peaks are at the top, and you don't know how far the valley might go. Household name: Meanwhile fellow 2021 SAS Australia star Schapelle Corby, 44, is a convicted drug smuggler, who served nine years in Bali's Kerobokan Prison Jailed: Schapelle was arrested at Bali airport in October 2004 after customs officers discovered 4.1kg of marijuana wrapped in plastic inside her boogie board bag. She was later convicted and spent nine years behind bars, but has always maintained her innocence 'Maybe this could be the start of me climbing my way out of the valley.' Meanwhile Schapelle Corby, 44, is a convicted drug smuggler, who served nine years in Bali's Kerobokan Prison. Schapelle became a household name after she was arrested in October 2004 at Bali airport with 4.1kg of marijuana wrapped in plastic inside her boogie board bag. She was later sentenced to 20 years in prison, but after a series of sentence reductions was released on parole in February 2014 after nine years behind bars. Incident: Fellow 2021 SAS Australia star Koby Abberton (pictured), 43, who is one of the founding members of the notorious Bra Boys gang, recalled during an interrogation how he 'lost everything' when he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in 2005 following an incident involving his brother Jai She has always maintained her innocence, insisting the drugs were planted in her luggage by an unknown third party without her knowledge. Fellow 2021 SAS Australia star Koby Abberton, 43, who is one of the founding members of the notorious Bra Boys gang, recalled during an interrogation how he 'lost everything' when he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in 2005 following an incident involving his brother Jai. Jai had shot dead standover man Tony Hines in 2003, but was found not guilty of murder two years later on the grounds of self-defence. In 2005, Jai was found not guilty of murder on the grounds of self-defence, successfully claiming Hines was going to rape a woman and kill him. But Koby was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the same matter, and given a nine-month suspended sentence. 'My brother, it had come out that it was self-defence,' Koby added. 'In the end of the story, I was the only one who was found guilty. I didn't do anything. 'Due to that, $700,000 of my money I spent on lawyers fees. I lost all my properties, and I lost my sponsorship that was paying me $500,000 at that time. Back to square one. Nothing.' He said the the situation 'broke' his beloved grandmother Mavis, also known as Ma, who had looked after the brothers throughout her life. Family: Koby (left) is the brother of fellow Bra Boys members Sunny (centre) and Jai (right) Ma died one month after Koby avoided a jail sentence. 'After seeing all her kids and the people she took care of her whole life were not in jail, she died. She stayed alive for me. It does leave me sour. I lost everything,' Koby added. These days, Koby is happily married to wife Olya Nechiporenko, a Ukrainian model, psychologist and accountant whom he met in Bali. The couple share a son, Makua, who was born in July 2015. For pitys sake, dont tell Piers Morgan but ITV chiefs are in despair over their failure to find a man to step into his shoes permanently on Good Morning Britain. Hoping to recapture Morgans popularity with viewers and his chemistry with co-host Susanna Reid, GMB bosses have spent months testing out a series of candidates including Richard Madeley, money expert Martin Lewis, comedian Adil Ray, Tony Blairs former spin doctor Alastair Campbell and former Labour Minister Ed Balls. But The Mail on Sunday understands none was deemed a suitable permanent replacement, and with long-serving GMB presenter Ben Shepherd on air for only a couple of days a week, bosses have given up their search and will instead rotate male stand-in hosts. ITV bosses have given up their search and will instead rotate male stand-in hosts The fruitless hunt will no doubt delight Morgan. But it is thought to have dismayed ITV, which is proud of female presenters including Ms Reid, Kate Garraway, Ranvir Singh, Laura Tobin and Charlotte Hawkins. Head-hunters also fear some experienced presenters did not put themselves forward because they are friends with Morgan. A source said: Replacing Piers was always going to be tough, but no one thought that almost a year on they still wouldnt have found anyone. It is one of the biggest shows on TV, so it really shouldnt have been this hard. 'It didnt occur to bosses that many of the big presenters would rule themselves out because they are friends with Piers. He is a very loyal man and that loyalty is reciprocated. It is a real headache. Morgan, 56, left GMB last March after refusing to apologise for comments he made about the Duchess of Sussexs mental health. The former MoS columnists outburst prompted a record 58,000 complaints to Ofcom, which cleared the broadcaster. Last night, an ITV spokesman said: 'Good Morning Britain is an award winning breakfast show with great journalism at its core and a brilliantly talented team both on and off screen who all play a part in its continued success. 'The show is performing well with the roster of guest hosts alongside our existing family of presenters and there are no current plans to change this.' Jourdan Dunn was the epitome of chic as she attended Richard Quinn's show at London Fashion Week on Saturday. The model looked stunning in a black floral trench coat with vast shoulder pads, covered in oversized pink flowers. Teaming the belted garment with tights, the 31-year-old boosted her lithe frame with dainty heels and ensured her makeup drew out her natural glow. Stunning: Jourdan Dunn was the epitome of chic as she attended Richard Quinn's show at London Fashion Week on Saturday Not only did Jourdan accessorise with a silver VRAI Illuminate choker, she also swept back her slick hair in a black bow. The face of Maybelline New York oozed confidence as she worked her angles for the camera. Jourdan was also pictured with actor Idris Elba's wife Sabrina who effortlessly rocked a black jumpsuit and let her braids cascade down her shoulder. Wow! The model looked stunning in a black floral trench coat with vast shoulder pads, covered in oversized pink flowers Chic: Teaming the belted garment with tights, Jourdan boosted her lithe frame with dainty heels and ensured her makeup drew out her natural glow Elsewhere, Lila Moss was the picture of elegance in a stunning white mini dress as she took to the runway for Richard Quinn's star-studded show during London Fashion Week. The daughter of fashion icon Kate Moss, 19, wowed in the gorgeous white dress adorned with flowers as she made her way along the catwalk with a bouquet in hand. Lila was joined on the runway by fellow fashion favourite Irina Shayk, who was hard to miss in an eye-catching fuchsia pink ensemble. Gorgeous: The face of Maybelline New York oozed confidence as she worked her angles for the camera Friends: Jourdan was also pictured with actor Idris Elba's wife Sabrina who effortlessly rocked a black jumpsuit and let her braids cascade down her shoulder A vision! Lila Moss, 19, was the picture of elegance in a stunning white mini dress as she took to the runway with Irina Shayk (right) for Richard Quinn's show during London Fashion Week Lila, who has been following in her mother's footsteps by making a name for herself in the fashion industry, cut a gorgeous figure in the bridal-esque ivory dress. The dress was teamed with matching white tights and heels, with Lila walking the runway with a large collection of flowers in hand. Her look was completed with an accompanying headpiece covered in white flowers, keeping in theme with Quinn's signature designs. She's relocated to Dubai to pursue a real estate career after her split from beau James Lock. But Yazmin Oukhellou made a surprise return to the UK on Saturday as she joined a slew of stars for Oh Polly's show at London Fashion Week. The TOWIE star, 27, showcased her ample cleavage in a plunging white mini dress with matching accessories as she arrived for the style event. Legs for days: Yazmin Oukhellou, 27, made a surprise return to the UK on Saturday as she joined a slew of stars for Oh Polly's show at London Fashion Week Yazmin put on a leggy display in the skintight white dress witih a plunging front and a barely-there skirt. Her look was perfectly accessorised with a Chanel pearl-studded brooch and chain-strapped bag, as well as matching heels. Yazmin's posed up a storm as she arrived at the venue, joining some of reality TV's finest for the fashion event. Stunning: The TOWIE star showcased her ample cleavage in a plunging white mini dress with matching accessories as she arrived for the style event Revealing: Yazmin put on a leggy display in the skintight white dress witih a plunging front and a barely-there skirt She was reportedly left devastated last month after learning her boyfriend Jake McLean was reported to have enjoyed a cosy evening with Love Island star Ellie Jones. Sources claim the star's beau, 32, who she has been dating for a year, was seen 'acting single' and 'getting close' with Ellie, 25, during a night out in Dubai. Yazmin moved to Dubai last year to be with Jake after quitting TOWIE, following her split from James Lock in February 2021. Sources told The Sun that Jake was seen partying with Ellie at a nightclub in the UAE, and didn't seem to be acting like he had a girlfriend. Glamorous: Her look was perfectly accessorised with a Chanel pearl-studded brooch and chain-strapped bag, as well as matching heels An insider said: 'Jake and Ellie were partying with friends at a club and ended up getting close. 'They were seen leaving together at the end of the night and going back to his place. They had instant chemistry and were all over each other. 'Jake definitely didn't look like he had a girlfriend.' Entrance: Yazmin's posed up a storm as she arrived at the venue, joining some of reality TV's finest for the fashion event A spokesman for Ellie told MailOnline: 'Ellie is happy to comment to clear up what has been said which is completely untrue. 'Ellie is out on holiday in Dubai with a group of friends. They all went out for drinks and met up with another group of friends in which Jake was a part of that friend group. 'At the end of the night a group of five male and female who are all in the same friend group went back to the apartment Jake is currently staying in. 'Ellie did not go back to Jake's on her own and would like to confirm all accusations made are completely false and untrue.' Advertisement Khloe Kardashian was spotted this weekend enjoying a day out in the Los Angeles suburbs with her daughter True, three, niece Chicago, four, and nephew Psalm, two. The 37-year-old reality star shares True with her ex Tristan Thompson, who recently confessed to fathering a child with another woman while still with Khloe. Meanwhile little Chicago and Psalm's parents are Khloe's elder sister Kim and her estranged husband Kanye West, with whom she is locked in a storm of public drama. All together: Khloe Kardashian was spotted this weekend enjoying a day out in the Los Angeles suburbs with her daughter True, three, niece Chicago, four, and nephew Psalm, two Khloe, who used to host a fitness show called Revenge Body, showcased her svelte frame in a fitted charcoal top and matching leggings. Sweeping her blonde hair up into a high bun, she sharpened her unmistakable features with makeup and added a splash of glitz with hoop earrings. She clasped on a fashionable quilted Chanel fanny pack, emphasizing her enviably trim waistline as she stepped out with the children. Khloe had brought on the children on an outing to the elegant outdoor shopping center the Calabasas Commons. Holding her daughter's hand: The 37-year-old reality star shares True with her ex Tristan Thompson, who recently confessed to fathering a child with another woman while still with Khloe Looking fab: Khloe, who used to host a fitness show called Revenge Body, showcased her svelte frame in a fitted charcoal top and matching leggings So sweet: Khloe had brought on the children on an outing to the elegant outdoor shopping center the Calabasas Commons While there, the group stopped off at the Barnes & Noble and could be spotted emerging from the bookstore laden with shopping. When they were in the car Khloe pouted up a storm to snap selfies with True and Chicago that she then posted to her Insta Stories. Khloe, who boasts more than 220 million followers on the social media platform, declared she was taking in a 'Girls day' with the tykes. In addition to Chicago and Psalm, Kim and Kanye also have an eight-year-old daughter called North as well as a six-year-old son called Saint. Backdrop: Meanwhile just a few weeks ago Tristan apologized to Khloe for fathering a child with another woman while he was still with her Off they go: While there, the group stopped off at the Barnes & Noble and could be spotted emerging from the bookstore laden with shopping Kim filed for divorce last February amid a swirl of rumors that her marriage to the rap superstar was on the verge of collapse. Over the past couple of months Kanye has been frequently airing out their disputes in public, including releasing a diss track aimed at Kim and the children called Eazy. He also took repeated public jabs at Kim's current boyfriend Pete Davidson, whom eh has given the nickname Skete. Kim eventually texted him that she was worried he was 'creating a dangerous and scary environment' in which 'someone will hurt Pete and this will all be your fault.' Family matters: In addition to Chicago and Psalm, Kim and Kanye also have an eight-year-old daughter called North as well as a six-year-old son called Saint Kanye then posted screen-grabs of the conversation, as well as a picture of Ving Rhames putting Tyrese Gibson in a chokehold in the film Baby Boy. 'UPON MY WIFES REQUEST PLEASE NOBODY DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO SKETE IM GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION MYSELF,' he wrote. Kim pleaded with him over text: 'Why can't you keep any of our conversations private ???' and he replied: ''Cause I got a text from my favorite person in the world,' adding: 'I'm your number one fan ... Why wouldn't I tell everyone!!!!' Since Kim left him Kanye has repeatedly begged her in public to come back to him and reunite the family, including on his latest album Donda. In the background: Since Kim left him Kanye has repeatedly begged her in public to come back to him and reunite the family, including on his latest album Donda Relationship history: Khloe and Tristan broke up in February 2019 after Tristan shared a kiss at a party with Kylie Jenner's then best friend Jordyn Woods So sweet: Khloe could be spotted taking the little tykes to grab an alfresco snack Quality time: Khloe settled on a bench next to Chicago who dug into a bowl of what appeared to be ice cream Meanwhile just a few weeks ago Tristan apologized to Khloe for fathering a child with another woman while he was still with her. Khloe and Tristan had an on-off relationship that lasted about half a decade, repeatedly scarred by his infidelity to her. Less than 48 hours before True was born DailyMail.com exclusively broke news of Tristan's alleged fling with New York City strip club bartender Lani Blair. They remained together then but broke up in February 2019 after Tristan shared a kiss at a party with Kylie Jenner's then best friend Jordyn Woods. Extra precaution: Khloe kept her mask on outdoors while sitting on the bench beside her niece When the coronavirus lockdowns struck Tristan and Khloe moved in together so they could both be with True - and wound up rekindling their romance as well. Their latest split went public this past June as he denied a swirl of cheating rumors - and last month he allegedly welcomed a child with another woman. DailyMail.com exclusively obtained court documents in late 2021 claiming Tristan was having a baby by a woman named Maralee Nichols. Maralee gave birth on December 1 and released a statement a couple of weeks later along with the first public pictures of her son. New drama in her life: 'Today paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols,' Tristan wrote on Insta Stories in January, apologizing to Khloe and telling her that 'you don't deserve this' Attentive: Khloe kept an eye on the children as she took them out in Calabasas Tristan fired up his Instagram early in January and confessed for the first time that he is the father of Maralee's new child. 'Today paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols,' he wrote on Insta Stories, apologizing to Khloe and telling her that 'you don't deserve this. You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you.' 'There was never any doubt that Tristan Thompson was the father of Maralee Nichols' baby,' her attorney Harvey Englander later told DailyMail.com. Moving into the sun: Khloe held hands with the little girls as they ventured out into the Calabasas Commons 'Tristan made numerous false and defamatory statements and declarations about Maralee over the past few months, and she is taking his contrite statement today in the context of all of those statements,' he added. Maralee has said her 'goal' is only to 'raise our son in a loving and private environment' and she has denied 'leaking' any pregnancy stories to the press. Further she has disputed the idea that she and Tristan were having 'casual sex,' insisting she believed he was single when they first became involved. On the road again: When they were in the car Khloe pouted up a storm to snap selfies with True and Chicago that she then posted to her Insta Stories So sweet: Khloe, who boasts more than 220 million followers on the social media platform, declared she was taking in a 'Girls day' with the tykes Tristan expressed his love for Khloe on social media last March just hours before flew to Houston, where he apparently fathered his new baby with Maralee. Incidentally Khloe first became involved with Tristan when his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig was still pregnant with his firstborn son Prince, five. Although Jordan claims she was still with Tristan when he took up with Khloe, Khloe has insisted she thought he was single at the time. Looking at the camera: In the evening, Khloe shared a couple videos to her Instagram where she showed off her beautiful jewelry for the camera. Showing off her blind: The star modeled diamond encrusted earrings and a large diamond ring on her right hand. In the evening, Khloe shared a couple videos to her Instagram where she showed off her beautiful jewelry for the camera. Her dyed blond hair fell past her shoulders, and she wore a very low cut black dress which she wore to quite the soiree. She also donned black gloves to match her dress. She wore lip gloss on her very pouty lips which were quite prominent in the videos. She wore diamond encrusted earrings and a large diamond ring on her right hand. Ellen Pompeo was out in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz with her son on Saturday. The 52-year-old mother-of-three was dressed casually as she sat outside a store front and blew bubbles with her and husband Chris Ivery's son Eli, five. The Grey's Anatomy star wore a black beanie over her blonde hair and sported grey sweatpants. Day out: Ellen Pompeo was out in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz with her son on Saturday The actress wore a long-sleeved black crewneck top that said 'knock out' on it in white lettering. She wore a black bag over her torso crossbody-style and teamed the look with heather grey sweats. The Massachusetts-born performer added a pair of white sneakers to her dressed down look. Saturday style: The 52-year-old mother-of-three was dressed casually as she sat outside a store front and blew bubbles with her and husband Chris Ivery's son Eli, five The longtime entertainer's son smiled as he spent one-on-one time with his mom in black sweatpants and a red shirt. He had on a matching pair of Jordan sneakers that were red and black as he watched his mother blow bubbles with a yellow wand. Missing from the scene were his two older sisters, Stella, 12, and Sienna, seven. Social activity: The doting mom occasionally posts her children on her Instagram, where she pops in and out to share with her 10 million followers The doting mom occasionally posts her children on her Instagram, where she pops in and out to share with her 10 million followers. Back in July she shared an outtake of Eli singing the classic Biz Markie song Just A Friend as he sat near a pool. Pompeo is due to reprise her role as Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy for what some have speculated could be the final season of the long-running medical drama. The actress signed on for one year deal, which includes also serving as executive producer, in January. She and showrunner Krista Vernoff and creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes are expected to make a decision on whether to carry on with the show later in the year, according to Deadline. Mom of three: Missing from Saturday's scene were Eli's two older sisters, Stella, 12, and Sienna, seven; seen with Stella in 2021 In 2020 Forbes reported that Pompeo makes $550,000 per episode. She also receives about $6 million per year from her share of syndication profits, which overall translates to about $19 million per year. Pompeo met her husband Chris Ivery, in 2003, about two years before she scored the role of Meredith Grey. After dating for a few years, the pair married in 2007 during a private ceremony. Although they met in Los Angeles, both Pompeo and Ivery are originally from Massachusetts. Fashionista: The proud mom joked that she 'created a monster' with Sienna in a post on May 27, 2021 A Polish border guard gives instructions as drivers wait to cross the border from Poland into Ukraine in Medyka, Poland, on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. AP South Korea has issued an emergency warning to urge the last remaining citizens to quickly leave Ukraine due to escalating military tension along the eastern border with Russia, the foreign ministry said Sunday. The Korean Embassy in Ukraine stepped up its warning as shelling in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine intensified in new signs of fears that a war could start within days. A total of 68 Korean nationals were staying in Ukraine as of Saturday (local time), which excludes diplomatic staff and 10 living in the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, according to the ministry. Among them, 40 will depart Ukraine over the weekend, while the embassy will continue to persuade other citizens to flee the nation or move to the western region for their safety, the ministry said. Julia Roberts prepared to board a private jet out of Australia on Saturday as filming for her new romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise wrapped up on the Gold Coast. The Hollywood actress, 54, attempted to go incognito as she emerged out of a car with her entourage, dressed in a black hooded sweater and dark sunglasses. Ticket to Paradise, in which Roberts stars alongside George Clooney, sees a divorced couple race to Bali to stop their daughter, played by Kaitlyn Dever, from getting married and 'making the same mistake they once made'. Heading home: Julia Roberts (pictured centre), 54, attempted to go incognito in a hooded sweater and sunglasses on Saturday, as she prepared to board a private jet out of Australia after wrapping up filming for her new romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise on the Gold Coast The movie also stars Billie Lourd as Dever's best friend, who travels with her to Bali, where she decides to marry a local. The blockbuster is due for release in October this year, with high expectations for its success because of the reuniting of Roberts and Clooney after box-office successes Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve in the early 2000s. In Oceans Eleven, Clooney plays Danny Ocean, the charismatic thief that's planning his next mission, despite having only left a New Jersey penitentiary in under 24 hours. Company: The Hollywood actress emerged out of a chauffeur-driven car on the tarmac and was warmly embraced by a member of her entourage Almost unrecognisable: The Pretty Woman star, who went to great lengths to conceal her identity, also wore a face mask Roberts plays Danny's wife Tess Ocean in both Oceans Eleven and Oceans Twelve. She files for divorce from Danny during his four years in prison. Tess eventually returns to Danny after a brief romance with Terry Benedict. They also starred together in the 2016 crime thriller, Money Monster, directed by fellow actor, Jodie Foster. Latest project: Ticket to Paradise, which Roberts stars alongside George Clooney, sees a divorced couple race to Bali to stop their daughter, played by Kaitlyn Dever, from getting married and 'making the same mistake they once made' Down Under: Ticket to Paradise began filming in early November on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, and moved to The Whitsundays shortly afterwards Ticket to Paradise began filming in early November on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, and moved to The Whitsundays shortly afterwards. It is written and directed by Ol Parker, who helmed The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. It was revealed back in March last year that Roberts and Clooney were heading to Australia to film the hotly anticipated project. Clooney relocated to Australia in October with his human rights lawyer wife Amal and the couple's four-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine period at a sprawling NSW Southern Highlands estate. Acclaimed team: It is written and directed by Ol Parker, who helmed The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Making news: It was revealed back in March last year that Roberts and Clooney were heading to Australia to film the hotly anticipated project Popular: Ticket to Paradise is due for release in October this year, with high expectations for its success because of the reuniting of Roberts and George Clooney (pictured in 2016) after box-office successes Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve in the early 2000s Roberts also arrived in October, spending her quarantine period at a $56.9million mansion in Sydney's Vaucluse. The property was the former rental home of Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch, the son and daughter-in-law of Australian-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The home was patrolled by around-the-clock armed guards, while multiple chefs, waiters and housekeepers stayed with Roberts as part of her travel bubble. She's been married to heartthrob actor Idris since 2019. And Sabrina Elba was showing off her quirkly sense of style as she joined a slew of stars at the Richard Quinn show during London Fashion Week on Saturday. The model, 33, cut a laid-back figure in the casual zipped one-piece teamed with black lace-up boots as she arrived for the event. Comfy! Sabrina Elba was showing off her quirkly sense of style as she joined a slew of stars at the Richard Quinn show during London Fashion Week on Saturday Shunning the traditional glamorous dress worn by so many stars, Sabrina sported the comfy dark blue boiler suit with a simple black shoulder bag. Beaming as she arrived for the show, she accessorised her look with chunky black boots. Designer Richard is known for his array of eclectic prints and floral designers, and in 2018 his show became the first catwalk event attended by Queen Elizabeth II Simple: The model cut a laid-back figure in the casual zipped one-piece teamed with black lace-up boots as she arrived for the event Simple: Shunning the traditional glamorous dress worn by so many stars, Sabrina sported the comfy dark blue boiler suit with a simple black shoulder bag Sabrina and Idris exchanged vows at the Ksar Char Bagh hotel in Marrakesh surrounded by 150 of their nearest and dearest in April 2019. Last summer, the married pair detailed how their marriage is 'forever growing and changing and evolving'. They explained that they are 'learning every day' and wanted to share their experience with others by openly delving into their relationship with their podcast Coupledom. Speaking to People, Idris explained that, how after two previous marriages: 'I had famously said I'd never get married again and here I was about to marry Sabrina, and we really got into questioning why.' Low-key: Beaming as she arrived for the show, she accessorised her look with chunky black boots Happy: Inside the show, Sabrina was seen posing with fellow fashion favourite Jourdan Dunn After meeting Sabrina in 2017 at a Vancouver jazz bar, the actor gushed: 'We started dating and I fell head over heels. 'Everyone was like, 'Hey man, you seem so much happier.' 'I didn't realize I was, but the truth is that it really sparked a lot of conversations around how a partnership can bring out the best in you.' Speaking of why they decided to delve into their relationship on a podcast, he insisted: 'We're learning every day that sharing is a good thing.' Sabrina described their marriage as 'forever growing and changing and evolving,' explaining that they're not just newly weds but also new business partners. She gushed: 'Idris is my best friend. I want to be around this guy every day of my life, so it's really great to be able to see what that morphs into.' Jesy Nelson reportedly enjoyed a secret hook-up with a male model who was previously convicted for drug dealing. The Sun On Sunday reports that the former Little Mix star, 30, got close to Aaron Gage, 25, last year, but before they met, he was handed a two-year prison term, which was suspended for 18 months, for possession of cocaine with intent to supply. It is said that Jesy 'had no idea about this man's past' and had she known about his criminal history, their first date 'wouldn't have happened.' Unaware: Jesy Nelson reportedly enjoyed a secret hook-up with a male model who was previously convicted for drug dealing Aaron, real name Aaron Mills, faced court in 2018 for arranging deals with the Class A drugs. A source told the publication 'Jesy had no idea about this man's past. Obviously, should Jesy have known about his past, a first date wouldn't have happened. 'Jesy's gone away for a while to recoup after the last year of relentless trolling and to be able to focus fully on her new music. Her new team are ensuring she's keeping focused and positive ahead of the new track dropping.' Trouble: The Sun On Sunday reports that the former Little Mix star, 30, got close to Aaron Gage, 25, last year, but before they met, he was handed a two-year prison term, which was suspended for 18 months, for possession of cocaine with intent to supply The Sun On Sunday reports that the hunk messaged Jesy on Instagram in 2021, with the beauty later responding. She was single at the time. The source added: 'Aaron had always really fancied Jesy so thought he would try his luck with her and slid into her DMs on Instagram. He was shocked when she responded.' They added that Aaron was 'smitten' with the Boyz hitmaker, but she was 'focused' on her long-term career. MailOnline have contacted representative of Jesy and Aaron for comment. Not a clue: It is said that Jesy 'had no idea about this man's past' and had she known about his criminal history, their first date 'wouldn't have happened' According to the publication, Nottingham crown court heard that Aaron advertised drug deals on his mobile phone, with one text allegedly stating: 'Fresh, sale next hour only, two for 70 or three for 90.' Aaron, who was said to have arranged up to nine deals selling drugs at 40 each, was busted after police raided his home and found cocaine. The heavily tattooed model, who goes by Mountain Of Strength on social media, initially claimed the drugs were for his own personal use. Contact: The Sun On Sunday reports that the hunk messaged Jesy on Instagram in 2021, with the beauty later responding. She was single at the time While he avoided a jail sentence as it was his first offence, he was ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid community work in addition to his suspended sentence. In December, Jesy also caused a storm when she was seen drunkenly flirting with actor Lucien Laviscount during a night out in London. Pals close to Jesy told MailOnline the chart-topper is 'embarrassed' by the photographs. She also insists she's 'single' despite being spotted with on-off boyfriend Harry James in November. The beauty has also previously dated the likes of Sean Sager, Chris Hughes and Chris Clark. Ooh I say: In December, Jesy also caused a storm when she was seen drunkenly flirting with actor Lucien Laviscount during a night out in London Meanwhile, Jesy recently promised her fans that her much-anticipated new record is 'her whole heart'. Taking to her social media earlier this month, the former Little Mixer, shared a photo of herself working hard during an intimate recording session in LA and promised her 8.5 million followers her new music would be 'worth the wait'. The solo artist - who could be seen sitting next to producer Sunny in the studio - penned: 'La la land -Late nights, lost voice, beautiful people, incredible sessions.' [sic] New music: Jesy promised fans that her much-anticipated new record is 'her whole heart' when she shared a photo from an LA recording studio on Instagram on Sunday She went on: 'I've never needed this trip more in my life! I'm beyond excited for you guys to hear this next part of my journey. 'This record is my whole heart and I know you guys have been so patient, but I want you to know that it will be worth the wait.' The hit-maker concluded: 'I just love you guys so bl**dy much.' Jesy flew out to LA to work on music last month and has been documenting her time abroad. Gogglebox Australia star Isabelle Silbery married her fiance Alex Richards in a romantic ceremony on Saturday. The 34-year-old reality TV star stunned in a white ruffled frock and strappy heels as she exchanged her vows. Isabelle had her long locks styled in curls and couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she partied with her friends and family. Congratulations! Gogglebox Australia's Isabelle Silbery (left) stunned in a ruffled frock as she married her fiance Alex Richards (right) in Melbourne on Saturday Alex looked dapper in a blue suit jacket, matching trousers and a white buttoned shirt. For their first dance, Isabelle and Alex were joined by her son, who she shares with her ex-husband Craig, as they danced to Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling In Love. The Bachelorette's Georgia Love and husband Lee Elliot were among the guests who attended the wedding. Intimate: For their first dance, Isabelle and Alex were joined by her son, who she shares with her ex-husband Craig, as they danced to Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling In Love Isabelle met Alex in March 2020 and within weeks decided to self-isolate with him during the Covid-19 lockdown. The pair became engaged in July. 'This happened... and I said yes. To a man who truly sees me, understands me and loves me for all my idiosyncrasies,' Isabelle wrote on Instagram at the time. 'I don't need diamond rings or all the things... no perfected engagement pics... It's just us ... just as we are. All I really need is unconditional love. We all do.' Guests: The Bachelorette's Georgia Love (lefft) and husband Lee Elliot (right) attended the wedding Relationship: Isabelle met Alex in March 2020 and within weeks decided to self-isolate with him during the Covid-19 lockdown Isabelle said Alex proposed 'on the couch' at home, after they moved in together. The couple also purchased their first property together in August that year. Isabelle's friend Benjamin Norris revealed the news on the TV Blackbox podcast. 'Who just bought a million-dollar mansion to celebrate their engagement to a man they only met in March?' Ben said. 'Isabelle Silbery from Gogglebox!' he added. '[She's] one of my good friends, and she will kill me for that. But hey, it's a true story.' Kanye West posted a lengthy Instagram message this weekend calling Kris Jenner 'a hero' while lambasting her longtime beau Corey Gamble. The 44-year-old rapper is in the process of divorcing Kris' daughter Kim Kardashian and has been feuding with her in public over the course of the past few weeks. In a post this Saturday morning, Kanye cryptically wrote that Corey was 'off on his next mission' and referred to him as 'godless.' Unfiltered: Kanye West posted a lengthy Instagram message this weekend calling Kris Jenner 'a hero' while lambasting her longtime beau Corey Gamble 'I love Kris': In a post this Saturday morning, Kanye cryptically wrote that Corey was 'off on his next mission' and referred to him as 'godless' During a series of public tirades two years ago near the end of his marriage, Kanye infamously attacked his mother-in-law as 'Kris Jong Un' - but by this weekend he took a much more respectful tone toward her. However he was less kind to Corey, who at 41 years old is the same age as Kim and a whopping 25 years younger than Kris. 'God has a plan to remove the Godless Corey needed to never be here anyway,' the Power rapper wrote. 'And I think hes a nice person Not a great person A nice person who used to be around Puffs family then got around Justin Bieber and then when Kris got divorced he slid in.' Kanye alleged that Corey 'became the tv version of a father figure and as he always called hisself "a REAL n****." He once told my wife he knew what music she should be listening to So when I seen him a week later I had him removed from my daughters birthday party.' The way they were: The 44-year-old rapper is in the process of divorcing Kris' daughter Kim Kardashian; they are pictured in February 2020 at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party The Jesus Is King impresario added of Corey: 'We still never met his family,' adding: 'And I guess we never will.' Kanye, who supported Donald Trump before running against him for the presidency in 2020, wrote that Corey 'got my wife linked with the liberals in a deep way.' He claimed: 'That was his Job For some reason I always felt he worked for DuPont or some organization in that pedigree.' Kanye then wrote that Corey is now 'off to his next mission,' as 'His job is done,' and 'Hes not messy enough to do something like this.' Couple: Kris and Corey are pictured attending The Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London together this past November Wow: Kanye posted screen-grabs of texts apparently from Darkchild aka Rodney Jerkins, saying: 'I'm glad Kris woke up! God is removing the evil blockers to bring restoration' He concluded his message. 'Its on purpose I love Kris This woman is a hero and shes done what shes had to do to protect her family and make sure they prosper even if it meant telling everyone not to listen to me I respect her grind her hustle and her mind Kris is one of the best to ever do it.' A few hours later Kanye posted screen-grabs of texts apparently from Darkchild aka Rodney Jerkins, sensationally alleging that Corey once 'Stole all my MPC zips to give to some lil producer dude he was managing back in the day! I'm glad Kris woke up! God is removing the evil blockers to bring restoration.' Kim filed for divorce in February of last year after months of rumors that her marriage to Kanye was on the brink of collapse. In 2020 while campaigning for President Of The United States Kanye tearfully revealed during a rally that he and Kim considered aborting their daughter North. Mother in law: Kris is pictured with 'Kimye,' as they were affectionately known to fans, in November 2019 in New York City He fired off a series of furious Twitter tirades accusing his wife of adultery and referring to her mother Kris Jenner as 'Kris Jong Un.' In response Kim, who was rumored to be livid about the abortion disclosure, posted a statement about Kanye's struggles with bipolar disorder and pointed out 'that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor.' Kanye now could be facing legal trouble following last month's incident where he was accused of pushing and punching a fan seeking an autograph. Change of heart?: Kanye is pictured in a throwback snap with Kris, whom he famously denounced as 'Kris Jong Un' in a Twitter tirade in 2020 Los Angeles law enforcement have nearly completed their investigation into the case and will be forwarding it to the L.A. City Attorney's Office, who will then decide whether to file criminal charges against the 44-year-old rapper, per TMZ. Though West was not interviewed by the police allegedly due to his busy schedule sources believe that paparazzi video of the incident and witness statements could provide enough evidence for a criminal charge. Meanwhile, the controversial musician was back to posting on his Instagram Friday night. Legal trouble: Kanye West could be facing criminal charges following last month's incident where he was accused of pushing and punching a fan seeking an autograph; Seen in January He shared a numerical rundown of his $2million income since launching a $200 Stem Player where his new album Donda 2 will be exclusively available. West then shared a list of all the people he has alleged 'beefs' with, including Taylor Swift, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, and most shockingly, American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, among many others. Ye also shared a black and white photo of himself, writing, 'There are two kinds of people People on my team or losers.' Back to posting: Ye, 44, shared a black and white photo of himself to Instagram, writing, 'There are two kinds of people People on my team or losers' The list, which was originally shared by Hip Hop By The Numbers, was not accurate according to Ye, who declared in the caption that it should be longer. 'Come on guys... This list is twice as long,' he wrote, adding more names that included, music streaming platforms Apple and Spotify, chief executive officer of Universal Music Group Lucian Grainge, as well as Hillary Clinton. The Donda hitmaker also couldn't resist taking a swipe at Kim's new boyfriend, SNL comedian Pete Davidson, whom he has nicknamed Skete. 'And of course Skete and any and all corny sh** in general,' he stated, adding, 'Can somebody from Chicago let these people know what Skete meant when we was growing up. It's up for everybody!!!!!' Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February 2021 and has since requested a judge to declare her single as West has fought back against the divorce, both in court and on social media. The couple has four children. New ventures: He also posted a number rundown that showed he made over $2million since launching a $200 Stem Player where his new album Donda 2 will be exclusively available Beefs: The Donda hitmaker then shared a list naming all the people he has 'beefs' with, which shockingly included American abolitionist Harriet Tubman Julia Fox was seen walking through Los Angeles alone on Saturday in an eye-catching look. Kanye West's 32-year-old ex wore a white crewneck t-shirt with side cutouts tucked into figure-clinging vinyl pants. The Uncut Gems actress added Matrix-style black sunglasses to her look, giving her ensemble an extra edge. Looking good: Julia Fox was seen walking through Los Angeles alone on Saturday in an eye-catching look The mom-of-one wore her lustrous hair down, letting it move freely in the breeze as it cascaded over her shoulders. The budding public figure's curves were on full display in the skin-baring top and low-rise pants combination. Fox hit the pavement in pointed-toe stiletto boots that blended in seamlessly with her trousers. Hot: Kanye West's 32-year-old ex wore a white crewneck t-shirt with side cutouts tucked into figure-clinging vinyl pants Julia, who recently ended a very public whirlwind romance with Ye, rocked large hoop earrings. She had her usual light face of makeup on and sported a classic French manicure on her nails. Also on Saturday, the entertainer took to Instagram to share a short video with her 1.2 million followers. She explained to fans that English is her second language. 'I fully only spoke Italian until I was like, eight,' she said. Hairstyle: The mom-of-one wore her lustrous hair down, letting it move freely in the breeze as it cascaded over her shoulders Enviable figure: The budding public figure's curves were on full display in the skin-baring top and low-rise pants combination Recently, after confirming her split from the Chicago rapper Julia took to social media to clear the air. The star confirmed that she and West called it quits, but admitted she was never 'in love' with the music artist. Rather than be upset, Julia referred to herself as a '#1 hustler' and hinted that she has plans to write a tell-all book about the short-lived romance. 'Y'all would love if I was soooo upset! The media would love to paint a picture of me a sad lonely woman crying on a plane by myself but it's NOT TRUE!!' Julia told fans in a note. Married At First Sight bride Tamara Djordjevic recently refuted claims she is the 'villain' of her season after making a series of snobby remarks. And on Saturday, the operations manager, 29, appeared carefree and relaxed as she reunited with her co-stars Samantha Moitzi and Jessica Seracino on the Gold Coast. Tamara flaunted her figure in a racy purple frock with thigh split as she mingled with her gal pals outside of The Tropic Restaurant in Burleigh Heads. Stepping out: Married At First Sight bride Tamara Djordjevic (pictured), 29, flaunted her trim figure in a racy purple dress as she reunited with her co-stars Samantha Moitzi and Jessica Seracino on the Gold Coast on Saturday Tamara elongated her lean legs with black mule heels, and accessorised further with a structured Louis Vuitton handbag and delicate jewellery. Her blonde tresses were styled out and straight, and her makeup was ultra glamorous, consisting of a subtle smoky eye, false lashes and a soft pink lipstick. Tamara warmly embraced Samantha, 26, who is paired with Al Perkins on the show, and intruder Jessica Seracino, 27, with her wedding set to air this week. Racy: Tamara flaunted her figure in a racy purple frock with thigh split as she mingled with her gal pals outside of The Tropic Restaurant in Burleigh Heads Social: The operations manager warmly embraced her pals, no doubt having a lot to catch up on Blonde bombshell: Her tresses were styled out and straight, and her makeup was ultra glamorous Samantha showed off her toned tummy and her 'Delicate' stomach tattoo as she went braless in a slinky beige dress with cut-out detail at the waist. White strappy heels, a gold chained shoulder bag and matching jewellery, finished off the racy ensemble. The blonde beauty styled her tresses loosely around her shoulders, and like Tamara, her makeup was ultra glamorous. Beauty: Her makeup palette consisted of a subtle smoky eye, false lashes and a soft pink lipstick Primped to perfection: Tamara ensured she was primped to perfection for the outing, touching up her hair Ab-flashing: Samantha (pictured), 26, showed off her toned tummy and her 'Delicate' stomach tattoo as she went braless in a slinky beige dress with cut-out detail at the waist Meanwhile Jessica, who was initially paired with axed MAFS groom Simon Blackburn, revealed her cleavage and trim waist in a plunging black dress. The brunette stunner added black heels, a matching shoulder bag and hoop earrings to the look. Her locks fell loosely around her face and shoulders, and she enhanced her striking facial features with winged eyeliner, bronzer on her cheekbones and a nude lipstick. Details: White strappy heels, a gold chained shoulder bag and matching jewellery, finished off the racy ensemble Hair and makeup: The blonde beauty styled her tresses loosely around her shoulders, and like Tamara, her makeup was ultra glamorous Stunner: Meanwhile Jessica (pictured), 27, who was initially paired with axed MAFS groom Simon Blackburn, revealed her cleavage and trim waist in a plunging black dress Gorgeous: The beauty added black heels, a matching shoulder bag and hoop earrings to the look Tamara, who is paired with hospitality specialist Brent Vitiello on the show and described retail workers as 'below' her, recently refuted claims she is the 'villain' of her season after copping backlash. She told Now to Love last week that she's just an unfiltered person. 'I have different sides to my personality. Hopefully people have a better understanding of me,' she said. Backlash: Tamara, who is paired with hospitality specialist Brent Vitiello on the show and described retail workers as 'below' her, recently refuted claims she is the 'villain' of her season after copping backlash Not holding back: She told Now to Love last week that she's just an unfiltered person Personality: 'I have different sides to my personality. Hopefully people have a better understanding of me,' she said Tamara admitted people often get upset with her brutal honesty in real life. 'When you first meet me I'm hard to take. I come out with whatever I'm thinking,' she said. 'It's not always taken the right way unless you know me, and my personality it can be quite hard to take in.' Reality: Tamara admitted people often get upset with her brutal honesty in real life First encounters: 'When you first meet me I'm hard to take. I come out with whatever I'm thinking,' she said Reaction: 'It's not always taken the right way unless you know me, and my personality it can be quite hard to take in,' she said Tamara acknowledged she copped a lot of backlash for saying retail workers don't have 'ambition', but hinted viewers didn't see the full 'context' of her remarks. 'It is really quite upsetting [to see] that was blown up to what it wasn't,' she said, adding that a lot of her wedding to Brent wasn't shown. 'We actually had quite a funny wedding and that part of the conversation stemmed from talking about what we're looking for in a partner.' Villain edit: Tamara acknowledged she copped a lot of backlash for saying retail workers don't have 'ambition', but hinted viewers didn't see the full 'context' of her remarks Upsetting: 'It is really quite upsetting [to see] that was blown up to what it wasn't,' she said, adding that a lot of her wedding to Brent wasn't shown Her take on things: 'We actually had quite a funny wedding and that part of the conversation stemmed from talking about what we're looking for in a partner,' Tamara said Lifestyle: She explained she'd dated unambitious men before and they didn't 'understand' her stressful lifestyle She explained she'd dated unambitious men before and they didn't 'understand' her stressful lifestyle. During the MAFS season premiere, Tamara shocked her 'husband' Brent by saying she could never date someone who works in retail because it's 'below her'. It was just the beginning of the drama, however, as Tamara repeatedly clashed with the 33-year-old on their wedding day. 'He does seem like an average kind of guy. Average just isn't for me. I'm not average. I don't do average,' the surgically-enhanced blonde told producers. Her audition tape was also aired on a previous episode, in which she described herself as a 'b**ch' and complained about men who drive 'really ugly cars'. Opening remarks: During the MAFS season premiere, Tamara shocked her 'husband' Brent by saying she could never date someone who works in retail because it's 'below her' Madeline Holtznagel has been enjoying the summer, spending lots of time at the beach with friends. And on Saturday, the model, 26, headed out to an upmarket meal at Coogee eatery Mimi's with her friends. The women, which included influencer Indi Thew, 24, appeared to have been to the beach beforehand, each donning bikinis and shirt dresses. Party pals: Madeline Holtznagel (far right) has been enjoying the summer, spending lots of time at the beach with friends Madeline turned heads in a bright orange oversized shirt, which was partially unbuttoned to show off some skin. The short length of the loose shirt dress put her trim pins on display, and she had the sleeves rolled up at her elbows. Underneath, the stunner had on swimwear in the same bright, neon tone as her shirt. Out and about: On Saturday, the model, 26, headed out to an upmarket meal at Coogee eatery Mimi's with her friends Pals: The women, which included influencer Indi Thew (centre), appeared to have been to the beach beforehand, each donning bikinis and shirt dresses A look: Madeline turned heads in a bright orange oversized shirt, which was partially unbuttoned to show off some skin The statuesque beauty appeared to skip the makeup for the outing, and had on a pair of sunglasses while wearing her blonde hair pulled off her face. Her pals opted for near-identical outfits, with Indi donning a pastel pink shirt over her multi-coloured bikini. She added a pair of shorts in the same colour and finished the ensemble with white sneakers. Short short: The short length of the loose shirt dress put her trim pins on display, and she had the sleeves rolled up at her elbows Swim fan: Underneath, the stunner had on swimwear in the same bright, neon tone as her shirt Details: The statuesque beauty appeared to skip the makeup for the outing The third woman in the posse also opted for a shirt dress in a pale yellow tone and belted at the waist. Once they arrived at the venue, the trio met up with further friends, greeting some male pals out front. They appeared relaxed and in good spirits as they headed inside to continue their outing. Friends: Once they arrived at the venue, the trio met up with further friends Fun day out: They shared a friendly greeting with some male pals out front Fashion pack: Her pals opted for near-identical outfits, with Indi donning a pastel pink shirt over her multi-coloured bikini Pretty in pink: . She added a pair of shorts in the same colour and finished the ensemble with white sneakers 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 earlier this month, 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. Casual: The statuesque beauty appeared to skip the makeup for the outing Touches: She had on a pair of sunglasses while wearing her blonde hair pulled off her face Leggy! Madeline showed off her trim pins in the revealing outfit Opening up: It comes after Madeline gave a glimpse at her notoriously private romance with Merivale boss Justin Hemmes, 49 '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. '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.' Tribute: She posted a sweet tribute to him on Instagram earlier this month, to mark Valentine's Day. 'Valentine's Day every day with you,' she captioned one photo Busy woman: Agents have reportedly been warning Madeline she could be missing important opportunities in the modelling industry because she is prioritising her relationship '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' Dating: Madeline and Justin have been dating for some time, and she also spent lockdown at his Vaucluse mansion in 2020 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. Cameron Daddo and Alison Brahe have spoken about how they saved their marriage after the actor cheated on the model in 1994. Brahe, 52, told the Sydney Morning Herald that her relationship to Daddo, 56, 'evolved the most' during marriage counselling in the wake of his infidelity. However it wasn't all smooth sailing, with the mother-of-three admitting they had 'a terrible experience' with their first therapist. Building back better: Cameron Daddo and Alison Brahe have spoken about how they saved their marriage after the actor cheated on the model in 1994. Seen here in 2019 'It is so important to find the right therapist for you. The one we found was our second choice, as the first one was a terrible experience,' said Alison. However once they found a decent counsellor, the long-term couple 'both wanted the relationship to work, so that was a good starting point'. Last year, Daddo spoke about hurting his wife by cheating on her three years after tying the knot in 1991. Reformed: Brahe, 52, told the Sydney Morning Herald that her relationship to Daddo, 56, 'evolved the most' during marriage counselling in the wake of his infidelity The Australian actor discussed his marriage on Nova FM's Separate Bathrooms podcast and admitted it's important to 'learn how to apologise'. 'We were told by Reverend Brian that married us. He said you're going to hurt your partner the most of anyone in your life.' 'In my case, it's probably true,' an emotional Cameron said. Candid: Daddo became emotional as he discussed hurting his nineties model wife Brahe after he cheated on her and blamed his infidelity on alcohol 'So it's a good idea to learn how to apologise, mean it and then make the necessary actions, so you don't repeat it. That's a good lesson,' he added. The couple wed in 1991 and have three children together, daughters Lotus, 24, and Bodhi, 14, and a son, River, 20. Last year Cameron and Alison celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. 'We were told by Reverend Brian that married us. He said "you're going to hurt your partner the most of anyone in your life". In my case, it's probably true,' an emotional Cameron said Back in 2019, Cameron revealed his marriage was never the same again after his extra-marital affair in 1994. Alison added that the couple had to go through a 'hell of a lot of work' before they could finally reach a happy place. 'I was the one who left the marriage,' Cameron told Woman's Day, clarifying that he had been unfaithful, not Alison. Affair: Back in 2019, Cameron revealed his marriage was never the same again after his extra-marital affair in 1994 His infidelity took place in America, after he had relocated there for his acting career. Alison admitted that their marriage was hardly 'couple goals', but they worked on it and are better off today. 'You don't get to 28 years of marriage without a hell of a lot of work and struggles and a fair chunk of pain and tears,' she said. In a blog post for daddy website The Father Hood, Daddo blamed alcohol for his infidelity. 'I was the one that left the marriage,' he said, citing alcohol and his work schedule as the main reasons behind his infidelity. 'When I acted out in that way, I didnt really want to be there,' he continued. 'There were reasons how I got into that place. And a lot of it was alcohol and being alone, feeling really lonely and being literally oceans away from my partner.' The star said that he and Alison both received counselling to repair their marriage, and that the experience ultimately became something that they could grow from. In 2016 she announced she was 'officially done with the fashion industry'. However Ajak Deng proved she's back and better than ever over the weekend when she appeared backstage at the Richard Quinn AW22 show during London Fashion Week. The South Sudanese-Australian model, 32, who only recently returned to the catwalk, looked fabulous in floral during the fashion show. Catwalk queen: Ajak Deng proved she's back and better than ever over the weekend when she appeared backstage at the Richard Quinn AW22 show during London Fashion Week Deng's billowing, brightly patterned dress was adorned with a large bow on the front. She wore it over a high neck latex top that finished in full length gloves. Ajak added inches to her 1.8 metre frame in black heels. Flower power: The South Sudanese-Australian model, 32, who only recently returned to the catwalk, looked fabulous in floral during the fashion show Last year, Ajak opened up about racism in the modelling industry. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, she said the Australian modelling industry is 'better' than international agencies, but insisted changes are still needed. 'There is so much discrimination and racism in my world,' she told the publication. Bright on! Deng's billowing, brightly patterned dress was adorned with a large bow on the front 'But I have to say we get treated much better in Australia. They know how to treat models here. The people behind Australian brands are so much more gentle.' Ajak revealed that she is glad to be returning to modelling but she believes many sectors of the industry haven't changed since 2016. 'Honestly, I did not think I would be coming back, but I saw how many young women I have inspired from around the world,' she said. Look who's back: Ajak revealed that she is glad to be returning to modelling but she believes many sectors of the industry haven't changed since 2016 'I decided to use the industry to my advantage and get as many opportunities as I can out of it and while things really haven't changed much, I can see a bit of progress,' she admitted. Ajak has modelled for a number of high profile designers including Dior, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Chloe. In 2016, she announced that she was 'officially done with the fashion industry' and she would be moving back to Australia to live a 'real life'. Accomplished: Ajak has modelled for a number of high profile designers including Dior, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Chloe Ajak has previously spoken about racism that she's encountered both in Australia and overseas throughout her career. She came to Melbourne, Australia, in 2005, after her family fled Sudan as refugees. Her mother died of malaria in a refugee camp in Kenya whilst they were waiting to be resettled. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, greets people attending an online conference and announces his digital industry policy in Seoul, Jan. 11. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun Lee promises government-led investment, Yoon vows for private-led economic innovation By Baek Byung-yeul Korea's economy has been struggling with the side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China. At a time when it is important to lift Korea's growth potential, the two leading presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party have shown differences in their industry, science and technology and energy policies. Ahead of the March 9 presidential election, the two leading candidates are generally suggesting similar visions with regards to achieving digital transformation; strengthening the country's core industrial sectors, such as semiconductors and batteries; and speeding up the energy transformation which are all crucial for the country to turn the series of crises caused by the pandemic, trade wars between the two superpowers and the climate crisis into an opportunity. However, when it comes to details, the two candidates show some differences. Lee said his administration would produce growth to create more jobs through government-led investment, while Yoon promised he would come up with private sector-led economic growth policies by easing regulations to promote corporate growth. Industrial policies The direction of Lee's plan for the development of Korea's industries is to spur growth through government-led investment. In January, Lee announced his vision for creating more jobs through extensive investment in digital, energy and service industries. Wearing a black turtleneck similar in appearance to Apple's Steve Jobs, Lee said that his government will invest 135 trillion won ($$112.8 billion) to foster digital industry and achieve digital transformation. "We will invest 135 trillion won in this digital transformation to create innovative jobs. We will raise public funds, including central and local government funds, and private funds, to create digital infrastructure, build data highways and industrial ecosystems, foster hyper-connected industries and cultivate digital cultural content," Lee said. To strengthen the country's capabilities in renewable energy industries, Lee also vowed to create what he calls an "energy highway." He explained that the term refers to a system in which residents in rural areas, where solar and wind power can be generated, produce renewable energy and sell it back to urban areas. Though each unit's energy production is small, a huge amount of renewable energy can be generated if numerous regions participate in the project. Lee added that the profits from this system will be distributed back to the residents. Whereas Lee emphasized that the government will take the lead in raising funds and investing in the development of industries, Yoon pledged to develop the economy by growing companies. Yoon said that he would create an organization dedicated to reforming regulations to promote investment by companies. He pledged to strengthen tax support and funding for research and development so that small businesses can grow into larger companies. In line with fostering digital industries, Yoon also pledged to make a "digital platform government." Under this plan, he will set up what he calls a "one-site total service" system, in which users can log into a single website in order to access all the administrative services they need. The plan aims to provide customized service that all people can access. "I will make sure that no one will be left behind in welfare services due to lack of information," Yoon said in January. "I will prevent taxpayer money from being wasted, and make the government fairer and more efficient." Yoon plans to improve the country's core industry sectors further, such as semiconductors and batteries, by reinforcing technological cooperation with other countries, such as the U.S. Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, visits a manufacturing plant in Incheon, Jan. 10. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun Married At First Sight viewers have taken aim at Holly Greenstein after she broke down in tears during Sunday night's commitment ceremony. Holly appeared by herself during the event after her Texan 'husband' Andrew left the experiment. The cinema manager broke down as she told the group how unsupported she felt but viewers weren't buying it. Breakdown: Married At First Sight viewers turned on Holly Greenstein as she dramatically broke down over her lack of support at Sunday night's commitment ceremony 'Omg I really hope Holly thanks the Academy,' one snarky viewer wrote, implying she was acting on the show. 'Holly looks down barrel of camera for Home and Away audition...And Neigho [Neighbours]...Ohhhh,' another wrote. 'Ok which one of you f**king idiot producers told Holly she could do a monologue,' quipped a third. Acting: A number of the Twitter users accused the cinema manager of acting due to her dramatic delivery However, some appeared to take Holly's side in the furore. 'I wish I could hold Holly's hand,' one fan wrote. 'Tell it like it is Holly,' another added. 'We believe you Holly.' Support: Other viewers were siding with Holly during the tense scenes Holly let her feelings be known about the group after she was forced to sit on the couch after husband Andrew left the experiment. 'Not long ago we were all single people in a room going to extreme lengths to find love. I worked hard to show you all who I was, to show you respect and courtesy,' she said, reading from prepared notes. 'I wanted to be your friend and support you through this, but you all very quickly forgot what it was like walking in alone and single into a room full of couples not feeling like enough,' she continued. Alone: The cinema manager was forced to sit on the couch by herself after her 'husband' Andrew Davis walked out of the last dinner party 'I had been alone this entire journey and I came into the room hoping for support I hope I earned and I walked in the villain.' Holly then explained that she felt alone and an outsider. 'I got attacked and you couldn't see it, instead you judged me. This man went to such lengths to make me look bad when I walked into the room last night,' she said. 'You all felt assured that I didn't try hard enough and he needed another change.' Married At First Sight continues Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine Michelle Collins has confessed she regrets taking part in MasterChef last August, since her mental health struggles had left her in a 'really bad way'. The EastEnders star, 59, admitted she 'mentally wasn't right' before claiming she 'shouldn't have done it' while her late mum Mary was coming to the end of a two year battle with cancer. Having suffered with depression and an eating disorder previously, Michelle has now revealed she's in a much better place and has become 'stronger'. Candid: Michelle Collins has confessed she regrets taking part in MasterChef last August, since her mental health struggles had left her in a 'really bad way' In a candid interview with Notebook, she began: 'I did Celebrity MasterChef, and I was really in a bad way. Mentally I wasn't right and I shouldn't have done it. Then in April mum died, so last year wasn't a happy time for me. 'We all go through times in our life when we suffer from mental health issues, and we should talk about it. I did write about it in my book, including the time when I attempted suicide. 'I've become much stronger as I've gotten older, but I still want to help other people as much as I can.' Michelle went on to describe how difficult she found lockdown last year since her mum was 'going downhill', especially at Christmas. Upset: The EastEnders star, 59, admitted she 'mentally wasn't right' before claiming she 'shouldn't have done it' while her late mum Mary was coming to the end of a two year battle with cancer (pictured in 2021) While Mary 'couldn't go out' due to her poor health, her daughter kept busy by doing her shopping and helping out at a friend's food bank. The TV personality revealed her mother Mary had passed away following a two-year battle with cancer last year. Michelle said she was 'devastated' by the loss and described her mother as the 'kindest woman I knew'. She confirmed the news by shared a heartwarming snap of herself alongside her mother in a cafe. Fighter: Having suffered with depression and an eating disorder previously, Michelle has now revealed she's in a much better place and has become 'stronger' (pictured in 2021) In her caption, she wrote: 'My beautiful Mummy passed away on Friday 30th April . We are all devastated. 'She leaves behind her partner Sid , daughters Vicky and myself , 3 grandchildren Charlotte , Jack and Maia and her nephews and nieces whom she loved very much and her little dog #nano from @alldogsmatter. 'She was the strongest, kindest woman I knew. Fierce, protective, passionate, clever, funny, articulate. She gave Vicky and I our #drive and #hunger for life.' Michelle said her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer a couple of years ago as she thanked the Royal Free London NHS' oncology department for caring for her. Heartbreaking: She said: 'Mentally I wasn't right and I shouldn't have done it. Then in April mum died, so last year wasn't a happy time for me' (pictured, left, with her mother Mary, right) She wrote: 'She was diagnosed with terminal cancer a couple of years ago but had @immunotherapyforcancer treatment which gave her a couple more years. 'Thank you @royalfreelondonnhs #oncology dept for always being so amazing in caring for her .and #thewhittingtonhospital for caring for her at the end also the wonderful 2 #paramedics ( one was called Jack ) who cared for her in the morning . 'You will always be with us mummy . I love you xxx. I don't know how the charity shops in #eastfinchley will manage without you!' Michelle rose to fame for her role as Cindy Beale in EastEnders, first joining the soap in 1988 for a two-year stint. Health: Michelle said her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer a couple of years ago as she thanked the Royal Free London NHS' oncology department for caring for her (pictured together in 1999) She returned to Albert Square two years later before departing for good in 1998. Michelle later joined the cast of rival soap Coronation Street, joining the ITV series as Stella Price in 2011. She departed the soap three years later, telling Manchester Evening News it was difficult to juggle work in Manchester with her responsibilities as a parent to daughter Maia, 24, in London. She said: 'I'd always said I'd only do three years on the show, which is what I've done. Everyone knows I'm a single mum, and ultimately my daughter is my priority and it was tough dividing my time between Manchester and London.' Michelle shares her daughter with ex-partner Fabrizio Tassalini while she has been in a relationship with boyfriend Mike Dawson, 38, for more than nine years. Maisie Williams looked sensational as she attended her boyfriend Reuben Selby's London Fashion Week afterparty at The Mondrian Hotel in Shoreditch on Saturday. The former Game Of Thrones star, 24, cut a stylish figure in a long-sleeved black sheer mini dress with a cut out detail. The actress added height to her frame with a pair of black heels while she also carried a matching handbag. Couple: Maisie Williams looked sensational as she attended her boyfriend Reuben Selby's London Fashion Week afterparty at The Mondrian Hotel in Shoreditch on Saturday Styling her blonde locks into an updo, Maisie added to her look with a pair of gold hoop earrings. Reuben sported a navy jacket and dark green trousers along with a white T-shirt as he posed for a photo with his partner. Fashion entrepreneur Reuben previously discussed launching his eponymous fashion line in the first lockdown, saying: 'Its something I knew Id always do. Its just been a case of how and when.' Maisie told Tatler: 'Reuben had always talked about designing his own brand, and [2020] felt like the best year to do that, just because there was all this free evening time.' Outfit: The former Game Of Thrones star, 24, cut a stylish figure in a long-sleeved black sheer mini dress with a cut out detail Style: The actress added height to her frame with a pair of black heels while she also carried a matching handbag The couple said they hoped for the line to fill a gap in the market through providing gender-fluid streetwear that's also sustainable. The loved-up pair have been inseparable since they went public with their romance back in 2019. Maisie and Reuben first sparked romance rumours at the start of 2019, after they were spotted strolling around New York City holding hands. She seemed to make the relationship official after he accompanied her to Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's French wedding back in June of that year, posting a photo of them together on Instagram. Looking good: Styling her blonde locks into an updo, Maisie added to her look with a pair of gold hoop earrings Relationship: Maisie and Reuben first sparked romance rumours at the start of 2019, after they were spotted strolling around New York City holding hands It comes after Maisie recently ventured into the world of producing. As an environmentalist, Maisie produced Searching for Chinook - a documentary to fight for the survival of the last 72 Southern resident orcas. She also helped launch WaterBear alongside Sir David Attenborough - the first global video streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. Rocco Ritchie looked smitten as he departed London cabaret club, The Windmill Soho with a mystery blonde in the early hours of Sunday morning. The 21-year-old is proving to be quite a hit with the ladies, after he was spotted on a date with another woman at the swanky private members' club Loulou's last month. Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son cut a dapper figure in a grey collared zip-up jacket which he teamed up with suit trousers in a lighter shade. Grinning: Rocco Ritchie looked smitten as he departed cabaret club, The Windmill Soho in London with a mystery blonde bombshell in the early hours of Sunday morning Completing his look with a pair of tan leather loafers, he wore a cheeky grin and his walnut curls had been tousled by the windy weather. His stunning companion wrapped up in a black wool coat and placed a tender hand on Rocco's back while carrying a smart Christian Dior handbag. Beneath, she flashed her legs in a blue pinstriped minidress, while strutting her way through the city in a pair of knee-high black boots. The Central Saint Martins student - who goes by the alias Rhed - had seemingly made an outfit change, as he was pictured earlier attending Mert Alas' birthday party. Looking good: Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son cut a dapper figure in a grey collared zip-up jacket which he teamed up with suit trousers in a lighter shade Strolling: He completed his look with a pair of tan leather loafers Beauty: His stunning companion wrapped up in a black wool coat and placed a tender hand on Rocco's back Suave: He wore a cheeky grin and his walnut curls had been tousled by the windy weather For his solo appearance at the photographer's bash, the celebrity offspring dressed up to the nines in a black tuxedo above a grey shirt with white stripes. Sporting a white pocket handkerchief, Rocco carried a plaid brown coat over his arm as he strolled through the capital. Rocco's representative has been contacted for comment by MailOnline. It was recently revealed that the mysterious up-and-coming artist Rhed who has been championed by Madonna was non other than Rocco himself. The 63-year-old Queen of Pop's eldest son has quietly established himself as an expressionist painter under the name 'Rhed' with three exhibitions at the Chelsea art gallery, Tanya Baxter Contemporary, since 2018. Trendy: She carried a smart Christian Dior handbag over one shoulder What a pair! They continued to put on a comfortable display with one another Chatting: Rocco and the blonde bombshell appeared to be in deep conversation Chilly? The two certainly looked a little windswept Oh dear: The 21-year-old is proving to be quite a hit with the ladies, after he was spotted on a date with another woman at the swanky private members' club Loulou's last month Ritchie - who turns heads with his retro fashion sense - kicked off his career at age 17 - studying at Central Saint Martins and the Royal Drawing School and his work now sells for five figures. The Like A Prayer hitmaker reunited with Rocco during her family's ski vacation in what's believed to be Switzerland in January. She captioned the snap: 'I know a lot of fancy words, I test them from my heart and my tongue... then I pray' as she posed with Rocco, 21, during a festive stroll. Madonna misquoted the late Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver's Six Recognitions of the Lord: 'I know a lot of fancy words, I tear them from my heart and my tongue. Then I pray.' Emerging: The Central Saint Martins student - who goes by the alias Rhed - had seemingly made an outfit change, as he was pictured earlier attending Mert Alas' birthday party Stylish: For his solo appearance at the photographer's bash, the celebrity offspring dressed up to the nines in a black tuxedo above a grey shirt with white stripes Smart: Sporting a white pocket handkerchief, Rocco carried a plaid brown coat over his arm as he strolled through the capital The Like A Prayer hitmaker looked typically glamorous in a black padded snowsuit, hat and shades as she linked arms with her eldest son. Rocco wore a suede jacket and jeans as he beamed for the camera while chatting with his mother. Rocco's secret life as an acclaimed artist was unveiled last month by Page Six. His bio on London's Tanya Baxter Contemporary gallery website states: 'Rhed is a young emerging artist whose cultural background is diverse and unconventional. Night out: Rocco looked in great spirits as he headed inside Loulou's with a female pal last month 'His childhood was spent between New York and London which have given him an eclectic and diverse artistic background. 'Society conflicts such as the obsession with social media, fixation of celebrities & labels and generational problems such as drug abuse and depression are subjects that he approaches in a coded fashion. 'It is almost as if the artist uses the paintings to act as a spokesman for the millennial generation who have overdosed on a toxic society.' His first show at the gallery in July 2018 saw his artworks praised as having hints of Banksy. Police reportedly arrested a man with a loaded gun outside of Alexandra Daddario's home on Saturday. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department arrived to The White Lotus star's, 35, home after a man had been spotted screaming something about her while standing outside her house, per TMZ. After the suspect allegedly refused their request to leave, they detained him and searched his vehicle where they found a loaded handgun. He was then arrested for possession of a concealed firearm. Scary: Police arrested a man with a loaded gun outside of Alexandra Daddario's home on Saturday after he had been spotted screaming something about her There is no confirmation on whether Alexandra or her fiance, producer Andrew Form, were at home at the time of the scary incident. TMZ reports that the man arrested is still currently in custody. The actress and her 52-year-old beau got engaged in December of 2021, and she went on to post a gushing tribute to him on her Instagram, calling him 'the absolutely most wonderful man.' 'Youve taken the worst moments of my life and soothed them, just knowing that you existed when they happened makes my heart fuller and more pieced together,' she shared at the time. Her fiance: There is no confirmation on whether the actress, 35, or her fiance, producer Andrew Form, 52, were at home at the time of the scary incident Alexandra and Andrew made their red-carpet debut in July of last year at the premiere of her acclaimed dramedy The White Lotus. She starred in the series which was written and directed by Mike White as a journalist on her honeymoon at an ultra-luxurious Hawaiian resort as she realizes that her wealthy husband (Jake Lacy) sees her more as a trophy than an equal. The New York native is also famous for her role in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D as well as Baywatch. Advertisement Brendan Cole snatched the first ten on Dancing On Ice on Sunday night, after forming the show's second same-sex partnership with Brendyn Hatfield. The New Zealand ballroom dancer, 45, picked male skater Brendyn, 36, to step in and partner with him for Musicals Week after his professional partner Vanessa Bauer tested positive for Covid. The duo bagged themselves a strong score of 47 out of a possible 50 for their skate to Beggin' by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, with Arlene Phillips - a guest judge for Week Six - awarding them the sought-after perfect score. Dancing On Ice 2022: Brendan Cole (pictured left, left, with Brendyn Hatfield) was awarded the first TEN of the series from Arlene Phillips - as Bez (pictured right with Angela Egan) was the fifth celebrity to hang up his skates after the judges unanimously decide to save Sally Dynevor The choreographer's decision was well-received by fans on Twitter, who called the routine 'sensational,' 'fabulous' and 'so slick.' It was the second time the show saw an all-male pairing after Steps' Ian 'H' Watkins and skater Matt Evers made history with their partnership in the 2020 series. Brendyn was previously partnered with Rachel Stevens - but she was eliminated from the competition in week three. Viewers were confused to spot a smiling Vanessa in the crowd, but she confirmed via Instagram on Saturday that she was testing negative for Covid, sharing a photo of her lateral flow result. Elsewhere, Bez was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated. 'A great routine!': The choreographer's decision was well-received by fans on Twitter, who called the routine 'sensational,' 'fabulous and 'so slick' Switch up: The New Zealand ballroom dancer, 45, picked male skater Brendyn, 36, to step in and partner with him for Musicals Week after his professional partner Vanessa Bauer (r) tested positive for Covid Routine: The duo bagged themselves a strong score of 47 out of a possible 50 for their skate to Beggin' by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Carrying on: Vanessa's coronavirus scare is the latest in a string of setbacks for the show, after host Phillip and Bez also had to miss a week due to contracting the virus, while Rachel Stevens was absent from a show earlier on in the series due to a fractured wrist Hard luck: The Happy Mondays rock star, 57, and his partner Angela lost out to Sally Dynevor and Matt Evers in the dreaded skate-off High sprits: An upbeat Bez said on his exit: 'I've loved every moment!' Icon: Dame Arlene was this week's guest judge Support: Viewers were confused to spot a smiling Vanessa in the crowd, but she confirmed via Instagram on Saturday that she was testing negative for Covid, sharing a photo of her lateral flow result The Happy Mondays rock star, 57, and his partner Angela Egan lost out to Sally Dynevor and Matt Evers in the dreaded skate-off, with their Musicals Week performance not doing enough to impress the judging panel, comprising of Oti Mabuse, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, Ashley Banjo and guest judge for Musicals Week Arlene. Arlene said: 'I'm choosing to save Sally because she is the most beautiful actress and proved herself with her skating this week.' An upbeat Bez said on his exit: 'I've loved every moment!' Making history: Sunday's episode was the second time the show saw an all-male pairing after Steps' Ian 'H' Watkins and skater Matt Evers made history with their partnership in the 2020 series (pictured above) Glamorous: Sally may have transformed into The Sound Of Music's Maria for her main routine, but she turned up the glamour in a purple, metallic dress for the skate-off Graceful: Arlene said: 'I'm choosing to save Sally because she is the most beautiful actress and proved herself with her skating this week' Meanwhile, the music star has worn a helmet during his time on the skating show and previously claimed that his protective equipment has helped him to avoid 'serious injury' over the last few weeks. Speaking about his skating struggles, Bez shared: 'I wear every pad you can possibly think of, which has saved me from serious injury. Despite this, he's still suffered a few bumps and bruises during his training sessions. He previously said: 'I fell down the other day and landed on a part I never had pads on.' Open: Meanwhile, music star Bez has worn a helmet during his time on the skating show and previously claimed that his protective equipment has helped him to avoid 'serious injury' over the last few weeks Kicking off the show - and taking the audience back to the 60s - were Regan Gascoigne and Karina Manta, who put on an energetic performance to You Can't Stop the Beat from Hairspray. After being scored 45 out of a possible 50, guest judge Arlene, who the 25-year-old dancer said it was 'an honour and pleasure to perform in front of', gushed: 'I was so impressed. You are a joy to watch.' Next up was Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and her skating partner Mark Hanretty, who were only 2.5 from full marks for their skate to Don't Rain on My Parade from Funny Girl. Vibrant: Kicking off the show - and taking the audience back to the 60s - were Regan Gascoigne and Karina Manta, who put on an energetic performance to You Can't Stop the Beat from Hairspray Wow: After being scored 45 out of a possible 50, guest judge Arlene, who the 25-year-old dancer said it was 'an honour and pleasure to perform in front of', gushed: 'I was so impressed. You are a joy to watch' Lift: Next up was Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and her skating partner Mark Hanretty, who were only 2.5 from perfection for their skate to Don't Rain on My Parade from Funny Girl Having fun: Reflecting on the performance, Kimberly admitted: 'I've been very intense the last couple of weeks. It's been nice to smile!' Performance: Dancing to One (Reprise)/Finale from A Chorus Line were Stef Reid and Andy Buchanan, who just missed out on scoring their coveted nine Hard work: The pair scored 41.5 for their efforts Feedback: While Oti ensured the one-point-from-perfection wasn't far off, Ashley added: 'Keep going. Where you're heading, you could peak at the right moment' Reflecting on the performance, Kimberly admitted: 'I've been very intense the last couple of weeks. It's been nice to smile!' Full of praise, Oti said: 'The two of you, you flaw me every week. It was fantastic.' Dancing to One (Reprise)/Finale from A Chorus Line were Stef Reid and Andy Buchanan, who just missed out on scoring their coveted nine. While Oti insisted the one-point-from-perfection wasn't far off, Ashley added: 'Keep going. Where you're heading, you could peak at the right moment.' Entrance: Bez had a dream come true making it to Musicals Week and was thrilled to dance to Bat Out Of Hell with partner Angela Egan, even hitting the ice on a motorbike Moves: He made it no secret that he desired a five from Oti, who scored him one less for his performance Delighted: Showing he wasn't giving up without a fight after finding himself in last week's skate-off, Kye Whyte and his partner Tippy Packard transported Dancing On Ice fans back to the mid 19th century with their performance to Consider Yourself from Oliver Go Kye: Ashley said how glad he was to have saved him, as Chris praised that it was their best skate yet Bez, who scored 22.5 out of 50, had a dream come true making it to Musicals Week and was thrilled to skate to Bat Out Of Hell with partner Angela, even hitting the ice on a motorbike. He made it no secret that he desired a five from Oti, who scored him one less. Chris commented: 'We are getting the productions, but mostly the same Bez.' Showing he wasn't giving up without a fight after finding himself in last week's skate-off, Kye Whyte and his partner Tippy Packard transported Dancing On Ice fans back to the mid 19th century with their performance to Consider Yourself from Oliver. Transformation: Sally Dynevor channelled Maria from The Sound Of Music for this week's routine Partnership: Sally's partner Matt Evers quipped: 'She is a national treasure - I couldn't see her get hurt!' after their skate to My Favourite Things Not down for long: Connor Ball may have taken a tumble during his Les Miserables inspired skate, but he still scored highly, achieving 40.5 with Alexandra Schauman Relieved: The fall was the least of the judge's concerns, as Oti gushed she was 'so proud of him' for the performance Entrance: Presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby made quite the entrance as they graced the ice on podiums, which they were filmed practising on earlier in the day Glamorous: Holly wowed in a floor length white gown, while Phillip cut his typically suave figure in a black suit Ashley said how glad he was to have saved him, as Chris praised that it was their best skate yet. Sally Dynevor channelled Maria from The Sound Of Music for this week's routine, with partner Matt Evers quipping: 'She is a national treasure - I couldn't see her get hurt!' after their skate to My Favourite Things. Sally, 58, told the judges: 'I tried to bring the character to the ice', with Chris replying: 'It was Julie Andrews on ice for me!' Connor Ball may have taken a tumble during his Les Miserables inspired skate, but he still scored highly, achieving 40.5 with Alexandra Schauman. The fall was the least of the judge's concerns, as Oti gushed she was 'so proud of him' for the performance, with Arlene dubbing the skate 'beautiful.' Here they are: Dame Arlene Phillips (top right) joined Ashley Banjo (bottom left) Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean (top left and middle) and Oti Mabuse (bottom right) on the judging panel for Musicals Week Smiles all round: Brendan and his wife Zoe Hobbs looked buoyant following his triumph Family affair: Sheryl Gascoigne and her daughter Bianca were there to support Regan during Musicals Week Happy: A wide-smiling Bianca looked thrilled post-show, after her brother wowed with his Hairspray-inspired performance Say cheese! Ryan Thomas had been supporting Kimberly Wyatt in the crowd She recently returned to Australia after being in Los Angeles with her husband Sam and their three children for over a year. And Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) had a ball catching up with her brother Joshua Bingle and friends on Saturday. The model, 34, enjoyed a day cruising around Sydney Harbour. Bikini babe! Lara Worthington showed off her cleavage and super slim figure in a strapless swimsuit as she went swimming off a yacht with her brother Joshua Bingle and friends in Sydney over the weekend She showed off her cleavage and super slim figure in a chic black swimsuit as she went swimming off the luxury vessel. The blonde bombshell's famous 'Love Lou' ribcage tattoo was seen peeking out of her strapless top and she flaunted her flawless visage by going makeup free. Lara was seen boarding the boat wearing a fashion forward blue apron dress teamed with Nike slides. Not an inch to pinch: The mother-of-three's tiny waist was also on display in the bikini She accessorised with a large brown leather bag and designer shades. The Share The Base founder appeared to be in good spirits as she caught up with her younger sibling and her pals. Lara is married to Avatar actor Sam Worthington, 45, and the couple share three young sons; Rocket, six, Racer, four, and River, one. Dedication: The blonde bombshell's famous 'Love Lou' ribcage tattoo was seen peeking out of her strapless top 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 told the Kyle and Jackie O radio show in October 2015. Bottoms up! The mother-of-three also flaunted her toned derriere in the high-cut swimsuit Cute: Lara shielded her famous face with a cute knitted bucket hat Nice ride! The group enjoyed the stunning Harbour views from this luxury yacht 'We wrote the whole celebration, we wrote all our vows. I was pregnant as well.' 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.' Chic: Lara wore a blue apron slip dress for the boat outing and a pair of Nike slides Flawless: She appeared to be completely makeup free and shaded her eyes with designer shades In 2018, Lara reflected on how getting married and having children had completely changed her life. '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.' Family affair: Lara was joined by her younger brother Joshua Bingle and friends Paris Jackson surprised patrons drinking and dining at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen, CO last Thursday with an impromptu show featuring tracks from her newly-released EP The Lost, including one likely about her ex Gabriel Glenn. 'This next song is about my ex. This is the song that's on my EP that came out, f***, I don't know? 10 minutes ago?' the 23-year-old Michael Jackson heiress announced before playing Breathe Again at the event, which was organized by Rebecca Minkoff. 'We broke up two years ago on Valentine's Day and then I wrote this song. So I hope you like it, I know he won't.' Cozy concert: Paris Jackson surprised patrons drinking and dining at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen, CO last Thursday with an impromptu show featuring tracks from her newly-released EP The Lost, including one likely about her ex Gabriel Glenn That same day, Paris had promoted her three-track album on Instagram with the caption: 'Because who doesn't love a lil EP about an ex lover?' Jackson's soft whispery vocals and acoustic guitar strums were mostly drowned out by crowd noise in the packed restaurant. 'I don't write happy songs,' the self-described 'mediocre Thom Yorke impersonator' explained. 'So, when I do and try to write a love song it usually ends up being a song about me dying. So, that's what this one is, it's called Yellow Bird.' Before playing Breathe Again, the 23-year-old Michael Jackson heiress announced: 'This next song is about my ex. This is the song that's on my EP that came out, f***, I don't know? 10 minutes ago?' Paris continued: 'We broke up two years ago on Valentine's Day and then I wrote this song. So I hope you like it, I know he won't' That same day, Jackson had promoted her three-track album on Instagram with the caption: 'Because who doesn't love a lil EP about an ex lover?' 'I don't write happy songs': The self-described 'mediocre Thom Yorke impersonator's soft whispery vocals and acoustic guitar strums were mostly drowned out by crowd noise in the packed restaurant Colorado chic: Paris was dressed conservatively in a brown reptilian-print motorcycle jacket from Rebecca Minkoff with a white blouse over a red velvet top and brown suede slacks Past and present: Jackson celebrated last Valentine's Day with self-taught metal artist Michael Bradley (L) at Craig's in West Hollywood but she previously dated Gabriel Glenn (R), Michael Snoddy, Chester Castellaw, and Tom Kilbey Paris was dressed conservatively in a brown reptilian-print motorcycle jacket with a white blouse over a red velvet top and brown suede slacks for her show. Jackson celebrated last Valentine's Day with self-taught metal artist Michael Bradley at Craig's in West Hollywood but she previously dated Gabriel Glenn, Michael Snoddy, Chester Castellaw, and Tom Kilbey. The Lost - released by Republic Records - features the Adagio songstress' original break-up songs Breathe Again and Lost as well as a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 hit Never Going Back Again. Paris recorded The Lost - available on Apple and Spotify - with Caamp musicians Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall at the Colombus, OH facility, Oranjudio. Released by Republic Records: The Lost features the Adagio songstress' original break-up songs Breathe Again and Lost as well as a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 hit Never Going Back Again Available on Apple and Spotify! Paris recorded The Lost with Caamp musicians Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall at the Colombus, OH facility, Oranjudio More to come! Jackson was hard at work at a different recording studio on Saturday night with producer Simon Oscroft Jackson was hard at work at a different recording studio on Saturday night with producer Simon Oscroft. On February 1, the Sex Appeal actress reunited with her brothers Prince and Bigi (previously known as 'Blanket') to attend the Broadway opening of MJ: The Musical at the Neil Simon Theatre in Manhattan's Midtown neighborhood. The fully-authorized jukebox musical - starring Myles Frost - takes audiences inside the late King of Pop's creative process while rehearsing for his 1992 Dangerous Tour. It features over 25 of Michael's biggest hits and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon with a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. Father and daughter in 2008: The Sex Appeal actress reportedly receives $8M annually with bonuses at age 18, 33, and 40 from her famous father's $100M inheritance Hitting the road! Paris will next serve opening duties for six dates of Patrick Droney's State of the Heart Tour beginning on March 19 in Las Vegas Page Six reported that Paris teared up during the I'll Be There segment in the first act and later 'sent roses to every single member of the cast.' Jackson receives $8M annually with bonuses at age 18, 33, and 40 from her famous father's $100M inheritance - according to Page Six. The 13-time Grammy winner succumbed to 'acute Propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication' at age 50 back in 2009. The trust-fund bohemian will next serve opening duties for six dates of Patrick Droney's State of the Heart Tour beginning on March 19 at The Space in Las Vegas. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Chairperson Jeon Hyun-heui speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Government Complex in Seoul, Feb. 9. Courtesy of ACRC Anti-corruption agency chief stresses national integrity as precondition for advanced country By Nam Hyun-woo Korea is showing improvements in indices gauging its integrity and transparency systems, and the country's strengthened anti-corruption efforts will attract foreign investors, enabling further economic growth, according to the chief of the national anti-corruption agency. "The Korean economy is now among the world's 10 biggest economies and some experts say the country deserves to be described as a member of the Group of Eight," Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Chairperson Jeon Hyun-heui said during an interview with The Korea Times, Feb. 9. "It is true that Korea's economic and national status has been elevated, but it is hard to say it is an advanced country if it is corrupt or not transparent. Korea's recent improvements in global integrity indices show that the country is becoming more transparent and progressing as a developed nation." Jeon's remarks came after Korea scored a record high of 62 out of 100 in last year's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, Jan. 25. It was the 32nd highest score out of 180 countries and territories. Korea's ranking and score increased by 1 notch and 1 point from those of 2020, respectively, marking the fifth consecutive years of improvements. Jeon said it was "a desirable outcome," noting the index showed a year-on-year improvement despite a major real estate speculation scandal last year involving a state-run home developer, the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH). The entire nation was outraged in March last year when a civic group revealed that LH employees used privileged information to cash in on government housing development programs. Criticisms mounted on the country's anti-corruption efforts and the Moon Jae-in administration's integrity, resulting in the ruling party suffering a crushing defeat in by-elections a month later. Since the CPI gauges outside perceptions of a country's integrity, the scandal, which was even reported by foreign media outlets, was feared to snap Korea's five-year streak of an uptrend on the index. "If we had done nothing after the so-called LH scandal, it may have given foreign investors the wrong impression that such an irregularity could happen again in Korea," Jeon said. "Since the scandal, we have made every effort to rule out the possibility of public officials pursuing profits by exploiting their position by enacting the Prevention of Conflict of Interest Related to Duties of Public Servants Act and I believe this was taken into account in last year's CPI score." The act, which will take effect May 19 this year, prohibits public officials from pursuing personal profit related to their professional duties. Those who violate the act could face up to seven years in prison. Since the act may affect foreign investors seeking to do business in Korea, Jeon said the ACRC is making efforts to explain the new regulation to foreign companies. On Jan. 14, the ACRC held a webinar with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea for Jeon to explain the new anti-corruption rule to participants. Economy and integrity Though Jeon acknowledged that the LH scandal prevented Korea from achieving the Moon government's goal of being placed No. 20 in last year's CPI ranking, she noted that other integrity indices are showing noticeable improvements, pushing up the country's attractiveness to investors. Last year, the Berlin-based European Research Center for Anti-corruption and State-Building ranked Korea No. 18 out of 114 assessed countries in its Index of Public Integrity, the highest placement among Asian nations. Also, Korea received its highest ranking of 21st among 194 countries in the Bribery Risk Matrix tracked by the U.S.-based TRACE International, and was classified as a country group of "low risk" with regards to bribery. "Those indices have a more objective evaluation on a country's integrity and transparency, and Korea logged higher scores compared to the CPI, meaning the country is improving," Jeon said. "Because the Moon administration was inaugurated with the goal of rooting out corruption, making the country fair and transparent was one of the most important issues on the state agenda. And I believe that improvements in the indices are major achievements of the administration." President Moon took the office in 2017 after his predecessor Park Geun-hye was impeached because of a corruption scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil. Against this backdrop, Moon has been stressing the government's transparency and integrity as its main philosophy, although there are mixed views on whether the government was successful in eradicating corruption, which are frequently described as "deep-rooted evils." Jeon said the country's improved transparency is a crucial precondition for its economic growth, because the integrity of government systems enables firms to manage administrative and political uncertainties for their businesses. "Let's say you are running a business and you have to bribe government officials to get administrative approval on issues related to your business. It comes as a risk for companies, preventing them from focusing on business fundamentals," Jeon said. "A country's transparency becomes a launch pad for companies operating in it to concentrate on its productivity and achieving growth." Studies published in 2007 and 2008 in The European Physical Journal found that countries and territories experienced gross domestic product increases of 1.7 percent for every point added to their CPI score. Jeon also made a similar assumption that a 10 point increase on the CPI would result in up to a 65 trillion won ($54.28 billion) increase in Korea's GDP. In its 2016 report, "Putting an End to Corruption," the OECD said the probability of foreign direct investment was 15 percentage points lower in countries with a strong level corruption than in countries relatively free of it. "For foreign investors, national transparency is a signal lowering their risks," Jeon said. "The country now has two major schemes preventing public officials from receiving bribes the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and pursuing personal gain the Prevention of Conflict of Interest Related to Duties of Public Servants Act. And we believe these are superior national anti-corruption systems compared to those of other advanced nations." The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act is better known as "Kim Young-ran act," named after former ACRC Chairwoman Kim Young-ran, who proposed making it illegal for public officials and journalists to accept gifts of more than 50,000 won or being treated to meals that cost over 30,000 won per person. It took effect in September 2016. Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Chairperson Jeon Hyun-heui, right, speaks during a webinar on the new Prevention of Conflict of Interest Related to Duties of Public Servants Act, held jointly with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Jan. 14. Courtesy of ACRC Spirituality can mean different things to different people. For Suchitra Ella, it is her range of life-saving vaccines that defines spirituality. Suchitra and her husband Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech Limited, were conferred the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India, this year. Suchitra, who is Joint MD of the company, is a multi-tasker. I have always been hard pressed for time. When Dr Ella was a university student for seven years, I was a working mom, the mother of two Dr Jalachari Ella and Dr Raches Ella and a loving grandmother to Keshav Rana tells Deccan Chronicle in an exclusive interview. Bharat Biotech is the first company to manufacture a preservative-free vaccine (Revac-B mcf Hepatitis B Vaccine), launch Indias first cell-cultured swine-flu vaccine, make the worlds most affordable Hepatitis vaccine and also the first in the world to find a vaccine for the Zika virus. Despite the tremendous success of Bharat Biotech vaccines, including Covaxin, Suchitra and Dr. Krishna Ella come across as a completely grounded couple. They are focussed on seeing that their companys products are the best. Preparing the ground Suchitra and her husband were based in the US for almost 13 years. We went there for training, higher education and work experience. Dr Ella did his Ph.D in Molecular Biology and Genetic Science. His specialty was gene knockout. says Suchitra. He also worked on yeast molecular biology. We wanted to come back to India and start our own company. And our first product was a yeast-based vaccine. We developed upstream work in the US and the downstream work in terms of product development, manufacturing and clinical research was done in India, reveals Suchitra who is a strong pillar of support and guidance at Bharat, overseeing a wide range of operations in the company. We came back to India with a business plan to create a cheaper hepatitis vaccine as there was heavy demand for it in India, she adds. The project was conceptualised and started in 1996. Vaccines for all Bharat Biotech was started by Dr Ella as a small lab in Hyderabad. A Rs12.5 crore project proposal to supply rota virus vaccines at the rate of 1 dollar was submitted. From the time Bharat Biotech was founded 25 years ago, we have been primarily focusing on innovation and bringing new technology for indigenous production, which resulted in cost-effectiveness for the end user, explains Suchitra. Bharat Biotech has launched many vaccines, which are extremely affordable. We launched ROTAVAC, a recombinant Rotavirus vaccine, in October 1998. It was priced at $1, she adds. Vaccine portfolio The company has done extensive work in almost all the areas of vaccine technology over the last 25 years. We have worked on bacterial platform technologies. So, by and large, we have a very robust R&D in-house and we also partnered and collaborated with multiple academic and research institutions not only in India but from across the world, shares Suchitra, who is the past National Chairwoman of CII IWN and currently the Deputy Chairperson CII Southern Region( SR). Sheer hard work resulted in a slew of vaccines against viral diseases, such as the Polio Vaccine, Rotavirus Vaccine (against childhood diarrhoea), Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine, Rabies, Chikungunya, Zika, Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine and the Influenza Vaccine and the worlds first tetanus-toxoid conjugated vaccine for Typhoid. Covid Vaccine: RACE AGAINST Time We also wanted to attempt a vaccine for the Coronavirus. We had the required infrastructure in our own campus as well as extensive product development background in terms of conducting human trials across the world both in children and adults, she says. And so, Bharat Biotech collaborated with ICMR to use its SARS-CoV-2 strain grow it, and inactivate it through a chemical process. The company started testing the vaccine on animals for safety and efficacy as part of pre-clinical studies. With the support from ICMR and the regulatory body we were able to accelerate the whole process of pre-clinical studies and got into human testing by July, says Suchitra. Talking of the speed with which the Covid vaccines were made available, Suchitra says, The time frame to develop a vaccine is nothing less than 15 years. A lot of time, energy, data, research and science go into it. But during the pandemic, new technology had to be deployed and many of us vaccine manufacturers worldwide did not have the luxury of time. We had to come up with answers in 12 to 18 months. The company, which had built Indias biggest BSL-3 high-containment facility for manufacturing inactivated polio vaccine, has now converted it to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine. As of now, Covaxin is seen to be effective on all the variants of the virus, and neutralises all of them. If it is not effective for a future strain, a new vaccine has to be developed and we are ready for that, emphasises Suchitra. It is like influenza, where the strain changes every year, so we keep coming up with advanced vaccines. The company is also developing an inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), as the OPV will be phased out globally by 2023. A love for challenges The couple has braved all odds to make Bharat Biotech great. I have never backed off from challenges, stresses Suchitra. Success was never my goal. I had dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. Not chasing something but just doing what you are doing daily, consistently well, will surely result in success, she says. Since its launch, the company has been scaling up its manufacturing capacity in a phased manner across its facilities in Hyderabad, Malur, Ankleshwar and Pune. The investments and costs incurred was 100 million dollars. There was no external funding, stresses Suchitra. MENTORS She bounces her ideas off her husband, Dr. Krishna, but she says, There cannot be one mentor. We work with many exceptional people, scientists from around the world, collaborators, partners, academics, public health experts. Science is not about one or two people. The late Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam was one of our mentors when we were a start-up; Other mentors were, Maharaj Kishan Bhan, a renowned pediatrician, clinical scientist, and former secretary to government of Indias Department of Biotechnology, and Dr. Roger I. Glass, Director, Fogarty International Center Associate Director for International Research, and Prof. Harry Greenberg, MD, senior associate dean for research at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Passionate pursuit Passion for work is something that comes naturally to Suchitra. Right from my childhood I have always worked with passion. Even if I didnt know a subject I would make an effort to understand, learn, adapt, absorb and get better at it. Focusing on quality to me is passion. Excellence in what we do is passion, says Suchitra. And in her downtime, she likes to listen to Indian classical music. She grew up listening to M.S. Subbulakshmi, K J Yesudas, Lata Mangeshkar, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and P. Susheela. FAMILY SUPPORT Suchitra considers family support very important, but feels the whole ecosystem has to be supportive too. Family support is only one aspect. In our case, its only me and Dr Ella, so we have to be supportive of each other. We also need the support of the external, commercial ecosystems to get the necessary permissions and manpower, for instance. The whole ecosystem matters to entrepreneurs. It has to be supportive, especially for first generations entrepreneurs, because you dont know if you will succeed or not, she concludes. Kim Dong-yeon speaks to people in Insa-dong in Seoul's Jongno District, Feb. 17, while canvassing for the March 9 presidential election. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk By Ko Dong-hwan A throng of some 20 people walked the streets of Insa-dong in the afternoon of Feb. 17, among which was presidential candidate Kim Dong-yeon. With some of the canvassing group shouting "Kim Dong-yeon for president!" and some handing out his name cards to passersby, Kim, a former finance minister wearing sneakers and a varsity jacket with his candidate number 9 on it, visited one store after another in the historic neighborhood. But compared to the heated, rowdy atmosphere generated by the crowds of hundreds who surround the country's two biggest parties' candidates, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), wherever they appear, Kim was greeted by only a handful of people in the streets which are not as crowded as they used to be. "I have so far collected only 2 billion won ($1.67 million) from my supporters that I can use for my campaigning. I cannot afford to use advertising trucks or make ads for online or TV," Kim said. It was truly a meager amount compared to the hundreds of billions of won Lee and Yoon have each collected from their myriad supporters and their giant parties. But Kim wasn't envious. "My campaign won't raise such lavish funds unnecessarily. It will also be environmentally clean campaigning, producing minimum waste. Instead of being loud and raucous, I will stick to my values as I appeal to the public." In his interview with The Korea Times following his Insa-dong canvassing, Kim, 65, said one of his primary pledges is to break the chronic political problem of the National Assembly being controlled by the country's two biggest parties (with their names changed many times) for over past decades. "The DPK and the PPP seem to be in a constant fight, but in fact their relationship has always been mutual and co-existent," Kim said. "Their relationship has been ongoing for a long time, and the longer we postpone breaking the chain, the harder it will be to do so." Policymaking in the country has been led by a few political elites and social leaders in a top-down manner, according to Kim, the founder and president of the New Wave Korea Party. But such attempts have mostly failed because those who led the political movements were the ones in need of immediate change. But being idle amid such changes or unwilling to change the political environment in which these people find themselves comfortable, successful political innovation and change have been rare in the country. Kim Dong-yeon takes a picture with a passersby in Insa-dong. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk "There is a line from Harry Potter that says we are in a time when we must choose between what is right and what is easy," Kim said. "After I left my position in 2019 (as deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance) I received some attractive offers to join a major party or become the country's prime minister. I even refused the DPK and PPP's offers to join them in their united candidacy bids during this election campaign. But those were the 'easy' ways, which I refused. I wanted to go the 'right' way, with which I will demolish the two-party political system that is blocking the country from developing further. Even if I don't get elected, I will keep trying with members of the public. That would be a political social movement. A 'revolution from below' is what I would like to call it." The current political environment in the country must be changed drastically to fix its winner-takes-all environment, according to Kim. He says it derives from the current five-year single-term presidency, which encourages presidents and ruling party lawmakers to hurry with their policymaking and concentrate on their public appeal during the limited time through abuses of power and excessive budgetary spending. That's why, if he is elected, he vows to change the system to a four-year, two-term (upon re-election) presidency and thus allow people to vote for presidents the same as they vote for lawmakers running for re-election in general elections every four years. He also wishes to water down lawmakers' concentrated authority by limiting them to a maximum of three elected terms and abolishing their privilege of speech, as well as enabling members of a constituency to recall their representative for sub-par performance. "I want to innovate in the country's political field because all the economic and social problems are unsolvable without such political changes." Kim also differentiated himself from Lee and Yoon in his real estate pledges his other primary initiative. Once known as the country's "top economic brain" during his cabinet years, he said the leading candidates' public support policies are unrealistic. "Lee promised to provide 3.11 million new homes to the public and Yoon 2.5 million homes to stabilize the country's housing market. But they are all keeping mum on real estate policies' three main essentials to consider, which are: location, duration from the start of construction to residents moving in and the price. Because it's the most pressing issue among Koreans, I will assure the citizens with confidence that within one year from taking the presidential office, my administration will resolve the issue. And I do have plans in detail, including taxation and financing, to realize my plan to provide 1.5 million new homes." Kim Dong-yeon and several members of his canvassing group take seats at an eatery in Insa-dong for gimbap. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk After quitting his 34-year-long career in government and cabinet offices in 2019, he moved his focus to traveling across the country for two and a half years meeting ordinary members of the public, including farmers, fishermen, small and medium-sized business owners, university students, jobseeking young people and the elderly. During the period, he turned down offers for coveted spots in private firms, chances to become the chancellor of certain universities and political offices with job security. "Some of the people I met had amazing potential, with aspirations for the country even higher than elite politicians," Kim said. "I thought if I want to change the country, I must borrow energy from these people. We saw the massive street demonstrations nationwide that successfully ousted and impeached former President Park Geun-hye in 2017 but that didn't result in drastically changing the political conditions that had caused the movement. I realized that a real movement that demands major changes must derive from ordinary members of the public in a bottom-up manner." Those he met during that time have now filled his new party's 13 regional offices in different provinces and cities. None of them have any political background. "The country's political field has been controlled by veteran politicians with 10 to 20 years in the National Assembly. To them, politics is their job. But I encourage my party members to consider politics as something to volunteer for from their hearts. That's the core value of 'revolution from below,' which is my slogan." Another of his major achievements during that time is founding the non-profit organization Queran in 2019. Oriented to those in their teens to 20s with financial difficulties, the firm drew not just young people but also older people so that they can learn to communicate better with each other by having the former educate the latter. Kim, 65, has been an intern at Queran since its inception. "When I was the deputy prime minister, environmental issues seemed to conflict frequently with national affairs dealing with economic growth and development," Kim said. "But I came to realize that it's not about the conflicts. You just need to have one clear viewpoint that the longer time horizon you have in mind, the more responsibility and chances you can have to solve environmental concerns. Compare a CEO elected in a shareholders meeting to the company's owner. How long would the CEO's time horizon be? Maybe two to three years under his leadership? But for the owner, the figure would be much longer. Maybe forever. It's the same with us, who are the Earth's actual owners. It will make a huge difference if we pursue the same environmental concerns for the next 20, 30 or even 100 years." Before announcing his presidential bid last year, the environment-savvy activist also made himself known online through a "plogging" challenge the trend of jogging and picking up litter simultaneously. After carrying out the challenge in the Cheonggye Stream area, a popular spot in Seoul that was previously the site of a major overpass before a city development project under the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2005, he nominated three people to join the challenge and promote awareness of the cause. One of them was Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman and social media influencer Chung Yong-jin, who carried out the challenge the following day. The officials found that granite material was transported to Kakinada port from Karimnagar and Warangal and other districts in Telangana for export to China. Representational image/DC Hyderabad: More than 10 companies based in Karimnagar and Warangal have allegedly illegally exported huge quantities of granite material from Kakinada port to China by submitting fake invoices and bills for their money laundering offences. These are the findings of investigations by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI officials following innumerable complaints and demands for strict action against the culprits. Reportedly, vigilance and enforcement wing officials had conducted searches at Kakinada port earlier and had come across irregularities in export of granite material from Kakinada. There was no proper record of the exports while all that they found were fake invoices, stock details and accounts. They filed a comprehensive report about the illegal operations. The officials found that granite material was transported to Kakinada port from Karimnagar and Warangal and other districts in Telangana for export to China. A few months back, ED officials responded to complaints lodged by different persons regarding granite exports to Kakinada after procuring material from Karimnagar. Last year, they served notices to 10 ten granite company owners in Karimnagar. During preliminary inquiry, the central agencies found that at least 15 lakh tonnes of granite was shipped to China illegally. The agencies are also keeping a vigil on the money laundering aspect. They have written to Kakinada and Krishnapatnam port authorities to submit details of granite exports of the past few years, including details of the sender and receiver. Karimnagar Lok Sabha member Bandi Sanjay Kumar had in 2019 lodged a complaint with the agencies seeking immediate action and putting an end to granite export from Karimnagar. He alleged that a number of granite units had obtained permissions from the state government even after violating rules. Hyderabad: TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai. Rao sought Pawar's help in his attempts to forge an anti-BJP front of all like-minded parties for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. After the meeting, both the leaders spoke to media personnel at Pawar's residence. Pawar stressed on the need for all like-minded parties to join hands to resolve various issues like hunger, poverty, unemployment and the agrarian crisis facing the country. Pawar praised the Telangana government's pro-farmer policies and schemes stating that Telangana had taken good steps for the welfare of farmers which were a model for the rest of the country. "Our focus is only on development, development and development. We will meet again, Pawar said. In response, Rao said he would never forget the support extended by Pawar to the Telangana statehood agitation. He said Pawar had supported the movement for the creation of a separate Telangana state since 1969. "I was here to have a political discussion with Sharad Pawar and how to take the country forward after 75 years of Independence. We also discussed the need to bring the changes that are required but have not been done so far," said Rao. Rao said Pawars political journey spanned from being the youngest Chief Minister to being the senior-most leader in the country. His experience is valuable and it counts. Such meetings will continue, he said, adding that all leaders would meet again to discuss national politics and finalise the future course of action. Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan offers tulabharam (offering of jaggery equal to her weight), to the tribal gods during her visit to Medaram in Mulugu district (DC) MULUGU: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan visited Medaram and offered special prayers to the tribal goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma on the last day of the jatara, in Mulugu district on Saturday. Congress Mulugu MLA Seethakka gave the Governor a warm welcome and accompanied her at the jatara. Dr Soundararajan, who flew to Medaram in a helicopter, received police honours before performing prayers at the temple. She offered tulabharam (offering of jaggery equal to her weight), a ritual which is followed during Medaram Jatara. Later, speaking to the media persons, Tamilisai conveyed wishes to the tribal people on the occasion of Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara and said she was happy to attend the biggest tribal fair. She said she had prayed to the tribal goddesses to get rid of Coronavirus from the world and save the people and also sought blessings for the people for their good health and to make them live happily. The officials made tight security arrangements for the visit of the Governor. When they stopped the devotees from having darshan, the Governor expressed her ire over the officials for doing so without her knowledge and asked them to let the devotees inside the temple. HYDERABAD: Union minister for tourism G. Kishan Reddy said that the Centre had given utmost priority for putting in place a vast road network in Telangana state. A total of 2,480 km of new national highways (NH) have been sanctioned for the state, he said. Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Reddy said that all districts, except Peddapalli, have NH connectivity. Only Telangana has managed to get Rs 31,624 crore for road projects while works to the tune of Rs 15,113 crore are under progress, he said. The minister said that the Union government had approved the regional ring road (RRR) as a national highway with 100 per cent funding. He recalled that a shot in the arm for NH connectivity came during the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vaipayee. However, their construction was at a snail's pace during the UPA regime, he said. Reddy explained that the length of national highways in the state was 2,511 km before Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014. Today, it is at 4,994 km, which has increased by 99 per cent, he said. The minister said that Hyderabad-Bengaluru NH-44 in Telangana would be made into a six-lane from the existing four-lane at an approximate cost of Rs 4,750 crore. We met home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali (in picture) on Saturday evening and gave a representation and requested the minister to see to it that the court directions are followed, said an evangelist. By arrangement HYDERABAD: A delegation of Hebron Church evangelists met home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Saturday evening and requested him to implement the court orders on the management of the church. The evangelists who came to Hebron Church on Friday to attend the pastors meeting were not permitted to enter the church at Golconda Crossroads on Friday. They were provided shelter at a private church in Madhapur. Meanwhile, the police deployed personnel around Hebron Church. According to K.M. Samson, an evangelist, We met home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Saturday evening and gave a representation and requested the minister to see to it that the court directions are followed. He added, On the request of the police, around 500 evangelists who came to take part in the pastors meeting were asked not to come and gather at the church. New Delhi: With tensions on Ukraines borders escalating by the day, India on Sunday issued a fresh advisory for its citizens, particularly students, who are now in Ukraine, asking them to leave the country at the earliest taking any available flights. In view of the continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties with respect to the situation in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily. The available commercial flights and charter flights may be availed for travel for an orderly and timely departure. Indian students are advised to also get in touch with their respective student contractors for updates on charter flights, and also continue to follow the embassys Facebook, website and Twitter for any update, the Indian embassy in Kyiv said. Due to the heavy demand from the Indian community, and particularly students in the country, Air India is operating special flights between Kyiv and New Delhi on February 22, 24 and 26. However, many of the students are in a limbo as most of the universities in Ukraine have gone in for offline classes and are not permitting online classes for the students who may wish to leave the country. One student said on Twitter that the universities are saying the situation is normal and if the students want to leave, it will be at their own risk. According to the latest reports, Russia has surrounded Ukraine with around 1.5 lakh troops, raising the prospect of a Russian invasion and the largest conflict in Europe in decades. Ukraine too has mobilised its troops and Ukrainian military officials have reported a ten-fold increase in shelling by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. However, Russia has denied any plans for an invasion. On the contrary, Russia has claimed that Kyiv government forces have shelled three Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) settlements using 120-mm calibre mines, after which the people in these areas have been evacuated to Russia. Condemning the attack on the father of one of his party's candidates, Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP President Conrad K. Sangma on Saturday urged the Election Commission to take adequate security measures in Manipur to conduct a violence-free election. Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh and leader of the National People's Party's (NPP) said that party's Andro constituency Candidate L. Sanjoy Singh's father L. Shamjai Singh was shot in the right shoulder on Friday night while he was at a campaign programme at Yairipok Yambem Leikai. Unidentified assailants opened fire and Shamjai Singh was hit on the right shoulder and shifted to the hospital, the deputy chief minister said. Sangma, who visited the hospital to see the condition of Shamjai Singh, said that a party delegation met Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agrawal and demanded to arrange adequate security to hold the free and fair elections to the Manipur assembly. Also Read: Pre-poll violence in Manipur: NPP candidate's father shot at during campaigning "The current trend suggests that the election might not be free and fair. Hence, we have demanded deployment of additional central paramilitary forces in Manipur, especially in the vulnerable areas," he told the media. Asserting that the NPP would secure win in a large number of seats in the state, Sangma said that such attacks prove that the party is growing stronger. The NPP, the dominant party of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, has been an ally of the BJP in both the northeastern states (Meghalaya and Manipur) since 2017, but in the current assembly elections, both the parties are contesting against each other. The NPP has put up 28 candidates while the BJP has fielded its candidates in all the 60 seats in the Manipur elections. Polling to the 60-member assembly will take place in two phases on February 27 and March 5. Votes will be counted on March 10. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Women are nearly 52 per cent of the total of 20,48,169 electorates eligible to cast their votes in the two phases Manipur assembly elections, but only 6.42 per cent women candidates of the total of 265 contenders got scope to try their electoral fate. Like all previous elections, 10,57,336 women voters outnumbered the male electorate of 9,90,627 in the current 12th Manipur assembly elections to be held in two phases on February 28 and March 5. There are 206 third gender voters. In sharp contrast to the voters' lists, only 17 women (6.42 per cent) out of the total of 265 candidates were nominated this time by various political parties though in their election manifesto and campaign highlighting the empowerment of the women and their key role in the Manipuri society. Also Read | Meghalaya CM demands tightened security for Manipur polls The 17 women candidates include four from the Congress, three each from the ruling BJP and National People's Party (NPP), two belonging to Nationalist Congress Party, one each from the Communist Party of India, Janata Dal-United and a local party and two are independent aspirants. Among the 17 female candidates, Nemcha Kipgen of the BJP and Akoijam Mirabai Devi of Congress are the two sitting MLA. In the 2017 assembly polls, 11 women candidates had contested the elections and only two (3.4 per cent) women were elected to the 60-member assembly. In the electoral history of Manipur, so far, only one woman Lok Sabha member Kim Gangte, from a tribal reserved seat Outer Manipur, got elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998. Also Read | Manipur elections: 53% of candidates contesting in the first phase are crorepatis Eighteen years after Manipur became a full-fledged state in 1972, the state saw its first woman legislator, the late Hangmila Shaiza (wife of late Yangmasho Shaiza, the fourth Chief Minister of Manipur) in 1990 from Ukhrul Assembly constituency. Then, K. Apabi Devi and W. Leima Devi (who subsequently became a minister of state) got elected to the Assembly. Only three (five per cent) women were elected in the 2012 assembly elections. Manipur has had less than 10 legislators and an MP from women in over five decades of electoral politics since 1972. Various organisations, recherchers, political commentators and analysts said that the political parties and leaders are always talking about the significant role of women in the Manipuri societies but they nominated very negligible numbers of women in the elections specially in the parliamentary and assembly polls. Imphal-based writer and political commentator Iboyaima Laithangbam said: "Unless the women become a part of the policy making bodies, their actual empowerment is not possible. By allowing fewer numbers of women to contest the elections, the political parties are depriving the women from the equal rights' terms." "In the Manipur economy, women are playing a very crucial role. Since the British period, the unique 'Ima Keithel' has become a symbol of women's empowerment and independence. 'Ima Keithel' is not only a simple marketplace or trading centre, but these are apex hubs for campaigns on various societal issues and institutions against anti-social activities," he said. The century old and world's largest all-women run market 'Ima Keithal' or the 'Mother's Market', located in Manipur capital Imphal and other smaller all-women markets functioning in different parts of the northeastern state boost the Manipur economy to a large extent and a great source of livelihood of thousands of women. The all women market, which has a history of over 500 years, has around 3,615 licensed female vendors registered with the Imphal Municipal Corporation. In the last Manipur assembly elections in 2017, firebrand rights activist Irom Sharmila Chanu drew the attention of every one when she contested the polls on behalf of the People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance party breaking her 16 year-long fast against the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958. Sharmila, however, lost the elections. But this time, another firebrand woman and a former Manipur police officer Thounaojam Brinda became a star candidate and the spotlight this time focused on her. Former Additional Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) is contesting polls in the Yaiskul constituency in Imphal East district as a nominee of the Janata Dal (United) against BJP's sitting MLA Thokchom Satyabrata Singh. She is locked in a five-corner contest in the seat as Congress, NPP and Shiv Sena also put up their candidates. The 42-year-old police officer turned politician said that she has closely watched the administration and society and found that so many imperfect policies of the government, a defective system and a wrong and immoral mindset were causing many problems including militancy in Manipuri society. "There is huge political meddling from influential quarters.... dedicated, honest and sincere officials cannot work lawfully and as per the prevailing administrative norms. "That is why I have decided to fight the elections and become a lawmaker to make an endeavour to enact realistic and perfect laws in the assembly for the betterment of Manipur and its deprived people specially the women," Brinda told IANS. A mother of four children, the young politician said that bad governance destroys society in numerous ways and that is why appropriate laws are required to reform society and for the betterment of the people, specially the proper empowerment of women.. Political analyst and retired Associate Professor Manipur University (central varsity) Dr Chinglen Maisnam, said that women are always being treated as non-entity in the Manipuri society and the men being leaders dominating all aspects including the governance. He said: "Muscle power and money power dominated Manipur politics leading to the insignificant women's participation in the state politics and electoral fray. Gender bias is very strong in the mindset of most leaders of the political parties." Dr Maisnam highlighting many noteworthy roles of women and their success in various sectors said that the Women's Work Participation Rates (WPR) is much higher for Manipur compared to that of India as a whole. Female WPR for rural areas according to the 2011 census is 41.2 per cent in Manipur against 30 per cent for all India. In urban areas, this percentage is 33.2 per cent for females in Manipur, 15.4 per cent for all India. Since the ancient period, Manipur enjoys a distinct place in the handloom sector in India and abroad with lakhs of looms across the state. One of the unique features of the domestic industry is that women are the only weavers. In Manipur, the unique and esteemed "Ima Keithel" or "Ima Market" in Imphal that was the launching pad of the epoch making two 'Nupi Lan' against the British's autocratic rule and mis-governance. Writer Rajkumar Kalyanjit Singh said that the "Ima Market" is not only an economic base of the Imas (mothers), but also their enlightening place. This 'Nupi Lan' (an exclusive women's movement) also marked the first people's organised protest against the British, Singh, Editor of Manipuri newspaper "Marup", pointed out "Notwithstanding the outstanding role of women in Manipur and in spite of the higher percentage of women electorate, women are still not able to contribute significantly in the decision making process through electoral politics," he told IANS. Manipuri women though deprived on many counts and victims of domestic violence, fought against many injustices since British rule. The first 'Nupi Lan' (women's war) was in 1904 when women organised a collective protest against the imposition of an order by the British requiring male members to rebuild the bungalows of British officials, forcing the government to withdraw its order due to the massive protests by women. The second 'Nupi Lan' in 1939 was against the artificial scarcity of rice created by colonial policies and outside traders, and the government ultimately had to ban the export of rice from the state. To this day, December 12 every year is celebrated as 'Nupi Lan' day to mark women's uprising against the oppression of the British. Check out latest DH videos here Conjoined twins Sohna and Mohna cast their first votes on Sunday in Amritsar for the Assembly polls in Punjab as two separate voters, elections officials said. Sohan Singh and Mohan Singh, fondly known as Sohna-Mohna, turned 18 in 2021. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju handed over two separate electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) to both of them to mark the 12th National Voters' Day on January 25. Special arrangements were made for Sohna and Mohna so that they could vote separately, while ensuring that their privacy could be maintained, the CEO said. Born on June 13, 2003, in Delhi, they were abandoned by their parents and adopted by an orphanage in Amritsar. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had considered Sohna and Mohna as separate voters and decided to give individual voting rights to both of them. The polling began at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm. The counting of ballots will take place on March 10. Also Read For BJP, Punjab polls step towards expanding its footprint in the state "As Punjab is going to poll today, practice your constitutional right by casting your valuable vote for a progressive change. Also, urge your family and friends to step out and vote because every single vote counts," Congress chief ministerial face Charanjit Singh Channi tweeted. In the polls, 1,304 candidates1209 men, 93 women and two transgendersare in the fray. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. The AAP had emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won 15 seats, while the BJP, which had a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, secured three seats. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Seventy-year-old Sant Ram, a resident of Harchandpur in Raebareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. has been a diehard Congress supporter for the past 40 years and vows to remain so this time as well, although many in his own family, especially the youngsters, are not with him. "I have always voted for Congress... for me, it doesn't matter who is contesting from the party... the Gandhis have done a lot for this region and have made sacrifices for the country," Ram said. While many other old-timers agree with the observations, the younger generation appears to be divided along caste and communal lines and don't hesitate in making their preferences clear. Incidentally, Raebareli was the only seat that the Congress could win in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It could not save its other bastionAmethias former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was defeated by union minister Smriti Irani. The polls, this time, will be a test of the old loyalties and the Congress' chances of regaining the lost ground is likely to be decided by the outcome of the fight between old-timers and defectors, who are now contesting on tickets of other parties. Also Read BJP's suraksha vs SP's social justice In the 2017 Assembly polls, Congress had won two of the six seats in the district. Aditi Singh had won from Raebareli (Sadar) while Rakesh Pratap Singh had emerged victorious from Harchandpur seat. Both of them later switched to the BJP and were promptly fielded from their respective assembly constituencies by the saffron party. The desertions and refusal of some of the senior local Congress leaders to contest the polls forced the party to look for candidates elsewhere and the result was that it is now fielding new faces and those denied nominations by their parties and joined the grand old party barely a few days back. Congress has fielded Surendra Vikram Singh, who till a few days back, was in the Samajwadi Party (SP) from Harchandpur and Sudha Dwivedi, who had earlier sought ticket from the BJP, from the Sareni assembly seat. Many in the district feel that Congress has lost touch with the ground reality here and depends on the old-timers for electoral success. Sonia Gandhi, reportedly owing to ill health, barely visited her constituency in the past three years and in her absence the responsibility of taking care of the region was left to Congress general secretary and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. "Congress has been losing workers and leaders here steadily since 2014... BJP leaders have been very active here... a large number of Congress leaders left the party in the past few years and joined the BJP," said Manish Tripathi, a local resident. Besides, the SP and BSP have also nurtured local leaders in Raebareli. The son of former BJP minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who joined the SP just before the polls were announced, had contested twice from this seat-once as BSP nominee and then as a BJP candidate-though he lost both times to SP's Manoj Pandey. Also Read On poll day, businessman seeks dues from MLA in UP's Kasganj Aditi, who was once considered to be close to Priyanka, has now turned a bitter critic of the party and has been targeting the Gandhi family ever since. Aditi's father, Akhilesh Singh, a muscleman, had won this seat on several occasions as an independent candidate. ''Congress will not be able to open its account here this time," she said. Aditi also alleged that her husband Angad Singh, who was a Congress legislator from Punjab, was denied renomination by the party on the instruction of Priyanka, who wanted to settle scores with her. Priyanka, who campaigned here for the party nominees on Saturday, exuded confidence that Congress would fare better in the polls as it had the support of the common people. ''Our rivals have nothing to show to the people in terms of development and that is why they are seeking votes in the name of caste and religion,'' she said at election meetings in the district. Voting in Raebareli will take place on Wednesday in the fourth phase of polling. It remains to be seen if Priyanka succeeds in helping the party retain its seats through turncoats and new faces. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Israeli PM says new yet "weaker" Iran nuclear deal imminent Xinhua) 22:15, February 20, 2022 Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that Iran may soon sign a new nuclear agreement with world powers but the new deal is "weaker" than the previous one. Referring to the negotiations in Vienna between Iran and world powers, Bennett told his weekly cabinet meeting that "the talks are advancing quickly ... We may see an agreement shortly." But "the new apparent agreement is shorter and weaker than the previous one," he said. The Israeli leader warned that the lift of sanctions against Iran will provide the country with more money to build weapons. Israel is prepared to protect its citizens' security, on its own, in any scenario, the prime minister noted. Also on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in Germany addressed the Munich Security Conference and urged the international community to use the emerging deal to tighten the oversight over Iran's nuclear program. "Action must be taken to ensure that Iran does not continue enrichment in additional facilities, and oversight must be increased," he told the conference. Israel has been a staunch opponent of the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which offered Iran sanction relief in return for restrictions and oversight over its nuclear program. Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear program. Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Support for Yoon rising, while Lee's rates stagnant in Hankook Ilbo survey By Nam Hyun-woo The two leading presidential candidates are still in a tight race with only 18 days left before the March 9 election. Main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was leading the pack within the margin of error, and ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung was trailing, according to a recent poll released on Sunday. In the survey conducted by Hankook Research at the request of Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, Yoon secured 42.4 percent of support, followed by Lee with 36.9 percent. Minor People's Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo scored 7.1 percent and another minor Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung stood at 2.3 percent. The gap between Yoon and Lee is 5.5 percentage points, which is within the survey's margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for each candidate. Compared to a previous Hankook Research poll conducted from Dec. 29 to 30, Yoon's support rate has increased sharply from 28.7 percent to 42.4 percent, whereas Lee's rate has barely changed from 34.3 percent to 36.9 percent. In December, the PPP was in an internal dispute between Yoon and party chairman Lee Jun-seok over election strategy, and the two reconciled in January. Both Lee and Yoon have been implicated in various allegations. Lee is accused of having been involved in a large-scale real estate development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and his wife came under fire for allegedly having used a government credit card for personal use while he was governor of Gyeonggi Province. Meanwhile, the DPK alleged that Yoon and his wife consult with a shaman. The support rate for Ahn has declined from 9.0 percent to 7.1 percent, and Sim's also dropped from 4.5 percent to 2.3 percent. At the same time, the rate of respondents who said they don't support any candidate has declined from 14.9 percent to 5.8 percent, showing that voters are increasingly choosing one of the two leading candidates as the election nears. To the question of how they define the upcoming election, 49.1 percent of respondents said people should root for an opposition candidate for a change in government, while 40.5 percent said the opposite. A citizen walks past the posters of candidates running for the March 9 presidential election in Jongno District, Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon In the poll fray from the state capital, two sitting corporators of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation and an ex-corporator exude confidence that they have an edge over other candidates as they are armed with a better understanding of the ground situation and problems facing locals. Among the sitting corporators of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, BJP's Rajneesh Gupta is contesting from Lucknow Central. Gupta is a four-time corporator from Yahiyganj ward in the state capital. Mamta Chaudhary, who is contesting the assembly election from Mohanlalgnj assembly constituency on a Congress ticket, is a corporator of Malviya Nagar ward. Also Read BJP's suraksha vs SP's social justice Former corporator from Motilal Nehru Nagar Charanjeet Gandhi is in the poll fray from Lucknow Cantonment seat on an SP ticket. His wife is currently the corporator from Motilal Nehru ward. Speaking to PTI, Chaudhary said, "If a corporator becomes an MLA, he/she knows the ground situation of the locality and the entire neighbourhood, and can hence solve the problems of the people." "The biggest problem in Mohanlalganj is that none of the previous state governments had built a women's degree college. As a result of this, the education of girls has suffered. This is despite the fact that the local MP from Mohanlalganj is from the BJP," she said. "The BJP did not build any community marriage hall in Mohanlalganj," she said and added that arranging clean drinking water will be a challenge for her. She exuded confidence that the Congress will spring surprises in the 2022 Assembly elections. Gupta said the BJP will win over 300 seats in the ongoing Assembly elections, and will continue to serve the people with its mantra of sabka saath, sabka vishwas. He said that being a corporator makes it easy to understand the problem of the people, and accordingly, devise a step to resolve them. A corporator is well-versed with the topography of the area, and will take less time to adjust himself or herself as per the need of the hour. "Resolving the problems of traffic jams and water-logging, which takes place in the area primarily due to narrow lanes, are my priority," he said. Similar views were also expressed by Gandhi, who feels that corporators' experience in dealing with the problem of the people, will definitely help them to solve the woes of the public. He also said that their experience of contesting elections, and then working for the public virtually throughout the day, gives them an edge over other candidates. Also Read On poll day, businessman seeks dues from MLA in UP's Kasganj Corporator from Maithli Sharan Gupt ward, Dilip Srivastava, who is campaigning for Gupta, said, "By resolving the problems of the people on a daily basis, the corporators have accumulated a significant experience. And, it should gradually help them in resolving the problems of the public on a larger level." Lucknow will vote in the fourth phase of the Assembly polls on February 23. Srivastava notes that former state minister Lalji Tandon and current minister Mahendra Singh have both been corporators in Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma had served as mayor of Lucknow two times. Watch latest videos by DH here: Samajwadi Party president, Akhilesh Yadav, has strongly denied any links with any of the convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts which claimed 56 lives and injured over 200. Yogi Adityanath had alleged that the father of a convict in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blast case is campaigning for the Samajwadi Party in the Assembly polls. His remarks came hours after a special court sentenced to death 38 members of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen in connection with the serial blasts. While terming the court's verdict as historic, Yogi Adityanath claimed that one of the 38 convicts sentenced to death hails from Azamgarh's Sanjarpur. Also Read | SP has links with terrorists involved in 2008 Ahmedabad blasts, alleges BJP "The father of this terrorist is linked to the Samajwadi Party and is campaigning for it in the Assembly election," Yogi Adityanath said at poll meetings in Kanpur and Lucknow. He went further to accuse the Samajwadi Party of 'protecting terrorists'. Responding to the charges, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav told reporters, "I have been saying for many days now that if there is anyone who lies, it is the BJP. BJP leaders say nothing other than lies." He said that he and his party had no links whatsoever with terrorists and their families. Akhilesh further said, "The question is that those who killed farmers, will they face the bulldozer? Such is the BJP's unpopularity among farmers that they will be wiped out." Check out latest DH videos here An average of 21.18 per cent voting was recorded in the first four hours of polling for 59 Assembly constituencies spread across 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. Polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. According to the data shared by the Election Commission, the average polling percentage till 11 am was 22.67 per cent in Hathras, 24.32 per cent in Firozabad, 22.54 per cent in Kasganj, 24.30 per cent in Etah, 24.46 per cent in Mainpuri, 19.64 per cent in Farrukhabad, 22 per cent in Kannauj, 19.84 per cent in Etawah, 18.53 per cent in Auraiya, 19.86 per cent in Kanpur Dehat, 16.79 per cent in Kanpur Nagar, 21.66 per cent in Jalaun, 19.11 per cent in Jhansi, 25.80 per cent in Lalitpur, 23.30 per cent in Hamirpur and 23.50 per cent in Mahoba. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray in this phase, in which over 2.15 crore people are eligible to vote. The districts where polling is being held are Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba. Also Read BJP's suraksha vs SP's social justice The Karhal assembly seat, from where Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting, is also going to the polls in this phase. The BJP has fielded Union minister S P Singh Baghel from the seat. Sunday's polling will also seal the fate of the Samajwadi Party chief's uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is contesting from his traditional Jaswantnagar seat. Among the prominent political leaders who cast their votes on Sunday are Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Shivpal Singh Yadav, Ramgopal Yadav, Congress leader Salman Khurshid, UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and UP minister Satish Mahana. Meanwhile, Kanpur Mayor Pramila Pandey and former BJP office-bearer Nawab Singh landed in trouble as they revealed the parties they voted for. FIRs are being registered against them. Pandey took her mobile phone inside the polling booth at Hudson School, and clicked a selfie while exercising her right following which an FIR was being lodged against her, said a senior official. The mayor also shared a video that went viral on social media platforms. District Magistrate Neha Sharma said the Kanpur Mayor violated the rules of the Election Commission by revealing the name of the party she voted for. Former city president of BJP's Yuva Morcha was also caught violating EC rules. Singh also took a mobile inside the booth and shot a video while casting vote. Also Read On poll day, businessman seeks dues from MLA in UP's Kasganj The Election Commission has banned the use of mobile phones inside polling stations. In the 2017 UP Assembly elections, the polling percentage in these 16 districts was 62.21 per cent, the Election Commission said. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 49 of the 59 seats while the SP had settled for nine. The Congress had got one seat while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) drew a blank. The 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases. The results are scheduled to be announced on March 10. Watch latest videos by DH here: Australia opens its international borders to all vaccinated tourists Monday, nearly two years after the island nation first imposed some of the world's strictest Covid-19 travel restrictions. "The wait is over," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a press conference on Sunday ahead of the re-opening. "Pack your bags," he told potential visitors, adding, "Don't forget to bring your money with you, because you'll find plenty of places to spend it." The first flight into Sydney Airport will arrive from Los Angeles at 6 am (1900 GMT), followed by arrivals from Tokyo, Vancouver and Singapore. Also Read | Israel to allow in all tourists regardless of Covid vaccination status Only 56 international flights are expected to land in Australia in the 24 hours after the re-opening -- far below pre-pandemic levels -- but Morrison said he had "no doubt" the number will scale up in time. Australia closed its borders to almost everyone except citizens and residents in March 2020 in an attempt to slow surging Covid-19 case numbers. The travel ban -- which also barred citizens from travelling overseas without an exemption and imposed a strict cap on international arrivals -- earned the country the nickname "Fortress Australia". Every month under the policies has cost businesses an estimated Aus $3.6 billion (US $2.6 billion), according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with tourism particularly hard hit. Tony Walker, managing director of Quicksilver Group, which operates cruises, diving excursions and resorts across the Great Barrier Reef, told AFP he was "very excited about being able to re-open". Also Read | Covaxin to be evaluated as Covid-19 vaccine candidate in US as USFDA lifts clinical hold International tourists "make up around 70 per cent" of business for tourism operators on the reef, Walker said, making the two-year border closure "incredibly difficult". During the pandemic, his company had to reduce its employees from 650 to the 300 it has today. Morrison on Sunday said tourism had "really borne the brunt of this Covid pandemic" and he thanked the sector. "It's been tough, but Australia is pushing through," he added. Western Australia will not re-open to international travellers on Monday, holding off until March 3. Until recently, the state had pursued a strict Covid-zero policy, cutting itself off from the rest of Australia. The decision sparked lawsuits -- and the observation it was easier for Australians to travel to Paris than Perth -- but proved popular with West Australians. Announcing the re-opening date for triple-vaccinated travellers, state Premier Mark McGowan said "there comes a point where the border is redundant, because we'll already have the growth of cases here". Morrison welcomed Western Australia's re-opening and defended his own decision to shut Australia's borders to the world for two years. He said it "was incredibly important and that helped us achieve in this country what few others could around the world. We have one of the lowest rates of death of Covid in the world." While the Australian government has launched a Aus $40 million advertising campaign to lure tourists back, the Australian Tourism Export Council warned this week that "there are worrying signs consumers are wary of travelling here with confusion over our various state travel restrictions and concern about snap border closures". Check out the latest videos from DH: French President Emmanuel Macron will call Russia's Vladimir Putin on Sunday to try to avert what Western powers predict will be an imminent invasion of Ukraine. Over the weekend, civilians were evacuated from increasingly barraged front line regions where Kyiv said Saturday two of its soldiers had died in an attack -- the first fatalities in the conflict in more than a month. The Kremlin insists it has no incursion plans, but its test-firing of nuclear-capable missiles Saturday did little to alleviate tensions. "Every indication indicates that Russia is planning a full-fledged attack against Ukraine," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said. US President Joe Biden, who earlier said he was "convinced" Russia would invade in the coming days, is convening a rare Sunday National Security Council meeting over the crisis. US and EU officials have said they believe Moscow is attempting to fabricate a pretext for its offensive by having proxy outlets put out false information about violence in rebel-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine. Also read: NATO moves Ukraine staff from Kyiv to Lviv and Brussels "Locals in Donetsk reported calm despite Russian claims of a car bomb," said US State Department spokesman Ned Price. Speaking to Macron on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not respond to Russia's provocations, according to the Elysee. But in his speech to the Munich Security Conference, he also condemned "a policy of appeasement" towards Moscow. "For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world," he said. He called for "clear, feasible timeframes" for Ukraine to join the US-led NATO military alliance -- something Moscow has said is a red line for its security. Western officials in Munich warned of enormous sanctions if Russia attacks, with US Vice President Kamala Harris saying this would only see NATO reinforce its "eastern flank". The United States insists that, with around 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraine's borders -- as many as 190,000, when including the Russian-backed separatist forces in the east -- Moscow has already made up its mind to invade. Russia has in recent days announced a series of withdrawals of its forces from near Ukraine, saying they were taking part in regular military exercises. Around 30,000 Russian troops are in Belarus for an exercise due to end on Sunday. Also read: Shellfire as Putin turns up heat on Ukraine and West Afterwards, Moscow says these forces will return to barracks, but US intelligence is concerned they could take part in an invasion of Ukraine. From the Kremlin situation room, Putin and visiting Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko watched the launch of Russia's latest hypersonic, cruise and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles on Saturday. Putin has also stepped up his rhetoric, reiterating demands for written guarantees that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO and for the alliance to roll back deployments in eastern Europe to positions from decades ago. The volatile front line between Ukraine's army and Russian-backed separatists has seen a "dramatic increase" in ceasefire violations, international monitors from the OSCE European security body have said. Hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks were reported in recent days, in a conflict that has rumbled on for eight years and claimed more than 14,000 lives. The OSCE said Saturday there had been 1,500 ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Lugansk in just one day. A dozen mortar shells fell within a few hundred metres (yards) of Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy Saturday as he met journalists. The pro-Russian rebels declared general mobilisations in the two regions, calling up men to fight even as they announced the mass evacuations of women and children. Moscow and the rebels have accused Kyiv of planning an assault to retake the regions, claims fiercely denied by Ukraine and dismissed by the West. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba denounced reports of Ukrainian shells falling on Russian territory as "fake". Germany and France on Saturday urged their citizens to leave Ukraine. NATO said it was relocating staff from Kyiv to Lviv in the west of the country and Brussels. German airlines Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines said they would stop flights to Kyiv and Odessa from Monday until the end of February, but would maintain flights to western Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Sunday agreed to work for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, Macron's office said. In a phone conversation lasting 105 minutes, they also agreed on "the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one", the Elysee said, adding that French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov would meet "in the coming days". Russian agencies later reported out of Moscow that both ministers would speak on Monday. Putin and Macron said they would work "intensely" to allow the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE, to meet "in the next few hours with the aim of getting all interested parties to commit to a ceasefire at the contact line" in eastern Ukraine where government troops and pro-Russian separatists are facing each other. "Intense diplomatic work will take place in the coming days," Macron's office said, with several consultations to take place in the French capital. Read | Putin blames Kyiv for military escalation in Ukraine Macron and Putin also agreed that talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany should resume to implement the so-called Minsk protocol, which in 2014 had already called for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. Both also agreed to work towards "a high-level meeting with the aim of defining a new peace and security order in Europe", Macron's office said. Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden would now consult on the Ukraine crisis "within hours", Macron's office said. The French president may also exchange with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and "other close partners", it added. In Sunday's call, Putin told Macron that he intends to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus as soon as ongoing military exercises there are over, the Elysee also said. The French presidency said that this claim "will have to be verified", adding it appeared to contradict a statement by the Belarusian government that the Russian military would "continue inspections" beyond Sunday's previously announced end of the exercises, leaving Moscow with a large force near the northern Ukraine border. Watch latest videos by DH here: NATO is relocating staff from Ukraine's capital Kyiv to Lviv, in the west of the country, and to the Belgian capital Brussels for their safety, an alliance official said Saturday. "The safety of our personnel is paramount, so staff have been relocated to Lviv and Brussels. The NATO offices in Ukraine remain operational," the official told AFP, without giving numbers. Several Western countries have already moved diplomats from Kyiv to Lviv, located near the border with Poland, in anticipation of Russian military action. Also Read: Shellfire as Putin turns up heat on Ukraine and West Brussels hosts NATO's headquarters. "Every indication indicates that Russia is planning a full-fledged attack against Ukraine," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Saturday. "We all agree that the risk of an attack is very high," he told German broadcaster ARD on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. The United States dominates NATO, and US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was "convinced" Russia was going to invade Ukraine within the week, and have its forces target Kyiv. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and the alliance does not have any forces there. Also Read: Ukraine-Russia crisis: What to know as tensions hit new high But since the late 1990s it has maintained two offices in Kyiv: a NATO Liaison Office and a NATO Information and Documentation Centre. The liaison office's job is keep up dialogue between NATO and Ukraine's government while encouraging a democratic transformation of Ukraine's defence and security sector. According to NATO's website, it consisted of a civilian head leading a mixed team of NATO military and civilian personnel. The web page, last updated in 2016, said there were a total of 16 staff. The NATO Information and Documentation Centre's number of personnel was not disclosed. Its job was to inform the Ukrainian public about NATO and support Ukrainian institutions in their communications. Stoltenberg has previously said that the alliance will not deploy any forces into Ukraine to defend it from any Russian aggression. But NATO members have sent forces to neighbouring countries which are alliance members, and Stoltenberg has said NATO member countries will vigorously react to any Russian action in those territories, under its collective defence pact. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Kyiv for a military escalation in east Ukraine in a call with French leader Emmanuel Macron on Sunday but said diplomatic efforts to find a resolution needed to intensify. The call came two weeks after Macron went to Moscow to persuade Putin to refrain from sending troops massed on the border into Ukraine. "The Russian president noted that the cause of the escalation is provocations carried out by the Ukrainian security forces," a Kremlin readout said. Also Read | UK's Johnson says Russia's Putin may be 'irrational' on Ukraine Its statement added that the sides discussed the supply of weapons and ammunition by NATO countries to Ukraine, which the Kremlin said was pushing Kyiv towards a "military solution" against separatists in the country's east. "As a result, civilians... who have to evacuate to Russia to escape the intensifying shelling, suffer," the Kremlin added. The statement however noted that "the presidents believe it is important to intensify efforts to find solutions through diplomatic means". Also Read | Ukraine's Zelensky calls on Putin to meet as tensions soar It said the leaders agreed these efforts should be carried out by foreign ministers and representatives from France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, which make up the Normandy negotiations group. "Vladimir Putin reiterated the need for the United States and NATO to take Russian demands for security guarantees seriously," the Kremlin's readout added. The statement said Putin had told Macron that Western countries should give concrete and point-by-point responses to sweeping demands set by Moscow last December to limit the West's role in eastern Europe and ex-Soviet countries. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days. He also said Ukraine supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, where Ukraine participates along with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE). Also read: India contradicts US, says no parallel between Russian military build-up around Ukraine and Chinas aggression in Indo-Pacific "We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence," Zelenskiy said on Twitter. ( Check out latest videos from DH: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin might not be thinking logically so the threat of sanctions may not be enough to deter a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions "may not be enough to deter an irrational actor and we have to accept at the moment that Vladimir Putin is possibly thinking illogically about this and doesn't see the disaster ahead," Johnson told the BBC. Johnson also said he was unable to peer into the soul of Putin, Russia's paramount leader since 1999. Check out the latest videos from DH: By Choi Young-ha For 30 years, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea, the two countries have been developing on the basis of the principles of friendship, mutual understanding and respect. Today, the relations between the two countries continue to develop as a result of about 200 agreements and treaties signed in various fields. Important documents include: the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership (2006), the Joint Declaration on Further Development and Deepening of Strategic Partnership (2014), the Joint Statement on Comprehensive Deepening of Relations of Strategic Partnership (2014), the Joint Declaration on Special Strategic Partnership (2019) and the Joint Statement on Deepening Special Strategic Partnership (2021). These agreements have allowed bilateral relations in the political, trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres to reach a qualitatively new level. Political relations between the two countries in the international arena continue in the spirit of mutual support. The two countries have similar stances on many issues of global and regional significance. Most importantly, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, 17 meetings at the level of heads of state have been held. In recent years, these dialogues have become more active, and friendly relations between the two countries are reflected in the most important sectors of the economy and in the humanitarian sphere. Even under today's difficult epidemiological conditions, the implementation of large investment and trade projects is being ensured, and new joint facilities are being launched. One of them is a modern children's multidisciplinary medical center, established in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, with the support of South Korea, which is unique for the region. Even amid the pandemic, the relationship between the two countries has not stopped developing. In 2020, the heads of state had two telephone conversations and jointly participated in the Second International Forum of Northern Economic Cooperation. Our cooperation in 2021 began with an online summit between Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President Moon Jae-in. At the end of the year, the meeting of the two heads of state in Seoul marked the end of 2021. During last year's meeting in Seoul, the President of Uzbekistan noted that in the near future, the main cooperation agenda is to focus on "green" development, digitalization and the strengthening of the social protection system. It was suggested that all future joint projects, programs and action plans are to be developed based on these key priorities. President Mirziyoyev stressed that Uzbekistan's combination of human capital and natural resources with the advanced technologies and knowledge of Korea can create a good basis for the development of products in high demand on the world market. In this regard, it was proposed to establish an Uzbek-Korean cluster for the production of semiconductors and electronics in the Tashkent region with the involvement of the Economic Development Promotion Fund (EDPF). The large Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan plays an important role in supporting friendly relations between the two countries and bringing our peoples even closer. It is the largest diaspora in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) with more than 180,000 and the fourth largest in the world. This year, the 85th anniversary of ethnic Koreans living in Uzbekistan will be widely celebrated. That is why President Mirziyoyev proposed to declare 2022 the Year of Mutual Exchange between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea, to establish a library in Tashkent under the Museum of Korean History and the Korean House of Culture and Arts in order to enhance understanding of the Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan further. Thirty years have passed since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Over the past period, the bilateral relations have reached the level of a special strategic partnership. The friendship and political will of Mirziyoyev and Moon gave a new impetus to Uzbek-Korean cooperation. Choi Young-ha is the former ambassador of Korea to Uzbekistan. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Sunday said that it has recovered 165 capsules containing 1.811 kgs of heroin from two foreign nationals from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad. The capsules were concealed in both the passengers' stomach. DRI said in a press note that it has received a "specific intelligence" that few passengers from Uganda arriving at Ahmedabad Airport were carrying narcotic substances with them. Based on the intelligence, the officers apprehended a Ugandan national on February 13. It was found that he had arrived from Entebbe airport via Sharjah International Airport. During his checking, the officials found medicines from his personal baggage which are used for inhibiting bowel movement. The officers suspected that the passenger was carrying the drugs in his stomach. The Ugandan national was produced before a magisterial court seeking permission for his body check-up. "On getting the permission, the CT-Scan was done and it showed various small capsules size foreign material inside the body of the said person scattered all over the abdomen from stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum," a press note stated. It said that two days later on February 15, the officers apprehended a woman passenger from Uganda at the city airport, who also landed from Entebbe airport via Sharjah. DRI has said that during interrogation, a similar pattern emerged and her CT-scan revealed that she was also carrying capsules inside her body. "Both the passengers were admitted to civil hospital where medical teams ensured the excretion of the said capsules from their body. On recovering the said capsules, it was noticed that such capsules are filled with white-brown colour powder which appeared to be some narcotic drug. On testing the same, it was revealed that the substance in powder form is 'Heroin'," the press note stated. DRI recovered a total of 165 capsules from the passengers in the hospital. Both were arrested formally on February 19 and were sent to jail under judicial custody. DRI has noted that "there is a rise in trafficking narcotic drugs by adopting this modus operandi where the drugs are packaged in small capsules form and secreted inside the body of the drug mules who carry the drug and hand over the same to the buyers in the country. Further, the drug mules were sent to India under the guise of a Business visit-Invitation letter received from local companies." The central agency has also mentioned how it made "a huge seizure of 2,988 kgs of heroin at Mundra Port in the month of September." The investigation of this case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency. Check out the latest videos from DH: For the past few days, from morning walkers to tea stalls to television studios in West Bengal have been preoccupied with an alleged internal crisis brewing in the Trinamool Congress. The story was spicy enough that it attracted the attention of BJP IT Cell chief and West Bengal co-in charge Amit Malviya. Mamata Banerjee has stepped in to sever ties with I-PAC in Bengal and other states, where it was helping the TMC. I-PAC was Abhishek Banerjees brainchild and initiative to reinvent and expand the TMC. This is another Mamata move to cut down her ambitious nephew. The feud grows, Malviya tweeted on Feb 7. On Feb 13, Malviya again tweeted about the developments in the party, saying that the fear of a coup is real. After Abhishek Banerjee threatened to resign on the issue of one person one post, a paranoid Mamata Banerjee dissolved all party posts, constituted a committee, marginalising those aligned to Abhishek. What next? Sack all ministers and run the Govt alone? Fear of coup is real! Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 13, 2022 Amid the so-called rift between the TMC supremo and her nephew, there was another problem: political strategist Prashant Kishors advocacy group Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). Also Read: Didi, KCR and Stalin look to stitch anti-BJP front Mamata was miffed with I-PACs functioning, said reports. Adding fuel to fire, Mamata gave a nod to a new 20-member national working committee (that includes her as chairperson of the party), dissolved all posts, including one of the national general secretary held by Abhishek, on Feb 20. So, did Mamata put down a coup? Not exactly, if one goes by what happened on Friday when she made two things clear: one, she is the partys top boss; second, her trust in Abhishek is unshaken. The decisions put to rest speculations of a power shift, or the existence of two power centres in the party. But it also makes it clear that there is only one boss in the Trinamool Congress, and the rest, including her nephew Abhishek, will have to abide by Mamatas decisions. Abhisheks reappointment as general secretary reaffirms her faith in him. For now, speculations have been scorched. What preceded these developments are several fault lines that were played up by the media. The two most contentious issues that fuelled the rumors were the social media posts of young party supporters that talked of one person, one post in the party, a point that Abhishek has also stressed. A second point was the alleged over-indulgence of I-PAC. The one person, one post agenda was propagated on social media in the second week of February by a section of young Trinamool leaders (and supporters) considered close to Abhishek. To observers outside the party, this section represents the young blood that will fuel the party over the next decade. Also Read: Mamata reappoints nephew Abhishek as Trinamool General Secretary Party leader Firhad Hakim, whos also Kolkatas mayor, sought to put the controversy to rest when he addressed a press conference to clarify that this didnt reflect the partys stand. I-PAC was accused of meddling with the candidate lists for local body polls scheduled on Feb 27, a charge denied by the groups representatives in Kolkata. For political observers, the two incidents represented the tensions within the Trinamool: old guard versus new blood, traditional politics versus managerial approach, Didi versus nephew. Lok Sabha poll jolt The source of these internal conflicts can be traced back to the 2019 LS polls. The Trinamool was jolted out of its stupor when the BJP won 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. It led to some soul-searching, following which I-PAC was brought in by Abhishek. I-PAC restructured Trinamools communication practices, lent ear to the ground and helped the party in course correction. The overhaul was reflected in the 2021 assembly elections. Amid this change, there was resentment among a section of leaders who complained on the alleged interference of I-PAC in the party's policies. Political scientist Maidul Islam feels that its natural for a party thats growing to face factionalism. The issue is how they are going to resolve it, said Islam. Abhishek is keen on modern managerial practices in politics. He wants to introduce new practices with I-PAC. A section of leaders felt left out with I-PAC having a say. As of now, despite rumours, sources say that the I-PAC-Trinamool relationship hasnt ended. Abhishek was introduced to party politics in 2011 as a president of the party's youth wing. In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha elections and in 2021, he became the party's national general secretary. His swift rise has unsettled a few party leaders. The Trinamool, as the party's senior leaders often emphasise, has just one leader Mamata. TMC without her is inconceivable. And only Didi will decide when to pass on the baton. Mamatas decision to dissolve posts was a balancing act - saving the old guard, and to protect Abhishek, said political analyst Shikha Mukerjee. She showed that shes in command. As far as the reappointment of Abhishek is concerned, its a sign of things to come. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The opposition CPI(M) will hold a mega rally in Tripura on February 24, a first since the party's debacle in the 2018 assembly elections. The rally will be held at Vivekananda Ground in Agartala to mark the party's two-day state conference, CPI(M) state committee member Pabitra Kar said. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and politburo member Prakash Karat would address the rally, besides former chief minister Manik Sarkar and state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury. The conference, which will conclude on February 25, assumes significance in view of the assembly elections next year. It will be held at the Town Hall and form a new state committee that will oversee the party's affairs over the next three years. The party is campaigning across the state to make the rally a success. The CPI(M) has already concluded its district, sub-division and local level conferences, following which the state conference will be held, Kar said. Chaudhury, a seasoned tribal leader and former MP, was made the state secretary in September last year after the death of incumbent Gautam Das. Check out DH's latest videos: The 'Greater Tipraland' separate statehood demand seeking to carve out tribal areas of Tripura is likely to dominate the political discourse in the assembly elections in the northeastern state due early next year. The Tripura Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance or TIPRA Motha, a regional political party led by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, seeks a separate state for the indigenous people of Tripura. The party swept the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections held in April last year, winning 18 of the 28 seats over the 'Greater Tipraland' demand in a direct contest with the ruling BJP-IPFT alliance. The statehood demand may affect results in 20 assembly seats, where tribals hold considerable clout electorally, in the 60-member House. Read more: BJP-ruled Bihar, Tripura don't plan to ban hijab in schools Debbarma said that his party is willing to forge an alliance with any national party that provides a constitutional solution to the demand of the indigenous people of the Tripura, who form one-third of the state's estimated 40 lakh population and live in the tribal council area, which constitutes two-thirds of the state's territory. 'Greater Tipraland' is essentially an extension of ruling partner Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura's demand for 'Tipraland', a separate state for tribals by carving out the TTAADC area. However, the new demand seeks to include every tribal living inside and outside the TTAADC area. The 'Greater Tipraland' idea does not restrict only to Tripura, and seeks to also include Tripuris living in Assam, Mizoram, and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. However, the royal scion has never clarified if his demand for 'Greater Tipraland' seeks to redraw the territorial boundaries of Tripura or whether the proposed state's map also includes parts of Assam, Mizoram and Bangladesh. The party wants the Centre to discuss their demand, but has not received any response so far. All major political parties in the state including the ruling BJP, opposition CPI(M) and Congress, have rejected the demand on several occasions, calling it "separatist and divisive". If 'Greater Tipraland' state is formed, tribals, who form one-third of the population will control two-thirds of the territory, and non-tribals, who form two-thirds of the population, will have to settle with only one-third of Tripura's area. "We want a constitutional solution to our demand, which only the central government can provide. It is not possible to solve our problem by sanctioning any financial package only," Debbarma told PTI. He said that his party's motto is to empower the tribal community but it is not against any other community. "Many Bengalis live in the tribal council area. We want them to live in peace and harmony. In the princely state of Tripura, Bengalis and tribals lived peacefully and we want to maintain that tradition," he said. The princely state, which was ruled by tribal kings for about 500 years, joined the Indian union in 1949. "If the Centre is not in agreement with our demand, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah should give us an alternative solution in writing and we will discuss it with the people of our community. "However, the Centre is neither responding to our demand nor inviting us for dialogue. It can negotiate with NSCN but not with us as we are agitating peacefully," he said. Debbarma also criticised the state government for not holding elections to 587 village committees in the tribal council even as their term expired a year back. "The ruling BJP is well aware that it will lose over 95 per cent of the seats if elections to the village committees are held. If elections are not held before March 31, funds will not be sanctioned in the next budget," he said. Watch the latest DH videos: CPI(M)'s student wing SFI is scheduled to organise protests across West Bengal over the "mysterious" death of Left leader Anish Khan in Howrah district. Khan's family alleged that people donning police uniforms entered their residence in Amta on Friday night, dragged the Left leader, who had gained prominence during the anti-CAA stir, to the terrace and threw him down, causing his death. Police, however, denied the allegation that any law enforcer had gone to Khan's residence, and said that he was found dead near his residence. The incident has triggered widespread protests, with Congress, CPI(M) and BJP accusing local Trinamool Congress leader of masterminding the killing, while the ruling party claimed it was a "deep-rooted conspiracy" which could have been hatched outside West Bengal. Over 500 students of Aliah University, cutting across party lines, had fought a pitched battle with the police in Kolkata during a candle light vigil on Saturday night. They demanded that the killers of Khan, a prominent face during the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and initiatives to help the poor during coronavirus-induced lockdowns, be nabbed and given exemplary punishment. "In solidarity with Khan's family and protesting students of Aliah University, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) will take out protest rallies across the state on Sunday and Monday," SFI state committee member Subhajit Sarkar told PTI. "An SFI delegation led by joint national secretary Dipsita Dhar and state president Pratikur Rahman has visited Khan's residence. We strongly believe it was not an isolated incident. He was being targeted for quite some time. We suspect the complicity of local TMC leaders in the incident," Sarkar added. Agitators will march to Writers' Building in central Kolkata on Tuesday in protest against the incident. CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra has demanded an impartial probe into the incident, which he described as a "ghastly crime". State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also alleged that it was a "pre-planned murder" and demanded that those guilty should not get any political protection. Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, also pointed the accusing finger at TMC. "TMC men are behind every such incident. How could the assailants procure police uniforms and rifles?" he said. Transport Minister and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim smelled a conspiracy hatched outside the state. "If the alleged incident has really happened, it is reminiscent of happenings in Uttar Pradesh, and not a state like West Bengal, which has a history of progressive movements and democratic traditions. "We suspect that the incident was planned outside West Bengal by those who didn't want Khan to be around. Let the investigation be completed," he said. Check out latest videos from DH: Even as the United States has been trying to draw a parallel between China's belligerence against India and other nations in the Indo-Pacific region and Russia's military build-up around Ukraine, New Delhi has rejected the argument, saying the situations in the two regions have not been analogous. I dont think the situations in the Indo-Pacific and transatlantic are really analogous, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. President Joe Bidens administration has been seeking Indias support in opposing Russias military build-up against Ukraine. New Delhi, however, has been resisting the pressure from the United States, refusing to align with the western nations against Russia, which has been a long-standing and time-tested friend of India. Also Read | UK warns Russia could start Europe's 'biggest war since 1945' Jaishankar said that the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region were distinct from the ones in Europe. Certainly the assumption in your question that somehow there is a trade-off and one country does it in the Pacific and so in return you do something else, I dont think thats the way international relations work, the External Affairs Minister said. He was asked if the Government of India maintained that different principles should apply in different parts of the world. The questioner from the audience pointed out that New Delhi had spoken out vociferously against China for its aggression along its disputed boundary with India, but had refrained from siding with the United States and abstained from voting against Russia on the issue of Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 31. Also Read | UK's Johnson says Russia's Putin may be 'irrational' on Ukraine Bidens Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had of late tacitly argued that if the international community remained mute spectator to Russia invading Ukraine, it would encourage China to step up its military aggression further in the Indo-Pacific region. He had argued in a meeting with Jaishankar as well as Marise Payne and Yoshimasa Hayashi, Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan respectively, in Melbourne on February 11 that Russias military build-up had not only threatened the territorial integrity of Ukraine but also put in perils principles that one country could not simply change the borders of another by force. If we allow those principles to be challenged with impunity, even if it's half the world away in Europe, that will have an impact here as well. Others are watching. Others are looking to all of us to see how we respond, Blinken had said at a joint news conference after the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Quad a coalition forged by India, Japan, Australia and the US to counter Chinas belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region. Jaishankar had shared the podium with his counterparts from the US, Australia and Japan in the news conference, but maintained silence even as Payne and Hayashi had joined Blinken in expressing concern over Russias military build-up on the borders of Ukraine. Also Read | Shellfire as Putin turns up heat on Ukraine and West We have quite distinct challenges, what is happening here and what is happening in the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said in Munich on Saturday, rejecting the argument put forward by the US and some other western nations drawing a parallel between Russias military build-up around Ukraine and Chinas aggression against India as well as in the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. In fact, he added, if there was a connection by that logic, you would have had a lot of European powers already taking very sharp positions in the Indo-Pacific. We didnt see that. We havent seen that since 2009. He apparently sought to point out that the US and the rest of the western nations had not promptly and adequately responded after China stepped up its aggression and military muscle-flexing in the South China Sea since 2009. The delicate balance New Delhi has been maintaining in its ties with Moscow and Washington D.C. came under stress after tension escalated between Russia and the US over the issue of Ukraine. Also Read | NATO moves Ukraine staff from Kyiv to Lviv and Brussels India told the United Nations Security Council on January 31 as well as on February 17 that it was in favour of diplomatic dialogue to resolve the crisis over Ukraine. Indias interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond, T S Tirumurti, Indias permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council on February 17. The Biden Administration had last week too subtly reminded India of its publicly articulated commitment to the principles of rules-based international order, which, according to the US, apply not only in the Indo-Pacific but also in Europe. Indias relations with China hit a new low over the 22-month-long military stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The stand-off started in April-May 2020 with the Chinese PLA amassing a large number of troops along the LAC in an apparent move to change the status quo along the disputed boundary between the two nations and push the line westward to encroach into the territory claimed by India. Also Read: Ukraine-Russia crisis: What to know as tensions hit new high The Indian Army had also deployed additional troops to counter the Chinese Armys move. Though protracted negotiations between the two sides resulted in the mutual withdrawal of troops from both banks of Pangong Tso (lake) and the Gogra Post last year, the stand-off could not be resolved in other places along the LAC. Jaishankar said at the Munich Security Conference that New Delhis relations with Beijing were going through a very difficult phase as China flouted key border agreements and amassed a large number of troops along its LAC with India. The External Affairs Minister said that the situation along the boundary would determine Indias relation with China. Watch the latest DH Videos here: India's relationship with China is right now going through a "very difficult phase" after Beijing violated agreements not to bring the military forces in the border, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, emphasising that the "state of the border will determine the state of the relationship". Speaking at a panel discussion on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 here, Jaishankar said that India was having a problem with China along the Line of Actual Control. "For 45 years, there was peace, there was stable border management, there were no military casualties on the border from 1975. That changed because we had agreements with China not to bring military forces to the border (the Line of Actual Control or LAC) and the Chinese violated those agreements, the minister said in response to a question from moderator Lynn Kuok. Read | Banned China apps continue to operate in India: Report "Now, the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship. Thats natural. So obviously, the relations with China right now are going through a very difficult phase, he added. The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. The tension escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020. Jaishankar, who was in Melbourne last week, had said that the situation at the LAC has arisen due to the disregard of written agreements by China in 2020 not to mass soldiers at the border and noted that Beijing's actions have become an issue of "legitimate concern" for the entire international community. "When a large country disregards written commitments, I think it's an issue of a legitimate concern for the entire international community," he had said in response to a question during a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne in Melbourne. Jaishankar participated in the panel discussion on the Indo-Pacific at the MSC which is aimed at extensively deliberating on the escalating tension between the NATO countries and Russia over Ukraine. The panel included Australian Foreign Minister Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, US Chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Jeanne Shaheen and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian. When moderator Lynn Kuok asked how India is contributing to European security and compared the Ukraine crisis with the situation in the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said, Well, I don't think the situations in the Indo Pacific and the transatlantic are really analogous. Read | China's PLA to give out stones taken from Galwan Valley "Certainly, the assumption in your question that somehow there is a trade-off and one country does this in the Pacific so in return you do something else, I dont think thats the way international relations work. "We have quite distinct challenges, what is happening here or what is happening in the Indo-Pacific. In fact, if there was a connection by that logic, you would have had a lot of European powers already taking very sharp positions in the Indo-Pacific. We didnt see that. We havent seen that since 2009, Jaishankar said, amidst an aggressive China flexing its muscles in the region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. Read | 'Operation Snow Leopard' still on, troops on alert: Army Commander Beijing is also involved in a maritime dispute with Japan over the East China Sea. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade. On connectivity, Jaishankar said it should be transparent and commercially based. It should not create debt and it should not violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, he added, amid international concern over Chinas debt-trap policy. "I think in the last six years, the world has woken up to the concerns about connectivity. The fact that often connectivity initiatives have hidden agendas or not so hidden agendas, that there's dual-purpose connectivity, he said. "If connectivity initiatives are based on similar outlooks... it's natural that you would congregate, that you would synergise, that you would see how does it work for each other. So we would certainly encourage, you know, countries whose connectivity principles and policies are similar, he added. Read | No breakthrough in 14th round of India-China border talks Chinas takeover of Sri Lankas Hambantota port on 99 years lease for $1.2 billion debt swap drew international concerns over Beijing acquiring strategic assets far away from home by providing heavy loans and investment to smaller nations. India has protested to China over $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor connects Chinas Xinjiang with Pakistans Gwadar Port as it is being laid through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). On Quad, Jaishankar dismissed the notion that the four-member grouping is an Asian NATO as a completely misleading term and said, there are interested parties who advance that kind of analogies. Read | Military commanders of India, China discuss hot Springs, Kongka La He described Quad as a grouping of "four countries who have a common interest, common values, a great deal of comfort, who happen to be located in the four corners of the Indo-Pacific. "It's not post-2020 development. Our relations with the Quad partners - the US, Japan and Australia - have steadily improved in the last 20 years. The Quad has value in itself. It is four countries who recognise today that the world would be a better place if they cooperated. And that's essentially what's happening, Jaishankar added. In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amidst China's growing military presence in the region. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will "scrupulously" carry out a thorough background check of newly appointed CEO and MD of Air India, Ilker Ayci, a Turkish national, official sources said on Sunday. The Tata Group, which acquired the Air India from the government, had recently announced Ayci's appointment as the CEO and MD of the loss-making airlines. Also Read | Tata Sons appoints Ilker Ayci as Air India CEO The Home Ministry "scrupulously" carries out a thorough background check of all foreign nationals when they are appointed in the key positions of any Indian company, the sources said. It will be the same process for the newly appointed CEO and MD too, they said. However, the MHA has not yet received any communication on Ayci from either the Tata group or the Civil Aviation Ministry, the nodal ministry. Once a communication is received, the whole process of security clearance will begin, the sources said. Since, Ayci is a Turkish national, the MHA is expected to take help from the external intelligence agency, R&AW, for his background check. Ayc was an advisor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, when the latter was mayor of Istanbul, from 1994 to 1998. He had served the Turkish Airlines as its chairman from 2015 to 2022 and was credited with turning the airline around. Check out DH's latest videos: A court here has directed the police to register a case against 18 policemen including the then superintendent of police chief in an alleged fake encounter case in which two persons were killed 18 years ago. Superintendent of Police S Anand said that following the orders of the court, a case has been registered against 18 policemen at Jalalabad, and the crime branch will conduct a probe. Ejaz Hasan Khan, the advocate for the aggrieved party, told PTI that on October 3, 2004 two villagers from Chachupur Prahlad and Dhanpal under Jalalabad police station were caught by the police on the suspicion of their involvement in cases of dacoity. He said that the police then shot both of them dead, and their bodies were taken away by the police. Prahlads brother Ram Kirti appealed at various commissions and officials, but when no hearing was done, he said, adding that on November 24, 2012, he moved the court urging to register a case against the policemen. However, the chief judicial magistrate rejected the appeal saying that a lot of time has passed, and a final report was also filed. Khan said that after this, he filed a revision plea in the court of the district judge Saurabh Dwivedi and gave an argument that the then District Magistrate Amit Ghosh had the entire matter probed by Additional District Magistrate who found the entire matter to suspicious. The argument was accepted, and the revision plea was heard in the court of CJM Abha Pal. Khan said that the CJM on January 28 ordered that a case be registered against 18 policemen under section 302/34 of IPC. Directions were issued to register case against the 18 policemen including Sushil Kumar (the then SP), Mata Prasad (the then Additional SP), Mummu Lal (the then CO Tilhar), Jaikaran Singh Bhadauria (the then CO Jalalabad) RK Singh (the then CO Sadar). Dacoits such as Kallu, Najju and Naresh Dhimar were active in Jalalabad tehsil of Shahjahanpur when the in incident happened. Check out latest DH videos here By Robert Neff A picture of Heungseon Daewongun presumably in the 1890s from Homer B. Hulbert's "The Passing of Korea," 1906 Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1898, was a cold, windy and gloomy day but for Alexis de Speyer, the Russian representative to Korea, it was a great day. According to him, "two very pleasant things occurred on the same night": the attempted assassination of Kim Hong-nuik, his interpreter, and "the death of the Emperor's father" Heungseon Daewongun a man he considered to be Russia's enemy. According to The Independent (an English-language newspaper published in Seoul), Heungseon Daewongun (Grand Imperial Prince Heungseon) died at 7 p.m. He "had been ill for some months with chronic dysentery and his health had been very feeble [] and those who were near him [had] been expecting his death for some weeks." The morning following his death, the legations and consulates in Seoul all placed their flags at half-mast for three days and the Korean shops throughout the city were closed for the same period as a token of sympathy and respect. News of his death spread quickly throughout the foreign community primarily by word of mouth and The Independent which published a "short sketch of the life of the Prince." One of the anti-foreign stones erected during the reign of Heungseon Daewongun. This one, photographed in August 2020, is located at Jeoldusan near Hapjeong Station. Robert Neff Collection The "short sketch" is entirely too long to describe in detail here but it did seem to be somewhat sympathetic. It touched lightly upon the reconstruction of Gyeongbok Palace, currency reforms, repairs to the city's streets and walls and the strengthening of the military but, unsurprisingly, highlighted his faults in some detail. "[He] inaugurated some of the most corruptible practices among the officials and cruelest punishments for the people. He commenced the practice of selling offices, especially the provisional offices, especially the provincial offices, to the highest bidders and instituted the custom of borrowing money from the well-to-do classes with the least intention of paying it back. One of his most cruel acts was the wholesale massacre and persecution of the native Christians. It is said that some ten thousand innocent men, women and children were killed because they were supposed to be believers of Christianity." It went on to add that for 10 years he was known among the people as a tiger and that "his name was reverenced in all parts of the country [but] he was more feared than loved by the masses." Yet, despite his fierce reputation, "in recent years he realized his mistakes, and, to some extent, he confessed his barbarity." The Korea Repository an English monthly magazine published in Seoul by missionaries devoted a full page and a half to describe the attack upon Kim Hong-nuik but only gave a brief paragraph announcing Heungseon Daewongun's death and described him as "a man of iron will, resolute purpose, an ardent lover of his country, and a thorough going statesman of the old conservative type." Heungseon Daewongun's residence near Gongdeok Station circa 1920-30 The Archive of Korean History The Western community first encountered the prince when he returned from China in 1885. Some of these first encounters were with Americans and their first impressions of him were fairly good at least in the beginning. Prior to meeting him, George C. Foulk, who was in charge of the American legation, described the prince as "cruel, intriguing, and blood-thirsty a bloody tyrant, who murdered so many Christians and other persons, and who raised a revolt among the soldiers in 1882" in a bid to reestablish his control of the country. However, after he met him in October 1885, his opinion of the Korean prince changed completely. "I went to see the [prince], and to my great surprise he appeared to take a strong liking for me, came promptly to see me in great state and has sent around a lot of fruit and chestnuts as a gift. He is sixty-eight years old, but looks only about fifty, is quite strong and as smart as a steel trap. The Chinese and the Korean government are trying hard to make him keep out of politics, but I'm afraid he is too active yet to remain so long. If he is properly handled he may do much good for Korea, for he is the only firm, intelligent, active-minded Korean in the country." Horace N. Allen, a missionary doctor, visited the prince's residence on Oct. 10, 1885, and in his diary noted he had been received kindly for nearly an hour during which time the elderly man held Allen's hands most of the time and asked him for some medicine that would allow him to live for a long time. In his diary Allen wrote: "[Heungseon Daewongun] has learned enough of foreigners to remove his hat for them and now protests that all Americans are good. I think him a man of strong will and convictions, honest to purpose, determined, yet with a vein of kindness back of it all, which if one can strike, will make him a firm friend." Another view of the residence circa 1920-1930 The Archive of Korean History Foulk's report to the State Department was very similar to his letter to his parents but he added: "When I withdrew [the prince] stated that he was old and lame and possibly could not return my call and asked me to come often informally to see him." Foulk was completely surprised when, a few days later, the elderly prince paid him (as well as the other foreign representatives) a visit. It was a short but pleasant visit and as the prince "was leaving the legation [Foulk] overheard him say to one of [the legation's] head servants, 'Remember always that you are a Korean, and do all you can to help your country even though you serve in a foreigner's house.'" Prior to the 1894-95 Sino-Japanese War, Isabella Bird Bishop, an English travel writer, had the opportunity to visit the prince in his palace. "[I] was much impressed by the vitality and energy of his expression, his keen glance, and the vigor of his movements, though he is an old man." She noted that Koreans described him as having "bowels of iron and a heart of stone." During the war, James Creelman, an American journalist, visited the prince. He claimed the prince was "the mightiest figure in Modern Corean history" and was "the real ruler of Corea." Despite his advanced age, in a trumpet-like voice he insisted change was occurring too quickly in Korea and that the "surrender to Western civilization must be gradual." Creelman's rival, Amedee Baillot de Guerville, also paid a visit to the palace and claimed the old prince was "a great admirer of America." "He is now seventy-four years old, but hardly looks more than fifty. Tall, broad, rather stout, he is indeed a fine looking man. His manners are kind and graceful, while the expression of his face is undoubtedly that of strength and energy. His dress was of the finest white silk and around it he wore a wide sash beautifully embroidered with gold." The site of Heungseon Daewongun's residence is now occupied by a high school, as of August 2021. Robert Neff Collection He took Guerville by the hand and led him to a chair near his own and offered his guest a cigar. They then spent a short time talking about the war and the old prince assured his foreign guest that "all the officials and court people [were] in favor of Japan and of prompt reforms [as they felt] quite certain that the Japanese only [wished the Koreans] good [will]." Apparently the exception was the Korean queen and her supporters. The prince was no stranger to assassinations. William Franklin Sands, an American who served first in the American legation in Seoul and later as an adviser to the Korean court, suggested that the prince may have "helped [King Cheoljong] to die a little quicker" in 1864 so that the prince's son, Gojong, could ascend to the throne. How Sands came by this information is unknown but I suspect it was nothing more than a facetious rumor character assassination. The prince was, however, implicated in a bombing in January 1875 that killed the queen's mother and her adopted older brother. In August 2021, a simple stone marks the site where the residence once stood. Robert Neff Collection Thus the Western community wasn't really surprised but was still infuriated when it was discovered the old prince played a role in the assassination of Queen Min (Empress Myeongseong) at Gyeongbok Palace on October 1895. His attempt to regain control of the government was quashed by the pro-Japanese court he was allowed to live in the palace but "was not allowed to interfere freely with government affairs." The missionary community rallied around King Gojong, even providing him with food due to his fears of poisoning. Horace G. Underwood, an American missionary, while taking food to the king, encountered the old prince and was asked: "Why do you take all that good food in to him [the king]. He doesn't need it. I am old, my teeth are gone, I need it more than he." Underwood apparently ignored him and later told his wife about the encounter. She later wrote, "The crafty and cruel old tiger's teeth were still only too serviceable, alas!" In February 1896, Heungseon Daewongun "was compelled to take up his residence in his own palatial home [where] he led the life of a hermit even to his last hour." Bishop, never one to mince her words, more accurately described him as "practically a prisoner in his own palace." The following month, the Russian and American representatives' wives went on a short jaunt to Heungseon Daewongun's sujang (future grave site). Sallie Sill, the wife of the American minister, wrote: "It is a most lovely spot altogether too beautiful a resting place for such an old murderer. His summer palace is there and the grounds are kept in perfect order." She scornfully added, "A place is now being prepared for one of his victims (the poor Queen) but what few bones were picked from the ashes where they burned her body are in the deserted palace carefully guarded." The information board describing the site in August 2021 hopefully it will be redone in the near future and include a more interesting description of this site and Heungseon Daewongun. Robert Neff Collection PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday urged people to vote for PAGD allies in the next J&K assembly polls to defeat the BJP and its associates, which, she said, were hampering the case of restoration of the Union Territorys special status in the apex court. She also reiterated her call for a peaceful struggle for the restoration of snatched rights, saying the August 5, 2019 development was like an earthquake and its aftershocks are still continuing with this government taking away something on a daily basis from us. The PAGD is a coalition of six parties, including the National Conference, PDP and CPI(M), seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status under the revoked Article 370 of the Constitution. The article was revoked by the Narendra Modi government on August 5, 2019, a decision that has been challenged by many parties in the Supreme court. Also Read | J&K govt scales down security of former CMs in Srinagar Whether we stand united or fight separately, you have to vote those who do not betray your vote in the assembly. I request you to take this message to every nook and corner that we have to choose among the PAGD constituents and vote for their candidates, Mehbooba said addressing a party function at Surankote in Poonch district. She said attempts are on to divide the people and the interim report of the delimitation commission was part of the process to pit Hindus versus Muslims, Muslims versus Muslims, Gujjars Vs Pahari- speaking people and one versus other. These attempts are aimed at getting enough seats for the BJP and its people so that they can form the next government in J&K and put a stamp on August 5, 2019, decision to weaken our case in the Supreme Court. The talk of an election is premature as the time has not come yet but remember my words. If you do not like PDP (candidate), vote for any other candidate among the PAGD constituent and likewise if the other candidate is not of your liking, vote for the PDP candidate, she said. You have to make a choice among them only and not vote independents or any other candidate, the former chief minister said. Also Read | Mehbooba seeks dialogue with Pakistan over Kashmir, calls revocation of J&K statehood a complicated issue She said her party or National Conference have not lost anything alone but it is the people of the entire J&K who have been deprived of their rights and they have to fight for the restoration of their snatched rights. Mehbooba said August 5, 2019, was not just a tragedy for the people of Jammu and Kashmir but it struck them like an earthquake. An earthquake ends within a few minutes but we are still being hit by aftershocks. They are still snatching from us on a daily basis to finish our identity, culture and traditions. They are forcibly taking away land from the people, she said. She said the land which was under the occupation of the people for over a century is being taken away to give it to big industrialists in both Jammu and Kashmir regions and the way the government is working, the day is not far when our youths will not get a foothold to stand up. Mehbooba also criticized the government for the dismissal of state employees on the grounds of supporting militancy and massive raids. They are doing everything to break the backbone of the people of J&K. The unemployment is growing with each passing day and deliberate attempts are being made to make people poorer so that they are silenced and are not able to stand up, she said. Also Read | Records related to human rights violations in J&K locked up in room since state commission wound up: RTI reply She said they want dead souls as it suits their narrative of a peaceful atmosphere in J&K which is, in fact, the silence of a graveyard. The BJP is behaving like the East India Company and the only difference is that they are from this country. They are selling the national resources at a big loss, she said, adding people have to raise their voice in a peaceful manner as Mahatma Gandhi did against the British rule. Referring to the delimitation commission draft proposal to merge Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu with Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir, Mehbooba said instead of giving a separate seat to the Rajouri and Poonch districts, they merged it with Anantnag Lok Sabha seat to sow the seeds of hatred among the people of Kashmir and this region. The PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed built Mughal Road to bring the two districts of Rajouri and Poonch closer to Shopian district of Kashmir. They want to create a wedge as both sides would like to have their own Parliament member to represent them and want us to fight each other. There is no other reason, she said. She alleged that they have no pain for the region or Chenab valley. They wanted to have only one face, one dress and one food. The situation could be worse than this if we do not stand up and fight their onslaught as graveyard type of silence suits them, she said. Defending her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's decision to form the previous government with the BJP, Mehbooba said, It was done to protect Article 370, state flag and constitution under a strategy. It took Mufti three months to stitch an alliance with the BJP and the government was formed on our terms. After Muftis death, we functioned as per our agenda which was not of their taste as they found us an obstacle in their original plan and the rest is history, she said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday greeted the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on their Statehood Day. Wishing the people of Arunachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi said, "Best wishes to the people of Arunachal Pradesh on their Statehood Day. The people of the state are known for their stupendous talent and hardworking nature. May the state scale new heights of development in the times to come." Greeting the people of Mizoram, the Prime Minister said, "Greetings to the people of Mizoram on their Statehood Day. India takes great pride in the vibrant Mizo culture and the contributions of Mizoram to national progress. I pray for the good health and well-being of the people of Mizoram." In his greeting on Mizoram statehood day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Extend my warm wishes to the people of Mizoram on their statehood day. Mizoram is known for its vibrant culture and amazing people, passionate about the nation's growth. May the state continue scaling new heights of development." Also Read Amit Shah greets people of Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura on Statehood Day "Greetings to our sisters and brothers of Arunachal Pradesh on their statehood day. The state is blessed with immense natural beauty and hardworking citizens. May the state keep progressing in the years ahead," Shah said in his message to the people of Arunachal Pradesh. Wishing Arunachal Pradesh, BJP chief JP Nadda said, "My best wishes to all the sisters and brothers of Arunachal Pradesh on their Statehood Day. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Pema Khandu, the state is witnessing continuous progress. May the state continue to scale new heights and progress." In a greeting to the people of Mizoram, Nadda said, "Greetings to the people of Mizoram on their Statehood Day. The state is blessed with immense natural beauty and known for its rich culture. Their commitment to contributing to India's growth is praiseworthy. I pray for the continued development of the state." Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Supreme Court has stayed disciplinary proceedings initiated against a batch of Assistant Public Prosecutors in Karnataka for alleged corrupt practices adopted in the recruitment process in 2013 on the basis of a report prepared by Upalokayukta. The proceedings in the matter were initiated following a private complaint filed by H T Ravi, an unsuccessful candidate in 2014 alleging Chandrashekar Hiremath, then director of the prosecution and another staff were involved in corruption in the recruitment of assistant public prosecutors. On Friday, acting on a petition by Sarojini Veerappa Batakurki and others, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and P S Narasimha stayed the departmental proceedings. The petitioners were represented by senior advocate Basava Prabhu S Patil and advocate Chinmay Deshpande and Anirudh Sanganeria. Advocates Shailesh Madiyal and Nishanth Patil, appearing for Upalokayukta, submitted that the High Court has directed for the completion of the proceedings within four months of its judgement. The court, however, ordered that departmental inquiry should not proceed till the petitions are disposed of by it. As many as 60 candidates recruited to the post of Assistant Public Prosecutors faced the inquiry. A total of nine candidates approached the top court while the case of the remaining others was pending with the High Court. The petitioners here challenged the Karnataka High Courts orders of May 14, 2020, and June 28, 2021, dismissing their plea. They contended that the power under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act cannot be exercised against them as they were not a public servant at the time of the alleged act. Their plea also said the High Court failed to appreciate that summons issued against them by a trial court on the basis of a supplementary charge sheet was stayed, though the case was registered on the basis of the Upalokayukta report of June 28, 2018. It also submitted the disciplinary proceedings by Upalokayukta at the behest its own report would be farcical in nature and cause grave injustice to her. The Upalokayukta ought not to have taken suo motu cognizance in the matter due to the absence of specific allegations or complaints against the selected candidates, it added. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Amid tensions between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the state government, Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left front dispensation has reportedly suggested to the Centre that state governments should be given powers to remove governors. According to sources, the state governments recommendation came in response to the Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi Commission, which was set up to study the Centre-states relationship. A report prepared by the Law Secretary in this regard was considered by the state Cabinet. The state government is of the view that in case of any lapses on the part of the governor in discharging his constitutional obligations, the state Assembly should be empowered to oust the governor. Apart from this, the government is also of the view that the governor need not be chancellor of universities. The fresh development came amid the tussle between Khan and the Vijayan government over a series of issues. The governor had claimed political pressure from the government with regard to the selection of vice-chancellors in the universities of the state. Last week, there were allegations that the governor accepted the governments policy statement after insisting on action against an IAS officer who made a dissent note on appointing a BJP leader as governors staff. Watch latest videos by DH here: In a case of open rebellion, a group of BJP workers closed the Kasargod district committee office of the party following a dispute with the leadership over an alliance of convenience with the CPI-M in 'Kumbala' panchayat. The party cadres and workers came in a procession towards the office and closed it with chains and lock. Party's local leaders and cadres demanded that the state president of the party, K. Surendran, reach the venue and settle the issue. It may be noted that the saffron party is very strong in Kasargod and in Manjeswara and Kasargod Assembly segments, the BJP candidates always reached the second spot in poll results. K. Surendran has been contesting from the Manjeswar seat, and in the 2016 Assembly elections, he lost by 89 votes to P.B. Abdul Razak of the Indian Union Muslim League. However, he could not repeat that feat in the 2021 Assembly elections where he lost to A.K.M. Ashraf of the Muslim League by 745 votes. The controversy that has erupted in Kasargod has jolted the state BJP leadership as this has taken place in the party's stronghold of Kasargod where the party has always been a force to reckon with. BJP local leader M. Praveen while speaking to IANS said, "We are fighting a war with the CPI-M in Kerala and the alliance with that party in Kumbala was totally uncalled for. We will not budge till the state president intervenes and settles the matter." However, BJP state president K. Surendran returned from Kannur and has not reached Kasargod as was expected. BJP state president K. Surendran while speaking to IANS said, "I have to study the issue and have to speak to the local leadership on the matter. I cannot comment unless I get proper information on the same." Check out DH's latest videos: Twitter has removed a controversial caricature post tweeted by Gujarat BJP depicting people sentenced to death for their roles in 2008 Ahmedabad bomb blasts for violating micro-blogging site rules. The BJP's tweet showed a caricature of men in skull caps in the noose and long beards with captions that read "Satyamev Jayate" and "no pardon to those spreading terrorism." On February 19, the state BJP had tweeted the caricature from its verified official handle @BJP4Gujarat. The caricature was based on the judgement of a special court, passed on February 18, which sentenced 38 people to death while 11 others to life imprisonment for their roles in 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts in which 56 people were killed while over 200 were injured. It was said to be a "historic" judgement in which a record 38 people were awarded capital punishment. Also Read | Ahmedabad blasts convicts beyond reform, observes court Soon after the BJP tweeted the caricature, the post sparked controversy with netizens reporting to Twitter to take it down. There were many who were defending the post. Twitter is said to have taken down the post for violation of rules. When contacted, state BJP spokesperson Yagyesh Dave told DH, "There was nothing wrong in the post. The entire media had reported the court order with similar pictures. Our post was deleted since people who support terrorism reported it to Twitter. We will certainly seek action against Twitter." A similar caricature on BJP's Instagram page has generated huge controversy. The judgement in 2008 bomb blasts was also mentioned in the election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Uttar Pradesh. "When I was serving Gujarat as its chief minister, Ahmedabad bomb blasts took place....there was a conspiracy of blasts in other cities as well. I can never forget that day when the earth was reddened by the victims' blood... I picked up the blood-soaked soil and took a vow that my government will find these terrorists even from pataal (netherworld) and punish them," Modi said in his election speech. Also read: Justice is delayed, says kin of man acquitted in Ahmedabad blasts case Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, "It is unfortunate that BJP is playing politics over a judicial order and giving it a religious colour. Terrorism has no religion. The judgement has delivered justice to all those who had to suffer due to the terror attack. The judgement has sent the message but BJP is trying to politicise it for their electoral gains." The special court has stated in its 7015-page judgement that convicts deserved the death as letting them join the society is akin to releasing "man-eater leopard" in public, which will consume innocents. The court said that "It is clearly established that if these accused are given less than life in jail till their last breath, they can repeat the offence and would also aid similar activities. Therefore, I believe that there will be peace in the society if they are in jail till their last breath." "Second noteworthy aspect is, after the July 2008 incident a total of 66 accused were arrested and 78 were arrested in the later years. During the arrested of the accused initially till the year 2021 no case of serial bomb blasts occurred in any state or city in India. It is a fact and therefore if these accused remained in jail till their last breath, I believe that the peace in the society will not be breached and people can live without fear," the judge has stated in his order. Watch the latest DH Videos here: A special designated court, which on Friday sentenced 38 convicts to death and life imprisonment till death to 11 others for carrying out serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad in 2008, has observed in its voluminous order that these convicts were beyond reform. Special judge Ambalal R Patel has remarked in the judgement, running into 7,015 pages, that languages and behaviour of the convicts would never change. The court has mentioned how one of them submitted during the hearing on quantum of punishment that public prosecutors and others will die in the next two years. The judgement was made public on Saturday evening. It is clearly established that if these accused are given less than life in jail till their last breath, they can repeat the offence and would also aid similar activities. Therefore, I believe that there will be peace in the society if they are in jail till their last breath. Second noteworthy aspect is, after the July 2008 incident a total of 66 accused were arrested and 78 were arrested in the later years. During the arrest of the accused initially till the year 2021 no case of serial bomb blasts occurred in any state or city in India. It is a fact and therefore if these accused remained in jail till their last breath, I believe that the peace in the society will not be breached and people can live without fear, the judge has stated in his order. On the question of reform and rehabilitation, the judgement has stated that convicts have several criminal cases of similar nature in many parts of the country, based on which, it can be said that there is no hope that these accused will be reformed. Also read: Justice is delayed, says kin of man acquitted in Ahmedabad blasts case No hope The judge has found that in the past five years, during which he conducted the trial, he observed the language and behaviour during day-to-day proceedings of the accused. Based on his observation, the judge has stated that there is no hope that these accused will be reformed in the future. The judgement lists a number of incidents of convicts misbehaving with policemen, jail staff, doctors among other officials and breaching jail manuals. It says how 10 of the convicts, who were transferred from Ahmedabad to Bhopal, went on a hunger strike for three to four months. Besides, it also lists a failed attempt to escape from Sabarmati Central Jail, Ahmedabad by digging an over 200-foot long tunnel. While evaluating the age and character of the convicts, the court found, The accused were between 21 and 40 years of age. It can be said that they are all young. The accused being young, having been trained in terrorism, making bombs, planting bombs are capable of carrying out these activities. The judgement notes, These are not just the accused who are involved in one offence or have committed an offence but they are the accused who have knowledge of law. Also read: 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case: Court holds 49 guilty, acquits 28 The court found the blasts an act of terror and termed it as mass killing. Describing the magnitude of the offence, the judgement states that 56 innocent people were killed in Ahmedabad. It is difficult to guess the magnitude of the offence when a healthy body gets blown away in seconds. The court noted that a total of 240 people were injured. Many oxen, cows, dogs and birds were also killed. In the civil hospital, 37 persons were killed and 80 were injured. The trauma centre of the civil hospital suffered a damage of Rs1.82 crore. Court has said that bombs were planted outside hospitals and were timed to target leader including then chief minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, then minister of state for home, among others. The judgement states that the incident created chaos in Ahmedabad and spread fear among the public for many days, which affected not just Gujarat but elsewhere in the country. The court said that after SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) was banned, Indian Mujahideen came into being to carry out SIMI's activities. The court has found that the motive behind terror strike was "to avenge 2002 Gdhra riots and falsely charging the then chief minister Narendra Modi of being anti-Muslim and to overthrow his government. It said that the blasts were carried out in Hindu majority areas for mass killing. Check out latest DH videos here While Karnataka and other parts of the country are embroiled in the hijab row controversy, the BJP in Mumbai has proposed BMC schools mandate the recitation of the Gayatri Mantra and the reading of the Bhagvat Gita. According to a report by The New Indian Express, senior BJP leader Bhalchandra Shirsat said that Gayatri Mantra and the reading of Bhagvat Gita should be a must in schools. He likened this to the philosophical studies in European schools, and said that the Bhagvat Gita and the Gayatri Mantra as integral parts of our life. Also Read | Behind her hijab BJP corporator Yogita Koli called the Bhagvat Gita a life learning lesson for everyone. If the students, in their young age start reading Bhagvat Gita, then they will be better and civilised citizens of our country. Gita is a holy book in the Hindu religion and other religious people also read it. The world scholar has also accepted the importance of this religious book. In fact, in courts, Gita has been used to taking the oath and speaking the truth only. If students of BMC school start reading them, they will get how to face the challenges in life with courage and without any fear, Koli told the publication. Alleging that BJPs demand will polarise voters before the BMC elections, Samajwadi Party leader Raees Sheikh opposed this. Check out DH's latest videos: In 2014, the frenetic Narendra Modi-led BJP's "achhe din" campaign, chai pe charcha, hologram rallies, data crunching, the stress on the first time voters, inundating of Facebook and Twitter dazzled the electorate and media alike. The BJP had scaled up and fine-tuned Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) social media-driven campaign experiments during India Against Corruption movement and the Delhi Assembly polls of 2013. As Modi charmed the electorate, the Congress social media team had a morale-busting meeting with Rahul Gandhi months before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. According to a team member, Gandhi was dismissive of the potential of technology and social media to reach out to voters. A party veteran reminisces how his attitude was in contrast to that of his father, Rajiv Gandhi's in the early 1980s. Party leaders privately lampooned Rajiv Gandhi and his "computer boys" Arun Singh, Arun Nehru and Sam Pitroda to trust data and computers for constituencies and candidates profiling. As Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has more than once recalled, the opposition was so out of step as to term Rajiv's "automation is anti-nation". Also Read: Sale of campaign paraphernalia rises in Uttar Pradesh with EC relaxing curbs on physical electioneering If Rajiv Gandhi was ahead of his times, 30 years later, his son was yet to come to terms with a changing world. "As we prepared for the 2014 polls, Rahul told the Congress social media team that the BJP needed social media as it was a party of the middle classes, while the Congress was that of the poor, who don't have access to smartphones," says a Congress leader who was then part of its social media team. In 2016, Rahul told another meeting that social media was about abusing people, and he didn't want to dirty his hands by engaging with the medium. If Modi and Arvind Kejriwal had used it to their advantage earlier, by 2017, Rahul woke up to the potential of social media and election strategists. That year, Prashant Kishor's Indian Political Action Committee, or I-PAC, helped the Congress in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The Congress returned to power in Punjab after 10 years. Months later, the Congress campaign for the Gujarat polls rested on an effective social media campaign of development having gone mad. It also made a deeper than usual study of what ailed Gujarat society, particularly its rural distress and backed youth leaders, such as Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani, and nearly worsted the BJP. As a former team member of Kishor points out, the difference before 2014 and after was that political parties would entrust professional advertising agencies with designing hoardings, publicity material, jingles, TV and radio campaigns. The actual tone and tenor of the campaign was the preserve of the top party strategists to brainstorm and relay downwards to the rank and file. How they work But most top leaders and their strategists do not have an efficient and granular feedback system, which Kishor has perfected, along with his marshalling data and a deep understanding of Indian society, the former associate says. For example, in 2014, the Congress entrusted Dentsu, the Japanese public relations and advertising company it had hired. The BJP also hired advertising agencies, but Kishor sharpened its electoral campaign by looking at socio-economic data. The Congress story of 2014 had similarities with that of the BJPs in 2004 neither had a sound feedback system. In 2004, some in the BJP blamed the advertising agency, run by a party supporter, who had coined its India Shining campaign for its loss. By 2014, the BJP was better prepared. Also Read: As BJP woos them for votes, where do Muslim women stand in Uttar Pradesh elections? Under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, with the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP has the organisational machinery that has perfected the strategy of reaching out to the beneficiaries of the social welfare schemes of its governments at the Centre and in states and also a better feedback system. Setting trends Kishors I-PAC has been busy teaching such outreach to regional political parties. In the 2021 Bengal polls, I-PAC shaped government programmes, such as duaare sarkar, the government at your doorstep, which helped the Trinamool Congress win a record third term. Dynastic leadership of regional parties and Congress, lacking the BJPs organisational strength and feedback system, have found Kishors model attractive. If not Kishor, they have turned to other such agencies with similar skillsets. For example, the Congress looked at DesignBoxed, run by Naresh Arora, for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Now, Ankit Lal, who earlier managed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) s social media, has also ventured into the field of election consultancy. But old habits practices take time to change. In August 2017, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka roped in global advertising major J Walter Thompson for a full-fledged marketing blitz. The result was the Sada Sidda Sarkara campaign. Improving Siddaramaiahs urban connect was one of the key deliverables for the New York-headquartered agency. However, the Congress lost. The BJP in Karnataka has quietly solicited the services of a Hyderabad-based analytics firm, which runs a tool that deploys techniques to scout the internet and throw up a sentiment analysis to gauge the mood of the public. The Janata Dal (Secular) once considered roping Kishor to revive its fortunes. Independent strategists Political leaders, at least those with resources, have also hired independent political strategists, many of whom honed their skills at I-PAC. Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, for example, picked DesignBoxed. Sources said it was to project him as the chief ministerial candidate should the Congress win in 2023. DesignBoxed has handled accounts of several leaders in Punjab and Haryana and organised Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghels campaigns, including in Assam, in 2021. Last year, it had its offices raided by central probe agencies. Ive not taken any professional help officially. But maybe I should, Congress Rizwan Arshad, a 42-year-old first-time MLA representing Shivajinagar in Bengaluru, says. In my last campaign, if you looked at all my materials and social media content, there was a big difference when compared with my rivals. Thats because I had these professional youngsters - techies and PR people - who voluntarily backed me. They come out with different ideas, he says. However, several parties still distrust interventionist professional help. For example, in the Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party, those close to the partys top leadership, especially former classmates of top leaders or sons of leaders, have taken to oversee data-crunching and campaigning. The Kishor style of functioning, where he showcases his proximity to the top leader, has another flip side. It leaves other leaders miffed that their political careers are at the mercy of an outsider. In 2020, Nitish Kumar sacked Kishor as the number two of his party, the JD (U). Incidentally, the two had dinner together on Friday in the national capital. After contributing to the AAP victory in the Delhi Assembly polls in 2020, Kishor suggested Kejriwal remain the Delhi chief minister while he would be the partys working president. Am I fool to hand him over the party, Kejriwal told his lieutenants. Kishor was in similar negotiations with the Congress top leadership, but the party found his proposals incongruous. He has now fallen foul of Mamata Banerjee. Election strategists may be indispensable for political parties. But with intra-party democracy largely lacking in Indian political parties, their interference in party organisations and direct access to party top leadership further undermines the party system, believe some political observers. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Sharmeen Kaur Mehra, or Sanhaas she prefers being calledis a professional makeup artist from Ludhiana, Punjab. In addition to freelancing, she also runs a small makeup studio at her home. However, these are not the only facets of her life. Sanha is a transgender, a term that is often substituted with derogatory ones like hijra, kinnar, or chhakka. Till 2017, I identified as the third gender because I hadn't undergone sex realignment surgery. I wanted to change myself into a woman but for that, I needed a lot of money. So I decided to become an entrepreneura makeup artist. Finally in 2019, after saving nearly Rs 4 lakh, I underwent a sex realignment surgery, said the 27-year-old. After the surgery, she identifies as female. India has an estimated transgender population of 4,87,803. The countrywide census conducted in 2011 had options to declare a person's sexmale, female and other. This was India's first attempt at collecting data on people with non-binary gender identities. Also Read Activist Sarah Gill becomes Pakistan's first transgender doctor The Jeet Foundation offered me a platform to achieve my goal. I first took a beauty course at the NGO, then I saved enough money to go for professional training at the VLCC Insitute of Beauty and Wellness, said Sanha. Jeet Foundation is a Ludhiana-based NGO that offers short-term courses in cooking, makeup, computer, and knitting. At a time when 96 per cent of trans individuals are forced into low-paying jobs, begging, or sex work, Kalki Subramanian, a gender rights activist, entrepreneur, artist, actor, and writer from Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, is mentoring transgender artists and artisans. Subramanian, a trans woman, trains other trans people to earn livelihoods and counsels them about personal wellness through the Sahodari Foundation, which she founded in 2008. Since its inception, the organisation has been involved in innovative ways to reach out to the transgender community, empower them and make their voices heard. Art is my passion. I sell my art and art prints. I am also on the verge of launching my brand of exclusive clothing and my first NFT (non-fungible token) collection, said Subramanian. Talking about how her identity affects her work, Subramanian said that her gender identity used to be a challenge, but not anymore. There is support for transgender persons who aspire to be entrepreneurs. People recognise a good product regardless of gender. However, it is true that members of our community still face stigma. Also Read Transgender stories in Indian cinema The transgender persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016, prohibits discrimination against a transgender person, including unfair treatment or denial of service concerning employment, education, healthcare, access to public goods and facilities. Like Sanha and Subramanian, Urooj Hussain, a transgender entrepreneur hailing from Bhagalpur in Bihar, opened a restaurant called "Street Temptations" in November 2019 in Sector 119, Noida. "I started my restaurant with a vision to support binary and non-binary people of the LGBTQI community. I wanted to give my staff a harassment-free workplace so that they didn't suffer as I did," said Hussain, 27. "I studied hotel management and worked with many hotels before starting my restaurant," she said. However, after struggling for more than one and a half years due to the pandemic, Hussain has had to shut shop indefinitely. "After closing my restaurant, I am working on many many social and welfare causes. As the situation stabilises, I will be back with more affordable, and quality foods," she said. Meanwhile, speaking about the need to recognise the talents of transgenders and create opportunities for them, Subramanian said, The trans community is abundantly talented but it needs opportunities and recognition. Mentorship will help the transgender community. As an activist and entrepreneur, this is a call for mentors and investors to come forward and support our community. (Kartikeya is a journalist from Delhi who is passionate about covering culture, politics, conflict, food and human interest stories) Watch the latest DH Videos here: Jeffrey Epstein appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla., July 30, 2008. A modeling agent who was close to Epstein was found dead Saturday in his French jail cell, where he was being held in an investigation into the rape of minors and trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. AP-Yonhap A modeling agent who was close to disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead Saturday in his French jail cell, where he was being held in an investigation into the rape and sex trafficking of minors, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. Paris police are investigating Jean-Luc Brunel's death at the historic La Sante Prison in Paris, the prosecutor's office said. Victims of his alleged abuse described shock and dismay that the 75-year-old, a well-known model scout in the 1980s and 1990s who ran different agencies in Paris and New York, will never face trial. They called his death a double blow after Epstein killed himself in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while facing sex-trafficking charges. Brunel's lawyers suggested Saturday that he, too, killed himself. In a statement, they described his ''distress'' at his incarceration and his repeated requests for a provisional release from the prison. ''Jean-Luc Brunel never stopped declaring his innocence,'' they said. ''His decision was not guided by guilt, but by a deep sentiment of injustice.'' The lawyers would not further comment on what happened, and it was unclear whether the jail had suicide prevention measures in place. Brunel was detained at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2020 as part of a broad French probe unleashed by the U.S. sex-trafficking charges against Epstein. A frequent companion of Epstein, Brunel was considered central to the French investigation into alleged sexual exploitation of women and girls by the U.S. financier and his circle. Epstein often traveled to France and had apartments in Paris. Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a news conference outside a Manhattan court following the jailhouse death of Jeffrey Epstein, Aug. 27, 2019, in New York. AP-Yonhap One of Epstein's main accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has alleged that Brunel procured women, some of them minors, for sex with Epstein and other wealthy people, luring them with promises of modeling work. Multiple women who identified themselves as victims have spoken to police since the French probe began in 2019, and at times expressed frustration with the slow pace of the investigation. One of them, Thysia Huisman, said Saturday that the news of Brunel's death sent her into ''shock.'' ''It makes me angry, because I've been fighting for years,'' Huisman, a Dutch former model who told police she was drugged and raped by Brunel as a teen, told The Associated Press. ''For me, the end of this was to be in court. And now that whole ending which would help form closure is taken away from me.'' Former model Thysia Huisman, who is among the women who have accused Jean-Luc Brunel of rape, poses for a picture in Amsterdam, Dec. 17, 2020. AP-Yonhap A lawyer representing Huisman and other victims, Anne-Claire Le Jeune, said other women involved in the case feel the same. ''Great disappointment, great frustration that (the victims) won't get justice,'' she told The AP. She expressed doubt that the investigation would lead to a trial, because Brunel was so central to the case. She also voiced concerns that Brunel's death means his accusers won't get any official recognition of their status as victims. ''To rebuild yourself (after abuse), that is one of the essential steps,'' Huisman said. She expressed hope that Brunel's death won't discourage women from continuing to speak out about abuse. The investigation, along with a growing reckoning about sexual misconduct in France, has ''freed up women to talk about it,'' she said. ''It's a difficult step that requires a lot of courage and strength.'' Brunel was named in U.S. court filings, too. The spokesperson for the prosecutors who charged Epstein in New York declined to comment on Brunel's death. For Giuffre and other victims, the news of Brunel's death was ''devastating,'' according a statement from her lawyer, Sigrid McCawley. Guiffre herself tweeted: ''The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter. I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable, but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison.'' McCawley said Brunel's death did not end the search for justice. ''For the women who have stood up and called for accountability from law enforcement around the world, it is not how these men died, but how they lived, and the damage they caused to so many. The fight to seek truth and justice goes on,'' McCawley said. Britain's Prince Andrew recently agreed to settle a case in which Giuffre accused him of sexual abuse when she was 17. Guiffre says she was supplied to Andrew by Epstein, charges that Andrew denies. The settlement, in which Andrew agreed to make a substantial donation to Giuffre's charity, avoids a trial. (AP) After Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur elect new legislative assemblies, 10 more states will go to polls before the 2024 parliamentary polls and, of them, Telangana is the only large state, which is ruled by neither the BJP nor the Congress, but a regional party Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). The BJP, however, has since 2019 replaced the Congress as the main opposition to the ruling TRS in the state. So, the TRS president and the states Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Raos recent attempt at shedding his earlier pusillanimity towards the BJP to shape an anti-BJP federal front isnt a surprise. As Rao and his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, try stitch an anti-BJP front, somewhat curious is her aversion of the Congress, particularly its first family. Privately, leaders of the TRS and Banerjees Trinamool Congress (TMC) agree that a non-BJP front or the proposed non-BJP chief ministers conclave on federalism would be a non-starter without the participation of the Congress. The CPI (M) has said as much publicly. The communist party is of course wary of Banerjee, its arch-rival in West Bengal, taking the lead of any such putative formation. It rather wants the DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to lead the effort. Also Read: Satraps unite against Modi Govt Congress: pariah or prerequisite After the TMCs recent poaching of Congress leaders in the northeastern states and Goa, Stalin would be more acceptable to the grand old party. But as a TRS leader explained, the onus is on the Congress to assert itself electorally in the next 18-odd months, of course if it wishes to lead the opposition unity in 2024. The regional parties have shown they can withstand the BJPs onslaught. But the Congress has to prove its mettle. The Congress will also have to confront the BJP in at least six Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh of the 10 state assembly polls to be held by December 2023. If the Congress losses Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on March 10, it would reinforce the perception that it is in terminal decline. It would also queer the pitch for the proposed anti-BJP front. The Congress has over the years resisted the AAPs inclusion in the opposition unity efforts. Till the Congress shows signs of revival, Banerjee and other regional leaders will not give up their claim to the leadership of the new front. In September, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had likened the Congress to an impoverished zamindar, or a feudal lord, who could no longer maintain his haveli (fiefdom). There are battles to be fought until 2024 and beyond, which the Congress currently is too feeble to fight. So, we, the regional parties, need to hang together, or we shall all hang separately, the TRS leader said. These battles include the presidential and vice-presidential elections later this year. Then there are issues of Centre-State relations and the role of governors. The regional parties also oppose the Centres proposal to change the All India Service Cadre rules. It has enthused Banerjee, Pawar and others that the Samajwadi Party under Akhilesh Yadav, even if it were to lose to the BJP in the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, is on the upswing, as is the Rashtriya Janata Dal that a young Tejashwi Yadav leads in Bihar. The two Yadavs had experimented with allying with the Congress, but little benefit accrued to their respective alliances. Also Read: Didi, KCR and Stalin look to stitch anti-BJP front Banerjee versus Gandhis Jayanta Ghosal, a journalist who has recently authored Mamata: Beyond 2021, says the TMCs decision to contest the assembly polls in Goa wasnt Banerjees, but election strategist Prashant Kishors. Banerjee is not anti-Congress. She respects Sonia Gandhi but has a communication gap with Rahul Gandhi. What she wants after the culmination of the UP assembly polls is a discussion on restructuring the UPA and that it should have a new convenor, he said. Others, like political analyst Rasheed Kidwai, disagree. He said that Banerjee distancing herself from Kishor was a face-saver after the embarrassment in Goa. Banerjee is a multiple-term Lok Sabha MP and a three-term chief minister. She is unwilling to accept Rahul Gandhis leadership. But the TMCs footprint, unlike even a shrinking Congress, is restricted to West Bengals 42 Lok Sabha seats and perhaps a handful more across the northeast. She would do well to remember BSP chief Mayawatis example from a decade back. In 2009, the CPI(M)s Prakash Karat convinced Mayawati, then the UP CM, to be the prime ministerial face of the third front. The Congress scored a resounding win in the Lok Sabha polls, while Mayawati lost UP in 2012. The Vijayawada conclave The proposed opposition chief ministers conclave has a precedent. In May 1983, N T Rama Rao, the Andhra Pradesh CM and Telugu Desam Party chief, hosted 24 opposition leaders of 14 political parties to stitch an alliance against the Indira Gandhi-led Congress for the Lok Sabha polls, which were 18-months away. The Vijayawada conclave was the first time 14 ideologically disparate non-Congress political parties, including the communist parties and the BJP, got together at one place and issued a joint statement. Two months before, in March 1983, Karnataka CM Ramakrishna Hegde had called a meeting of his southern counterparts to discuss issues of federalism. The circumstances were somewhat similar. With a brute majority at the Centre, the Congress was misusing Article 356. Just as the BJP now, the Congress did not rule several key states then, including three big southern states. The events of 1983 formed the bedrock of the eventual rise of regional parties in national politics. The aspirations of regional elites to share the spoils that the Congress had controlled since independence helped the rise of regional parties. It culminated with the National Front and United Front governments. A similar process is underway as the BJP rule has increased the centralisation of decision-making. However, if Banerjee, Stalin, Rao and other regional leaders want to build a new federal front now, they will need to have programmatic coherence among their parties. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, M K Stalin and Mamata Banerjee, had a phone-call on February 13 and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding principles of state autonomy and federalism, which they said were under attack from the BJP-led Union Government. Banerjee proposed a conclave of Chief Ministers of the states ruled by the parties opposed to the BJP and Stalin agreed to take part in it. They also received support from Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who will meet his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Sunday. They are expected to take forward the initiative to drum up support from chief ministers of the regional parties to take on the BJP. While Stalin, Banerjee and Thackeray have been stridently opposed to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rao is a late entrant to the club. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief not just praised Modi to the hilt during his first tenure as CM of the countrys youngest state from 2014-2018, but had actively supported the Union Government to get several bills passed, particularly in Rajya Sabha. But the BJP is now posing a threat to the TRS in Telangana, forcing Rao to turn against the saffron party. He has mounted an all-round attack against the Union Government for trying to dilute principles of federalism. Also Read: CPI(M) wants M K Stalin to take lead role in alliance to fight BJP's 'onslaught' on federalism Except for Rao, the three chief ministers are also locked in running feuds with the Raj Bhavans in the respective state capitals, alleging undue interference and bias by the governors. Banerjee of late blocked West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter as he was frequently using the social media platform to fault the TMC dispensation in West Bengal. The TMC has been criticizing Dhankhar for consistently interfering in the administration. The Governor had on February 17 asked the Chief Minister to come to Raj Bhavan for an interaction, implying that lack of response from the State Government to issues raised by him has potential to lead to a constitutional stalemate. The overstepping and (governors) making statements on policy issues affect federal structure, political analyst Udayan Bandyopadhyay told DH. Talking with other chief ministers is the political part. Regional leaders are trying to resist the BJPs attempt to centralise things on different issues like education, taxation, etc. The centralisation is hitting the federal structure. While Stalin went soft on the Governor for a while, the DMK broke its silence when Ravi touched the raw nerve of the Dravidian politics by indirectly batting for the introduction of Hindi in schools. In his R-day speech, the Governor had said depriving students of knowledge of other Indian languages was unfair to all. Even before the dust could settle on the language row, the Governor returned the NEET bill the Stalins Government had got passed in the State Assembly in September 2021 to do away with the system of admissions into the undergraduate medical courses in the state through the NEET. The DMK took a firm stand on the NEET, alleging that it was opposed to the principle of social justice. The state assembly got the bill re-adopted recently. DMK, which has been opposed to the post of Governor, went all guns blazing on Ravi demanding his recall. Thackeray moved to curtail the powers of Governor B S Koshyari to appoint the vice-chancellors of universities, after the Maha Vikas Aghadi governments proposal for appointing 12 members of the legislative council was not cleared by the Raj Bhavan for more than a year. For DMK, now helmed by Stalin, federalism and state autonomy are issues of prime importance since the time the party rode to power in Tamil Nadu in 1967. Stalin is working hard to emerge as the champion of federalism he has normalised the use of Ondriya Arasu (Union Government) instead of Madhiya Arasu (Central Government) in the state. Thackeray too appears to be taking a stronger stand against the Modi Government. He recently stated that the Shiv Sena wasted 25 years by staying with the BJP. He clearly indicated that his party now wants to be an integral part of an anti-BJP front. Rao has his own issues to turn against Modi as the CM feels Telangana is not being treated on par with BJP-ruled states. His attacks against the BJP are getting sharper each passing day and he has openly called for the saffron partys defeat in 2024. Also Read: Didi, KCR and Stalin look to stitch anti-BJP front Parties should find a common ground The four chief ministers may eventually succeed in launching a joint front to protest the alleged erosion of federalism by the Modi Government. But it is unlikely to emerge as an electoral alternative against the BJP at the national level, at least in a pre-poll scenario, given the domestic political compulsions of the leaders. These parties should continue to work together and find a common ground. The Congress is no longer a stronger force like it was a decade ago. It becomes imperative for regional parties to work out a common agenda, political commentator Prof Ramu Manivannan told DH. The DMK, TRS, TMC, Shiv Sena and the Congress are on the same page on amendments to IAS (Cadre) Rules, 9154 that take away states rights and accuse the BJP Government of encroaching on the powers vested with state governments on sectors like cooperatives, and registration. Banerjees government in West Bengal also opposed the Centres move to extend the BSFs jurisdiction to 50 kilometres along the borders. It was also opposed by the Congress government in Punjab. The DMK and the Shiv Sena are in alliance with the Congress. Rao is dropping hints of warming up to the grand old party, at least at the national level, if not in Telangana. The TRS MPs attended meetings of opposition parties convened by Congress during the recent sessions of Parliament. Stalin, Thackeray and Rao are not averse to including Congress Chief Ministers in the front they are planning to launch. But what can derail the prospects of the united front is Banerjees aversion to the Congress. The TMC supremo has repeatedly targeted the Congress in the past few months. Let Congress go its own way, she recently said. Can Banerjee keep the Congress away from a front the regional parties may launch to take on the Modi Government? Bandyopadhyay said that the future strategy would depend much on the outcome of the Uttar Pradesh elections. I think Mamata will be successful in her initiative towards forming a regional coalition where regional demands against centralisation and BJP will be integrated to present a political alternative. Also, just a meeting or two will not help. The new coalition will have to reach out to the people. I believe Congress will be part of the bigger coalition. Right now, it is playing alone. It is a stage-by-stage building of the coalition, he added. (With inputs from Mohammed Safi Shamsi in Kolkata, and Mrityunjay Bose in Mumbai) Watch the latest DH Videos here: What started as a small protest in early January by a few Muslim girls who were denied entry to the Government Womens Pre-University College in Udupi as they were wearing hijabs, soon took centre stage as other colleges also followed suit in different parts of the state. As the hijab hullabaloo refuses to die down, some Muslim women narrate how they are often subjected to harassment, turned down for jobs, targeted, and looked down upon because of their choice to wear a hijab. Taking exams is a nightmare Defending choices has always been an uphill struggle for women, and it was no different for Shama, a Delhi-based homemaker. She was asked to take off her hijab while she was appearing for her last paper during her BBA final exams back in 2015. She had already undergone the usual checks but this time a team of three male invigilators objected to her hijab and demanded to check her again. She refused to be frisked by the men and requested for a female instead. However, they did not listen to Shama and warned her of dire consequences. Tere saath bahut bura hoga," a man from the group shouted and wrote cheating on my paper," Shama says. Thinking that the matter would be resolved, she complained about the incident to her college and the University of Mysore to which it was affiliated at that time. However, much to her dismay no action was taken on her complaint and she flunked the exam. She bore the brunt of defending her dignity and questioning the people who harassed her for wearing a hijab as per her religious obligation. This cost her a year and she had to take the exam again in 2016. "I have always topped in my class and scored more than 85% but I failed this time," Shama adds. She had already taken a provisional admission in Jamia Millia Islamia University which she had to forego as she could not clear the exams. She waited for a year to reappear in the exam and to get enrolled in an MBA course again. Writing government exams is even more troublesome for hijabi women who are forced to remove their hijab to take the exam. Huma Masih, a Delhi-based freelance content writer, had to go through this experience twice. The first time it was when she wrote the Rajasthan Eligibility Exam for Teachers exam in 2015 and again when she took the National Eligibility Test exam in 2016. On both occasions, she was forced to remove her scarf in order to write the exams. However, Huma did not succumb to the pressure and instead questioned if there were any guidelines about removing the hijab before taking the exam. I was allowed to write the exam only when I threatened to take the matter up with the director of the centre. While I took the exams in hijab, my friends at the same centre were not allowed to write the exam till they took off their headscarf, she said. Asking hijab-wearing girls to remove their scarf in public and the humiliation that follows often leaves a deep impact on young girls. Faizia Iderisi from Faridabad, Haryana, attempted the NEET exam in 2018 and did not take the exam again despite her familys persistent efforts. The 22-year-old explicitly refused to reappear for the exam and go through the same insult again. It is appalling to see women go through such incidents because of their choice to wear a hijab which is a part of their faith, says Firdouse Qutub Wani, an advocate in the Supreme Court of India. She says that the Constitution of India allows each one of us to practice our religion and nobody can stop people from practising their religion freely and independently. Asked to choose between job & hijab Getting a job for hijab-wearing women is also fraught with challenges. Many times, women are asked to remove their hijab for a job. Bushra (name changed), a 2021 nursing graduate, reached the second round of a job interview at a heart institute in Okhla, Delhi when a recruiter laid a condition in front of the 24-year-old to remove the hijab in case she gets selected. My hijab would not be a hindrance in my work, she tried to convince the recruiter in vain. The hospital is frequented by a large number of Muslims who live in nearby areas. You can easily spot women in hijab or burqas there, she informed. She is now working with a hospital, that not only accepted my choice of wearing a scarf but in fact suggested a colour of hijab that would go well with my uniform, she adds. Ghazala Zia, a Delhi-based pharmacist, too faced problems and was turned down for jobs when she refused to remove her hijab. After she got rejected by a few colleges because of her hijab, she started applying in corporates. A Gurgaon-based company offered her a job but it too told her that she can't wear the headscarf to the office. Nazia Iderisi, a 25-year-old aspiring teacher, started interning with a Faridabad-based school in 2019. The training was going smoothly until the fourth day when a manager of the school asked her to come without a hijab to continue the internship. The manager said I was the only one who wears a hijab and it disturbs the uniformity in the school, she informed. Nazia told the manager that she wears a hijab to Al-Falah University as well and nobody objected there. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, the manager said. Since it was mandatory to do the internship, she decided to do it from a school run by an acquaintance in Rajpur village of Uttar Pradesh. Nazia finished her B.Ed programme in 2020 and has decided to teach in a Muslim school after she came to know about the so-called dress code at various schools she applied for a job in Faridabad. Dubbed as oppressed and suppressed It is not uncommon for Muslim women to be labelled as oppressed and suppressed. Narrating an incident, Firdouse shares, once she was invited as a speaker at an event organised on International Womens Day. After the event, a woman sporting a short hairstyle approached Firdouse and praised her for inspiring other women. However, she got startled when the woman questioned her about the hijab and told her that it symbolises oppression and she should stop wearing it. Is it the freedom that I want to choose or what you want me to do, Firdouse countered? Trying to school the woman about the importance of choice, she told her I did not judge you for your haircut. I could have said that you arent proud of being a woman and that is why you have cut your hair short. I didnt question you because I respect your choice. In yet another incident, a woman asked Firdouse why she wore a hijab and questioned doesn't it make you look communal? Before Firdouse could answer the lady, one of her non-Muslim colleagues jumped in her support and said, "Don't mangalsutra, sindoor, and bindi, make it evident enough that you are a Hindu? Does this make you communal?" Overwhelmed by her colleagues befitting reply, Firdouse admits that there are people who support her choice of wearing a hijab and have always made her comfortable. Lamenting the current situation in our country, Firdouse adds "It is entirely my choice to wear a hijab and it is not oppression. Had it been oppression, we would not have been fighting to allow us to exercise our choice to wear what we want. Fear of being identified & targeted Women who wear hijab live under the constant fear of being identified and singled out. I can easily be spotted because of my attire and could be lynched or somebody might misbehave with me, says Huma Masih, a Delhi-based writer. She has stopped travelling alone and is always accompanied by a male member whenever she goes outside Delhi. Nazia complains about being looked down upon in a condescending way. She adds that it is indeed very discomforting to get those glances and It makes me feel as if I have committed some crime to deserve those looks, she said. Calling hijabi women names isnt something unheard of which has become quite common. Firdouse didnt even get surprised when a man passing by called her Mullani in the corridors of the Delhi High Court chambers. However, a lawyer came to her support and asked the man to behave or else leave the premises. "I think we should uphold constitutional values and learn to respect each other's sentiments. This is what our country actually stands for," adds Firdouse. COMPETITION: The Embassy of Ireland is looking to hear your stories and celebrate inspiring women News St Brigids Day Poster Competition Rules & Details 1) Entries must be submitted by 11.59PM (local time) on 20 Feb 2) Accounts must be public and following us 3) Tag your posts with #SBDsea2022 and #SBDph2022 to participate in this competition 4) You may use a video or a photo with captions to tell your nominees story. Why is she so inspiring or creative to you? 5) Video length must not exceed 60 seconds 6) The woman nominated must be someone you know personally 7) All entries must be submitted in English 8) Only one entry is allowed per participant 9) You must also be a resident in the Philippines in order to be eligible for this competition. 10) Upon participation, you consent to us using your entry for Embassy communication activities 11) The best 2 entries (one finalist and runner-up) selected at the Embassys discretion will each receive a hamper featuring attractive goodies from talented and creative Irish women 12) The finalist will enter a poll with the other finalists (6 total) from the region. The most popular entry selected by the public will win a pair of economy air fare flight tickets to Ireland 13) Embassies will not be in a position to cover any additional expenses beyond the cost of the 2x economy class air fares to Ireland. All additional costs, such as but not limited to accommodation, expenses, visa fees, COVID-19 testing, meals, etc. are to be borne by the participant The winning participant must ensure they meet all entry requirements for Ireland (this includes visa and vaccination requirements). Embassies will not be in a position to assist with visa application, the winning entry must ensure they meet the requirements for entry to Ireland, which can be found here: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/ | Next Item Where to Watch / Stream London and Botswana Online Theatrical release - Not available on any OTT Platform right now. Advertisements London and Botswana : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Songs About London and Botswana London and Botswana was released on Apr 21, 2022 and was directed by Gemma Burnand .This movie is 22 min in duration and is available in English language. Dominic Weatherill, Pereko Makgothi, Danielle Wood, Jack Newhouse, Ian Laing, Elizabeth Elstub, Alain Cooper and Michelle Olumilua are playing as the star cast in this movie. London and Botswana is available in genre. Image Gallery Disclaimer: All content and media has been sourced from original content streaming platforms, such as Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. Digit Binge is an aggregator of content and does not claim any rights on the content. The copyrights of all the content belongs to their respective original owners and streaming service providers. All content has been linked to respective service provider platforms.This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by Advertisements Members of the public sit along the Circular Quay foreshore in Sydney, Dec. 31. Australia will welcome international tourists Monday nearly two years after sealing its borders. EPA-Yonhap Australia will welcome international tourists from Monday nearly two years after sealing its borders, relying on high COVID-19 vaccination rates to live with the pandemic as infections decline. "The wait is over," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a Sunday press briefing at Melbourne International Airport. Australia's opening to tourists is the clearest example yet of the government's shift from a strict zero-COVID approach to living with the virus and vaccinating the public to minimize deaths and severe illness. Most of the country's 2.7 million coronavirus infections have occurred since the Omicron variant emerged in late November. But with one of the world's highest vaccination rates more than 94 percent of people aged 16 and over are double-dosed there have been just under 5,000 deaths, a fraction of the rates seen in many other developed countries. On Sunday, the country recorded more than 16,600 coronavirus cases, before all areas had reported, and at least 33 deaths, mainly in the three most populous states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Whether travelers will flock back to the island continent, dubbed "fortress Australia" for its strict border controls, remains to be seen. The government hopes to boost a pre-pandemic growth sector real tourism gross domestic product expanded 3.4 percent in 2018-2019, compared with overall GDP growth of 1.9 percent. Australia has been gradually reopening since November, first allowing Australians to travel in and out, then admitting international students and some workers. From Monday, leisure travelers and more business travelers may enter. "The reopening reinforces Australia's credentials as an open economy and will allow companies with international interests to more easily conduct business," said Steve Hughes, head of HSBC's commercial banking in Australia. "We expect that mid-sized firms which have reached the limits of their domestic growth will have renewed confidence to consider offshore expansion." Fully vaccinated tourists will not need to quarantine, but those not double-dosed will require a travel exemption to enter the country and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements. (Reuters) Britain's Queen Elizabeth has contracted Covid-19, Buckingham Palace has announced. The monarch, 95, has tested positive for the virus and is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to carry out light duties this week. The head of state has fallen ill after it was confirmed she had been in direct contact with her eldest son and heir, the Prince of Wales, the week he had the disease. The shock announcement was made just a few weeks after the nations longest-reigning monarch reached her historic Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on the throne on February 6. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines. Concern across the nation will be at peak levels for the Queen given her advanced age and her health scare in recent months, and her popularity in a country where many have known no other monarch on the throne. The Royal Household has its own royal physicians and the Queens doctors will be on hand to take care of and monitor the head of state, with Professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and Physician to the Queen, expected to be in charge. The monarch carried out her first major public engagement for more than three months on Saturday February 5, the eve of her Jubilee, when she met charity workers at Sandringham House, cut a celebratory cake and used a walking stick to rest on. The Queen is understood to be triple vaccinated but she had been on doctors order to rest since mid October, after cancelling a run of engagements and spending a night in hospital undergoing preliminary tests. She is believed to have spent time with Charles on Tuesday February 8, when he hosted an investiture at her Windsor Castle home, and a few days later he tested positive for Covid but made a quick recovery to full health. The Duchess of Cornwall has also tested positive for Covid, with Clarence House confirming on Monday February 14 that the duchess was self isolating. ADA [ndash] Memorials services for Clifford Brent Hall, 63, of Ada are 10:00 A.M. Thursday, May 5, 2022 at Trinity Baptist Church, Doug Brewer will officiate. Mr. Hall passed away Monday, April 25, 2022 at a local nursing home surrounded by family. He was born August 8, 1958 in Shawnee, OK t Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website at ladowntownnews.com/site/privacy.html By clicking to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. The great tradition of philanthropy in Cork has strong and deep roots dating back to medieval times. Prior to 1838, no state-operated scheme existed to relieve the misery and hardship of the destitute in Ireland. However in 1817, after seeing the appalling state of the poor in Cork, people of goodwill were driven to come together to form a General Committee for the Relief of the Poor. Committees were established in each parish in order to ascertain the conditions of the poor and the reasons for their plight. In that year Cork was described as the most distressed part of Ireland. When the committee's report was finally completed and presented three years later, its stark findings revealed some very alarming statistics. It stated that out of a total population of 100,000 persons in the city and suburbs, over 20,000 were unemployed and starving. These statistics accurately reflected the bleak reality that the streets and lanes of Cork were swarming with the poor and destitute. There were many thousands however who did not publically parade their misery on the streets. One report stated that the poor in Blackpool have accepted their misery with extraordinary resignation despite, at the time, great advances in industrial and technological development. Children forced to beg In the dark and dreary damp, cold, overcrowded rat-infested tenements, families resided or rather existed. Many of them were street dealers who tried to earn enough to keep a roof over their heads, food in their bellies and the cold from their bones. Large families were the norm in those days. It was not uncommon to have fifteen children in one family. On reaching four years of age, these deprived children would be forced onto the streets to beg while the older ones would sell wares like their parents. Due to malnutrition and failing health, many of the dealers had just enough energy to sit outside the door of their crumbling tenements to sell wares. It wouldnt be long though before theyd be ordered by the authorities to move onto the established Corporation Markets located around the city and suburbs. The eminent Historian, CJF McCarthy tells us: In old Bridewell Lane, off North Main Street by Castle Street stood thirteen dwellings and they housed 206 persons, some of the rooms that the people lived in would have been six feet by four, popularly called coffins." Within a radius of a hundred yards of Castle Street, thirteen hundred people lived. These figures give us a clear insight into the atrocious living conditions experienced by Corkonians at the time. People starving on the streets The Poor Law Scheme was only in operation a few years when the Great Famine sunk its fangs into the heart of the nation, ravaging its people, especially the poor. On February 1st, 1847, the Cork Examiner reported that: The number of country people that crowded into Cork to escape from the more dreary starvation on the fields and villages are so great and their poverty is so complete, that they cannot find where to lay their heads at night under any roof in the city. The miserable strangers are obliged to live in doorways and under sheds." Another Cork Examiner report states: A devastating fever enveloped the city, it knocked on every door, especially those of the poor who lived in the squalor of the rat infested overcrowded tenements on the narrow filthy lanes and alleyways, which invariably became a breeding ground for the Famine Fever as it was so named. To ease the terrible misery and suffering of the people, charitable organisations and soup kitchens were established and Fr Mathew, the great temperance leader, could be seen serving the poor in one of them on Barrack Street. In the wake of the Great Famine, the countrys population had shrunk considerably. The 1851 census tells us that the population had decreased to 6,500,000 compared to 1845 when there were two million more. The general consensus was that about one million people had died and another million had emigrated. Poverty was still as rampant as ever in the streets and homes of Cork City and food riots were a common occurrence. Workhouses were heaving with poor souls who had nowhere else to turn while those who could afford a ticket to another county emigrated. The cheapest passage from Cork to America in 1847 was 3 pounds 15 shillings. It was nice to see the victims of the Great Famine remembered throughout the country on Sunday, May 17th 2009 at the first National Famine Memorial Day Commemoration organised by the government. Corkonians - a happy bunch Despite their plight, Corkonians always looked on the bright side of life. They may have had very few worldly possessions but what they had, they shared with each other. A happy bunch, full of the gift of the Blarney, their bleak circumstances did not hamper their sense of fun and passionate love of music and song. In many of the little cottages they inhabited as well as the crumbling dilapidated tenements that dominated the city landscape, heartfelt singing could be heard as well as the sweet sound of music. Even the urchins on the street would whistle the airs of new operas while buskers could be seen at every street corner. In the 18th century, the Historian, Charles Smith had the following to say regarding the Corkonians love of music: Besides the public concerts, there are several private ones where the performers are of such good skill that one would imagine the gods of music had taken a large stride from the continent over England to the streets of Cork." When the National Education Board was established in 1831 by Irelands Chief Secretary, Lord Stanley, in order to provide a network of national schools throughout the country, education was free but not compulsory which meant that parents could send their children to work instead of school. Echo helps save lives The Beggar Group taken from: Ireland: Its Scenery, Character, &c Vol. 1, 1846 Courtesy: Cork City Library At the dawn of the 20th century, there were about nine thousand children of school-going age in our City of Cork. Most went to school hungry, barefoot and half-naked, some from one-parent families and drunken violent homes. After school, many children from five years of age upwards resorted to begging or robbing. A few of the lucky ones had a part-time job. One of the most popular jobs for children in Cork at the time was selling the Evening Echo. Established by the Crosbie family in 1892, this very popular publication could be bought for one half penny and was considered a good omen by the social reformers of the day as it helped children turn their backs on begging and robbing. Each day, scores of children would descend on the Echo office to collect their quota of newspapers and off they would go to their spot, be it on a street corner, in the middle of a road or under a gas lamp. Standing in all kinds of weather, many were barefoot as they would shout aloud the immortal words: Echooo, Evening Echooo. By 1902, these children could earn up to eight shillings a week solely selling the Echo. This source of financial security often ensured that they would have a less abusive life and that their parents and brothers and sisters could have the comfort of a hot meal or fuel to build a fire on cold winter evenings. Echo boys like film stars As a young kid growing up in Cork City I always longed to be an Echo Boy. Whenever my Mam and Dad would bring my two brothers and I into the heart of the town, I remember how star struck I was anytime I laid eyes on one of Corks famous Echo Boys. Standing so proud with head held high and chest out, the Echo Boy would cradle a big bundle of Echos under one arm and wave another rolled up Echo like a baton as if conducting a large choir to follow the legendary chant which captured me and the passersby. They looked like those film stars on the silvery screen at the Assems and the Lido. I still get that warm feeling today when I hear those magic words: Echooo, Evening Echooo. [now called The Echo] Echooo, Evening Echooo Corks famous Echo Boy, Michael ORegan and Richard T. Cooke on Pana. In 2003 my wish finally came true when Corks famous Echo Boy, Michael ORegan ceremoniously handed me his precious bundle of Echos and together we chanted the famous Cork words: Echooo, Evening Echooo. As I stood on Pana embracing the sacred Echos the Cork Bible - enthusiastically cheered on in the century long tradition by Michael and a group of friends, I felt the spirit of all the Echo Boys with me at that moment I thought I was a little boy again as I shouted at the top of my voice Echooo, Evening Echooo. I felt so proud to be a Corkonian. Its interesting to know that in 2018, the Evening Echo and Irish Examiner as well as other titles owned by the Landmark Media Group were taken over by the Irish Times and in March, 2019, the Evening Echo became The Echo. Today the Echo Boys still chant the familiar phrase: Echooooo.. Echooooo.. Cork city and county has been battered by winds sweeping over the county brought about by Storm Franklin today. In the city, the Church of the Ascension in Gurranabraher suffered damage to its iconic cross which can be admired from right across the city. We were sent this video of the Church in Gurranabraher this evening. Looks like the Cross has been damaged by #StormFranklin. Fire brigade are on scene. Vid: Darren O. pic.twitter.com/6OcJ8TXp12 Cork Safety Alerts (@CorkSafetyAlert) February 20, 2022 Local Independent councillor Kenneth OFlynn said that it was a very sad day for the local community to see that the cross on the Church of the Ascension had been damaged during Storm Franklin. Its sad to see the cross of the Church of the Ascension Gurranabraher tilting to one side as a result of the storm. Emergency services are at the scene. Hopefully theyll be able to secure it and be safe whilst doing so. @CorkSafetyAlert @CorkCityFire pic.twitter.com/CbVjYDZChv Thomas Gould TD (@ThomasGouldSF) February 20, 2022 Speaking to The Echo, Cllr OFlynn said: Its a well-known iconic image of the northside of the city synonymous with Gurranabraher. Its something that we all look up at from the great island of the city centre and we admire and its been an icon since the erection of the church. Its a very sad day, these things happen with old buildings. There has been tremendous work put in by the parish priest there and the committee about re-roofing and getting the building fit for purpose and warm again and fit for the 21st century. Cork City Fire Brigade crews attended the scene on Sunday and had secured the closure of the compound by about 6.30pm and the church is to remain closed until an assessment has taken place. Speaking to The Echo, Parish priest Very Rev. Tomas Walsh SMA, said: At about 4.30pm today people brought it to my knowledge that the cross had tilted over. The cross has been there since 1962 and it has withstood many storms but not this one anyway Im afraid. 20th February 2022. The Cross on the Church of the Ascension, Gurranbraher which has been damaged in recent storms. Picture: Eddie O'Hare The Fire Officer said that the church must remain closed until there is an assessment by an engineer and so hopefully well get that done tomorrow and that we will be back in operation on Tuesday. The winds are continuing so theres some kind of threat around at the moment, he said. Cllr OFlynn said that many people in the locality were impressed with the quick response from the emergency services. Ive had a number of calls from people, in particular thanking us for the service that Cork City Council has provided with the fire brigade and the assistance there. Its important that we restore these iconic images around the city, its something thats well-loved and its important we secure it and make sure that its okay. Im hopeful that we will see the cross back in place very very shortly and that it will go on for another 100 years. I have my full support there for the Church of the Ascension. "I think they do marvellous work and Im asking all my colleagues to make Ward funds available for the church for such an iconic building in the city. No matter what happens with this cross its important that we have it secure and rectified, he said. Meanwhile, in Crosshaven there is a tree down between O'Learys Cross and Rabbit Island where the road is blocked. Local Fianna Fail councillor Audrey Buckley said that the council has been alerted. She advised people to report issues such as fallen trees, flooding and road damage to the council by phoning 021 4276891 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. The councils emergency out of hours number is 021 4800048 and should be used outside of these times. The strong winds may give rise to localised power outages. In the event of a disruption to power supply, please contact ESB Networks at 1800 372 999. Fallen or grounded wires should be avoided and the public are advised to call ESB in assisting with the identification of fallen wires. In the event of a disruption to water supply, please contact Irish Water at 1800 278 278. In the event of an emergency call 999 or 112 and request the Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Gardai or Irish Coastguard as appropriate. Do not assume others will do this, she said. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Sponsored By: St Anthony's Hospital 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. Vote View Results A Cadet listens during a commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 on the parade field, at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., June 13, 2020. U.S. officials say reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military academies increased sharply during the 2020-2021 school year, as students returned to in-person classes amid the ongoing pandemic. The increase continues what officials believe is an upward trend at the academies, despite an influx of new sexual assault prevention and treatment programs.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) MILAN Fiat Chrysler (FCA) posted a 7% rise in fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, boosted by strong business in North America and better results in Latin America as it heads into a merger with France's PSA. The Italian-American carmaker said adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) rose to 2.12 billion euros ($2.3 billion), in line with a 2.11 billion forecast in Reuters poll of analysts. That left its adjusted operating profit for the year at 6.67 billion euros ($7.34 billion), just shy of its target of over 6.7 billion euros. Its adjusted EBITDA margin came in at 6.2%, in line with its target of more than 6.1%. A trader said Fiat Chrysler results were "a touch above" expectations and the carmaker's shares in Milan were up 3.4% at 1300 GMT following the results. Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA agreed in December to combine forces in a $50 billion deal to create the world's No. 4 carmaker, in response to slower global demand and the mounting cost of making cleaner cars amid tighter emissions rules. Chief Executive Mike Manley said last month that talks with PSA were progressing well and that he hoped to complete the deal by early 2021. FCA reiterated its plan to boost adjusted EBIT to above 7 billion euros ($7.7 billion) this year. In slides prepared for an analyst call, FCA said it was monitoring the global impact of coronavirus in China. FCA operates in the country through a loss-making joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) and has a 0.35% share of the Chinese passenger car market. Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Additional reporting by Danilo Masoni; Editing by Stephen Jewkes, Jason Neely and David Clarke. Related Video: By Jeanny Kao and Yimou Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) - Major Taiwanese chipmakers are willing to prioritise supplies for auto makers amid a global shortage of chips for the industry, the island's economics minister said after meeting with company executives. Automakers around the world are shutting assembly lines due to the shortages, which in some cases have been exacerbated by the former U.S. administration's actions against Chinese chip factories. "Chipmakers are willing to follow the government's request and try to support auto chips as much as they can to support production in the U.S., Europe and Japan," Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua told reporters. The issue has become a diplomatic one, with German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier writing to Wang to ask her for help in addressing it. Wang also said the United States, European Union and Japan had also been in contact. The chipmakers are prepared to negotiate with clients of other products to see which clients are willing to delay or cut orders and will try to boost production, Wang said. "For example, if their capacity is at 100% now, they will try to raise it to 102% or 103%, with the extra capacity going to make auto chips," she added. She met executives from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), United Microelectronics Corp (UMC), Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp and Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp. Vanguard declined comment ahead of quarterly earnings next week but noted the company's chairman had said this month he expects a 15% increase in demand for auto chips this year. UMC Co-president Jason Wang told an investor's call after the minister spoke that they would try their best to help ease the auto chip shortage by prioritising supply. "Hopefully we can relieve some of the pressure," he said. The other two companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The chip firms told Wang that they were at working at full capacity. Business is booming for Taiwan's tech firms as the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work drive demand for laptops, tablets and smartphones. She added chipmakers had said they had warned automakers early last year that they were taking a risky approach if they cut orders at time of strong growth in demand for chips for electronics. The shortage has affected Volkswagen, Ford Motor Co, Subaru Corp, Toyota Motor Corp, Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and other car makers. "This appears to be long-term demand so it will take some time to solve the problem," Wang added. (Reporting by Jeanny Kao and Yimou Lee; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel, Edwina Gibbs and Louise Heavens) Weather Alert ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. * WHERE...Portions of Oklahoma and northern Texas, including the following counties, in Oklahoma, Alfalfa, Atoka, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Major, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Noble, Oklahoma, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Stephens and Tillman. In northern Texas, Archer, Clay, Wichita and Wilbarger. * WHEN...From Wednesday morning through Thursday morning. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Showers and thunderstorms will develop Wednesday morning over a broad swath of the watch area. Another round of rain and thunderstorms is expected later in the afternoon and lasting much of Wednesday night before ending Thursday morning. Storm total amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected. Given recent rainfall, these additional amounts may cause flooding. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood Emmons quote (Regenerative agriculture) is nothing new. Were just trying to revive it, restore it and regenerate it to get it going again. Jimmy Emmons, a third-generation farmer in Leedey, Okla. ENID, Okla. Mark Thomas knew regenerative agriculture was working after he started spotting more and more dung beetles in his pastures. Thomas and his wife Annette own and operate Thomas Land & Cattle, a first-generation family farm in Meno. He said he began selecting a cattle dewormer that wouldnt hurt the dung beetle population, as the insects help enrich the soil, improve plant growth and control flies and parasites. That was my first aha moment with regenerative farming and ranching, he said. On the path forward 2022: Bulding a resilient community: ALL NWOK, AG AND ENERGY STORIES On the path forward 2022: Building a resilient community is a special section that will publish in the Enid News & Eagle for eight Sundays Thomas and Annette moved to Northwestern Oklahoma a decade ago and bought their first farm in 2013, practicing no-till farming. About five years ago is when Thomas and Annette began focusing on regenerative agriculture, which is a practice of farming and ranching that aims to improve soil health by promoting biodiversity, decreasing tillage, reducing the use of artificial fertilizers and using regenerative grazing management for livestock. Long live the soil Along with seeing more dung beetles, Thomas saw other fruits bearing from regenerative agriculture. During Fourth of July one year, he said, he checked the soil temperature in a field where there was good soil armor, and the temperature was at 85 degrees, as opposed to the 110-degree temperature of bare soil that was tilled post-harvest. There are things that you can see and feel before you really start seeing some of those other responses, he said. You start on the journey, and you start seeing those things that are responding and how the land can respond. Then, the next thing you know, you take a soil test, and your organic matter starts to increase. Then you say, OK. Were going in the right direction. Jimmy Emmons, a third-generation farmer in Leedey, Okla., and his wife Ginger have been farming and ranching together since 1980. Emmons, who is vice president of No-till on the Plains and works for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, has been monitoring soil health with soil testing since 2011, utilizing cover crops to enhance soil health. In the last five years, the Emmonses have grown about 14 diverse cash crops, as well as several cover crops, which help improve the soil. The couple also utilizes an adaptive multi-paddock grazing system on their range, and forages grown on crop ground to help keep the native grasses and soils healthy, maximize biological diversity and optimize animal health, according to No-till on the Plains. Emmons said having healthy soil is the biggest benefit of regenerative agriculture one of his favorite sayings is long live the soil. Theres multiple benefits, but the No. 1 is soil health and rebuilding that functioning system, he said. Additionally, Emmons said regenerative agriculture benefits consumers. The healthier the soil is, the healthier the plants are, he said. Healthy foods, healthy bodies. A growing thing Industrial agriculture has some benefits, including increased food production and employment opportunities, faster market readiness and lower consumer costs, according to the Farming Base publication. However, some of the industrial agriculture techniques like applying synthetic fertilizer and monocropping can negatively affect the soil over time by reducing organic matter and releasing carbon, according to Food Print, another farm publication. Emmons said history shows that cover crops and other regenerative agriculture practices help get nutrients into the ground and feed the soil. (Regenerative agriculture) is nothing new, he said. Were just trying to revive it, restore it and regenerate it to get it going again. Emmons said some of the common things he has heard from those against regenerative agriculture include the dryness of Oklahoma; that Oklahoma gets too much rain; or that farmers or ranchers have tried and failed and gone back to other practices. One of the hardest parts about changing to regenerative agricultural practices is having patience. Changing that mindset, normally, is the hardest part trying to do something different, Emmons said. If youve been in a full tillage farm for years like I used to be for years, going to no-till and cover crops is a totally different way than weve always done it, and sometimes, that can play mind games with you. ... If you have a hiccup, look at what went wrong and try to fix it instead of quitting. Thomas said theres been a learning curve when it comes to regenerative agriculture, saying some of the lessons hes learned is that planting a cover crop might fail and that soil takes time to wean off of chemicals. However, when the cover crop is successful or after finally getting to a place where input is reduced, Thomas said the benefits are far greater than what you could put your pencil to. Getting those soils back to a more natural soil biology and more natural nitrogen sources, ... thats your goal. Thats what youre trying to achieve, he said. Emmons said numerous farmers and ranchers throughout Oklahoma, like him and Thomas, practice regenerative agriculture, saying its a growing thing that he hopes continues to catch on. (Regenerative agriculture) was that way to start with. It was functioning, and we degraded it, so whats the challenge for us not to regenerate it, he said. We should embrace that concept because well be better off in the long run. ... Well have healthier food. Well lessen the effects of the drought and the flooding, and in these wild, extreme weather events that were in thats very important. ENID, Okla. A broad-based recovery is underway regarding the state of the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma. Operators of all sizes are making investments right now, said Brook Simmons, president of Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, adding that the industry recovery is supported by higher commodity prices after a challenging, multi-year readjustment of the shale business model and depressed prices. On the path forward 2022: Bulding a resilient community: ALL NWOK, AG AND ENERGY STORIES On the path forward 2022: Building a resilient community is a special section that will publish in the Enid News & Eagle for eight Sundays Simmons said the demand for oil and natural gas is exceeding supply, which drives the higher price and provides Oklahoma the opportunity to participate in that recovery. That is a good thing for the state of Oklahoma, from both an employment standpoint and an economic activity standpoint, Simmons said. This does result in higher prices at the pump, though, Simmons said, adding the only way to work through that is continued investment in producing crude oil and natural gas. oil info box Several thousands of jobs in the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma have been added over the past eight months, Simmons said, after more than 20,000 jobs were lost in 2020. Over time, we will find that the market will come into balance, he said. When that is I dont know, but thats generally the path that its taken. Thats the nature of the cycle. Picking back up In 2020, the price for a barrel of oil dropped into the teens during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, even getting down to the negatives, and in late March of last year, the price was in the upper $50 range. Now, according to the United States Energy Information Administration, crude oil prices for West Texas Intermediate stood at $91.44 as of Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Simmons said demand for oil and natural gas exceeds supply, which drives the higher price and provides Oklahoma the opportunity to participate in that broad-based recovery. Several thousands of jobs in the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma have been added over the past eight months, Simmons said, after more than 20,000 jobs were lost in 2020. John Donaldson, president of D&J Oil in Enid, said the oil and gas industry is a lot better than the previous two years, and in the past year the price of natural gas has increased. I think the oil and gas is picking back up, and COVID-19 is dropping off. Hopefully, things will get back to normal here in the next six months, he said. Concerns at the state level Simmons said, nationally, headwinds to growth and job creation in the oil and gas industry include a squeeze on investment capital and public policies designed to harm U.S. producers but empower OPEC+ competitors. One can look at broad trends when it comes to some of these public policy risks, but the current administration is no fan of Oklahoma and no fan of the crude oil and natural gas industry, he said. Bad public policies at the federal level, Simmons said, can increase the costs of doing business in the oil and gas industry at the state level. Oklahoma is challenged and always competing against peer states that might have more productive and more profitable resources, and Oklahoma has to compete against investments. Simmons said Oklahoma is competing for that third- or fourth-dollar of oil and natural gas investment as family owned firms, private equity backed companies and publicly traded businesses rank their best opportunities for return on capital. According to Baker Hughes, as of Feb. 11, Oklahoma had 53 rotary rigs running, coming just behind Louisiana with 54. New Mexico has 92, and Texas stood at 100. Those are the states against which we compete for drilling capital, Simmons said, and it doesnt matter whether youre a large, publicly traded company or a small, family-owned shop. You might have assets in those other states, and you have to make a decision about where youre going to put your dollars to get the best rate of return. Maintain what we have Simmons said the oil and natural gas industry is the most important driver of the states economy and is responsible for more than half of the states annual real GDP growth every year, far out-pacing every other sector of the states economy. He reminded state and local officials that booms and busts will continue to define Oklahomas shared prosperity and to not take for granted the states highly specialized economy. To do so would weaken the states pursuit to become a Top 10 state, he said. Simmons said its difficult to predict where the oil and gas industry will go in the next few years. I hesitate to guess, but I would just say that companies will continue to face current challenges and new challenges, and there will be twists and turns in the road, Simmons said. I hope that Oklahoma will continue to be able to compete in that environment. Donaldson said he hopes the next two years will be good, and, in the meantime, D&J Oil, which has 10 employees, is mostly focusing on re-completions and reworks of old wells, operating about 65 in Northwest Oklahoma at the moment. Donaldson said the company would like to be operating 100 wells by the end of the year. Were just trying to maintain what we have, and were always looking for smaller acquisitions where we can buy wells, re-complete them ourselves and put them on, he said. PITTSBURGH A western Pennsylvania Uber driver begged for her life and pleaded that she had four children before a man fatally shot her during what investigators believe was a robbery attempt, according to a transcript of dashcam video. Allegheny County police on Wednesday night charged Calvin Crew, 22, in the killing of 38-year-old Christi Spicuzza, whose body was found in Monroeville last weekend. Advertisement Crew is charged with homicide, robbery and tampering with evidence. In a criminal complaint, police described how Crew allegedly used his girlfriend's phone to order an Uber and held a gun to Spicuzzas head as she begged him to lower the weapon. Advertisement On a video retrieved from Spicuzzas dashcam, investigators saw her arriving to pick up Crew on Feb. 11. He entered the vehicle and produced a handgun, pointing it at the back of her head, the complaint says. He told her to keep driving. When she reached back and felt the gun, she responded, Youve got to be joking, the complaint reads. Crew reiterated that he had a gun, and she told him that she had a family, the complaint says. I got a family too, Crew said. Now drive. Im begging you, I have four kids, she said at one point. He repeatedly told her to complete the trip as she again asked him to put the gun down. He kept the gun pointed at the back of her neck. Please take that off of me, she said. He reached forward and took her cellphone off of the dashboard, the complaint says. Do what I say, and everything will be all right, he told her. The video ends as Crew reaches forward and grabs the dashcam, the complaint says. Advertisement Police found Spicuzza, of Turtle Creek, dead with a single gunshot wound to the head. According to police, Crew was arrested shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday. He was being held without bail in the Allegheny County Jail. Spicuzza was initially reported missing Feb. 11 after she failed to return home from picking up Uber fares the previous evening. Several hours before Spicuzzas body was spotted in the woods by a delivery driver, Pitcairn police found her vehicle in the borough. Police found her dashboard camera Thursday, the criminal complaint says, apparently abandoned near where Crew requested to be dropped off when he was in Spicuzzas vehicle. Allegheny County and Monroeville police held a news conference Friday morning to discuss the arrest, saying the dashcam video was essential to attaching Crew to the crime, in addition to a vast amount of evidence gathered over the past week through interviews and cellphone data. Advertisement County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns said investigators believe Crews motivation was to rob Spicuzza, and the two had no prior connection. Police described the circumstances around the alleged killing, including that it involved two people with no shared history, as unusual. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > Some aspects of the case still remain under investigation, including what Crew may have stolen from Spicuzza and whether his girlfriend will face criminal charges for ordering the Uber on his behalf. Crews girlfriend, 22-year-old Tanaya Mullen of Pitcairn, sent him a message saying, [Im] not going to jail if we get caught, the complaint reads. Police officials refused to comment on the message and said they would not speculate on its meaning. As of Friday afternoon, there were no charges filed against Mullen. It was also unclear whether Mullens handgun, which she told police went missing after being brought to a birthday party for a relative of Crews, was used in the killing. But the complaint says Mullen told police that Crew had at one point tried to borrow the gun from her, but he didnt put it in words. She also responded affirmatively when police asked if she believed Crew had the weapon. Crew told police in an interview that he had taken the Uber before walking to a Wilkinsburg bus station. From there he claimed he took a bus to Pitcairn and went to his girlfriends apartment, where he also resides. Police said video surveillance contradicts that narrative, and he is not seen entering a bus from any station. Advertisement While police had no official statements from Spicuzzas family to share, they said they were glad that someone was charged with her killing. When detectives spoke to Spicuzzas] family members last night, they were happy and relieved, county police Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph said. Sunday, February 20, 2022 The False Flag Tripwire In the face of 200,000Russian troops encircling Ukraine, many western former notable government officialsincluding the Ukrainian president Zelensky have called for the issuance of draconiansanctions on Russia to discourage it from invading. However thepre-bellicose initiation of sanctions is a tripwire that gives Russiajustification to invade because from its perspective, its not being threatened,rather attacked preemptively without having placed one military boot onUkrainian territory. Furthermore, Russia can falsely claim that sanctions were imposed as justification. Post-Invasion/Occupation I believe that Putinwill go all in with respect to invading at least the key governmental andinfrastructure areas of Ukraine which include Kyiv and the six major ports inthe south. Its debatable whether hell cut off the corridor to western Ukraine,the gateway to freedom for Ukrainians to Poland, Hungary and Romania. The Ukrainian Gulag Heres how thepost-invasion and occupation ritual might play out. Harking back to Putins imaginarygood old days of the Soviet Union, an aggressive roundup of the UsualSuspects, already identified and targeted by Russias security services alsoknown as siloviki,, will begin. This operation will include theinevitable arrest and indefinite detention of real and imagined politicalenemies and sympathizers of the Kremlin. Putin may feelcompelled to arrest and detain indefinitely all influential anti-Russianelements to silence or at least limit Ukrainian resistance. In a kangaroo courtatmosphere Putin will use the autocratic judicial playbook by accusing them ofbeing western collaborators and sentencing them to house arrest for theleadership and prison for lower-level refusniks. In prison these lowerlevel enemies of Russia might be tortured or disappear as have many of them inthe Donbas region since 2014 under pro-Russian separatists. Shredding the GenevaConvention Protocols Another disturbingissue is how will the Russian military handle the inevitable partisan attacks;not only against captured partisans but also their friends and family. The Geneva Conventionis made up of four treaties and three protocols. Interestingly in late 2019Russia revoked Additional Protocol I signed by the Soviet Union in 1989. Thepurpose of this protocol was to incorporate non -internationalarmed conflicts vs. the originally stated international armed conflicts. Althoughthe US and other countries have not ratified it, Russia revoked it altogether. This brings up theissue as to how will Russia behave post-Ukraine invasion as a signatory to theGeneva Convention? International investigations confirmed that Russia was in violationof the Geneva Convention protocols during 2014 battles in the Donbas regions andannexation of Crimea by utilizing little green men who did not wear anyidentifiable insignia. In hindsight the timingof this revocation in 2019 was a red flag because it coincided with Russiasaggressive de-dollarisation the same year that created an economic fortress. One creative way forRussia to implement occupation security services that are neither officially orlegally connected to the Kremlin, and skirt Geneva Convention protocols completely,would be the utilization of the Wagner Group consisting of ethnic Russian mercenaries.Their reputation already precedes them with recent accusations by theinternational community of severe human rights abuses in former French coloniesin the Sahel while combatting terrorists. Belarus | Russias ReluctantCo-Conspirator Paraphrasing thesaying, With neighbors like these, who needs enemies? Ukraine has themisfortune of sharing the border with Belarus whose government is cooperatingfully with Russia in allowing the menacing military buildup on their southernborder which is a mere 200-250 miles from Kyiv. To be fair, Belarus presidentAlexander Lukashenko, the strongman for the past 28 years, is the unwillingco-conspirator to Putin in hosting Russian armed forces and using his countryas a staging ground to capture Kyiv. For the past several years internalproblems forced Lukashenko to call upon Putin several times for various typesof assistance to maintain control. For this reason, Lukashenko is compelled tosupport Putins revised historical saga and present-day ambitions. In the followingself-explanatory chart entitled International ReportsHighlight Scale of Problems in Belarus provided by Respective Reports gives a litanyof measurements by independent international sources as to the extent of deepcorruption and lack of freedoms, the perfect governmental personality andenvironment for collaboration with a powerful mafia state. Ukraine | The Best of theImperfect Post-Soviet Democracies Undoubtedly Ukraine hasstruggled with its relatively new status as a democracy after decades of Naziand Soviet occupation and domination. Nonetheless it ranks # 1 with respect toapproaching that of a functioning democracy since its independence in 1991 asindicated by the following comparative chart entitled The State ofPost-Soviet Democracyprovided by the Bertelsmann Transformation Index. Russia developed ataste for consuming Ukrainian democracy with the annexation of Crimea in 2014as the appetizer and has developed a more voracious appetite to consumerUkraine as the main course. The New Jewish Question This topic is perhapshas been ignored or overlooked in the immediate larger picture of a Russianinvasion. According to Israel thereare an estimated 48,000 Ukrainian Jews with upwards of 75,000 additionalUkrainian citizens eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Israeli Law of Return.With respect to emigration to Israel 2,971 emigrated in 2020 and 3,080 emigratedin 2021. Though Ukrainian Jews representa tiny percent of the population of 44 million, this still brings up the ubersensitive question of whether Russia will permit the exodus of up to 75,000Ukrainians eligible to return to Israel particularly if some are on Russiansecuritys detainee list. The main person ofinterest for the Russians would be Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and whosegrandfather served in the Red Army during WW II. Zelenskyys high-profile as aJewish leader makes this matter quite personal for the Jewish State. Although Israel isprepared to accept many Ukrainian Jews theres the issue whether the Russianswill permit a post-invasion large scale airlift operation. Furthermore, willthe remaining Ukrainian Jews be openly identified and/or treated anydifferently than their Christian Ukrainians neighbors? Conclusion Russias conduct duringits occupation of Ukraine, whether officially sanctioned or not, will burnish itsglobal image for generations to come just like it did to post-WW II. Copyright 2022 CeruleanCouncil LLC The Cerulean Council is aNYC-based think-tank that provides prescient, beyond-the-horizon, contrarianperspectives and risk assessments on geopolitical dynamics and global urbansecurity. The Texas power grid and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas passed a closely scrutinized cold-weather test as the grid withstood this weeks winter storm, but one that critics say didnt measure up to the damaging freeze of 2021. One reason could be better planning: ERCOT, the states power grid manager, lined up more power and earlier than it did before the storm that killed hundreds during days of bitter cold in February 2021. Another possible reason lights stayed: The weather. Unlike last year, with multiple days of temperatures in the teens, this weeks storm was milder with lows in the 20s, reducing electricity demand to levels short of early forecasts. At a news conference Friday morning, Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas electricity demand had peaked hours earlier at 69,000 megawatts, according to ERCOT projections, well below the 86,000 megawatts the governor said was available during the storm, and shy of the 75,000 megawatts of demand projected by state officials earlier this week. One megawatt is enough to power about 200 homes on a hot summer day. CHRIS TOMLINSON: Another February freeze, avoiding another Texas blackout As I said yesterday, and I can say again today, the Texas electric grid is more reliable and more resilient than its ever been, Abbott said. Still, Texass gas system didnt get through the cold snap unscathed. Kinder Morgan said Thursday morning that its El Paso Pipeline was operating at reduced pressure because wells in the Permian Basin had frozen. And some power companies burned fuel oil at their natural gas-fired plants - a fairly unusual phenomenon in gas-rich Texas. One of the states largest power companies, Dallas-based Vistra Corp., turned to fuel oil at four of its natural gas plants after being unable to come to terms with pipeline giant Energy Transfer for natural gas delivery. Absolutely not a stress test Some experts did not view this winter storm or the lack of outages as a testament to the grids stability. This was absolutely not a stress test of the Texas grid, said Alison Silverstein, an Austin-based energy consultant who worked for the PUC from 1995 to 2001 and with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 2001 to 2004. Its great the grid survived this storm, but gosh it should have, and had it not Id be pretty darn worried. Silverstein pointed to the temperatures, which were warmer than during the 2021 storm. The low in Houston on Friday morning, for example, reached 26 degrees, while the lowest temperature during last years was 13 degrees. Temperatures were at 32 or below this week for 18 straight hours, while last year Houston-area residents endured 44 straight hours of temperatures at freezing or lower. Facing scrutiny in the wake of last years deadly freeze, however, ERCOT took no chances. It brought online far more power earlier than it did in February 2021. At times on Thursday, there were more than 84,000 megawatts of available power online about equal to the power that could have been generated last year before the cold knocked it offline. Often the supply of electricity in recent days exceeded demand by more than 22,000 megawatts. A YEAR LATER: Cold weather sparks fear among some Houstonians The number of power generation facilities that experienced issues this year won't be known until ERCOT releases more data about the grid's performance next week. Some customers did lose power during the recent storm. About 71,000 homes were without electricity on Thursday, but those outages were likely caused by trees or branches falling on power lines or ice bringing down lines. Political fodder In El Paso, meanwhile, Democrat Beto ORourke embarked on what he said would be a 12-day Keeping the Lights On tour of the state, designed to draw attention to Abbotts handling of the the February 2021 power grid failure. At the first stop of his tour, ORourke who has made the power grid a central focus of his campaign told reporters he did not view this weeks storm as a legitimate measure of the grids reliability. We are so grateful that yesterday was relatively mild when compared to last February, and we didnt have the kind of outages that so many people feared, ORourke said. But theres a reason that you are seeing record sales of power generators across the state of Texas. Theres a reason that so many people had a traumatic reaction to seeing the weather reports that the temperature was going to plunge across the state of Texas, because it reminded them of what they went through. In any case, the grids performance this week likely helped Abbott avoid major political blowback. A poll released Thursday by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston found that 49 percent of Texans would hold Abbott responsible trailing only ERCOT, at 70 percent if Texas were to experience power outages in line with those of February 2021. Chronicle reporters Jasper Scherer and James Osborne contributed. shelby.webb@chron.com The Texas Education Agency confirmed this week it now requires new charter schools to submit a "statement of assurance" that the school will follow so-called critical race theory laws before opening its doors to the public. Last year, Texas lawmakers passed two laws designed to limit how teachers could discuss issues of race in the classroom. The state's current law, Senate Bill 3, replaced an earlier measure, House Bill 3979. Both have been labeled by conservatives as anti-critical race theory laws although the term is not included in either law. "As part of the routine contingencies of the charter application process, TEA included a general contingency for all approved Generation 26 applicants that they submit a statement of assurance that the school design and curricular materials are aligned with the TEKS including all clauses of HB 3979 and any subsequent related legislation," the agency said in an Thursday email to The Texas Tribune, referring to the standards that outline what students learn in each course or grade, called Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. HOUSE BILL 3979: Legislature passes bill banning critical race theory from Texas classrooms The new requirement was first asked for charter schools set to open in August. The agency did not immediately say if it will require this statement beyond that applicant pool, nor elaborate on why the assurance was needed or whether they will expand it to include all charter, or even all public, schools. A charter school is a public school that is state-funded but run mostly by nonprofits. In January, the education news outlet Chalkbeat reported how an application for a new charter school in San Antonio was approved, then put on hold because the school had a quote from author Ibram X. Kendis How to Be an Antiracist on its website and application materials. These efforts in secondary schools have been mislabeled by some conservatives as the teaching of critical race theory, something that has always been taught on the university level. Critical race theory is the idea that racism is embedded in legal systems and not limited to individuals. But it has become a common phrase used by conservatives to include anything about race taught or discussed in public secondary schools. Earlier this week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vowed to ban the teaching of critical race theory at Texas public colleges and universities. RELATED: Dan Patrick wants to end tenure at public universities, citing critical race theory The states current law, SB 3, states a "teacher may not be compelled to discuss a widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs. The law doesnt define what a controversial issue is. If a teacher does discuss these topics, they must explore that topic objectively and in a manner free from political bias. The law also also states that America's history of slavery cant be taught as contributing to the true founding of the United States and that slavery is nothing more than a deviation from the countrys foundations of liberty and equality. Brian Whitley, vice president of communications and research at the Texas Public Charter Schools Association, said he hasnt heard before of charter schools having to provide any statement that the school will follow state laws. It's sort of a moot point, he said. Just like ISDs, public charter schools in Texas follow all state laws that apply to them. Charter school administrators are more concerned with how to correctly comply with the law rather than looking for ways to be against it, he said. Mark Wiggins, lobbyist for the Association of Texas Professional Educators, said he believes this is a way for the TEA to hold charter schools accountable. While public schools must respond to elected school boards and taxpayers, the TEA holds that role for charter schools. Charters need to be held to the same level of accountability as traditional public schools, he said. Since lawmakers passed the social studies restrictions, educators have been confused on how it should be applied. Chloe Latham Sikes, deputy director of policy at the Intercultural Development Research Association, said one of the issues with the TEA issuing this requirement is that the agency still has not given official guidance on how to comply with the law. Sikes also believes it is redundant as schools are already having to follow the state's curriculum guidelines. In documents obtained by The Texas Tribune, the TEA has been advising school administrators that teachers should just continue teaching the current curriculum until the State Board of Education revises the social studies curriculum over the next year. It just brings up the question, well, what is really the purpose of that [law] if there's no state guidance to comply with? she said. Disclosure: Association of Texas Professional Educators and Texas Public Charter Schools Association have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A planned residential complex to help young women attain financial independence is moving forward despite concern the site could become a gathering place for homeless people. The YWCA purchased the former St. Andrews Convent property to house 24 women initially in the main building of the nine-acre complex on the West Side. The proposed center would serve women ages 17-25, including some of the estimated 300 who age out of foster care every year and are at risk for homelessness and human trafficking. Food, child care and job training would be provided at the site. But the property at 2318 Castroville Road would have to be rezoned for a human services campus. That means it also could be used for drug and alcohol treatment and to shelter homeless people services not included in the current plan. Still, the Westwood Square and Los Jardines neighborhoods have opposed the zoning change, and city staff recommended denial because the property is near homes and residentially zoned property, with mixed industrial and commercial uses on the other side. The Zoning Commission approved the change this week in a 7-2 vote, and the matter now goes to City Council for final approval. On ExpressNews.com: Ayala: YWCA taking on challenges to address poverty Zoning Commission Chair John Bustamante, who represents the West Side council district where the site is located, supported the change based on planned uses of the property and restrictions and buffers in the site plan. I truly believe this project is a first, necessary and best step for the city, he said. William Luther /Staff photographer Bustamante said he was saddened that a tremendous breakdown in trust, in communication occurred between the YWCA and the two neighborhood associations. He urged both sides to work toward a solution that will benefit the neighborhood, will benefit the city and will benefit these young women that need a place to stay. Amador Salazar, communications director for Councilwoman Teri Castillo, who represents the West Side, said the council office plans to meet with community members and the YWCA to facilitate discussion and understanding. He said he did not know when the council would vote on the zoning change. YWCA officials promised to work with neighbors through a master plan process that could begin this summer. They said theyve won support for the project from some residents while block-walking and explaining their intent. A long-range vision for reuse of the site includes the possible construction of two separate 5,000-square-foot buildings for job training and daycare. Nine small housing structures averaging less than 700 square feet are planned for YWCA graduates in two to four years. Under the proposed zoning, new structures would be limited to a 25-foot height. Velma Pena, president of the Westwood Square Neighborhood Association, said no one in the neighborhood opposes efforts to help young women. But there is not a neighborhood in this city that would support such a drastic zoning change that requires trust when that trust has been broken, Pena said. William Luther /Staff photographer But Sister Esther Guerrero of the Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence said the order chose to sell the property to the YWCA rather than to other potential buyers because the project aligns with our mission to empower women. Crystal Jaco, director of the YWCAs reset program, which provides a pathway for young women to become self-reliant through education, said the project would create the structured environment they need to succeed. Some women in the program have fled from domestic violence or dropped out of high school. This transitional center will help to make them more accountable. They could learn how to be part of a community in a meaningful way, Jaco told commissioners. On ExpressNews.com: $75 million in federal funding a major boost for Westside Creeks project Commissioner Kin Yan Hui voted against the zoning change and said a reset is needed with the neighborhoods. We need to come together, Hui said. Commissioner Glenda McDaniel also voted against the change. She struggled over possible future uses of the property, perhaps under a new owner, and said it might be better suited for market-rate apartments. It was a close call for Commissioner Marc Whyte. But he said he appreciated the noble cause behind the YWCA project and was confident it would be run responsibly. City code, currently under review, needs to be revised to provide more sensitivity to neighborhoods and less of a hindrance to nonprofits, he said. The code is an absolute disaster for something like this. It needs to be fixed, Whyte said. shuddleston@express-news.net As the temperature dropped and night fell, two families came together at a West Side park to remember their children and express frustration that police and child-welfare authorities could not rescue them from their abusers. Saturdays vigil followed a string of deadly child abuse cases in San Antonio. It honored five children, ranging in age from 8 months to 12 years, who police say died at the hands of parents or stepparents. Memorial displays stood on tables propped against a pool fence at Westwood Village Park. In the center of a poster board that read Cant stop til we get #JusticeforMercedes, relatives of Mercedes Losoya had arranged photos of the five-year-old girl in the shape of a heart. Mercedes died Feb. 7 at Texas Vista Medical Center, where her mother had taken her. Hospital staff alerted police that the girl, who was unresponsive, appeared to have suffered extreme physical abuse. She had bruises, scratches, cuts and swelling all over her body, according to a police affidavit. The mother and her boyfriend were arrested and charged with intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury. Recalling the girls funeral, her great-aunt, Emily Losoya, said Mercedes was buried in heavy makeup to hide her injuries. No kid should suffer like that, Losoya said. Robin Jerstad /Robin Jerstad Robin Jerstad /Robin Jerstad Anthony Padilla and Mary Trejo (left) embrace during a vigil Saturday night to bring attention to child abuse in San Antonio. Members of Riders United 4 Children (right) also attend the vigil to bring attention to child abuse in San Antonio. (Robin Jerstad) Anthony Padilla and Mary Trejo (left) embrace during a vigil Saturday night to bring attention to child abuse in San Antonio. Members of Riders United 4 Children (right) also attend the vigil to bring attention to child abuse in San Antonio. (Robin Jerstad) Family members of a second victim, James Chairez, also were at the gathering. James was 1 year old when he disappeared in January 2021. His remains were discovered three months later beneath the West Side mobile home he shared with his mother. She is awaiting trial on charges of evidence tampering. The circumstances of the boys death remain a mystery. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Robin Jerstad /Robin Jerstad Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Robin Jerstad /Robin Jerstad Show More Show Less On ExpressNews.com: Extreme abuse and torture: Mother, boyfriend accused of beating 5-year-old girl in weeks leading to her death Saturdays vigil was organized by James great-aunt, Mariesol Gomez, nail technician Jonnie Duran and child advocate Jasmine Anderson. We want to bring awareness to the community... that if they see something, say something, Gomez said. We dont want another child and another family to go through what were going through right now. This is not something I would wish upon anybody. Standing in a semi-circle, about 40 people listened as Gomez, Losoya and another of Mercedes great-aunts described their anguish. Although many of those in attendance were relatives of James or Mercedes, some had no connection to the children beyond a desire to see justice done. Describing herself as a concerned citizen, Amanda Brosch said she was heartbroken to know that children in her own community had suffered such abuse. Im a mother, and when I see their faces, I see my childrens faces, she said. That that happened in our community really, really hurts me. It touches me to the bone. In addition to James and Mercedes, the vigil honored 12-year-old Danilo Coles, who died Feb. 6 after being beaten by his father and stepmother; five-year-old Domenic Aguilar-Acevedo, whose stepfather allegedly flung him against the wall of a hotel room on July 24; and eight-month-old King Jay Davila, whose body was found buried in a backpack a mile from his home in January 2019. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio parents accused of beating 12-year-old Danilo Coles to death In July, Christopher Davila, who was engaged to King Jays mother, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading no contest to a charge of injury of a child resulting in death. Anderson was so disturbed by the case that she started a nonprofit named for the boy: KJs Angels. Since then, she said, she has been troubled by the seemingly high level of child abuse in Bexar County. Its almost like an epidemic here, she said. We have coronavirus, but we also have child abuse. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio man accused in death of 8-month-old King Jay Davila draws 40-year prison term Saturdays date, Feb. 19, held particular significance for Gomez. She said it was the anniversary of the day James Chairezs mother first attempted to explain away the toddlers disappearance. Its been one year today that the words I put him up for adoption came out of her mouth, Gomez said. In addition to grief, Gomez, Losoya and their family members say they are battling frustration. They believe law enforcement could have done more to protect the children. James was last seen alive Jan. 4. Gomez said that when she contacted his mother to ask to see him and talk to him, she was met with a flurry of excuses: He was asleep, he was eating, he was staying with a family friend. Gomez finally contacted the police. All I asked was for them or someone of authority to at least see James and tell me that he was OK, she said. And they still didnt want to do that. The boys mother, DLanny Reaneille Chairez, was arrested in March. Court documents say Chairez concealed her son from both the San Antonio Police Department and Child Protective Services. She told investigators she wanted to give him up for adoption, but refused to answer questions about his whereabouts, according to court documents. Chairez told investigators she was struggling with mental health problems, wasnt ready to be a mother and wanted her son to be in a better place, the documents state. She is being held in the Bexar County Jail while she awaits trial on two counts of tampering with evidence. Gomez said she and other family members have written to her and called her, pleading with her to tell them what happened to James. Gomez said Chairez has told them she cannot talk about the case. On ExpressNews.com: I may never know the why: Police say remains are identified as missing baby James Emily Losoya said she reported Mercedes mother to Child Protective Services several times in the months leading up to the girls death. Losoya said her final report, in December, was prompted by an ominous phone conversation with the mother, Katrina Mendoza, 22. Losoya said Mendoza told her she didnt want Mercedes, wasnt feeding her and was locking her in a closet for an hour at a time. Neighbors had called police to report that Mendoza was abusing her daughter, Losoya said. A woman who attended the vigil told Losoya she finds it difficult to read about such cases. I feel like were powerless, she said. And if I think too much about it, it depresses me. In the background, a pack of kids entertained themselves on a playground, chasing each other to and fro as their parents looked on. caroline.tien@hearst.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When city hall and Air Force officials learned that IDEA Public Schools, a fast-growing charter network, was planning to build a school in Schertz, it caused 15 months of quiet consternation. IDEAs philosophy that every kid can go to college wasnt the problem. It was the campus location, directly below the tight U-turns that T-38C Talons make on their final approach to Runway 15L at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, just to the south. The aging supersonic jets fly as low as 300 feet over the 23 acres IDEA had acquired for a two-story elementary school expected to draw at least 859 students when it opened in 2024, growing to 1,531 students by 2028. For months, Schertz and the Air Force warned the charter network against it but opening a school there was perfectly legal under Schertzs zoning ordinance. The talks broke off, but months later, on Jan. 22, the school system issued a brief statement saying it had reversed its decision and planned to sell the land. The question is whether Schertz or the other communities bordering the base, Converse and Universal City, can keep something similar from happening again. First and foremost, it is a close call, said Curtis Robertson, who directs the 12th Flying Training Wings Community Initiatives Team at Randolph, which trains fighter pilots and their instructors. He works with the cities to try to stop incompatible development, but its the cities, not the Air Force, that have the legal leverage to do that, he said. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Robertson still hasnt heard directly from IDEA on its decision. Neither has Schertz. But if the reprieve holds up, the City Council will have a chance to modify the municipal comprehensive plan and make zoning changes to reduce development near the runways, said Mayor Ralph Gutierrez. Gutierrez said the city should have considered it when revising its plan in 2013. Maybe it was an oversight, but nothing was brought up to anyones attention at that point, he said. That would have been the time to take the action. A new comprehensive plan would likely not be finished before the end of the year, but Gutierrez said the council members, though he cant speak for them, likely would join him in addressing Randolphs concerns. Most of them have some ties in to the military, and they know exactly how critical Randolph is to not just the Schertz economy, but the area, he said. We did what we could Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News IDEA Public Schools has grown to teach 75,000 students in 137 schools across Texas, Louisiana and Florida. It bills itself as the fastest-growing network of tuition-free public charter schools in the United States for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Its plans for a campus near Randolph triggered concerns from the outset. The area is known as Accident Potential Zone 2, denoting the risk that a low-flying jet could lose control and strike a building. Air Force officials learned of the school plans in October 2020 and said they met with the project manager and Schertz City Manager Mark Browne the following February and talked with IDEAs leadership in April and May. They said nothing came of those meetings. On ExpressNews.com: Built to escape growth, Randolph increasingly surrounded by it Randolph has an Air Installation Compatible Use Zone, or AICUZ, as do many airports, to protect health and safety by limiting development in areas nearby. The AICUZ provision in Schertzs city code mentions an Air Force veto power over incompatible development in those areas, but Robertson, the community initiatives team chief, said his understanding is that it cant supersede zoning. Its more of a quid pro quo between the government and the municipalities that say, OK, we will work together to ensure compatible land use, he said. I think the idea is there is no enforcement power that we have, the United States government, with municipalities to tell them what they can and cannot do with their land or their areas of responsibility. Robertson said his team along with one from Joint Base San Antonio works to cultivate relationships with local governments and get wind of projects in time to mitigate their effects. That didnt happen in the case of the charter school. Schertz had zoned the land general business, which allows a mix of commercial and retail outlets, as well as schools. We did find out about it after the land was already purchased and the development intent was already set in stone, and we did what we could in terms of reaching out to the school, Robertson said. There was somewhat of a challenge to get them to respond, and then once they did respond, get the appropriate people as part of the conversation. In a March 15 letter to IDEA officials, Browne, the city manager, noted the higher risk of a military accident due to being directly located in the flight path for JBSA-Randolph. Although based on the current zoning of the property, the land use of a school is permitted by right, the city of Schertz would encourage IDEA Public Schools to reconsider the construction of the school due to the increased risks to the students and faculty, the letter stated. John Anderson, who leads the JBSA community initiatives office, said his last communication with IDEA officials was months ago. The 12th offered to even take the individuals on a flight to let them take a look at what they would be encountering if they built a school at that particular location, Anderson said. We never got a response back from them. So Randolph took the rare step of approaching the San Antonio Express-News about a specific problem with private development because if folks knew exactly the kind of danger that IDEA Public Schools are putting their students (in), there would be cause for concern not just from JBSA but the local community at large, Robertson said. After repeated inquiries, Lynnette Montemayor, public relations manager for IDEAs Austin office, provided the newspaper with a written statement Jan. 22 that ruled out the project. Given the location of the Schertz property, we understand and agree with the concerns of the U.S. Air Force base in the area, the statement said. We are currently marking the property for sale. As of Feb. 10, Browne, the city manager, and Benjamin Faske, the 12th Flying Training Wings spokesman, said school officials still hadnt told them they had canceled plans to build the school. Anderson reached out to IDEA on Jan. 22 after being told about the networks statement, and we have yet to hear back from them, Faske said. Asked if the city could have rezoned the land after IDEA had purchased it to prohibit the school from being built, Browne said he wasnt sure if the council would normally take such an action. In the end, the question never came before the council. Legally, would it have been possible? he asked. Yes. BRAC and other worries Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Growth in Universal City, Schertz and Converse became so intense that the Federal Aviation Administration barred Randolph from hosting air shows several years ago. But the agency is allowing the bases Great Texas Airshow to run April 23 and 24 after making changes to an aerobatic box overhead changes that should keep high-performance jets away from a Circle K whose customers pump gas not far from the north end of the runway. The problem of encroachment, as the military calls commercial and residential growth around its installations, has a long history in San Antonio and has affected Fort Bliss in El Paso, Fort Hood in Killeen, Laughlin AFB in Del Rio and places far from Texas. Observers familiar with encroachment issues say theres zero appetite in Congress for authorizing another base closure round, but if it happened, the growth around Randolph would draw scrutiny for the hazards it creates that complicate the air training mission and public safety. Obviously anything that makes it difficult for the installation to perform its missions, thats a problem, that would raise a big flag, Universal City Mayor John Williams acknowledged, saying he couldnt speak to issues that Converse and Schertz face. All of us are constantly aware of the potential of another BRAC, he added, using the acronym for Base Realignment and Closure Commission. And thats why we try to work so hard with Randolph to make sure that we dont cause any problems that could be recognized by a potential other (closure round) if it comes up in two, three years, whatever it may be. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News There have been five base closure rounds since the 1990s. San Antonio made tremendous gains in the last one in 2005 but lost two major bases in earlier rounds that shed more than 13,000 jobs. Randolph is just one of four military installations in a sprawling, rapidly growing metro area, all within a half-hour drive of downtown San Antonio. These days, the craggy Camp Bullis training range in Northwest Bexar County faces constant pressure from booming residential and business growth and its light pollution, which hampers nighttime training of combat medics. San Antonio and Bexar County have taken measures to protect JBSA-Randolph, -Lackland, -Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, which collectively make up the nations largest joint base. Their economic effect rivals the health care sector, running into billions of dollars annually. Im retired Air Force also, so I understand exactly what (Randolph) brings to our community, said Gutierrez, who has been Schertzs mayor since December 2019. Not only that, 18 percent of the Schertz population are veterans. Thats a little over 7,000 of our residents. The danger of military aircraft crashes near homes and businesses is real. An instructor and student pilot were killed last year when their T-38C crashed in a wooded area off a runway while on an instrument approach at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama. A TV news report said houses and a mobile home park were in the area but were not damaged. On Sept. 18, a Navy T-45C Goshawk went down in a neighborhood 2 miles from Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, damaging three homes and knocking out power to 1,000 residents. The instructor pilot and his student were injured after ejecting from the twin-engine jet. The idea of putting a school so close to jets maneuvering for a landing was called pretty stupid by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who noted that the county had helped buy 50 acres of privately owned land near Randolphs runway. On ExpressNews.com: With Randolph-area homes demolished, Air Force wins skirmish in long war on encroachment San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who thinks his city could gain missions in any new closure round, also spoke of local efforts to keep new buildings away from Randolphs runways. You saw in a recent action that there was a fairly significant amount of land acquired at Randolph, for instance, to help protect the flight path. Were going to have to continue to do that, he said. Will the interest to protect our nations defense and our local role in that outweigh other business interests? Nirenberg asked. I hope so because I can tell you which one is more important to more people, and no one has to lose. This is not an either-or. sigc@express-news.net When Nathan Kerth was in fourth grade, a friend started participating in shooting competitions and encouraged him to do the same. Kerth gave it a try and said he never looked back. The 18-year-old from College Station has been competing for nine years. This week, he was one of more than 1,000 4H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) members from across the state who brought their shotguns to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Junior Shoot-Out to compete for scholarships and prizes. It was Kerths eighth time at the contest. Mental strength is an important skill in competitive shooting, Kerth said. Its easy to get mad about the target after you missed it, and miss another one after that, he said. So youve got to stay focused, worry about the next shot to make sure youre giving 100 percent. Competitors range in age from 8 to 18. This will be Kerths last time in the Junior Shoot-Out, but he hopes to continue shooting when he goes to college. On ExpressNews.com: Months of feeding and grooming lambs pays off at the San Antonio livestock show The 10th annual Junior Shoot-Out began Wednesday at the National Shooting Complex on the far West Side and runs through Sunday. Kids can compete for scholarships in trap, modified trap and sporting clays events. All three require competitors to use shotguns to shoot at clay targets propelled into the air, but each event has its own rules. Up for grabs this year is $160,000 in scholarship money contributed by donors. Sixteen scholarships are available at $10,000 apiece. Tinker Lawson, vice chair of the Junior Shoot-Out Committee, said a contestant can win up to $20,000 total in scholarships. If someone wins more than that, the excess goes back into the scholarship pool for next years Junior Shoot-Out. Scholarships will be awarded Sunday. The funds can be used at an accredited Texas college or university or an accredited, recognized agricultural or natural resources vocational or technical training school in Texas. Those who dont win scholarships can still earn prizes including guns, ammo and belt buckles and Lawson said about 115 kids should go home with one. Lawsons daughter, now 23, is a past scholarship winner who, like her mother, volunteers on the Junior Shoot-Out Committee. Its a way to ensure that all the kids get the ability to be able to come out here and do this and just enjoy it as much as we have, Lawson said. Its a way to give back not only to the youth of Texas, but to the San Antonio Stock Show for what theyve provided our daughter. On ExpressNews.com: Cowboy tradition alive: Trail riders mount up and take the scenic route to San Antonio for rodeo There are a couple of side events throughout the week for adults and children, but there are no prizes or scholarships for winning those. In fact, people pay to compete. Lawson said the side events are essentially fundraisers for the Junior Shoot-Out and an opportunity to practice skills. Aside from the competitions, attendees can get lessons from professional shooters. Those pros also put on trick shooting performances where they shoot at fruit. Lacy Alexander, 15, is in her first year of participating in shooting competitions. She said the Junior Shoot-Out has allowed her to compete in events she cant try in her hometown of Texas City, and learn from others. Alexanders parents and one of her siblings were there to support her as she competed in modified trap, trap and sporting clays. John Mark Bridges, 13, said he has been competing in the Junior Shoot-Out since 2019. His mother, Brandi Rich, 43, said she got her son involved in 4H so he could learn how to handle a gun safely. But she found that the sport offers kids much more, she said. I think it helps them blossom tremendously, she said. It helps their confidence. His confidence skyrocketed after he got started, after about a year. The two are from Corpus Christi. Bridges, who won a gun at last years Junior Shoot-Out, said he returns every year for several reasons. One is that its a way to make new friends. And personally for me, shotgun is just a fun sport to get into, he said. On ExpressNews.com: Longhorns, horses and sheep, oh my! Thousands turn out for return of Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive The friendships, atmosphere and competition are what Madelyn Bartek, 17, likes most about the sport. She has been shooting competitively for four years and has enjoyed it so much that she wishes she had started earlier. I could do it in college or just as an adult, but the 4H years and FFA years I feel like theyre the best ones, because you just get to hang out with everyone and meet new people, she said. Madelyn and her sister Grayson, 13, came into town from Bulverde to compete in sporting clays, modified trap and trap events. Several family members drove down to watch them in action. They always do that, Madelyn said with a smile. They like to come out and watch us shoot. megan.rodriguez@express-news.net There is a dangerous censoriousness pulsing through American society. In small towns and big cities alike, would-be commissars are fighting, in the name of a distinct minority of Americans, to stifle open discussion and impose their views on the community at large. Dissenters, when they speak out, are hounded, ostracized and sometimes even forced from their jobs. Defenders of this push for censorship say they are simply working to protect the nations children from prejudice, psychological distress and inappropriate material. To say there were slaves is one thing, but to talk in detail about how slaves were treated, and with photos, is another, said Tina Descovich, a leader of Moms for Liberty, a conservative group that seeks to enshrine parental rights into law. Descovich was speaking to the Washington Post in defense of Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, who is spearheading an effort to censor educators who teach, or even raise, certain politically incorrect issues in their classrooms. One of these bills would give parents and state regulators broad authority to ban books or teachings that cause discomfort in students, and would put lessons on the Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present boundaries, the world wars, and the civil rights movement under careful review. Another would permit parents to sue school districts that encourage classroom discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students. Critics say this language is so broad as to effectively outlaw any discussion of LGBT people in elementary school classrooms, or at the very least, strongly discourage teachers from raising those issues, regardless of context. Pushed by militantly conservative activists and heeding the demands of an increasingly censorious group of conservative voters Republican lawmakers are, in states across the country, introducing bills that suppress debate and stifle discussion in favor of the rote memorization of approved facts. Last month, for example, the Indiana House of Representatives approved a bill not yet signed into law that would limit what teachers can say regarding race, history and politics in the states classrooms. Under the law, schools could be held liable for mentioning any one of several divisive concepts, including the idea that any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, responsibility, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individuals sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin or political affiliation. The bill would allow parents to allege a violation, file a complaint, sue and even collect damages (up to $1,000). It would also, in the name of transparency, create curriculum review committees for parents and require schools and teachers to post lists of material on websites for parents to inspect. In South Carolina, lawmakers have introduced a bill known as the Freedom from Ideological Coercion and Indoctrination Act that would prohibit any state-funded institution from stating that a group or an individual, by virtue of his or her race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, heritage, culture, religion, or political belief is inherently racist, sexist, bigoted, ignorant, biased, fragile, oppressive, or contributive to any oppression, whether consciously or unconsciously. If signed into law, this bill could make it illegal, for instance, for teachers and college professors in the state to criticize members of a white supremacist group since that affiliation might count as a political belief. Schools that repeatedly distort or misrepresent verifiable historical facts or omit relevant and important context or advertise or promote ideologies or sociopolitical causes or organizations could face a loss of state funding, state accreditation or tax-exempt status. As for what these violations would actually look like? The bill does not say. The most disturbing efforts to monitor schools and teachers for wrong-think involve actual surveillance. Bills introduced in Iowa and Mississippi would install classroom cameras that would stream lessons over the internet for anyone to observe. The Iowa bill, which died in committee this week, would have forced schools to place cameras in all K-12 classrooms, physical education and special needs classes excepted. Teachers and staff who obstructed cameras or failed to keep them in working order would face fines of up to 5 percent of their weekly pay for each infraction. According to PEN America, more than half of the educational gag orders moving through state legislatures include a mandatory punishment for those found in violation. Opponents of these bills say that the laws dont encourage openness or promote respect in the classroom as much as they suppress speech, intimidate teachers and open the door to harassment or worse. Already, in states that have actually enacted these bills, many teachers are opting for silence about certain topics, for fear of punishment. My colleagues in the newsroom have found multiple cases of teachers choosing to omit certain facts rather than run the risk of offending these laws, which are often vague and poorly written. As one history teacher in Oklahoma put it, I am not going to let any of these laws deter me from the things that I think work best for students, but I also enjoy working with students and having a roof over my head. Free speech, free discourse and free debate are among the great traditions of this country. They are, at this moment, under threat from a well-organized, well-funded movement of ideologues who have used both the force of the mob and their own institutional power (including that of the state itself) to impose their edicts on the public at large. Conservative censors and their allies see, in the present moment, an opportunity to reshape society to their liking and squelch the views of those who disagree. It is up to those of us who believe in the First Amendment and free speech to take a stand for American liberty, while we still can. Schoolchildren across Texas are falling short at the basics, such as reading at grade level. And voters across Texas no matter their party, ethnicity, income or hometown are worried. Voters are equally united in their concern about a range of issues that affect their daily lives, from having access to well-paying jobs to keeping communities safe from crime. Thankfully, these Texans are also united in supporting some commonsense solutions that state officials can adopt to ensure Texas future remains as bright as its past. Thats what we learned from Texas 2036s most recent Texas Voter Poll, which last month asked 1,000 voters statewide about the most significant issues facing the state. With each of Texas 181 legislative seats and every statewide office on the ballot in the March 1 primary and November elections, these results provide elected officials with reliable data on the issues that voters see as most critical. Some survey results showed that Texas voters differ on issues based on their location, age or party. For example, voters in Houston were more concerned about crime increasing in their community than those in Dallas. Younger voters were more worried than others about housing or rent payments. And rural voters said they have more faith in local law enforcement than did urban voters. None of that will surprise Texans who speak with their neighbors, debate with their family members or follow the news. However, the poll also revealed that Texans share many common concerns around issues that could bring consensus issues that are often overshadowed by those that drive controversy or make headlines. We cant afford to allow voters concerns about these everyday issues to fester or for pessimism to take hold. For our state to be the best place to live and work, we must look at voters frank assessment of where we are today and develop strategies to do better. What are those problems on which Texans agree? Among other things, 4 in 5 voters are extremely or very concerned about the low reading scores of Texas elementary school students. Three in 5 are very or extremely concerned that the states $100 billion yearly investment in education and workforce doesnt lead to well-paying jobs. And nearly half say crime is on the rise in their community. Those views contribute to a broader sense of alarm: More than half of Texans are very or extremely concerned about the states future, significantly up from before the pandemic. And 3 in 5 rate state government as doing a fair or a poor job serving their needs. Thankfully, when Texans agree on problems, they can also agree on potential solutions: * 72 percent say that Texas must accept and maximize the impact of federal infrastructure and COVID relief funding. * 77 percent say state leaders must set goals for education and the workforce that ensure Texans earn wages at least high enough to provide for themselves without government assistance. * 71 percent of Texas voters said the state needs to care enough about how much all students are learning to measure their progress with standardized testing. And in Texas 2036s poll last August, nearly 9 of 10 agreed Texas students should be able to take advanced coursework online when those courses are not available at their schools. Armed with that data, our leaders have a clear path forward. This is a moment to bring people and businesses together to support policies that address fundamental issues of concern, focus on voters priorities and maintain Texas historic leadership as we prepare for the states bicentennial in 2036. Margaret Spellings, a former U.S. secretary of education, is president and CEO of Texas 2036. A.J. Rodriguez is a former San Antonio deputy city manager and president and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the current executive vice president of Texas 2036. Photo taken on on Feb. 19, 2022 shows the exhibition hall of the Algerian International Fair of Chocolate and Coffee (Chocaf) in Algiers, Algeria. From Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, coffee and chocolate lovers, experts and international producers gather in Algiers to participate in the 5th edition of Chocaf. (Xinhua) Exhibitors are seen during the Algerian International Fair of Chocolate and Coffee (Chocaf) in Algiers, Algeria, on Feb. 19, 2022. From Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, coffee and chocolate lovers, experts and international producers gather in Algiers to participate in the 5th edition of Chocaf. (Xinhua) An exhibitor arranges products during the Algerian International Fair of Chocolate and Coffee (Chocaf) in Algiers, Algeria, on Feb. 19, 2022. From Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, coffee and chocolate lovers, experts and international producers gather in Algiers to participate in the 5th edition of Chocaf. (Xinhua) Zaira Wasim opened up on the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka schools. On Saturday, the actor took to Facebook and criticized the ban imposed on hijab in Karnataka schools and also called it unjust. In her Facebook post, Zaira wrote, The inherited notion of hijab being a choice is an ill-informed one. Its often either a construct of convenience or ignorance. Hijab isnt a choice but an obligation in Islam. Likewise a woman who wears the hijab is fulfilling an obligation enjoined upon her by the God she loves and has submitted herself to. Opposing the ban on Hijab, Zaira wrote, I, as a woman who wears the hijab, with gratitude and humility, resent and resist this entire system where women are being stopped and harassed for merely carrying out a religious commitment. Zaira went on to write, Stacking this bias against muslim women and setting up systems where they should have to decide between education and hijab or to give up either is an absolute injustice. Youre attempting to compel them to make a very specific choice that feeds your agenda and then criticising them while they're imprisoned in what you've constructed. There is no other option to encourage them to choose differently. What is this if not a bias with people who confirm it acting in support of it? On top of all this, building a facade that all this is being done in the name of empowerment is even worse when it is quite exactly the opposite of that. Sad. The hijab row began when on January 1, 6 Muslim female students in Karanataka werent allowed to enter the Government PU College in Udipi, wearing hijab. The students started protesting against the college authorities making it a nationwide issue. The case is currently being heard in Karnataka High Court. Zaira made her debut in Bollywood at the age of 16 with Aamir Khans Dangal. She then starred in Secret Superstar and The Sky Is Pink. In 2019, she retired from acting stating that her profession conflicted with her religious beliefs. Talaria Inu is a unique hyper-deflationary token built on Ethereum Chain. The design of the tokenomics is created to generate buying pressure by raising the floor price continually while lowering the supply through automatic burns. The use cases are Farming-as-a-service, where profits are reinvested in buyback and burns of the Tali Token. Zurich, Switzerland--(Newsfile Corp. - February 20, 2022) - Talaria Inu (TALI) is launching the Transform Tali Festival as a celebration of the NFT minting date on March 01. Talaria Inu is launching the Transform Tali Festival on February 22, 2022! Transform Tali Burn Festival Talaria Inu is kicking off with a blast as the Festival Date has been set for February 22, 2022. During this Festival; The Buy Tax will be decreased to 5% The team will burn liquidity strategically, creating buy pressure whenever it is needed. Many marketing pushes are coming out to celebrate the Festival. The team has aligned multiple Youtubers, Telegram Callers, and many more to get the project in front of the right people. The team will be doing multiple buybacks and burns from the marketing wallet to take more TALI out of circulation. The team will have all its core members online to engage with the community and celebrate the Transform TALI festival. Multiple AMA's are scheduled during the Festival to get the TALI project out and in front of new investors. The NFT Mint Date is set at the end of the week to conclude the Festival. Minting a TALI NFT will give you access and rights to receive ZEUS, the second token that TALI will launch in the Ecosystem. Burn Mechanism TALI's breakthrough protocol integrates three revolutionary burn methods 1: Automatic burns: Every 3 hours, 0,3% of TALI is removed from the liquidity, after which the pair balances and re-synchronizes and pushes the floor price higher. 2: Manual burns: The team can remove Tali from the liquidity, pushing the price higher. Manual burns are strategically done as long as the liquidity is healthy enough. The tokens removed from the liquidity are burned and removed from circulation, creating an overall less supply. 39% of the Tali Tokens are already out of circulation and burned, never to be seen back. Talaria Inu enters DeFi 3.0 The Talaria Inu platform takes several approaches to improve the blockchain ecosystem through DeFi. TALI commenced operations in 2021 with the goal of aggregating community investments into yield farms. This strategy benefits backers and holders of $TALI tokens, especially as the platform's revenues and treasury grow. TALI undertakes comprehensive research before determining how to allocate customer funds to maintain this growth. Talaria Inu has a capital fund that invests some of the revenue gathered in the treasury from taxed transactions in various blue-chip projects on multiple blockchains to generate returns. The TALI Ecosystem With a max supply of 1 Trillion (1,000,000,000,000), TALI was initiated with taxes on buying and selling distributed in the following way: Taxes and Fees Buying Selling Liquidity: 12% Liquidity: 15% FaaS and Marketing: 4% FaaS and Marketing: 4% Development: 1% Development: 1% FaaS Strategy TALI introduced Farming-as-a-Service (FaaS) to give long-term investors even more value. The FaaS strategy has three protocols. 60% - Low Risk 30% - Medium Risk 10% - High Risk TALI's risk-based portfolio management strategy strives to grow treasury in all market circumstances. NFTs TALI is going to launch its NFT. The mint date is set for March 01, 2022. A total of 1,111 NFTs will be minted. Two hundred whitelist spots will be available in the NFT presale at a rate of 0.04 ETH per NFT (4 MAX). The public mint rate is set at 0.05 ETH per NFT. Whitelisted spots will only be available to those holding at least 500 million TALI tokens. After the minting is done, the lucky holders will stake their NFTs to earn ZEUS tokens. The ZEUS Token TALI NFTs will generate ZEUS coins as a reward. ZEUS token's primary purpose is to buy back and burn TALI. The Talarian farms will let you earn ZEUS as a reward for staking TALI NFTs, ZEUS tokens, or ZEUS/ETH liquidity pools. ZEUS token has a transaction tax of 10% total; 6% for liquidity, 2% for TALI FaaS treasury, and 2% for buying back and burning TALI. The ETH raised from the NFT drop will be distributed in the following way: 30% for liquidity on Uniswap for ZEUS/ETH pair 30% for TALI treasury for FaaS 30% for development 10% for buying and burning TALI References: Contract: https://etherscan.io/token/0x6765fdd028be3d7874bc2bb3d7d5ca01c1bf14b2 Buy: https://app.uniswap.org/#/swap?outputCurrency=0x6765fdd028be3d7874bc2bb3d7d5ca01c1bf14b2 KYC: https://kyc.capital/KYC/TalariaInu/ Solidity Finance Audit: https://solidity.finance/audits/TALARIAINU/ Marketing Wallet: https://etherscan.io/address/0x6687EaDA8f601314Db1CBdDa2f250c0d9Cf34F73 hello@talariainu.finance Website | Telegram | Twitter | Medium | Discord The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is recommended that you practice due diligence (including consultation with a professional financial advisor before investing or trading securities and cryptocurrency. The statistics and data (percentages) provided in the release are not fixed and can be changed in the future. TALARIA INU (TALI) has the right to change or update the data at any time per market conditions. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/114300 The Tasmanian Government and Rio Tinto will work together to ensure a strong and sustainable future economy for George Town, the Tamar Valley region and Tasmania, in a new partnership signed today at the Bell Bay Aluminium smelter. The partnership will seek to drive economic growth and employment outcomes in the State and support the Tasmanian Government's target of doubling renewable electricity generation by 2040. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Tasmanian Government and Rio Tinto will jointly investigate how the smelter's manufacturing capability and electricity demand can help support the development of new industries and more renewable energy supply in the region. Rio Tinto has also committed to look at how it could further decarbonise Bell Bay Aluminium and investigate options for future investment to secure the competitiveness of the smelter. The MOU was signed at Bell Bay by Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein and Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm. Peter Gutwein said "This MOU is a strong demonstration of our shared commitment to Tasmania's economic and industrial future and reinforces the State's renewable energy credentials. "Rio Tinto has been a figurehead of local industry here for some 67 years, directly employing more than 500 Tasmanians and more than 700 indirectly, and this agreement reaffirms Rio Tinto's long-term commitment to our state." Jakob Stausholm said "Aluminium is essential for the global transition to a low-carbon economy, and we are excited about the contribution our Bell Bay smelter can make both towards this transition and to the region's future. "We want to help ensure a strong and vibrant future for Bell Bay, where we have been part of the community for well over half a century and where we are actively working with the Tasmanian Government on a shared vision for the future." Bell Bay Aluminium General Manager Shona Markham said "Bell Bay Aluminium has been an important part of George Town and the northern Tasmanian economy for nearly 70 years. "Today's announcement is exciting news for our 514 direct employees, and the hundreds of other Tasmanians and Tasmanian businesses who work with us. It is a strong endorsement that Rio Tinto and the Tasmanian Government see a positive and sustainable future for Bell Bay beyond 2025." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220219005008/en/ Contacts: Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, UK Illtud Harri M +44 7920 503 600 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Americas Matthew Klar T +1 514 608 4429 Investor Relations, UK Menno Sanderse M: +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Clare Peever M +44 7788 967 877 Rio Tinto plc 6 St James's Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Media Relations, Australia Jonathan Rose M +61 447 028 913 Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Investor Relations, Australia Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto Limited Level 7, 360 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 riotinto.com Category: Bell Bay Relief Founders Bryan Okeke, Jason Saltzman, Ram Berrouet Relief, a Miami, FL-based personal finance startup, raised $15M in Series A funding. The round was led by Nava Ventures and includes a range of strategic investors, including Ken Chenault, former CEO and Chairman of American Express; Vikram Pandit, former CEO of Citigroup and The Kraft Group, Interplay, Animal Capital, Necessary Ventures, and Brand Foundry Ventures, among others. The company intends to use the funds to strengthen its platform and scale to support its growing waitlist of over 100,000 people. Founded by Jason Saltzman, Bryan Okeke, and Ram Berrouet three seasoned entrepreneurs with deep market knowledge in advanced technology, finance, and executive leadership, Relief provides an app to help users lower their debt. It uses a personalized approach with advanced machine learning technology to negotiate with debt providers after analyzing a users personal finances and can cut credit card debt in half or more on behalf of the user. The company expects to release the app to the public later in 2022. FinSMEs 20/02/2022 On December 8, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a video speech titled "Supporting Each Other and Sharing Weal and Woe to Create a Better Future" at the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction. Wang Yi said, six years ago, Nepal was hit by a rare earthquake, which brought heavy losses to the local people. The Chinese government and people empathized with them and urgently delivered batches of supplies to Nepal, setting up "a lifeline across the Himalayas". This reflected the true friendship between China and Nepal. Six years later, the Nepalese have rebuilt their homes on the ruins and the "Country of the Mountains" has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. Mountains and rivers can be moved, but spirits will never fall. We pay tribute to the Nepalese for their perseverance in the face of natural disasters and congratulate them on their achievements in post-disaster reconstruction. As a sincere friend of Nepal, China has always stood firmly with the Nepalese in the process of reconstruction, surmounting difficulties, fulfilling commitments and achieving positive results. During his historic visit to Nepal in 2019, President Xi Jinping announced an additional package of assistance to Nepal, set new goals for China-Nepal friendship and cooperation, and provided a stronger impetus for Nepal's reconstruction and development. Wang Yi said, China will always be Nepal's friendly neighbor and development partner that supports each other and shares weal and woe. China is ready to join hands with Nepal to fight the pandemic, promote economic recovery, and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation to build a closer China-Nepal community with a shared future. Wang Yi put forward a three-pronged proposal. First, continue to advance cooperation against the pandemic. China will continue to help Nepal fight the pandemic and safeguard people's livelihood through vaccine assistance, material procurement, port connectivity and expert exchanges. In the near future, China will focus on providing vaccine assistance to Nepal. China is ready to expand cooperation with Nepal on vaccine research and development and public health to consolidate the achievements of bilateral, regional and international cooperation against the pandemic. Second, continue to support post-earthquake recovery. China will implement its commitments to assisting Nepal one by one, advance post-disaster reconstruction projects, give full play to the role of the China-aid Earthquake Monitoring Network in Nepal, and enhance experience sharing and personnel training, to help Nepal enhance its capacity for disaster prevention and reduction. China supports Nepal's leading position in rebuilding international cooperation. All parties should respect Nepal's sovereignty, security and development needs and should not attach any political strings to assistance to Nepal. Third, deepen Belt and Road cooperation. China is ready to conclude implementation plans with Nepal at an early date and deepen cooperation on trade and investment, industrial parks, energy and power, infrastructure and climate change to create new engines for Nepal's economic recovery and medium- and long-term development. China will make solid progress in the feasibility study of a cross-border railway project, improve the Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network, and help Nepal realize its dream of changing from a "land-locked country" to a "land-linked country". Wang Yi stressed, he believes that with the solidarity and cooperation of the Chinese and the Nepalese, Nepal will surely make new miracles in fighting the disaster and the pandemic, and make new achievements on the path of national reconstruction and rejuvenation. The L.A. Dodgers The L.A. Angels Both the Dodgers and the Angels Neither one of them Vote View Results MOGADISHU, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and five others injured in an explosion in Bosaso town in northeast Somalia Saturday, the police said. Puntland police told State-owned Radio Mogadishu that an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded at a busy tea shop in the town around 6:30 p.m. "Two people were killed and five others wounded in a terrorist bomb attack targeting a tea shop in Bosaso town of Puntland state," the state-owned radio reported. The police said the latest blast, which came a few hours after another attack in the central town of Beledweyne killed ten people and wounded 15 others, targeted at electoral delegates who participated in the ongoing Lower House elections Friday. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab insurgents have carried out a string of similar bombings in the past in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, and elsewhere in Somalia. The militant group claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in Beledweye which has been condemned by Prime Minister Mohamed Roble. Roble sent his condolences to the families of the victims and wished speedy recovery for the wounded. This is our best offer! You get home delivery Monday through Saturday plus full digital access any time, on any device with our six-day subscription delivery membership. This membership plan includes member-only benefits like our popular ticket giveaways, all of our email newsletters and access to the daily digital replica of the printed paper. Also, you can share digital access with up to four other household members at no additional cost. Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal. Most subscribers are served by News-Post carriers; households in some outlying areas receive same-day delivery through the US Postal Service. If your household falls in a postal delivery area, you will be notified by our customer service team. Within hours of arriving at Corvallis first public gaming convention on Saturday, Cooper Walter knew he had found his people. He talked about his haul from the rows of vendors and workshops dripping with fantasy art and fan re-creations of popular anime characters at Corvallis Convention Center: Cute anime swag. Shiny dice. A deck of Pokemon cards. Someone gave me a sexy, kind-of cupid-demon Valentines Day card, four days after Valentines Day, he said. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Walter said he moved to Corvallis from Menlo Park, California, to be closer to family. The town is smaller, he said, which he likes. But the coronavirus pandemic had turned him into a bit of a shut-in. He said he didnt know anyone under 70. Then, news of a gaming convention of all things, he said. I heard nerd convention when I heard GameCon, Walter said. Those are my people. More than 400 paid admission to the two-day event, said city Parks and Recreation Department event organizer Teri O'Malley, learning tricks for painting mini-figurines, strategies for managing tabletop gaming campaigns and showing off costume design skills in a cosplay contest. Once local artists and gaming stores are factored in as vendors, as many as 500 were at the event. Walter, dressed in a snappy Pokemon-print suit, had just come from a judges room where he hoped the motif of generation-one starter characters from the long-running video game franchise on his clothes might win him recognition. Like others at C3 GameCon, Yon Morgo, an Oregon State University student from Portland, had been well outside the area for other conventions. He said hes been to Boise, Idaho, Seattle, and Spokane, Washington. Morgo said he picked up convention buddies who kept in touch and now are good friends. Saturday was a sort of family reunion in a town he said has felt empty since the start of the pandemic. Literally three minutes away from where I live, he said. Of course I have to go. He dressed as Gyro, a cowboy from the manga JoJos Bizarre Adventure, and stood in line with a number of cosplay contest entrants that shocked him. Im stoked there are so many people. It makes me happy, he said. They not only wanted to come, but put effort into cosplay. Sequoia Gartnerway, a student from southern Oregon, won the competition with a cosplay of Zagreus from the video game "Hades." Alex Powers covers business, environment and healthcare for Mid-Valley Media. Contact him at 541-812-6116 or alex.powers@lee.net. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Last week two U.S. senators revealed that the CIA may once again be spying on Americans. But no one paid much attention. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., in a letter demanding further details, said they have identified a previously unknown CIA data repository that includes "bulk" information collected about American citizens. The senators said the agency had been hiding details about the program from the public and Congress, and that the program operates, as they put it, "outside the statutory framework." "Outside the statutory framework" is Washingtonese for "against the law." Hoovering up private data about Americans is a big deal. It's unacceptable for any number of moral, political and legal reasons, including the fact that the Fourth Amendment promises us freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. Our personal information including private communications are none of the government's business unless it has obtained a warrant from a judge based on probable cause. Nevertheless, the Wyden-Heinrich revelation was buried in the media, presumably because there are few specifics and because the CIA denied any wrongdoing. It's not even clear what sort of data is allegedly being collected. Also, Americans are just so exhausted by scandal fatigue, climate anxiety, the specter of war in Europe, the global pandemic. Who can muster outrage over some secret database in Langley? Especially since we're now so used to giving up our privacy to Facebook, Google and everybody else. As I read the letter, though, I couldn't help thinking of a different era, when privacy violations still had the capacity to shock, and Congress could still, at times, come together to express bipartisan outrage. In the 1970s, a series of intelligence agency abuses were revealed in the wake of the Watergate investigation. The one that came to mind this week involved a program known as HTLINGUAL, under which the CIA opened the private mail of U.S. citizens without their knowledge and in flagrant violation of the law. The program operated from 1952 to 1973. Originally it only intercepted letters to and from the Soviet Union, but it was expanded at various points to include letters to and from Asia and Latin America. Its purpose included gathering intelligence about Americans speaking out on politics at home. Over the years, the CIA steamed open hundreds of thousands of private letters using hot kettles and letter openers until it developed a special oven that "baked" the letters open. The contents were photographed, the letters resealed and sent on their way. Information was shared with the FBI. The CIA opened the mail of novelist John Steinbeck, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling, playwright Edward Albee and then-Sen. Hubert Humphrey, among others. According to Timothy Naftali, a New York University historian, the program didn't identify a single Soviet spy in its two decades. Neither the president nor Congress ever authorized the program. Most of what we know about this scandalous betrayal of American trust emerged thanks to a bipartisan U.S. Senate panel known as the Church Committee, after its chairman, Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho. In those days, Congress wasn't polarized and paralyzed as it is today, and despite sharp ideological differences among its members, the committee was remarkably cooperative and effective. It heard from 800 witnesses and published a six-book-long final report on a wide range of intelligence agency abuses, including the FBI's notorious COINTELPRO program that spread malicious disinformation to "disrupt" and "neutralize" antiwar and civil rights activists . It was inspirational, frankly, how the committee stood up to the cynical, lawbreaking agencies that were trampling on the 1st, 4th and God-knows-what-other amendments. On the morning of Sept. 24, 1975, for instance, James Angleton, the legendary, then-recently retired head of CIA counterintelligence, was summoned to testify in Room 318 of the Russell Senate Office Building. An orchid-growing, Yale-educated Anglophile superspook who truly believed the CIA was above the law, he was grilled by Sen. Walter Mondale, D-Minn. Mondale: What was your understanding of the legality of the covert mail operation? Angleton: That it was illegal. Mondale: So that a judgment was made, with which you concurred, that although covert mail opening was illegal, the good that flowed from it, in terms of the anticipating threats to this country through the the use of this counterintelligence technique, made it worthwhile nevertheless. Angleton: That is correct. Mondale: How do you recommend that this committee deal with this profound crisis between political and legal responsibility in government, a nation that believes in laws, and what you regard to be the counterintelligence imperative of illegal activity? Angleton conceded there should be more oversight, but argued that spy agencies needed "considerable latitude" To which Mondale replied: "I see no authority for anyone determining, on his own, that the law is not good enough and therefore taking it into his own hands." Or as Church himself put it: "I cannot think of a clearer case that illustrates the attitude that the CIA lives outside the law, beyond the law, and that, although others must adhere to it, the CIA sits above it and you cannot run a free society that way. Either your intelligence agencies live within the law, or the beginning of an erosion that can undermine the whole society is put in motion." The committee's final report was backed by three of its five Republicans and all six Democrats. It issued 96 recommendations, leading to the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, among other things. The Church Committee has detractors but is widely viewed as one of the high points of congressional oversight in U.S. history. Let's hope that if the program Wyden and Heinrich have identified is actually violating Americans' constitutional rights as has too often happened in the past Congress can pull itself together to object, and to fight back. Somehow I am not confident. Nicholas Goldberg is an associate editor and Op-Ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times Gillette, WY (82718) Today Cloudy and windy during the evening with light rain becoming likely late. Low 39F. SE winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Cloudy and windy during the evening with light rain becoming likely late. Low 39F. SE winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group launched an explosive-laden drone strike against a school in the country's northern oil-rich province of Marib on Saturday, a government official told Xinhua. "Several students were critically injured when a Houthi explosive-laden drone struck their school in the government-controlled province of Marib," the local government source said on condition of anonymity. He clarified that the Houthi drone attack hit the primary school of Harib district in Marib, while the students were leaving their classes. Meanwhile, Yemeni state-run Saba news agency reported that at least three students were injured as a result of the Houthi drone attack in Marib. Last January, the pro-government Giants Brigades troops launched a large-scale military operation and expelled the Houthi militia out from Marib's district of Harib following ferocious battles. The Houthis are still launching sporadic military operations against Marib, in an attempt to control the whole strategic province that includes the country's largest oil and gas fields. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia has been leading a military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthis forced him into exile. PARIS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- France on Saturday urged all its nationals who are currently in Ukraine for non-essential stays to leave the country. French nationals in Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk are urged by the French Foreign Ministry to leave these regions without delay due to the security situation. "It is recommended to exercise heightened vigilance and not to go to the border areas in the north and east of the country," the ministry said, adding that French citizens are advised to postpone all travel to Ukraine. The notice was published after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian spoke on the phone on Saturday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov about the current situation along the Ukraine borders. Lavrov warned that ignoring the legitimate rights of Russia in the security area hurts stability not only on the European continent but also in the world. Le Drian reiterated that dialogue was still possible but Russia should "choose" to engage in it. CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday declared war on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) until it addresses allegations of manipulating the voters roll and alleged mismanagement of elections. Chamisa yesterday addressed thousands of his party supporters at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield, Harare, who defied police restrictions and marched to the venue after the law enforcement agents barred them from using buses. Police mounted several roadblocks leading to Highfield with some car queues stretching for more than 5km, especially on roads from Chitungwiza. Police were not allowing vehicles with more than three passengers to pass through the checkpoints. This forced CCC supporters to walk long distances to the rally. Some of the supporters claimed that they walked from Ruwa, Glen View and other suburbs in Harare. In his address, Chamisa said CCC had tasked some experts to analyse the voters roll, which exposed anomalies. He said some of the anomalies included creation of additional polling stations and moving people from polling stations without their consent. Chamisa said the party would engage in protests until the electoral body adhered to its mandate as stipulated in the Constitution. Nelson Chamisa, his wife and Lynette Kore We commissioned experts to analyse the voters roll. I had been tipped off by some senior government officials that the document was being tampered with. We have infiltrators in government departments we have infiltrated all government departments, Chamisa said. We will not let Zec get away with its manipulation. Starting with this by-election, if Zec does not address these anomalies, it will not be well. There will be instability in the country. On the issue of voter manipulation, do not panic. We have strategies. The first strategy is to ensure that Zec policies are compatible with the Constitution. If they dont heed our demands, then we will take legal remedies. But we know that the courts may not be able to deliver justice fairly. We have our own solution. We will go to the streets. We will protest against Zec. Last Thursday, Zec disowned the voters roll that is being analysed by civic society organisations and suspended some of its employees for allegedly leaking a copy of the national voters roll and sharing the tampered document with an unnamed stakeholder. Chamisa also encouraged teachers to continue fighting for their rights, demanding better salaries. He promised that his government-in-waiting would improve their conditions of service when it assumes power. Teachers have been on strike since schools reopened two weeks ago, demanding better salaries. In response, the government said it would fire teachers who would not have reported for work by tomorrow and replace them with college graduates. Teachers are wallowing in poverty. Civil servants have become poor. Teachers have made their demands clear. They want their Mugabe (the late former President Robert) era dignity to be restored. What is happening now? Teachers are being victimised, they are being abused, and they are being fired and accused of being aligned to Chamisa, the CCC leader said. CCC by-election campaign launch at Highfields Zimbabwe Grounds, Harare I am not the poverty. They want better salaries. Teachers dont be intimidated. Fight for your rights, for the meantime, but when we are in power, we will restore the dignity you had during Mugabes era. A teacher is the foundation of the development of the country. A teacher is the guardian of the destiny of any nation. A teacher is the compass of civilisation. All civil servants, the army, police and the central intelligence know that if this government has failed you, then you have to replace it with a capable government. The youthful leader told his supporters that CCC was a new political outfit, which had not yet elected its executive as consultations with the people were underway. Speaking at the same event, former Zanu PF youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu said he was rallying behind Chamisas promise to turn around the economy. Tsenenagmu, now leader of the Front for Economic Emancipation in Zimbabwe, said: I was there (in Zanu PF). I rose through the ranks up to the central committee. I am one person who supported the removal of Mugabe, hoping that he (President Emmerson Mnangagwa) would turn things around. Some people thought that he (Mnangagwa) meant change and we supported him, but we realised that there is no change. We thought looting (which took place) under Mugabe would end, but it has become worse. I am here because I support gatherings where issues of development are being discussed. We may have different ideologies, but something for sure is that you (Chamisa) are a force to reckon with. During the rally, journalists failed to livestream the proceedings amid claims that there was deliberate slowing down of internet services to stop the CCC rally from being publicised on social media. An international watchdog that monitors cyber-security and the governance of the internet, Netblocks reported that there was a significant slowing of internet services for many users in Zimbabwe as CCC held its rally, which impacted multiple operators and prevented livestreaming from the rally. Netblocks said metrics were consistent with the slowing, or throttling of services, but could not conclusively identify the cause of network disruption. Confirmed metrics indicate that internet service is degraded for many users in Zimbabwe; the incident is likely to limit livestreaming and access to online content as #YellowSunday opposition rallies are held at Highfield, Harare, the watchdog said on Twitter. Newsday Stamford-based First County Bank is welcoming Richard Muskus Jr., a Greenwich resident, as its new senior vice president, chief lending officer and director of business banking. First County Bank has been a cornerstone in serving the local business community for over 170 years. I look forward to directing the strong and established Business Banking Division, while supporting our clients with customized solutions to meet their goals as the bank expands its market presence and community impact, Muskus said in a statement. He will be taking over for Sara Tucker, who has been transitioning her responsibilities over to him in preparation for her retirement at the end of March. He has more than 30 years of community banking experience throughout Southern Connecticut and the New York metro area. At First County Bank, he will be responsible for business development, loan production and portfolio management, and provide support for small businesses seeking community development opportunities. As a member of the banks senior management team, Muskus will report directly to Robert Granata, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First County Bank. I am thrilled to have Richard join First County Bank and lead our Business Banking Division. With his extensive background in the financial industry, I am confident that he will support the strategic initiatives set forth for this division while effectively managing our current client portfolio, said Granata. Muskus, who comes from Carver Federal Savings Bank where he served as chief revenue officer, previously held roles as president and chief lending officer of Patriot Bank. He received his bachelor of science degree from Bentley University, lives in Greenwich with his wife and three children and is actively involved in local nonprofit organizations, holding several board positions. First County Bank, headquartered in Stamford for more than 170 years, is an independent mutual community bank with 16 branches in Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Greenwich, Fairfield, New Canaan and Westport. For additional information, visit www.firstcountybank.com. Endicott College honors local student Karoline Sucic of Old Greenwich is among the students named to the Deans List at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., for the fall 2021 semester. Sucic is majoring in environmental science. To qualify for the Deans List, a student must obtain a minimum grade point average of 3.5. Fairfield U. announces Deans List honors Joseph Lenihan of Cos Cob and Daniel Basar of Greenwich were honored with Deans List Honors for the fall 2021 semester at Fairfield University in Fairfield. To be placed on the Deans List, students must attain a semester grade point average of 3.50 or better. Connecticut College honors local students Three students from Greenwich have been named to the Deans List for the 2021 fall semester at Connecticut College in New London. The honored students are Erin Crotty, a member of the Class of 2024 with an undeclared major who earned Deans High Honors; Katherine Hurst, a neuroscience and art major in the Class of 2022 who earned Deans Honors; and Graham Plewniak, a psychology major in the Class of 2022 who earned Deans Honors. Local student honored at Dickinson College Quinlyn Westover, a graduate of Greenwich High and a first-year student at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., has been named to the Deans List for the fall 2021 semester. All students on the Deans List earned a grade-point average of 3.7 or above. Local students named to Deans List at Clark Two local residents were named to the fall Deans List at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. Ben E. Wolff of Cos Cob and Sarah A. Nicholson of Greenwich were both named to first honors. Students must have a GPA of 3.8 or above to earn first honors. Local student graduates from Ithaca College William Tuck of Greenwich has graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y., with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH The list of the towns top paid employees for 2021 is populated by many members of the Greenwich Police Department except for the spot at the top, which is filled again by Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones. Jones, who has led the Greenwich Public Schools since July 2019, took home $316,066.35 in gross pay in 2021, according to data provided by the town of Greenwichs Human Resources Department. She also held the top spot for 2020, her first full year in the job, when she earned $311,469.96. The rest of the town employees in the Top 10 earners for 2021 are all members of the GPD. In addition to their annual salaries, they can earn additional money through overtime, which is paid by the town, and through outside jobs, which are paid by the outside companies or entities that hire them. The gross pay of town employees includes any overtime or side work, according to the Human Resources Department. In a list that the town provided to Greenwich Time, the second highest earner for 2021 was Detective First Class Joseph Rondini, who took home gross pay of $305,091.32. He was the fourth highest earner in town in the 2020 fiscal year. Sgt. Pierangelo Corticelli, who was the second highest earner last year, is now third at $272,977.73. They are followed by: Lt. Lynden Latiak at $269,670.11; Sgt. Louis Pannone at $266,583.82; Sgt. John Thorme at $263,659.43; Sgt. Ernest Mulhern at $255,428.77; Sgt. Peter Schmitt at $240,122.90; Sgt. Michael Ucci at $239,042.67; and Sgt. Thomas Kelly at $238,315.13. The next highest earner on the list who is not a member of the police department is Deputy Superintendent of Schools Ann Carabillo, with $227,844.30 in gross pay, which put her 12th on the list, down from 11th in 2020 with a salary of $225,446.16. Among school employees, she was followed closely by Greenwich High School principal Ralph Mayo, who came it at 16th with a salary of $215,203.82 Top school district officials and administrators have been high on the list in past years. The superintendent of schools is hired on a contract negotiated and approved by the Board of Education, and the district office then hires for positions below superintendent. Board of Education Chair Kathleen Stowe was quick to note how hard district and school administrators work especially during the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are getting great value for our tax dollars, especially considering the quality of people leading our school system, Stowe said. I feel particularly grateful considering all the extra time and effort Ive seen them put in over the last two years. The highest-ranked earner at Town Hall is Town Comptroller Peter Mynarski, who is ranked 14th with a salary of $217,789.85, a bump up from 2020 when he was 18th. He was followed by Town Administrator Ben Branyan, whose $212,632.19 salary put him at 18th, and Public Works Commissioner Amy Siebert at 20th, with a salary of $208,139.61. Among the Top 100 earners in town, 41 employees work in the Greenwich schools, with 37 in the police department, 14 working for the town, seven in the fire department, and one in the fire marshals office Last year, among the Top 100 spots, 45 were held by police department staffers and 38 by Greenwich Public Schools employees. OT, outside jobs The rest of the employees in the Top 20 earners are members of the police force. For police officers, working overtime shifts and side jobs can make a big difference in their annual gross pay. Rondini, for example, had an annual salary of $113,610.45 for his work as a detective first class. But he earned $95,510.87 in overtime and $95,970 for his side jobs which nearly tripled his gross pay for the year. Corticelli, Latiak and Thorme saw similar bumps in pay due to the side jobs and overtime, which are available to all department members. The side jobs are assigned fairly, said Officer John Browne, the newly elected president of the Silver Shield Association, the GPDs union for all officers up to the rank of captain. Theres a rotating basis as to how they are assigned so the distribution is equitable among the police officers. Every officer is given the same opportunity to work side jobs and/or overtime. The union is not involved in the side jobs, which are assigned within the GPD, following departmental guidelines. The vast majority of side jobs are for directing traffic at road construction projects or other infrastructure improvements, Browne said. Or when an officer provides security for a private business, including jewelry stores, or works at a private event, he said. Side jobs are not funded by the town whoever hires the officer pays the bill. Those outside opportunities are available all the way up to the top. Chief of Police James Heavey had a gross pay in 2021 of $192,895.89, which includes $9,135 for side work for the towns Department of Human Resources. There was a lull in side jobs when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020, Browne said. But by the summer of 2020, officers were working the same level of side jobs they had in the past, he said. Overtime, which is paid by taxpayer funds, is closely monitored by the Board of Estimate & Taxation. It comes into play when an investigation or other police matter takes longer to work on or complete than the assigned hours in an officers workday. In the top 10 earners for the town in 2021, Rondini, Corticelli, Mulhern and Kelly are all members of the GPDs investigation division and they all earned over $35,000 in overtime, with some eaaning double and triple that. Essentially overtime is a part of every police officers position, Browne said. If a police officer, regardless of rank, is conducting an investigation, theyre going to complete that investigation and do whatever it takes to do it in a timely but thorough manner so suspects are identified and arrested. Browne said town residents should remember the value of the police work. Theres no price tag on the pursuit of justice, and if were given an investigation the officers are going to carry it out professionally and to its completion, he said. Obviously there are some ancillary costs that come with that, but the main goal is to identify and arrest offenders. And for side jobs, this is largely a result of road improvements and infrastructure improvements. By having officers working side jobs there are officers all over town that are still able to respond to an emergency at a moments notice, Browne said. That makes our community that much safer by having officers out there and the cost is being paid by a private contractor, not the town. Other positions Overtime is also available at the Greenwich Fire Department. At No. 41 on the list, Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Zack had a gross salary for 2021 of $192,198.55 which included $40,122.11 in overtime. He was followed immediately on the list at No. 42 by his colleague Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Morris at $190,522.16 in gross pay, which included $35,709.78 in overtime. Fire Chief Joseph McHugh earned $170,086.65 in 2021 without any overtime pay. McHugh, a former battalion chief for the Fire Department of New York, began working as fire chief in late August 2020. School and district administrators were ranked highly on the top earners list, just as they have been in past years. In 2021, former school district chief of Pupil Personnel Services Mary Forde, who left her position in June 2021, had gross pay of $204,527.31, making her the fourth highest paid school official in town behind Jones, Carabillo and Mayo. The towns three middle school principals were ranked highly as well. Central Middle School Principal Thomas Healy earned a salary of $198,212.04 in 2020 followed by Westerns Principal Gordon Beinstein and Easterns Principal Jason Goldstein, both of whom earned $194,962.04. Among elected positions, First Selectman Fred Camillo, Selectwoman Lauren Rabin, former Selectperson Jill Oberlander, who left office last December, and newly elected Selectwoman Janet Stone McGuigan, who succeeded Oberlander, are not on the list of top earners. Their salaries are set by the Board of Estimate & Taxation. On the Board of Selectmen, only the first selectman is a full-time position and it carries a salary of $149,952.92. A selectperson makes $14,999.94 in a part-time role in the town. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Sonys flagship Xperia Z line gathered a few loyal followers back in its day and had several esteemed members in its ranks. However, in February 2016 the series abruptly came to an end with the arrival of the Xperia X series. Sony didnt quite move away from flagships, but the new models definitely had a different feel to them compared to the Z5 series (which included highlights like the first phone with a 4K screen). Lets look at the original trio. Sony Xperia X Performance The Sony Xperia X Performance was the leader of the pack with a Snapdragon 820 chipset, a much-needed upgrade over the disastrous Snapdragon 810 that the Z5 and Z5 Premium used. However, Sony kept the RAM capacity at 3GB, while the competition from Samsung, LG, HTC and others was moving on to 4GB. The Sony Xperia X Performance in a variety of colors Also, the 1080p display measured only 5.0, on the small side for the period and 0.2 smaller than the Z5 display. Plus, the Galaxy S7, LG G5 and HTC 10 all had 1440p panels. That wasnt all, the main camera kept using a 23MP sensor but it inexplicably lost the ability to record 4K video (even though the chipset was quite capable of it, as was the Z5 camera). The phones body was still IP68 dust and water resistant, however, the milled aluminum frame was replaced with a cheaper plastic frame. The aluminum back helped keep some of the premium feeling, but something definitely felt off. The Xperia X Performance may have had a metal back, but its frame was polycarbonate When we reviewed the phone, we commented that we feel like Sony is deliberately leaving some headroom for, say, an Xperia X Premium model. Either Sony was holding back its true flagship for a later release or the company settled for a halfhearted attempt. Seeing how no actual Premium model arrived that year, it was probably the latter. The Sony Xperia X was the mass market option and it was decidedly a mid-ranger. However, it had the same 5.0 1080p IPS LCD as the X Performance, same 23MP camera and basically the same battery as well (give or take 80 mAh). Did this make the X look good or the X Performance look bad? The Sony Xperia X was very similar to the X Performance in all but performance The main difference between the two was that the X used a less capable chipset, the Snapdragon 650. Its CPU wasnt bad, but the GPU had only a third of the power of the 820. For what its worth, the phone had the same RAM and storage capacity as the Performance, 3/32GB (though it was slower eMMC 4.5 storage, instead of eMMC 5.1). Sony Xperia X The feeling that something was missing from the X series grew stronger. Several somethings, in fact. There was no Premium model and no successor the Xperia Z5 Compact either. Instead we got another 5 phone, the Sony Xperia XA. This one was clearly an entry-level offering with a 720p IPS LCD and a lowly Helio P10, paired with just 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage. The camera was demoted to a 13MP sensor, but at least the 1080p cap on video recording resolution looked fine compared to the other two X-phones. The Sony Xperia XA had super thin side bezels and rather bold top and bottom bezels Despite having similar dimensions, the XA had a smaller battery with only 2,300 mAh capacity (compared to 2,620 mAh for the X). The company boasted about the slender side bezels, but the chunky top and bottom bezels ensured that there would be no size variation in the X series. Surprisingly, the phone kept the metal frame, which (again) the pricey Xperia X Performance lacked. Sony Xperia XA Okay, lets rip off that band aid and talk about the prices. In Europe the Xperia X arrived fashionably late in June with a price of 460/600. For context, the flagship Galaxy S7 cost 700, the fancy S7 edge was 800. The Xperia X Performance was 700, just 100 more than the regular X and perhaps an instance of anchor pricing the Performance was more than 100 better than the regular X. That said, the Performance didnt have the smoothest launch. Originally, Sony wasnt going to offer it in Germany or the UK. Then it changed its mind about Germany. Then it changed its mind again and launched the phone in the UK for 600. As for the Xperia XA, that one commanded a price of $280/300 a bit high for Europe, but at the time it was a good price for the US (it helped that US models were shipped with a free 64GB microSD). Of course, Europe usually has better access to value-for-money phones than the US. Not as good as Asia, but still good. Things were looking grim for the Sony Xperia family in early 2016, however, things became progressively better as the year unfolded. The Xperia XA Ultra arrived next, a properly interesting, selfie-obsessed phone. And we did get an X Compact model, plus something of a return for the Z-series except the phones adopted the Xperia XZ name. Those we can cover in a future installment if you want to hear their stories. Samsungs Galaxy S22 series finally brought an increase in charging speeds after being left in the dust by most Chinese competitors. The two larger members of the new Galaxies S22 lineup claimed to offer 45W wired charging speeds while the vanilla S22 retained the 25W of its predecessor. The industry has been moving at a fast pace when it comes to charging speeds in the past few years. You can get a midrange phone from competitors with 65W charging while flagships from brands like Xiaomi and vivo have already crossed the 100W threshold. So while 45W isn't a big deal it's at least a major step forward. Plus, a valid point can be made that the tradeoffs in battery capacity aren't worth the few saved minutes after a certain point. Alas, even those 45W turned out to only exist in marketing materials, so it wouldn't matter. So how do the brand new S22+ and S22 Ultra fare in terms of charging speeds? Our review team put the pair through our charging tests using three chargers original Samsung 45W and 25W chargers as well as a third-party 65W PD charger for good measure. Note that the two Samsung chargers support both power delivery (PD) and programmable power supply (PPS) standards while the third-party solution is only PD certified. Lets examine. We can see the Galaxy S22+ reached a 62% charge after 30-minutes with the 25W Samsung brick and a mere 64% when using the 45W one. What about the S22 Ultra you ask? That one reached a 61% charge after 30 minutes on the 25W charger and 60% with the 45W brick. Our third-party 65W PD charger managed to fill up the Ultras battery to 65% during the same time, but those results are all within the margin of error. 30min charging test (from 0%) Higher is better Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (65W PD, no PPS) 65% Samsung Galaxy S22+ (45W) 64% Samsung Galaxy S22+ (25W) 62% Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (25W) 61% Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (45W) 60% A full charge on the S22+ from 0% took 1:01 hours with the 45W charger and just one minute longer with the 25W one. A full charge starting from 0% on the S22 Ultra with the 25W charger took exactly 1:04 hours while the 45W brick accomplished the task a mere 5 minutes quicker at 59 minutes. The 65W PD third-party charger took 1:02 hours. Time to full charge (from 0%) Lower is better Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (45W) 0:59h Samsung Galaxy S22+ (45W) 1:01h Samsung Galaxy S22+ (25W) 1:02h Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (65W PD, no PPS) 1:02h Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (25W) 1:04h What does this mean? Well, Samsungs 45W charging rate claim is outright misleading when even paired with the original Samsung charger it does not offer any real tangible benefits in terms of charging times over the 25W solution. To make matters worse, Samsung was in the exact same position with the Galaxy Note10+ back in 2019. The company then dropped the claim of 45W charging on the Note 20 Ultra. Having reinstated it with the S22+ and S22 Ultra we thought it has learned from its mistakes and got it right this time. Alas, once again the specs sheet writes checks that the real life performance can't cash. There are two important takeaways from this. The first is that if charging speeds matter to you the Galaxy S22 series will be just as disappointing as the Samsung flagships that came before them. Much like it has been for the past two years, you'd need an hour to get a full charge. The second one is that if you do end up getting the S22+ and S22 Ultra there's no point splurging the official retail price of $50/50 on the 45W Samsung charger. The 25W brick will literally work just as well for just $20/20. Our full reviews on the Galaxy S22 series are coming in soon so expect more details on charging and just about every other aspect of those phones. With the dozens of species living in our coastal waters, it is easy to rely on fresh fish as a food source. But what if the fish population becomes scarce? Peter Houk, a professor at the University of Guams Marine Lab, and his students have been researching the effects of overfishing on Guam. Over the past three decades Guam has seen a decrease in marine biodiversity. This may be attributed to overfishing, pollution, and a rise in global temperatures. The universitys Houk Lab, along with Sea Grant, interviewed fishermen from across the island in 2015 who said there were about 25 fish species that they were noticing had become smaller in size. All the aquatic species (the team is studying), except for the blue parrot fish, were seen to have physically decreased in size after periods of overfishing. The blue parrot fish did not change in size, but decreased in numbers he said. Though the Houk Lab is not yet certain of the reason for the physical change, Houk strongly believes that the problem has to do with overfishing. Overfishing will not only affect the food web, or the relationships between predator and prey, but it will also impact Guams culture, he said. Fish have been an important part of the CHamoru culture. If species like the parrot fish or the green sea turtle become extinct, it will be like a piece of CHamoru culture is gone, Houk said. We have to decide whats more important: fishing for our benefit or preservation for the environments benefit. He also points to pollution as another reason for the decline. In the past 30 years, the growth in military and commercial buildup around the island has contributed to a spike in nitrogen and phosphorus waste in the ocean, according to Houk. The chemicals deplete the oxygen in the water and supply nutrients for harmful species to grow, including algae. Algae has the ability to choke aquatic species and take away necessary nutrients from an environment, like a coral reef. With the reduction in fish quantities, the aquatic food web becomes vulnerable. Typically, different creatures live and depend on corals for shelter and food. For example, Guams native parrot fish eat the algae that are responsible for harming corals. When there are fewer fish to protect the corals, coral reefs can start to bleach, and eventually die. Methods To avoid such dangers, Houk has outlined methods to ensure the biodiversity of aquatic life. When fishing, make sure to only bring in adult fish. Currently, whatever is hooked on a fishermans line is brought to shore. Baby fish and adult fish alike are caught. When baby fish are caught, the population of a species cannot be sustained and can die off. Reduce pollution on land. He recommends limiting the use of plastic bags and limiting the use of harmful chemicals used in construction. Create more fisheries on the island to meet the seafood demand. Fisheries are essentially fish farms, where fish eggs are harvested in a tank. Fishery farmers then sell adult fish, and set aside fish to mate and create offspring. Houk and his team are monitoring the fisheries on the island to see the effect it has on the coral reefs. As marine biologists, it is crucial that we regularly document the changes that the aquatic environment experiences. We are seeing, now, that the more untouched our natural environment is, the more it can grow. To guarantee the health of the island and the health of the CHamoru culture, it is crucial that we rely less on the ocean for seafood and more on local fisheries. The apparent momentum gained by the Nelson Chamisa led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) ahead of the crucial March 26 by-elections has sent some Zanu PF officials into panic mode amid alleged plots to disrupt the opposition partys official launch of its campaigns for the polls today. Police have been accused of throwing spanners into the eagerly awaited CCC star rally in Harares Highfield high-density suburb after they set tough conditions for the event. Scores of the opposition partys activists have also been arrested by police for mobilising for the rally. Audio recordings of Zanu PF officials allegedly plotting to work with law enforcement agents to sabotage the gathering have also gone viral on various social media platforms. The tension heightened yesterday when Zanu PF supporters allegedly blocked a rally by former Finance minister Tendai Biti, who is seeking to retain his Harare East constituency after his controversial recall from Parliament. Zanu PF thugs in Harare East reportedly under the instruction of (Zanu PF candidate) Mavis Gumbo have pitched tents at a venue CCC booked for a constituency rally today, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said yesterday. They have since attacked our youths. Police refused to act. Gumbo was not reachable for comment last night. CCC activists have allegedly been arrested and beaten for wearing yellow regalia, including holding car rallies that police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi on Friday said were illegal. Police set a number of strict conditions for the Highfield rally including banning processions to the venue, toyi-toying, chanting slogans and transporting of supporters to the venue all ingredients of a successful rally. Police also said the CCC must observe Covid-19 regulations, which outlaw large gatherings of above 100 people. Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the Zanu PFs by-election campaign where Zupco buses were commandeered to ferry thousands of supporters from across the country to an Epworth rally. On Friday, CCC through lawyer Obey Shava wrote to the police dismissing the strict conditions as an illegality and demanded a waiver. We have instructed our lawyers to approach the courts for urgent relief to secure our constitutional rights, Mahere told The Standard yesterday. The constitution is supreme so we are confident our rally will proceed without impediment. We have mobilised our supporters to attend their masses. The citizens are fired up and ready to go. In the letter, Shava argued that the police measures were unconstitutional and selective as they had not been applied to Zanu PF and other political parties such as Douglas Mwonzoras MDC-T. We are advised that the conditions set in your letter are unconstitutional for the following reasons: to the extent that they prohibit members of our clients from chanting slogans in support of their political party, he wrote. Such a prohibition abrogates their right to freedom of assembly and association as provided for in terms of section 58 of the constitution. To the extent that aforementioned conditions have not been placed upon other political parties, in particular, Zanu PF and MDC-T which held their own rallies recently, such conditions violate the pre-emptory right to equality before the law and right to equal protection and benefit of the law as enshrined under Section 56 of the constitution. CCC filed an urgent High Court application last night challenging the police order. Mahere said Zanu PF feared that Chamisas rally would dwarf the ruling partys rally addressed by Mnangagwa last week. Mnangagwa is in Marondera today for another star rally in that province. Zanu PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa yesterday said the ruling party was not worried about CCC and said rallies were not a confirmation of winning the by-elections. A rally attendance is not a voting booth. A rally in a particular place is definitely not an arbiter of total national power dispensation, Mutsvangwa told The Standard. What would be of concern is the deep chasm of mistrust and the questionable loyalty of the MDC- Chamisa Chete Chete personalised political outfit to the Zimbabwe State. Chamisa Chete Chete carries a heavy albatross as a party ready to employ violence as an instrument of regime change, that much coveted goal of London and Washington. A couple of months ago, Zanu PF had written off the Chamisa-led formation after Douglas Mwonzora was controversially allowed to take over control of the MDC Alliance. This forced the Chamisa group to rebrand into CCC and todays rally would be the first major public gathering for the formation. Standard GVB Board of Directors present a board resolution to Tomatsu Tom Iizuka and his wife, Masako. From left, Mongmong-Toto-Maite Mayor Rudy Paco, Laura Nelson-Cepeda, Ben Ferguson, Board Treasurer Sam Shinohara, Vice Chairman Paul Shimizu, Tomatsu Iizuka, Masako Iizuka, Chairman Milton Morinaga, Sen. Amanda Shelton, Sen. Joe S. San Agustin, and Akihiro Tani. Telecommunications company GTA wants to build its new cable landing station and data center on residential land in Tamuning and the Micronesia Mall plans to expand to adjacent property zoned residential, according to applications being considered by the Guam Land Use Commission. The Land Use Commission held or is scheduled to hold mandatory village meetings for the pending applications. The municipal planning councils of the affected villages also must hold two separate public meetings for each application and pass resolutions before the applications can be heard by the Land Use Commission. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed a law in August 2021 that authorizes the CHamoru Land Trust Commission to lease submerged government land in Tamuning to GTA, which plans to land additional subsea cables there. The Land Trust owns most of the submerged public land around Guam. The law requires GTA to pay the Land Trust a landing fee of $100,000 per cable, plus at least $100,000 in annual lease payments per cable. The money will be deposited to the Land Trusts survey and infrastructure fund. Landing station According to its land use applications, GTA wants to build its landing station and data center on 2.5 acres of vacant residential land it leased from the Perez family last September. The property is along Gov. Carlos Camacho Road, between Marine Corps Drive and Farenholt Avenue, across the street from the Agana Bay Condo and Dungcas Beach, the application states. GTA also is working on the Alupang Duct Project, which will install six underground ducts, about 141 feet deep, between the Tamuning facility and the sea. The ducts would be created using horizontal drilling. GTA needs a conditional use variance because the Tamuning propertys current R-2 residential zoning is inconsistent with operating a telecommunications facility. It also needs a height variance because it wants to build a 45-foot-tall facility, which is 15 feet taller than the zoning allows. Eleven submarine cables now land in Guam, connecting the U.S. to the Asia-Pacific region. There are more than 400 subsea cables worldwide, which provide nearly all of the worlds internet and phone service. GTA currently operates a landing station and data center in Piti and has part ownership of one of the landed cables. Critical This facility is a companion component of the critical and essential infrastructure needed to ensure additional broadband capacity and connectivity for island residents and the government and private sectors. Further, the facility will be a safe and secure facility for the telecommunication equipment and buried cables, GTA Executive Vice President Dan Tydingco stated in GTAs applications for the Tamuning site. According to Tydingco, the Tamuning facility will operate with little noise. Power reliability will increase in the area because the facility will require a redundant power supply, he said. This facility will have four full-time employees in a two-story building, Tydingco stated. This facility will not produce traffic, noise, air or light pollution. There will be very little impact to traffic, waste removal, water and sewer compared to nearby condominiums, hotels or other commercial businesses. Hybrid commission Because GTAs project will cost more than $3 million, its applications must be considered using the hybrid commission process created under a 2016 law. A hybrid commission adds four village mayors or vice mayors to the normal approval process, creating a commission with nine total members. The mayor of the affected village must be included, along with three mayors or vice mayors appointed by the president of the Mayors Council of Guam. The GTA applications are scheduled for a public hearing, organized by the Land Use Commission, at 6 p.m. March 16 at the Tamuning Senior Citizen Center. Pending applications Here are some of the other pending land use applications: A sign, posted near an unsecured gate Jan. 15, 2022, warns of restricted access to federal land adjacent to Eagles Field in Mangilao, the proposed site of a new comprehensive medical complex. Haiti - DR : Shipwreck south of Catalina Island, 7 Haitians survived, 2 dead A small boat carrying 9 Haitians shipwrecked to some 22 nautical miles south of Catalina Island in the southeast of the Dominican Republic in the province of La Romana. It was Dominican fishermen who rescued the shipwrecked, 7 survivors were taken out of the water as well as the lifeless bodies of 2 other Haitians, informed the local Dominican Navy which did not specify the destination of the Haitians. The survivors, probably at sea for several days, who presented "significant sunburn and suffered from dehydration" were transferred to the Antonio Musa hospital, in San Pedro de Macoris, while the bodies of the two drowned Haitians were transported to the forensic medical service, specifies a note from the Dominican navy The navy has ordered a search and rescue operation in the area, although there are indications that only 9 people were on board the boat, said Captain Jose Vasquez, spokesman for the local navy. S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - NOTICE : Court of Cassation, call for applications In a note, Berto Dorce, the Minister of Justice reminds the Magistrates, seated and standing, of the Court of Cassation and the various Courts of Appeal of the Republic, concerned, that they must submit as soon as possible their application files to the Ministry, with a view to filling vacancies at the Court of Cassation. The Minister also wishes to remind them, in accordance with the legal and constitutional provisions of the texts organizing the functioning of the Judiciary, that candidates must : Have occupied, for at least 7 years, the functions of Judge or Public Prosecutor near a Court of Appeal of the national territory or be Public Prosecutor near the Court of Cassation; Meet the conditions prescribed in Article 51 of the law of November 27, 2007 on the status of the Judiciary. The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to Thursday, February 24, 2022. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help MDC Alliance president Douglas Mwonzora has revealed that talks between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his party to form a government of national unity (GNU) were at an advanced stage. Mwonzora made the remarks at his weekend rally at Pelandaba Hall in Bulawayo, adding that he would not seek to be prime minister (PM) in the proposed GNU. I presented Mnangagwa with a letter with 21 points spelling out the kind of Zimbabwe that we want as a party. Very soon, there shall be talks of dialogue. I went back to meet him in January, as MDC-T. I am not involved in these talks so that I become PM, or that some of our MPs can become ministers, but we want to bring peace and prosperity to the country, Mwonzora said. All conflicts that have bedevilled the country in the past have been resolved through dialogue like the talks that culminated in a GNU. Mwonzora told his supporters that he regretted the split between him and his former deputy, Thokozani Khupe, who has now declared herself the MDC-T leader. MDC Alliance national chairperson Morgen Komichi said the last battle for the party after winning several court cases against the then MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa would be to win the 2023 elections. Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni and Nketa Emganwini MP Phelela Masuku, who is now the provincial chairperson of the party, as well as other MPs belonging to Mwonzoras party attended the event. The party fielded eight candidates for council seats who will contest in the March 26 by-elections. Newsday Native child was taken from her family in 1869 and adopted by a Prescott couple; her last days were spent living on the Colorado River Indian Reservation We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Editor: There are alot of things I would like to talk about but this one is a head E.A. Hoppe, Kerrville City Manager, provided a State of the City address last week at the Inn of the Hills Conference Center during an event hosted by the Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Statewide alcohol crackdown includes Hendersonville, Fletcher and Asheville Local law enforcement agencies joined Alcohol Law Enforcement officers and State Highway Patrol troopers in a crackdown to reduce crime and enhance public safety at both ABC-licensed and illegal alcohol businesses across the state, the N.C. Department of Public Safety said. The widespread investigation included Hendersonville, Fletcher, Arden and Asheville. Due to an increase in alcohol-related crashes and underage fatalities, the collaborative event aimed to increase roadway safety around ABC-licensed businesses. Together, state authorities charged 350 individuals on more than 700 alcohol, drug, weapon, and driving offenses. Around the state, authorities executed eight search warrants and seized various types of controlled substances, along with 13 firearms. Of the 798 charges, 64 were felony charges, 101 were alcoholic beverage-related charges, 182 were drug-related charges and 292 were motor vehicle charges. Ten impaired drivers were taken off the road. During the operation, 12 ABC-permitted businesses were found to be in violation of state laws and regulations. ALE special agents will submit violation reports to the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission documenting the criminal and regulatory violations at these businesses, which could result in fines, suspensions, or revocations of ABC permits. We are proud to combine our efforts in making North Carolina businesses and communities safer, said Alcohol Law Enforcement Director Bryan House. Operations like this demonstrate the great relationship we have with our state and local law enforcement partners. Agencies involved in the operation included North Carolina State Highway Patrol, North Carolina Probation and Parole, Asheboro Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Shallotte Police Department, Leland Police Department, Holden Beach Police Department, Rocky Mount Police Department, Cornelius Police Department, Huntersville Police Department, Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office, Mecklenburg County ABC Board Law Enforcement, Davidson Police Department and Henderson Police Department. Cities involved in the operation included Wilmington, Cornelius, Hickory, Hendersonville, Fletcher, Arden, Asheville, Henderson, Warrenton, Durham, Greensboro, Huntersville, Shallotte, Leland, Holden Beach, Greenville, Kinston, Rocky Mount, Goldsboro, Plymouth, Fayetteville, Lumberton, Carthage, Burlington, Asheboro and Lexington. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. THE Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) has urged its members to return to work tomorrow ahead of a government deadline for them to stop their job action or risk being fired, but other unions resolved to soldier on until their salary demands were met. Government said it planned to replace teachers who fail to report for duty with college graduates. Zimta president Richard Gundani said his union, the largest with about 42 000 members, had resolved to return to work to protect the education sector. Incapacitation is not an imagined situation, incapacitation is not a strike, and it is a real situation which comes about with a cause, which is the salary. As a result, absenteeism becomes the order of the day. We have lessons to take away from the situation which is to say education is the loser and the learners are the losers. As we agree to go back to work from February 22, we are protecting professionalism. We are committed educators and we respect this noble profession, and that is why we are educators. We have committed ourselves that the best foot forward is to engage in constructive engagement and social dialogue with the government so that any industrial conflict is ultimately resolved, Gundani said. But other unions have vowed that their members will not report for work despite the threat of dismissal. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou criticised Zimta, saying it has weakened the teachers struggle to fight for better pay. That agreement has ultimately affected the teachers. It is better to make decisions based on teachers that are in schools that are suffering and not necessarily on the feelings of leaders. The decision has put teachers in a quandary because we need to be united. It would be difficult to continue the war as a divided device. There is always need for unity in order to achieve maximum benefits from the employer rather than from a divided position, Zhou said. Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) president Obert Masaraure said: The union aristocrats at Zimta have always been keen to frog-march teachers back to the classroom. The rank and file teachers are consistent that only US$540 will take them to the classroom. Teachers have to decide whether to follow the instruction from leaders who are divorced from the lived realities of teachers, or they continue with the fight for a living wage. Last week, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Lovemore Matuke told Parliament that the government had addressed their grievances after awarding public workers a 20% salary adjustment and US$100 cash which will be deducted from their local currency salary component. I think we should thank the government for providing such a good reward. I do not think going forward we will get teachers complaining, but as our economy improves, I think we will still revert to our Zimbabwe dollar 100%, Matuke said. Newsday Carnival Cruise passengers will soon be able to show their faces. The cruise giant has announced plans to ease mask-wearing policies for all of its guests. Advertisement Starting on March 1, masks on board will be recommended but not required, the company said Friday in a news release. There may, however, be certain venues and events where masks will be required. The company also said that it plans to be more flexible in pre-cruise testing requirements. Additionally, children under the age of 5 will not be included in any vaccinated guest calculation, and thus will not be required to receive an exemption to sail. Advertisement We have had a very successful restart of guest operations thanks to the support of our guests, the commitment of our shipboard team, and the effective protocols we have put in place, Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. The public health situation has continued to improve, providing confidence about these changes. Our protocols will evolve as we continue to remain dedicated to protecting the public health of our guests, crew and the communities we visit, she added. (File) Carnival Cruise Line easing mask mandates starting in March. (Shutterstock) The Doral, Fla.-headquartered company has a total of 24 ships, sailing from 14 U.S. homeports. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Its newest ship, the Mardi Gras, which features the first roller coaster at sea, sailed from Port Canaveral, Fla., on July 31. The Carnival Celebration, a sister ship to the Mardi Gras, is scheduled to sail for the first time later this year from Miami. The easing of its mask policies comes after two of Carnivals major competitors Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line also announced plans to relax COVID safety protocols. On Tuesday, stricter mask rules were dropped at Royal Caribbean cruises. Masks are now optional for fully vaccinated guests, on cruises departing from the U.S. We expect unvaccinated children to continue wearing masks indoors and in crowded settings, the company said in a news release. Norwegian Cruise Line announced that starting on March 1, guests sailing from a U.S. port will not be required to wear masks onboard. Advertisement However, we recognize the added protections provided when wearing a mask covering and recommend that all guests do so onboard when indoors, except when actively eating or drinking, or seated at a table in a dining setting, or when in their stateroom, the company said. Masks are also recommended outdoors when physical distancing cant be maintained. But ultimately, the decision to wear a mask covering when onboard is at the discretion of each guest. An FDNY union leader wants the department to investigate whether three recent firefighter deaths resulted from city-mandated COVID-19 jabs. The request from Uniformed Fire Officers Association President James McCarthy comes after the line-of-duty deaths of Lt. Joseph Maiello, 53, who was found dead in a Staten Island firehouse after a Christmas shift, and Firefighter Jesse Gerhard, 33, who died at his firehouse in Far Rockaway, Queens, after a medical episode Wednesday. Advertisement McCarthy wants the FDNY to include in its vaccine probe the death of Probationary Firefighter Vincent Malveaux, 31, who died Dec. 2 at the FDNY Training Academy on Randalls Island after suffering a medical episode believed to be a seizure. FDNY union leader Jim McCarthy is asking the department to launch an investigation into if the recent deaths of several fire department members correlate with receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, the Daily News has learned. (Gardiner Anderson) Thats a significant amount of people in a very short time, said McCarthy. The vaccine is a concern with our members because it is something new that is being put into our bodies. It could be a factor. Advertisement McCarthy is asking the FDNY to provide the union with any information related to the fallen members COVID vaccine history, sources said. Firefighter Vincent Malveaux (FDNY) The FDNY safety command investigates line-of-duty firefighter deaths. The deaths of Maiello, Gerhard and Malveaux are still being investigated, officials said. The department will work with the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and other unions to determine if there is any link between the members deaths and the jab, an FDNY spokesman said. The health and safety of FDNY members is paramount, the spokesman said. Two of the three widely used COVID vaccines in the U.S. made by Pfizer and Moderna have received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains COVID vaccines are safe and do not contain any harmful ingredients. The unions request for a probe comes after nearly 1,500 city workers including 25 Fire Department employees lost their jobs last week after failing to comply with a citywide vaccine mandate. Rebecca and Barrett Niehus of Campton Hills, Ill., are the new owners of the former Captain Nemos restaurant in downtown South Haven. They plan to rename the restaurant South Pier Creamery and Market and open it for business this spring. The Indonesian government on February 11 allowed functioning of Hindu and Buddhist religious rituals at the Prambanan temple and Borobudur temple as it restored Asias most renowned sacred sites for the religious interests of Hindus and Buddhists in Indonesia and the World. It also officially launched Pawon Temple and Mendut Temple in Central Java as global worship sites for Hindus and Buddhists. According to the reports, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed at Yogyakarta between the Indonesian government and religious leaders to agree upon functioning of religious rituals based on the main reason for their construction. Borobudur Temple embraces Mahayana Buddhism and was built in the 9th centuries CE during the reign of the Sailendra dynasty. While Prambanan Temple, constructed in the 10th century by the syncretic Hindu-Buddhist Mataram Kingdom, is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Adung Abdul Rochman, Religious Affairs Ministry special staff coordinator said during the signing of a MoU in that the four temples have been mostly used for research, culture and tourism. This is after the Indonesian government took into consideration the rise in destruction of religious and cultural sites by the Muslim extremists. The Muslim extremists have destroyed worlds diverse cultural and religious heritages in Middle East, Africa, Europe and also North America. Reports mention that the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan rest in the cultural heartland of Java. Java reportedly has majority of the Muslim population who tend to embrace humanitarian Islam as a source of universal love and compassion and have protected the pre-Islamic religious sites from the invaders. Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X meanwhile said that the MoU on temples being regarded as international sites for worship is the actualization of religious moderation, social cohesion, and harmony between religious communities in Indonesia. The intention arises from the spirit of Oneness Amid Diversity which is Indonesias national motto. It is the key to developing a nation whose people value diversity amid the harmonious mosaic of a unified Indonesia, he was quoted. The MoU was signed on last week between the religious leaders and the Indonesian government supported by Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry, Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry as well as the Yogyakarta and Central Java provincial governments. Source : OpIndia The finger-pointing started instantly after a homeless stalker with eight prior arrests attacked a Manhattan woman, stabbing the helpless stranger more than 40 times inside her apartment. Christina Yuna Lees outraged neighbors, elected officials and even Mayor Adams demanded to know why accused murderer Assamad Nash was left on the streets despite three pending Manhattan court cases. The critics blamed broken legal and mental health systems with facilitating the heinous slaying of Lee inside her Chinatown home last Sunday. Advertisement Christina Yuna Lee (Handout) But a Daily News review of Nashs record shows neither bail reform laws nor Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs progressive prosecution policies factored into his freedom at the time of the nightmarish stabbing. The 25-year-old murder suspects experience in the system was anything but unusual, according to experts. Its clear the public isnt certain what kinds of cases were made ineligible for bail, what kinds of cases are still eligible for bail, and whether, in the cases that are eligible for bail, it means bail must be set which it has never meant, said Mike Rempel, director of the Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay College. Advertisement The question remained unanswered as to why three judges, prosecutors under ex-DA Cy Vance and successor Bragg, and Nashs Legal Aid attorneys never recommended him for mental health services or a psychiatric exam at any of his court appearances including his arraignment for Lees murder. Christina Lee's body is removed from her Chrystie St. apartment building on Sunday, February 13. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) According to the DA, defense attorneys never requested an examination at any of his appearances. And it remained unclear if the Manhattan judges who saw Nash in their courtrooms before the killing were made aware of his extensive New Jersey criminal history. His 18 prior arrests across the Hudson River included charges of robbery, carjacking and burglary, authorities said. The judges who presided over Nashs New York cases before the killing could have set bail, but did not. Its a common practice in misdemeanor cases, like the ones Nash faced after a Sept. 28, 2021, assault case where he punched a man at a subway turnstile and a Jan. 6 arrest for criminal mischief and escaping police custody. The New York Daily News front page on Feb. 15, 2022. (New York Daily News) An April 2021 report by the Center for Court Innovation, claims city judges imposed bail in just 7.8% of all misdemeanor cases in 2019, before state lawmakers passed the reforms. Defendants were remanded in less than 1% of those cases. During Nashs last appearance on Jan. 7 in the lower Manhattan courthouse just a 10-minute walk from Lees apartment Braggs office charged him with breaking MetroCard machines at three stations, trying to escape from a police van and other nonviolent offenses. Judge Herb Moses issued supervised release at prosecutors request, requiring Nash to periodically check in with the courts as his case played out. Five weeks later, he was back on a murder charge. Advertisement Nash allegedly stalked and stabbed Lee, 35, to death as horrified neighbors called police after hearing her screams. A criminal complaint recounted how Nash forced his way into her sixth-floor apartment, where police found the slain designer naked from the waist up inside the bathroom and Nash hiding under her bed. A yellow-handled knife was recovered at the scene and the complaint alleged that Nash earlier feigned a womans voice from inside the apartment, insisting there was no need for the police. Assamad Nash, 25, who was arrested on charges of murder and burglary in the death of Christina Yuna Lee, walking into a Manhattan courtroom on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. (Curtis Means/Daily Mail.com via AP, Pool) (CURTIS MEANS/AP) At a vigil outside Lees apartment, Derek Perkinson of the National Action Network said that the missing component in the bail system was support for people once released. We all let her down, said Perkinson of Lee. Theyre just waiting for individuals to commit crimes to end up putting them back in jail. What supervision are they doing? What are they performing for the individual to get them whats needed? You can have a conversation with these individuals and see in one or two minutes they need help. The supervised release program is administered by Mayor Adams Office of Criminal Justice and CASES, which provides alternatives to incarceration. Neither addressed queries about Nash, leaving unanswered whether he complied with the terms of his release. His lawyers at Legal Aid declined to comment. But this much is clear: Manhattan Justice Jay Weiner, who would later arraign Nash for the Lee murder, issued a Nov. 18 warrant for his arrest after Nash skipped a routine court appearance. It was not clear what steps, if any, authorities took to find him. Advertisement Assamad Nash, center, is escorted by police officers from the 5th Precinct stationhouse in Manhattan, New York, on Monday, Feb. 14. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News) On Oct. 13, Nash appeared in a Manhattan courtroom with desk appearance tickets charging him with selling counterfeit subway rides on Sept. 23 and randomly punching a straphanger five days later inside the Grand St. subway station near Lees apartment building. After hearing those cases, Judge Saul Stein released Nash with the consent of former DA Vances office. The 62-year-old punching victim told The News in an interview on Tuesday that he felt authorities didnt take a close enough look at Nash after the incident. Theyre just letting people out of jail so fast, said David Elliot. Three judges Moses, Stein, and Weiner had more to review than just Nashs Manhattan arrest history when he appeared before them. Court records show New Jersey police had arrested him at least 18 times for various crimes, including burglary, carjacking, criminal mischief. City judges may consider a defendants out-of-state record when deciding bail. Advertisement Assamad Nash is escorted by police officers from the 5th Precinct stationhouse in Manhattan, New York, on Monday, Feb. 14. (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News) In one disturbing June 2019 incident, Nash allegedly ordered pizza from Papa Pats in Newark before ambushing the deliveryman with a second assailant already fitted with an ankle bracelet.. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The criminal complaint describes the deliveryman being lured to the front entrance of a house by Nash or his accomplice, where the worker was whacked in the head from behind with a hard object and robbed of his wallet, drivers license and VA card. Authorities could have diverted Nash to a psychiatric evaluation or drug counseling. That did not happen, records show, despite court records recounting his history of smoking K2 a toxic synthetic drug proven to cause hallucinations. Repeated efforts to contact Nashs family about the case were unsuccessful. Christina Lee was pronounced dead on scene after she was found lying in a bathtub inside her 6th floor apartment on Chrystie Street in Manhattan on Sunday, February 13. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) In remarks Thursday, Adams referenced legislation unrelated to the bail reform: Kendras Law, which authorizes the courts to order outpatient care for mentally ill people in the system struggling to follow prescribed treatment. We need to really reexamine how we are dealing with individuals who are showing imminent danger to themselves and others, the mayor said. The goal we must always do is find out when you have an action like this lets do a deep dive, what were the warning signs, what should we have looked for? Advertisement But Adams also said he did not have any details about Nashs mental health. Im not sure if there was a real mental health history of this gentleman that carried this crime, but we need to look at that, examine that, he said. Jamaica Inn is delighted to welcome Olivia Morrow to their team as Assistant Director of Sales and Marketing for Europe. Olivia brings years of experience within the luxury hospitality industry and deep knowledge of the resort to the Jamaica Inn team. In her new role, Olivia will aid the sales and marketing team's efforts within Europe. Additionally, Olivia and her team will oversee the maintenance and growth of the resort's European clientele. She will conduct these efforts out of Jamaica and London, allowing her to connect directly with many of the resort's key publics. Olivia began her career in hospitality studying hospitality management at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, in Switzerland. Following her time in Switzerland, Olivia gained a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing from Elon University. Olivia has a deep understanding of the luxury hospitality industry, gaining hands-on experience at many luxury hotels worldwide. Prior to starting her position at The Jamaica Inn, Olivia worked at the Fairmont San Francisco and The Goring House London. Most recently, Olivia worked as a Senior PR and Marketing Executive for Luxury Marketing House in London. She looks to leverage this fantastic experience into continued growth for one of Jamaica's most historic resorts. For more information about Jamaica Inn, please visit www.jamaicainn.com. Lilly Jan is a lecturer of food and beverage at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. She brings nearly 15 years of experience across the hospitality and foodservice sectors, including catering and events, retail, and television production. Prior to joining Cornell, she was the Director of Culinary Operations for Newbury College in Brookline, Massachusetts. Lilly also served as a faculty member and academic advisor at Newbury College, creating and teaching a range of classes across culinary and hospitality management. She has also taught for Le Cordon Bleu and Boston University. "Whats Burning is a production of the Galilee Culinary Institutes Rosenfield School of Culinary Arts. As a chef, product and recipe developer, and foodservice consultant, Lilly has worked with a variety of food-based businesses, including a food truck, on-demand food delivery, food start-up, and retail food stores. She specializes in operations management, focusing on ushering food business concepts to market. A frequent speaker and media contact on food culture, cooking and Chinese cuisine, Lilly has been featured in print and radio outlets. She worked on TV production for America's Test Kitchen and was a regular contributor for WGBH's Boston Public Radio. Lilly's research interests focus on workplace culture and career progression in the foodservice industry, food safety and food allergy training and education in restaurants, and culture and cuisine. On this episode of "What's Burning", Lilly's chat with Host Mitchell Davis includes conversation around what Lilly calls "eating broadly with an open mind", the toxic restaurant culture, and the need to understand that not everyone has the same "why". For more on Lilly Jan visit her website. Follow Lilly on Twitter @lillyj, on Instagram @lillsjan and on LinkedIn. Read the full article at Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF USA Jennifer Mayo 607.255.3101 Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF USA Theres always that one employee who refuses to follow directions. It seems that no matter how many times you talk to him, he continues to forget to do what hes told or at worst, intentionally refuses to do it. So, what do you do with an employee like this? Sure, we can give him a kick in the rear and show him the door, but you never want to lose an otherwise half-decent employee if you can help it. But even one who gives you a line like this; Is it really that important that Im wearing my name tag? What is a Company Standard? A company standard is the specification of a product or process to be repeatedly and consistently used in the company, (IGI Global). I love this description of company standards from The Hartford Company: Your standards define how your company acts, which, in turn, builds trust in your brand. They can be guidelines that describe quality, performance, safety, terminology, testing, or management systems, to name a few. They can comply with authoritative agencies or professional organizations and be enforceable by law, such as required medical degrees for doctors or credentials for financial planners. Or they can be voluntary rules you establish to create confidence among your clients that your business operates at a high and consistent quality level, such as a restaurant only using the highest quality, locally-sourced ingredients. Standards must align with your mission, business objectives, and organizational leadership, and be implemented consistently across your enterprise. Employees need to buy into the value of adhering to standards, so everyone is pulling in the same direction and reinforcing your brand. Why Are Name Tags Important? Wow, that sure sums it up! So, what do you say to an employee who complains that there are too many company standards to follow and many of them are small and really arent that important? My answer is, If you dont care enough about the little things, how can I be confident that youll care about the big things? Ive worked with so many managers who turned a blind-eye to little things like name tags. They didnt seem to care about employees who were habitually late, or who always seemed to call out on Mondays. If the employee underperformed, they did little to correct them. If they switched shifts with a team member without prior approval, well, At least they got their shift covered. I disagree. Are Your Employees Required to Wear a Name Tag? As Ive written in a past post entitled, What Do You Do When Your Employees Dont Care?, not every employee is happy with their job or will go to the ends of the earth in order to fulfill the needs of the company. Many just want a paycheck. But, and this is a big but When employees know they can continually bypass certain rules, guidelines, or procedures because the boss never seems to hold them accountable, they become emboldened. They feel untouchable. They believe they can get away with this or that with little repercussions. But where does this end? Can we expect a lackluster employee to wake up one day and suddenly adhere to all the rules he so frequently avoided in the past? Of course not! That doesnt happen. Maybe in the movies, it does. The actor sees a shooting star then gets an epiphany and realizes his failures and how much stress hes caused his manager. Yesterday he forgot his name tag but today (and every day forward) he doesnt. Yeah, sure. Never gonna happen. Are Company Standards Important? Should we care about name tags or employees who come in late? What about deadlines not being met or deliveries constantly late because someone failed to follow procedures? What about the one who spreads gossip or false rumors? Or the one who always seems to be on a break when there is extra work to be done? Is It Important That Im Wearing a Name Tag? Should we do nothing about these things too? Or, is it really that important? Your thoughts Steve DiGioia +1 973 997 9003 Steve DiGioia Jay Jordan Two people suspected of stealing catalytic converters were arrested Sunday after a police chase that stretched over 50 miles from Texas City to Houston. Texas City police began chasing the vehicle, which was wanted in connection with several catalytic converter thefts, just before 1 a.m. after they were called to an apartment complex in Texas City, according to Lt. Raska of the Houston Police Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Hot pink posters lined a corner in southeast Houston where more than 100 families and community activists marched alongside the parents of Arlene Alvarez, the 9-year-old who was mistakenly shot and killed by a robbery victim on Valentines night. Chants of No more gun violence echoed as demonstrators walked toward Loop 610 from the Chase bank at Woodridge and Winkler where the robbery occurred on Monday night. We are here to bring unity to the community because it is not just us, Armando Alvarez, Arlenes father, said alongside Elaine Grant-Williams, grandmother of 9-year-old Ashanti Grant, who was shot in the head during a road rage incident Feb. 8. Grant is still recovering. OPINION: Another child shot? Before you buy a gun for self defense, learn these facts. There are things that need to change right now because they havent changed. By us being here together, these things will change concerning gun violence and children, he said. The pain in the aftermath of the incident has been unfathomable for Arlenes mother, Gwen Alvarez. Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan Houston Chronicle Contributor Annie Mulligan Houstonians marched to end gun violence against children. I keep thinking shes at school but, when I get to the house, I have to show her love through a picture instead of in person. Its an immeasurable pain, she said. All for the immaturity of some people who cant control themselves, its absurd. In the wake of the killing, Alvarez has now found other families, like Grants, who have experienced a similar pain. A lot of people like her are coming to me and my husband its not just her, she added. It hurts me that so many people are relating to my case. Richard Molina, nephew of Joe Campos-Torres who was murdered by HPD in 1977, said the death of Arlene compounds on the many recent acts of violence affecting children in Houston, citing as examples the Feb. 3 fatal shooting of 11-year-old Darius DJ Dugas in northeast Harris County and the Jan. 11 fatal shooting of 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez. Arlene and her family didnt deserve this, they were driving out on Valentines Day and now it will never be the same for this family, Molina said, addressing the crowd. For this child, we cant allow her death to be in vain. We cant allow the past children and victims deaths to be in vain. Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, and Houston City Council member Robert Gallegos of District 1 were among the political leaders to attend the march. Both pointed at the recent passing of Texas House Bill 1927 as a catalyst for the many recent acts of gun violence around the city and state. The law allows most adults to carry weapons without a license or fee. CRIME: Melissa Lucio could be the first Latina executed in Texas. Family members say her crime was a tragic accident. To those that supported this law, is this what you had in mind? Is this what you wanted the outcome to be when you pushed that law? Alvarado said. When every police chief, damn near every police chief, in the state of Texas said No. This is not a way to make our community safer. Gallegos called for the community to take their frustrations to the polls on Election Day March 1. Right now, you can do something. You can vote those people out that passed the law, Gallegos said. Who in the heck shoots a gun when theres a Home Depot and retail stores across the street? Thats because, again, the governor allowed that to happen because he has other political aspirations. He doesnt care about us. For Armando Alvarez, the issue is not about gun rights or ownership, but rather, guns landing in the hands of the wrong people. We have firearms landing with people who shouldnt have firearms, Alvarez said, adding he owns guns himself and has a license to carry. We know the laws and we know when to shoot. You shoot one and thats it. If the person is not in front of you, they are not a threat anymore. Its not self defense. More marches for child victims are being planned for upcoming dates, according to Molina. joel.umanzor@chron.com She used to live in Queens on Utopia Pkwy. She died homeless and alone in the bowels of a Long Island City subway station. Audrey Lumer, 63, was found dead Feb. 9 on the subway platform at the 21st. St-Van Alst station on the G line, surrounded by bags and covered in bed bugs. Shed been evicted from her apartment less than four years earlier. Advertisement She was an amateur painter who hoarded cats and ran her own travel agency on Long Island until the business shuttered, according to her family. Audrey Lumer Lumer was already in rough shape when she was evicted on June 8, 2018 and she turned to a life on the streets that lasted 1,342 days. She was one of at least six homeless people found dead on the subway so far this year and the only one whose family has been notified, according to the NYPD. Advertisement The police called me Wednesday and told me the news about Audrey, her brother, Steven Lumer, wrote in a eulogy last week. I couldnt believe it, but I guess it was just a matter of time. Her demise highlights the parallel crises of homelessness and mental health the city is reckoning with as housing advocates brace for the impact of last months expiration of New York States eviction moratorium. Audrey Lumer was found next to this bench, surrounded by bags at the 21st St.-Van Alst station on the G line in Queens on Feb. 9, 2022. (R C MacLagger) In 2013, Lumer moved back into her fathers home on Utopia Pkwy., where she grew up, a block away from Francis Lewis High School, which she attended, her family said. Her house in Long Island had been foreclosed on that year and she settled in with her father, Joseph. But two years later the old man decided to spend his golden years in Florida with his new girlfriend, and moved out of the apartment hed lived in since 1962, surrendering the lease. But Lumer didnt move out or pay her fathers rent, housing court records show. The landlords sought to evict her, a process that took three years. Audrey Lumer was a cat lover. (Family Handout) She pleaded with the court to let her stay, claiming in a May 31, 2018 filing that her wallet was stolen three weeks ago. They took my drivers license. Lumer was evicted eight days later. I do not have a place to live, she wrote in a court filing three days after she was booted from the apartment. Advertisement I was left with no money, she claimed in more paperwork on June 22. She packed her few belongings and her clowder of cats into a U-Haul truck and took them to a storage facility. She made some money off of government assistance and occasionally worked as a food deliverer, according to her family. But it wasnt enough to get a roof over her head. She couldnt stay with her brother Steven, a finance director who owns an apartment on the Upper East Side. Earlier that year, he got a protective order against his sister because he said she was harassing him and his family. Right before she got evicted I tried to get her the help she needed, said Steven. I said she needed a plan. She needed to get the help that the city and religious centers offer, but she refused. Audrey Lumer Two months after Lumer was evicted, Steven said he received a call from the police notifying him there were cats crying in his sisters storage unit. Cops asked his permission to open the unit and take the cats to a shelter. He agreed. Advertisement Lumers mental health deteriorated over the next few years, her relatives said. Her father died in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept the family from gathering for a proper funeral. Shed regularly repost old photos on Facebook, which she did using laptops at electronic stores. Audrey Lumer was an amateur painter. In some of her posts she accused her brother of stealing her cats and her fathers girlfriend of forcing her out of the Utopia Pkwy. apartment. Being homeless makes it challenging for people to stay mentally healthy, said Jacquelyn Simone, policy director for the Coalition for the Homeless. Peoples lives can quickly unravel when they dont have stable affordable housing. Every person we see on the subways and on the streets has a history we dont know. Audrey Lumer was found dead on the subway platform at the 21st. St-Van Alst station on the G line in Queens on Feb. 9, 2022. (R C MacLagger) Its unclear whether Lumer ever stayed in a homeless shelter or made contact with homeless outreach workers. The last time Lumer made contact with her brother was last year, when she showed up in his building lobby and demanded to see him. Steven called the police, who declined to take her to get help because she did not pose a threat to herself or others. Advertisement Less than a year later, she was dead on the G train platform. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Lumers story shows how fragile life is for so many in New York after theyre evicted, said Judith Goldiner, attorney in charge at the Legal Aid Society. And an imminent eviction crisis could thrust countless others into similar situations, she said. So many people are behind in their rent, so many people live in apartments without protections, said Goldiner. What are we going to do for those folks? Audrey Lumer in happier times. Research from NYUs Furman Center found there were 3,455 outstanding eviction warrants in the city when the moratorium went into effect in March 2020 as the pandemic hit. There have been more than 78,000 new eviction filings since then, the research shows. A lot of people need help, said Steven, who buried his sister in Staten Island last week. She wanted to be a famous artist. And you know what? Maybe her story gives her that. Advertisement Mayor Adams announced a plan Friday to push more homeless New Yorkers into shelters and care facilities. A few weeks too late, Steven lamented. A San Antonio couple were arrested after being accused of severely beating a 12-year-old boy who later died, court documents said. Derrick Coles, 32, and his wife, 27-year-old Kapri Cheatom, were arrested on suspicion of assault on a child resulting in serious bodily injury. Each is being held on $150,000 bail, and the charges against the couple may be increased in light of the childs subsequent death. Police on Feb. 6 went to the couples Northwest Side home at 7026 Wurzbach Road after receiving a report of an injured child. Coles told police that his son Danilo fell in the shower and collapsed, an affidavit supporting the couples arrest said. When medics arrived, they found Danilo unresponsive. He was taken to University Hospital and died later that night, according to Bexar County death records. HOUSTON CRIME: Houston mother gets 40 years in beating death of 5-year-old daughter At the hospital, staff found suspicious injuries that were inconsistent with Coles account, the arrest affidavit said. Danilos injuries consisted of whipping marks on his torso and legs, rectal bleeding and internal stomach bleeding, the affidavit said. He was found to have no brain activity. Danilo had recently moved to San Antonio from Chicago to live with Coles and Cheatom after suffering abuse at the hands of his mother, the affidavit said. Cheatom told police that Danilo had been disrespectful since he moved in and that she and Coles would discipline him by making him do pushups while holding 50-pound boxes, the affidavit said. On Sunday, the couple told police, they made Danilo hold a 32-ounce case of bottled water for an hour, and when he couldnt hold it any longer, the two lightened the load by giving him smaller boxes to hold. 'ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING': Houston couple indicted on capital murder charges in death of 8-year-old boy The couple told police that they continued to discipline Danilo for about four hours before they told him to take a shower. Coles said the boy told his father and stepmother that he fell in the shower and cut his eye. According to the affidavit, Coles and Cheatom said they allowed Danilo to eat before resuming their discipline making him do pushups until he physically couldnt and hitting him multiple times with a belt. Cheatom told police they were aware the child was bleeding while they were whipping him and that the 12-year-old was not moving and was lying in a fetal position. She said she didnt think he was in pain because he wasnt crying, according to the arrest affidavit. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @Taylor Pettaway This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Conservative takeovers of local school boards have already altered lessons on race and social injustice in many classrooms. Now some districts are finding their broader efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion are also being challenged. As her Colorado school districts equity director, Alexis Knox-Miller thought the work she and a volunteer team were doing was on solid ground, especially with an audit in hand that detailed where the district was falling short in making sure all students had the same opportunities. But in December, Knox-Miller reluctantly disbanded the equity leadership team after more than a year of meetings. New conservative members had won a majority on the school board after voicing doubts about the work, and she worried the efforts might not lead anywhere. The new board says it will take up the issue in the spring. Around the time that the equity audit was being released, I realized that the tide had changed around diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Knox-Miller said. People were conflating the definition of equity with critical race theory, and the absurd accusations that we were teaching critical race theory in classrooms to kindergartners began. Since issues of diversity, equity and inclusion can thread their way through every part of a school system including recruitment, services and equipment the debate carries implications for hiring and spending. CRT IN TEXAS: Dan Patrick wants to end tenure at public universities, citing critical race theory In some districts, proposals aimed at making schools more welcoming places for students from diverse backgrounds have been reversed as a result of turnover on school boards, while work elsewhere faces a chill from acrimonious debate around topics that have been mislabeled as critical race theory. School administrators say critical race theory, a scholarly theory that centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nations institutions, is not taught in K-12 schools. But that has done little to sway opponents who assert that school systems are misspending money, perpetuating divisions and shaming white children by pursuing initiatives they view as critical race theory in disguise. NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here. In a fraught political climate that already had escalated fights about pandemic mask and vaccine requirements, divisions are taking a toll, said Dan Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendents Association. Even in districts that arent threatened as much, theyre thinking twice about what they say and what they do and how they go about doing it because it is having a chilling effect on the whole equity, diversity and inclusion movement, Domenech said. Colorado Springs School District 11, a large and diverse system of 26,000 students where Knox-Miller works, was the first in its area to adopt a formal equity policy, unanimously approving it May 27, 2020, two days after the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota sparked national reflection on race and social justice issues in and out of schools. The policy acknowledged gaps in achievement and opportunities among marginalized student groups and recognized the impact of systemic inequities on teaching and learning. Part of Knox-Millers work involved commissioning an audit by the American Institutes for Research. It found that schools with high concentrations of special education students, English language learners, students living in poverty and students of color were scoring measurably below other schools. Critics questioned the findings and the way they were presented, at a series of public meetings called equity cafes that some said limited full discussions. Conservative candidates set their sights on the school board, with three winning seats in the November election. Knox-Miller saw no choice but to stand down. ERICA GRIEDER: GOP campaign against 'critical race theory' taking a toll on Cy-Fair ISD Board President Parth Melpakam said by email that the new board had yet to discuss the issue but plans to at a work session in the spring. The D11 BOE remains committed to assuring educational equity by providing the support and resources every child needs to develop their full academic potential, he said. In Southlake, Texas, the newly elected conservative majority on the Carroll Independent School Districts board killed a proposed cultural competency action plan in December and disbanded the suburban Dallas districts diversity council as part of a legal settlement. The plan had been in the works since a 2018 video showed students in the mostly white district chanting a racial slur at a party after the school's homecoming celebration. A second video of students using the slur emerged in 2019. IN THE CLASSROOM: Teachers told to include 'opposing' views with Holocaust books in Southlake, Dallas suburb We dont have a racism problem in Southlake. If children behave improperly, then they should be disciplined, Tim OHare, founder of a political action committee formed to fund conservative candidates and defeat the plan, told The Texan. In Pennridge, Pennsylvania, the school district's diversity, equity and inclusion initiative was put on hold last year after it became a flashpoint in debates that touched also on COVID-19 safety protocols, including mask mandates. Democrat Adrienne King, who helped design the plan, ran for a seat on the school board and lost in November. Five Republicans won after running against the initiative, which they had called divisive. The programs future remains unclear while a new committee considers it. The districts diversity, equity and inclusion guidebook, no longer visible on the districts website, proposed ways to recruit diverse job candidates and improve training for teachers, and encouraged lessons that invite students to reflect on their own culture and history. The initiative could have helped prevent unnecessarily painful experiences, King said, like when a white second grader, without meaning to hurt anyones feelings, called Kings daughter, who is Black, a slave after learning about Frederick Douglass. CALLS FOR RESIGNATION: Clear Creek ISD superintendent Eric Williams addresses critical race theory claims In a second grade mind, it was just, 'Oh, I learned this new fact. Youre Black, Frederick Douglass was Black. You must be a slave, she said. Neither the boards president nor school administrators responded to requests for comment. The Arlington, Virginia-based group Parents Defending Education is critical of diversity, equity and inclusion programming, citing on its website a goal of fighting indoctrination in the classroom. It tracks examples of what it views as inappropriate activities, such as an educator training session in Missouri that included discussion of microagressions and implicit bias. What they have become are Trojan horses for all of these divisive programs that push really illiberal ideas like segregated groups based on race, privilege walks, privilege bingo, said Asra Nomani, the organization's vice president for strategy and investigations. Still, many other initiatives continue as planned. An equity program that schools in Clayton County, Georgia, undertook more than a year ago was designed to keep politics and emotions out of it, Superintendent Morcease Beasley said. A task force has undertaken a deep dive into the districts programming that will use data to drive policy changes. Equity is not about emotions. Equity is about what the data tells us and ensuring that we allow the data to inform our decisions, he said. Thats what equity is about. Where are the needs? Who needs the resources? What do they need? The Texas Education Agency confirmed this week it now requires new charter schools to submit a "statement of assurance" that the school will follow so-called critical race theory laws before opening its doors to the public. Last year, Texas lawmakers passed two laws designed to limit how teachers could discuss issues of race in the classroom. The state's current law, Senate Bill 3, replaced an earlier measure, House Bill 3979. Both have been labeled by conservatives as anti-critical race theory laws although the term is not included in either law. "As part of the routine contingencies of the charter application process, TEA included a general contingency for all approved Generation 26 applicants that they submit a statement of assurance that the school design and curricular materials are aligned with the TEKS including all clauses of HB 3979 and any subsequent related legislation," the agency said in an Thursday email to The Texas Tribune, referring to the standards that outline what students learn in each course or grade, called Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. HOUSE BILL 3979: Legislature passes bill banning critical race theory from Texas classrooms The new requirement was first asked for charter schools set to open in August. The agency did not immediately say if it will require this statement beyond that applicant pool, nor elaborate on why the assurance was needed or whether they will expand it to include all charter, or even all public, schools. A charter school is a public school that is state-funded but run mostly by nonprofits. In January, the education news outlet Chalkbeat reported how an application for a new charter school in San Antonio was approved, then put on hold because the school had a quote from author Ibram X. Kendis How to Be an Antiracist on its website and application materials. These efforts in secondary schools have been mislabeled by some conservatives as the teaching of critical race theory, something that has always been taught on the university level. Critical race theory is the idea that racism is embedded in legal systems and not limited to individuals. But it has become a common phrase used by conservatives to include anything about race taught or discussed in public secondary schools. Earlier this week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vowed to ban the teaching of critical race theory at Texas public colleges and universities. NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here. 'TOP ISSUE': Dan Patrick wants to end tenure at public universities, citing critical race theory The states current law, SB 3, states a "teacher may not be compelled to discuss a widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs. The law doesnt define what a controversial issue is. If a teacher does discuss these topics, they must explore that topic objectively and in a manner free from political bias. The law also also states that America's history of slavery cant be taught as contributing to the true founding of the United States and that slavery is nothing more than a deviation from the countrys foundations of liberty and equality. Brian Whitley, vice president of communications and research at the Texas Public Charter Schools Association, said he hasnt heard before of charter schools having to provide any statement that the school will follow state laws. It's sort of a moot point, he said. Just like ISDs, public charter schools in Texas follow all state laws that apply to them. Charter school administrators are more concerned with how to correctly comply with the law rather than looking for ways to be against it, he said. Mark Wiggins, lobbyist for the Association of Texas Professional Educators, said he believes this is a way for the TEA to hold charter schools accountable. While public schools must respond to elected school boards and taxpayers, the TEA holds that role for charter schools. Charters need to be held to the same level of accountability as traditional public schools, he said. Since lawmakers passed the social studies restrictions, educators have been confused on how it should be applied. Chloe Latham Sikes, deputy director of policy at the Intercultural Development Research Association, said one of the issues with the TEA issuing this requirement is that the agency still has not given official guidance on how to comply with the law. Sikes also believes it is redundant as schools are already having to follow the state's curriculum guidelines. In documents obtained by The Texas Tribune, the TEA has been advising school administrators that teachers should just continue teaching the current curriculum until the State Board of Education revises the social studies curriculum over the next year. It just brings up the question, well, what is really the purpose of that [law] if there's no state guidance to comply with? she said. Disclosure: Association of Texas Professional Educators and Texas Public Charter Schools Association have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. Michael Miller, Freelance / San Antonio Express-News Two skydivers were seriously injured when their parachutes failed to deploy Saturday afternoon in Waller County, Sheriff Troy Guidry said. The accident occurred around 12:15 p.m. during a tandem jump involving a male instructor and female participant. Guidry said their primary and reserve chutes malfunctioned and the pair struck the ground at a high rate of speed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A small group of protesters charged the stage Saturday at A Day of Remembrance: a Black History Month Tribute to the Sugar Land 95 to question the proposed name of a cemetery. They asked: Why will the Sugar Land 95s final resting place be named Bullhead Camp Cemetery, after its position along the Bullhead Bayou Creek, instead of Ellis Cemetery or Cunningham Cemetery, after sugar plantation owners Littleberry A. Ellis and Ed H. Cunningham who profited from the convict work camps? The community puts Ellis name on streets and parks, but has backed away from attaching it to unflattering history. A more accurate name, said Maya Fontenot, would be the Sugar Land 95 Burial Site at the Ellis Convict Labor Camp Cemetery. The protesters interrupted the program moderated by KPRC-2 news anchor Khambrel Marshall that was intended to raise awareness surrounding the areas gruesome convict-leasing system, a forced-labor camp which effectively extended slavery in Texas until the program was abolished in 1912. Its a valid question and grounds for discussion, but this is not the time or place, Marshall said as Fontenot and Aanchal Thadani were escorted out of the building by constables. Others followed the two women out, passing at least half a dozen signs zig-zagged through Fluor Corporation headquarters on Saturday that led the way to Society of Justice & Equality for the People of Sugar Lands special event. The signs marked by red, green and black mylar balloons invited passersby to Say The Names of the 95 African-American men whose remains were discovered on Fort Bend Independent School District property in 2019. NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here. Morris Gray, a 40-year-old married laborer, died on July 18, 1889, of sun stroke at Ellis Day Camp. John Blacksom, a 25-year-old hotel waiter, died on July 10, 1899, from drowning at Ellis Day Camp. Davy Smith, a 23-year old married laborer, died on Nov. 16, 1890 after being run over by a tram car at Ellis Day Camp. I though there would be a Q&A session, Fontenot says. But when I saw there were no microphones in the crowd I realized that wasnt the case. And I had to ask the question. In 2021, Fort Bend ISD approved a $170,000 contract with MASS Design Group, a Boston-based nonprofit design collective, to design an outdoor exhibit near the James Reese Career and Technical Center, the construction of which led to the remains discovery. Today, the Centers sleek, new facade stands in stark contrast to the unmarked, grassy burial site that lacks fencing or signage. Jha D. Amazi, project manager and a senior associate at MASS Deign Group, was exiting the stage when Fontenot and Thadani disrupted the program. On HoustonChronicle.com: You'd never know 95 people were buried here, and critics blame Fort Bend ISD Their petition, All Black Cemeteries Matter: Tell the Truth of the Sugar Land 95, suggests that the name Bullhead Camp Cemetery fails to hold Ellis accountable for his brutal legacy and erases the memory of those who died at Bullhead Camp, owned by Cunningham. The end goal is to convince the Texas Historical Commissions Bob Brinkman that Sugar Land 95 Burial Site at the Ellis Convict Labor Camp Cemetery would be more accurate. Organizers and protesters were in agreement on other topics, such as honoring Reginald Moore, the late activist and former prison guard who warned Fort Bend ISD official they would likely find human remains during construction of the James Reese Career and Technical Center. Or Oscar Perez, a project worker who pushed for management to stop excavation after being told initially that the remains found had less than a 1 percent chance of being human. Author Matthew J. Mancini, Ph.D, read aloud from his book, One Dies, Get Another: Convict Leasing in the American South: 1866-1928 as event-goers trickled outside to join the discussion led by Fontenot and Thadani. Less than 10 feet away, a mother read the bio of West Scott, an 18-year-old farmer killed by a shotgun at Ellis Camp, aloud to her two sons. amber.elliott@chron.com On a spring day in 1958, Philip Johnson had Frank Lloyd Wright over for a cocktail party at his famous glass house in New Canaan, Conn. A photographer later recalled the meeting of the two great 20th century architects. Apparently, in the middle of lecturing the other guests on the history of architecture from caves to skyscrapers, Wright got up to refresh his glass of scotch and also took the liberty to move a sculpture from the center of the room over to the side. When Wright resumed his talk, Johnson got up and put the statue back in the center of the room. Once Wright realized this he blew up, saying, Philip, leave perfect symmetry to God! This month, Rice University finally caught up with Wright and decided to move the statue of William Marsh Rice, its namesake and founding benefactor, over to the side within the main quadrangle. For 91 years, the bronze statue has sat atop nearly eight feet of pink Texas granite and Rices cremated remains. It occupies the middle of the central quad where the main paths intersect right at the point of symmetry. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer William Marsh Rice, however, was far from infallible. He was a man from Massachusetts who moved to Houston in 1838 and made a fortune. He enslaved at least 15 people and specified in his bequest an institute for white inhabitants. That institution is rightly struggling to reconcile its towering achievements with its racist origins. Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Its decision to relocate the statue, rather than to remove it as many students and others have demanded, is the right choice for now and navigates the competing currents in our ongoing culture wars. One side wants to tear down all monuments that have any association with slavery. Another side says we should not cancel or erase history. Others call for new statues and monuments that reflect a more diverse time in America or credit contributions long overlooked in standard histories. At Rice, student Shifa Rahman led daily protests for months calling for permanent removal of the statue while former Secretary of State James Baker, for whom the Baker Institute is named, told attendees at a Heritage Society luncheon that he opposed removal of Rices statue and None of those kids would have an education without him. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer The universitys plan should be more than a compromise. It should invite not just the Rice community but the entire city into a conversation about our difficult history a conversation that is uncomfortable and that can make us more free. If the plan is executed well, the result could also be a campus that is more beautiful and more vital. But if the plan is to have lasting value, Rice will have to go far beyond simply relocating a statue. Rice must continue to use the controversy over the statue as an impetus to do long-neglected research on their own entanglement with slavery. It began that work in 2019, when Rice announced a task force on slavery, segregation and racial injustice chaired by two of its foremost historians, Alexander X. Byrd and Caleb McDaniel. The group organized 11 panel discussions, 23 webinars and hosted a research collective that unearthed primary documents. It found that Rice not only enslaved people, he played an active role in recapturing those who tried to escape and that he built his fortune, in part, by financing plantations that used slave labor. It also found the motivation behind commissioning and installing the statue was to honor Rices philanthropy. The speeches at the dedication did not mention or glorify the Confederacy, though they also maintained silence on slavery, Jim Crow segregation and the exclusion of Black people from the school. Last June, the task force recommended that Rice make a bold change. At the end of last month, the board of trustees announced the plan to relocate the statue within the quad with historical context including his ownership of enslaved people as part of a redesign of the entire quad with a new monument of similar prominence commemorating the beginning of the universitys integration in the 1960s, well after many leading schools. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Byrd, who grew up in the Northside and graduated from Jack Yates High School, told the editorial board, I am hopeful that something powerful will result. McDaniel told us that the quadrangle receives visitors from around the state and from around the world. The new design should better educate all visitors about the significance of slavery in the history of Texas and the origins of Houston. Statues erected after the Civil War to glorify those who fought to defend slavery, or to celebrate a distorted view of our history, have rightly been removed all over America. Rices statue falls into another category. He was celebrated merely because he founded a great university. We like that the university has recognized that Rice does not deserve the central place of honor hes been given these past 91 years. We are encouraged that plans call for a new, equally prominent monument to reflect Rices hard-fought decision to counter its founders racist, exclusionary vision when it ended its whites-only admissions policy. And we are impressed by its pledge to add context uncovered by the task forces digging deep into the historical record. By bringing to light this unvarnished history, it invites all of Houston in to understand the system of which Rice was but one part. What will occupy that place of symmetry where the Rice statue currently looms? Perhaps even Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson would not be up to that challenge. Whoever takes it on faces the risk of making a space that feels like a museum courtyard with competing monuments, not the lively commons of a school. Yet we too are also hopeful that by facing a horrifying history with honesty and by addressing the legacy of past wrongs, Rice will create a beautiful place that is welcoming to all. Regarding Rice will move founders statue to account for racist history, (Feb. 11): I believe that the students, regents and faculty should be fully and completely politically correct by renaming the university Wheat, or maybe Corn. That said, eliminating every vestige of any person who was in any way connected to slavery would not change our culture or our willingness to sacrifice for each other in times of crisis. Perhaps it is time to follow Abe Lincolns advice, with malice towards none let us strive to bind up our Nations wounds.. Or we can just change the name of that university to Cabbage, or Applesauce. James A Babb, Friendswood Some Rice students advocate moving the statue of William Marsh Rice, whose fortune established Rice, to a less prominent campus location. Full disclosure: my husband, a daughter, and son-in-law all hold Rice degrees, and I have attended its continuing education classes. In his 22nd year, Rice arrived in a newly independent Texas, a place steeped in slavery. Without slavery, Texas could still be part of Mexico today. Fortune-seeking American cotton farmers demanded that Stephen F. Austin persuade the newly independent Mexican government to allow slaves in Texas, although Mexicos constitution had abolished slavery. Jim Bowie of Alamo fame was a slave trader, and William Barret Travis owned slaves in his home state, Alabama. The Texas Constitution of 1836 explicitly outlawed emancipation. And in 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a seven to one vote, passed Plessy vs. Ferguson, the notorious decree of separate but equal that lasted for over 50 years until Brown vs. Board of Education. William Marsh Rices wealth was so great that for its first five decades, Rice was tuition-free. Thousands of bright young people studied and lived on a beautiful campus while receiving excellent educations. Many went on to make major contributions to our city and the world. Wherever that statue goes, Mr. Rices generosity and love for his adopted city helped create a great university. Nothing will change that. Nancy Perich Daly, Houston Regarding Texas A&M students to weigh in on newspaper's future as some raise censorship concerns, (Feb. 16): Long before my eldest daughter graduated from Texas A&M, I was an admirer of the Aggie spirit and the quality of education it provided. As a graduate of Rice University, I am proud of the education I received there, and the culture of that institute on South Main. While Rice is in a turmoil about where to put the statue of its founder, the Aggie president seems to doubt the value of paper as a platform for the written words of its student newspaper, The Battalion. The answer seems simple. The printed newspaper can be distributed by placing it on news stands, or mail and will be available to all whose interest or curiosity is piqued by a headline, or merely the presence of the paper in a school library, or anywhere else it may be found. A digitized edition will only be seen by those whose computers are intentionally focused on that specific edition of the publication. I read about this controversy in my daily print edition of the Houston Chronicle. As Texas A&M President M. Katherine Banks must know by now, this is not rocket science. If she wants and intends for the student paper to have broad readership, allow the publisher to print it on paper and make it available. If she is more concerned about the cost of newsprint or is locked in to digitization as the only acceptable means of disseminating the news, she will limit the market and miss a lot of potential supporters. Res Ipsa Loquitur. Jim Greenwood, Houston CONROE Hundreds of people crammed into the veteran-themed Honor Cafe here Saturday as Marcus Luttrell, the retired Navy SEAL of Lone Survivor fame, made the case for sending his twin brother Morgan to Congress. But in between praise for Morgans toughness, Marcus Luttrell also took thinly veiled shots at Christian Collins, his brothers much younger rival in the March 1 Republican primary. Nothing against anybody running against my brother, but if youre a boy trying to be a man in this world, youre in the wrong spot, Marcus Luttrell said. About a 15-minute drive south on Interstate 45, the 33-year-old Collins was in the middle of his own rally at Grace Woodlands church, where he was joined by two of his most prominent supporters: U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, both members of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus. Up the road, Marcus Luttrell needled Collins without mentioning him by name for bringing in people from out of state just to talk smack about me and my brother. The 11-candidate Republican primary to succeed retiring congressman Kevin Brady has divided conservatives in Houston and Washington, with the vast majority of local officials, donors and deep-pocketed outside groups lining up behind either Collins or Morgan Luttrell. The two align on virtually every major policy issue, and both have attracted the support of right-wing conservatives, though Collins is more assertively throwing his lot in with the partys far-right faction and focusing on topics that animate the most devout Trump supporters enthusiastically calling for a nationwide audit of the 2020 election, for one. Luttrell a former Navy SEAL, like his brother also vows to aggressively support conservative policies in Congress, listing priorities that include building a southern border wall, stopping radical classroom indoctrination and ending federal vaccine mandates. Likening the D.C. swamp to a war zone, he says his time on the military battlefield has primed him for the vicious political fights that have come to define national politics. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle But Collins, a conservative activist and political operative who previously worked for Brady and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, insists that Luttrells rhetoric is undermined by his support from a super PAC with close ties to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California. Collins also frequently notes that Luttrell, 46, is backed by two Republicans, U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw of Houston and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who have sparred with the partys far-right faction represented by Greene and others who prize uncompromising loyalty to former President Donald Trump and his agenda. Framing himself as an insurgent willing to play hardball with Republican House leadership, Collins pledged Saturday to formalize his alliance with Greene and other like-minded members by forming an America first, patriot squad, a reference to the four-member squad of progressive Democrats that includes U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. The question for this district, Congressional District 8, is not whether we will elect a Republican, because we will. Its what type of Republican, Collins said. My race isnt about me versus the other guy, or whatever. This race is about the people versus the Washington establishment, the globalists, the uniparty. At a debate this month, Luttrell defended his support from the McCarthy-affiliated super PAC, saying the group is backing him because Im a better candidate, plain and simple. He also vowed to never come off the line on certain issues and suggested that standing up to House leadership presents a lesser challenge than the life-or-death decisions he faced in the Navy. Luttrell also sideswiped Collins at the debate for bashing Kinzinger, whose outspoken criticism of Trump has alienated him from the party. Disavowing Kinzingers anti-Trump actions, Luttrell said his campaign had returned a $5,000 check he received from Kinzingers PAC last year, though he also pushed back on Collins characterization of Kinzinger as a traitor. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer I dont agree with anything Adam says politically anymore. But that man is not a traitor to his country. He fought in a war for his country, Luttrell said, before turning to Collins. Did you? No, you didnt. Cawthorn, speaking at Collins rally Saturday, said it was after watching the debate that he decided to endorse Collins over Luttrell resolving that the latter embraced a laissez-faire, hands-off approach to governing in Washington, D.C. The America-first patriots have to come around Christian Collins so that we have someone who wants to come to Washington, D.C., not just to take up a seat but to go up there to actually get something done, Cawthorn said. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer With less than a week left of early voting, the race has seen a cascade of outside spending, led by a $593,000 infusion from the McCarthy-aligned super PAC last week to fund a TV ad promoting Luttrell. The 30-second spot says Luttrell will crush the woke mob and protect Texas energy, like he did serving in Trumps Energy Department a reference to Luttrells role as a special adviser under former Energy Secretary Rick Perry. (Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the primary.) Even with the pro-Luttrell TV ad, Collins has benefited from most of the outside spending in the race, including more than a half-million dollars apiece by a super PAC affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus and a super PAC funded entirely by Robert Marling, a banking executive from The Woodlands. Another super PAC called Drain the DC Swamp, largely funded by a Colorado-based GOP megadonor who has also supported far-right Republicans such as Greene and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, dropped $75,000 on direct mail and texting to support Collins. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The torrent of outside spending has helped Collins remain financially competitive with Luttrell, who had raised nearly $2.2 million through Feb. 9, more than five times as much as Collins. Former Navy judge advocate general Jonathan Hullihan, who has hauled in $196,000, was the only other candidate to break six figures. Four other GOP candidates had raised between $17,000 and $44,000 since the start of the campaign: former Navy helicopter pilot Dan McKaughan, businesswoman Candice Burrows, Willis public works director Taylor Whichard and Jessica Wellington, a former district director for retired congressman Ted Poe. The four remaining candidates had not reported any fundraising. The winner will face the lone Democrat to file for the seat, former San Jacinto County Democratic Party chair Laura Jones. The seat, though heavily reconfigured during last years redistricting process, is expected to easily remain under Republican control. Under the new boundaries, Trump would have carried the district with 63 percent of the vote in 2020. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle Despite retaining its partisan makeup, the district lost about 175,000 residents from south Montgomery County, while also ceding most of its northern rural territory to neighboring districts. It now includes more than 300,000 new residents in west Harris County. One of the districts longtime residents, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, told attendees at Luttrells rally Saturday that Luttrell was within reach of an outright win March 1 potentially allowing him to avoid a grueling May runoff election. Heres my message to you: We dont want (Luttrells wife) Leslie and Morgan having to work three more months and raise another million-and-a-half dollars, Patrick said. We want to win a week from Tuesday! Staff writer Cayla Harris contributed to this report. jasper.scherer@chron.com As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. An NYPD report on the gun-and-drug bust of a Bronx man man claimed no force was used. Police body camera video told a different tale once it was finally located. NYPD Internal Affairs officers are now investigating the violent Sept. 15, 2021, arrest of Raymond Marquez, who claims he suffered three facial fractures that will require surgery in the wild scuffle with eight police officers at an auto body shop. Advertisement None of this adds up, Marquezs civil attorney Neil Wollerstein told the Daily News. Somethings really wrong here. And to me its not a question of excessive force. Its actual criminal conduct and then theres the missing body cam footage. What type of shenanigans are going on here? Advertisement The case against Marquez collapsed quickly, with the Bronx District Attorneys office declining to prosecute Marquez and its Public Integrity Bureau notifying NYPD Internal Affairs about officers handling of the situation. But Wollerstein asserts Internal Affairs only became involved after he tracked down surveillance video and retrieved the missing bodycam footage through a freedom of information law request with the NYPD. While court documents indicate the DAs office received the body camera footage, Wollerstein said he was told by a prosecutor that the videos could not be located. The videos capture Marquez, 28, surrounded by cops and insisting he did nothing wrong. They do not, as alleged in an arrest report, show him ducking and hiding when officers arrived. Raymond Marquez poses for a portrait Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in the Bronx. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) But he was clearly agitated and scuffled with the officers who had a hard time handcuffing him even though the police report indicated no force was used. The video also shows Marquez loudly complaining about being searched and taken into custody. The arrest happened after Marquez took his girlfriends car to an auto body shop on the service road of the Cross Bronx Expressway near Noble Ave. A shop worker spotted what he thought was a slow leak in one of the cars tires so Marquez stayed while it was checked out. As he waited, five NYPD officers appeared followed by least three more alleging Marquez matched the description of a man who had just menaced a group with a gun nearby. Oh, you think I got a weapon on me? Marquez declares as cops searched him and his bag. I aint got s--t on me check the bag. Whatd I do? Body cameras and surveillance video capture the incident at a Bronx auto shop. We here for a reason, all right? one cop responds. We got a call bro, thats it. Advertisement You got the wrong person, Marquez responds, asking to call his girlfriend, whom he refers to as his wife. Whatd I do though? With that, police wrestled him to the ground while Marquez yelled at bystanders to call his family. Video shows one of the shop workers pushed to the ground when she came too close to the contentious scuffle as cops arrested Marquez. Body cameras and surveillance video capture the incident at a Bronx auto shop. I got him, an officer says at one point. No, no, no, we dont have him, says another officer as the struggle continued. Hes not cuffed. Marquez said a cop repeatedly struck him in the face during the clash. The alleged strike is not seen on the video. He should be fired, incarcerated both, if it was up to me, Marquez, who is now suing the NYPD, said of the cop. He didnt have to punch me. It was an assault. Advertisement He kept hitting me, Marquez remembered. Then Im on the floor. I saw a white light. My face still tingles when I touch it. When its cold I feel aches. My neck is constantly cracking. It feels like its getting worse. Police recovered an imitation pistol on the ground inside the shop and alleged Marquez was in possession of two ecstasy pills. Prosecutors found the weapons charge, related to what was actually a cigar torch lighter, could not be prosecuted because the item was never shown to the group allegedly menaced by Marquez. And the drugs were found in the trunk of his girlfriends car and could not be linked to him. Marquez insisted the pills were planted and the lighter belonged to somebody else. Wollerstein said he doubts that anyone was actually menaced with a gun and maintains police didnt have the right to search the car. Raymond Marquez poses for a portrait Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in the Bronx. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Marquez, once released from custody, went to the hospital. The News reviewed medical records indicating he suffered fractures to his eye socket, cheekbone and sinus wall, injuries that will likely require surgery. Advertisement The NYPD refused to answer a number of specific questions about the incident, responding only that because the case against Marquez was sealed when the charges against him were tossed the department is unable to defend itself from allegations like this, even when (it) has information that refutes such claims. The DAs office said the sealing statute similarly prevented it from discussing specifics but that its Public Integrity Bureau is working with NYPD Internal Affairs regarding the allegations of force and the BWC [body worn camera] footage. According to Marquez, his arrest for gun possession at age 17 and subsequent prison term make him a target for hassling by police. But the Bronx man insists his life is on a different path, one where he manages a building with his pregnant girlfriend and her 6-year-old daughter. Raymond Marquez, left and his attorney Neil Wollerstein, in the Bronx. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Marquezs sister, Tonie Wells, was strangled in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in December 2017, with her husband charged with murder. Two cops failed to get out of their patrol car to investigate a call of domestic violence before her body was found, with both later suspended and placed on dismissal probation. Marquez remains bitter over that experience and now says hes scared enough of police that he moved his family to a different part of the Bronx. Im thinking theyre going to plant something on me, said Marquez. Whos to know if theyre going to set me up again? It stresses me out. Every car I see behind me I think is a cop. PHNOM PENH, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodia's health spokesperson has warned of four-figure numbers of daily COVID-19 cases, urging people to adhere to health protocols. The southeast Asian nation logged 736 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, six of which were imported and all were confirmed to be the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the health ministry said, adding that two new fatalities were registered. Since the pandemic began in January 2020, the kingdom had recorded a total of 126,489 COVID-19 cases with 120,462 recoveries and 3,017 deaths. Health ministry's secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine said the Omicron variant has been actively circulating in the country, appealing to members of the public to strictly follow a guideline on three dos and three don'ts and to go for vaccines or booster shots when their turns come. "The number of daily infections has resurged from a single digit (in mid-December 2021) to two digits and now reached triple digits, so if we all still do not comply with health measures properly, it will hit four digits soon," she told local media. The three dos include wearing a face mask, washing hands regularly, and maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 meters, she said, adding that the three don'ts are avoiding confined and enclosed spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and avoiding touching each other. The spokeswoman said the vaccine is essential to protect people's lives, reducing infections, severe illness and death. World Health Organization (WHO)'s representative to Cambodia Li Ailan said on social media that more people are choosing and experiencing home-based treatment and recovery. "People who test positive for COVID-19 can usually be cared for safely at home if they are not at high risk for severe disease and they have no or mild symptoms," she said. According to the health ministry, Cambodia has so far administered two required doses of COVID-19 vaccines to almost 13.8 million people, or 86.3 percent of its 16 million population, the ministry said. Most of the vaccines used in the country's immunization campaign are China's Sinovac and Sinopharm. An FDNY firefighter was arrested after allegedly purchasing an assault weapon, large-capacity ammunition and ghost gun parts from a Philadelphia gun show and smuggling them back to the city, officials said Sunday. Firefighter Aaron Martin was hit with numerous felony weapons possession charges after he was arrested in Queens following a multi-agency joint investigation. Advertisement Front page for Oct. 3, 2021: NYPD sees rise in untraceable, homebuilt guns. One of dozens of ghost guns found by the NYPD. They are homemade and have no serial numbers. (New York Daily News) Members of the Queens County district attorneys office Detective Bureau followed Martin to the Oaks Extravaganza gun show at the Greater Philadelphia Exposition Center Feb. 13, according to a criminal complaint. Martin approached a booth selling Polymer80 firearm receivers untraceable parts that can be assembled into a ghost gun and allegedly paid cash for two of the frames. Advertisement Martin then moved to other booths throughout the expo, where he picked up two high-capacity magazines and a semiautomatic 12-gauge assault shotgun, which he paid for in cash. The surveillance team followed as Martin drove his black Ford Excursion alone from Pennsylvania through New Jersey and into the city along Interstate 95. New York State Police pulled Martin over on the Belt Parkway in Howard Beach and found the parts and ammunition purchased at the gun show along with brass knuckles, according to the Queens DAs office. Gov. Hochul signed a bill banning the sale of "ghost guns" into law on Oct. 28, 2021. (Kevin P. Coughlin/Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor) Martin, who does not have a firearms license, denied being in possession of any other weapons. He was released without bail after an arraignment in Queens Criminal Court last week. Martin, who raked in over $150,000 with overtime last year, was suspended from the department for 28 days following the arrest, an FDNY spokesman said. Bollywood Actor and India's messiah Sonu Sood was allegedly stopped from visiting polling stations in Moga. According to an ANI report, the Election Commission restrained Sood after they received complaints that he influenced voters. Twitter Indiatimes Officials confirmed that Sonu Soods car was impounded on Sunday, and he was stopped visiting the police booths. Twitter This comes after a complaint from a supporter of Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Barjinder Singh alias Makhan Brar. Sonu Sood said he wasn't trying to 'influence' the voters, contrary to these allegations. twitter Media reports quoted him as saying, "I'm a resident. I have not asked anyone to vote for any particular candidate or party. I was visiting our (Congress) booths set up outside polling stations." A report in The Tribute claims that District Magistrate Harish Nayyar has asked Moga SSP for a report. Sonu Sood was trying to enter a polling booth. During this, his car was confiscated and he was sent home. Action will be taken against him if he steps out of his house: Moga District PRO Pradbhdeep Singh His sister Malvika Sood is contesting from Moga as a Congress candidate. pic.twitter.com/Ueeb7CNy8t ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 We got to know of threat calls at various booths by opposition, especially the people of Akali Dal. Money being distributed at some booths. So it's our duty to go check & ensure fair elections. That's why we had gone out. Now, we're at home. There should be fair polls: Sonu Sood pic.twitter.com/Va93f3V7zH ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 He was quoted in the report as saying, Sonu Sood was going from one polling booth to another, which some political parties found objectionable." Sonu Sood took to Twitter to accuse other party candidates of buying off votes. Other Candidates in #Moga Constituency are buying votes. @ECISVEEP should take immediate action regarding the same." Sood also tagged Mogas public relations office and police in the tweet. Sood's 38-year-old sister Malvika Sood Sachar contests from their ancestral place Moga on a Congress ticket. Sonu had been campaigning with her ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. Earlier, he had clarified, "All the schools, colleges, and dharamshalas (inn) in Moga have been built by my family. My mother has taught a lot of children for free." Sood also claimed that his sister has got half the city vaccinated against Covid. (To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.) Two people were killed and three are battling for life after the Mercedes sedan they were travelling in crashed into a truck in Delhi Cantonment area in the early hours yesterday. Officials said they received information regarding the accident on the Dhaula Kuan-Gurugam stretch at around 2.50 am. Vinod Kumar, Krishan Solanki, Nitin, Jitender and Karan Bhardwaj, all residents of Palam village in southwest Delhi, were returning home after attending a wedding in Faridabad, Haryana, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Gaurav Sharma said. PTI "All occupants aged between 19-21 years" All the occupants of the car were aged between 19 and 21 years, and hailed from Palam village in southwest Delhi, said the DCP. Police said the car belonged to Vinod and added that he was driving the vehicle. They said the medical report will ascertain whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. However, no proof of drunken driving was received so far. A case has been registered at the Delhi Cantonment police station and an investigation is underway. Teams have been deployed and CCTV cameras are being checked, police said. iStock They were pulled out after cutting doors Another senior police official said that the car was mangled to an extent that the five men were pulled out after cutting the doors. The families, police said, claimed that the victims were all friends. We have not been able to get more details of the victims yet as the families are grieving, said the DCP. A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Delhi Cantt police station and investigation is underway, police said. accident Teams have also been deployed and CCTV cameras are being checked to identify and trace the truck. Whether or not the truck was at fault will only be judged after the investigation, said the officer. Have you ever wondered if an Android app will perform as intended on your smartphone? Worry not, Google is making it easier to see if your device meets the requirements to run an Android app smoothly on the Play Store. The Play Store version 29.2.13 now includes a new line item called "Android OS" under "App Info" which shows the minimum supported version, 9to5Google first reported. To be fair, your Android device will never let you install an app that is incompatible with your device, which only happens when you're using an Android device running especially older versions. Google play store / NextPit A new feature on Google Play Store In either case, Google has decided to offer users a better look at what any app requires to run at optimum levels on smartphones. The iOS-style indicators are a line item visible on the Google Play Store alongside Version, Updates On, Download, Offered By, Released On, and App Permissions. Google Earlier, the information was available on play.google.com as "Requires Android." The mobile version is naturally more detailed, taking into account different APK variants. Also read: Google Bans 150 SMS Scam Apps From The Play Store: All You Need To Know With this, Google now explicitly states what version of "Android OS" is required to install any app from the Google Play Store. It will now display the Android version needed to run apps. Reuters As reported by 9To5Google, the feature wasn't available at the beginning of February but is now widely available for users running version 29.2.13 of Google Play Store. Also read: Google Bans Fake Crypto Trading, Mining Apps From Play Store What do you think about these new indicators for Play Store on Android devices? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com. References Li, A., & Li, A. (2022, February 17). Google Play Store listings on mobile now show required Android OS version. 9to5Google. To those who think elderly people don't or can't take adventurous trips this story comes as an eye-opener. This lady completely defied stereotypes and proved that age is just a number. 62-year-old Nagaratnamma from Bengaluru climbed Agasthyarkoodam, a 1,868-metre (6,129 ft) high peak, the second-highest in Kerala. The video of the same was shared on Instagram where it was specified that the 62-year-old elderly woman came to Kerala with her son and friends from Bengaluru. The post was shared by a user named Vishnu. She managed the feat with the help of fellow trekkers on February 16, according to the post. Instagram The caption of the video read, "This is her first trip outside Karnataka. She said for the last 40 yrs after her marriage she had been busy with family responsibilities. Now since her children have all grown up and settled she can pursue her dreams. Nobody could match her enthusiasm and energy. It was one of the most motivating and enriching experiences for all those who watched her climb." Netizens were in awe of this elderly woman and lauded her fitness and enthusiasm. Many commented with heart and fire emoticons. Instagram Women were not allowed to trek to the peak of Agasthyarkoodam, a mountain range near Thiruvananthapuram until the year 2018. Women and children under the age of 14 were prohibited on account of safety concerns and opposition by the local tribal community. However, this changed after Kerala HC ruled that gender-based restrictions cant be imposed on those who wanted to trek to Agasthyarkoodam. For the latest from trending, click here. A 31-year-old man crossing a Brooklyn street was fatally struck by an SUV driver, police said Sunday. The victim was outside the crosswalk on Utica Ave. near Avenue N in Flatlands when he was hit by a 2006 Ford Explorer about 9:55 p.m. on Saturday, cops said. Advertisement (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) Medics rushed the victim to Brookdale University Hospital with head trauma, but he couldnt be saved. His name was not immediately released. The driver stayed on the scene and faced no immediate charges. Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below. In a world in which image and branding counts for so much, a huge Instagram following would be considered a bonus for anyone launching a music career. For Stacey Dineen, however, her first steps towards forging a future in music were marked by her disabling her Instagram account, and waving goodbye to a follower count of almost 200,000. In 2017, when she was only 18, Dineen, from Knocklong, Co Limerick, won The Fashion Hero, a Canadian reality TV show championing diversity and difference in fashion. She began to draw a large following on social media, as she became a body-positive activist, sharing her own experiences of being bullied and body-shamed. Dineen went on to make several media appearances, including on The Late Late Show, becoming an inspiration to others struggling with their body image. However, while she was determined to promote body positivity, she also found that the bullying and mental health issues she spoke about had come to define her. "I had a relatively tough time in primary and secondary I used to get attacked over my weight the whole time. But that is also something I am trying to steer away from. Almost every article about me has been about my mental health, my depression, my suicide attempts. I am trying to focus on my career. "I dont want people reading the same thing over and over again. I disabled my Instagram account because it wasnt me it took away from everything else, it was like the depression and mental health stuff was all that I was. I want to be known for my music. I dont want to be the girl who was bullied, she says. Lockdown provided the perfect opportunity for the 23-year-old to take time out and focus on her future to finally act on her dreams of pursuing a music career. Her debut single Ghost of You has just been released and has already received airplay on BBC Radio. Like all the best songs, it is about coming to terms with heartbreak. "I have always wanted to pursue music but I never actually had the confidence to do it. Ive always put it on the back burner. Then with lockdown, I had all the time in the world to focus on it. So I wrote this song. Me and my fiance split up about nine months ago and basically I used all of that hurt. Writing about it has helped me massively." Dineen has received huge support from her family along the way. "We all have a very good relationship, so if anything is wrong, we can go straight to each other. Growing up with that support is a big part of me going for the career I want. I left school when I was in fifth year. My family fully supported that decision, they said there are so many options out there now, if I wanted to go back to education, I can. They said 'do what you want to do and well support you. That helped me massively because I couldnt really figure out who I was in school because I was always so different to everyone else." Dineen had been hesitant about recording Ghost of You but she ended up doing it spontaneously on a trip to London at Christmas because she felt the time was right. "I wrote it, then I was over in London, we went over to do a spot of Christmas shopping and I got a bit of a buzz. I had the song written, I knew it was good but I was not forcing myself to go and record it, there was something holding me back. I got a spur-of-the-moment idea to just record it, so I booked the studio for that night, and I went and did it. She has recorded two more songs at home in Limerick since then, which she will be releasing in March and April, and she is hoping to release an EP in September. There are also other equally exciting opportunities on the horizon the week after we chat she is flying to South Africa to record an episode of the second season of The Fashion Hero, on which she is a mentor. Even more thrilling is that she will be working with the shows new presenter, AJ McLean, formerly of The Backstreet Boys. Im fan-girling a bit over that. My mother is like, thats not fair. Ill just sit him down and force him to listen to my songs, she laughs. Ultimately, she would love to sign with a record label but is concentrating on building up a portfolio of songs first. Making a living from music is very hard. I think thats everyones dream, for a label to hear their music and to say I believe in this person, Im going to invest in them. That would be the dream, eventually. Dineen says she would also like to get some stage time under her belt, but first she has to manage her anxiety around performing live. My problem is I have massive stage fright, I have never even sang in front of my parents. I live with my aunt, so she has heard me singing in the shower. But that is another thing I want to tackle this year, getting on stage and performing. I would love to play festivals within the next couple of years, that is the goal I have set for myself. She may be focussing more on her music career but Dineen still speaks passionately about the pressures that face young people today, which she says are fuelled by social media. She has two older brothers, and a younger sister. "My little sister is only 13, and she is so self-aware and grown-up. The stuff she knows about I never would have known. Having a phone, everyone is growing up too fast. Influencers are a big part of that. The majority of influencers, they dont show the bad parts of their lives. Nobody shows the bad parts of their lives. People are comparing themselves with others and then you are growing up thinking about your weight." She says she is happy to move away from the tag of influencer imposed on her by other people. I never would have referred to myself as an influencer. If somebody asked me what I did, I would never have said influencerno. It is so easy to become an influencer now with the likes of TikTok. It is fine being an influencer but when you are known for nothing other than having a large following, I think it is a bit pointless. Dineen also recognises the irony that as she was promoting mental wellbeing on social media, it was harming her own mental health. I would get DMs [direct messages] all the time from girls and boys, telling me I had helped them accept themselves and that part was really nice. But then I had to deal with the DMs from fake accounts mocking my weight and stuff like that. Any time you put something up, you were going to get hate. It wasnt a nice environment to be in. I have found that mentally, since I have disabled it, I have been much happier. I think more and more people are doing the same thing, disabling their accounts. I think it is much healthier. Dineen says she is much more at ease using social media to promote her music only. My music Instagram is literally a clean slate. I am glad I can put my music to the front. Because that is what I wanted to be known for all along. With the release of her debut single, Dineen says she feels she is exposing her vulnerability in a different way, which excites rather than scares her. I do feel like I have found my spark again. It is daunting to record a song but releasing it, you are exposing your vulnerable side because people are listening to your story, your lyrics. They are basically listening to a piece of you. I was always so nervous about that but like I said, I was never going to make a career of this if I was only ever going to dream about doing it, I had to actually start doing it. I am very excited for the music to come out and to be known for that this is Stacey, chasing her music dreams, you could do it too. Two years of mask-wearing, hand sanitising, and social distancing later, Im writing this with Covid-19. Its ironic to be beginning a period of isolation the same week Nphet recommended the ending of compulsory mask-wearing a move that has been seen by some as the most definitive sign that we are returning to normal after two years of a pandemic. Some are embracing the advice, others are hesitant the polarity being a familiar hallmark of these last two years. Over the last 24 months, we have vacillated between unity and division. There were those who followed State-mandated rules to the letter of the law. And there were those who took to the streets in protest. And over the last two years, the public conflict has seeped into the personal too. In our circles of family and friends there were those who felt anxious and behaved accordingly, and there were those who threw caution to the wind. There are those who heralded the vaccine, and those who did not. There are those who have yet to go out for dinner and there are those who holidayed abroad on the first available flight. The ideal situation being that both parties would respect one another, but from conversations with friends, this rarely seems to be the case. While lockdowns and restrictions provided many with State-backed boundaries, we later ended up in a place where we were having to assert our own personal boundaries with friends and family. There might have been some confusion or disappointment at best, and offence taken or abuse given at worst. If the end of mandatory mask-wearing is a sign of our return to normal living, is this the point where we start counting the cost of Covid? We are used to counting in case numbers, intensive care unit admissions, and death tolls, but is it now we start looking at the impact of Covid on our relationships, lives, and wellbeing? Public recalibration This week, experts, both here and abroad, have said that personal and public recalibration is going to take time. Dr Paul DAlton, head of the psychology department at St Vincents University Hospital, said it could take some people between six and eight months to find their feet again. President of the American Medical Association Gerald Harmon said: The impact on society is just beginning to be felt now. In Britain, recent figures from the NHS predict there will be 230,000 new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in England as a result of the pandemic. The forecast is based on the effects of the pandemic on domestic abuse victims, children, and young people, relatives of Covid survivors, health and care workers, and those who have lost friends and family to the disease. The NHS is already facing the biggest backlog of those waiting for mental health help in its history. Numerous studies have investigated the prevalence of PTSD after pandemics. One of these looked at the mental health impact of the 2014-2016 ebola epidemics on the general population in affected countries. It found that 76.4% of the general public showed at least one symptom of PTSD, 27% met the level of clinical concern for the disorder, and 16% met the level of a probable diagnosis of PTSD. A recent survey on post-traumatic stress symptoms among residents in the hardest-hit areas in China during the Covid pandemic indicated a prevalence of 7%. The results vary, but the reality remains the same when the dust settles theres going to be some kind of fallout, both in our personal and public lives. There have been public conversations around remote working, re-entry anxiety and the great resignation, either by people choosing different lifestyles or by untenable conditions pushing mothers, in particular, out of the workforce. But what about the more subtle unravellings, such as in our relationships? Last week The Atlantic published an article titled Its Your Friends Who Break Your Heart. Its about how many friendships are lost to things such as parenthood, emigration, political division, and now a pandemic. While the pandemic might have shown us how interdependent we are on one another, it also exposed fault lines in friendships and relationships. Shared, or unshared values, as the case may be, shot to the surface as we navigated an unexpected once-in-a-lifetime situation. Who respected your concerns for safety and who didnt? Who checked in on you when the chips were down? Was your care for others reciprocated? They are things that people usually remember when any times of hardship pass. Among the many fallouts, the pandemic has triggered a sort of relationship reckoning too. When romantic relationships end, there is a definite split either because you stop meeting up, cease living together, or you sign off on a divorce and assets get split. The only other relationship ending we are accustomed to is death. There is no ambiguity. But what about the ambiguous loss when there is a change or an ending of a relationship with someone who is still alive? That is just one of the many questions well be reckoning with as our full return to unrestricted life beds in. On the extreme end of the scale, there are those who are counting the cost of living with an abuser, those who did not get to hold their loved ones hand as they died, and those women who laboured alone while their partners looked up at hospital windows from the street below. No one person is ever going to have the solution or the salve for all of those experiences. It was nine years ago this year that we had the tourism-led initiative of The Gathering, to mobilise the return of our diaspora. There were big national events and small community spin-offs. So what if now, we all found a way to process these last two years, to count the cost, to ascertain the impact in order to find a way to move forward where we learn the lessons and let go of the losses? This work, as per usual, will probably be left to the artists and the activists among us. Russia extended military drills near Ukraines northern borders on Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. The exercises, originally set to end on Sunday, brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to neighbouring Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. The announcement came from the defence minister of Belarus, who said the two countries would continue testing the response forces. Western leaders warned that Russia was poised to attack its neighbour, which is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills on Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea. A Ukrainian soldier listens to artillery shots standing in a trench on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote in Ukraine (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does. A top European Union official, Charles Michel, said on Sunday that the big question remains: does the Kremlin want dialogue? We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops, Michel, the president of the European Council, said at the Munich Security Conference. He said: One thing is certain: if there is further military aggression, we will react with massive sanctions. Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called on Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. Russia has denied plans to invade. Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement, Zelenskyy said on Saturday at an international security conference in Munich, Germany. There was no immediate response from the Kremlin. Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine on Saturday ordered a full military mobilisation and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed in an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. We're talking about the potential for war in Europe. It's been over 70 years, and through those 70 years, there has been peace and security US vice president, Kamala Harris, on Sunday emphasised the significance of the moment that Europe faces. Were talking about the potential for war in Europe, Harris said at the Munich Security Conference. Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years, there has been peace and security. Ukraines leader criticized the US and other Western nations for holding back on new sanctions for Russia. Zelenskyy, in comments before the conference, also questioned the Wests refusal to allow Ukraine to join Nato immediately. Putin has demanded that Nato not take Ukraine as a member. Harris stood by the US decision to hold off on sanctions but said she would not second guess Zelenskyys desires for his country. In new signs of fears that a war could start within days, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine. German air carrier Lufthansa cancelled flights to the capital, Kyiv, and to Odesa, a Black Sea port that could be a key target in an invasion. Natos liaison office in Kyiv said it was relocating staff to Brussels and to the western Ukraine city of Lviv. People walk to a train station to be evacuated to Russia, in Debaltseve, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov) US president, Joe Biden, said on Friday that based on the latest American intelligence, he was now convinced that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine in coming days and assault the capital. A US military official said an estimated 40% to 50% of those ground forces have moved into attack positions closer to the border. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal US assessments, said the change has been underway for about a week and does not necessarily mean Putin has settled on an invasion. Lines of communication between Moscow and the West remain open: the American and Russian defence chiefs spoke on Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Putin on Sunday for nearly two hours before a call with the Ukrainian president. US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, agreed to meet next week. Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukraines foreign minister dismissed that claim as a fake statement. Top Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the nearly eight-year separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. The officials fled to a bomb shelter before hustling from the area, according to an Associated Press journalist who was on the tour. Trinity, TX (77320) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. The new space race focuses on satellite Internet with a promise of higher speed and lower latency for industrial and business-oriented communication applications. As the connectivity revolution gathers momentum, low earth orbit satellites (LEOs) penetrate innovative application areas due to superior performance and positioning compared to geostationary and middle earth orbit satellites in remote tracking, climate monitoring, and inter-vehicular networking, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company. GlobalDatas FutureTech Series report, Internet from Sky: Can LEO Satellites Transform the Future of Connectivity?, reveals the futuristic latency-critical applications of LEOs as the technology widens its global footprint. GlobalData principal disruptive tech analyst Kiran Raj comments, Venture capital (VC) deals in the LEO space witnessed a massive rise in 2021 with nearly 650% year-on-year growth. An unprecedented level of this funding is flowing into the space economy, beyond satellite communications, into ventures to drive creative concepts and versatile use-cases. GlobalData senior disruptive tech analyst Sanchari Chatterjee notes, Post COVID-19 pandemic, LEOs could be potentially critical to offer lightning speed broadband services, tracking of assets, securitising data, and strengthening the network infrastructure to provide communication resilience in digital oilfields, satellite farming, and connected vehicles. Digital oilfields: GloabalData commented that LEO technology can offer ubiquitous connectivity to remote onshore and offshore oil fields enabling oil and gas companies to enhance their digital capabilities, machine learning, and security initiatives at remote facilities. Australian IT service provider Speedcast conducted an oil and gas industry performance testing of Telesats Phase 1 LEO satellite using data provided by a Brazilian petroleum company Petrobras. Satellite farming: Spectral imaging offered by LEOs can assist farmers to record land productivity and soil health to improve their decision-making for crop cultivation and product marketing. Farmers can also track the climate, soil conditions, and growth parameters of crops using data from LEOs. US-based agro giant John Deere is investigating the potential of LEOs in agriculture to assist farmers in rural areas with high-speed broadband connectivity, the research company added. Connected vehicles: LEO satellites promise fast-paced networking to support automotive emergency response situations, content software distribution to cars, inter-vehicle connectivity, and a host of compelling features in armoured luxury vehicles, missiles, mining vehicles, agricultural unmanned vehicles, and autonomous vehicles. Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding plans to investigate a network of LEOs to navigate its fleet of cloud-connected cars, GlobalData noted. Chatterjee concludes, Apart from the investment scenario, the surge in IP activities in the last few years also contribute to more in-space tracking, monitoring, navigational, and even manufacturing initiatives to set the stage for a wider deployment of LEOs infrastructure across various industries. A reform-minded ex-CIA officer in charge of investigating detainee attacks and a former NYPD chief trying to make correction officers do their jobs are among those axed last month by Correction Commissioner Louis Molina, raising further criticism that hes coddling jail unions. Molina pushed out Oren Varnai, a former covert officer in the CIA who led DOCs director of Correction Intelligence, which monitors gang activity, escapes and assaults by inmates. Advertisement Oren Varnai, a former covert officer in the CIA who led DOCs director of Correction Intelligence, which monitors gang activity, escapes and assaults by inmates. (Obtained by Daily News) The new jails boss also forced out Raymond Spinella, the former NYPD chief hired in October as senior deputy commissioner to deal with the ongoing staffing crisis. The moves follow Molinas controversial canning of Deputy Commissioner Sarena Townsend, who was in charge of the agencys overwhelmed disciplinary system. Advertisement Former Deputy Commissioner Sarena Townsend, who was in charge of the agencys sprawling disciplinary system. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Critics cited the turnover at the upper levels of the Correction Department as further evidence that Molina is doing the bidding of the unions. If you were trying to create a situation where you were easing up on the officers abusing the system, you would dismiss Spinella, former DOC Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi told the Daily News. Molina has drawn public support from the unions for emphasizing security and support for officers, building bridges with union leaders and ousting Townsend, who they saw as too aggressive. Mayor Adams and I have made it abundantly clear that there would be significant changes to leadership in the coming months. When I first came to this agency, I was faced with deteriorating jails, staffing challenges, and people in custody dying. Many of these issues arose due to the failures of previous leadership, none of whom were able solve the problems I inherited 7 weeks ago, Molina said in a statement. Spinella joined the NYPD in 1982 and was so well-regarded several hundred cops bid him farewell outside NYPD headquarters on Oct. 21 when he officially retired. NYPD Chief of Staff Raymond Spinella at an NYPD promotions ceremony at Police Headquarters on Jan. 30, 2018. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News) Schiraldi, who ran the jails in the final seven months of Mayor Bill de Blasios term last year, credited Spinella for managing a dysfunctional system in which critical posts supervising inmates went unmanned while other correction officers sat in cushy posts behind desks, rarely interacting with the jail population. Advertisement He was getting people out from behind their desks where they were pushing paper, Schiraldi said. New DOC Commissioner Louis Molina has the support of jail unions, which clashed with the previous administration. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) More than 800 correction officers have been the subject of disciplinary cases for abusing the sick leave system, The News has reported. Meanwhile, detainees have largely gone without recreation, medical visits, and other basic services for close to a year. Schiraldi said Spinella was hiring more doctors and building a staff of DOC physicians to review officers medical records. He and Chief of Department Kenneth Stukes created a war room in a trailer at Rikers to redeploy staff on an emergency basis when the Omicron variant surged. Former Correction Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi speaks during a news conference with Mayor Bill de Blasio at Rikers Island. (Jeenah Moon/AP) DOC spokeswoman Shayla Mulzac confirmed Spinella no longer worked for the agency but did not comment further. Spinella declined comment through an intermediary. The day after Molina fired Townsend, he also unceremoniously pushed out Correction Intelligence Bureau Director Oren Varnai. Advertisement Varnai, 46, came to DOC last year with a deep resume. He was an operations officer with the CIA who also worked as a city marshal, paramedic, and lawyer. He speaks five languages and has advanced degrees in public health, data science and epidemiology. Molina had him escorted out. It was like a perp walk. They came into my office and told me to grab my belongings and leave, Varnai told The News. I sent Molina an email, wished him success and said I wish he gave me more of an opportunity to make an impact. I hadnt been there long enough. I came from the CIA and took the job because I thought I could contribute. It kind of saddened me because I cared about what I was doing. Intelligence Division director Matthew Clark, hired in 2019 by then-Commissioner Cynthia Brann, was similarly pushed out last month. Clark was well-regarded by some, like Varnai, and disliked by others who saw him as unqualified and too close to Brann through his background in Maine law enforcement. DOC Commissioner Louis Molina (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Molina also reversed the hiring of 25 new civilian investigators who were part of a plan to improve investigations and ease heavy caseloads, Varnai said. Many of those hires had extensive law enforcement experience with other agencies, like the NYPD and the feds. Advertisement The city Department of Investigation had supported the new hires after finding deficiencies in evidence collection and preservation in DOC, according to a source. DOC has just two evidence collection specialists in the whole agency. I think it was the union behind it, Varnai said. If they continue doing it this way, putting political agendas above qualifications, its going to be destructive. Molina says hes a reformer, but hes going back to the way theyve always done things to appease the unions, he added. DOC insisted the hires were still in the works. The New York City Department of Corrections (Todd Maisel/New York Daily News) The correction officers union declined comment. A DOC official emphasized theres nothing unusual about a new commissioner making personnel changes. Advertisement The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Molina has made other staffing decisions that raised eyebrows among DOC insiders. Earlier this month, Molina promoted a relatively inexperienced lawyer, Yvonne Pritchett, to succeed Townsend and serve as acting deputy commissioner of investigations and trials. Townsends work was lauded by the federal monitor overseeing reform efforts at Rikers Island. But Molina fired Townsend after she balked at his demand to get rid of 2,000 disciplinary cases in his first 100 days. Like Varnai, she was escorted from DOC headquarters with whatever she could carry. Molina fired Townsend, pictured, after she balked as his demand to get rid of 2,000 disciplinary cases in his first 100 days. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) A DOC official emphasized such escorts are standard procedure. Pritchett had been a low-profile agency attorney working in the trials division since September 2019 with no supervisory experience before Molina jumped her four levels to run the office handling thousands of disciplinary cases a year. DOC spokesman Jason Kersten said Pritchett would serve in an acting capacity until a permanent candidate is selected. Advertisement A listing for the job, with an apparent typo, calls for at least fifteen (10) or more years extensive managerial, executive or supervisory experience in law enforcement/investigations/criminal justice. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Jacksonville, TX (75766) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Johnson City, TN (37604) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Weather Alert ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. * WHERE...Portions of southeast Kansas, including the following areas, Bourbon, Cherokee and Crawford. Portions of Missouri, including the following areas, Barry, Barton, Benton, Camden, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Ozark, Polk, St. Clair, Stone, Taney, Vernon, Webster and Wright. * WHEN...From Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. && A promising senior at SUNY Potsdam with plans to become a music teacher was shot to death walking home from the upstate campus by a gunman who may have targeted her randomly, police said Sunday. Elizabeth Howell, 21, was shot near the campus about 5:50 p.m. Friday, state police said. Medics rushed her to Canton Potsdam Hospital but she could not be saved. Advertisement She was walking home from school. She had an apartment off campus, Howells devastated mother, Ann Howell, told the Daily News. She was only a hundred yards away, not even. She was right out that backdoor of the school, where she always walked home. She was going to meet some friends for dinner. Elizabeth Howell (center) performing with the Crane Symphony Orchestra. (Jason Hunter/SUNY Potsdam) Howell, who was set to graduate this year, studied music education at Potsdams Crane School of Music. Advertisement Beth was a cellist who performed with the Crane Symphony Orchestra, and she was an aspiring educator with a bright future ahead of her. No words can express the sadness we share as a campus community following this tragic loss, school officials said in a tweet Saturday. Police arrested Michael Snow, 31, of Massena, N.Y., Saturday night, charging him with her murder. A SUNY Potsdam spokeswoman said Snow has no past or present connection to SUNY Potsdam, either as a student, employee or graduate. Shooting suspect Michael Snow. Cops have not yet been able to establish any connection between the suspect and victim, leading them to suspect it may have been a random slaying, sources said. The guy that they picked up for this, I dont think she even knew him, Howells mother said. It was in an area where there is nobody around really. ... She was the only one there so it could have just been that she walked into his line of vision. Shooting suspect Michael Snow's vehicle. Police are asking the public to call (518) 873-2750 if they saw him or it between 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 18. State police referred to her killing as an isolated incident but offered no details about any potential motive or the possibility that Howell and Snow had any interaction before he opened fire. Howells father, Joseph, thanked state and local police for Snows quick arrest and for all the support that theyve given us. Howell developed a passion for music as a young child after going to rehearsals and performances by her parents, who played clarinet and French horn. She took off on her own, her mother said. She just had that innate talent and love. Advertisement Victim Elizabeth Howell (Obtained by Daily News) One of four siblings, she also played the saxophone. Her story about the cello is, it started with a hug. The kid who took the cello said he would give her a hug if she took the cello and thats why she did, Ann Howell said. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Howell was an active member of her community back home in Patterson, N.Y., her father said. She was a lifeguard, a lifeguard trainer, swim instructor, Joseph Howell said. Victim Elizabeth Howell (Obtained by Daily News) Her mother added that she was an ROTC member in high school, volunteered for AMVETS, danced ballet and played in the community orchestra. Our daughter was a lovely young woman. She was smart and talented, had a big heart, her mother said. She was fierce in her loyalty and we will miss her very, very much. Advertisement Snow was arraigned in the town of Potsdam court and ordered held in St. Lawrence County Jail with no bail, according to state police. Although statistics are not yet available for 2021, the last recorded homicide in the village was in 2015, according to FBI data. Snow was spotted by numerous witnesses driving a gray Honda Civic with damage to the drivers-side door through several nearby towns just before and in the hours after Howells slaying Friday, police said. State police are asking anyone who saw him or his car to contact the Troop B at (518) 873-2750 as they continue their investigation. MASKS IN SCHOOL What: The legislature agreed to end the statewide mandate requiring masks in schools on Feb. 28, leaving it up to local districts to adopt rules. No more mandate: The mask mandate ends Feb. 28 in Manchester, East Hartford, South Windsor, Stafford, and Suffield, among other towns. Still to decide: Bolton, Coventry, and Enfield are among the towns that havent made the decision. Masks are OK: The change allows masks to be optional rather than required; parents can choose to have their children wear them. Subscribe to our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. An Illinois teen was arrested Thursday for breaking into his neighbors home and trying to kill him because hes gay, authorities said. Ethan Dickerson, 19, faces preliminary charges of hate crime, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated unlawful restraint, and home invasion. Advertisement The incident happened Thursday afternoon in Decatur, about 180 miles south of Chicago, WICS-TV reported. Police were called to a home on Delray Court after a report of a broken window and a potential break-in. Advertisement A responding officer found the door locked but heard someone inside screaming for help. The officer then broke down the door and saw a man on the kitchen floor with multiple lacerations to his head and covered in a significant amount of blood. His alleged assailant was still in the home also covered in blood, police said. Decatur Police said Ethan Dickerson was arrested Thursday for attempted first-degree murder, home invasion, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery. (Decatur Police Department) The 60-year-old victim told police he was in bed when he heard glass shatter and saw Dickerson enter his home through a window. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > The teen began hitting the victim on his face, head and body with a pipe wrench saying youre gay, youre evil, and Im going to kill you a number of times, the man told police. At one point, Dickerson duct-taped his wrists, forced him into a chair, and continued beating him, the man said. When the victim was able to free himself, the two wrestled over the wrench but Dickerson held the tool across the mans neck and began choking him. Thats when the officer arrived. Advertisement Dickerson was arrested at the scene. The victim was taken to a hospital . The teen appeared before a Macon County judge on Friday morning and is currently being held on a $1 million bond. During her speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 19, Vice President Kamala Harris says US 'stands with Ukraine' while warning Russia of 'swift, severe and united' consequences. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, arrives with Christiane Amanpour, right, during the Munich Security Conference in Germany, on Saturday, February 19. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Kilgore, TX (75662) Today Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. The community of Clara and far beyond were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of Tony Pierce, Clifden, Clara, Kilkenny at his home on Thursday, January 27, 2022 aged 63 years. The huge turnout at Johnstons Funeral Home and the following day at St Colmans Church, Clara was a measure of the respect and high regard in which Tony was held. They had come from far and near to pay a final tribute to friend, neighbour but most of all, an amazing family man. The attendance of young and old from all walks of life was a manifestation of the impact which he had on so many lives and the lasting impression he has left. Tony was born in Kilkenny to Gerard Pierce, Dublin and Cecelia Morrissey, Kilkenny and was raised in Clifden where the family ran the local post office for many years until it closed in 1988. Tonys mother died when Tony was just 13. He went to Clara NS and then to Kilkenny City Vocational School. After school, he worked at Bescos Supermarket, Universal Providers, Gowran and finally for over 40 years he worked at Brannigans PRL as Warehouse Supervisor. Tony had a wonderful work ethic, never once late for work. Tony was first and foremost a family man who lived his life with immense love and dedication to his wife Olive and their daughter, Antonia-Ly which was very much returned. They and his cherished pet dog Bubbles were a small, strong family unit, adoring each other and rarely seen without each other. COMMUNITY Tony was a great community man. He served as SIPTU union rep for many years and was always on hand to assist his fellow colleagues. He was very involved in Clifden United Football Club in his youth and served as secretary of Clifden Group Water Scheme for over 30 years where he worked tirelessly to improve water supply and quality for his neighbours. He was involved in Viet Irish Support South East group, helping out and bringing fun and good humour to any event. Tony loved to travel with his family, Vietnam, Australia, Egypt, USA all over Europe sometimes taking in a Formula 1 Grand Prix as part of a holiday, a sport he loved. He had an immense aptitude and hunger for general knowledge and history and loved poetry, able to recite poetry from his primary school days at-will. His funeral Mass was celebrated by Fr Willie Purcell, PP Clara and Fr Jim Murphy, PP St Canices. Music was provided by Bridget Nolan and Noreen Cooney. SOULFUL A moving oration was given by his wife Olive and their daughter, Antonia-Ly. There wasnt a dry eye in the church when his young daughter sat beside her dads coffin and played a most beautiful, soulful piece of music on her ukulele especially for him. His kindness to all, shy nature, friendly smile, his quick wit and good humour will be missed by so many people. Tony will be sadly missed by his heartbroken wife and daughter, Olive and Antonia-Ly, sisters May and Patricia, brother Brendan, Father in Law, Micheal Greene, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces and nephews, uncle, aunts and extended family, friends and neighbours. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam. Bernard Madoffs sister and her husband died from gunshot wounds in a case thats being investigated as a murder-suicide, authorities said Sunday. A probe into the deaths of Sondra Wiener, 87, and Marvin Wiener, 90, is taking place in Boynton Beach, Fla., the Palm Beach County sheriffs office said. Advertisement Deputies responded to a 911 call advising a male and female were unresponsive inside their residence, the sheriffs office said in a Twitter statement Sunday. Upon arrival deputies located an elderly female and male deceased from a gunshot wound. They later identified the man and woman as Sondra and Marvin Wiener, and said officials from the local medical examiners office had taken the bodies from the scene. Advertisement The cause of death will be determined by the [medical examiner], the sheriffs office said. Bernard Madoff in 2009. (Louis Lanzano/AP) The confirmation from officials followed a report by the Florida news outlet BocaNewsNow.com on Saturday that the Wieners were found dead last Thursday at their Valencia Lakes home in Boynton Beach, which is about 60 miles north of Miami. Authorities havent said who is accused of shooting the other. Members of the community where the Wieners lived were reportedly informed of their deaths in an email that described the situation as tragic. Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family, an unnamed community leader wrote in the email, which was obtained by BocaNewsNow.com. There is currently an investigation pending. All I can say is at this time there is no security or safety threat to anyone in the community. Madoff, the notorious Ponzi schemer who scammed investors out of $65 billion, died in a federal prison in North Carolina last year at age 82, with a lawyer saying he died of natural causes. His legal team was denied a request for Madoff to be released from prison as he battled ailments included end-stage renal disease. Madoffs eldest son, Mark, died by suicide in Manhattan in 2010, and his younger son, Andrew, died in 2014 following a long battle with cancer. His wife, Ruth Madoff, 80, is still alive. She has previously claimed that she and her husband attempted suicide together when his scheme was exposed. Members of the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner remove the body of Mark Madoff from the apartment building where he lived in New York on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010. Madoff, the son of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, was found dead of an apparent suicide. (Louis Lanzano/ASSOCIATED PRESS) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The Queens-raised Madoff, who was the chairman of his Bernie Madoff Investment Securities firm, was arrested in 2008 after admitting his Ponzi scam to his two sons, who then informed authorities. Advertisement The former financier was serving a 150-year sentence at the time of his death. Madoff described himself as being deeply sorry and ashamed when he pleaded guilty in 2009. April 15, 2021: $65B Ponzi scum dies in poverty and disgrace in N.C. jail. Bernie Madoff, who rose from humble beginnings in Queens to a penthouse perch in Manhattan before his massive fraud was exposed, died at 82 on Wednesday. (New York Daily News) The Wieners are said to have lost millions of dollars because of Madoff, according to Floridas SunSentinel newspaper. Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg, former Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax and ex-Mets owner Fred Wilpon were among the other notable figures who lost money to Madoffs scam, which is considered the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. The wife of Sondra and Marvins son David Wiener told The Associated Press that the family wanted privacy at this time of grief. With News Wire Services Family and friends gathered to remember Cheslie Kryst on Friday in Charlotte, N.C. Cheslie throughout her life sowed many seeds through her work, her philanthropy, her advocacy, and most importantly, her genuine care for others, Krysts mother April Simpkins said, according to the Charlotte Observer. Advertisement Kryst grew up in North Carolina and was named Miss North Carolina 2019 on her way to winning Miss USA in 2019. Miss North Carolina Cheslie Kryst wins the 2019 Miss USA final competition in the Grand Theatre in the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., on May 2, 2019. (Jason Bean/AP) About 300 people attended the service at Elevation Church, the Observer reported. Kryst attended the church in college and as an adult. Advertisement The service was also livestreamed online and watched by thousands of people. In life we encounter ordinary people, but there are rare cases when we meet extraordinary people, said Edward Watson, a formerly incarcerated man who Kryst worked to free in 2020. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 9 Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst poses for a portrait on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in New York. (Andy Kropa/Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) Watson was behind bars on drug charges, and Kryst worked along with her stepfather David Simpkins and attorney MiAngel Cody to get him out after 25 years in prison. Kryst was also a global ambassador for Dress for Success, which created the Cheslie Kryst Womens Advancement Fund after she died by suicide in Manhattan on Jan. 30. Her mother April encouraged others to be selfless like Cheslie. Dr. Terry Gaff is a physician in northeast Indiana. Contact him at drgaff@kpcmedia.com or on Facebook. To read past columns and to post comments go to kpcnews.com/columnists/terry_gaff. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low near 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low near 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Showers this evening becoming less numerous overnight. Low around 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Showers this evening becoming less numerous overnight. Low around 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Law enforcement agencies across the state of Idaho are reporting an increase in drug and drug trafficking cases, particularly when it comes to cases involving fentanyl. Read more Shes leaving her mark. A Michigan woman turning 100 in two weeks gave herself an unconventional early birthday present: her third tattoo. Advertisement Gloria Weberg, a resident of St. Joseph, now has NY NY 1922 inked on her left arm to represent the place and year of her birth. Weberg turns 100 on March 2 and started the tattoo tradition on her 80th birthday. That year, she got a goddess representing Mother Earth on her left arm. On her 90th birthday, she added seven stars for her children. Advertisement Gloria Weberg shows off a new tattoo on Feb. 3, 2022, at her home in St. Joseph, Mich., that she had added recently to celebrate her 100th birthday. (DON CAMPBELL/AP) My secret is being active, Weberg said of her longevity. To be aware of whats going on in the world in every way, from what my children were doing, their education, how important that was to me. And shes already thinking of ideas for her 110th birthday. Probably something like, Are you still here? or Im still here. With News Wire Services A veteran California police officer died Saturday in a helicopter crash that also left another officer injured, authorities said. Nicholas Vella of the Huntington Beach Police Department was killed when the helicopter crashed into water near Newport in Southern California, authorities announced. Advertisement Officer Vella leaves behind a wife and daughter, reads a tweet from the Huntington Beach Police Department. He served the community of Huntington Beach with honor and dignity. Please join us in extending prayers to Officer Vellas family. Authorities say the officers were responding to an undisclosed call for service when the crash occurred. The announcement didnt say who was flying the helicopter, nor did it provide a cause for the crash. Advertisement Nicholas Vella (Huntington Beach PD) The injured officer, whom police havent publicly identified, was in stable condition after the incident. Vella worked for the Huntington Beach Police Department for 14 years. We want to thank the community and our law enforcement partners for your support during this difficult time, the Huntington Beach Police Department wrote in another tweet. Huntington Beach is located about 40 miles southeast of Los Angeles. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. A bill filed in the Missouri House could open the door to a long-planned casino at Lake of the Ozarks. House Joint Resolution 127, filed by State Representative Ron Hicks on Feb. 8, 2022, would ask Missourians to amend the state constitution, allowing excursion gambling boats on or near the Osage River between Bagnell Dam and its confluence with the Missouri River, and creating an additional gambling license in the state earmarked specifically for that body of water. The issue would go on the November ballot, or at a special election if decided by the governor. Background As Missouris constitution currently stands, casinos may only be built on or near the Missouri and Mississippi rivers: the vestige of a time when the state first legalized casino gambling, and envisioned it occurring aboard excursion boats on Missouris major rivers. That idyllic vision has long been diluted by various amendments to Missouri law, and now many gamblers have no idea theyre stepping aboard what is legally considered an excursion gambling boat when they walk into a casino in Missouri. Meanwhile, the state constitutions parameters have still prohibited any casinos from being developed in areas outside those two major rivers. Missouri also limits the number of casinos allowed in the state through the issuance of gambling boat licenses. A maximum of 13 are allowed, under current law. For years, a local investor group known as Osage River Gaming has been attempting to change Missouri law to allow for a casino to be built at Lake of the Ozarks. The Osage Nation Casino In late 2021, Osage Casinos, the operating business for the Osage Nations casinos, announced it had purchased land at Lake of the Ozarks and had plans to build a $60 million casino and hotel there. The Osage Nation, being a sovereign nation, is not subject to Missouris casino restrictions: thus, Osage Casinos is not required to build a casino near a body of water, does not have to build it aboard an excursion gambling boat, and does not have to apply for a state gambling license. The nation has announced that as soon as it receives clearance from the United States Department of Interior, it will begin construction on its casino at the site, which is located at the corner of Bagnell Dam Boulevard and Osage Beach Parkway, across from Eagles Landing Shopping Center. The Proposed Change To Missouris Constitution HJR 127 would have Missouri voters decide on the following changes to the state constitution: -In addition to being located on or near the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, it would be legal to construct and operate a casino on or near the Osage River, between Bagnell Dam (which impounds Lake of the Ozarks) and the Osage Rivers confluence with the Missouri River. -An additional excursion gambling boat license would be added to the total currently allowed in Missouri, bringing that number from 13 to 14. However this new license would be earmarked only for excursion gambling boats on the Osage River. Osage River Gaming issued the following statement in support of the bill: Osage River Gaming worked with Rep. Hicks and others on behalf of a larger coalition of Lake of the Ozarks area businesses that support a level tax and regulatory playing field for all Missouri businesses. Passage of HJR 127 will have a significant positive economic impact on the Lake area economy. A state regulated casino on the Osage River below the dam will provide at least 700 (mostly local) jobs during the construction phase and as many permanent jobs once operations commence. Ancillary businesses in the Lake area will also benefit greatly from the increased customer traffic and economic activity. The facility will generate at least $100 million of new net revenue annually to the Lake area economy and $26 million in state and local tax revenue. HJR 127 is a win-win for the lake area economy and has strong support from the Lake area business community. Related Coverage VISIT Lake Geneva collected more than 400 winter clothing items for the most recent Big Bundle Up Campaign. The Big Bundle Up Campaign is an annual program which includes visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce and Travel Wisconsin Welcome Centers from throughout the state collecting winter clothing items and donating them to a nonprofit agency of their choice. The VISIT Lake Geneva Visitor Information Center, 201 Wrigley Drive, served as a drop-up site for the Big Bundle Campaign, from Nov. 15, 2021 through Jan. 7. Deanna Goodwin, marketing director for VISIT Lake Geneva, announced during the Feb. 2 Lake Geneva Business Improvement District Board meeting that VISIT Lake Geneva collected 460 clothing items for the campaign. Some of the items collected included coats, sweaters, mittens, gloves and hats. The items were donated to the Walworth County Food & Diaper Bank in Elkhorn. Hopefully, it will help out a lot of people, Goodwin said. VISIT Lake Geneva President and CEO Stephanie Klett started the Big Bundle Up campaign about 10 years ago during her tenure as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. More than 200,000 items have been collected since that time. VISIT Lake Geneva serves as a chamber of commerce and visitors bureau for the Lake Geneva area. For more information, visit www.VISITLakeGeneva.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PASA argues there are examples all across the country where solar and farming are coexisting on the same land, the same acres, and generating farm-saving profits as well as climate-mitigating green energy production. Gurugram, Feb 20 (PTI) Parents of school students staged a protest on Sunday against the proposal of the Haryana Government to hold Board exams for Classes 5 and 8 in April 2022. The protest was held by parents of Class 5 and Class 8 students studying in 12 schools across Gurugram governed by CBSE, CISCE, and IB Boards. Also Read | Chandigarh: Facebook Friend Drugs Woman at Hotel, Steals Rs 10,000, Gold Jewellery; Arrested. It was held at Leisure Valley in Gurugram. The parents contended that after 650 days of school closures, it will will be difficult to sit for the exams for children who are already struggling to overcome learning gaps. Also Read | Punjab: Five People Charged for Gang Rape, Extortion. A new Board exam will create additional pressure on them, they said. Children are already preparing for their term 2 final exams, while dealing with COVID restrictions. Many have not had digital access to classrooms, and have been struggling with hybrid teaching. Trying to prepare for a new Board exam will be impossible for them, they said. The proposed BSEH (Board of Secondary Education, Haryana) syllabus differs from syllabi being taught in many schools. Students from a large number of schools are not familiar with this syllabus, and it is unfair to expect them to study it in a little over a month, said the protesting parents. The parents will be presenting their case to the Haryana Education Department and the state Chief Minister. The matter is already a subject of a court case -- Haryana United Schools & others vs. State of Haryana and others -- at the Chandigarh High Court. It will be heard next on Monday. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, February 20: As part of efforts to unite parties opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party at the national level, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai and discussed the new vision, agenda to run the country properly. KCR called the NCP chief an "experienced leader" and said that both the parties will work together. "This country needs to be run properly with a new agenda, new vision... I discussed the same with Sharad Pawar Ji. He is an experienced leader, has given me his blessings, and we will work together," Telangana chief minister said at a press conference after meeting Pawar in Mumbai. He said a meeting with other like-minded parties will be held soon. After the meeting, Pawar said that various issues of development and cooperation between Telangana and Maharashtra were discussed. "Today, we discussed solutions to the problems our country is facing, be it poverty or farmers' issues. We did not have much of a political discussion, because the issue is development... We will again hold discussions later," Pawar added. Maharashtra: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao Meets CM Uddhav Thackeray at Varsha Bungalow in Mumbai. Earlier in the day, KCR also held a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in which Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and Actor Prakash Raj were also present. The series of meetings came after KCR gave a call to Opposition parties to unite against BJP. Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday said the meeting will expedite the process of political unity at the national level against the BJP. Telangana Chief Minister had earlier hit out at the BJP and said that it should be "expelled" from the country or else the country will be "ruined". He also called for political forces to come together to "oust" the BJP from power. As part of efforts to bring various opposition parties together against the BJP, KCR is also planning to meet his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nagpur, Feb 20 (PTI) The number of arrests in a Rs 40 crore cryptocurrency fraud in Nagpur in which over 2,000 investors were duped reached 11 on Sunday, a day after the main accused, his wife and two associates were held from Lonavala in Pune, police said. Also Read | Hijab Ban Deliberate, Intentional to Prevent Muslim Girls from Getting Educated, Says Siddaramaiah. An official said main accused Nishid Wasnik used to flaunt his luxurious lifestyle to get people to invest in a firm that he claimed was dealing in 'ether' cryptocurrency. Also Read | EPFO Payroll Data: 14.60 Lakh Net Subscribers Added During December 2021. "He manipulated the website of the firm to show a steady rise in the value of investments, while transferring money into his accounts fraudulently between 2017 and 2021. He had even organised a seminar on cryptocurrency investment in Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh," the official said. Wasnik went into hiding in March last year, leaving the investors in the lurch, before being arrested from Pune district on Saturday. All 11, including the seven arrested on Sunday, were charged under IPC, Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act and Information Technology Act provisions by Yashodhara Nagar police, he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], February 20 (ANI): The Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju on Sunday informed that 18 FIRs have been registered across the state in 'minor incidents' that were reported during the assembly polls in the state. "A total of 18 FIR's have been registered. All of them were minor incidents, mostly altercations between groups. These FIRs have been registered to avoid any untoward incidents. A detailed report will be submitted tomorrow," said Raju. Also Read | Hijab Ban Deliberate, Intentional to Prevent Muslim Girls from Getting Educated, Says Siddaramaiah. Meanwhile, a total of 63.44 per cent of voter turnout is reported till 5 pm in the state. "The election was peaceful. It was like a festival here. Special care was taken for specially-abled and old age people," Raju added. Also Read | EPFO Payroll Data: 14.60 Lakh Net Subscribers Added During December 2021. Voting on 24,740 polling booths for 117 constituencies in Punjab took place on Sunday. In Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters decided the fate of 1,304 candidates who are in the fray. Punjab is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress party as key players. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats. The counting of votes will be done on March 10. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) President Biden agreed to meet with Russian President Putin in principle as long as the superpower does not invade Ukraine, the White House announced Sunday night. The talks would be brokered by the French. Advertisement As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe, provided Russia does not proceed with military action. President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasnt happened. The news of a summit came as fears of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine mounted. Advertisement Russian troops remained deployed along Ukraines borders, and deadly tensions in Ukraines breakaway region fueled fears that an invasion was looming. Still, the U.S. was hoping for a diplomatic answer to avert the crisis, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. We believe Vladimir Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade Putin from carrying this forward, Blinken said on CNNs State of the Union. President Biden is prepared to engage President Putin at any time, in any format if that can help prevent a war. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the United Nations Security Council, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) (Richard Drew/AP) But with Russia extending its military drills near Ukraines northern border with Belarus on Sunday, Blinken said Moscow appeared determined to invade. Everything were seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion, he said. Russias military drills, which have involved a huge buildup of troops, had been scheduled to end Sunday. But hostilities in eastern Ukraine appeared to provide a pretext for Russia to keep the exercises going a scenario that the White House had predicted. Advertisement He is following the script almost to the letter, Blinken said of the Russian president. Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine accused Ukraine of launching attacks over the weekend, resulting in two civilian deaths. Two Ukrainian soldiers died in clashes, according to Kyiv, which rejected the allegations of escalation. While Russia has deployed more than 150,000 troops around Ukraine in recent weeks, Putin has demanded promises that Ukraine never become part of NATO and insisted he has no intention of invading. U.S. and European officials have struggled to defuse the situation threatening severe sanctions in the event of an invasion while shying away from Putins demands. A boy plays with a weapon while an instructor shows a Kalashnikov assault rifle during a training of members of a Ukrainian far-right group train, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Blinken defended the decision to hold off on sanctions for now. The purpose of the sanctions in the first instance is to try to deter Russia from going to war. As soon as you trigger them, that deterrent is gone, he said. Advertisement And until the last minute, as long as we can try to bring a deterrent effect to this, were going to try to do that. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraines president, voiced his impatience and called for more support from his countrys allies. We are going to protect our country with or without the support of our partners, he said in a speech Saturday at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, an annual gathering of international policymakers. What are you waiting for? Zelenskyy asked, saying sanctions against Russia would be of no help after an invasion. Zelenskyy also called for a meeting with Putin. I dont know what the president of the Russian Federation wants, so I am proposing a meeting, he said in Munich. Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement. Advertisement Vice President Kamala Harris responded to his comments with words of solidarity. Let us recognize the position hes in, Harris told reporters before flying back to the U.S. from Munich. His country is virtually surrounded by Russian troops. I told him in our meeting, The United States stands with you, she added, because we do, as do this community of allies and partners. A local resident walks at the scene of an explosion next to his house after alleged shelling by separatists forces in Novognativka, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) Harris stuck to the White House line that sanctions would only come if Russia invaded Ukraine, and she did not commit to additional defense help. Biden has ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine, but sent a $200 million defense package including Javelin anti-tank missiles, artillery and other weapons last month. European officials remained in the mix, with French President Emmanuel Macron holding a Sunday phone call with Putin. Putin reportedly said the Kremlin was still interested in a diplomatic solution. Advertisement The Russian strongmans aggression toward Ukraine has prompted widespread speculation about his reasoning and motives. Vladimir Putin is possibly thinking illogically about this and doesnt see the disaster ahead, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC. With News Wires Services New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): Punjab Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa on Sunday urged the people of Punjab to cast their votes as the state goes to Assembly polls today. "As Punjab votes today. I request each and every voter to come out and vote and participate in the biggest festival of democracy. Power of democracy lies in your vote," Bajwa tweeted. Also Read | Weather Forecast: Wet Spell Over Northeast India; North India Witnesses Rise in Temperature. Meanwhile, Voting for 117 constituencies for Punjab Assembly elections began at 8 am on Sunday amid tight security. In Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1304 candidates who are in the fray from 117 constituencies. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: Salman Khurshid Casts Vote in Farrukhabad Sadar Constituency. There are 2,14,99,804 voters in Punjab who are eligible to exercise their franchise on Sunday. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats. The counting of votes will be done on March 10. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, Feb 20 (PTI) A voter turnout of nearly 70 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in Punjab, where polling for 117 assembly seats was held on Sunday. The final turnout figure at the end of polling at 6 pm is not yet available and officials here said that they are still compiling the data. Also Read | Punjab Assembly Elections 2022: 65.50% Voter Turnout Recorded, Lower Than 2017. The Punjab election office had released a polling percentage of 63.44 till 5 pm. Later, at midnight, the Election Commission's Voter Turnout App released an updated percentage of 69.65 for polling till 5 pm. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Wishes Queen Elizabeth II Speedy Recovery After She Tests Positive for COVID-19. Voting started at 8 am and continued till 6 pm and it remained peaceful, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju told PTI. In the 2017 Punjab assembly polls, the voting percentage recorded was 77.4. The percentage in 2002, 2007 and 2012 was 65.14, 75.45 and 78.20 respectively. The Punjab CEO said 72 ballot units, 64 control units and 649 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) were replaced after they developed some technical snag. The polled EVMs will be kept in designated strong rooms under round-the-clock surveillance of CCTV cameras, officials said. Raju said that there was not a single case of disruption of polling. On law and order, he said, "Some minor poll-related incidents were witnessed in the state and a total of 18 FIRs were registered on the day of polling to avert any untoward incidents." This time a total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray. The Talwandi Sabo assembly segment recorded the highest turnout of 83.67 per cent while Amritsar West seat recorded the lowest at 50.10 per cent. The percentage in assembly seats of Patiala, Amritsar East, Jalalabad, Lambi, Dhuri, Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib were, 62.10, 59.77, 80.10, 72, 78.89 and 70 respectively. Mansa district recorded a maximum voter turnout of 77.21 per cent while Mohali recorded the lowest at 62.41 per cent. Many districts falling in the Malwa region, which account for 69 of the total 117 assembly segments, recorded more than 65 per cent turnout. It included Malerkotla at 72.84 per cent, Muktsar 76.95 per cent, Fazilka 73.59 per cent, Sangrur 73.82 per cent, Bathinda 74.99 per cent, Barnala 73.75 per cent, Fatehgarh Sahib 71.59 per cent, Faridkot 69.91 per cent, Ferozepur 67.30 per cent, Mohali 62.41 per cent, Rupnagar 70.48 per cent and Patiala 71 per cent. Moga and Ludhiana districts registered voter turnout of 67.43 per cent and 62.71 per cent respectively. In the Majha region, Pathankot witnessed 67.72 per cent, Amritsar 62.71 per cent, Gurdaspur 70.62 per cent and Tarn Taran 63.03 per cent while in Doaba region, the voter turnout in SBS Nagar was 70.74 per cent, Hoshiarpur 66.19 per cent, Jalandhar 64.29 per cent and Kapurthala 67.87 per cent. Prominent faces who were in the fray included Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, former CMs Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma and former Union minister Vijay Sampla were also in the fray. Punjab witnessed a multi-cornered contest among the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political front of various farmer bodies. The ruling Congress was seeking to retain the power while rival parties were eyeing to wrest power. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) contested the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The BJP fought the elections in alliance with Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt). The SSM contested the polls with Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni-led Sanyukt Sangharsh Party. On arrangements for voters, the CEO said pick-up and drop facility was provided to elderly people above 80 years and persons with disabilities (PwD). While arrangement for wheelchairs was also made for elderly people at polling stations, first-time voters were given certificates at the polling booths. At the women-managed pink polling booths in the state, enthusiasm was seen among voters, especially those voting for the first time. There were 196 pink polling stations for women while 70 polling stations are being managed by persons with disabilities (PwD). Amritsar-based famous conjoined twins Sohan Singh and Mohan Singh, fondly known as Sohna-Mohna, cast their separate votes. Sohna-Mohna had recently been handed over two separate electoral photo identity cards by Raju. Both had turned 18 last year and voted for the first time. The conjoined twins said they are extremely happy as both were able to exercise their voting rights. Officials said the conjoined twins were treated as two separate voters. The Election Commission restrained actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood from visiting polling booths in Moga following complaints that he was trying to influence voters. His vehicle was also impounded by police, said officials. However, Sood, who denied the charges, alleged that other candidates were trying to buy votes. Sood's sister Malvika Sood Sachar is a Congress candidate from Moga. In the morning, Charanjit Singh Channi paid obeisance at religious places at his home constituency Chamkaur Sahib. He claimed the Congress will get two-third majority in the polls. After casting his vote, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal said, "I am happy that our democracy is very strong. I will continue to serve my people till my last breath. SAD chief Sukhbir Badal said the SAD-BSP alliance will win over 80 seats. In Patiala, former chief minister Amarinder Singh also exuded confidence of his victory. AAP leader Raghav Chadha in his tweets alleged that at a polling booth in Guruharsahai, a sarpanch tried to influence voters. He claimed that some EVMs malfunctioned at Sanaour, Attari and Majitha. A total of 2,14,99,804 people, including 1,02,00,996 women, were eligible to vote. There were 24,740 polling stations, of which 2,013 had been identified as critical while 2,952 were vulnerable. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Moga (Punjab) [India], February 20 (ANI): Sonu Sood's sister Malvika Sood Sachar, who is contesting from Punjab's Moga seat on Congress ticket, is hopeful of winning the Assembly elections. "I feel positive for today. A lot of people are calling up including those from foreign countries and are cheering up for my support. Many of them have assured me to vote for me today. If people think that Sonu Sood is a star, then it's an icing on the cake for me," Malvika said. Also Read | Assembly Elections 2022 Live Updates: Voting Begins in 59 Constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, All 117 Seats In Punjab. She added, "I have worked a lot for the welfare of the people. We have done many social works. I don't think any other candidate has done so much social work." On January 10 this year, Malvika Sood, sister of actor Sonu Sood, joined Congress in Punjab's Moga. Also Read | Punjab Assembly Elections 2022: Register FIR Against Arvind Kejriwal for Violating Model Code of Conduct, Chief Electoral Officer Tells Mohali Police. Over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1304 candidates in the fray from 117 constituencies on Sunday. Polling will begin across 117 seats in the state at 7 AM today. Punjab is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former chief minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress party as key players. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju informed there are 2,14,99,804 voters in Punjab who are eligible to exercise their franchise on Sunday. He said that there are 1304 candidates--1209 male, 93 women and two transgenders are in the fray in 117 constituencies. A total of 1,304 candidates-- 231 are from national parties, 250 from state parties, 362 from unrecognised Parties, and 461 are Independent candidates. He said that as many as 315 contesting candidates are with Criminal Antecedents. Dr Raju said that 24689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been established at 14684 polling station locations of which 2013 are identified as critical, while 2952 are vulnerable pockets. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): As part of ongoing 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight, the India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai hosted a seminar - 'India: Millets production and upscaling value chain' on Friday. Senior government officials and sector experts deliberated on opportunities for Indian industry players producing and processing millets to enhance the export potential of the country. Also Read | Punjab Assembly Elections 2022: Register FIR Against Arvind Kejriwal for Violating Model Code of Conduct, Chief Electoral Officer Tells Mohali Police. Speaking at the session, Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare urged the startups and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to help in upscaling millets' value chain and connecting to domestic and international markets. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by India and supported by over 70 nations declaring 2023 as the 'International Year of Millets', aimed at raising awareness about the health benefits of the grain and its suitability for cultivation under changing climatic conditions. Also Read | Online Fraud in Ahmedabad: 68-Year-Old Man Duped of Rs 17 Lakh in Sim Deactivation Con. Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops and Oil Seeds), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said the government is trying to build momentum for the millets campaign by highlighting its nutritional benefits and value chain. Underlining the nutritional security aspect of millets, B Dayakar Rao, CEO, Nutrihub, said they have health benefits and can reduce obesity and malnutrition. "It is well marked on vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals and it also helps beat hypertension, colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases as it reduces triglycerides present in the body. Now with the onset of the International Year of millets, India is ready to lead the world by sharing best practices, technologies, the goodness of millets and established values and experience with other countries," Rao said, according to an official release on Saturday. Kuntal Sensarma, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), talked about the policy incentives in this sector. "Two of our suggestions to the Union Ministry of Finance for this year's budget have been accepted to strengthen the sector and create necessary policy environment. One was in the context of the International Year of Millets for 2023 based on major programmatic interventions and the other one on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and formalization of micro-enterprises." Deliberating on upscaling the value chain of millets, C Anandharamkrishnan, Director, NIFTEM said there is a need to formalize the unorganized food processing system by providing the FPOs, SHGs and co-operatives with technical support, credit linkages and ensuring adequate storage capacity to avoid food wastage. The release said multiple startups and FPOs are participating in the 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight and displaying their innovative agri-tech solutions and, sustainable and healthy millets-based products. The 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight will conclude on March 2. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lakhimpur Kheri, February 20: Launching a scathing attack at Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that they are protecting and giving shelter to terrorists and are playing with the security of the country. Addressing a public meeting in Nighasan and Dhaurhara assembly constituency of Lakhimpur Kheri, Adityanath said, "Ahmedabad court has sentenced 38 terrorists in the blast case. In this, those who have been punished, one of the persons convicted is a person of the Samajwadi Party. I want to ask Akhilesh Yadav why Akhilesh has not given his explanation on this. They are giving shelter to terrorists. They are playing with the security of the country. Will people vote for those who support terrorism?" he Slamming the previous government of the Samajwadi Party, the UP chief minister further elaborated on the work done by his government. He said, "Under the double engine BJP government, people are getting a double dose of ration every month along with various items, earlier all this money was given to SP's 'Attar wale Mitr' and they used to leave people to die out of starvation." "Earlier, only Saifai Mahotsav was held in Uttar Pradesh. In that festival, there was neither color nor emotion. Today in Uttar Pradesh, the festival means Diwali festival of Ayodhya, Rangotsav of Mathura-Vrindavan, Dev Deepawali of Kashi and the foundation day of the state," said Adityanath. Also Read | Hyderabad Shocker: 21-Year-Old Physically Challenged Woman Dies After Being Raped, Set Ablaze in Narayanpet. Taking a dig at SP provide of providing free electricity, the Chief Minister said, "This is the same Uttar Pradesh where electricity was not available before 2017. People who keep you in the dark promise you free electricity today. When you were in government, even electricity was not given, today you promise free electricity, what would be a bigger lie than this." He further the BJP government gave free COVID vaccine to the people. "We gave free COVID vaccine to all. Those who were spreading misconceptions about the vaccine and telling that the vaccine is Modi and BJP vaccine, the same vaccine saved everyone's life. When the vaccine is saving lives, whether it is the Modi vaccine or BJP vaccine, we will support that. Along with the vaccine, all of you are also getting free ration every month," he said. Counting the achievements of the BJP government, Yogi said that it built Ram temple in Ayodhya and a medical college near Lakhimpur Kheri is also being built. "We have built Ram temple in Ayodhya, would these people get the temple built? We will also start a medical college near Lakhimpur Kheri. You will not have to go to Delhi, Mumbai," he added. Yogi said that this work could not be done in the earlier governments. "Within Lakhimpur Kheri, our government has waived the loans of 1,45,600 farmers worth Rs 904 crore," he said. He further said that the people of Lakhimpur Kheri are also getting the benefits of PM Samman Nidhi. "Our government is giving an annual pension of Rs 12,000 to 88,000 widowed women. We are giving ration every month to people in the Lakhimpur district. Farmers' loans have been waived off. We are always with the poor, farmers, youth and women. But SP's sympathies are towards terrorism, mafia and money," he said. He further urged people to vote and make BJP win with a massive majority. "Today the third phase of polling is going on. BJP has worked for fear-free, poor, farmers, women, and labourers. I appeal that where the election is going on 59 seats, the maximum number of people should go to vote and make BJP win with a massive majority," he added. Polling in 59 constituencies for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections is underway. Subsequent phases are taking place on February 23, 27, and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will be done on March 10. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Feb 20: Bullish on the future of green mobility, the Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland plans to set up a new manufacturing facility in the country to roll out electric vehicles, according to a top company official. The Chennai-based firm has also lined up a Rs 500 crore investment to develop powertrains based on alternative fuels like CNG, hydrogen and electric for its commercial vehicles range. The company has already announced a USD 200 million (nearly Rs 1,500 crore) investment through its UK-based arm Switch Mobility for electric mobility. Odisha Govt Makes 100% Exemption on Taxes for Electric Vehicles. The commercial vehicle company aims to expand its electric vehicle portfolio as well as develop new engines keeping in mind the changing market requirements in the domestic as well as international markets. Also Read | Indias Forex Reserves Decline by $1.76 Billion to $630.19 Billion. "In Spain, we are coming up with a manufacturing facility and R&D centre and there are plans to grow this over the next few years. In India, we will be optimising the facilities that are available with Ashok Leyland. "But I'm sure very soon we will require an independent facility as well. And that is something that is being looked at by the management team," Ashok Leyland Executive Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja told PTI in an interaction. Asked if the company has set some timeframe for the new plant, he noted that a lot will depend on the volume growth of electric vehicles. "We are looking at all the opportunities and options available, so that capacity never becomes an issue if the market requires more products. So, I wouldn't put a date to it right now. But we are keeping all our alternatives and options open," Hinduja stated. He noted that at the moment, the company feels quite comfortable regarding the production capacity for the next two years. "We feel quite comfortable that for the immediate, let's say, 24 months or so. Ashok Leyland would be able to provide the electric products that are needed for Switch," Hinduja noted. On the company's EV product plans, he said Dost and Bada Dost models would be utilised to cater to the domestic and the SAARC markets. "We are also looking at the production of a brand-new LCV (light commercial vehicle) range from the perspective of Switch which will be for the European UK and the US markets," Hinduja said. He noted that the company has electrified Dost and Bada Dost and prototypes are currently running. "We are looking at Q4 of 2022 to be able to start production of our electric LCV from Switch's perspective," Hinduja stated. Ashok Leyland is investing around Rs 500-700 crore for products for the domestic market, while Switch plans to spend close to USD 200 million in the next two- three years for the development of their new products, he added. "It encompasses the electric buses and the electric LCV programme as well. But like I said, this is an ongoing program. Our immediate requirement would be around USD 200 million, but to complete all these programs, of course, over the course of time, more and more funds will be devoted to it," Hinduja said. He noted that over the next decade, alternative powertrains comprising battery electric and fuel cell electric will emerge, and Ashok Leyland has dedicated teams focusing on the development of these segments. "In the next 3-4 years, we expect to spend around Rs 500 crore in the development of these technologies. Our ambition is to steadily move towards being carbon neutral, across all stages, while being customer centric," Hinduja said. He further said: "When we talk about alternative fuels, CNG, LNG, hydrogen, electric, we are working on ensuring that we can cater to all the requirements of the market." The company's vision is to be a top-10 global commercial vehicles player creating reliable and differentiated products and solutions, while delivering outstanding stakeholder value, he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Taipei [Taiwan], February 20 (ANI): A Taiwanese diplomat said that the biggest diplomatic challenge Taiwan faces is China's efforts to use "one country, two systems" as a means to promote unification. Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Vancouver Liu Li-hsin spoke virtually to Taiwan studies students at the University of Alberta earlier this month about Taiwan's current political situation and its diplomatic challenges, reported Taiwan News. Also Read | Presidents Day 2022: Date, History, Significance And Everything You Need To Know About Washington's Birthday . Liu explained that because many countries adhere to a "one China" policy and due to political suppression by Beijing, "we have to work double or triple times harder than other countries' diplomats," according to a TECO press release. In addition to going through official channels, Taiwanese diplomats cooperate with NGOs and overseas Taiwanese communities to send messages to a host country's government, she said, reported Taiwan News. Also Read | Nepal Protest: Dozens Injured in Protests Against US Grant Pact as It is Tabled in Parliament. Moreover, she added that by poaching Taiwan's diplomatic ties, China has weakened the confidence Taiwanese have in their government. Liu said like-minded countries can support Taiwan by publicly backing its participation in global organizations and strengthening bilateral cooperation on trade and clean energy, reported Taiwan News. She noted that Taiwan and Canada had recently launched exploratory discussions with Canada about a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Arrangement. The University of Alberta established its Taiwan Studies program in 2020 with the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which have been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. Moreover, Taiwan has been extremely concerned about the situation in Hong Kong since Beijing passed the National Security Law in 2020. Hong Kong's vanishing democracy, freedom, and human rights prove that "one country, two systems" is a lie. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Feb 20 (PTI) President Joe Biden is prepared to engage with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in any format at any place and time to prevent a war, top US diplomat said on Sunday as he asserted that everything leading up to the actual invasion of Ukraine appears to be taking place. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments came amid heightened tensions between Russia and the US, fuelled by fears that Moscow plans to invade Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied that it has plans to attack Ukraine. Also Read | Presidents Day 2022: Date, History, Significance And Everything You Need To Know About Washington's Birthday . "As we have described it, everything leading up to the actual invasion appears to be taking place, all of these false flag operations, all of these provocations to create justifications. All of that is already in train," Blinken told CNN in an interview. "We believe President Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward, he said. Also Read | Nepal Protest: Dozens Injured in Protests Against US Grant Pact as It is Tabled in Parliament. "President Biden is prepared to engage President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war. I reached out to my Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov, to urge that we meet next week in Europe. The plan is still to do that, unless Russia invades in the meantime, Blinken said in response to a question. President Biden said on Friday that based on the latest American intelligence, he was "convinced" that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine in coming days. The top American diplomat alleged that Russia is trying to create a series of provocations as justifications for aggression against Ukraine going forward. "We have seen that over the last few days. Now they're justifying the continuation of exercises, and exercises in quotation marks, that they said would end now, the continuation indefinitely of those "exercises," on the situation in Eastern Ukraine, a situation that they have created by continuing to ramp up tensions, Blinken said. Meanwhile, they have been escalating the forces they have across Ukraine's borders over the last months from 50,000 forces to 100,000 to now more than 150,000, he said. "So, all of this, along with the false flag operations we have seen unfold over the weekend, tells us that the playbook that we laid out is moving forward, he said. Blinken said that the US, with its European partners and allies, have prepared a massive package of sanctions against Russia in case of an invasion of Ukraine. The G7 countries in Munich came together, reiterated that there would be massive consequences for Russia if it pursues this aggression, he said. "The purpose of the sanctions in the first instance is to try to deter Russia from going to war. As soon as you trigger them, that deterrent is gone. And until the last minute, as long as we can try to bring a deterrent effect to this, we're going to try to do that, he said. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday categorically ruled out deployment of American troops in Ukraine and warned Moscow of punitive sanctions if its troops crossed over the border. "President Biden has been very clear about the fact that we're not going to employ forces in Ukraine. And we will make sure that we do everything possible to protect our troops and our Polish partners so that there isn't a spillover cross-boundary, Austin told ABC News in a separate interview. "This is something that we'll be on lookout for and we'll be thoughtful about making sure that we've taken the right steps to try to prevent that, he said. Responding to questions, Austin said that the Russian President has been very deliberate in terms of assembling the right kind of combat and combat support capabilities, in the border region, and so he has a number of options available to him there. "And he could attack in short order... I think he's assembled the right kind - the kinds of things that you would need to conduct a successful invasion," he added. Referring to the nature of deployment of Russian troops on the border of Ukraine, he said there is a significant amount of combat power moving very quickly now to take Kyiv. "We see a lot of tanks and armoured vehicles there. We see a lot of artillery. We see rocket forces. If he employs that kind of combat power, it will certainly create enormous casualties within the civilian population and so this could create a - tragedy, quite frankly, in terms of refugee flow and displaced people. So this is potentially a very, very dangerous (situation)," he added. Austin also warned that Russia will face tough sanctions from the US and the international community. "The sanctions that we talked about, we're very serious about, and these are sanctions that will have effects that Mr. Putin has not realised before. You know, the sad part about this, is that it may not affect Mr. Putin to the degree that it's going to affect the average Russian. And, you know, the decisions that he's making now will bring about a lot of pain and suffering on his comrades in Russia, he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Portland, Feb 20 (AP) One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting Saturday night at a Portland park where a march was planned to protest police violence. Officers responding to a report of shots fired at Normandale Park found one woman dead, according to the Portland Police Bureau. Two men and three other women were taken to the hospital. Also Read | Presidents Day 2022: Date, History, Significance And Everything You Need To Know About Washington's Birthday . Their conditions have not been released, and police have not named anyone involved in the shooting. Social media flyers show that at the same time as the shooting, a march was planned for Amir Locke, a Black man who was fatally shot by police in Minneapolis, KOIN-TV reported. Also Read | Nepal Protest: Dozens Injured in Protests Against US Grant Pact as It is Tabled in Parliament. Portland, Oregon's largest city, saw months of nightly protests in 2020 that often spiraled into violence following the murder by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Portland became the center of the movement to defund the police, but the sustained protests in the city have largely faded away. The city is now dealing with a plague of gun violence. Police responded to six shootings within a nine-hour span between Thursday night and early Friday. Shortly before Saturday night's shooting at Normandale Park, police who were called to a separate disturbance were involved in a shooting that left one person dead. It wasn't immediately clear if the person died by police gunfire. Although last year was marked by record-high numbers of gun violence in Portland, the number of shooting incidents during the first month of 2022 outpaced January 2021, according to police data. During January alone, police recorded 127 shootings. Police and city officials say the increase in violence, which disproportionally affected Portland's Black community, was fueled by gang-related arguments, drug deals gone wrong and disputes among homeless people. The situation was exacerbated by the pandemic, economic hardships and mental health crises. The number of homicides in Portland last year surpassed more populous cities such as San Francisco and Boston and was more than double the number of slayings in its larger Pacific Northwest neighbor Seattle. Portland recorded 90 homicides in 2021 amid a surge in gun violence, shattering the city's previous high of 66 set more than three decades ago. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Beijing [China], February 20 (ANI): Syria has joined China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) in desperation to revive its economy but it may lead the war-torn country into a vicious debt trap like several other countries. Syria is seeking funds from China out of desperation so as to reverse the continuous and sharp decline in its economy since 2011, the year civil war intensified. However joining hands with China will come with risks as Beijing's promises are big, but funding and implementation are slow, reported The Times of Israel. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Calls on Vladimir Putin to Meet as Tensions Soar. China is incentivizing Damascus' desperation as it is also an opportunity for China to enhance its footprints in the Middle East. Syria is under China's radar as it represents a corridor to the Mediterranean Sea, which bypasses the Suez Canal and connects China to the African and European Continents. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was also impressed by Beijing's initiatives to thwart direct western military intervention at the UN Security Council. Syria's admission into BRI would help in boosting bilateral cooperation with China and cooperation with other countries along the BRI, which would enable to circumvent the effects of the US sanctions on the country, reported the newspaper. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: NATO Temporarily Closes Office in Kiev, Relocates Staff to Brussels, Lviv. The Syrian economy has been devastated by war and witnessed massive destruction of infrastructure worth USD 120 billion. As per UN estimates, the rebuilding of war-torn Syria would need around USD 250-400 billion. Damascus could only allocate USD 115 million for reconstruction out of the total budget outlay of USD 8.9 billion in 2019. The COVID pandemic has added additional pressure to its budget, which is evident from the fact that Syria's budget for 2022 is the smallest since 2011 (USD 5.3 billion) with a deficit of USD 1.6 billion, reflecting the depth of the crisis in the country. Syria may find these BRI investments from China helpful in reviving its economy however under the present circumstances, Damascus cannot service the debt. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Donald Trumps exit from office may have taken some of the focus off immigration detention in America, but the terrible conditions often described by those in custody have certainly not been fixed. Case in point, a number of ICE detainees held at the Orange County Jail upstate have begun a hunger strike over a slate of familiar concerns: lack of proper food, overuse of solitary confinement, and racist and anti-immigrant treatment by staff. Undersheriff Kenneth Jones a former member of the far-right group Oath Keepers has denied the allegations, while lawyers for the striking detainees claim to have clear evidence that staff threw away food and harassed detainees. Jones has pledged an internal investigation, which doesnt exactly inspire confidence. There needs to be greater external oversight to ensure that detainees are being treated with dignity and having their health and rights respected. Advertisement Detention is not supposed to be punishment. (Gregory Bull/AP) Though immigration detention is supposed to be administrative and non-punitive, many immigration detainees end up side by side with criminal detainees due to agreements between ICE and county governments. This often leads to complaints falling through the cracks as local officials point the finger at federal ones, who in turn shift the blame right back. Fortunately, theres a relatively new Office of the Ombudsman for Immigration Detention, created by Congress in 2020 to investigate detention conditions, prepare reports and issue recommendations. The first ombudsman, a longtime GOP apparatchik who had previously served as an acting commissioner for Customs and Border Protection, was not particularly serious. Current acting Ombudsman David Gersten has an opportunity to prove his offices mettle and tackle serious investigations into these and other complaints. Advertisement Beyond that, Congress must step up and be more meticulous about its oversight functions, including demanding more answers from ICE leaders and their contractors, and instituting real consequences for wrongdoing. Putting detainees in harms way should not entail a slap on the wrist. Whether or not these people have violated immigration laws, their wellbeing is the governments responsibility, and one not to be taken lightly. India has asked its citizens including students who are living in Ukraine to return if their stay in the east European nation "is not deemed essential". Family members of Indian embassy staff in Ukraine has also been told to return, say sources. The Indian embassy in Ukraine said Indian citizens should look for any available commercial or charter flight to get out of the country amid tensions over a possible invasion by Russia. The earlier advisory asked students to leave Ukraine as soon as possible. See Tweet: Families of Indian Embassy officials in Ukraine have been asked to move back to India: Sources pic.twitter.com/lM91EhGlKS ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) The Sri Lankan Navy (@srilanka_navy) has arrested six Indian fishermen and seized their boat allegedly for poaching in country's territorial waters. The arrest was made on Saturday night near the Kovilan lighthouse, Jaffna. Photo: IANS (Representational image) pic.twitter.com/zZ5ZyGzlV3 IANS Tweets (@ians_india) February 20, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) As Hurricane Florence surged toward land last week, meteorologists and emergency agencies took notice. The storm was a Category 4 hurricane, the second-strongest type, and it was drawing a bead on the Carolina coast. By the time it made landfall on Friday, however, Florence had been downgraded to Category 1 and it wasnt long before it was further diminished to a tropical storm, and then a tropical depression. To some people in North Carolina and South Carolina, that sounded like good news. The National Hurricane Center begged to differ. It repeatedly warned people that Florence remained highly dangerous, with the potential for catastrophic flooding. Do not focus on the wind speed category of #Hurricane #Florence! the center tweeted, somewhat frantically. Do not focus on the wind speed category of #Hurricane #Florence! Life-threatening storm surge flooding, catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding are still expected. More: https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/eiD4c8pkRx National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 13, 2018 Advertisement That led some people to wonder: If its so dangerous, why doesnt it carry a scarier designation? Here are some answers to key questions about the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. How are storms rated? Hurricanes are rated according to Saffir-Simpson, which grades them from Category 1 (maximum sustained winds of 74-95 mph) to Category 5 (sustained winds of 157 mph or higher). Ranking below those in wind speed are tropical storms and tropical depressions. The National Hurricane Center describes the damage expected from each category, with language that grows more apocalyptic with each higher number. For a Category 1 storm, it warns that very dangerous winds will produce some damage, and describes it in relatively measured tones: Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days. By the time it gets to a Category 5 hurricane, the language is terrifying: Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Where did the scale get its name? It was developed by wind engineer Herb Saffir and meteorologist Bob Simpson, who are said to have wanted to create an equivalent to the Richter scale for earthquakes. So are the most damaging storms always rated Category 5? Hurricane Harvey, which caused devastating flooding in Houston last year, was one of the two costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, along with Hurricane Katrina. And yet, it was not a Category 5 storm. It was rated Category 4 when it made landfall on the Texas coast, and was downgraded to a tropical depression long before it hit Houston, where it stalled and dumped vast amounts of rain. Water, not wind, caused the damage. There have, of course, been devastating Category 5 storms, including Hurricane Andrew, which rampaged through south Florida and Louisiana in 1992, killing 25 people and causing $25 billion in damage, much of it from explosively powerful winds. Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, was a Category 5 storm, but it had diminished to Category 3 by the time it hit New Orleans, where it wreaked its worst damage. Should flooding be taken into account in the storm scale? Actually, it once was. When the scale was developed in 1972, it included barometric pressure, flooding impact and storm surge the rise in ocean water that can swamp low-lying coastal communities. But over time, all but wind speed was dropped and the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale became the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. According to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the scale was simplified for two basic reasons: Wind measurements became more accurate, and there was a realization that storm surge was complicated and difficult to predict. It can change based on the size of the hurricane, the depth of the coastal waters, the hurricanes forward speed and its angle to the shore. Thus, the report said, the scale was changed to help reduce public confusion about the impacts associated with the various hurricane categories, as well as to provide a more scientifically defensible scale. That said, it acknowledged that wind speed is also not a perfect predictor of damage, which is to some degree dependent upon the local building codes in effect and how well and how long they have been enforced. Do categories matter? Yes, at least from a psychological standpoint. I like the fact that people pay attention to the category because it gives them something to benchmark against, said Michael Cramer, town manager for the island community of Carolina Beach in southeast North Carolina. Most people dont pay much attention to the details, but they do pay attention to the category and as the categories go up, they get more scared. It helps focus people. Theres evidence to back him up. A study by Texas A&M University after Hurricane Rita in 2005 found that people were more likely to heed evacuation orders when they were told the category of the hurricane was higher. Only about 10% of those surveyed said they would evacuate in the event of a tropical storm, but more than 90% said theyd evacuate in a Category 5 hurricane. So why not change the scale? Some people have proposed doing just that. Lakshmi Kantha, a professor of aerospace science at the University of Colorado-Boulder, published an article in 2006 arguing that it was time for the scale to retire with dignity. He proposed a new Hurricane Hazard Index that would have several components, including the size of the storm, the wind speed and rainfall potential. That, in essence, is what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration argues it has been doing. NOAA has developed new online tools that show predicted rainfall and offer warnings about storm surges. There are multiple threats with a storm there is the wind, there is the inland flooding and the storm surge and all of those various threats are depicted graphically through a variety of Weather Service products, said NOAA spokesman Chis Vaccaro. Chick Jacobs, a community writer who has covered weather stories for the Fayetteville Observer for more than 20 years, is among those who believe more should be done. It would be nice in the off-season for everyone to get together and say, Okay, the last three big-damage hurricanes that hit the U.S. didnt hit us with wind. That means youve got to change something. Theres got to be some way people can look at announcements and say, Oh man, its going to be a Category 2, Rain 5. Jeez, we better get out. But, he added, Thats up to bigger minds than me. Jarvie reported from Fayetteville and Landsberg from Los Angeles. Times staff writer Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Conway, S.C., contributed to this report. Following a series of scheduled retirements by rotation, Dunamaise Arts Centre (The Laois Arts Theatre Company CLG) wishes to appoint up to 6 new members over the year ahead, to join the Voluntary Board of Directors. With restrictions lifting and the arts centre once again welcoming back audiences, the Dunamaise team are geared up to implement an ambitious and extensive new Strategic Plan, which they developed during lockdown, making the most of their time working in the wings! Board Directors with a wide range of expertise work together to lead this landmark Midlands arts organisation in the further development of Arts and Cultural activity for the whole community of Laois. If you feel you could give of your time and talents, expressions of interest are welcome by Monday, 28 February to michelle@dunamaise.ie. Dunamaise Arts Centre is a dedicated centre of excellence for creative engagement and practice in the Midlands region, engaging artists and audiences through delivery of high-quality programmes and experiences. They support practice development, participation, engagement and access to the arts for all. The Arts Centres mission and goals are managed and driven by the dedicated Board and staff team, in collaboration with many cultural partners. The new Strategic Plan, along with a comprehensive Board Induction Pack which outlines the duties expected, are available to guide new Board Members. The Board have an interest in the communitys engagement with culture. They oversee Corporate Governance, bringing their practical experience in arts development and business management, and apply their skills to enhance the companys sponsorship and corporate development, strategic partnerships and act as Ambassadors of Dunamaise Arts Centre across Laois/Midlands communities. At this time, vacancies have arisen following a series of scheduled retirements by rotation. New members are welcome to join, ideally with a track record in one or more of the following areas - Experience and/or interest in performing & visual arts, culture, heritage etc. Working artists / arts workers in any artform; Governance of voluntary, community, non-profit sector organisations, social enterprise or with similar experience gained in other sectors; Accounting / Financial Guidance; Legal or Company Governance Guidance; Business / Project Management; Engineering/ Architecture / Facilities management; Administration/ Change Management/ Human Resource Management; Public Relations / Marketing; Board Officer skillsets (e.g. Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary). Dunamaise Arts Centre engages appropriate professionals as required. e.g. Accountant for annual audit, Company Solicitor for relevant legal workload, annual licencing etc. Dunamaise Board members help to steer the ship, employing a dedicated staff team who oversee the day to day running and ongoing development of the business. Pre-Covid, Dunamaise welcomed over 30,000 audience members annually to enjoy stage performances, film screenings, exhibitions, classes in all artforms, seminars and community celebrations. Each year, hundreds of Laois children perform on stage. Scores of local musicians, actors and dancers of all ages are programmed each season, alongside top Irish and International touring bands, theatre companies and many famous performers who entertain and delight our community right here in Portlaoise. Dunamaise has successfully survived almost 2 years of rolling lockdowns and capacity restrictions, all the while continuing to support artists working remotely or behind closed doors, connecting with audiences online, outdoors and through An Post! Dunamaise is now poised to prosper and thrive into an exciting future. The role of Board Member offers an opportunity for you to contribute to Arts and Cultural development in Laois, working with people of varied backgrounds and perspectives, to collectively set the direction for Dunamaise Arts Centre into the future. Board members are invited to attend performances, screenings, exhibitions and events to meet with the artists and audiences and to enjoy the cultural activities programmed for the community. Any required training in governance and other matters is provided. Acting as an Ambassador for Dunamaise, you will get to nurture relationships and cultural connections across our whole community. Together, the Board and staff team enhance the warm welcome Dunamaise is well known for, as well as expanding the positive impacts of arts outreach beyond the venue walls, across the County. Dunamaise Arts Centre welcomes applications from everyone and encourages applications by people from a diversity of national, ethnic or cultural groups. The Board is mindful to have a balance of gender, geographic locations, arts and other required expertise for best possible Governance of our organisation. Further details about the company, the role and duties of Board Members and application can be found on www.dunamaise.ie or email Michelle@dunamaise.ie. Expressions of interest are welcome by Monday, 28 February 2022. For more than a half-century, Donald Trump proved himself a master at evading law enforcement, using techniques that the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn, his mentor, taught him. In his 30s, Trump beat four federal grand juries. Caught cheating on sales taxes at Bulgari jewelers, Trump ratted out others, never serving the 15 days in jail that Mayor Ed Koch said he richly deserved. His casinos plied 13- and 14-year-old children with liquor, limousines, hotel suites and credit lines to feed their underage gambling habits but he kept his owners license, a story told in my 1992 book Temples of Chance. Advertisement But now, far too late but better late than never, the walls are closing in. And Trumps the one pulling some of them down on himself and his family. None of this would have happened if Trump had just stuck to his career as a perpetually cash-short, self-proclaimed billionaire who imagines himself as both the modern Midas and a Don Juan. (Ross D. Franklin/AP) Ahead lie expected indictments in New York and Georgia, contesting 20 civil lawsuits, massive legal bills, and keeping up payments on $1.3 billion of debt as his businesses struggle. His three golf resorts in Scotland and Ireland have lost more than $100 million. In just seven months, he must refinance his $100 million Trump Tower loan. Advertisement That will be difficult since Mazars USA, his accounting firm, labeled unreliable the last 10 years of Trump financial statements they compiled without checking his financial records as they said goodbye to Trump as a client on Feb. 9. Trump used these compilations in seeking loans, insurance policies and other purposes. A Mazars disavowal opens the door for banks to call in loans, insurers to drop coverage, and civil fraud suits by people who relied on those statements in doing business with the Trump Organization. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants should declare that compilations based on what an accounting client says without checking the records are unethical. State licensing boards should make issuing compilations grounds to revoke accountancy licenses. Then theres the danger to Trump from Donald Bender, the Mazars accountant who prepared Trumps tax returns. Bender has turned states evidence. He testified before the grand jury in the Manhattan district attorneys criminal inquiry, which under state law gave Bender immunity from criminal charges. In court papers trying to block the civil inquiry by state Attorney General Letitia James, Trumps lawyers argued that he doesnt really know all that much about his businesses so there was no point in calling him to testify. Besides, they said, James has no facts, just political animus. On Wednesday, Trump demolished those arguments. He issued a lengthy statement asserting that he is deeply knowledgeable about his businesses. Does he not realize how he just punched himself in the face? The latest awful development for Trump came Thursday afternoon before Justice Arthur Engoron. The Manhattan judge ruled that Trump and his two oldest children must indeed answer questions in the attorney generals civil inquiry into his business dealings. Trump lawyers tried to make the judge believe that the attorney generals civil investigation is a lawless attempt to bootstrap information for the Manhattan district attorneys criminal probe, a legally baseless argument that I predicted months ago. Engoron dismissed that argument, saying it completely misses the mark. Advertisement After reviewing the attorney generals evidence in private, the judge said it showed copious evidence of possible financial fraud. His written decision mocked the Trump arguments against testifying, citing Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland, George Orwells 1984, and alternative facts. The Trumps, the judge noted, can exercise their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refuse to answer questions from James and her deputies. Trump called Engorons ruling a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history and remember, I cant get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by Judges and the judiciary. It is not possible. As Trump sees it, law enforcement is unfairly targeting him, just as he once claimed he was audited because he is a Christian. In his book Think Big, Trump spent six pages denouncing Christians as fools, idiots and schmucks and declared that his life philosophy is a single word, one that is decidedly anti-Christian: revenge. Now Trump sees a racist conspiracy yes, you read that right in the civil and criminal investigations by law enforcement. At a Texas rally last month, Trump called James, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Fani Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County (Atlanta), radical, vicious, racist prosecutors. All three are Black. Advertisement The Trumps will appeal the order that they must testify within the next three weeks. They almost certainly will lose. When that happens, they will have to sit down for questioning under oath by state lawyers. They will exercise their constitutional right not to incriminate themselves, Ronald Fischetti, one of Trumps lawyers, told Engoron. Eric Trump did that more than 500 times after losing his bid two years ago to escape testifying in the same civil inquiry. Taking the Fifth would be curious for Donald Trump. On the campaign trail in Iowa five years, ago he said the mob takes the Fifth. If youre innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? Hes made similar statements many times equating taking the Fifth with guilt, though that is not the law. Despite such remarks, Trump exercised his Fifth Amendment rights more than 90 times when asked questions about other women during his divorce from his first wife, as revealed in 1992 by the late Wayne Barrett, the first journalist to seriously cover Trump and check his claims of wealth. If James eventually files a civil lawsuit as expected, she can ask a judge to instruct a jury that they can draw adverse inferences from Trump and his children exercising their Fifth Amendment rights. The jury would be told that if the other facts warrant, they can infer that refusal to answer questions was because the answers would have shown wrongdoing. Thats verboten in criminal cases, but not in civil matters. Advertisement Eventually, James may force the Trump Organization with its more than 500 subsidiaries to close. People have a right to life, but corporations dont. They exist by the grace of government and may be extinguished for misconduct, as I teach my Syracuse University law students. That penalty is exceedingly rare, but its happened to Trump twice already. A previous state attorney general made Trump pay $25 million in restitution and then shutter Trump University as a straight up fraud. Trump promised he would personally pick the best faculty, but under oath admitted he knew none of them. None were financial experts, but many were familiar with fast-food kitchen work. In 2018, the state attorney generals office forced the Donald J. Trump Charitable Foundation to close after he paid back $1.8 million he illegally spent on himself in a shocking pattern of illegality. Advertisement The stark reality is that for a man who says he loves money most of all, Trump faces the prospect of a future in which he may well be unable to hold onto his Trump Tower triplex, his Mar-a-Lago mansion, his recently repaired Boeing 757 jet or much of anything else. Although at age 75, maybe he thinks he can hold onto them long enough. The costs of fending off criminal and civil cases and paying damages if he loses could well leave Trump with little more than his presidential and union pensions. The law shields pension money from creditors even for those who, like O.J. Simpson, end up imprisoned. And then theres the biggest threat of all, the Manhattan grand jury working with District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Investigators are digging through five million pages of documents that Trump tried to withhold, going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court twice, only to be firmly slapped down both times. I anticipate Trump, the Trump Organization, his three oldest children, Trumps chief finance man, Allen Weisselberg and perhaps others will be charged with running a racketeering enterprise. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Article 460 of the New York State penal code is modeled on the federal racketeering law. It requires showing three underlying felonies, which should be about as difficult as finding a city crosswalk. A tax charge or charges will almost certainly be embedded in any state racketeering charge, but tax wont be a stand-alone criminal charge. Advertisement The reason is that while Trump claims to be the greatest tax expert of all time, his lawyers would dismiss that as Trump just puffing up his reputation. Lawyers could say he just did what his advisers told him was right. Expect Bender and witnesses from Mazars to say Trump ordered them to do this and that against their advice. Lying on tax forms is nothing new for Trump. Six years ago, I revealed that Trump claimed more than $600,000 in bogus losses on his 1984 income tax returns, which he forged. Jack Mitnick, then Trumps longtime accountant and tax lawyer, testified that while the tax return bore his signature, neither he nor his firm prepared it. Mitnicks signature had been put on the tax return with a photocopy machine. How lucky for Trump that the case wasnt referred for criminal prosecution. Johnston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and best-selling author who has covered Trump for almost 34 years. His most recent book is The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family. My favourite time of the day is sunset when you go from the fading orange light of dusk to the promise of the night. Sunsets are especially majestic in the mountains when the peaks glow as the sun descends behind them and a calmness falls over the valley below as the sky slowly turns from purple to black and the stars come out to shine. I experienced some of the most awe inspiring sunsets I have ever seen when I visited the mountain region in the centre of Portugal last September for my final episode of the Travel Tales with Fergal Podcast Season 3 - which is out this week. I was staying at the wonderfully situated Casas da Lapa Hotel in the village of Lapa Dos Dinheiros in the middle of the Serra Da Estrela mountain region which is about three hours of a drive from Lisbon. The hotel sits on the edge of this pretty town hugging a mountain top and overlooking a beautiful valley below and surrounded by mountains. The sun would turn into a perfectly round fiery orange ball as it perched on the mountains on the other side of the valley and my bedroom would glow orange in its reflection. It was worth the trip just for the sunsets every night. The other thing that really shone through for me on this trip to the centre of Portugal was the natural friendliness of the inhabitants of this stunning mountainous region perfectly situated between Lisbon and Porto. This region is the coming area as a tourist attraction for both Portuguese and foreign tourists. The Portuguese rediscovered this area a bit like how the Irish rediscovered our own country during the pandemic. The Government is investing in these areas because it has seen the huge potential for tourism as tourists look for outdoor, less crowded and eco-friendly locations post-pandemic. But with companies relaxing their remote working practices for staff, they have also seen the potential for people to move to the mountain villages and away from the expensive cities like Lisbon. When I was there, I met Celia Goncalves, executive director of Association for the Integrated Development of the Mountain Villages Network, who is leading the development of the villages. This association received over 20 million from the Government to develop remote working sites in the mountain villages. They are converting old and unused schools and it is leading to the repopulation and regeneration of the remote villages. I met many people who were now able to return from the cities to live in the country and their pride and passion for their homes is what made this now vibrant area so special for the visitor. Everywhere I went people wanted to tell me about their town and their stories. The landscape of this region continuously changes from the Atlantic surf beaches on the coast all the way up to the Serra da Estrela mountain range which contains Portugals highest peaks. The area contains over 40 mountain villages all with their own unique personalities, four natural parks and five UNESCO World Heritage sites. I had always wanted to return to this area after I had a holiday at the beach resort town of Foz Do Arelho a few years ago. I had visited the mountain town of Sintra with its ornate royal palaces and the atmospheric medieval town of Obidos which has a festival all summer that turns the whole town back into a medieval world where everyone, including visitors, dress up. The place that gave me the itch to come back though was Tomar which holds the old Portuguese headquarters of the Templar knights. Tomar has a medieval feel to it and the Templar history adds intrigue. Irish people will also know of the famous pilgrimage town Fatima. What these four very different towns show is that this region has great variety for the visitor to experience. The region has over 40 villages and every one seems to have its own unique personality, history and stories which makes this a great holiday for the inquisitive traveller. A great way to visit the area would be to fly into Lisbon and out of Porto. A great first place to stay would be the areas capital Coimbra which is a charming historic town surrounded by medieval walls and prestigious historic buildings including the University of Coimbra, which is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and a landmark of knowledge and cultural identity. The old university library is said to be one of the first in Europe. My base in the Serra Da Estrala was the town of Lapa Dos Dinheiros and this village makes a great base to visit the many nearby mountain villages and also the natural parks and trails. I was able to walk from my hotel into the mountains that were covered in forests of pine and chestnut. On my first day I came across a river beach which I discovered most villages have nearby for summer swimming. These areas are usually small rivers dammed to make a pool and have beach amenities like huts and sand. Id imagine they are full of activity during the summer. The most scenic river beach I visited was outside the village of Lurigo where it was possible to do a walk to the top of the mountains called the route of the airplane to the site of an old World War 2 RAF plane crash site and then walk back to the valley for a refreshing swim to cool off with the mountain range all around and the village just below you making it one of the most scenic swims I have ever had. I would recommend checking for festivals if visiting this area because every village has their own festivals and this is the best way to see the villages celebrate their cultures. For example in spring they have festivities celebrating the shepherds going back up the mountains to graze for the summer. It is possible to make that journey up with the shepherds now. In the autumn they have a chestnut festival where the whole village makes chestnut soup and this area is becoming a tourist attraction at Christmas as the snowy towns are covered in homemade Christmas lanterns for December. This is the perfect holiday for lovers of the outdoors with spectacular walking trails. But for me it was the welcoming nature of the people that made the trip so special. It made me think this is what it must be like for tourists when raving about Irish hospitality. My favourite village was Videmonte where I could smell the rye bread being made from the communal village bakery as I strolled through ancient narrow lanes. I got talking to an old lady of 95 who invited us to have lunch in her house and we discovered her son was a famous Michelin starred chef on Portuguese TV. It was the sort of welcome I received wherever I went to this very special region. The sort of welcome you get only when you venture off the beaten track. There are endless regions to discover in the centre of Portugal. Away from the crowds, this is the perfect place to unplug and to find the centre of what really matters. To listen to all three seasons of the Travel Tales with Fergal Podcast check out www.traveltaleswithfergal.ie For more information on the centre of Portugal check https://www.centerofportugal.com. The new boss of the Irish Parole Board has said that victims will be her priority in the months to come. Chief executive Ciairin de Buis also told the PA news agency that within two years she hopes to end the lengthy prisoner backlogs that have for years plagued the Irish parole system. Ms de Buis, who is originally from Co Kerry, took up the role in January after the Government announced a major reform of the parole system last year. The new Parole Board, which for the first time is fully independent from the Minister for Justice, was launched last August. Under the new system, the time a life-sentenced prisoner must now serve before being considered for parole has increased from seven to 12 years. For the first time, victims will also have a formal right to make submissions to the Parole Board. It is this change that Ms de Buis says is particularly important. In the past, victims wouldnt have had the same rights that they do now have under the legislation so a lot of my concentration over the past couple of weeks has been getting things up and running, putting the process into place. Things as basic as where do we find contact details for victims. She said her initial focus will be on making the process work for victims of serious crimes. Ms de Buis, who is a law graduate with a masters degree in criminology and a former member of the old Parole Board, said it is vital the nuts and bolts of the process are in place so that victims, especially women, have confidence that they are being taken seriously. Im very conscious that when we contact victims, it may well be the first time theyve had any contact from the State about the incident, which was probably the worst day of their lives. And its important that we hear and I mean really hear what victims have experienced and are experiencing and their concerns. She said there will be no pressure for anyone to engage with the process if they do not want to. Its entirely down to themselves as to what they do and thats very much down to where they are in their own particular life and journey with that, she said. Ms de Buis, who will be in the role for at least an initial five-year term, admits that there are challenges. The Parole Board, which is based in Dublin, has 14 staff members. While that number should soon increase to just under 20, she admits that it is a very small team for the scale of the role. Its a big increase in what was there before. Its still a small team with enormous responsibility. Asked if she would like extra resources for the organisations, she said: I dont think theres any chief executives in any organisation that wouldnt want more resources. And Im not being flippant in saying that, of course we would. But anywhere is stretched. And its particularly were stretched at the moment because it is also so new. One of those major challenges will be preventing delays and backlogs. Between January and June last year, 94 parole cases were reviewed more than six months after the scheduled review date. One case was delayed beyond 36 months. The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) had previously called delays with reviews endemic. Ms de Buis said that in a very strict sense, there is no longer a backlog. Were a new board. So the previous backlog doesnt transfer over in the same way. What weve done is weve developed a system where were looking both at the time since the parole applicants previous review date, so when they would have been expecting to have a review had the old system continued and also looking at the time somebody has spent in prison, and then prioritising people according to that, she told. This transition phase should last one to two years, she said. Everyones application will be heard over the course of this year and next year. And after which it will run much more smoothly because then we will be doing ongoing reviews. She said: There will be people whose reviews would happen two years beyond which they should have happened, so two years late. Thats not going to happen under the new system. The new chief executive also said she expects the Parole Board to take a pragmatic approach to applications from prisoners, many of whom have had access to supports and rehabilitative services severely constrained by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thats down to the board members in terms of their decision, she said. Because I dont want to pre-empt any board decisions on that. But the pandemic has affected all of us and how we can work and what we can do and Id say the prison community more than most, because they didnt have Zoom and the other facilities that somebody working from home could do. So there will be a pragmatic approach to that. And dont forget that the previous recommendations were on a previous board as well. This is very much an independent new board, in terms of its decision making. Ms de Buis, who was hired with little experience of the civil service or public sector, is adamant she brings something different to the role. I know I do. You come from a different culture. So you do approach things differently. And I think thats very valuable to have within a team, having people coming from different perspectives. A big appeal is being made from the Laois highlands for fresh faces to make sure the Clonaslee Show makes a big return from Covid-19 restrictions. The event has been running for decades and attracts an attendance from across Ireland. However, Covid-19 forced its cancellation in 2020 and 2021. Now plans are being launched to hold the 2022 edition this September but there's a problem. The committee explain what's wrong and how people can help ensure the event in the heart of the Slieve Bloom survives to entertain future generations. "Our Show has always thrived on great local community spirit. Having lost a number of loyal members over the past few years, the show is in danger of not being able to carry on. We really need new volunteers to get involved, especially from our younger community-based enthusiasts," they say. MORE BELOW PICTURE. They declare: "This is your show and your chance to carry on the great legacy of our family and friends that have gone before us. Lets make a mark on our community, that can't be erased!" The next organising meeting takes place on Tuesday, March 1 at 8pm in the Community Centre. The agenda will focus on a discussion of the future of the show. To get involved and people are asked to contact the clonasleeshow@gmail.com Greeted by a Black Knight of the crusades (aka Tom McCutcheon in full costume), the scene is set for a journey back to the times of na Fianna, Brigid the goddess, St Brigid and the arrival of the Normans. Its a bright Thursday morning as myself and photographer Aishling Conway arrive at Kildare Town Heritage Centre. Despite two years of sporadic lockdown closures, centre manager, Tom explains the virtual reality adventure has proven hugely popular. Having just launched prior to beginning of the pandemic, the new experience is now fully open for booking. The centre, like many other businesses, has had to adapt to restrictions and has proved hugely resilient. Whats brilliant is, up to now we are only 300 people down on a good normal year, he says. Set in one of the oldest towns in Ireland, the centre has embraced the towns history. Up the stairs we go for the VR experience. The setting is very apt with a scale historic model of Kildare town in the centre of the room. Benches line the walls while beautiful imagery depicts times gone by. Settling in on one of the benches, on goes the headset and headphones. The scene opens on Goddess Brigid and her friends, the Tuatha De Danann sitting around a fire. One of the ladies breaks away and begins to tell the story of Kildare town. The full 360 degree effect is fantastic the sky, the grass, the imagery continues endlessly whether you look up, down, left or right. The journey moves forward through time with Rhian, the bird guiding the way, bringing you soaring through the skies to become immersed in na Fianna training on the Curragh. From being a witness to St Brigid laying her cloak over the green land, you are transported to the streets of medieval Kildare town where the local bishop demands the flame of St Brigid be put out in the grounds of St Brigids Cathedral. Cleverly put together to appeal to children and adults of any age, the experience is engaging and its easy to get lost in these new worlds. The level of detail is exceptional. Lasting 30 minutes, the experience flies by. Afterwards, Tom shows us the timeline of the history of the town, compared to other events in Europe and Ireland. He explains this is very helpful for tourists from abroad so they can get a more accurate picture of when these events occurred. There is also an interactive video screen where you can find all about the three abbeys of Kildare town The White Abbey, The Grey Abbey and The Black Abbey. The last tower of Strongbows castle is also included as well as St Brigids Cathedral. Tom is eager to point out that the VR experience is hugely important in encouraging participants to go out around the town and find these historic landmarks themselves. He gives people maps and informs them of where to go. Its hugely important how you tell that story and how people relate to it, he says. Reporter Niamh O'Donoghue in the Virtual Reality headset The experience can be viewed in English, Irish, French, German and Chinese. He is delighted to see peoples reaction after taking part in the VR experience. We had one man who was 92 years old and he loved it. When he went down the stairs afterwards, he was like a 60 year old, he highlights. There was one boy who has seen it four times. He came with his family and his cousins from Germany. They were able to watch it in German and he could watch it in English. Then he came back with his mother and then his sister and then someone else. Its been brilliant. Tom, who had been one of a number of people campaigning to make St Brigids Day a national holiday, was thrilled when the Government recently agreed to the proposal. Although it wont be official until next year, the centre still held its usual events to mark St Brigids Day on February 1. Giving out free plants and St Brigids postcards, they raised 625 in donations for the Womens Refuge and The Hive youth hub. Planning is already underway for St Brigids Day in 2023 and also for her 1500 year anniversary in 2024. Several guided walking tours were held with students from St Wolstans in Celbridge visiting the town on February 4 and 6. Since Covid hit, the centre has put several health and safety measures in place. Hand sanitiser units and an air purifier have been installed. We also got a special UV clean box in from America which cleans the headsets and earphones. Its hospital standard and is much more environmentally friendly than using individual wipes for every headset, says Tom. He is a huge advocate for people being able to experience history in a tactile manner. He points out a stone from Kildare castle, dating back from 1620. Another Sile na Gig stone, which was discovered at the Black Abbey two years ago is also on display as is the 700 year old Castledillon stone from Straffan. People can drop into the tourist and heritage centre to see the artifacts for themselves. Tom is bursting with ideas for the coming months and has other events planned. To find out more log on to www.kildareheritage.com. A significant event is being held at the Curragh Camp in May to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the handover of the military base from the British Army to the Irish Free State Army. Details are still being finalised on the nature of the ceremony, which may have elements that are open to the public. Ceremonies Similar events have already been held at other Defence Forces locations in recent weeks where the centenary of the handover occurs sooner such as Beggars Bush Barracks in Dublin, the General Liam Lynch Camp in Kilworth, Co Cork, Sean Connolly Barracks in Longford town and Finner Barracks in Co Donegal. A Defence Forces spokesperson told the Leader about the Curragh Camp ceremony: There will be an event in May, most likely on May 16 on the actual day but the authorities in the Curragh are giving consideration to holding it on the weekend of May 14 or 15 to increase access for people looking to attend. Some of the centenary events that have taken place across the country already have have included a brief military parade as part of the ceremony. There may also be an ecumenical prayer service in memory of all who served in the barracks. The event may also include a brief talk with a local historian on the historical context of the ceremony. Other activities may incorporate the raising of the National Flag and the laying of a wreath to commemorate all those who died in military service to the State. A plaque may also be unveiled at the entrance of the barracks to mark the occasion. The occasion marks the date on which the Irish Free State Army officially occupied the Curragh Camp after the Anglo-Irish War ended in 1921. The handover took place at 10am on Tuesday, May 16 1922, when the Camp was handed over to a party of Irish troops commanded by Lieutenant General JJ Ginger OConnell. Flags The Union Flag was lowered for the last time and Lt Gen OConnell climbed the water tower and hoisted the first Irish tricolour to fly over the Curragh Camp. By tradition, the British Army had cut down the flagpole requiring the Irish officers to physically hold the flagpole while the tricolour was raised. Both the original Union Flag and the tricolour are now preserved in the Defence Forces Training Centre in the Camp. It was an end of an era for British involvement in the Curragh Camp where permanent military structures were first built in the mid 1800s for the Crimean War (1853 to 1856). The third storm in as many days to hit Ireland has been named Storm Franklin. Status Orange wind warnings will come into effect for six counties from midday today, as Storm Franklin is set to hit Irish shores this evening. Met Eireann has warned of 'very strong winds with severe and damaging gusts', with risks of localised flooding in coastal areas. The first Status Orange warning is for Clare and will remain in place from 12:00 pm today until midnight on Monday. At 3pm, Status Orange wind warnings will come into effect in both Galway and Mayo until 3am tomorrow. An Orange wind warning is in place for Donegal, Leitrim & Sligo on Sunday from 19:00 until Monday at 07:00 due to #StormFranklin. Very high seas with severe winds will lead to wave overtopping, which may result in coastal flooding More detail https://t.co/BoUueCIxKa pic.twitter.com/nftOR5bzOi Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 20, 2022 A Status Orange wind warning has also been issued for Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, lasting from 11pm tonight (Sunday) until 7am tomorrow. Meanwhile, a Status Yellow wind warning remains in place for the whole country, coming into place at 9am this morning until 9am on Monday. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A FINE Gael councillor has called for a safety audit to be carried out at every school in Limerick and for a Safety Officer for schools to be appointed in every county. The burden needs to be taken from school principals. They have enough to do, Cllr Adam Teskey said at a meeting of Adare- Rathkeale Municipal District. The Department of Education had inspectors for education, he pointed out, so why not have inspections for safety. There was an onus on the Department, he argued, to have a Safety Officer in every county and to come up with an overall plan to tackle the lack of safety and the lack of set-down areas in schools. He proposed they should write to Education Minister Norma Foley on the matter and called for a full safety audit of schools. Fellow Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary pointed out that there was mayhem at many schools during drop-off and collection time. And he argued that this years allocation to the Municipal District of over 1.1m under the Active Travel Fund should be diverted to ensuring child safety at schools. However, he was told that only two schools in Limerick had applied to a new Safe Routes to School fund for the provision of safe zones. Cllr Kevin Sheahan pointed out that casual visits from members of An Garda Siochana to schools could have a positive effect on careless drivers and he suggested that it be put on the agenda for a future meeting of the Joint Policing Committee. I disagree, Cllr Bridie Collins responded. I dont think we should be policing parents at school. I think it sends the wrong message. But Cllr Sheahan said grown adults need to be advised that a car cant pull up anywhere at all. Karen Foley, the administrator for the Adare Rathkeale Municipal District, liaises with the Road Safety Authority as Education Officer for Limerick and explained to councillors that they do work on safety in schools and also have safety leaflets available. Cllr Bridie Collins asked that the RSA would undertake a safety campaign on school drop-off. WHY does Limerick have to wait before members of Limerick Fire and Rescue service can be deployed as first responders to medical emergencies, Cllr Adam Teskey has asked. The Fine Gael councillor called for such a move to be allowed at a meeting of Adare Rathkeale councillors in January saying it was a matter of life and death given the pressures on the National Ambulance Service because of Covid-19 and associated staff shortage. But now he has been told that Limerick must await the outcome of national discussions and get direction before anything can happen locally. Two other counties have taken up the baton, Cllr Teskey claimed at the February meeting of Adare Rathkeale councillors. Donegal and Kerry had shown exemplary leadership on this issue, he added. Why have we to be lacking in Limerick?, he demanded. Does it suit us to throw the can back to central government? He cited an example where a family was waiting over 45 minutes for an ambulance in a town where the Fire and Rescue service could have been there within 15 minutes. Members of the service, both retained and full time, were telling him they were blue in the face from pushing for the change he proposed., he continued, yet the only response was to wait for central government. Cllr Teskey added that he was extremely disappointed that his motion on the matter had not been brought before a full meeting of Limerick City and County and instead had been forwarded to a Special Policy Committee. Cllr Stephen Keary highlighted the fact that whole areas could be left without ambulance cover, often for considerable time, because ambulance personnel were obliged to remain with their patient until hand over in A&E - I dont know how they are going to solve it, he said, before continuing: There should be no person left waiting if there is an adjacent fully equipped fire service around that is capable of dealing with that. Cllr Bridie Collins reminded councillors of the excellent work done by voluntary First Responders in various towns and villages, including Adare. We can support and encourage other communities to take part, she said. With Keechant Sewell as New York Citys first female police commissioner and Alvin Bragg as the first Black Manhattan district attorney, the citys response to sexual violence is at an important crossroads. Both leaders bring extensive careers in law enforcement and represent important firsts for their offices. But theres something else they share: inheriting teams notorious for failing to take sexual violence seriously. Any meaningful contribution to fighting sexual violence will require a strong relationship between the NYPD and Manhattan DA. This partnership must be centered on the unwavering support of survivors. When survivors are ignored, others are dissuaded from coming forward; investigations miss critical information or never get started; and communities are left without resolutions or resources to heal. Will this finally be the moment New York City puts survivors ahead of politics and power? Advertisement Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell (Gardiner Anderson and Theodore Parissene /for New York Daily News) Bragg has been vocal on his commitment to survivors and already brought staff onto his leadership team with extensive experience on domestic violence and work with survivors. His transition committee included a gender-based violence subcommittee which Marissa co-chaired. Sewell has yet to speak publicly about her plans to address the failings of the Special Victims Division. Just recently, the NYPD announced that Michael King, head of the NYPDs Special Victims Division, would be reassigned as part of routine reshuffling. He then submitted papers to retire at age 45. SVD will now have its fourth leader in just as many years. With leadership changing so rapidly, it is hard to imagine staff are stable enough to do their job with courtesy, professionalism, and respect. Sewell and Bragg are new in their tenures and might need more time to demonstrate their commitments. We know it takes more than one person or institution to prevent sexual violence, but the NYPD and Manhattan DA should feel some urgency. The profound impact that sexual and gender-based violence has on individuals and communities cannot be underestimated. Our response requires nothing less than an unrelenting pursuit of the truth, grounded in fairness and gender and racial equity. Three areas require critical intervention in both agencies. Advertisement Shifts in culture are possible, but require significant investment of resources. This doesnt mean adding a little bit here and there, this means a massive infusion of resources. Leadership has historically failed to grasp that sexual assault investigations are incredibly labor-intensive. Imagine investigating a homicide but treating it like a petty theft. No special forensics, no witness interviews, too many cases on your docket, and not enough training. Some investigators throw up their hands and close an assault case by calling it a he said, she said. Some completely botch the case, refusing to test key evidence, and forcing victims to become their own detective. Bragg has explained how he will free up resources to focus on violent crimes and sexual violence. This is an important first step and the associated investments in fighting sexual violence must follow. Expert teams require dynamic leaders. The staff leading the work in the field and with victims must be both master detectives and exceptional managers; both master litigators and compassionate advocates. Leadership must also be unequivocal in their adherence to pursuing the truth while maintaining a commitment to equity and accessibility. The most recent head of NYPD SVD, Michael King, was said to focus too much on paperwork and placed too many inexperienced detectives into the unit rather than make changes survivors and advocates have been suggesting for years. Seek the truth and treat victims with compassion. These agencies should operate from a model of believing victims, rather than further traumatizing them. When an NYPD captain attempts to measure one case of rape against another, he will not get any closer to the truth. Manhattan ADAs essentially cross-examining victims as if they were the attacker only pushes people further away. Trauma research has taught us that this aggressive style can make a victim shut down. It may even make the victim appear evasive. Law enforcement can get closer to the truth with trauma-informed, methodical investigations. Conducting truth-seeking investigations and supporting victims is compatible if there is the will. Too often, survivors of sexual violence are expected to be patient, to get in line behind more pressing concerns, to not show anger or risk not being taken seriously. This compounds harm done to victims and pushes already marginalized voices even further away. But at this moment, when Sewell and Bragg have an opportunity to make history and establish a new framework for the criminal justice systems response to sexual violence, we are asking what they will do with this opportunity. By committing the right resources, hiring and training top-notch staff, and valuing a victims lived experience, they can upend the status quo, prevent future harm to survivors and communities, and rewrite a narrative that violence can only be responded to in a set way. Thats what victims and survivors deserve and will demand. Hoechstetter and Turkos are survivors and advocates. The family members of Indian Embassy officials in Ukraine have been asked to move back to India amid high levels of tensions on borders, reported news agency ANI , quoting sources, on Sunday. This comes hours after the embassy urged the Indian nationals in Ukraine, whose stay is not essential, to leave the country temporarily. In view of the continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties with respect to the situation in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students, are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily," said the embassy in its new advisory. Available commercial flights, and charter flights may be availed for travel, for orderly and timely departure," it added. The embassy also asked Indian students to also get in touch with respective student contractors for updates on charter flights. Indian students are advised to also get in touch with respective student contractors for updates on charter flights, and also continue to follow Embassy Facebook, website and Twitter for any update," it said. It had asked its citizens to leave Kyiv temporarily amid the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine earlier on 15 February too. In an advisory, India also requested its nationals to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence to enable it to reach them where required. This comes as Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders on Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. The exercises, originally set to end Sunday, brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to neighbouring Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. The announcement came from the defence minister of Belarus, who said the two countries would continue testing the response forces." Western leaders warned that Russia was poised to attack its neighbour, which is surrounded on three sides by about 1,50,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea. Earlier, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday accused Russia of "planning a full-scale attack on Ukraine" under a false pretext, according to media reports. "No troops are being withdrawn, as Russia says, but new troops are being added," Stoltenberg told German public broadcaster ARD, reported Sputnik news agency. The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does. Jinghai district in northern China is hardly a rice-growing paradise. Located along the coast of the Bohai Sea, over half of the regions land is made of salty, alkaline soil where crops cant survive. Yet, last autumn, Jinghai produced 100 hectares of rice. The secret to the bountiful harvest is new salt-tolerant rice strains developed by Chinese scientists in the hope of ensuring food security thats been threatened by rising sea levels, increasing grain demand and supply chain disruptions. Known as seawater rice" because its grown in salty soil near the sea, the strains were created by over-expressing a gene from selected wild rice thats more resistant to saline and alkali. Test fields in Tianjinthe municipality that encompasses Jinghairecorded a yield of 4.6 metric tons per acre last year, higher than the national average for production of standard rice varieties. The breakthrough comes as China searches for ways to secure domestic food and energy supplies as global warming and geopolitical tensions make imports less reliable. The nation has one-fifth of the worlds population, and that many mouths to feed, with less than 10% of the Earths arable land. Meanwhile, grain consumption is rising quickly as the country grows more wealthy. Seeds are the chips of agriculture," said Wan Jili, a manager at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and Development Center, drawing a parallel between the crucial role semiconductors play in the development of new technologies and their role in the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China. Seawater rice could help improve Chinas grain production in the face of an extremely complicated situation regarding climate change and global food security," she said. China has been studying salt-tolerant rice since at least the 1950s. But the term seawater rice" only started to gain mainstream attention in recent years after the late Yuan Longping, once the nations top agricultural scientist, began researching the idea in 2012. Yuan, known as the father of hybrid rice," is considered a national hero for boosting grain harvests and saving millions from hunger thanks to his work on high-yielding hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s. In 2016, he selected six locations across the country with different soil conditions that were turned into testing fields for salt-tolerant rice. The following year, China established the research center in Qingdao where Wan works. The institutes goal is to harvest 30 million tons of rice using 6.7 million hectares of barren land. We could feed 80 million more people" with salt-tolerant rice, Yuan said in a documentary broadcast in 2020. Agricultural researchers like us should shoulder the responsibility to safeguard food security," he told a local newspaper in 2018. Climate change has made the task more urgent. Chinas coastal waters have risen faster than the global average over the last 40 years, a worrying trend given the countrys deep reliance on its long and low eastern coast for grain production. Successfully growing salt-tolerant rice on a large scale would allow the country to utilize more of the increasingly salty land in the area. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels around the world could rise as much as 59 centimeters by the end of the century if the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius. Oceans surrounding the U.S. will swell faster within the next three decades than they did in the past century, according to a report this week led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. President Xi Jinping has stressed in several recent meetings with top government officials that ensuring the supply of primary goods is a major strategic issue" given climate and geopolitical pressures. The food of the Chinese people must be made by and remain in the hands of the Chinese," he said at a gathering of the Politburo Standing Committee meeting in December. Chinese scientists are betting that land once dismissed as barren can be turned into productive grain-producing plots. About 100 million hectares of land in the country, about the size of Egypt, is high in saline and alkaline. Meanwhile arable land has decreased 6% from 2009 to 2019 because of urbanization, pollution and overuse of fertilizers. To make use of salty soil, farmers traditionally dilute their fields with large amounts of fresh water. The approach is still commonly used in some coastal regions. But the method requires vast amounts of water and often doesnt improve yields enough to make sense economically. China is looking at another method now, to develop grain varieties that can withstand the soils saltiness," said Zhang Zhaoxin, a researcher with Chinas agricultural ministry. While seawater rice has mostly been planted on trial fields so far, Zhang said he believes commercial cultivation will soon take off with the governments support. The research team in Qingdao said last October that it can meet the goal of growing 6.7 million hectares of seawater rice within ten years. In 2021, the group was put in charge of 400,000 hectares of land to expand production of seawater rice. If China can be more self-sufficient in staple foods, it would be a contribution to the world's food security too," said Zhang. The less China imports, the more other countries will have." A truck driver was arrested for transporting 74 migrants, including a pregnant 15-year-old, according to an arrest affidavit. At about 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8, a green tractor hauling a white refrigerated trailer arrived at the checkpoint on U.S. 83 North. Agents identified the driver as Aurelio Barajas-Pulido during an immigration inspection. Asked if there were other passengers in the vehicle, Barajas-Pulido allegedly stated, No. A K-9 unit allegedly alerted to possible contraband within the 18-wheeler. Barajas-Pulido was referred to secondary inspection for further investigation. In secondary, agents cut the combination lock and seal on the trailer, opened the trailer doors and discovered 78 individuals who had crossed the border illegally. Three (undocumented individuals) were unaccompanied minors, which included a pregnant 15-year-old, states the affidavit. Homeland Security Investigation special took over the case. Barajas-Pulido stated that a friend in San Antonio offered him a job to transport a tractor-trailer from Laredo to El Paso. The friend offered Barajas-Pulido about $1,100 to $1,500, according to court documents. Barajas-Pulido picked up the trailer from the 1000 block of Beltway Drive since the trailer was ready to move. He added that the tractor-trailer was not connected when he arrived. Barajas-Pulido stated that after he conducted an inspection of the tractor, he connected both the tractor and trailer, according to court documents. Furthermore, he allegedly allowed agents to search his mobile device and added that he deleted all the contact information and messages from his friend before leaving the 1000 block of Beltway drive. Barajas-Pulido was arrested and charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport migrants for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. The Washingtons Birthday Celebration Association announced their selection of Sister Maria Luisa Vera and Sister Rosemary Welsh from the Sisters of Mercy as their honorees for the prestigious Mr. South Texas Award for the 124th Washingtons Birthday Celebration. The event will be Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 from 12-2 p.m. at Laredo Country Club. The work of Sister Maria Luis Vera and Sister Rosemary Welsh speaks for itself, said Natalie Hernandez, WBCA President. Our community is aware of the incredible, selfless and much needed work they have done for Laredo and the surrounding areas. Were truly blessed to have them and I couldnt be prouder to have them be part of our amazing WBCA Ambassadors. The Mr. South Texas designation is presented to deserving individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the growth and development of Laredo and the South Texas region. The formal announcement was made during a press conference held at Texas Community Bank in Laredo. The event is sponsored and hosted by TCB. Texas Community Bank is pleased to sponsor the Mr. South Texas Luncheon and we congratulate Sister Maria Luisa Vera and Sister Rosemary Welsh for their well-deserved recognition as the Mr. South Texas honorees for the 124th Celebration, said Douglas G. Macdonald, President & CEO of TCB. The Mr. South Texas Selection Committee, comprised of past presidents of the WBCA and former Mr. South Texas recipients who reside in Laredo, meet and discuss possible candidates. Committee members take great effort in creating an all-inclusive nominating pool of candidates from all walks of life who have made a significant impact on the area. We are humbled by this honor and grateful to the WBCA, the selection committee of the Mr. South Texas Luncheon, to Mr. Douglas Macdonald, Mr. South Texas honoree in 2017, and to our many friends and supporters of Texas Community Bank, said Sister Maria Luisa & Sister Rosemary. Sister Maria Luisa was born in Brownsville, Texas to the late Placido Vera and Manuela Soto Vera and into a family of four boys and two girls. She is a product of the public-school system and met the Sisters of Mercy when she enrolled in the Canales School of Vocational Nursing of Mercy Hospital in Brownsville. Mary Lou Vera joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1963, made her novitiate in St. Louis, Missouri, later attended Mercy School of Nursing in Fort School, KS and received her Registered Nurse License from the Kansas State Board of Nursing in 1970. She received her BSN from Incarnate Word College, now University of the Incarnate Word, in 1975. Being of service to those in need is our way of living out the Gospel as expressed in Matthew 25:31-40. It is a call to live out the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. To care is not an option for us, it is a mandate, said Sr. Maria Luisa More Information Date: Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 Time: 12-2 p.m. Location: Laredo Country Club Honorees: Sister Rosemary Welsh & Sister Maria Luisa Vera See More Collapse As a nurse, Sister Maria Luisa served in three Mercy Hospitals: Fort Scott, Kansas; Mercy Hospital, Brownsville; and Mercy Hospital in Laredo. In the early 1980s she served as vocation minister for the Sisters of Mercy and part-time parish ministry at San Martin De Porres Catholic Church under the leadership of the late Rev. Morgan Rowsome, Pastor. From 1985 to 1995 Sr. Maria Luisa served on the leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy, Regional Community of St. Louis and served as the first Mexican-American president of the Community. In 1995, Sr. Maria Luisa was elected to the leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, with offices in Silver Spring, Maryland. She serves on various board of trustees and committees related to healthcare & healthcare education. Sister Maria Luisa has served as President of Mercy Ministries of Laredo, with its two ministries, Casa de Misericordia and Mercy Clinic since 2006 to the present. She continues to be active in the Laredo community in a variety of ways including advocating for healthcare for the uninsured and attending to the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy which include: Earth, Immigration, Women, Non-violence and Anti-racism. Sister Rosemary Welsh is a native of Springfield, Miss. She is the youngest of four children born to the late Thomas and Mildred Welsh. In 1967, after graduating from St. Johns Mercy School of Nursing, becoming a Registered Nurse and attending to some personal family matters, Rosie Welsh took a giant leap of faith and sought admission to the Sister of Mercy in St. Louis, Missouri. Sister graduated with her BSN from St. Louis University in 1973. The Sisters of Mercy have been in Laredo for 127 years, and I am very clear that everything we have done, has been with the help and support of the Laredo-Webb County community. We have never said or believed we have accomplished anything alone, said Sr. Rosemary. Sister Rosemary is a nurse by education and professional choice and loves it. She has served in a variety of positions in various Mercy hospitals. She served as a missionary for 10 years in Guatemala and Southern Mexico in the early 80s and 90s. She worked very hard to master the Spanish language and when she got to Guatemala she soon realized it was back to the books; she needed to learn the Kekchi, the language of the people living throughout the Rio Dulce region in the Diocese of Izabal in Eastern Guatemala. Upon returning to the United States in 1992, Sister Rosemary was invited by the late Ernesto Buddy Flores, then Administrator of Mercy Medical Center, to return to Laredo and re-establish herself in ministry in Laredo. Sister Rosemary celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2017. She is quick to say, I love being a Sister of Mercy and could do it again in a heartbeat. Sister Rosemary has been in Laredo, Texas for 29 consecutive years serving in various roles and advocating for some of Laredos most needy and vulnerable persons. Currently Sister serves as Director of Outreach Services at Mercy Clinic and Executive Director of Casa de Misericordia. These two positions are supposed to each be part-time but everyone who knows her will tell you that is not the case. When permitted, she also visits detainees at the local detention centers and hopes to be allowed to do that again soon. Sr. Rosemary is now collaborating with Catholic Charities, Diocese of Laredo, and Holding Institute to assist and support their efforts in caring to asylum seekers. She also makes home visits, hospital visits and responds to invitations for public speaking. She serves on multiple boards and committees and still manages to keep up her obligations to the religious community. Both Sisters have received numerous honors and awards over the years. Among their favorite is being selected as co-presidents of the Republic of the Rio Grande by the Webb County Heritage Foundation in 2013. Together with the Mr. South Texas designation, Ambassadors Sister Maria Luisa Vera and Sister Rosemary Welsh become a member of a select group of national and international distinguished men and women who are honored for their dedication and countless hours of service and support to the Washingtons Birthday Celebration each year by an official induction ceremony and presentation of the Caballero Medallion. One of the most celebrated and illustrious WBCA events is the Mr. South Texas Luncheon Hosted by Texas Community Bank, attended each year by dignitaries and honored guests from the United States and Mexico. The Mr. South Texas Luncheon Hosted by Texas Community Bank is one of more than 32 events in the Washingtons Birthday Celebration Calendar. Throughout the years, the celebration has grown to be over a month long and consists of parades, dazzling pageants, fireworks, a carnival, an air show, a sizzling jalapeno festival and much more. The 124th Washingtons Birthday Celebration began Jan. 20 and runs through Feb. 27, 2022. For additional information, visit us at www.wbcalaredo.org. Follow WBCA on Twitter and YouTube, like it on Facebook, e-mail it at wbca@wbcalaredo.org, contact the WBCA office at 956-722-0589, or visit 1819 E. Hillside Road in Laredo. U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar visited Nuevo Laredo on Friday to sign an investment and financing proposal focused on reducing and preventing transboundary wastewater flows into the Rio Grande. Nuevo Laredo will see an investment of $200,000 in technical assistance by the North American Development Bank for a needs assessment of the citys wastewater treatment plants. Furthermore, Salazar was briefed prior by members of the Binational Working Group and Overland Partners in a closed-door meeting regarding the designs and plans for the proposed Binational River Park project that will stretch over six river miles between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. According to the NADBank, the financial proposal will outline the investments necessary to replace old and deteriorated sanitary sewer and collection systems, rehabilitate or expand the wastewater treatment plants, and extend the sewer system to areas currently without service. Today were seeing the fruits of five years of work, showing that were now in a new era of binational cooperation. Our countries are now enjoying more and more shared prosperity by working together and integrating more closely. Two nations, one future, Salazar said during the event. Over $450,000 have been contributed to Nuevo Laredo and COMAPA, the local water utilities, through the banks Project Development Assistance Program. The program itself is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which for a year and a half has seen NADBank working with Nuevo Laredo to eliminate untreated wastewater discharges into the river. NADBank is a unique binational instrument for bringing together all levels of government in both the U.S. and Mexico to collaborate on addressing shared environmental challenges, ultimately improving the quality of life for millions of residents in the region, NADBank Deputy Managing Director John Beckham said. Earlier this week, Nuevo Laredo Public Works Director Ignacio Quinones-Pena expressed that there is a large need to clean the river, starting with how the cities address the wastewater. He added that the binational support sets a stage for even more cooperation between nations, whether it be in the restoration of a clean river, a binational park or more. cocampo@lmtonline.com 956-728-2567 Dead is dead. Whether a Black man dies under the knee of a sneering white cop or from a gun of a white cop who said she thought she was firing a Taser, the Black man is still dead. Advertisement And while the murder of George Floyd and the shooting death of Daunte Wright, 20, involved completely different circumstances, the gulf between the two fatalities isnt as wide as a judge made them out to be when she sentenced Wrights killer to only two years in prison on Friday. Former Minnesota Police Officer Kim Potter speaks during her sentencing hearing on Feb. 18, 2022. (AP) Kim Potters joke of a sentence came nearly two months after the former Minnesota police officer was convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter for drawing her gun instead of her Taser and fatally shooting Wright during a traffic stop. Advertisement Prosecutors requested seven years and two months in prison, while Potters attorneys argued for a lesser sentence, since she had no criminal history and had shown remorse for Wrights death. Daunte Wright A judge basically said the sentencing came down to two things apples and oranges. This is not a cop found guilty of murder for using his knee to pin down a person for nine and a half minutes as he gasped for air, said Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu, who was referring to Derek Chauvin and the 22 1/2 years he was sentenced to for killing Floyd. This is a cop who made a tragic mistake. She drew her firearm thinking it was a Taser and ended up killing a young man. Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu. (AP) But theres more in common between the two cases than the Minnesota county where they happened. Both deaths involved cops with an ingrained and underlying bias that caused them to treat and approach Black people differently. That same bias was on full display last week at a New Jersey mall where two white cops broke up a fight between a Black teen and a bigger white teen. After pulling the white teen off the Black teen, the cops wrestled the Black youth to the floor and handcuff him while his white opponent watched comfortably from a couch. Advertisement The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > The good news here is that no one ended up dead. In each of these instances, the cops were white and the victims were Black. But thats not the only factor. What also makes these kinds of encounters racial incidents is that the victim is almost never white. Graphic police body camera video shows former Minnesota cop Kim Potter shouting, Taser, taser, taser, before firing at Daunte Wright as a fellow officer tried to take him into custody for an open warrant during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021. Potter apologized. She tearfully told the court and Wrights family that she made a mistake. I am so sorry that I brought the death of your son, father, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew, and the rest of your family, Potter said. I do pray that one day, you can find forgiveness, only because hatred is so destructive to all of us. Daunte Wright's parents, Aubrey Wright and Katie Wright react after former Police Officer Kim Potter was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 in Minneapolis. (Nicole Neri / AP) With good behavior, Potter can be out of prison in 16 months. She received a slap on the wrist for one reason, and one reason only. Advertisement This is the problem with our justice system today, Wrights mother, Katie Wright, told reporters. White women tears trump justice. Lockport, NY (14094) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. IFA deputy president, Brian Rushe, said the recent attacks on elderly people in rural communities were very concerning. IFA will be meeting the Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Siochana Paula Hillman this week to discuss what measures can be taken to make communities safer. Whatever resources are needed to assist the Gardai in their work have to be made available, he said. We will be encouraging the farming community to provide whatever help they can to support the work of the Gardai. "Apprehending those responsible requires a co-ordinated response. Mr Rushe said the victims of these attacks were targeted by gangs and subjected to horrific assaults. Nobody should feel under threat in their own home, he said following the latest incidents. The communities of these victims now feel vulnerable and unsafe because of the attacks. We will be working with Assistant Commissioner Paula Hillman to develop community policing that gives a greater sense of security to those living in rural areas, he said. Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) It is a very busy morning in the office of Montis law firm in Palma, the highly recognised law firm that has been Natalias workplace for over 25 years. Natalia collaborates primarily with international clients, many Swedes of course, and her speciality is in real estate law. Montis Lawyers was founded in 1983. Since then, it has continually been one of the leading law firms in Mallorca and the Balearic Islands. At present, the firm consists of eight attorneys and two labour relation graduates. Apart from being a top-notch lawyer, has held the title of Swedish Consul in Mallorca since 2004. The pandemic has changed the way they work in the consulate as there are only two people in the office, Natalia, and Maria Font the chancellor. The tasks have changed over the years and since 2011 they no longer issue Swedish passports at the Consulate. The terrorist attack in the USA led to a review of the procedures and the biometric passports that are now made require equipment that is not available at consulates but only at embassies around the world. Unfortunately, there is only one machine in the whole of Spain, which is located at the embassy in Madrid. We can still help with emergency passports, and we also function as a delivery point for passports made in Sweden or Madrid so that Swedes living here will have it a little easier getting their new passports and not have to go to Madrid twice during the process. We talk about what has changed in the past two pandemic years and Natalia says it is not known how many Swedes actually live in Mallorca all year around as the European Union does not allow the authorities to keep count where everyone lives within the Union. What we do know is that people have experienced difficulties as they have not been registered in Spain and the Spanish health system correctly. When Spain started to vaccinate, many Swedes realised they had to go home to Sweden if they wanted their shots. I believe many decided to sign up for Spanish health care after this incident, she says. The main task of the consulate otherwise, is to assist with the registration of births and deaths of Swedish citizens in Mallorca. Election years are also important as Swedish passport holders can go to the consulate and vote in the parliamentary elections. Natalia is a very social person and is often seen out representing Sweden at events and official cocktails during a normal year. We were the first ones to stop going out when the pandemic started. I have elderly relatives and children attending school in our family and we have been extremely careful, she says. Hopefully, this year will be the year when we can get back out again without putting anyone we love in harms way. The representation that people see are the social events, but we do represent Sweden in different ways, for example the conferences and meetings with the local authorities such as the military and the local police force. They work very closely with the consulate and we make sure that we are up to date when something happens. We also have a system where we keep in touch with officials from other countries represented on the island, and together we have made a contingency and backup plan on how and where to act in the event of any kind of emergency or large incident. This plan was put in place after the tsunami in Thailand and has been upgraded every year since then. I asked Natalia what is the best thing about having two jobs and she says she really enjoys her work as the tasks are so different: one day shes helping someone who wants to buy their dream house; the next shes representing Sweden at a military strategy meeting. The diversity of tasks makes my work fun and even though some days are long, I find a balance and have fantastic help from Maria and the Montis team when needed. Tim Ashby, a former counter-terrorism consultant to the U.S. State Department, is on Mallorca after writing his new book Elizabethan Secret Agent: The Untold Story of William Ashby (1536-1593), which shows that English spies were active even in times of Elizabeth I. 1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your life on Mallorca and what brought you to the island? After many years working as a lawyer, government official and entrepreneur, I have become a full-time writer, with four novels and two non-fiction books to my credit, including Elizabethan Secret Agent: The Untold Story of William Ashby (1536-1593), which will be released next month. I grew up on the small Caribbean island of Grenada, and always yearned for island life after living in Florida, South Africa and the South of France. Mallorca is the perfect home for me: large enough to avoid claustrophobia, civilised, and populated by friendly people of many nationalities. 2. How did you get interested in the Spanish Armada? Actually, I got interested in the subject of my book, William Ashby, while doing genealogical research and finding him as an intriguing footnote in early editions of Burkes Landed Gentry, from a line of text therein which described him as Queen Elizabeths ambassador to James VI in 1589. As I began researching his life and career curiosity, I felt a peculiar connection with him due to my personal service in government and law, and by living in Edinburgh. I discovered that he had been English ambassador to Scotland during the Armada crisis and had served for many years as a spy, an important protege of his boss Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeths spymaster. 3. Your book gives a new insight into the Armada and the sinking of the San Juan de Sicilia, did it involve much research? I spent two years researching and writing the book. Fortunately, I had access to digitised 16th century documents which I was able to access during Covid closures of archives in the UK. William Ashbys mandate was to keep young King James VI friendly towards England and prevent the Spanish from establishing a base in Scotland. The destruction of the San Juan de Sicilia was one of the means for achieving this policy directive. 4. How important do you feel was the sinking of the ship? It was important to the English government as it was an enemy warship that was part of a massive fleet intended to invade England, depose Queen Elizabeth, impose Roman Catholicism, and imprison or execute numerous English people. I often compare the sabotage operation to what we would have done if a Nazi warship during World War II was being repaired in a neutral country after attacking Allied shipping. When looking at the past, we must put ourselves in the minds of people at the time. 5. The Spanish have always maintained that it was the weather which sank the Armada, do you think this is the case? Aside from a few Spanish ships that were captured and destroyed by the English navy, most Armada vessels were forced into the North Sea by adverse winds, and dozens were lost in bad weather while trying to sail back to Spain around Scotland and Ireland. More than a third of the 130 vessels in the fleet were lost. It is often overlooked that the crucial part of the invasion plan was for the Armada ships to link up with Spanish troops in the Netherlands and escort them to England, but bad weather and the unreadiness of the troops really saved England. The San Juan de Sicilia was the only Armada ship I have documented that was destroyed by the English secret intelligence service in a planned black op. 6. How important was the Walsingham spy network during the time of the Armada? It was vitally important in providing intelligence on Spanish planning for the Armada as well as knowing how receptive the Scots would have been to allowing a Spanish base for the invasion of England. Both the Spanish and the French were trying to bribe King James to gain bases. 7. What was your inspiration for the book? William Ashby was an intriguing yet largely unknown character during a fascinating historical era. In some ways, he was a 16th century James Bond. His career was unusually eclectic. He had degrees from both Cambridge and Oxford, spoke French, German, Italian and Latin, read and wrote ancient Greek and Hebrew, and trained as a lawyer. In addition to the San Juan sabotage operation, he was sent by Walsingham on a dangerous military intelligence operation with the Queens cousin, repulsed an attack by enemy agents on the Rhine, and was charged with negotiating the release of an English diplomatic hostage. He twice served as a Member of Parliament. 8. Spain has always maintained that the Armada marked the end of its super-power status, what do you think? Spain continued as a global super-power the only real empire at the time for another century after the Armada of 1588. At the time of the Armada, England was still a small, beleaguered country with no colonial possessions, whilst Spain held vast territories in the Americas and the Philippines. 9. Favourite place on Mallorca? Puerto Soller. 10.Favourite film? The Shawshank Redemption. 11. Favourite food? Beef Wellington. 12. Favourite book? Too many to mention, but currently enjoying Andrew Roberts biography of King George III. 13. Favourite place apart from Mallorca? Edinburgh. Airport operator Aena expects traffic through its Spanish terminals to recover to pre-pandemic levels this summer, a company source said. The company estimates that between March and October, airlines will offer 220 million seats to and from Spanish airports, or about 3.6% more than in the same period in 2019, the source said. Domestic, short-haul and long-haul flights to Latin America will lead the recovery while traffic to the United States and Asia will remain below pre-pandemic levels, the source said. The number of passengers through its airports jumped by nearly 58% to nearly 120 million in 2021, Aena reported last month, though that was still just 43.6% of pre-pandemic levels. The company said it will lower its 2022 tariffs by 3.17% compared to what it had charged to airlines in 2021 to be more competitive compared with other European airports. A helmet from the World War I Harlem Hellfighters is on display during a press preview at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. (AFP/AFP via Getty Images) For the past several years, in recognition of Black History Month, the Herkimer County Hunger Coalition and Greater Herkimer Lions Club where I live its in upstate New York, if you dont know have each donated a book to Herkimer County elementary schools and local libraries. Among the selections have been The Sweet and Sour Animal Book, The Weary Blues and Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes, James Baldwins Go Tell It on The Mountain, Angie Thomas the Hate U Give and Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. When asked recently why I began whats become an annual tradition, my answer was a name: William Chazanof. You probably havent heard the name before, but you should learn it. Advertisement Dr. Bill was my American history professor at Fredonia State, a great teacher to whom I owe more than I could ever repay. He was a mentor whose teaching style I embraced, accounting for any success I had in the classroom at Herkimer County Community College. And every February, Im reminded of his unforgettable lectures on, even today, two oft-forgotten topics: the Harlem Renaissance and Black American experiences in this nations wars. The Harlem Renaissance occurred in the wake of World War I and featured Black activists, writers, musicians, artists and performers who combined to develop innovative ways of identifying and celebrating Black traditions and Black voices. Harlem was the epicenter of a movement whose branches reached into urban areas nationwide. Advertisement Writers like James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay and Countee Cullen, poets like Sterling Brown and Virginia Huston, playwrights like Joseph Seamon Cotter and artists like Aaron Douglas and Lois Mailou Jones helped inspire Black pride among a population too long the victim of white stereotypes and caricatures, and diminished by the prevailing belief that colored folk werent as smart as whites. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > While many readers may not be familiar with many of the above, whose contributions helped usher in the civil rights movement and paved the way for future literary giants like Richard Wright, Baldwin, Hughes and August Wilson, most should be familiar with the musicians and entertainers who emerged during the 1920s and 30s. The Duke (Ellington), Satchmo (Louis Armstrong), Marian Anderson, Earl Fatha Hines, Jelly Roll Morton, Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson and Bill Robinson (Bojangles), among others, represented genres ranging from jazz to opera to blues to tap. Their contributions will forever be part of the American cultural lexicon. Unfortunately, many Americans are also unaware of the roles played by Blacks in our wars. Given the racism, bigotry and systemic economic disadvantages they endured throughout, I found it interesting that they actually enlisted to fight for a country that relegated them to a subservient status. I can still recall Chazanofs lectures on this topic. Five thousand Blacks saw combat in the Revolutionary War and 40,000 died for the Union in the Civil War. Blacks werent allowed to fight for us in many capacities in WWI but were lent to the French who recognized the valor of the 369th Infantry (Hell Fighters) by rewarding the entire Brigade with our equivalent of the Medal of Honor, the Croix de Guerre! A million Blacks (e.g., Tuskegee Airmen) served in WWII and 1,500 were killed in action in Korea. Finally, say hello to Marine Pfc. James Anderson Jr. and Army Pfc. Milton Olive III two warriors who, in Vietnam, dove on grenades to save several white comrades-in-arms, earning posthumously the Medal of Honor. The Black Americans rewards for their military service? Returning home to business as usual-systemic racism along with third-class citizenship. This year our selections for donation are Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson and Black Heroes by Arlisha Norwood. Black Heroes highlights 51 brief, engaging biographies (their pictures included) of inspiring figures from Africa, the U.S and the world. Born is a picture book describing the vibrant culture of Blacks in West Africa before they were brutally uprooted, shipped west to America and sold into slavery, and their subsequent struggles to survive. I know the professor whose lectures I remember with great fondness would have joined me in encouraging teachers to get these books, use them in their classes, engage in conversations asking questions about the contents and perhaps assign students to write a page or two about their own origins. In the final analysis, truth is power and telling the truth about our Black Americans heritage can help in eradicating barriers of racism which not only have endured far too long, but have made the last six words of our Pledge of Allegiance ring hollow. Lenarcic, from East Herkimer, is a professor emeritus of history at Herkimer College. Harry Kane celebrates after scoring Tottenham's second goal in their 3-2 win at Manchester City. Harry Kane celebrates after scoring Tottenham's second goal in their 3-2 win at Manchester City. Jon Super AP Despite struggling with his form so far this season, Harry Kane stepped up when Tottenham Hotspur needed him most as he netted a brace to lead Spurs to a 3-2 victory away at Manchester City on Saturday evening. Antonio Conte's side took to the Etihad Stadium pitch after having lost their last three games in the Premier League, with those defeats coming against Chelsea, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Spurs needed a spark to get their Champions League hopes back on track, and that's exactly what Kane provided, dismantling City's defence to secure a much-needed three points for the north London side. Kane's performance at the Etihad earned plenty of plaudits, with former England striker Alan Shearer analysing what made the 28-year-old stand out against the Sky Blues. "That's one of the best all-round centre-forward performances I've seen all season, anywhere," said Shearer on the BBC's Match of the Day show. "Intelligence, aggression, goals, assists, he was just far, far too good for City's centre-halves Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias - and it is not very often we say that. He was just too clever for them." "Part of Tottenham's game plan was to keep finding Kane with short passes, because none of the City defenders wanted to drop in with him. "Spurs kept on getting runners forward to feed off Kane and get in behind. His first-time pass to release Son Heung-min for their first goal was absolutely sensational. "It was just incredible to watch. Everything he did was magnificent, including his winner. Say what you want about the defending, and it was rubbish, there was only ever going to be one guy getting on the end of that cross and it wasn't Kyle Walker." Conte's masterplan Kane was the icing on the cake when it came to Conte's masterplan against one of the most in-form teams in Europe, as Manchester City hadn't been defeated since December 7, when they faced RB Leipzig in the Champions League group stage. "[Conte] denied those spaces where they like to play and where Manchester City like to attack you," added former Arsenal striker and current TV pundit Ian Wright. "That is between the centre-half and the right-back. "They got their guys in those holes and were very disciplined in not moving out of them, forcing Manchester City wide and they were very comfortable with that. "Man City like to play their passes in that area but Tottenham, like Harry Kane, were ready for it. They broke it up, swarmed them and kept them out." In the last few days, the tension between Russia and Ukraine increased. What began as a threat it can end soon as an invasion, as President Joe Biden said at a press conference. During the last days, a humanitarian convoy was hit by shelling, and pro-Russian rebels evacuated civilians from the conflict zone. A car bombing hit the eastern city of Donetsk, but no casualties were reported. American intelligence now believes Vladimir Putin will send troops to invade Ukraine. "As of this moment I'm convinced he's made the decision," Biden said. "We have reason to believe that." Biden reiterated his threat of massive economic and diplomatic sanctionsagainst Russia if it does invade, and pressed Putin to rethink his course of action. There are an estimated 150,000 Russian troops posted around Ukraine's borders, U.S. and European officials warn that the long-simmering separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine could provide the spark for a broader attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his criticism to Western "appeasement" President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared in Germany to deliver a speech describing the inaction of Western Allies against Russian aggression. Zelensky assured Ukraine is the "shield" of European security against Russia. Or at least it has acted as the only containment of it. Just putting ourselves in coffins and waiting for the Russian soldiers to come in is just not something we are going to do," Zelensky said. U.S. officials assured Putin invaded Georgia using the same tactics he's attempting with Ukraine. "How did we end up in the biggest security crisis since the end of the Cold War? To me, as the president of the country which lost part of its territory, thousands of people, the country surrounded by 150,000 troops on our borders, this answer is obvious," Zelensky said during his speech in Germany. President Zelensky is open to peace talks, while the world is expecting the same answer, Russian soldiers are outside of its southern border. "Ukraine is longing for peace. Europe is longing for peace. The world is saying it doesn't want any war, while Russia is claiming she doesn't want to intervene. Someone here is lying," Zelensky said. President Zelensky received a standing ovation delivering his speech in Germany. Two major European banks National Westminster and HSBC recently announced branch staff could choose the pronouns on their name badges. While this might seem the smallest of changes, it did not occur in a vacuum. Late last year, some native speakers had choice words for popular dictionary Petit Robert when it published the first gender-neutral pronoun in the French-speaking world. Woke-ism, (or wokisme), critics complained, though iel (pronounced yell), a mashup of il and elle, appeared only in the wordbooks online edition. Advertisement Change comes hard. And slowly. Its not always linear. My gripe about this comes not from the current culture war over gender politics, but from what now seems like the ancient era of 1970s feminism. Change comes hard. And slowly. Its not always linear. (Shutterstock) Perhaps 10 years ago, my insurance company reps began calling me Mrs. Lowe. True, Im married but not to Mr. Lowe. After a few years of telling myself it didnt matter, I couldnt keep denying the annoyance I felt. Advertisement Ms., I corrected. Thereafter, the policy peddlers started asking for Miss Lowe. I chalked it up to the Texas-based callers southern manners or the similarity between Miss and Ms. Then a new doctor called me Mrs. Lowe. Ms., actually. Miss Lowe. Ms. OK if I call you Chelsea? All of a sudden, it seemed, every customer-service provider addressed me as Miss. Most of their voices sounded young. Advertisement What happened, I wondered, to the hard-fought, hard-won battles I remembered from my childhood, when female teachers in plaid pants suits started scribbling Ms. on the blackboard before their surnames? It seemed to take only an instant for decades of progress to go the way of, well, pantsuits. I began asking every whipper snap who called me Miss to tell me why. While setting up our new cable account, Spectrum rep Joanie said shes in a damned-either-way situation. Most right-thinking women oppose Maam, for instance, and few single gals want strangers to assume theyre Mrs. (Indeed, in a discussion on social, an unmarried colleague complained indignantly about this.) After presenting homeowners coverage options, Matt N., 25, explained the older honorific as a force of habit. I never really thought about it, he said. To give you a perfectly honest answer, I think its a generational thing. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > On Australias ABC News website, radio host James Valentine wrote that younger women associate Ms. with aggressive secrecy (as in, none of your business), divorcees (horrors!) and lesbians (my smelling salts, please). Needless to say, any acquaintance who must know a womans marital status can ask. Its irritating to be called Miss or Mrs. when youre not, and whether you are shouldnt make a difference to begin with. And in case you forgot, the worlds Mr.s never have to worry about being misidentified. Oddly perhaps, Im a bit charmed by the southern Miss Chelsea in the same way Im fine with hun, spoken by a woman, cis or otherwise. However, accusations of disrespect (and in the case of Miss with a first name, racism) abound. Advertisement Ms., Miss, and Mrs. all trace their origins to Mistress, once a title for any woman regardless of marital status. The Springfield, Mass. Republican recommended Ms. in 1901, but the term gained little traction until the womens movement of the late 60s and early 70s. Ms. magazine launched in December 1971. Mx., proposed in a 1977 issue of Single Parent magazine, moved comparatively faster. Merriam-Webster added the gender-neutral title to its dictionary in 2017. Not heard often yet its the ultimate equalizer, offering the respect of an honorific without extraneous or erroneous information. Though it does have the baggage of that x without a vowel, which might make it hard to pronounce, at least at first. Anyway, it seems odd to hear Mrs. and Miss this often in an age when pains are taken to include every persons preferred pronoun or ethnic and ability descriptor. Ms. includes all women. Mx., even better, includes everyone. If Mx. isnt perfect for our mxed-up times, what is? Lowe is an editor and writer. Millions of girls are crazy about Hollywood star Gerard Butler, but he lost his heart to our very own 'desi girl' Priyanka Chopra, a few years ago. Yes, you read that right! He visited India in 2009, and Priyanka organised a party in his honour at her Versova home. Gerard, who was smitten with her, did his best to charm her throughout the evening, but to no avail. He had even proposed to her for marriage several times. According to reports, every half-hour, the actor kneeled in front of Priyanka and asked her to marry him. Revealing the same back then, a guest present during the party had told TOI, "Of course, the party was for Gerard who was completely besotted by Priyanka and kept proposing to her every half hour. It's become a standing joke rather a 'kneeling' joke between them. 'Will you marry me?' he knelt and said every half hour while she would burst into laughter. She's clearly not interested on being Mrs Butler". Later, in 2012, the Hollywood actor even confessed his liking for the Dil Dhadakne Do star. Talking about PeeCee, he told IANS, "Last year, Priyanka was here (US) and I was going out of town to a wedding. I stay in Malibu and she was coming to party at Malibu and I couldn't meet. I was even thinking of missing the plane and going and saying hello because I hadn't seen her in a long time. But we are in touch all the time". He further added, "I am still single because I am waiting for Priyanka Chopra". Sadly, nothing happened between them and the duo soon moved on in their lives. While Gerard has been dating Morgan Brown for a long time now, Priyanka got hitched to Nick Jonas in 2018. Last month, Priyanka-Nick welcomed their first child via surrogacy. Source: Bollywood Life Bollywood actor Sonu Sood was branded a messiah of the poor during the lockdown because he selflessly served the people in need in the pandemic. He got much love and respect for the social work he did. While some called him a superhero, others wished he joined politics because he would make such a good and benevolent leader. Instagram/Sonu Sood Well, he didnt but his sister did join the Congress party and is a candidate from Moga city in this years election. Sonu even informed his followers about his sisters political journey on social media. He wrote, As my sister Malvika Sood embarks on her political journey, I wish her the bestMy own work as an actor & humanitarian continues, without any political affiliations or distractions. Instagram/Sonu Sood On the election day in Moga, he was seen visiting polling booths, an act that was deemed objectionable by candidates of other parties. As a result, a complaint was filed against him that he was trying to 'influence' voters and his car was seized. Sonu Sood was going from one polling booth to another, which some political parties found objectionable, said District Magistrate Harish Nayyar. Tribune India Moga District PRO Pradbhdeep Singh said Sonu Sood was trying to enter a polling booth. During this, his car was confiscated and he was sent home. Action will be taken against him if he steps out of his house. Instagram/Sonu Sood However, Sood has denied indulging in any wrongdoing and said he was not trying to sway the voters but was visiting Congress booths. I'm a local resident. I have not asked anyone to vote for any particular candidate or party. I was just visiting our (Congress) booths set up outside polling stations. Instagram/Sonu Sood However, later that day, he took to Twitter to inform Election Commission members about other candidates who were trying to buy off votes. He wrote, Other Candidates in #Moga Constituency are buying votes. @ECISVEEP should take immediate action regarding the same. Later in the day, he also gave a statement saying that there should be fair polls. We got to know of threat calls at various booths by opposition, especially the people of Akali Dal. Money being distributed at some booths. So it's our duty to go check & ensure fair elections. That's why we had gone out. Now, we're at home. There should be fair polls: Sonu Sood pic.twitter.com/Va93f3V7zH ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 Here is what the people on Twitter had to say about this. Messiah becoming neta Crish Bhatia (@BhatiaCrish) February 20, 2022 haha, besharm, u got caught and now u want to follow others or blame on others? Question is why were u distributing money? Tumara paisa hai ja charity ka? Unbelievable. India News (@News4u0) February 20, 2022 This is serious @ECISVEEP. A gentleman well known for his generosity is complaining for a fair & clean elections. Kindly take it seriously & focus on taking immediate action.#PunjabElections INC Warrior (@trader_indian) February 20, 2022 But reports are that you were caught influencing voters. You are a very respected personality. You should not do all thus. Vicky (@ash_kap) February 20, 2022 Ulta chore kotwal ko dante! ! ! ! ToTheMoon (@ss200278) February 20, 2022 We dont know what the truth is and he could be visiting the polling booths outside stations for no reason, but his Twitter followers seem to think otherwise. Alec Baldwin and his family purchased a 50-acre farm property in Manchester, Vt. The home is about 170 miles north of the Baldwins Manhattan penthouse. The family also has a home in the Hamptons. Advertisement Its just gorgeous, real estate agent Faith Rhodes told the Bennington Banner. Its certainly not their primary residence. But they love the community as well. They got to know it and loved it. Alec Baldwin works as the emcee at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala at New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 9, 2021. (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Hilaria Baldwins grandfather, David Lloyd Thomas Sr., lived in nearby Arlington, Vt., for many years, according to the Banner. Advertisement The Baldwins were first spotted in Vermont in October, shortly after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of Rust near Santa Fe, N.M. Baldwin said he didnt pull the trigger on the gun and didnt know it contained a live round. The family was reportedly checking out properties last fall when the paparazzi caught up with them. Hutchins family sued Baldwin and other Rust producers earlier this week. In May 1990, the city, county and the private Owensboro-Daviess County Industrial Foundation put together 480 acres between Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport and Carter Road with plans to turn it into MidAmerica Airpark, the communitys newest industrial park. The idea was to attract new industries that would use the the airport for shipping manufactured goods or for convenient access by corporate executives. After all, in 1988-89, Owensboro had made the short list for a $75 million Federal Express maintenance operations facility that would have employed 800 people. Local officials were convinced that the airport would eventually become a cargo hub. When the new industrial park opened on Aug. 31, 1995, that was still the hope. By that time, the new park had already seen a $5 million investment in buying the property and building roads, sewers and utilities. Back then, as now, the community was running out of land for industrial development. Fast forward to 2022, and the airpark is filling up. A new company? Brittaney Johnson, president of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp., says a unnamed company has an option to buy a 24.5-acre tract in the airpark. And it must exercise that option by April if it wants the property. If that tract is taken, Johnson said, 91.5 acres will remain. Theres an eight-acre tract and an 83.5-acre tract near the end of the 8,000-foot runway at the airport that are still available. They are next to each other, Johnson said, so one company could take both. Streets and other improvements have reduced the size of the airpark to 395.5 acres since it was first envisioned. Today, it is home to a number of companies, including CRS Onesource, Metalsa, Kentucky Bioprocessing, Toyotetsu MidAmerica, UniFirst Corp. and U.S. Bank Home Mortgage. But none of them are major users of the airport. MidAmerica is really just another industrial park today. But because its there, Carter Road has been widened to five lanes and the main runway at the airport has been expanded to 8,000 square feet, holding out hope that something air-related may still happen someday. In 2019, it looked like Green River Distilling Co. might build six rickhouses there to age its bourbon. But that fell through. In 2013, Nick Brake, who was then president of EDC, said, Were getting to the point where we dont have much industrial land in Owensboro. Little has changed since then. Ross Perot Jr., son of the Texas billionaire and a development tycoon in his own right, spoke at the dedication of the airpark in 1995. This is a population center for the United States, he said. Its where the air freight companies and the trucking companies want to be located. There have been a few near misses through the years. In 2007, Paul Steely, then Kentuckys aviation commissioner, said the runway extension almost attracted a Canadian aviation company. The company was considering a location in the United States, and Owensboro was the only city that met its criteria, he said. But Steely said Ontario made the company an offer to stay in Canada that it couldnt pass up. And in 2006, a company called Midline Air Freight, which hauled freight for UPS, wanted to lease a hangar at the airport for maintenance of its aircraft. But that also failed to materialize. Local officials havent given up hope though. Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com The Owensboro Health primary care team at OH Muhlenberg Community Hospital Family Medicine has made significant strides in patient care since the healthplex opened in 2018, according to Director of Nursing Beth Renfrow. The family medicine practice recently received national recognition for its quality of care, based on patient feedback. Four years ago, Renfrow said the healthplex provided an opportunity to combine the practices of four smaller offices into its family medicine program, a move which she said has helped streamline healthcare services and offer a more efficient experience for patients and providers. The merger of the four offices, she said, has enabled the practice to combine resources and build on what was already there, including having a lab on-site, access to X-ray services, being able to provide urgent care services and having an on-site pharmacy. The practice has also begun offering walk-in appointments and extended hours to ensure primary care services are accessible to anyone, no matter their schedule and work, to improve the health of the community. Its convenient for patients to come to one location to receive their services, she said. In addition to being able to provide a streamlined approach to its services for patients, Renfrow said the practice has also worked to provide a high quality of care in general, whether it is communicating with the patient about their health concerns or simply greeting them when they come in and ensuring they are seen by a healthcare provider quickly. We try to make every patient feel welcomed and like their needs and concerns are first and foremost addressed in every appointment, she said. All of our team members because many of them are from this community, and so they have friends, neighbors, family they are helping each day, and so they always strive to treat the patient from the standpoint of, how would you want your own family to be treated in this situation. Thats sort of how we look at it. The primary care team was named a winner of the 2021 Guardian Excellence Award for patient experience in medical practice by Press Ganey, a national leader in healthcare satisfaction surveys. The practice, according to Press Ganey, is a top performing healthcare organization achieving the 95th%ile or above for performance in patient experience, based on patient feedback. Anything that is 90 or above is very hard to reach, and we were able to reach that in every quarter for the previous year, Renfrow said. Weve very proud of our team, of course, because it is very much a group effort. Christie Netherton, cnetherton@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7360 When Trooper Corey King was at the Kentucky State Police academy, an instructor asked cadets in his class, whats the most important tool you have? The cadets, King said, guessed their most important tool was a taser or their firearm. They werent even close. The instructor pointed to his mouth, King said. An officers biggest asset, the instructor said, is the ability to talk to a person during a call for service and to listen to what the person has to say. For a lot of people, thats simply what they need: To have communication with someone who is empathetic and understands, King said. De-escalation and crisis intervention training starts at law enforcement academies and continues when new officers arrive at their departments for field training. Such training is also updated regularly for veteran officers. Lt. Courtney Yerington, training officer for the Owensboro Police Department, said new officers work with field training officers, who both teach them and evaluate their progress. A core skill for officers is learning how to communicate with people, Yerington said. People at the scene of a call can be agitated or angry. The goal, Yerington said, is to talk to people in a way that helps them calm down, and then talk to them about what is causing their distress. The first thing the officer on scene (will do) is they are going to separate (the parties), talk to each side and get their side of the story, Yerington said. If you let them talk, you can de-escalate the situation and help resolve it. The approach is the same when officers are called to a person experiencing a mental disturbance: Calm the subject and let them talk. Typically when we respond, that individual is in some state of crisis or heightened awareness, said Officer Andrew Boggess, OPDs public information officer. But the whole emphasis in crisis intervention training is talking to people and trying to de-escalate the situation to where they can have a conversation with you. Mental illness or drug psychosis is different, but the response is the same: Be empathetic, polite, listen and respond accordingly, King said. The officer tries to build a rapport with the person on the scene and display empathy for their situation. As the officer talks to the individual, you develop a strategy on the fly on how to resolve the situation, Boggess said. Its about understanding where they are coming from, Yerington said. If you have not been in that situation, you are letting them know you hear them, and youre there to resolve the situation the best way possible. King said learning how to talk to people is an art form that not everyone can do. When de-escalation and crisis intervention are used successfully, even arrests dont have to be negative experiences, King said. There are people Ive arrested who will shake me hand (and say), you treated me so well. You treated me with such respect, King said. They felt they were dealt with accordingly and cared for. Calls where a person refuses to cooperate or wont come out might require a negotiator. At OPD, negotiators are officers with advanced training on speaking with people in crisis situations. Not every situation can be solved through crisis intervention. If there is danger to the subject of the call, other people or the officer, officers might need to stop the situation. We do our best to (use) the minimal amount of force we need, Yerington said. The minute it starts to get dangerous, to their safety or anyone elses ... we are trained very well on that transition, King said. In the case of a mental disturbance, or psychosis caused by drugs, the best result is to get the person to cooperate to be taken for an mental health evaluation, King said. That applies to the subjects family as well. King said part of crisis intervention in a case involving an involuntary hospitalization for a mental health evaluation is making (family members) feel comfortable with the decision everyone had to make. We try to work with health professionals, he said. a lot of us have been trained at RiverValley on drug psychosis and schizophrenia. James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Joseph Ankley has been the North Huron agriscience teacher and FFA advisor since June 2012. However, his involvement in ag and the FFA program started much earlier than that. Ankley, an Imlay City native, grew up on a dairy and cash crop farm, which his family had founded and operated since 1902. This already gave him a foot in agriculture. I was involved in 4-H and showing at the fair before being made aware of opportunities in FFA, he recalls. However, when he was made aware of those opportunities, he joined the FFA in his sophomore in high school and stayed involved for a few of his college years. During his time he served as chapter treasurer and a state officer. Now that hes one of North Huron FFAs main faculty advisors, he still sees it as a great place of opportunity for students. As part of FFA, weve been able to take students to Africa, Costa Rica, Iowa, Indiana, and Florida to learn about agriculture and natural resources, he said. Our members have the opportunity to experience a variety of hands-on projects and experiences that are relatable to our area of the state, where agriculture and natural resources dominate. One of those hands-on project opportunities is right on North Hurons campus; two greenhouses provide a space for students to learn plant care and build their own aquaponics systems. They have an Ag lab, where they raise livestock and have classroom and lab space. And theres a chicken coop, for raising chickens and pheasants. This coop is particularly useful when the Broiler Contest comes around. This annual competition helps students learn about chicken raising in particular, and teaches them about proper nutrition and where their meat comes from. The North Huron FFA chapter started as the Kinde FFA chapter in 1955, but changed to the North Huron FFA chapter in 1979, when the school consolidated with Port Austin. Then, in 2015, the Port Hope FFA joined the North Huron FFA, as well. North Huron FFA has 140 students currently involved. Two of these students are finalists for the American Star Award: Noah Koth, an employee at Koth Farms in Kinde, and Cheyanne Hoody, part-owner of Hotshot Outfitters in Port Hope. The Star Award is the highest honor for an FFA member, recognizing extraordinary effort in attitude, community service, and FFA involvement. Koth is also this years FFA president, with junior Emma Case as Vice President. The rest of the officers are high schoolers from North Huron, with Athena Saenz as the Junior High Representative. This year, theyll be meeting with other schools in a skills event, where theyll get the chance to compete against other schools in event areas theyve practiced. This includes an eclectic set of fields, from floral arrangement, agronomy, dairy foods, and poultry evaluation. Were excited to get back to doing this event in person for the first time since 2019, Ankley said. The North Huron chapter reaches out within its own school, with events like Farm Fun Day in May. Members set up stations for students to learn about topics in agriculture and have some fun, Ankley explained. Activities include a petting zoo, pedal tractor races, and equipment safety; in conjunction with Drive Your Tractor to School Day. Queen Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19, making her the third member of the royal family to be diagnosed with the virus this month, officials announced Sunday. Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. Advertisement She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines. The 95-year-old British monarchs eldest son, Prince Charles, tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 10. He was said to have met with the queen days before his positive test, but she didnt experience symptoms in the days after his diagnosis. Advertisement Queen Elizabeth has tested positive for COVID. (Yui Mok/AP) Charles wife, Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, tested positive for the virus last week. Royal officials said Charles, 73, and Camilla, 74, started self-isolating after their positive tests. The queen, Charles and Camilla are each believed to be fully vaccinated. Charles, who is next in line for the British throne, previously tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020. On behalf of myself and the whole of @UKLabour, wishing Her Majesty The Queen good health and a speedy recovery, tweeted Keir Starmer, the head of the Labour Party, on Sunday. Get well soon, Maam, Starmer wrote. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Queen Elizabeth spent a night at a London hospital in October for what were described as preliminary investigations. Doctors advised the queen to rest following the hospitalization. She celebrated the 70th anniversary of her monarchy this month after taking over upon her fathers death in 1952. Advertisement The United Kingdom has recorded more than 18 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and more than 161,000 deaths from the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) Thirteen veterans who died in recent years but whose remains were never claimed have been honored in a funeral service in northern Louisiana, as a crowd of people who didn't know them but who wanted to pay their respects looked on. Most of the 13 veterans served in Vietnam while one fought in the Gulf War, the Caddo Parish Coroner's Office said in a news release. They ranged in age from 60 to 72 at the time of their death. The service was the result of work by Caddo Parish Death Investigator Katrina Wright, who was asked by a nurse at a local hospital to help find the family of a veteran who had died and didn't have family to claim him. After a series of calls that yielded no solution, the veteran's remains went to the coroner's office. That left Wright feeling angry. I didnt understand how this could happen to people who fought for this country, she said in the news release. Eventually, Wright and Christina Currington from the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs started researching other veterans whose remains had not been claimed. They tracked down discharge papers and tried to track down family members in an effort to determine whether they qualified for a military burial. They started with 21 veterans altogether. One family claimed one of the veterans, and the women are still researching seven others. Local television station KTBS reported that honor guards from the four branches of the military in which the veterans served were on hand for the funeral service; they gave flags to representatives from veterans organizations in the area in the veterans' memories. The cemetery director thanked those who came to pay their respects. I want to thank the Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas region for being the family for these warriors, for not allowing them to be buried alone, and for giving them the honor they are due, Don Howard said, according to the television station. The veterans who were laid to rest were: Army PV1 Mark Vincent Fox, who died Oct. 5, 2012; Army Sgt. 1st Class Ernest Roy Dill, who died May 26, 2018; Army Sgt. Perry Jenkins Jr., who died May 28, 2019; Army Spec. 4, Phillip Gregory Vogelman, who died Feb. 10, 2019; Army PV2 Charles Emmett Whittington II, who died Jan. 16, 2017; Army PFC Clifton Williams, who died June 23, 2014; Air Force Airman 1st Class Terrance Keith Hunt, who died Jan. 18, 2016; Marine Corps PFC Frances Marion Neely, who died Feb. 10, 2015; Navy Seaman James Edward Rountree, who died Aug. 5, 2016; Navy Seaman Recruit Harvey Lee Ramsey, who died Nov. 19, 2014; Navy Seaman Recruit Johnnie Ferrell Watkins, who died March 3, 2016; and Navy Seaman Recruit/Army PV1 Edward Troy Rash Jr., who died June 6, 2017. The Director of Communications of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Yaw Buaben Asamoa, has said party officials are mute about the controversial E-levy. You will be surprised how many of our NPP officers at the local level are not talking enough about the governments policy, especially e-levy. I was at a funeral and I took the time to speak to a lot of people. The NPP in the community is not stepping out to project the NPP, he complained to journalists at a press conference in Kumasi, Ashanti Region on Friday, 18 February 2022. They must step out and boldly project the party and its achievements. It is very important, the former Adentan MP charged. In his view, Many many people have accepted the e-levy in principle but they still need to be spoken with and the engagement must continue. We, members of the NPP, ought to be talking more about the e-levy at the local level. So some of the information may not be very very clear but the reason for the e-levy, we believe at the national level, at the government level, is clear and it is an opportunity to transform local indigenous capital into local production, creating high important skills and then you have high-paying private-sector jobs, he said. In his view, the e-levy will act as a catalyst to drive private sector investment both local and foreign into the productive areas of our economy. If passed, Ghanaians will be paying 1.75 per cent as levy for some electronic transactions. While the government is pushing for it, the opposition in parliament continues to fight it. Classfmonline.com Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George has claimed that the standards of the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament have fallen. In a post on the Twitter page of the NDC MP on Friday, he said the leadership of the NPP MPs in Parliament is stooping too low in the filing a motion into the death of former President, John Evans Atta Mills. The NPP leadership in Parliament is an apology. An absolute aberration. Now they are faking their members signatories to useless motions? How low can it get? Smh [shaking my head], Sam George posted on Twitter. The criticism of the NPP leadership in Parliament comes after two of the MPs reported to have signed the motion for the bi-partisan probe into the death of Prof. Mills denied knowledge and appendage of their signatures. The NPP MPs namely MP for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, and Tema Central MP, Nii Noi Nortey in a joint letter to the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu have called for their names to be expunged from the private-members motion. Meanwhile, the Central Regional branch of the NDC has urged Ghanaians to treat with contempt the preposterous call for a probe into the death of H.E Professor Evans Atta Mills. The NDC alludes that it is a move by the NPP to divert attention from critical issues facing the country. 20.02.2022 LISTEN ON 16 February, 2022, the University of Ghana, Legon, organised a memorial event for one of its most distinguished products, Emeritus Professor Kwasi Wiredu, former student and Professor of the University, who died in the USA in January 2022, aged 90. Organised by the Classics and Philosophy department, the remembrance ceremony was held live event in the precincts of the Great Hall of the university, and simultaneously telecast by Zoom on the internet. Professor Martin Adjei and the department of Philosophy and Classics, Department, organised the event. Tributes were paid to the late Professor Wiredu by Wiredus international colleagues, as well as members of his family. It was particularly heart-warming to hear the fond memories of his family. His son, Agyenim Wiredu, hilariously recounted Wiredus reply when teased about his being 'so busy'. And his daughter, Akua Dwamena Wiredu, narrated stories about the numerous friends the professor had around the world, and stories about who used to regale her with. Professor Wiredu was married to his wife, Mary, for sixty years. They had five children. He taught them to be African, no matter where they were. Akua recalled being told by the Professor, when she was in Class One, that she would no longer be known by her Christian names. Henceforth, she was to be Akua Dwamena Wiredu. By the way, he explained, I myself will from now on, be known as Kwasi Wiredu, not Johnson Emmanuel Wiredu! Akua added, Thats how my father taught me who I am. ..An African. Wiredus significance on the international philosophical scene was marked by the fact that the obituaries about him included one by the leading French newspaper, Le Monde. Written by Severine Kodjo-Grandvaux, the Le Monde obituary said: QUOTE:[Kwasi Wiredu was] One of the most important African philosophers. Born in Kumasi in 1931, under British colonisation, Kwasi Wiredu, from a modest family, began his studies in philosophy at the University of Ghana, before joining Oxford, where, in 1960, he defended a doctoral thesis devoted to knowledge, truth and reason. Then he taught for more than twenty years at the University of Ghana, from 1961 to 1984, before being recruited in 1987 by the University of South Florida, in Tampa, as professor emeritus. Engaged in the debate on the African philosophy of the 1970s, Kwasi Wiredu [was] the one who most insisted on the need for a conceptual decolonisation. A specialist in logic, epistemology and analytical philosophy, the author of Philosophy and an African Culture (1980) sought to understand, in line with Bertrand Russell, the influence of the syntax of languages on thought. According to him, linguistic structures 'influence' our ways of conceiving reality. [But] far from rejecting everything that comes from the West, Kwasi Wiredu [called] for vigilance so as not to tame the African realities of European conceptions. What interested him was, by translating into his Akan mother tongue the concepts and conceptual dualisms that run through the history of philosophy such as the soul and the body to distinguish those which have a universal scope from those which are related to the languages in which they are expressed. Through numerous articles and his book Cultural Universals and Particulars; An African Perspective (1996), Kwasi Wiredu demonstrated, against a colonial prejudice still tenacious in his time, that African languages can be philosophical languages and that it can be useful although not always necessary to exploit the patterns indigenous concepts. In the 1990s, when sub-Saharan Africa opened up to a multiparty system, he designed the African modalities of democracy through the deliberative act. The 'consensual democracy' that he advocated supposes that there cannot be irreconcilable social interests, but a primary interest shared by all. Here again, it is a question of finding how to reconcile the one and the plural. Kwasi Wiredu was part of all the great philosophical debates that agitated Africa English-speaking as well as French-speaking during the second half of the 20th century. And through the textbooks or encyclopedic works he edited including the invaluable A Companion to African Philosophy (2004) he worked to promote all the philosophies of the continent and to give African philosophy its full depth, in integrating into its corpus the Islamic, Ethiopian, Egyptian, Greco-Roman heritages. And to remember that Origen, Saint-Augustin or Plotinus, for example (who are usually attached to the philosophy of European antiquity, were African. [In other words] Africa has never lived in a vacuum and has always been linked to the rest of humanity. BY Cameron Duodu 20.02.2022 LISTEN MOST GHANAIANS, especially the Akans, do not joke with the burial of the dead. Bereaved family members often spent huge sums of money to give their dead what is called 'proper burial'. Interestingly, pastors teach about befitting burial during burial services based on the words of King Solomon. When a Christian dies, pastors often play leading roles in the burial. King Solomon had written, A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive PROPER BURIAL, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he (Ecclesiastes 6: 3, NIV). Solomon talked generally about a man; he did not say a Christian or a child of God. He simply said A man His emphasis was on the need for humans both male and female to receive burial. In the opinion of the king, it is improper for a human being to die and be denied proper burial. A person who is denied proper burial is worthless than a stillborn child. Some versions of the Bible render proper burial as decent burial and honourable burial. Now, what is the biblical meaning of proper burial? Does it mean organising solemn wake-keeping for the dead where dirge hymns are sung, officiated by bishops or apostles? Is it getting the deceased put in an expensive casket and sent into the church auditorium for bishops to offer fervent prayers of intercession for the salvation of his soul? Or is it arranging for men of God to dress in decent mourning clothes and personally bury the dead? For us to understand the proper or decent burial King Solomon talked about, we need to go into the Bible and find examples of what was considered improper and proper burials. Biblically and scripturally, a person is considered to have been given a decent or proper burial if his remains or body was properly covered or wrapped in a fine material, for example, fine linen shroud or put in a casket and was laid in a tomb. So, we can say that Christ Jesus received a proper, decent or honourable burial (Matthew 27: 50,57-60). Let us also consider the burial of King David. The Bible says, Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day (Acts 2:29) for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed (Acts 13:36). However, a person might be said to have received no burial or improper burial if his body could not be properly covered or wrapped in a fine material, for example, fine linen shroud or put in a casket and could not be laid in a tomb. Very often, such a person would have his body thrown to the fields to be food for animals. Let us consider the passages of Scripture below. Therefore thus says the Lord in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, They will not lament for him: Alas, my brother! or, Alas, sister! They will not lament for him: Alas for the master! or, Alas for his splendor! He will be buried with a donkeys burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 22:18-19). They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth (Jeremiah 16:4). Now, the Word of God makes it clear what proper burial is, and what improper or no burial for the dead is. Solomon said, if he (a person) cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive PROPER BURIAL, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he (Ecclesiastes 6: 3, NIV). The expression does not receive proper burial may be rendered as if he receives no burial. There is no doubt that there are people, who in very strange circumstances, may unintentionally be denied proper burial or receive no burial. For example, people who are killed and eaten by beasts, drown in water bodies or burn to ashes and so on. So, we can say that the small boys who were cursed by the prophet Elisha culminating in bears devouring them for jeering at him received no burial. A person who suffers such a fate is what Solomon described as being worthless than a stillborn child. But if the body of a dead person is covered with decent material and laid to rest in a tomb, then, he or she can be said to have received proper, decent or befitting burial. Clearly, proper burial is not necessarily expensive burial. Moreover, do pastors have any duty from God to perform to contribute toward ensuring proper burial of the dead or officiate burial services? In any case, did Christ Jesus command the church to organise burial services for the dead? Was a burial service organised for Christ Himself? What about John the Baptist, Stephen or Ananias and Sapphira? Well, the Jews in those days might have their own form of burial service, but a command to have burial services for the dead is rarely stated in Scripture. And who should bury the Christian when he dies? Should it always be the pastor or any member of the church can? We know that when Christ Jesus died, one of His own disciples, Joseph of Arimathea, without any of the apostles, took His body and buried it in his own prepared tomb (Matthew 27:57-60). When John the Baptist died, his disciples took his body and buried it (Matthew 14:12). When Stephen died, the Bible says devout men buried him (Acts 8:2) and finally when Ananias and Sapphira died, some young men buried them (Acts 5:6,10). By James Quansah [email protected] The Deputy Minister for Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has gotten on the wrong side of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) over claims that the union is being influenced by partisan interests. Speaking on The Big Issue, NAGRATs President, Angel Carbonu, said his outfit had to boycott the meeting the Minister [of Education] called because of the insult of the deputy minister. A union has identified a number of issues, and you come on the radio and say the union is singing from the hymn book of a political party, Mr. Carbonu fumed. He added that until he [Rev. Fordjour] withdraws that statement and apologises, we will be taking a series of actions. One of NAGRATs recent concerns has been the role of the Ministry of Education in selecting headmasters and headmistresses for the governments new STEM schools. It further called on the Ministry of Education to withdraw the advertisement inviting applicants to apply for the position of headmaster or headmistress at these schools. NAGRAT believes the teachers from these schools should be recruited from within the public schools teacher pool so as not to break the chain of seniority and procedure. They [the STEM schools] are not private schools, these are government schools. The teachers employed in these schools are our members and why I say this, I am being talked about as singing from the NDC hymn book. We have even advocated as unions that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service should establish some leadership training institution for the workers of the Ghana Education service If they feel we are deficient in the administration and management of schools, he added. While Mr. Carbonu said the concept of STEM schools is good, he warned the government to not take advantage of the concept and start appointing people without going through the appointing process. citinewsroom The Winter Park Library and Events Center, where police shot and killed a man at a wedding reception, opened to the public Dec. 13. (Orlando Sentinel) Winter Park police say an officer shot and killed a man who was fighting with guests at a wedding reception Saturday night. The fatal shooting occurred at the citys new $42-million Winter Park Library and Events Center, which opened in December. Advertisement Police identified the man as Daniel Patrick Knight, 39, and alleged he attacked two officers before he was shot. According to a report by WESH-Channel 2, Knight is the brides uncle. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the fatal shooting at the request of police. Advertisement FDLE spokesperson Jeremy Burns said he had no other details. [ Winter Park Library and Events Center opened in December after years of lawsuits and fiery debates ] Officers responded to what they described as a disturbance call about 9:40 p.m. at the new venue in Winter Parks historic district. Police said the caller told dispatchers Knight was assaulting guests at the reception. According to a Winter Park Police Department news release, one officer was speaking with Knight when Knight knocked the officer unconscious to the ground. Mr. Knight then physically attacked a second officer as a crowd began to surround the injured officers, the police account read. During the physical altercation, the second officer discharged his weapon striking Mr. Knight. Police did not identify either officer. Knight was taken to AdventHealth Orlando where he died. Police released no other details of the shooting. Knights niece, at whose wedding the incident occurred, described the killing as unjustified in a statement, according to WESH. Advertisement Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > He was a kind gentle soul, and his only crime committed that night was drinking and having a good time with his family, the statement said, according to the news station. ... This shooting was unjustified and we are working with a lawyer and the FDLE to get the entire truth out. Its unclear how many people attended the reception or what sparked the disturbance. Both officers also were taken to the hospital, treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released. The officer who fired the shot has been placed on administrative duty while FDLE investigates the shooting. The Winter Park Library and Events Center, which features a large ballroom and rooftop terrace, opened in December with 40 scheduled bookings, including weddings, galas and Winter Park Fashion Week. The venue is located on Morse Boulevard, 10 minutes from downtown Orlando. Staff writer Jeff Weiner contributed. Advertisement shudak@orlandosentinel.com A suicide bomber killed 14 people in a popular restaurant in the central Somali town of Beledweyne on Saturday, on the eve of a round of voting there, police said. The attack was claimed by the Al-Shabaab Islamist militant group, which has been waging an insurgency in the troubled Horn of Africa nation for years. Security had been tightened in Beledweyne ahead of a first session of voting for parliamentary seats in the constituency, which lies about 340 kilometres (210 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu. 'The number of people who have died in the heinous terrorist attack in Beledweyne today has increased from 10 people to 14 as of now," local police officer Mohamud Hassan told AFP by phone. He said some of the 16 civilians earlier reported wounded in the suicide bombing had died of their injuries in hospital. Among the dead were local government officials. "This was the deadliest attack I can recall in this town," he added. Al-Shabaab said in a statement that one of its fighters carried out the bombing. Somalia, particularly Mogadishu, has seen a spate of attacks in recent weeks as the country hobbles through a long-delayed election process. Witnesses said the huge explosion tore through an open area of the Hassan Dhiif restaurant where people had gathered under trees to eat lunch. "I saw dead bodies of several people and I could not count how many wounded that were rushed to hospital," said one witness, Mahad Osman. "Some of these people were waiting for their ordered meals to come while enjoying the fresh weather when the blast occurred," he added. "I saw... shoes, sticks and hats strewn at the scene of the blast, there was also blood and severed parts of human flesh in the area." In another incident on Saturday, one person was killed and six others wounded when an explosive device went off in a teashop in Bosaso, the commercial capital of the northern state of Puntland, police said. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for that blast. Political impasse Somalia is due to wrap up voting for the lower house of parliament by February 25 under the latest timetable for the elections, which are already more than a year behind schedule. President President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known by his nickname Farmajo, has been at loggerheads with Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble over the election delays, an impasse that has Somalia's international backers worried. Among those running for a seat in Beledweyne is Farhad Yasin, Somalia's former intelligence chief who is now Farmajo's national security adviser. Somalia's voting process follows a complex indirect model, whereby state legislatures and clan delegates pick lawmakers for the national parliament, who in turn choose the president. Voting for the upper house concluded last year, while clan delegates have so far elected 159 of the 275 MPs who sit in the lower house. Somalia's international partners fear the election crisis distracts from the battle against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group fighting the weak central government. Its fighters were driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 after an offensive by an African Union force, but they still control vast swathes of rural Somalia from where they launch regular attacks in the capital and elsewhere. The United States issued a statement on Friday calling on Somalia's leaders to complete the elections in a "credible and transparent manner" by February 25. "The United States will hold accountable those who obstruct or undermine the process," it said. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a decision to restrict visas to current or former Somali officials or others "believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Somalia". 19.02.2022 LISTEN Madam Juliana Akugre Anam-Erime, the Builsa North Municipal Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Upper East Region, has cautioned residents in the Municipality to desist from demanding bodies of their relatives from the Sandema Hospital without due certification from the Medical Superintendent. She expressed concern about the attitude of some residents, who immediately demand the bodies of their relatives for burial without certification of death by the Medical Officer. No certification, no corpse will be released. It is a policy in the GHS and until a Medical Doctor certifies a death case, no nurse can certify the death of a patient. We take a lot of things for granted and that comes back to haunt us, she said. Madam Anam-Erime said this at the 2021 health performance review meeting of the Municipality held on the theme: Harnessing the contribution of all stakeholders in reducing the high occurrences of maternal deaths in the Upper East Region. The programme brought together health professionals from across all six Sub-districts of the GHS and other stakeholders to review their performance in the past year and strategise to improve health care delivery in the Municipality in 2022. The Director appealed to stakeholders, especially Assembly Members to sensitise their community members to adhere to the protocol of the Hospital in cases of death and not rush to demand bodies of their relatives for burial before the Medical Superintendent's examination and certification of death. On performance indicators in the Municipality for the year under review, Madam Anam-Erime disclosed that the Family Planning rate increased from 17 per cent in 2020 to 36 per cent in 2021 while the proportion of deliveries attended to by trained health professionals also increased from 59.4 per cent to 80 per cent within the same period. She said even though institutional maternal mortality stood at 218 per 100,000 live births, with the target of 125 per 100,000 live births. It is worth noting that for the past three years, the Municipality has not recorded under five institutional death. She said there was a massive increase from 98 per cent to 99.9 per cent in pregnant women's fourth visit to Antenatal Clinics with an increase in viral load testing from 29 per cent to 89 per cent in the year under review. Percentage of deaths that were medically certified, reduced from 92.1 per cent in 2020 to 70 per cent in 2021 and anaemia in pregnant women at 36 weeks though saw a reduction from 51 per cent to 49.6 per cent, was insignificant, she said. Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, the Regional Director of the GHS, in a speech delivered on his behalf, said the Region was perceived as unattractive and therefore had difficulty in attracting and retaining critical health staff such as Doctors, Midwives, Nurses and Physician Assistants. The 54 Medical Officers and 721 Midwives are woefully inadequate to effectively execute their mandate, he said and urged stakeholders in the Municipality to provide accommodation, rural area incentives packages, early promotions and study leave among others to attract and retain health professionals. The Regional Director commended health professionals and other stakeholders in the Municipality for the central role they played to consolidate the Municipal health delivery efforts and stressed the need for members of the public to continue to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols. GNA 19.02.2022 LISTEN President Akufo-Addo has suggested 12 months for Mali's military to hold democratic elections and hand over power to civilian rule. In a interview with FRANCE 24 at the EU-African Union summit in Brussels, he said the juntas proposal of a four-year transition was clearly unacceptable and said a 12-month transition period would be an acceptable framework while stressing that this was not official ECOWAS position. Commenting on the French-led troop withdrawal from Mali, President Akufo-Addo said the development required new arrangements in the regional fight against terrorism. Mr. Akufo-Addo, who is the current chairman of West African bloc ECOWAS, demanded the departure of foreign mercenaries from the region and explained that negotiations are underway with the Malian junta on an election timetable. Asked about Burkina Faso, which experienced a coup last month, Mr. Akofu-Addo expressed optimism about a swift transition to civilian rule, noting that the junta had moved very quickly to engage in consultations. He also warned the coup leaders in Guinea, which saw a military takeover last September, that new ECOWAS sanctions could be forthcoming if they do not provide a timetable for a transition as soon as possible. Finally, Mr. Akufo-Addo insisted that military coups in West Africa are unacceptable, saying we do not want this contagion to spread. He added that the issue of third presidential terms was also a matter of concern for the region. DGN online 20.02.2022 LISTEN Ive often maintained that the salary any health personnel or professional earn doesnt commensurate or tally with the magnitude of risk and work they do. Coming from a home of health professionals, trust me I understand every nitty-gritty regarding the plight of the health professionals. Take for instance, time. That is a luxury a health professional rarely gets to spend with their immediate family amid a litany and a pyramid of social events they must and should make time for else theyre tagged in negative light. Whilst constantly, literally beating themselves up for having no social lives aside Societys indiscriminate isolation of them. Not to mention the countless nights apart newly weds have to spend because the job calls. It takes an exceptional partner to marry a health professional. Because you see, youd have to understand that your wife, or husband isnt only yours but that of their patients who may need them in the middle of the night. Youll have to embrace and live with the fact that someone has entrusted their live into the hands of your partner and expects they play God in the healing process. Amid the stress, they sometimes might utter words inappropriate to a patient or patient relative and may suffer an image damage when and if reported. Lives depend on them and sometimes they have to make a judgment call in split seconds. If they get it right, theyre applauded. If they get it wrong theyre abashed. Zero room for sympathies or empathies. They have to live with the ever lingering images of their ghost patients they unduly blame themselves over and carry such a burden so huge any other individual rarely understands. Always having second thoughts and second guessing what they missed. Rhetorically querying themselves about what they could have done distinctively to save a live. Under extreme fatigue, they sometimes make bad judgement calls and patients die. They maybe lucky if patient relatives dont sue for damages or negligence. And even if they dont, the conscience of a health professional is his/her best punisher. Personal risks is a factor people rarely consider. Needle pricks is the most dangerous yet with a very frequent occurrence. This simply means that a health professional is subject and exposed to whatever condition a patient has. Most especially, infectious diseases be it haematological or respiratory such as HIV/Aids, Hep B and C, Tuberculosis and the novel Covid-19. Such diseases they carry right to the doorstep and comfort of their homes. Not only exposing themselves but exposing their loved ones as well. Research shows that, a lot of health professionals had died due to HIV simply because of a needle prick in the discharge of their duties handling an HIV infected patient. Without going far, Coronavirus pandemic broke out, research revealed that those who have contacted the virus in the early stages were mostly first responders and these were either doctors or nurses. Same research points to the fact that, of the many deaths related to Coronavirus, doctors and nurses constitutes a large percentage. Having chronicled and pointed out clearly the hazards of the health professionals, would it then not come to you as a surprise that most health personnel or professional die simply because they have a health condition and cannot afford treatment? Mostly have had to go through the most dehumanizing ordeal of having to appeal for funds to cater for surgeries? Whats even more sad to note however, is that they end up dying having raised nearly half or complete the amount needed for their treatment. Then I ask myself whats the role of their employer? In this case Ghana Health Service or Ministry of Health. Will they not return to work if they survive the treatment? So is there no support system in place for health personnel or professionals? Can there be a fund set aside for health personnel or professionals? Whats Governments input in all of these scenarios cited. Do those who nurse and treat not deserve treatment too? Ill engage further stakeholders and health personnel or professionals and write extensively on the possible sources funding available for health personnel or professional and their immediate dependents when they fall sick. Rafiq Thompson Copyright protected, 2022 Once just an obscure island dialect of an African Bantu tongue, Swahili has evolved into Africa's most internationally recognised language. It is peer to the few languages of the world that boast over 200 million users. Over the two millennia of Swahili's growth and adaptation, the moulders of this story immigrants from inland Africa, traders from Asia, Arab and European occupiers, European and Indian settlers, colonial rulers, and individuals from various postcolonial nations have used Swahili and adapted it to their own purposes. They have taken it wherever they have gone to the west. Africa's Swahili-speaking zone now extends across a full third of the continent from south to north and touches on the opposite coast, encompassing the heart of Africa. The origins The historical lands of the Swahili are on East Africa's Indian Ocean littoral. A 2,500-kilometer chain of coastal towns from Mogadishu, Somalia to Sofala, Mozambique as well as offshore islands as far away as the Comoros and Seychelles. This coastal region has long served as an international crossroads of trade and human movement. People from all walks of life and from regions as scattered as Indonesia, Persia, the African Great Lakes, the United States and Europe all encountered one another. Hunter-gatherers, pastoralists and farmers mingled with traders and city-dwellers. Africans devoted to ancestors and the spirits of their lands met Muslims, Hindus, Portuguese Catholics and British Anglicans. Workers (among them slaves, porters and labourers), soldiers, rulers and diplomats were mixed together from ancient days. Anyone who went to the East African littoral could choose to become Swahili, and many did. African unity The roll of Swahili enthusiasts and advocates includes notable intellectuals, freedom fighters, civil rights activists, political leaders, scholarly professional societies, entertainers and health workers. Not to mention the usual professional writers, poets, and artists. A lire aussi : Hip hop and Pan Africanism: from Blitz the Ambassador to Beyonce Foremost has been Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka . The Nigerian writer, poet and playwright has since the 1960s repeatedly called for use of Swahili as the transcontinental language for Africa. The African Union (AU), the united states of Africa nurtured the same sentiment of continental unity in July 2004 and adopted Swahili as its official language. As Joaquim Chissano (then the president of Mozambique) put this motion on the table, he addressed the AU in the flawless Swahili he had learned in Tanzania, where he was educated while in exile from the Portuguese colony. The African Union did not adopt Swahili as Africa's international language by happenstance. Swahili has a much longer history of building bridges among peoples across the continent of Africa and into the diaspora. The feeling of unity, the insistence that all of Africa is one, just will not disappear. Languages are elemental to everyone's sense of belonging, of expressing what's in one's heart. The AU's decision was particularly striking given that the populations of its member states speak an estimated two thousand languages (roughly one-third of all human languages), several dozen of them with more than a million speakers. How did Swahili come to hold so prominent a position among so many groups with their own diverse linguistic histories and traditions? A liberation language During the decades leading up to the independence of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in the early 1960s, Swahili functioned as an international means of political collaboration. It enabled freedom fighters throughout the region to communicate their common aspirations even though their native languages varied widely. The rise of Swahili, for some Africans, was a mark of true cultural and personal independence from the colonising Europeans and their languages of control and command. Uniquely among Africa's independent nations, Tanzania's government uses Swahili for all official business and, most impressively, in basic education. Indeed, the Swahili word uhuru (freedom), which emerged from this independence struggle, became part of the global lexicon of political empowerment. The highest political offices in East Africa began using and promoting Swahili soon after independence. Presidents Julius Nyerere of Tanzania (196285) and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya (196478) promoted Swahili as integral to the region's political and economic interests, security and liberation. The political power of language was demonstrated, less happily, by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (197179), who used Swahili for his army and secret police operations during his reign of terror. A lire aussi : New Kiswahili science fiction award charts a path for African languages Under Nyerere, Tanzania became one of only two African nations ever to declare a native African language as the country's official mode of communication (the other is Ethiopia, with Amharic). Nyerere personally translated two of William Shakespeare's plays into Swahili to demonstrate the capacity of Swahili to bear the expressive weight of great literary works. Socialist overtones Nyerere even made the term Swahili a referent to Tanzanian citizenship. Later, this label acquired socialist overtones in praising the common men and women of the nation. It stood in stark contrast to Europeans and Western-oriented elite Africans with quickly and by implication dubiously amassed wealth. Ultimately, the term grew even further to encompass the poor of all races, of both African and non-African descent. In my own experience as a lecturer at Stanford University in the 1990s, for instance, several of the students from Kenya and Tanzania referred to the poor white neighbourhood of East Palo Alto, California, as Uswahilini, Swahili land. As opposed to Uzunguni, land of the mzungu (white person). Nyerere considered it prestigious to be called Swahili. With his influence, the term became imbued with sociopolitical connotations of the poor but worthy and even noble. This in turn helped construct a Pan African popular identity independent of the elite-dominated national governments of Africa's fifty-some nation-states. Little did I realise then that the Swahili label had been used as a conceptual rallying point for solidarity across the lines of community, competitive towns, and residents of many backgrounds for over a millennium. Kwanzaa and ujamaa In 1966, (activist and author) Maulana Ron Karenga associated the black freedom movement with Swahili, choosing Swahili as its official language and creating the Kwanzaa celebration. The term Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili word ku-anza, meaning to begin or first. The holiday was intended to celebrate the matunda ya kwanza, first fruits. According to Karenga, Kwanzaa symbolises the festivities of ancient African harvests. A Kwanzaa celebration in Denver, US. Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images Celebrants were encouraged to adopt Swahili names and to address one another by Swahili titles of respect. Based on Nyerere's principle of ujamaa (unity in mutual contributions), Kwanzaa celebrates seven principles or pillars. Unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), shared purpose (nia), individual creativity (kuumba) and faith (imani). Nyerere also became the icon of community brotherhood and sisterhood under the slogan of the Swahili word ujamaa. That word has gained such strong appeal that it has been used as far afield as among Australian Aborigines and African Americans and across the globe from London to Papua New Guinea. Not to mention its ongoing celebration on many US college campuses in the form of dormitories named ujamaa houses. Today Today, Swahili is the African language most widely recognised outside the continent. The global presence of Swahili in radio broadcasting and on the internet has no equal among sub-Saharan African languages. Swahili is broadcast regularly in Burundi, the DRC, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland and Tanzania. On the international scene, no other African language can be heard from world news stations as often or as extensively. At least as far back as Trader Horn (1931), Swahili words and speech have been heard in hundreds of movies and television series, such as Star Trek , Out of Africa , Disney's The Lion King , and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider . The Lion King featured several Swahili words, the most familiar being the names of characters, including Simba (lion), Rafiki (friend) and Pumbaa (be dazed). Swahili phrases included asante sana (thank you very much) and, of course, that no-problem philosophy known as hakuna matata repeated throughout the movie. Swahili lacks the numbers of speakers, the wealth, and the political power associated with global languages such as Mandarin, English or Spanish. But Swahili appears to be the only language boasting more than 100 million speakers that has more second-language speakers than native ones. A lire aussi : What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans By immersing themselves in the affairs of a maritime culture at a key commercial gateway, the people who were eventually designated Waswahili (Swahili people) created a niche for themselves. They were important enough in the trade that newcomers had little choice but to speak Swahili as the language of trade and diplomacy. And the Swahili population became more entrenched as successive generations of second-language speakers of Swahili lost their ancestral languages and became bona fide Swahili. The key to understanding this story is to look deeply at the Swahili people's response to challenges. At the ways in which they made their fortunes and dealt with misfortunes. And, most important, at how they honed their skills in balancing confrontation and resistance with adaptation and innovation as they interacted with arrivals from other language backgrounds. This is an edited extract of the first chapter of The Story of Swahili from Ohio University Press John M. Mugane ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possede pas de parts, ne recoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a declare aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche. By John M. Mugane, Professor, Harvard University John Mahama, you are very intelligent, industrious, efficient, respectful, and humble, unfortunately, many of the tribal bigots living in Ghana and the in the Diaspora, who are not even qualified to polish your shoes, are capitalizing on your humbleness to disrespect and continue dragging your face in the mud. I will tell you something, Sir, I grew up in a very strong Christian family and received punishment for every mistake I made. I have respect for people but along the line, I noticed that this world is cruel, and to survive, I need to be cruel sometimes. I am no more the Joel Savage people know. I have now adopted a certain uncared different attitude which is helping me in a good way in this wicked world of Ghana. Many of the intelligent people forcing the government to fix the country don't hate Akufo Addo, they just want Ghana to be a better country but since they take everything political, it's wrong to criticize the president. These are the problems. Mahama, I can see that you are facing the same problems of voicing out against what isn't going well in Ghana. Even if things were really bad during your era, it can't be compared with today's Ghana under Nana Akufo Addo. Yet, as a former president, when you speak against it, you are seen as the opposition. That's where the attack comes but I need to tell you that people continue to drag your face in the mud if you don't change this gentility attitude. How many times have you been accused of killing ex-president John Atta-Mills? It's not once, not twice but several times, just because you are gentle and never respond. If you have followed the law about this stupid accusation and the author is found guilty, that will serve as a deterrent to others but this is not too late. Do you think I will find it comfortable if I have to repeatedly accuse Akufo Addo of killing John Atta-Mills? Why people are doing to you what they can't do against Akufo Addo? Ghana is a country ruled by people who take money every month, yet nobody takes responsibility for any wrongdoings in the country. After five years in power, the incompetent NPP government that has mismanaged the countrys economy beyond remedy still blames you for every mess in the country. You are blamed for everything going wrong in Ghana under this incompetent corrupt government because of your humility and humbleness, yet you remain the same. Imagine the disrespectful E-Levy cake which made headlines a couple of days ago. The incompetent NPP government capitalized on your humbleness to blame the NDC for delivering the cake. All these things are happening to you because you have tolerated this nonsense for too long and since you don't react, they keep blaming and accusing you of every bad thing, including murder and coup plotting. Mahama, you need to take away this gentleness and be a very strict non-nonsense person, else these tribal bigots will never give you a breathing space in your own country. There is a difference between respect and kindness, in Ghana, many people take both as stupidity and weakness. That's why the NPP government sent those shameless heads of churches to come to you to allow the passing of the fraudulent E-Levy by parliament. Because in their mind, they know that Mahama is gentle and kind, therefore, if we speak to him about the fraudulent E-Levy, he will accept. I can't describe how happy I was about the answers you gave them. In the Bible it is written that God created man in his own image, however; I'm still struggling to accept this part of the scriptures because not every Ghanaian in the country or the Diaspora is a human being. European and American dogs are even more intelligent than many tribal bigots in Ghana and the Diaspora. They know you are writing the truth, yet they will attack you. They know Akufo Addo is a failure, yet when you write about that they will attack you, they know the president is corrupt, yet when you speak about it they will attack, thats why I feel they are not human beings. If you go to some of the villages in Ghana these tribal bigots live, you'll be amazed over the kind of water they drink which European and American dogs will refuse because of its horrible color. Yet, when you write about it for the government to make things better you instantly become an enemy because the NPP is in power, yet, when you Mahama was in power, you were even treated worst than what Akufo Addo can't stand today. Mahama, until you change that gentility attitude and be a little tougher, those tribal bigots will continue to make the life of you and your family a hell because religion doesn't reflect on Ghana despite thousands of churches and mosques in the country. It's political greed that rules the country. Member of Parliament for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye has paid a visit to eight-year-old old girl who in a viral video, chastised him, the New Patriotic Party(, NPP), and President Akufo-Addo for being stingy because they have not financed her schooling after she did a video campaigning for the party in the run-up to the 2020 election. The young girl in the video said during the 2020 election campaign period, she did a video with which she campaigned for the now Minister for Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for Bantama, and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which went viral on various online platforms. According to her, after winning the election, the NPP government and President Nana Addo have not done anything for her as would have been done if it were the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and John Dramani Mahama, who would have been catering for her schooling and family by now. In the latest video, a voice that sounds feminine asked the Primary Two Pupil girl Adobea, what she is saying Akufo-Addo has done to her. In her response, the young girl said mm Asenso-Boakye, when I did a big campaign(for him) it went viral. They didnt look for me ooo. If it were NDC, John Mahama, he would have been taking care of my schooling and would have even extended the care to my family. She continues that they (NPP) have worn POP on their hands (stingy). When they get up, all they know is Fellow Ghanaians, Follow what and what; big English. Fix the country, Fix the country, has he (Nana Addo) not heard it? A polling station executive of the party in the Bantama constituency has been suspended for sharing the viral video of the young girl. Upon watching this viral video, Francis Asenso-Boakye searched for the whereabouts of Adobea and visited her on Friday 18th February 2022. The visit to the 8-year old girl and her parents at Abrepo in the Bantama Constituency was to thank the young girl for the supposed video she did in 2020 to support the campaign of the NPP. Speaking in the presence of Addobea and her parents, Mr. Asenso-Boakye, on behalf the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the NPP thanked the Basic Two pupil for the campaign she did for them during the 2020 election period. He was happy for the girl's gift of eloquence and boldness in communicating. However, suspecting that the small girl must have been led to say the sort things she said in the viral video, the Bantama MP advised the parents to guard against pushing the minor into anything political, since it could affect her life in the future. He counseled other parents, guardians, and caretakers of children to eschew all sorts of attempts to cause children into doing partisan politics. Francis Asenso-Boakye informed her that President Akufo-Addo is already catering for her schooling as his government has put in place good measures and policies making basic and Senior High School education free for all pupils and students in public schools. The former Deputy Chief of Staff presented a brand new tablet and an undisclosed amount of money. He encouraged her to learn hard in school and be obedient to her parents. The parents of the little girl, Kwabena Addo, and Akosua Serwaa praised Francis Asenso-Boakye for visiting them and gifting their ward Adobea, with the tablet. Mr. Addo and his wife pleaded with Asenso-Boakye and President Nana Addo to forgive them and their daughter for the viral video which might have hurt them and their party. They explained that they did not know about the video until they saw it on online platforms at which time they could do nothing about it. The little girl also thanked the Bantama MP for donating the tablet and money to her. She also prayed like pastors do for their church members, for Mr. Asenso-Boakye, and charged politicians to unite to make the country develop. DGN online Manhyia North MP, Akwasi Konadu 20.02.2022 LISTEN Information available to this portal indicates that the Member of Parliament for Manhyia North Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Akwasi Konadu has been robbed by gun wielding men in his residence at Buokrom. The criminals ransacked his home and made away with his laptop, GHC15,000, clothes and other valuable items. Confirming the incident to Asanteman FM, the 2nd Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Constituency, Ernest Kwaku Agyei said the incident occurred at about 3pm on Friday after the MP had returned from his parliamentary duties in Accra. The case has since been reported to the Ashanti Regional Police Command for investigation. Police have since visited the crime scene and investigation has commenced. DGN online A Russian kilo class submarine gliding through Istanbul's Bosphorus waterway en route to the Black Sea recently provided an early morning spectacle to city commuters crossing the strait of water that divides Turkey's largest city. Such demonstrations of naval prowess have become common in Istanbul. As tensions rise in Ukraine, Russian and NATO warships are increasingly using the Bosphorus waterway, the only access into the Black Sea from the open waters of the Mediterranean. The importance of the Bosphorus The strategic importance of the Bosphorus in the Ukraine crisis is forcing closer scrutiny of the 1936 Convention administered by Turkey which governs naval access to the Black Sea. Russia is deploying warships from its Northern fleet to the Black Sea, while several French naval vessels are set to pass through the Bosphorus later this month. But access by non-Black Sea countries is strictly controlled by the 1936 Montreux convention, explained Mithat Rende, a retired Turkish Ambassador, an expert on maritime affairs. "Those who are not riparian states have to limit their presence (in the Black Sea), to 45,000 metric tonnes (total ship tonnage). With a maximum of 15 vessels for a period of 21 days, and they have also to notify Turkey, giving the time and date of the passage," said Rende. The Montreux Convention is of historical importance for Turkey as it restored Turkish sovereignty and control to the network of internal waterways linking the Black Sea to the open sea. But Mustafa Aydin, a professor of international relations at Istanbul's Kadir Has University, warns that Turkey's role as Black Sea gatekeeper put it in a difficult position with its NATO partners at times of high tensions with Russia. "We have seen this during the Russian Georgian war in 2008. The United States and other NATO allies tried to bring more ships into the region. Initially, Turkey did not allow the first request from the United States because it was violating the limit of the tonnage of the ships. Eventually the US changed that request to two small ships instead of one big vessel. But this created a big delay." said Aydin. Russian pressure But Turkey is also facing pressure from Russia. Last April, a US warship using Istanbul's Bosphorus waterway to participate in a NATO Ukrainian naval exercise drew swift condemnation by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moreover, Russian pressure is predicted to grow if NATO steps up its Black Sea maritime presence. "Russia is making pressure on Turkey not to get involved, whether as a NATO member or a good neighbor of Ukraine," claims Huseyin Bagci, head of the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute in Ankara. "The Russians do not hide every opportunity to criticise Turkey, and not to threaten maybe but to tell Turkey that Ankara should not make any wrong step." Bagci added. Ankara is looking to diplomatic talks to defuse soaring tensions over Ukraine. Aware that failure could lead to a further military buildup, including more NATO ships entering the Black Sea and deeper scrutiny of Turkey's administration of the Montreux Convention. President Akufo-Addo, says West African states had an opportunity to steal a march, with European allies, on the growing threat of Islamist militant activities. President Akufo-Addo, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS, said this on Thursday, at the on-going EU/AU summit in Brussels, Belgium. The summit seeks to discuss mutual cooperation between the two continents, towards their prosperity and growth. GNA State prison officials acknowledged on Saturday that an incarcerated person died five days earlier, on Monday, after a clash with correctional officers during a transfer at Dade Correctional Institution south of Florida City. The Florida Department of Corrections refused to confirm details about the incident that were provided to the Miami Herald by a former employee, instead issuing a press release that tied the incident to administrative shakeups that included the the warden recently being replaced. Advertisement In its press release, the department said that an inmate died during a transfer from Dade CI and that it immediately took action to support a full investigation and ensure inmate safety. While initial details surrounding the death were not clear, after coordination with [the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,] FDC immediately placed 10 officers on administrative leave and one officer has resigned, the release said. Advertisement Citing an active investigation, the FDC said that the victim and staff member names cannot be released. It was not immediately clear why the investigation would prevent releasing the name of the inmate who was killed. Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat, told the Herald she spoke with an FDC aide who told her the name was not being disclosed due to HIPAA, the federal law protecting health information that does not apply to people who are dead. An FDC spokesperson later told the Herald it was the FDLEs decision not to release the name and deferred the question to that agency. The FDLE did not immediately explain its reason for not naming the victim on Saturday. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Eskamani called the killing horrifying and said FDCs statement didnt provide enough details. As lawmakers, its our responsibility not just to maintain funding to [the Department of Corrections], but a quality of service to loved ones who want to be reunited with their families one day, she said. We need more information, but what we know now is that there are loved ones who will never see this person again, and that sits very heavy with me. The Herald was told that more than one inmate was hurt during a melee that involved severe blows to the face and chemical gas, but the department has not confirmed those details, nor did it directly attribute the death to the actions of its officers in its press release. The Florida Department of Corrections said its new secretary, Ricky Dixon, traveled to Dade CI to assess the situation, and that, while the investigation is currently ongoing, Secretary Dixon and agency leadership have taken administrative action. As Secretary, I will be unwavering in my support for staff who perform their jobs with respect and integrity, but I will also be unrelenting in disciplining staff who act outside of the ethical standards of our profession; they will be held accountable for their actions, up to, and including criminal prosecution. Advertisement The department included in its press release that the warden for the facility had been replaced shortly before the incident and that the new warden is conducting a holistic review of facility operations. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. President Nana Akufo-Addo, has applauded the hard work of world leaders, disability champions and care-givers helping to improve the well-being of persons with disabilities. He said despite recent gains, their work was far from done. "We still have a lot more to do to achieve equality and social justice for persons with disabilities," President Akufo-Addo stated in his address at the 2022 Global Disability Forum. The virtual Forum on the theme: "Promoting Equality: Lasting Change for Persons With Disabilities Through Joint Action," is being hosted by the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the Governments of Ghana and Norway. The first Global Disability Summit, held in London in 2018, was a pacesetter, and succeeded in mobilising action and commitments to promote disability inclusive development and the rights of persons with disabilities. President Akufo-Addo said the evidence was clear that much had been achieved since the 2018 Summit. "Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed significant inequalities within nations. Persons with disabilities and other marginalised and vulnerable groups have, in many countries, been under-served in the provision of COVID-19 related health, social protection and financial services among others. This is not acceptable," he said. "We must, necessarily, be innovative and deliberate in our efforts to meet the diverse needs of the various population groups, including persons with disabilities." The President said marginalising persons with disabilities came at a great cost to economies and societies. He noted that in 2009, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) cited the global annual GDP loss due to disability to be between 1.4 and 1.9 trillion US dollars. "The economic cost, in today's terms, will undeniably be several multiples of those figures." President Akufo-Addo said with some 82 per cent of persons with disabilities estimated to be living on less than a dollar a day, waged employment would undoubtedly help to break the cycle of poverty, bridge the inequality gap, and contribute to greater economic growth. "But it cannot just be about economics. It has to be about inclusion, equality and social justice. And, above all, it must be about our humanity. We must let our humanity manifest in our compassion and support for persons with disabilities," he said. The President said embracing disability inclusion would enhance access to a new talent pool for national development, and increase consumer markets for businesses and industry. He said persons with disabilities must be given ample opportunities to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from development interventions; adding that it made moral, ethical and economic sense to do so. The President said as the world worked to achieve the important Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mantra of "Leaving No One Behind," it had an obligation to reach those furtherest behind first; declaring that their needs must be prioritised and targeted. He said they must also be given the opportunity to engage actively in the process of defining and finding solutions to their needs. "If we fail to do so, our quest to achieve the SDGs risks being compromised." "We must tackle disability exclusion head-on, and do so with a sense of urgency as we use this Summit to renew, with vigour, our commitment to a more inclusive, just and prosperous world for current and future generations," President Akufo-Addo said. GNA The Ghana Police Service threw the Constitution to the dogs as far as its handling of #FixTheCountry Convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor is concerned, private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu. The social activist was arrested over a social media post in which he threatened to stage a coup should the controversial e-levy proposed by the government in the 2022 budget be passed. The Cambridge University PhD student made the comment after a video of an e-levy customised cake baked for Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsus 65th birthday went viral on social media. He posted on Facebook: If this E-Levy passes after this cake bullshit, I will do the coup myself. Useless Army! The police, subsequently, arrested Mr Barkr-Vormawor and issued a statement saying his post contain[ed] 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. The suspect was held in custody beyond the constitutionally stipulated 48 hours. In Mr Kpebus view, the detention of the lawyer shows a police service that didnt take their time to see exactly what they want to charge him with. Theyve been doing merry-go-round, he told Accra-based Joy FM in an interview, explaining: They started with offensive conduct and now theyve ended at treason felony. So, it just doesnt bode well for our democracy, he asserted. Mr Kpebu observed: The police has really really embarrassed us. From the way they denied him access to his lawyer, its breaching of Article 14 (2); and, further detaining him [for] more than 48 hours before going to court against the Supreme Court decision. Can you imagine? he observed. The conduct of the police, he noted, is an affront to the celebrated ruling by Chief Justice Kwesi Anin-Yeboahs predecessor. Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo; her dearest judgment that shes given the people of Ghana the 48-hour decision; you know that was her valedictory judgment. That means that as Chief Justice, when she was leaving the Bench that was the best she thought she could give Ghanaian: that people of Ghana, Im giving you a decision that will make court services available 365 days a year. That is Kpebu Number 4 versus Attorney General Number 4, Mr Kpebu pointed out. And, the police have thrown this law to the dogs. Im just imagining what CJ Akuffo will be feeling, he surmised. And not only that; current Chief Justice Kwesi Anin-Yeboah rolled out [the] implementation of the law and weve been enjoying it. Weve been going to court on Saturdays, public holidays. So, the same for Sundays. And, yet, the police has thrown this Constitution to the dogs and theyre telling us that theyre protecting the Constitution. Its a mockery. Complete mockery. And that is what we have to let the police service understand: that theyre not bigger than the Constitution, Mr Kpebu stated. Theyre breaching the Constitution willingly. We will not allow that to happen. The police are destroying the Constitution and that is what we must point out to them, he fumed. Classfmonline.com Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has wondered why there is still strong opposition to the e-levy and hinted at turning to the petroleum sector to raise more revenue should the proposed controversial levy fall through. Mr Ofori-Atta told journalists at a function in Accra on Friday, 18 February 2022 in case the levy hits a permanent snag: There are always many alternatives but really, you are looking at the future and you are looking at ways we can solve the issue of the increased revenue and everybody participating. The challenge is, for example: assuming you earn a million cedis a year and you transfer all of that through MoMo; what am I asking of you? GHS15,000. Is that what you have been fighting against? he asked. Or, if you are a student and assuming you earn GHS100,000, which is unlikely; that means what? GHS1,500. So, you then begin to ask the question: what is it that we are fighting against? And, if I have also said the first GHS100 will not be a part of it, which means GHS3,000 monthly income, he reiterated. The alternatives are many, he said, saying: You can go into petroleum, but is that really what you want? In his view, the mood of the country is different from the arithmetic in parliament and that is why I have gone around. Meanwhile, political pundit Ben Ephson has said the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is being hypocritical with its entrenched position against the passage of the e-levy. According to Mr Ephson, if the passage of the E-levy will make the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) unpopular, why would the NDC not support it and capitalise on it to win the next election. Speaking to CTV's Nana Yaw Adwenpa in an interview, Mr Ephson said: The NDC is being hypocritical, adding: If e-levy is not good and it will make people poorer, if Im an NDC strategist, I will say: Let them pass it and I will use the harsh effect to campaign against NPP to lose the elections. Are you saying you love NPP more than yourselves? Its a lie. For NDCs Bagbin to say if NPP passes e-levy, they will lose, then allow them to lose. The pollster stressed: The NDC is being hypocritical, Ive met NDC people who are enlightened and they suspect there is something in the soup. Weve got two more years to elections, they know if e-levy is passed, NPP will get money for development otherwise I dont understand their resistance, he added. The government has decided to tax all electronic transactions in the informal sector to cover the tax net. This was contained in the 2022 budget statement and economic policy that was read in the parliament of Ghana. 1.75% is the rate of the E-levy which the Government has decided to apply on all transactions. Some Ghanaians are against the levy claiming it does not serve the interest of the common people. Some economists have also asked for the proposal to be reversed, claiming that it will jeopardise the government's digitalisation efforts and plans to introduce a digital currency. The NDC has taken an entrenched position not to support the levy in any way describing it as daylight robbery. In December 2021, a brawl broke out in parliament due to the disagreement of the E-levy bill. Classfmonline.com The population of rare east African kipunji monkeys, recently thought to be on the brink of extinction, has increased by 65 percent in little over a decade thanks to efforts to protect the forests where these creatures live, in Tanzania's southern highlands. When the kipunji a medium-sized monkey with a dark face, long greyish-brown fur and a broad tuft of hair that stands erect on the top of its head was first discovered in 2003, it was the first new monkey described in Africa in more than 80 years. A census carried out four years later found its entire population was just 1,117 individuals. Their forest habitat on the slopes of Mt Rungwe, an inactive volcano that is also one of Tanzania's highest peaks, and Livingstone Forest inside the Kitulo National Park, was severely threatened by hunting and illegal timber logging and charcoal production. Years of work But following years of work with local populations a survey carried out over a number of months between 2019-2020 by research teams from the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS's) Tanzania programme discovered a huge increase in numbers. We estimate a 65 percent increase in individuals, a 59 percent increase in group numbers, and a 19 percent increase in area of occupancy, the research team wrote in a paper published in the International Journal of Primatology. The WCS and its partners have worked for a decade and a half to save the monkeys and the forests by improving protection and management of the areas, hiring and training forest rangers, supporting the livelihoods of local villagers and setting up local wildlife clubs and environment committees, among other measures. "To see all our hard work over so many years pay off in terms of kipunji numbers and forest health is incredibly satisfying," said Tim Davenport, a former director of the WCS and the lead author of the latest study. Hidden from science To collect the data, research teams from the WCS used the same methods as in the 2007 survey. They spent nearly 12 hours a day armed with binoculars, maps and GPS units walking on foot along animal trails and human tracks and scanning the tree canopy. They covered more than 1,400 kilometres to get the latest total of 1,866 individual monkeys. The survey also detected a massive decline in illegal logging and charcoal-making. In Mount Rungwe alone there was a 100 percent reduction in the use of charcoal pits, and a 98 percent reduction in timber felling. The study predicts a further doubling of the kipunji population in the next 25 years "if current habitat protection continues". The kipunji are secretive and live mostly near the crowns of trees. Although the species was known to hunters who first gave them the name kipunji they remained hidden from science until Davenport and his survey team stumbled upon a dead kipunji caught in a farmer's trap on Mount Rungwe in 2003. Initially it was thought to be a species of mangabey, another type of monkey, but DNA analysis revealed that the kipunji belonged to a genus all of its own Rungwecebus named in honour of the monkeys' volcano home. Rivers revived Colin Chapman, a primatologist and conservationist who has worked for more than 30 years in Uganda but was not involved with the kipunji study, described the WCS's long-term efforts to census the kipunji as "remarkable". "It is only by monitoring the true impact of conservation efforts on changes in population status that we can learn what approaches work and which ones do not," said Chapman, who is currently a fellow at the Wilson Centre in the US. Back in Tanzania Davenport, who has now left the WCS after 22 years of service, told RFI he had witnessed first-hand the improvements wrought by conservation in the kipunjis' highland home. "When I first climbed up Mt Rungwe in 2000, the forest was heavily degraded. There was so much logging and cutting for charcoal and there were huge gaps in the forest everywhere," he said. "Now the canopy is almost completely closed and the streams and rivers are holding a lot more water too." John Dramani Mahama, former President, has eulogised the work of the late Madam Dzifa Attivor towards the advancement of the nation's port infrastructures. Madam Attivor, a former Transport Minister during Mr Mahama's presidency, passed on late 2021 after a short illness, and the Former President, in a sobering tribute at the burial while flanked by leading members of the NDC, recounted her passionate dedication to development. People like Dzifa Attivor realised my vision and put it into practical reality. Her Ministry was active, and if I must recount the successes we achieved, we will be here till late at night. But just to mention a few, I have heard them talk about the Ho airport- that is just one. She also worked on the Wa Airport, she worked on the Kumasi Airport. We finished phase one of Kumasi Airport, we got the funding for phase two- we cut the sod before we left office. She worked on Tamale Airport, we completed phase two before we left the office. And most of all, everybody sees the magnificent Terminal Three; the new terminal at the Kotoka Airport. It was Dzifa and her team who did the footwork and brought that magnificent edifice into being. And that's not all; you heard that we expanded the Takoradi Port phase one and two. It was also the footwork of Dzifa and her team. If you go to Tema, we have the new Tema Harbour. It is three times bigger than the old harbour. Again, it was the handiwork of Dzifa Attivor and her team at the Ministry. She was ably supported by Mrs Joyce Bawa, the former President added, and said, indeed when I appointed her Minister with Joyce Bawa as her deputy, people came to me and said, 'you cannot appoint two women in one industry, and I said, 'I will do it,' and they worked as a team and they achieved a lot for us, Mr Mahama also professed to the late Minister who was also a successful entrepreneur, her efforts to meet the needs of the people of her Region, saying, Dzifa worked hard for her people. She was always on my neck to get the Road Minister to do the Juapong to Sokode road. I say to her family, to her children, that take heart. Your mother was a great woman. Even though she did not live for long, that 65 years was well lived, and she would be remembered immensely for her contribution, not only to Ghana, but also to her Region, Volta Region and to the people of Abutia, Mr Mahama also praised her work while in charge of the Party's Volta diaspora, and recounted her sacrifices along the Party activities, lamenting that a vacuum has been created. He noted Madam Attivor maintained her hard-wearing spirit till her last moments, and said she departed with an indomitable will to stay and support the Party regain power. Even though she is gone, I know that her spirit will be with us in 2024. And now that she is in heaven, she will have a direct contact with God and intercede on behalf of the NDC to be victorious in 2024, Mr Mahama said. Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, National Chairman of the NDC, announced a donation from various MPs, Party Executives, former appointees, and regional Party offices totaling GH100,000 Mr Ernest Appau District Chief Executive of Ho West presented an amount of GH10,000 on behalf of the Government, and praised Madam Attivor's endless resolve to support the development of her community and the district. The Volta Development Forum (VDF), lead advocate for the Region, of which she was a founding member and executive, remembered her relentless mobilisation of natives for development. Dr Prince Kofi Kludjesen, Executive President of the Forum, said she had a rare passion and interest for the development of the Volta Region. She stood for the Region and has paid her citizenship dues to VDF and the Region. He announced that the VDF would lead efforts to have the Ho Airport named after her, to honor her work in developing aviation in the region and the country at large. Rev. Dr Lt Colonel (Rtd) Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko, Moderator of the General Assembly of the E. P. Church, Ghana, led the final burial rites of the late Attivor, who was interred in the compound of a police station and post office building she had put up for the Abutia community. GNA Introduction Illegal trade of wildlife at the global scale is evaluated at a value of billions of dollars involving hundreds of millions of specimens annually(Shepherd et al., 2017). Ingram et al., (2018) highlighted that the major dilemma causing species decline and local extinction is overexploitation. Also, several research have kept track of wildlife hunting and markets at local scales. According to Nijman et al., (2016) , myriad reports have discussed legal and illegal trade of wildlife especially Pangolins. Pangolins are remarkable species. They are classified as the genuinely scaly mammals globally. Evolutionally, they are different. This is as a result of their distinct morphological and ecological adaptation over millions of years(Pietersen & Challender, 2019). Choo et al., (2020) have also stated that Pangolins are not only classified under endangered species but a candidate of most trafficked mammals on the global scale. According to Hua et al., (2015), Pangolins are seen to have extremely economic values; medicine and source of food. Due to their economic importance, massive poaching has drastically decline wild population of Pangolins (Hua et al., 2015). It is in this regard that the IUCN declared pangolins as endangered species(Nash et al., 2016). Conservation delineate management of human use of natural resources (biodiversity) to provide maximum benefit for current generation without compromising the potential benefits for posterity(Heinrich et al., 2016). This and many have raised the concerns by many groups, countries and International organizations to conserve the most threatened only scaly wildlife species. This paper recognizes various countries conserving Pangolins, the most heavily trafficked wild mammal in the world" (Challender et al., 2014). Some Examples of Countries Conserving Pangolins Crimes related to illegal trade of Pangolins in Zimbabwe has proliferated yet meticulous monitoring of the trade and strict regulations have resulted a positive conservation results. During the 12 years interval between years 2000 and 2012, Zimbabwe recorded low cases in Pangolin-related crimes(Shepherd et al., 2017). Newton et al., (2008) featured certain recommendations especially the use of local hunters knowledge to help conserve elusive species including Pangolin in Vietnam. In South Asia, there are efforts to conserve native Pangolins. Singapore have cooperated with the public to return any future poached Pangolins back to reserves to help in the management of Pangolins population in Singapore. This was instituted using National Parks and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (Pantel & Chin, 2009). For decades, Pangolins have suffered murder as a result of black-market trade in China. Congratulations to millions of dedicated environmental groups such as Nature Conservancy which highlighted in its vision to conserve nature to benefits this present generations and maintaining its ability to provide for posterity. Pangolins are known as the guardians of the forest because they protect forests from termite destruction, maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Public efforts to prevent poaching of pangolins in China are gaining traction, such as this PSA featuring Jackie Chan, produced through a partnership between Wild Aid and The Nature Conservancy ( www.nature.org ). Accessed on 19/02/2021. Nandankanan Zoological Park (NKZP) is one of the premier large zoos in India and contribute to conservation of Indian Pangolin through an augmented understanding of its behavior, nutrition, reproduction and health care(Mohapatra & Panda, 2014). Conclusion All eight species of Pangolins are threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) SSC pangolin specialist group. African Pangolin species are classified as vulnerable(Heinrich et al., 2016). Enforcements efforts have been outlined by nations, international organizations and other conservation groups to help deliver a relevant deterrent to illegal Pangolin trade, thus, ensuring the conservation of Pangolin globally. References Choo, S. W., Zhou, J., Tian, X., Zhang, S., Qiang, S., OBrien, S. J., Tan, K. Y., Platto, S., Koepfli, K. P., Antunes, A., & Sitam, F. T. (2020). Are pangolins scapegoats of the COVID-19 outbreak-CoV transmission and pathology evidence? Conservation Letters, 13(6), 112. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12754 Challender, D. W. S., Waterman, C., & Baillie, J. E. M. (2014). Scaling up pangolin conservation. IUCN SSC pangolin specialist group conservation action plan. In Zoological Society of London. Heinrich, S., Wittmann, T. A., Prowse, T. A. A., Ross, J. V., Delean, S., Shepherd, C. R., & Cassey, P. (2016). Where did all the pangolins go? International CITES trade in pangolin species. Global Ecology and Conservation, 8, 241253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2016.09.007 Hua, L., Gong, S., Wang, F., Li, W., Ge, Y., Li, X., & Hou, F. (2015). Captive breeding of pangolins: Current status, problems and future prospects. ZooKeys, 2015(507), 99114. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.507.6970 Ingram, D. J., Coad, L., Abernethy, K. A., Maisels, F., Stokes, E. J., Bobo, K. S., Breuer, T., Gandiwa, E., Ghiurghi, A., Greengrass, E., Holmern, T., Kamgaing, T. O. W., Ndong Obiang, A. M., Poulsen, J. R., Schleicher, J., Nielsen, M. R., Solly, H., Vath, C. L., Waltert, M., Scharlemann, J. P. W. (2018). Assessing Africa-Wide Pangolin Exploitation by Scaling Local Data. Conservation Letters, 11(2), 19. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12389 Mohapatra, R. K., & Panda, S. (2014). Mohapatra_Panda_2014_Husbandry, Behaviour and Conservation Breeding of Indian pangolin. 63(2), 7380. Nash, H. C., Wong, M. H. G., & Turvey, S. T. (2016). Using local ecological knowledge to determine status and threats of the Critically Endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) in Hainan, China. Biological Conservation, 196, 189195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.02.025 Newton, P., Van Thai, N., Roberton, S., & Bell, D. (2008). Pangolins in peril: Using local hunters knowledge to conserve elusive species in Vietnam. Endangered Species Research, 6(1), 4153. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00127 Nijman, V., Zhang, M. X., & Shepherd, C. R. (2016). Pangolin trade in the Mong La wildlife market and the role of Myanmar in the smuggling of pangolins into China. Global Ecology and Conservation, 5, 118126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2015.12.003 Pantel, S., & Chin, S. Y. (2009). Proceedings of the workshop on trade and conservation of pangolins native to South and Southeast Asia. In Proceedings ofthe Workshop on Trade and Conservation of Pangolins Native to South and Southeast Asia, 30 June-2 July 2008, Singapore Zoo, Singapore. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia (Vol. 30, Issue July). Pietersen, D. W., & Challender, D. W. S. (2019). Research needs for pangolins. In Pangolins: Science, Society and Conservation (Issue 2). INC. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815507-3.00034-4 Shepherd, C. R., Connelly, E., Hywood, L., & Cassey, P. (2017). Taking a stand against illegal wildlife trade: The Zimbabwean approach to pangolin conservation. Oryx, 51(2), 280285. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605316000119 www.nature.org . Accessed on 19/02/2021. Alhaji Umar Babs Bodinga , Municipal Chief Executive of Abuakwa North and Chairman of the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC), has led the security agencies in the Municipality to flush out nomadic herdsmen in the Municipality today Saturday 19th February 2022. After a peaceful deliberations with the herdsmen by the Municipal Chief Executive led MUSEC, comprising The Ghana Police Service, the National Intelligence Bureau, the National Disaster Management Organization and Sub Committee Chairman on Security and Justice, it was mutually agreed that, they (herdsmen) will vacate the Municipality by close of Sunday 20th February, 2022 and are also liable for any damages done to any farm produce whenever assessment reports are made available to them. The nomadic herdsmen being led by Chief Issaka Hamid, thanked the MUSEC for the peaceful manner of handling the situation and debunked any false claims made on other media outlets that suggested that they (herdsmen) were brutally treated by the MUSEC during their earlier operations. Hon. Alhaji Umar Babs Bodinga in an interview with Nana Kwasi Asare assured the Municipality, especially the farmers that, the Municipal Security Council is in charge and will continue to protect and defend the peaceful atmosphere of the Municipality. He further sent a strong word of caution to other nomadic herdsmen who may have intended to invade the Municipality to rescind their decision as MUSEC will not allow that to happen and admonished all herdsmen to confine their cattle. The MCE called on all to be vigilant and report any such situations to the assembly for prompt action. It could be recalled that, about 500 farmers in the Abuakwa North Municipality protested against invasion of nomadic herdsmen and their over 50,000 cattle on their land, destroying their farms. The Municipal Security Council of Abuakwa North acted promptly and drove away the herdsmen but later realised that they have returned. Upon further checks, the herdsmen pleaded with the Municipal Security Council to grant them two(2) days to prepare and vacate the Municipality of which expired hence the current operations to flush them out according to Hon Alhaji Umar Babs Bodinga. Meanwhile, the Eastern Regional Minister also the chairman of the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Hon. Seth Kwame Acheampong, issued a stern caution to all cattle owners to confine their herds or face the full wrath of the laws of the country. "Win-win" security and economic deals were reached during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "historic" official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the African country's leader said on Sunday. President Felix Tshisekedi met with his counterpart, who was backed by a delegation of Turkish government members and businessmen, in the capital Kinshasa for a two-day visit. He said the DRC and Turkey reached "win-win" cooperation agreements on security, infrastructure, health and transport, hailing a "historic day" for relations between the nations after speaking with Erdogan. Tshisekedi added that the DRC requested Turkish assistance in the long-running fight against militias in the conflict-torn east of the country. Erdogan's African tour, from February 20 to 23, will move on to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau after his DRC trip. It follows bilateral meetings held between the two heads of state last year. In September, Tshisekedi paid an official visit to Ankara on the theme of economic cooperation and travelled to Istanbul in December where he took part in a Turkey-Africa summit. Relations between Ankara and Kinshasa have been good for several years and the volume of Turkish investments in the DRC continues to grow. Bilateral trade between the two amounts to about $40 million, but Turkey is seeking to strengthen its presence in Africa. Since 2003, the volume of its trade with the continent has increased from $2 billion to at least $25 billion. Erdogan has visited Africa nearly 40 times since 2005, as prime minister and president, since when Turkey has opened some 40 embassies on the continent. Turkey's influence covers the realm of defence with Ankara inaugurating its first African military base in 2017 in Somalia. The DRC faces insecurity in its eastern region due to the presence of dozens of armed groups that regularly threaten civilians. Military operations are underway against these groups, which include the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Islamic State's branch in Central Africa blamed for thousands of killings in the eastern DRC. MISSOULA, Mont. - As the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival kicks off this weekend, it will feature about 150 non-fiction films from all over the world, including one with a special Montana tie. Return to the Big Skies: Miss Montana to Normandy is about dozens of people coming together in Missoula to restore a 75-year-old World War II plane and get it to fly to Normandy in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Except it's so much more than that. "If you think it's about aviation, it's not," Bryan Douglass, a pilot and organizer of the project, said. "It's full of airplanes, but it's not about aviation. If you think it's about history, it's not. It's full of history, but it's not about history. It really is about the triumph of the human spirit and what just average people in Missoula, Montana were able to pull off." Local filmmaker Eric Ristau began shooting video after learning about the restoration project. It started form an interest in World War II and aviation, but then became more about the stories of volunteers and the race against the clock to get it flight ready for Europe in just a matter of months. "I hope audiences take away the idea that with hard work, passion and dedication, people can pull anything off," Ristau said. "Many people said this was an impossible feat, yet people did it, and made it happen. The Montana spirit, Montana work ethic and grassroots effort really paid off. " Looking ahead, volunteers are maintaining the plane with plans for it to continue to fly and be an active part of the Missoula community. It's currently on display at the Museum of Mountain Flying. The documentary will have one of its first big screenings during the festival at the iconic Wilma. The showing is Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Limited seats are available so people are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. The documentary will then be available online for virtual screenings next week. To buy tickets for Return to the Big Skies: Miss Montana to Normandy, click here. Both in-person and virtual screenings information available. To buy tickets for other in-person and virtual screenings, click here. To view the schedule, click here. For more information on how to fest, click here. To visit the festival's website, click here. An official within the Montana University System recently outlined efforts being made to provide more health care workers as the need for more help in such occupations increases. Brock Tessman, deputy commissioner of academic, research and student affairs, told members of Hometown Helena, a grassroots group of residents, business people and civic leaders in the Queen City, that his agency continues to work through a tough puzzle of health workforce education. This includes developing new forms of collaboration and joining other institutions to produce credentialed nurses in other parts of the state among 16 campuses. The Montana University System oversees public colleges and universities in the state. Health care is quickly becoming the largest area of study and workforce development effort, he said last week, adding that 500 nurses graduate every year in the Montana University System. Tessman said 80% of those nurses are still practicing in Montana one year after graduation. We really like to emphasize the connection between local education and local work, that is what we do, he said. Tessman said there are well over 1,000 Montana graduates every year in broader health fields. It could not be more needed right now, he said, adding that many experienced health care professionals are retiring. He said some are retiring early and leaving the workforce because of stress. He noted that while the wage structure by Montana standards is reasonable, it is often seen as not satisfactory to address the work-level stress and skills needed. Tessman said there is a declining supply in the existing workforce, and there is more demand not just for nurses, but in allied health professions, such as mental health. Its a top priority for the Montana University System, he said. He said there are two new medical schools coming to Montana. Touro in Great Falls plans to graduate 125 osteopathic physicians a year. The other is Rocky Vista University in Billings, which plans to have 100 graduates a year. He said this is good news for both cities in terms of economic impact. But he said there is some concern for Montanas capacity to provide the right kind of clinical and practical opportunities for students as they learn. He said the Montana University System is looking to increase local partnerships in the area of behavioral health. It is also looking at which students from all areas of the state can receive core instruction and then do hands-on learning in their community. Tessman noted two large financial contributions made in Montana to help with nursing programs. One was a $7 million donation by former Halliburton CEO Dave Lesar and his wife, Sherry, to the nursing program at Montana Tech, and the other was $101 million by Mark and Robyn Jones to Montana State University for the construction of new, larger, state-of-the-art educational facilities on the campuses of its college of nursing in Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell and Missoula. Both donations were made in 2021. Woburn, MA (01801) Today Cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 46F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 46F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. A Palm Beach County woman used a knife and a meat cleaver to kill her husband, stabbing him 140 times, police say. Melvin Weller, 62, was discovered in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of their home on the 4400 block of Anna Lane in Palm Springs, according to court records. Advertisement Facing a charge of first-degree murder is his wife Joan Burke, 61, who appeared in court for the first time Sunday for the killing, which was discovered Feb. 11. The body was found by Ricardo Anthony Green, her son and his stepson, when he got home from work. Advertisement Green called 911 and police arrived to find Weller, already dead, with more than 140 stab wounds, as well as a skull fracture from a meat cleaver, court records show. Burke had cuts on her hands, which police say in their report was likely caused by a knife slipping and cutting herself as she allegedly stabbed Weller. When officers searched the home, they found Burke, conscious and alert, but she didnt speak to them, they wrote in a report. Investigators said they believe a violent struggle occurred, based on the blood stain locations and patterns on nearby kitchen cabinets and walls. Wellers family told investigators that he had a physical disability, which made it difficult for him to walk and affected his grip strength, according to court records. Burke, who is represented by the Palm Beach County Public Defenders Office, is due back in court March 21. The couple had been going through a divorce, court records show. A dissolution-of-marriage case was filed by Weller against Burke in December of 2021, but those records are not public and the case is still open. Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat. 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 Oak Hill, WV (25901) Today Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low around 60F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low around 60F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. February 20, 2022 The MoA Week In Review - OT 2022-015 > What Biden and Blinken fail to understand is that Russia is in total control of the narrative and timeline of the current crisis. < --- Other issues: New scientific review punctures myth of missile defense - Responsible Statecraft Ikeas Race for the Last of Europes Old-Growth Forest - The New Republic The furniture giant is hungry for Romanias famed trees. Little stands in its way. When The Levee Breaks (video) feat. John Paul Jones | Playing For Change | Song Around The World Use as open thread ... Posted by b on February 20, 2022 at 14:46 UTC | Permalink Comments next page February 20, 2022 Ukraine - Who Is Firing At Whom And Who Is Lying About It? The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has an observer mission along the line of control between the government and rebel side in south east Ukraine. It reports that on Friday the number of ceasefire violations around the rebellious Donbas region of Ukraine had again nearly doubled: In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 591 ceasefire violations, including 553 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 222 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 975 ceasefire violations, including 860 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 648 ceasefire violations in the region. bigger The ever lying New York Times claims that it is only the Donbas rebel side that is firing artillery: Artillery fire escalated sharply in eastern Ukraine on Saturday and thousands of residents fled the region in chaotic evacuations two developments rife with opportunities for what the United States has warned could be a pretext for a Russian invasion. Russian-backed separatists, who have been fighting the Ukrainian government for years, have asserted, without evidence, that Ukraine was planning a large-scale attack on territory they control. ... At the same time, the firing of mortars, artillery and rocket-propelled grenades by separatist rebels along the front line roughly doubled the level of the previous two days, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five wounded, the military said. Ukrainian officials said the shelling came exclusively from the separatists, who are seen as a proxy for Russia. New York Times reporters at the scene witnessed shelling from separatists and saw no return fire from the Ukrainian forces, although residents in the separatist regions said there was shelling from both sides. The OSCE observer mission helpfully provides maps in its daily reports that show the impact points of artillery attacks. Yesterday a large majority of those were within the rebel controlled areas. Here is a cutout from the OSCE map below. bigger The Times claims: Intense artillery barrages targeted a pocket of government-controlled territory around the town of Svitlodarsk, a spot that has worried security analysts for weeks for its proximity to dangerous industrial infrastructure, including storage tanks for poisonous gas. The concentration of impacts on the left of the above picture is a bit south-east of Svitlodarsk. Artillery rounds landed on both sides of the line of control but the vast majority of them exploded on the Donbas side. The same can be said for the impacts north-east of Luhansk. On Thursday both of these areas were also the aim of artillery concentrations. These are likely crossing points through which the Ukraine military plans to direct its upcoming attack. The full map of Friday's impacts: bigger This is an information war in with the Russian side is mostly trolling the U.S. side while the Biden administration and its associated media like the NYT are lying through their teeth. Today's Washington Post has European officials complaining that the Biden administration has presented them with no evidence for all the claims it has made: However, some European allies questioned the United States conviction that the Kremlin will launch hostilities, saying that they have not seen direct evidence suggesting Putin has committed to such a course of action. One European official told The Washington Post in Munich that we have no clear evidence ourselves that Putin has made up his mind and we have not seen anything that would suggest otherwise. Another said that although the situation is grave, at this stage we do not have such clear intelligence that Putin has decided to invade. The officials said they have been told little about the sources and methods the United States used to arrive at its conclusions, limiting their capacity to make independent decisions about how much weight to give statements from Biden that Putin has made a decision to attack. Its always the raw material that they do not share, said one senior NATO diplomat who has had extensive conversations with top American policymakers in Brussels. These Europeans have their own satellites and military intelligence analysts. They also talk to each other. They obviously do not see what the U.S., without presenting evidence, claims to be seeing. While the OSCE observer mission is not completely neutral it is at least professional in its work. It also helps that the U.S. and Britain have retracted their people from the OSCE mission and have less abilities to fudge the results. They were replaced by officers from other European countries. The OSCE observer mission reports can be found among its press releases. The daily updates are here and the longer term Trends and Observations reports are here. When in doubt of what is happening take a look at them. Posted by b on February 20, 2022 at 14:35 UTC | Permalink Comments LONDON Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that the famously stoic 95-year-old monarch plans to carry on working. The palace said the queen would continue with light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week. Advertisement She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines, the palace said in a statement. People in the U.K. who test positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for at least five days, although the British government says it plans to lift that requirement for England this week. Advertisement The queen has received three doses of coronavirus vaccine. Both her eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall both contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor Castle, where the queen is staying. Queen Elizabeth II speaks during an audience at Windsor Castle where she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries, Wednesday Feb. 16, 2022. Buckingham Palace said Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and will continue with duties. (Steve Parsons/AP) Senior British politicians sent get-well messages. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health. Health Secretary Sajid Javid wrote that he was Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery, while opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer wished the queen good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Maam. Britains longest-reigning monarch, the queen reached the milestone of 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6, the anniversary of the death in 1952 of her father King George VI. A fixture in the life of the nation, Elizabeth has been in robust health for most of her reign and has been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year she has been seen using a walking stick, and in October she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests. The queens doctors ordered her to rest after that and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November. This month she returned to public duties and has held audiences both virtually and in person with diplomats, politicians and senior military officers. During one exchange caught on camera last week, she walked slowly with a stick and said as you can see I cant move in apparent reference to her leg. Advertisement Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said members of the royal family would be concerned by the COVID-19 diagnosis, given the queens age. She turns 96 on April 21. In the coming days a very close eye will be kept on her and the indications are that, all being well, its nothing more than a minor inconvenience, he said. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > The queen has a busy schedule over the next few months of her Platinum Jubilee year, and is scheduled to attend in-person public engagements in the coming weeks, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor on March 2 and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14. On March 29, she has a remembrance service at Westminster Abbey for her husband Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99. Public celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee are scheduled for June, with festivities including a military parade, a day of horse-racing and neighborhood parties over a June 2-5 long weekend. The queen is the latest monarch from around the world to catch COVID-19. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, and Spains King Felipe VI, 54, both tested positive for the illness earlier in February and had mild symptoms. Advertisement Her diagnosis comes after a difficult week for Britains royal family. On Tuesday the queens second son, Prince Andrew, settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed he had sexually abused with her when she was 17 and traveling with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew strenuously denied the claim by Virginia Giuffre. He agreed in a settlement to make a substantial donation to his accusers charity. On Wednesday, Londons Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into allegations that people associated with one of Prince Charles charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure honors and citizenship in return for donations. 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 Protesters against the coronavirus disease restrictions and vaccine mandates gather as they camp in front of Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, Feb. 14, 2022. Black History Month has begun. Now queue the out-of-context Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes from complacent corporations and products rebranded with Kente. Congrats! Youve posted your commemorative Black History Month post. Now what? The origin of Black History Month stems from the Association for the Study of Negro Life and Culture and its founder historian Carter G. Woodsons creation of Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., in February 1926. This week sought to preserve, record and enlighten schoolchildren of Black history missing from American history and textbooks, especially during the Harlem Renaissance period. Advertisement Keyna Harris is the director of health services at the LGBT+ Center Orlando and an All Black Lives Fund steering committee member. - Original Credit: Courtesy photo (Courtesy photo) By documenting and disseminating Black history, not solely through a negative lens, Woodson sought to show the important roles Black people played in creating America and therefore prove they deserved to be treated equally as citizens. In 1976, Black United students and Black educators at Kent State University expanded on this idea to create what we recognize today as Black History Month. To me, Black History Month is a time to celebrate the triumphs Black Americans have achieved throughout history and draw attention to the tribulations they have suffered to create reformative change. I see this designated period as a time to focus our efforts on creating an equitable society, much as Woodson had envisioned. Advertisement However, instead of seeing these messages reflected and initiatives sprouting, I find social media posts dedicated to Black History Month promoting products branded via cultural appropriation. So often it feels like companies feel obligated to meet some diversity quota for optics. The intentions of these organizations are questionable at best, insidious at worst. Id like to clarify the difference between organizations directly pledging funds to Black communities or uplifting Black creatives and leaders to spearhead campaigns and organizations generating revenue from products marketed to profit off Black culture. Any organization making money while visibly participating in Black History Month needs to reinvest those funds. To truly celebrate Black History month, efforts need to support Black communities. The concept of reinvesting and reallocating money does not just apply to businesses; it also applies to us. What are we doing to support our local Black communities during this month other than posting a photo of Rep. John Lewis? May he rest in peace. Are we actively spending our dollars at Black-owned businesses? Do our charities of choice provide mutual aid funds, build capacity to uplift Black leaders, or create transformative programming? There are already organizations doing the work that can benefit directly from our contributions, whether time or money. Im not asking us to reinvent the wheel but to grease the gears that are already turning. In Orlando, the Contigo Fund has worked alongside local Black LGBTQ+ leaders to launch the All Black Lives Fund, which was created in response to the alarming number of murders of Black transgender individuals and the recent racial injustice uprisings. This fund supports Black LGBTQ+ led efforts to build visibility and power, promote safety, and amplify the demands of the communities significantly impacted by anti-Black racism and gender discrimination. This year I was granted the opportunity to sit on the All Black Lives Fund steering committee to ensure funds went to grassroots organizations committed to creating change. I was concerned to learn about the disparities in funding sources. The overall lack of funding provided to Black communities and LGBTQ+ communities of color is detrimental to the reformative change we desperately need. In 2018, foundations awarded $120 billion to grantees; however, based on data from Candid and Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, only 6% of all foundation funds in the year 2018 was towards racial equity funding, 0.7% to racial justice funding, and a measly 0.28% goes to LGBTQ+ communities. This shows that those at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Black are often underfunded and left behind by philanthropy. Local organizers however are committed to not making the same mistakes as traditional philanthropy. Feb. 17 was designated as All Black Lives Day in the City of Orlando, meant to celebrate those of us at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Black. This day was fought and paid for by the sacrifice of Black trans women and queer Black leaders who gave their lives for our movement and community. I ask that today, before we reach for our phone to make that last Black History Month post, we be intentional and reach for our wallet to redistribute that wealth instead. Keyna Harris is the director of health services at the LGBT+ Center Orlando and an All Black Lives Fund steering committee member. Friends of the Mariana Trench: We support 'No' to 57% but say 'Yes' to research & education State Rep. Heather Ammons Crawford announced a campaign for a fifth term Friday evening in a politico-heavy fundraiser at Freewoods Farm. Gathering in an airy barn on the property, dozens of Horry County residents schmoozed and helped themselves to southern barbecue as Crawford was endorsed by an all-star Republican lineup, including Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas. We could not have a better representative in any part of this state than we do with Heather, McMaster said, introducing Crawford. As a member of the Horry County delegation, which represents the fastest growing region of the state and one of its key tourist destinations, Crawford wields unique influence in the General Assembly. She serves on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and is also an important ally to the governor, who is asking for a cumulative $350 million from Myrtle Beach-area localities to build an interstate that would connect the region to I-95. Speaking at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce in October, McMaster said the proposal, known as I-73, would facilitate tourism, diversify industry and provide an additional evacuation route during natural disasters. Many have deemed current roadways a safety hazard after traffic pileups during Hurricane Florence obstructed outgoing residents and incoming aid. In her speech, Crawford thanked McMaster for helping to further flood mitigation and disaster response by establishing the S.C. Floodwater Commission in 2019 via executive order, which produced a report that has informed ongoing policy efforts. This issue is huge for our area, she said. We have done the research, we have done the reports. Out of the Floodwater Commission was born the South Carolina Office of Resilience and many other proposals and flood mitigation projects that we are doing now. In an interview at Fridays event, state Rep. Case Brittain, R-Myrtle Beach, said he admired Crawfords focus on improving Hurricane preparation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate We remember what many presidents said in office. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Ask not what your country can do for you ... Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! Not so well known is what they said on their way out. Literally. Their final sentences as they made the transition from the chief executive to the dearly departed. This Presidents Day, its worth revisiting the last words of several presidents. Some parting phrases were inspiring, some were sad, and some were, well, just plain ordinary. George Washington enjoyed only two years of post-presidential retirement at his beloved Mount Vernon estate. He became sick in the closing days of 1799 and, with wife Martha seated at the foot of his bed as preparations for his funeral were discussed, he whispered, Tis well, and was gone. President John Adams, had ironic last words. He and the man who followed him, Thomas Jefferson, were bitter rivals. But they patched things up after their White House days and even became friends. At age 90, Adams passed away at 6:20 p.m. July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. His final comment: Thomas Jefferson survives. He had no way of knowing Jefferson had died in Virginia that same morning. President five also had a predecessor on his mind when he passed away. James Monroe said, I regret that I should leave this world without again beholding him. He meant his best friend, James Madison. William McKinley was shot by an assassin. He knew his time had come in 1901 when he said, Goodbye, all, goodbye. Its Gods way. His will be done. James Garfield was also shot. He struggled with the injury and subsequent infection for 79 agonizing days before finally asking his doctor, Swaim, cant you stop the pain? Benjamin Harrisons parting words were about his late wife: I know I am going where Lucy is. A touching tribute to true love came in the last words of James Knox Polk, spoken to his wife. I love you, Sarah. For all eternity, I love you. For sheer mundaneness, its hard to beat the utterly mundane Millard Fillmore, commenting on some soup he had just been fed. The nourishment is palatable. (Not exactly the line youd like chiseled on your marble monument.) Silent Cal Coolidge called, Good morning, Robert to a carpenter working at his house just before having a heart attack. In fact, a surprising number of presidential last words came from commanders in chief who didnt know their demise was imminent. The man who gave the world the Gettysburg Addresss moving prose had a ho-hum last line. As everyone knows, Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching a play at Fords Theatre in Washington. When he took his wifes hand, she playfully asked what the young lady sitting in their box would think of his breach of Victorian etiquette. She wont think a thing of it, he spoke for the last time. Likewise, John F. Kennedy answered a question with his last words. As his motorcade passed through cheering crowds, the wife of Texas Gov. John Connally said, You certainly cant say that the people of Dallas havent given you a nice welcome, Mr. President. JFK replied with a smile, You certainly cant. The man who held the office longer than any other, Franklin Roosevelt, was sitting for a portrait when he suddenly complained, I have a terrific headache, and slumped over from a cerebral hemorrhage. Those who made it to old age sometimes endured ill health at the end. Dwight Eisenhower, who had suffered a massive heart attack while president, was ready. I want to go. God take me, he said. Lyndon Johnson, another heart attack survivor, felt pains one afternoon at his Texas ranch. Send Mike immediately, he cried. But by the time his Secret Service agent arrived, LBJ was gone. The two Andrews from Tennessee, Jackson and Johnson, both left urging their children to be good. We dont know the final words of seven presidents. They either were not recorded or the family chose not to share them. But those that were written down reveal how at that most personal of moments, the men who led our nation were just like the rest of us. Totally human. Theodore Roosevelt had the most succinct last line of all. Teddy was turning in for the night on Jan. 5, 1919, when he told his servant, Please put out the light. He died in his sleep from a blood clot a few hours later. 15-week abortion ban is unfair, unsafe Everyone deserves the freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies, lives, and healthcare; it is a human right. The state of Florida should protect our freedoms, not place restrictions on them. Two bills currently being fast-tracked through the Florida Legislature, Senate Bill 146 and House Bill 5, would do just that (Florida poised to ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, Feb. 18). If passed and signed into law, the 15-week abortion ban created by these bills will impose unconstitutional restrictions on safe, legal abortion. Advertisement The 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade recognized the constitutional right of women to make their own medical decisions. The Florida Legislature should not be infringing on an established right, particularly one that impacts womens health, livelihoods, families, and futures. The women most harmed will be those with the least. Women with resources will be able to travel to other states to get the care they need. North Carolina will likely be the closest state in which abortion after 15 weeks would be legal. Advertisement Abortion after 15 weeks will not go away if this bill passes. Access to safe and legal abortion will. If the goal is to decrease the number of abortions, the safe way to do that is by ensuring our students receive medically accurate sex education. It is also important to make birth control easily accessible. Lets give them the tools and information they need to make decisions, rather than having the government decide for us all. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > Sue Gilman and Barbara Lanning The authors are co-presidents of the League of Women Voters Orange County. Dont politicize school funding Im fed up with the continued politicization and pandering of our so-called government representatives. What is wrong with Rep. Randy Fine? If the proposed school budget cuts for those districts that enforced mask mandates are not punitive, as Fine says, then its a page out of Vladimir Putins playbook control those that hold different views through fear, threats and intimidation. Cutting $16.5 million from Orange County Public Schools funding will mean fewer musical instruments, teaching tools and experiences for our children. What did our children do to deserve this punishment? Kurt Kotzin Orlando Todays Florida GOP lacks compassion It is deeply disturbing to read the latest string of stories on the Florida Republican Party, led by Ron DeSantis and Randy Fine, and their efforts to impose their will on the people of our state. From siding with rapists over women victims and their right to abort, to attacking priests for standing up for legal immigrants in Miami, to ripping away millions in school aid from little children over a mask, to intentionally disenfranchising Black voters in a redistricting proposal, and not using the funds to help working people pay their rent (with the money already sitting there in the Treasury), the modern Republicans bear no resemblance to the American conservative tradition. People should know that it wasnt always this way, and that at one point compassion was a part of a principled conservative point of view. These Republicans arent conservative, they are just cruel. Collin Braynard Maitland Are you one of 9 million Americans who own a timeshare? If travel restrictions, airline disruptions, or uneasiness around traveling are preventing you from using your timeshare, you might feel like you're throwing your money away. If you want to make the most of your timeshare under the current circumstances, here are five expert tips. Even though timeshare owners are historically the first to return to vacationing after travel disruptions, they aren't immune to pandemic-related challenges. According to the timeshare industry group American Resort Development Association, timeshare owners live an average of 1,000 miles from their home resort. In a pre-pandemic world, that most likely meant a plane ride to their timeshare, but only 37% of Americans are comfortable flying right now, according to Morning Consult. Timeshare ownership can be boiled down to pre-paying for your vacation accommodations. So when you don't use it, you're essentially wasting money. Here are five pieces of advice on what you can do if you're not planning on traveling to your timeshare in 2022. "Just like the timeshare resale market, a huge secret not shared with the vast majority of owners is the option to rent their timeshare out to other travelers," says Brian Rodgers, who runs Timeshare User Group, the oldest and largest timeshare owners group and advocacy organization. "For those who haven't used their timeshare in ages and don't want to pay for a membership to a timeshare exchange company to deposit to their week, renting it out is an outstanding alternative to cover some or all of your annual maintenance fees," he continued. If you know that you're not going to use your timeshare this year, list your week for rent with your home resort or one of the more popular and trusted timeshare rental sites like Timeshare Users Group, Redweek, or Koala. Timeshare User Group offers a comprehensive, free guide on the ins and outs of successfully renting out your timeshare for first-time renters. Whether you need to cancel your vacation or your renter does, there are still ways to get value for your week, even at the last minute. There are more vehicles than ever to get another renter, and the largest timeshare exchange company, RCI, allows you to deposit your week as late as 24 hours before your check-in date. Even at this late hour, you'll receive some credit for it to apply to a future vacation. That's why it is important to join the timeshare exchange company affiliated with your home resort when you make travel plans so that it's all set up and in place if you need to change your vacation plans at the last minute. In the world of pandemic travel, joining a timeshare exchange company acts as another form of travel insurance for timeshare owners. For a small annual fee of $100 or less, this membership allows you to save your already paid for vacation week in their system and exchange it for another one at thousands of resorts in their network up to two years from your deposit. If you're not comfortable flying and want to plan your vacation at a resort closer to home, a timeshare exchange company like RCI, Interval International, 7Across, Trading Places, Platinum Interchange, and RTX facilitates those swaps for timeshare owners. Free tutorials about RCI, Interval International-specific Facebook groups, or Timeshare User Group's discussion boards can speed up your learning curve if you've never used a timeshare exchange company before. You can learn about timeshare exchange companies from other timeshare owners who have used these systems for years or even decades. If you rented your owned week out, there are still ways to leverage your timeshare ownership for affordable vacations, especially if you decide to travel at the last minute. Ask your home resort about space available programs and make the most of your exchange company membership by booking their last-minute vacancy deals. You can secure a resort room for as low as $300 a week with no need to use your deposit credits. If your pre-paid timeshare vacation is going unused and you're spending money on other vacation accommodations, it's like you're double spending on travel. A timeshare exchange membership opens up many destinations and resort options in America and globally. RCI has 4,200 affiliated resorts in over 110 countries, and Interval International's network consists of more than 3,200 resorts in over 80 nations. With most timeshare resorts outside of urban destinations, timesharing remains a match for the millions of Americans who are still favoring nature destinations with outdoor, social-distance friendly activities. For example, members can visit 70% of America's National Parks by exchanging their timeshare with RCI. There are 277 RCI affiliated resorts near 44 U.S. National Parks such as Shenandoah National Park, Florida Everglades, and America's most visited National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains. Timeshare resorts are found in top U.S. urban vacation destinations like Nashville, New York City, New Orleans, Waikiki, Las Vegas, San Fransico, and Austin. If you're looking to plan an international trip for future travel, timeshare exchanges can also take to you around the world, like Banff National Park in Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and even to the European filming locations of Outlander and Harry Potter. With 3 out of every 10 Americans having difficulty covering their usual expenses, timeshare blues may have turned into financial hardship during the pandemic. In that case, there are proven ways to end your timeshare ownership yourself without paying high fees. "Consumers should exercise extreme caution when doing business with third-party companies who guarantee they can get you out of your timeshare because their promises are often too good to be true," said Robert Clements, vice president of regulatory affairs at ARDA-ROC, the legislative arm of timeshare industry group ARDA. "It's best to avoid these timeshare exit companies,' which require large upfront fees and most likely will not be able to deliver on their promise of getting owners out of their timeshare. Instead, always go to your timeshare developer, resort management company, or homeowners' association first to discuss what kind of programs they have in place for owners who want to exit," he continued. If your timeshare has a low resale value, turning it back to your home resort is often the cheapest and fastest way to end your ownership. If your timeshare resort doesn't have deedback programs, you can easily list a paid-off timeshare on the active resale market yourself. Timeshare Users Group has completed over $34 million in sales by connecting buyers and sellers in their marketplace. If you'd like to list your timeshare for sale, it is included in their reasonably priced $15 annual membership. Burnt out? Over it? Ready for a change? Millions of people are quitting their jobs each month in what many have dubbed the Great Resignation. Before you join the mass employment exodus, do a thorough scan of your financial situation. That means, of course, taking a hard look at your spending habits and any savings youve accumulated you need at least a little cover to get you from one job to the next. It also means taking inventory of everything your employer currently subsidizes. Things like health care, retirement savings, commuter benefits and stock options, which you may surrender when you exit. People know theyre walking away from a paycheck, says Eric Roberge, a certified financial planner and founder of Beyond Your Hammock, a financial planning firm in Boston. But they often forget to consider their benefits packages. Use this financial checklist to make sure you dont leave any money on the table when you leave your job. USE YOUR FSA: Flexible spending accounts dont move with you from one job to the next. You typically need to use the funds before you resign or lose that money altogether. With health care FSA accounts, you can use the full amount elected, even if youve only contributed a portion when you leave. With dependent care accounts, you can use what youve contributed up to your final paycheck. Most FSA plans offer a grace period, allowing you to submit claims after you leave. But youll be reimbursed only for eligible expenses that occurred on or before your last day, so stock up on cold medicine, hand sanitizer and ibuprofen before calling it quits. There is one exception: If you opt for COBRA coverage (more on that below), you may be able to keep your health care FSA. If you go this route, youll continue to make contributions, plus pay any FSA and COBRA administration fees. SPEND UNUSED BENEFITS: Did you make pretax contributions to pay for parking or public transportation? Use those funds before your last day or you might lose them forever. REFILL PRESCRIPTIONS: If you have health insurance through your employer, take care of any routine medical appointments (and nonroutine things youve been putting off) before your insurance runs out. When your employer-provided plan will end depends on your employer, though its typically either on your last day or at the end of the calendar month in which you left. INVESTIGATE SICK LEAVE: Companies differ on how they handle accrued vacation and sick time. Some will cut you a check for any unused vacation when you leave. Others will pay out a set number of hours (up to 20 hours, for example). With others, you forfeit any unused time when you quit. Find out what your employers policy is before putting in your notice and use up any time you wont be paid for when you quit. Youve earned your vacation and sick days, so dont leave any time or money behind. Dont risk going uncovered while between jobs. Evaluate your health insurance options and choose a plan that works for you. You may also have the option to continue your employer insurance but pay the full premium, for up to 18 months via the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, better known as COBRA. You can also jump on your spouses plan or sign up for a new one through the health insurance marketplace. (Quitting your job is considered a qualifying life event.) RESEARCH 401(K) FEES: Make sure youre well versed on the plan options with your employers 401(k), as well as any fees associated, so you can decide what to do with your account when you leave. You may choose to leave your 401(k) where it is, but that should be an intentional choice, not the default. If you have a new job lined up, you can roll it into your new employers plan (if it offers one). Pay attention to fees in each 401(k) and the different investment options to decide where it makes sense to keep your money, says Elliott Appel, founder of Kindness Financial Planning in Wisconsin. Another option is to roll it into an IRA, where you can choose the investments and minimize costs. LEARN VESTING SCHEDULES: Some companies use a vesting schedule to dole out benefits like stock and retirement plan contributions. Leave the company before youre 100% vested and some or all of that money could go back to your employer. Before you turn in your notice, find out whether youre fully vested. If youre not, take note of your next vesting milestone and how much money youll forfeit if you leave before that date. Its imperative to know what you might be leaving on the table so you can weigh the cost versus benefit, says Ashlee deSteiger, founder of Gunder Wealth Management in Michigan. You may opt to stay another week, month or year to gain full ownership of your vested benefits. Sizing up a fisher pawprint in the Yosemite snow View Photos Yosemite, CA While recently out collecting data this winter, Yosemite National Park wildlife officials stumbled onto a real find. Pawprints in the snow of the elusive fisher (Pekania pennanti), pictured here and in the image box, are evidence of the usually silent mammal, and sometimes, tracks are the only sign they are in the park with actual sightings being rare. Likening snow impressions to time-lapse photography, park officials say they can reconstruct the actions of an animal over large swaths of time and space. Fishers bound across a landscape using a gait much like a cat or dog, and share another trait marking territory. Undetectable by humans, fishers possess tiny scent glands on the bottom of their paw pads, detailed wildlife officials, adding, These glands are used to deposit odors for other fishers and carnivores to find, which may indicate a marked territory or the readiness of a female to mate with a male. Wildlife crews hope to utilize snow tracking, camera images, along with capturing and collaring of this rare species to collect habitat data. That should give them a better understanding of the mammals population within the park, its habitat needs, and identify refugia or minimally affected spots throughout the park from wildfires and tree mortality events that are becoming more frequent. Both have eroded the fishers habitat, assert park officials, noting wildfires by an estimated 30-50% in the southern Sierra Nevada subpopulation since 2014. In 2020, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service listed the fisher as federally endangered in the region, which includes Yosemite and Stanislaus National Forests. Park official relayed, By identifying suitable fisher habitat, we can better manage and protect these areas, so fishers will always have a home in Yosemite. Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - The Burundian cabinet last week adopted two bills, one aimed at improving the living conditions of public sector pensioners, while the other relates to the professional reconversion of political representatives still of working age at the end of their mandate of less than 60 years Sometimes the stars align, and a young artist takes up residence at a shambolic historic property, becoming its unofficial tour guide. In the serendipitous case of Justin Parr and the Hot Wells Ruins, located on San Antonios Southside, the property in question reveals itself to be riddled with friendly (if creepy) paranormal activity. I spoke with the glass blower and owner of Blue Stars Fl!ght Gallery, about his wild experience living in a converted shipping container at the foot of the haunted ruins. It was 2012, Obama was president, and Parr was running in circles with local real estate investor James Lifshutz. Lifshutz, the previous owner of Hot Wells before it was converted into an official park, also owns the Blue Star Arts Complex, where Parr houses his gallery. The two got to talking, and it was decided that Parr would leave his perfect King William apartment to live at the ruins while helping Lifshutz maintain the property, which at the time was in complete disrepair. The young artist was excited about the opportunity, and got to work converting the shipping container into his new home, complete with plumbing and new electric that he installed himself. Courtesy of Justin Parr Turns out, Parrs previous home was known to have a strange presence inhabiting it, so he didnt bristle too much at the idea of living at Hot Wells alone, despite Lifshutz divulging that they had a backlog of ghost hunters requesting tours. Parr took them on, and since he was there anyway, began leading the tours. After all, he takes these things with a grain of salt he tells me. I was always kind of a cheerleader for Hot Wells, with the ultimate goal of it becoming a park and that was what James had envisioned for it, Parr says. He really cared about it and wanted to see it be preserved," he continues, "it just ties into the history of our city and how we became what we are. History After developers wised up to the professed healing properties of the sulfuric spring water bubbling underneath what is now the Hot Wells Ruins, a health spa heyday followed. From the 1890s to World War I, the area near the San Antonio Missions developed from a bathhouse into a glittering Hollywood hangout. Unfortunately, while the high levels of sulphur may have had healing properties, they also made the hotel highly susceptible to fire, including two major ones in 1894 and 1925. Though, by the 1980s, after changing hands a number of times, the structure amounted to nothing but ruins. In 1999, Lifshutz acquired the property, hoping to revitalize and preserve it. But even two decades later, more changes to the space are underway. First Rumblings Aside from the fires, there is no notable evidence or stories of deaths at Hot Wells, but that doesn't mean it doesnt have its fair share of spirits. At the start of his Hot Wells tenure, Parr would host lots of parties for those fortunate enough to find themselves in the 2010s San Antonio artist community. Parr had gathered some of the old bricks collecting at the base of the ruins and used them to build an outdoor patio, where he would often host guests. Courtesy o Justin Parr Increasingly, the ghost hunters who would pass through mentioned that the spirits would comment on these events, claiming they enjoyed the parties because they reminded them of what Hot Wells used to be. Parr, who mentions he was cautious of these claims, began to notice how the ghosts seemed to be very aware of details of the party, and would describe them to the paranormal investigators in a way that Parr found subtly strange. "It was always positive messages from the ghosts," Parr says, laughing. Courtesy of Justin Parr Around the same time, on a clear evening around midnight, Parr headed over to a nearby hot spring (before the city plugged them up) to take a nice soak under the full moon. Earlier, he and some friends had spent a better part of the day boarding up some clamoring windows attached to the ruins, since they were often a disturbance in the wind. That night, Parr was alone, but suddenly he could hear the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the second floor of the ruins. Then, one of the building's boarded up windows burst open, flapping loudly despite the nails laid into it hours before. In the years that he lived at the foot of the ruins, Parr had many friends report sightings of a woman's figure in the top window of the building. He was convinced they were seeing shadows, until one night, he inexplicably woke up in the dead of night, with something telling him he needed to go outside. Still squint-eyed, he found himself staring out at the figure of a woman in the same window, dressed in clothes not out of fashion ... for the turn of the 20th century. He turned and looked back at it three times before forfeiting confusion and going back to bed. "It was an ephemeral feeling, but I also just kept wiping my eyes like, 'Am I crazy?'" Paranormal Paul All the best and most convincing ghost experiences, Parr tells me, started to occur after a specific visit from a local ghost hunter that goes by the name of Paranormal Paul." Paul, an imposing, big-boned, and pale presence, apparently began his ghost-hunting endeavors to disprove others, but over time, he began to believe. Of all the paranormal people that passed through the site, Parr explains that Paul seemed to be one of the most believable. On Halloween 2013, Parr hosted a fundraising party for the now disbanded San Antonio Artist Foundation. Around 100 people showed, and for the sake of novelty, Parr convinced Paranormal Paul to give the guests a taste of the ghosts. Back then, you were able to move more freely about the grounds, and Parr had the green light to give his guests tours on the second floor of the creaky and relatively hazardous ruins. In the spirit of Halloween, Paul and Justin worked out a deal for the event, where Paul would organize something to freak everybody out. Paul, who communicated with spirits with a creepy EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) ghost box, consorted with the ghosts and arranged for them to interact with the guests with otherworldly touches and hot and cold spots. Parr was down for the ride, not expecting the scary scene that was to unfold. Throughout the event, Paranormal Paul asked the crowd if they were experiencing any of the paranormal symptoms he had arranged, and early on as a skeptic might expect no one had experienced anything. It wasnt until he led everyone to the top of the ruins during a tour later that night when things started to get weird. Everybodys at the top floor in a concentric ring, and Pauls in the middle with his ghost box and then he starts trying to talk to the ghost, and the ghost box just starts yelling, Danger! Danger get out!, Parr tells me. Imitating the ghost box, he affects a gruff and urgent tone. Paul dismissed it, saying that everything was fine and stuff like this is typical, but Parr, feeling responsible for everyone, decided to cut the tour short just in case. The group descended, and headed to continue the party outside. Everybody is outside of the ruin, kind of hanging out, and Pauls like Man Im kinda disappointed the ghosts didnt really interact with anybody, Parr tells me. Some time passes, and then suddenly, two girls come running toward the crowd in hysterics. Apparently, the pair had been trespassing in an off-limits section of the ruins. While inside, something had been grabbing at them and breathing down their necks. They were pale and terrified. After no guests had claimed to experience any physical ghost engagements all night like Paul had said, Parr directed the women to the paranormal investigator to share the news. They went to talk to Paul and I was like, 'Okay, this is crazy! Parr says. Years pass, and he doesn't see Paranormal Paul again, but then something happened that confirmed the Hot Wells ghosts were still holding up their end of the deal. Courtesy of Justin Parr The case of the scared skaters One day, Parrs professional skateboarder friend called him up and told him three guys from a skate team were rolling through to film a video in San Antonio, and were looking to camp somewhere weird for the night instead of paying for a hotel. Naturally, they decided they would stay in the ruins of Hot Wells. The skaters and Parr hit it off, and stayed up drinking until probably 'til 2 a.m. Parr went to bed, and woke up at the crack of dawn, like he always does, but his new friends were nowhere in sight. I looked out the window and their van was gone, he says, thinking the Irish exit was strange. The guys had stayed at the top floor of the ruins in sleeping bags. Shortly after noticing their van was gone, Parr got a text from one of them saying they left to film early and they were headed back to Houston. They wanted more than anything in the world to explore this whole place during the day tomorrow, Im like, what happened?Parrs friend who arranged the evening, called him around 2 p.m, demanding to know what happened. In the dark, Parr immediately called the skater who had texted him. We didnt think you would believe us, he told Parr, before describing their experience staying in the Hot Wells Hotel. As it turns out, the skateboarders set up their sleeping bags, but rather far apart from each other, not knowing they were in for hell. All through the night, they individually experienced something grabbing at them, strange feelings, and the sensation of the environment growing rapidly hot and cold. Finally, around 5:30 a.m, one sleepless skater, exasperated from the experience, shouted, Enough! His friend bolted up, glad to not be the only one experiencing it, and they immediately booked it out of there. Years later, the ghosts were doing exactly as Paranormal Paul instructed. Hot Wells today When the Hot Wells ruins began the first phase of city park development in 2015, Parr still lived on the grounds, but in a section deeper in the woods and technically off park property. Today, he's still the park's main advocate. Usually, he explains, whatever presence is there doesn't typically bother him. Over the years, he has accidentally fallen asleep in the ruins several times without being disturbed. Generally, he feels like the spirits are friendly. When I suggest that it's likely because the ghosts enjoy his parties, and that their relationship seems outwardly, rather symbiotic he lives off the land, they feel entertained he doesn't disagree. No longer living at the base of the ruins, the height of his paranormal encounters appear to be behind him. But for Parr, living on the historic grounds as the artist in residence even if he now resides a littler farther away from the building remains an exciting adventure. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Outdoors lovers, rejoice: the development of Texas' first new state park in nearly two decades is currently underway. Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, located about four hours north of San Antonio and 75 miles west of Fort Worth, spans nearly 5,000 acres and includes rolling hills, stunning vistas and a massive body of water called Tucker Lake. Once open, Texans can head to Palo Pinto for hiking, camping, fishing and more. It will also include an extensive network of trails for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Other highlights include RV parks, primitive camp sites, playgrounds and picnic areas. When that opening date might be, however, is still unknown. The project began in 2011 when a 3,300-acre portion of former ranch land was purchased by Texas Parks & Wildlife. Currently, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the state's parks department, is working to raise about $9 million for Palo Pinto. The state park opening process is multi-phased and informed by a lot of surveying. Though the financial goal has yet to be met, building and development has officially, if tentatively, kicked off. If you want to donate to the Texas State Park effort, whether you want to help conserve the land (or selfishly want to expedite the road trip scheduled on your calendar) you can contribute a donation online. Camille Sauers is a freelance writer based in San Antonio. Follow her on twitter @camillesaccount. Send her emails to camillefrancissauers@gmail.com OTTAWA - Police escalated operations Saturday and cleared out the bulk of Ottawa's self-styled "Freedom Convoy" protesters to bring an end to more than three weeks of disruption declared illegal under an unprecedented emergency order. The protests opened a new chapter in far-right and anti-health mandate movements at home and abroad while shaking up Canadian politics and raising numerous questions about law enforcement and why it took so long to unclog the streets of Canada's capital city. Defiant demonstrators, draped in Canadian flags, acknowledged that the protest's end was near Saturday even as some made a last stand. But several told The Washington Post that they planned to regroup or join future anti-government demonstrations. "We are going to win," people shouted at police even as they were forced to retreat. Interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell warned them of consequences ahead. "If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges," he said. Police said they arrested 170 protesters as of Saturday afternoon, but standoffs continued in the snow and freezing temperatures, which dipped into the teens, as law enforcement officers pushed to disperse straggling demonstrators, and tow trucks slowly pulled away the remaining parked big rigs that have paralyzed parts of the city, including Parliament Hill, the seat of Canada's government. As protesters' numbers dwindled, law enforcement officers armed with batons and guns, some on horseback, appeared to advance at a faster and more forceful pace than the day before as a drone hovered above. Though largely restrained, tensions remained high, as protesters, facing hefty fines or prison time, continued to gather along the remaining front lines, some bringing with them children and dogs. At midday, organizers of one key group, Freedom Convoy 2022, much of whose leadership has been arrested or left Ottawa, issued a call for truckers to move from a central encampment in front of Canada's Parliament "to avoid further [police] brutality." They asked for police to give time for vehicles to move. With so many moving parts - the presence of children, the possibility of violence, the tightly packed vehicles and combustible fuel - the police have taken a largely restrained approach, even by Canadian standards. Police officers, some in tactical gear, have continued to leave open exits for demonstrators and drivers who decide to leave. Alongside arrests, police said they used a "chemical irritant," pepper spray, against some demonstrators they described as "assaultive." Police said in a tweet Saturday that some of the arrested had body armor, smoke grenades and fireworks on them. "We told you to leave," Ottawa police said in a tweet Saturday. "We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers and the horses." As conditions unfolded on the ground, Canadian Parliament resumed debate Saturday over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's invocation Monday of the 1988 Emergencies Act, which gives the government broad powers for up to 30 days. Parliament must vote within seven days of the act's invocation to approve or reject it. Under the Emergencies Act, banks can freeze assets suspected of being used to fund the protest and can suspend the insurance and business accounts connected to vehicles found here. Thousands of dollars in fines have been imposed on drivers, several of whom told The Washington Post they did not expect to pay and would litigate in court. Police say they can retroactively fine or charge people documented to be violating laws. Use of the act is expected to be approved, although the move has drawn criticism from both the left and the right. On Thursday, police set up about 100 checkpoints and other road closures in Ottawa's downtown to keep out protester reinforcements. Among those arrested were three key protest organizers: Alberta separatist Tamara Lich, far-right agitator Chris Barber, and Pat King, who said "bullets" were the only way to end health mandates. Another key influencer, former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Daniel Bulford, turned himself in Friday. Barber was released on bail late Friday on the condition that he leave Ottawa and not contact or finance the protest, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Lich appeared in court Saturday on charges of counseling to promote mischief, but the judge in the case said she would have to wait a few days for a decision on bail. Lich, Barber and a third organizer, Benjamin Dichter, who left Ottawa Friday, are named in a class-action lawsuit filed by Ottawa resident Zexi Li, 21, over damages caused by the demonstrations. Peter Sloly resigned as Ottawa's police chief Tuesday after heavy criticism of his department's handling of the unrest. While protesters held block parties the past three weekends as police stood by, many Ottawa residents complained of being harassed and intimidated by some demonstrators and being unable to sleep or work amid incessant honking and blocked streets. Some protesters have demanded an end to all pandemic-related mandates. Others said they wanted Trudeau ousted or tried in court. The protests in Canada, which have also targeted and shut down border crossings, have inspired copycats in European capitals. But Stephanie Carvin, an associate professor of international relations at Carleton University in Ottawa, said it was not "a movement driven by truckers frustrated by mandates." "It is a movement of anti-government extremists that have successfully tapped into the exhaustion of a lot of Canadians who are frustrated after four lockdowns and going onto year three of this [pandemic]," she said. "They were able to frame their grievances around this issue." Patrick Philon, 33, of Spanish, Ontario, said Saturday that he had great respect for the truckers, even those who left. "They did their part to start a worldwide movement," he said by a police standoff next to the prime minister's office. "We will stand here and hold the line." Philon was gearing up for what was next for him: joining another protest or satellite demonstrator camp around Ottawa. Michael, a 66-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario, who would give only his first name because he said he feared his neighbors finding out he was here, grew emotional as he contemplated the end of the protest. "I'm so moved by what these guys are doing, and I've been doing nothing," Michael said. He acknowledged that what drew him out, in part, was what some would acknowledge as a "conspiracy" - the false claim that Trudeau was controlled by "globalists" and "the World Economic Forum," a sentiment shared by several protesters interviewed by The Post. Michael said he had donated to the protest's now-frozen online fundraisers on GoFundMe and GiveSendGo, as well as more than 500 Canadian dollars in person. "It's over," he said. "But just wait until the summer. . . . There will be something else like this that we didn't expect." News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. A Paper Archaeology: Piranesis Ruinous Fantasias The Public Domain Review The Master of Petersburg and the Martyr of Style American Purpose Metaphysical Animals review four women who changed philosophy Guardian Index, A History of the Review: List-O-Mania WSJ Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot The Drift THE ORDINARY, THE SUBLIME, AND THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE Crime Reads 500-pound bear known as Hank the Tank breaks into another Lake Tahoe home: Lost all fear of people CBS Raccoon falls through ceiling into packed LSU dining hall AP Jungholz: A ski town stuck in the wrong nation BBC You Can Now Book a Ticket to Outer Space Afar Bob Marleys Exodus: An album that defined the 20th Century BBC The Search Has Begun for an Antarctic Pioneers Lost Ship NYT Storm Eunice, Packing High Winds, Hits Britain and Northern Europe The Weather Channel #COVID-19 In recognition of physicians and their teams who risked life and limb manufacturing and producing clinical outcomes with their patients during the pandemic, the worlds largest and most profitable health insurance oligarchy has lowered physician reimbursement to 65% of Medicare. pic.twitter.com/6MyXe8Onsp Howard Green, MD (@DermHAG) February 18, 2022 Woke Watch The CIA and the New Dialect of Power American Affairs Erik Prince and an Army of Spies Keep Meddling in US Politics Jacobin Climate Change Class Warfare Sports Desk Internal emails reveal Alberta governments unwillingness to talk about contaminated sites Narwhal The Supremes Refugee Watch EU Border Officials Accused of Throwing Refugees into the Sea Der Spiegel New Cold War Its well past midnight in Ukraine. Saturday came and went without the predicted invasion. And yet every time the Kagan Clan is caught lying, the weapons industry fairy leaves another pile of cash under their pillows. Lying, the right kind of lying, is a valuable skill in DC. https://t.co/Xi8lsdg1Zt Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) February 20, 2022 India Preparing for a global Bangladesh Dhaka Tribune China Iran Syraqistan Laffaire Jeffrey Epstein Antidote du Jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. Yesterdays Wall Street Journal featured an article discussing how banks are clamping down on independent ATMs, Gas-Station ATMs Are a Banking Battleground. It caught my attention, because I live in a Brooklyn neighborhood thats underbanked, with the nearest Citibank a 45-minute roundtrip walk away. Now, pre-pandemic, I rarely used an independent ATM, as I hate being gouged with unnecessary bank fees. These would certainly be levied if I grabbed cash at a nearby bodega, bakery, or supermarket, paying both my bank for using a non-bank ATM, plus the ATM owner. Prior to the pandemic, I used to ride the subway often and would just make sure I picked up some cash when I passed a Citibank ATM. But now, I eschew trips that require a subway trip, in favor of local businesses that deliver or hold goods for pick up, or are close enough that I can walk and dash quickly inside Over to the Journal: Dozens of banks had rejected Ann Marie and Dan Ellis when they opened Bank of AmericaCorp. BAC -0.24% checking accounts last February to fund their southern Arizona network of automated teller machines. In April, the bank closed the accounts. Their moneyused to fund around $450,000 in weekly customer withdrawalswas frozen. Branch managers told them to call the banks risk and fraud department. Banks are cutting off small-business owners who run the independent ATMs found in Americas gas stations, bars and bodegas. ATM operators say it is getting harder to find a bank willing to hold the funds needed to keep their machines stocked with cash. The banks that will work with them, ATM operators say, are jacking up their fees. For banks, it is a simple matter of risk. The sole product of ATMs is cash, which can make them a convenient way for criminals to launder the proceeds of their illegal activities. A bank that does business with unscrupulous ATM owners could face the wrath of regulators for violating anti-money-laundering rules. Jerri-Lynn here. Is it really risk alone thats motivating bank decisions? Or are banks taking these actions because they can? After all, the reasons a bank might do so seem obvious: to force customers to use the banks own ATM network, or to increase pressures to use bank credit cards and payment apps, with the charges for using those services going to banks instead of independent ATMs. More on this point in a moment. Per the WSJ: Legitimate businessesand their customersget caught in the middle. Independent ATMs serve as a lifeline to people in areas where traditional banks have retrenched. An estimated $90 billion was withdrawn from the roughly 225,000 nonbank ATMs in the U.S. in 2020, according to the latest data from research and consulting firm RBR. Basically, our ATM is their bank, said Ms. Ellis, who, with her husband, built a network of around 100 ATMs during their 21 years in the business. The couple relied on loans from friends and family while they waited for Bank of America to release their money. NYC Situation Ive written before about NYCs ban on cashless businesses, passed by the City Council in January 2020 to make sure that city residents that lack credit cards can purchase goods and services, despite pandemic-imposed strong pressure towards promoting cash-free transactions. The proportion of city residents without a bank account is estimated as high as 10% IIRC, with the proportion described as underbanked numbering one in five. Many kids are included in these numbers (see War on Cash: NYC Enforces its Cashless Business Ban and War on Cash: New York City Businesses Must Accept Cash, City Council Decides). Another motivation for the NYC cashless ban was concern over the security of digital payments and their infrastructure. Last week, I was marvelling at the opposite phenomenon, a popular local business that has managed to remain cash only, despite pandemic-related pressure to promote going cash-free. Last Saturday, February 12, I was in the mood for a Jamaican beef patty, so I walked the block and a bit from my house to Allans Bakery, a family-owned and operated bakery thats been in business since 1960. Once I arrived, I donned my N95 mask, and joined the socially-distanced queue. On sunny weekend afternoons, even in February, Allans fosters a party atmosphere, with an employee acting as a DJ and playing music from street side speakers to entertain its waiting customers. Once inside, I quickly collected a beef patty, two currant rolls, and an order of codfish balls (with not-to-be-missed tamarind sauce). My treasures cost less than $10; if I hadnt had cash, I could have snagged some from an independent ATM conveniently positioned inside. One reason Allans can keep prices low and quality high is it doesnt fritter away revenues on bank fees from cashless transactions. The city can and has fined businesses that violate the cashless ban. But I dont think the city alone can mandate that someone, anyone, provide access to ATMS, independent or otherwise, in neighborhoods such as my own, which as I mentioned, lack extensive networks of bank branches. Federal authorities rather than state or local ones have been involved in regulating independent ATMs, with the Department of Justice jumping into the regulatory weeds here. But that federal intervention was intended to crack down on alleged fraud and abuse e.g., ultimately restricting access to independent ATMs -\- rather than promoting easy, low cost access to ATM transactions. Not for the first time have I mulled the irony that the phrase universal banking services in the U.S. context refers to one-stop shopping for the plethora of banking services, rather than making banking services universally available to anyone who has need for same. Per the WSJ: ATM operators were among the businesses that got caught up in the Justice Departments Operation Choke Point, an investigation launched in 2013 into banks dealings with companies seen as more likely to be involved in illegal activity. Rather than go after the companies individually, prosecutors targeted the financial infrastructure keeping them in business, choking them off from the very air they need to survive, a department official told The Wall Street Journal at the time. The initiative ended in 2017, but the account shutdowns didnt. Banks continued to rely on regulatory guidance that warned independent ATM operators were a higher fraud and money-laundering risk. These federal policy moves didnt go unchallenged. Over to the WSJ again: Late last year, following a yearslong lobbying push by ATM owners that earned the backing of lawmakers from both parties, regulators softened the guidance. Language discouraging banks from working with ATM owners was replaced with an acknowledgment of their role in bringing financial services to underserved areas. But ATM owners say the new guidance has done little to make their lives easier. Bank OZKrecently shut down deposit accounts of several board members of the National ATM Council Inc., the industrys trade group, citing risk. Bank OZK declined to comment. Curt Selmans account was among them, and it wasnt the first time. JPMorgan Chase & Co., Regions Financial Corp. and a local community bank had previously cut him off. The window is getting smaller, and I just wonder when the music stops wholl be there, said Mr. Selman, who now has accounts with Simmons Bank and Veritex Community Bank. JPMorgan and Regions declined to comment. The Journal finally acknowledged in the latter part of its article that the banks hands arent exactly clean on this issue, because banks and independent ATMs are in competition for custom and customers: The relationship between ATM owners and banks is complex because the two are also competitors. When people use their debit cards at independent ATMs, the bank that issued the card pays a fee to the ATMs owner. That interchange fee is set by card networks. ATM owners say their cut of the fee has fallen. In some cases, banks have put pressure on the merchants that provide space to ATM operators. Jay Osman, who runs a string of ATMs in Mississippi, said he had to remove a few machines after a local bank told its customers that it would charge them $200 a month for having an ATM in their store. Banks have piled more requirements on independent ATM operators, citing alleged state and federal regulations as the rationale for so doing. According to the WSJ: In a December 2020 letter reviewed by the Journal, The Citizens Bank of Philadelphia, Miss., cited state and federal regulations that view privately owned ATMs as high-risk and requiring enhanced due diligence by banks as the reason for the charge. Mr. Osman said he repeatedly told bank employees that the merchants arent handling the cash in his ATMs. He said the bank declined to change its policy. It didnt respond to requests for comment. After Bank of America shut down their accounts, the Ellises began relying more on another bank they worked withBMO Harris. The bank told the Ellises they had to hire armored trucks to transport the cash, and it later increased their fees and limited the amount of money they could withdraw. To make up the difference, they opened accounts at a Comerica Inc. branch roughly 100 miles away. Their banking costs have swelled to about $2,000 a month, up from roughly $400. That includes $600 in rent for office space needed to accept deliveries from the armored trucks, which Comerica also required. I havent noticed any change in the number of independent ATMs in my neighborhood in recent months. But nor do I rely on these machines enough that I would necessarily notice if such independent services became less available. But the WSJ article is a reminder that for cash to continue to be widely used, its necessary for people to be able to procure sufficient supplies to conduct their everyday transactions. Alas, the war on cash continues. (Natural News) The Canadian government under China-loving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is completely collapsing into a tyrannical regime while he, like other Western leaders, continues to exploit the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to become more tyrannical. Three weeks ago, thousands of truckers upset over Trudeaus nonsensical vaccine mandate for drivers who are alone 12 hours a day took to the highways and formed a Freedom Convoy whose destination was the Canadian capital of Ottawa, where they proceeded to clog streets and wail their horns in an attempt to get the rule rescinded. The protests worked in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, but not in Ontario, the most populous and home to the capital. There, authoritarians like Premier Doug Ford and Trudeau dug in and rejected truckers demands and instead resorted to tyranny. The Week reported: Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, two of the main organizers of the so-called Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, were arrested on Thursday. Dagny Pawlak, a spokeswoman for the convoy, told The Washington Post that Lich was detained on a charge of aiding and abetting mischief. Earlier Thursday, Lich, an Alberta resident, told CBC News her personal bank account had been frozen, and she knew she would soon be jailed. Ottawa police declined to comment on the arrests. The amount of people cheering for this is insane Armani Gracia (@armanigracia) February 18, 2022 The news outlet continued: The protest against Canadas COVID-19 policies began three weeks ago, and demonstrators who remain say they wont leave until all mandates are lifted. There have been dozens of criminal investigations launched from the protests, Ottawa residents have complained about the noise from idling trucks and all-night honking, and police have ticketed people for bringing in fuel to refill trucks and for illegal parking. Ottawa interim Police Chief Steve Bell told demonstrators on Thursday, February 17, before Barber and Lich were arrested, that it is time to go, adding: Your time in our city has come to an end and you must leave. Beforehand, police established a perimeter around Ottawa, opening a large area only to residents, police and workers. I implore anyone thats there get in your truck and we will navigate safe passage for you to leave our city streets, Bell said. We want this demonstration to end peacefully. There is a deliberate plan, there is commitment, and theres the resourcing that we now have in place to end this. Earlier this month, Barber responded to criticism from Ottawa residents that the protest was disrupting their lives in unacceptable ways. We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across, but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who have [preferred] to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful, serious dialogue, he said. Trudeau chose authoritarianism instead, to include, by the way, targeting truckers pets. Attention animal owners at demonstration If you are unable to care for your animal as a result of enforcement actions, your animal will [be] placed into protective care for 8 days, at your cost. After 8 days, if arrangements are not made, your animal will be considered relinquished. pic.twitter.com/OkbXc8RE3c Ottawa By-law (@OttawaBylaw) February 17, 2022 And of course, the mainstream media leftists are all in for tyranny when it comes from their side. Brown shirt journalists doing what brown shirts always do on behalf of their overlords. Good useful idiots that they are. First to be taken out by their own in the end. https://t.co/xpT8wr3z55 Dr. Bernie Shrugs/ Lets Go Brandon. (@bernieshrugs) February 17, 2022 Western democracies are collapsing under the weight of authoritarianism, and it will take a fight to save them. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com TheWeek.com (Natural News) The self-professed cyberterrorist who allegedly hacked the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo and doxed thousands of people who donated to the Canadian truckers protest has ignited conjecture that hes acting under demonic possession. (Article by Samantha Chang republished from WesternJournal.com) The satanic speculation arose after Canadian hacker Aubrey Cottle whos also known by the nickname kirtaner posted a bizarre rant on TikTok on Wednesday in which he claimed responsibility for hacking GiveSendGo. The crowdfunding site, which has raised more than $9.5 million for the Freedom Convoy, was hacked on Sunday. The names and other personal details of more than 92,000 people who donated to the protest were leaked online, and some of them faced threats. The point of publishing donors hacked information was so the far-lefts henchmen can intimidate them. A gelato cafe in Ottawa has closed after receiving threats of violence. The owner donated $250 to the Freedom Convoy & her info was hacked & published. https://t.co/QfVRGW6FZC Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) February 16, 2022 The shocking invasion of privacy and the medias complicity in doxing private citizens was so egregious that even radical leftists such as Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota condemned them. The easiest thing in politics is to pick a side and simply demonize the opposition. Its nice to see Rep. Omar show empathy for the random small dollar donors to the truckers movement bullied by the press & far left. That kind of outreach takes courage. https://t.co/6oPaFPcyzl Lee Fang (@lhfang) February 17, 2022 In his disturbing TikTok video, an agitated Cottle bragged about hacking GiveSendGo and said hed do it again. Nothing scares me. Nothing! he said, as he squirmed like a snake in a sinister manner. Yes, I doxxed the truckers! I did it! It was me! Cottle yelled. I hacked GiveSendGo, baby, and Id do it again! Id do it a hundred times! He then boasted that he was untouchable. I did it. I did it! he said. Come at me! What are you going to do to me? WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive. This is Aubrey Cottle. He hacked GiveSendGo and he doesnt care if anyone knows it. Hes live on TikTok bragging about doxing and releasing the info thats currently getting thousands of people fired from their jobs for donating to the Freedom Convoy. pic.twitter.com/HJW7BBRc4z Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 16, 2022 Cottle then rattled off a list of other websites he claimed he had hacked. Most were conservative social media platforms. I hacked Epic Hosting! I hacked Parler! I hacked Gab! I hacked Truth Social! he shouted. I hacked GiveSendGo, I dont care! Cottle haughtily added, I am literally a famous f***ing cyberterrorist, and you think that you can scare me? At one point, the self-declared cyberterrorist bristled defensively in response to viewer comments claiming he likes underage girls. They always default to the pedophile accusations because they have nothing else, he said. Ive hunted pedophiles! Ive outed pedophile rings online! I have gotten pedophiles arrested. You have no idea who the hell I am! Numerous Twitter users commented on Cottles demonic squirming and soulless eyes. A Flaming Snake! His squirming is demonic and his eyes are soulless. He needs to seek help before he physically hurts himself or others. Richard P. Adams ? (@Rich_Adams1) February 17, 2022 Demons include doxers. Their intent is to destroy private citizens publicly, they take perverse demonic pleasure in exposing them to Leviathan, like monster who hacked GiveSendGo. Also beware doxing ethots. This came to me in dream that anticipated, was clarified by recent events ?? ???????? ?? (@husafell_stone) February 17, 2022 GiveSendGo is back up despite demonic leftist hackers. Yesi (@yesisworld) February 15, 2022 The line between mental illness and demonic possession is getting blurry. Unacceptable Fringe Renaud (@cryptoctopus777) February 16, 2022 While the left and their establishment media puppets have smeared the protesting Canadian truckers as anti-vaxxers, terrorists and racists, in reality, many of them are vaccinated. Like millions of Americans, they merely oppose forced vaccinations as a gross violation of bodily integrity and personal freedom. On their GiveSendGo page, the Freedom Convoy slammed Big Government overreach in the form of endless, arbitrary coronavirus restrictions and mandates. Our current government is implementing rules and mandates that are destroying the foundation of our businesses, industries, and livelihoods, the group wrote. We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our Federal Government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people. Small businesses are being destroyed, homes are being destroyed, and people are being mistreated and denied fundamental necessities to survive. The group added: It is our duty as Canadians to put an end to these mandates. It is imperative that this happens because if we do not our country will no longer be the country we have come to love. We are doing this for our future Generations and to regain our lives back. While the Freedom Convoy started in Canada, it has received widespread support in the United States among American conservatives. We are on the right side of history on this and many other issues, and must not cave to left-wing mob bullying. Read more at: WesternJournal.com (Natural News) American truckers are about to start a Peoples Convoy, inspired by Canadas highly successful Freedom Convoy. Members of a group called The Peoples Convoy (TPC) said they intend to drive eastward to Washington, D.C. to protest the federal governments tyrannical Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) mandates. According to the Epoch Times, TPC is responsible for organizing the truckers set to hit the road toward the nations capital. American Foundation for Civil Liberties (AFCL) Chairman Chris Marston said the truckers demand the lifting of the Emergency Powers Act, effectively rescinding the COVID-19 mandates. The non-profit AFCL is among the many groups helping coordinate the truckers protest. Initial news reports said TPC would not depart its starting point at Barstow, California until March 7. However, organizers have now confirmed that the American convoy would hit the road on Interstate 40 (I-40) heading east on Feb. 23. Marston himself confirmed this new development to the Epoch Times, adding that freedom cant wait. TPC organizer Maureen Steele said during her Feb. 16 appearance on Steve Bannons War Room that a map of the convoys route would be posted to the groups website. The TPC website would also take donations directly to avoid third-party platforms freezing monetary support. A subsequent Feb. 17 article touched on TPCs route. From Barstow, an estimated 500 to 1,000 trucks will head eastward to their first stop at Kingman, Arizona. They will then depart to the second stop at Lupton, Arizona via I-40 on Feb. 24. Come Feb. 25, the group plans to arrive at their third stop at Glenrio, located at the border of New Mexico and Texas. Trucker and TPC core organizer Brian Brase said more details on the convoys route will be released two or three days in advance as safety dictates. He added: You can expect us to travel along I-40 and work our way up toward D.C. (Related: Rand Paul urges U.S. truckers to take up cause of liberty like Canadian counterparts: I hope they clog up cities.) People from all walks of life support TPC The group said it is urging all Americans to join the call to freedom in the same vein of their brave and courageous neighbors to the north our Canadian brothers and sisters who led the charge. In turn, many conservative and pro-freedom personalities expressed support toward TPC and its goals. Several took to social media to announce their support, while others offered direct assistance to the truckers involved. Trucker Mike Landis said on a video posted on TPCs website: For me personally, its about our freedoms as Americans. This isnt just about us as truck drivers, or a certain group of people or anything. Its about Americans. This is for the people. Civil rights attorney Leigh Dundas revealed she has been working to unite truckers wanting to join the convoy. Ive been keeping the communication channels open between groups, acting as a de facto clearing house between different truckers who wanted to get connected and go something similar, but also different from what Canada did, she said. Theyve done a lot of things right in Canada, and we should be taking their lead, Dundas commented. The civil rights lawyer nevertheless reminded the truckers to keep their convoy lawful and peaceful. U.S. Freedom Flyers (USFF) co-founder Joshua Yoder voiced out his support toward TPC. These are Americans who want their voices to be heard. Weve been shut out for so long. Theres a lot of average people coming together [and] uniting. [These are] people speaking out and voicing their frustrations, and I think the government would do well to listen to us, he said. USFF consists of air, rail and trucking professional standing for Americans right to travel freely regardless of their vaccination status. Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of mRNA vaccine technology, said TPCs arrival at Capitol Hill may prove to be the awakening Washington, D.C. needs. I think that the truckers, when they hit the Capitol, may well wake up a large number of our representatives and senators that are kind of a little bit asleep right now, he said. More related stories: Canadian trucker says drivers are being electronically tracked by government; Trudeau admin pressing Biden regime to do the same for U.S. drivers. Canadas Freedom Convoy invokes waves of protests against Canadas COVID mandates. Censorship at its finest: Facebook removes page for DC Freedom Convoy. Watch Brian Brase of The Peoples Convoy announcing that the convoy would kick off on Feb. 23. This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com. Liberty.news has more articles about the Freedom Convoy and other related protests. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com TheEpochTimes.com 1 TheEpochTimes.com 2 Brighteon.com (Natural News) Christopher Cole, the Executive Officer of Countermeasures for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has announced plans to make Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination a yearly ritual much like seasonal flu shots. It was Project Veritas that first revealed the Biden regimes covid jab vision for the future, which was captured on hidden camera by undercover reporters. (Related: Project Veritas also blew the lid on Facebooks censorship of covid misinformation.) Cole admitted that Biden (or more likely Barack Hussein Obama, who is Bidens hidden puppet master) wants all Americans to get an annual covid injection, but that it has just not yet been formally announced cause they dont want to, like, rile everyone up. Biden wants to inoculate as many people as possible, Cole said flat-out. Theyre not going to not approve [emergency use authorization for children five years old or less]. Theres a money incentive for Pfizer and the drug companies to promote additional vaccinations. Cole went on to reveal that covid shots will be a recurring fountain of revenue for Big Pharma, probably forever. And if mandates can successfully be put into place, then that revenue stream will be sizable. It might not be that much initially, but itll be recurring if they can if they can get every person required at an annual vaccine, that is a recurring return of money going into their company. FDA says Coles statements do not represent the agencys views According to Cole, all covid injections were given emergency use authorization (EUA) because this is how the drug industry overcame the regulatory concerns of mandating the jabs on children. Theyre all approved under an emergency just because its not as impactful as some of the other approvals, he said when asked if there was ever really an emergency for kids. Cole added that his role at the FDA is to ensure that the agency uses a framework of safety, security and effectiveness as part of its preparedness and response protocol, citing specific concerns over long term effects, especially with someone younger. Cole reiterated that annual covid shots are not just probable but certain. He did, however, explain that just from everything [hes] heard, the [FDA] are not going to approve it. The drug companies, the food companies, the vaccine companies, they pay us hundreds of millions of dollars a year to hire and keep the reviewers to approve their products, Cole further explained. If they (Big Pharma) can get every person required (to get) an annual vaccine that is a recurring return of money going into their company. Cole agreed that his claims cannot be corroborated by any major media source as of yet, but that in time it will all become apparent. I think whats gonna happen is its gonna be a gradual thing, Cole explained about how he personally believes the scheme will be put into place. Schools are gonna mandate it. Cole also spewed a bunch of industry propaganda about how the ability of fully vaccinated peoples bodies to fight off covid will wane over time, requiring periodic boosters to keep their immune systems functional, at least to some degree. According to James OKeefe of Project Veritas, Cole is an executive officer at the FDA with over 20 years of experience who claims to be directly involved in the approval process. In response to all this, the FDA issued a statement claiming that Cole does not work on vaccine matters and does not represent the views of the FDA. More of the latest news about the Biden regime can be found at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: ThePostMillennial.com ProjectVeritas.com ProjectVeritas.com YouTu.be (Natural News) A new study has found that corn-based ethanol, the main source of supposedly green ethanol fuel in the United States, may actually be worse for the environment than regular gasoline. The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), contradicts previous research, including one study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), claiming that corn ethanol and other biofuels are more environmentally friendly. The PNAS study was funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation and the Department of Energy as part of a review of the federal governments policies on biofuels. President Joe Bidens administration wants to switch to biofuels like corn ethanol in an attempt to decarbonize the American economy by 2050. The study found that ethanol is at least 24 percent more carbon-intensive than gasoline. This is because the energy spent to grow corn, along with its processing and then its inevitable combustion as fuel, results in more emissions. Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel, said Dr. Tyler Lark, an assistant scientist working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. Lark also served as the PNAS studys lead author. We thought and [ethanol] would be a climate solution and reduce and replace our reliance on gasoline, said Lark. It turns out to be no better for the climate than the gasoline it aims to replace and comes with all kinds of other impacts. (Related: Why you should avoid filling up your gas tank with ethanol-laced fuel.) Lark and the other researchers examined the U.S. renewable fuel standard (RFS), which was first passed by Congress in 2005 and then updated in 2007 into the RFS2. This standard requires fuel producers to blend billions of gallons of renewable fuels such as corn ethanol. The standard requires fuel blenders to add billions of extra gallons of renewable fuel to the countrys transportation fuel supply each year. At the time of its passage, the RFS became the worlds largest biofuels program. Lawmakers and environmental advocates claimed the standard was a major victory for the climate and would help reduce Americas dependence on foreign oil. But in the 17 years since its passage, none of the problems the RFS was supposed to solve had been fixed. Because of the mandate, corn cultivation grew by 8.7 percent between 2008 and 2016. To keep up with demand, corn farms in the U.S. expanded to 6.9 million additional acres. The mass conversion of land into farmland led to widespread changes, such as preventing millions of acres of land from being added to national parks or conservation programs. The process of growing billions of gallons more corn biomass also led to an increase in emissions, such as from applying chemical fertilizers to the field. RFA disagrees with science The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Americas main ethanol trade lobby, disagreed with the results of the PNAS study. The claims in this report simply dont align with reality and the facts on the ground, and the paper reads more like a fantasy novel than a genuine piece of academic literature, said the association in a statement. RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper called the study completely fictional and erroneous. He argued that Lark and the other authors cherry-picked data and used worst-case assumptions regarding ethanol emissions. A 2019 study from the USDA found that ethanols carbon intensity was 39 percent lower than gasoline, in part because of the massive amount of carbon being sequestered when creating new croplands. The RFA and other biofuels industry lobbyists regularly cite this study in support of their claims. But Lark said this study underestimated the impact land conversion had on emissions. Lark himself was involved in a 2019 study about the expansion of cropland for corn and soybeans. This study found that massive land conversion actually increased greenhouse gas emissions. Lark also pointed out that without the policy changes that came from early studies involving ethanol, fewer carbon-rich forests and grasslands would have been converted into farmlands to grow more corn. The RFA claims that croplands for corn have not actually expanded since the implementation of the RFS. But Tim Searchinger, an energy and environment researcher at Princeton University, pointed out that the data the RFA is using to support its claims are invented out of whole cloth. The USDA has not responded to requests for comments regarding the results of the study. The Biden administration is set to revamp the renewable volume obligations the percentage of renewable fuels required to be mixed to fuel blenders under the RFS2 in the coming months. Theres no indication the results of this study will sway the administration to lower the amount of biofuels producers are required to mix in. More related stories: UK move to increase ethanol biofuel use could lead to increased deforestation. Ethanol plant found spreading toxic waste in Nebraska town. Bee die-offs in Nebraska traced to pesticide-using ethanol plant. Ethanol raises ozone pollution more than petroleum. Ethanol myth shattered: Corn biofuels release more greenhouse gases than gasoline. Watch this clip from Fox News Swamp Watch and learn about how corrupt and inefficient Americas ethanol industry is. This video is from the the TruthBeTold channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: WattsUpWithThat.com Reuters.com InsideClimateNews.org Brighteon.com (Natural News) A new study has found that Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) stimulus checks significantly contributed to the increase in deaths caused by opioid overdoses in the United States. The study, entitled COVID-19 economic impacts and opioid overdose deaths, has been peer-reviewed and is set to be published in the International Journal of Drug Policy in April. It was released early by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The study was conducted by the attorney generals Center for the Future of Forensic Science. The study was conducted by a team led by Ohio Attorney Generals Office Director of Science and Research Dr. Jon Sprague. He also serves as the eminent scholar of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for Bowling Green State University. The study used data from the Ohio Department of Health and its goal was to determine if there was a connection between the rise in opioid deaths in Ohio and the arrival of the first COVID-19 stimulus checks. The link between pandemic relief money and opioid overdose deaths is now evident, said Yost in a press release announcing the results of the study. The intent was to help Americans navigate this deadly pandemic, but it also fueled a tidal wave of overdoses. (Related: San Francisco drug overdose epidemic killed nearly three times more people in 2020 than COVID.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 Americans died due to opioid overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. This is a 28 percent increase from the previous year, when there were 78,085 recorded opioid-related deaths from April 2019 to April 2020, and the highest recorded amount of drug-related deaths since 1999, when the CDC started tracking data regarding the opioid epidemic. The CDCs data also showed a surge in overdose deaths related to the use of cocaine, methamphetamines and fentanyl. This study was very important for Yost, as more people in Ohio died of opioid-related deaths in the second quarter of 2020 than has been seen in the state since 2010. Similar trends could be seen throughout the country as the overall number of opioid-related deaths nationwide surged during the second quarter of 2020. Throwing money at a problem isnt always the best solution, said Yost in a press release. Let the data be the guide to learn from the past. Addiction is a sickness you cant cure with just cash. Delivery of stimulus checks coincided with surge in opioid deaths According to the study, the spike in opioid-related overdose deaths coincided with the delivery of federal stimulus checks. The first stimulus checks started being delivered in April 2020. For 15 weeks after the stimulus checks started arriving, the U.S. experienced more than 203 opioid-related deaths weekly. According to the researchers, the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, along with the opioid epidemic, created a perfect storm for individuals who were already suffering from opioid use addiction and those who were more susceptible to turn to opioids due to the intense stressors that came with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the stressors are related to lockdowns, including social isolation, loss of income, loss of housing and the reduced availability of harm-reduction strategies like therapy and medication due to the forced closure of essential workplaces and other businesses. The link between the timing of assistance payments and drug overdose deaths reflects a phenomenon known as the check effect,' noted the researchers. The check effect has been associated with higher numbers of drug overdose deaths, hospital admissions and 911 calls in the days and weeks associated with income assistance payments. The check effect is a phenomenon that has only been studied for around 10 years. It refers to individuals that use government subsidies such as unemployment or disability checks to purchase non-essential items like alcohol or illegal drugs. Policy responses to the pandemic have inadvertently resulted in contributing to the exacerbation of the [opioid] epidemic, wrote the researchers. Although these government-provided income assistance payments are intended to pay for basic needs, [they] may actually be facilitating a cyclic pattern of substance use and increased overdose deaths. In an interview, Yost acknowledged that the stimulus checks were not solely responsible for the rise in opioid deaths. Yost cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown as probable contributing factors. The paper said we were in the middle of a lockdown, there was massive fear and obviously we didnt know what this pandemic was going to look like, said Yost. In the middle of that, we have this money coming in and the science shows that it was a contributing causation, but not the sole causation. More related stories: Bidens DOJ mulls opening safe injection sites for drug users, where federal officials will watch them shoot up with heroin and meth. Were just kids Were not meant to be locked down for nearly 300 days Melbourne teens warn of lockdowns effects on mental health. More people died from fentanyl overdose than coronavirus in San Francisco last year. People drank more, exercised less during UKs first lockdown, scientists reveal. Drug overdose deaths top 100K in a year, breaking previous records. Watch this video and learn more about how the billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 pandemic stimulus is being used to murder children. This video is from the Anti-Disinformation channel on Brighteon.com. Learn more about the thousands of Americans being killed by drug overdoses at Opioids.news. Sources include: TheNewAmerican.com Newsweek.com Fox8.com WLWT.com OhioCapitalJournal.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A senior Facebook executive who supports Biden has been caught running a pedophile ring, according to reports. (Article by Sean Adl-Tabatabai republished from NewsPunch.com) Journalist Andy Ngo highlighted a clip in which which Facebook/Metas Manager of Community Development, Jeren A. Miles, is grilled on a live stream by a group called Predator Catchers Indianapolis. Miles allegedly told the underage boy in text messages, I wont have any restraint around you if Im horny. This is so wild. Facebook/Metas Manager of Community Development, Jeren A. Miles, was allegedly caught in an amateur child sex sting. YouTube channel Predator Catchers Indianapolis live-streamed their interrogation of him. Read my breaking report:https://t.co/V0iePnkwKR pic.twitter.com/D1aw1BDdeP Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) February 17, 2022 Summit.news reports: I was flirting (with him) Miles admits on camera, before claiming her never had any intention to meet the boy, despite arranging two separate meetings with specific details of hotels and hotel rooms. The group caught him at the Le Meridien Columbus hotel, where he had allegedly planned to meet the child. Miles then explains his rational that he thought it was OK to flirt with a 13-year-old boy online so long as he never intended to meet him. The alleged nonce then bragged about his senior position within Facebook, presumably to impress the boy, while also admitting he told the minor he wanted to make out with you, touch you, suck you. Miles asserts the engagement with the boy was the first time hed done anything like it, a dubious claim given the language he used when talking to the boy. Eric Schmutte, the man recording the live stream and one-half of Predator Catchers Indianapolis, tells me he is sending all the chat logs and evidence to law enforcement in Columbus, Ohio and Palm Springs, Calif., where Miles purportedly lives, wrote Ngo. After the sting was released on YouTube, Miles deleted his entire online social media presence. Jeren Miles was allegedly caught in a child sex sting that was livestreamed on YouTube channel Predator Catchers Indianapolis. Miles is an LGBTQ activist & serves on the board of directors for Equality California. Hes deleted all his social media. Video:https://t.co/Q0vylN3sLNpic.twitter.com/xCs9uSbMNE Andy Ngo ???? (@MrAndyNgo) February 17, 2022 Read more at: NewsPunch.com (Natural News) Amid escalating calls for him to take a mental fitness test, President Joe Biden committed yet another verbal blunder that validates mounting criticism that hes unfit to lead. (Article by Samantha Chang republished from WesternJournal.com) On Thursday, the 79-year-old career politician claimed that he had once been a lifeguard on Lake Oswego, New York. The only problem is that Lake Oswego is in Oregon. There is an Oswego River in New York, but there is no Lake Oswego in the Empire State. Biden made the remarks in Lorain, Ohio, while touting his move to invest $1 billion in infrastructure funding to clean up the Great Lakes. I went to Syracuse University. I was a lifeguard on Lake Oswego. I and I and I know the Oswego River up in New York, he stammered. He doesnt know where hes been, where he is and where hes going. Except he knows hell be going to Delaware. Bluescity (@Bluescity3) February 17, 2022 There is lake Oswego in.Oregon. Syracuse is in NY. Did Biden use teleportation? This guy cant stop lying. Where are the fact checkers? Filippo Maria O di B ?? ?? ?? (@Filippo60) February 18, 2022 Joe Biden just said he used to hang out , lake Oswego up in upstate New York, there is not a lake Oswego Unfortunately hes lost Marty Sedlock Jr. (@MSedlockjr2) February 17, 2022 At another point in his rambling speech, the president declared that he leaves the White House for Delaware whenever he can. Every time I get a chance I go home to Delaware, Biden said. You think Im joking, Im not. Its unclear why he believes anyone would think the statement is a joke. Biden returning from 8-day stayin Delaware, split between his homes in Rehoboth Beach and Wilmington. His longest stay in Delaware to date. As Pres, he has spent all or part of 95 days in DE. Mark Knoller (@markknoller) January 3, 2022 Bidens disastrous presidency has been marred by multiple catastrophic crises, peppered with mind-numbing blunders that lend credence to criticism that hes mentally unfit to lead. And its not just his detractors who are noticing this disturbing development. Even Democrats and independents are growing concerned about Bidens cognitive state. A Rasmussen poll released Thursday revealed that 47 percent of Americans strongly agree that Bidens mental decline has become apparent. Whats more, a whopping 56 percent are not confident that he is mentally able to lead the nation. Most voters believe that Bidens mental abilities have declined since he took office, and two-thirds agree with GOP members of Congress who have urged the president to take a cognitive test and release the results, according to Rasmussen. Fifty-six percent (56%) are not confident that Biden is up to the job, including 45% who are Not At All Confident in his ability. These poll results affirm the repeated suggestions of Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas that Biden should take a cognitive fitness test. Fifty-six percent (56%) are not confident that Biden is up to the job, including 45% who are Not At All Confident in his ability. These poll results affirm the repeated suggestions of Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas that Biden should take a cognitive fitness test. President Trump had me administer a cognitive test because he had nothing to hide. Why wont Biden do the same? We can only assume the worst if he doesnt submit to the same precedent that his own party demanded of the last administration. Ronny Jackson (@RepRonnyJackson) February 11, 2022 President Trump had me administer a cognitive test because he had nothing to hide. Why wont Biden do the same? the congressman tweeted. We can only assume the worst if he doesnt submit to the same precedent that his own party demanded of the last administration. Read more at: WesternJournal.com 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 (Natural News) Justin Trudeaus regime has reportedly sent an order to Canadas federal police force demanding that all FINTRAC-regulated companies in the country immediately stop transacting with 34 cryptocurrency wallets associated with the ongoing Freedom Convoy in Ottawa. In retaliation against the protesters defying his Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) mandates, Trudeau decided to block these specific digital currency wallets from transacting because they are believed to have been sending funds to help support the movement. According to The Counter Signal, which says it obtained exclusive information about this development, at least one of the wallets contains more than $1 million worth of Bitcoin and is said to be part of the HonkHonkHodl campaign that is supporting truckers with crypto. Whether this demand from police will hamper access to the funds is still unclear, writes Keean Bexte. This move by Trudeau is extraordinary in that he did it using self-prescribed emergency powers. These powers were not intended for this purpose, and the way he is applying them is clearly political. The Ontario Provincial Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police are currently investigating cryptocurrency donations being collected in relation to illegal acts falling under the scope of the Emergency Measures Act, the RCMP order reads. Pursuant to the Emergency Economic Measures Order, under subsection 19(1) of the Emergencies Act, there is a duty to cease facilitating any transactions pertaining to the following cryptocurrency address(es). Listed are 29 Bitcoin addresses, 2 Ethereum addresses, and 1 wallet each of Cardano, Monero and Litecoin. Each of the wallets has transacted anywhere from $0 to $1.1 million worth of digital assets. Any information about a transaction or proposed transaction in respect of these address(es) is to be disclosed immediately to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at [email protected], the RCMP plea goes on to state. Who are they kidding? The Canadian government has no control over private crypto wallets As authoritarian as this might sound, the reality is that neither Trudeau nor the RCMP have any way to control these crypto wallets as they are private and far outside the reach of the Canadian government. (Related: Trudeaus covid mandates are now threatening to shut down the Canadian auto industry.) That is the whole point of crypto, after all: to keep currency and digital assets far, far away from tyrants who can only dream about controlling it in the same way they control fake fiat currencies like the U.S. or Canadian dollars. Assuming the assets were stored outside of a regulated Canadian cryptocurrency exchange, the assets could easily be distributed to a mixer, an online tool that clouds the ability of law enforcement to identify Bitcoin of interest, Bexte explains. Try as he might to stop free speech, Trudeau is fighting a losing battle by trying to put Pandora back into the box. Canadians are mad, and so are Americans, and they want their freedoms back. Trudeau is becoming a modern-day Stalin or Hitler, wrote a reader at Natural News. Canadians kept him in the recall and now its affecting everyone. Hes a ruthless dictator. Trudeau mandated vaccines, truckers refused delivery, and Trudeau blames the truckers, wrote another. Thats like someone tries to rob a bank, the security guard refuses to open the vault, and the bank robbers blame the security guard. Concerning the workers who are not able to work because of the blockades, another person suggested that they should join the truckers since they probably will not be going back to work any time soon. Freedom is NOT FREE, this person wrote. You must pay a price to have it. The latest news about Trudeau and the Freedom Convoy can be found at Tyranny.news. Sources for this article include: TheCounterSignal.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Konstantynovska featured on the front pages of a number of Western newspapers in the past week, including The Financial Times, the Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Independent all UK-based papers or news sites. The sabre-rattling stories have also hit Israels Haaretz, Americas Fox News, and the Irish Times. (Article by Raheem J. Kassam and Kay Smythe republished from TheNationalPulse.com) The photographs and media released over the past week show the senior citizen amongst others undergoing weapons and first aid training in the city of Mariupol in south-east Ukraine. The event appears to have been organized and promoted by the Azov Battalion, which formed in 2014 as a volunteer paramilitary organization before integrating into Ukraines formal military forces. In late 2021, the Biden regime proposed sending upwards of $300 million to Ukraines military, potentially aiding the Azov Battalion. A spokesman for the group has attempted to dissuade American politicians from stopping funding for the entity, claiming that only one in five of the units members are actual Neo-Nazis. Their efforts, especially with the Biden government, appear to have paid off. In the middle of the coverage of the groups training propaganda was NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel. Engel actively promoted the stunt, interviewing the 79-year-old Granny Valentyna as she learned to use an AK-47. If Putin comes, I should be able to shoot. The threat is very serious. I think every person in our country should be able to shoot from the window or on the street if the enemy comes, she told media outlets, further normalizing the threat of war between Ukraine and Russian forces. And heres @NBCNews Chief Foreign Correspondent @RichardEngel promoting a media stunt by Ukraines far-right, neo-Nazi Azov Battalion on air. Looking forward to see how many resident MSNBC extremism and disinformation experts speak out against this. (https://t.co/ubRoazpFGt) pic.twitter.com/jZK1fHFj2M Aaron Mate (@aaronjmate) February 14, 2022 ABC 7 in New York also covered the story under the banner, Ukraine special forces offer training to civilians. In a video posted to Twitter, the Nazi insignia of the group is clearly visible on the right arm of the soldier training a Ukrainian child. Other videos surfaced of the training, including one captioned The Azov Regiment explains to the people of Mariupol how to avoid danger. Again, the Wolfsangel insignia popularized by the Nazi Party in Germany during the Second World War is clear on the uniforms of those performing the training. Nebezpe?i min. Pluk Azov vysv?tluje obyvatel?m Mariupolu, jak se vyvarovat nebezoe?i. pic.twitter.com/qBe9GxoFXf Martin Dorazin (@mdorazin) February 13, 2022 Czech media reports and Twitter users alike have argued that the training is part of an ongoing propaganda campaign by the Battalion, which is keen to stoke war for its own benefit. The Guardian reported that the Azov Battalion has been fighting Russian separatists for at least seven years, calling them the most potent and reliable force on the battlefield against separatists. Its fascinating, as they say, how an Azov-Nazi Granny propaganda photo op managed to slip past the vast billion-dollar network of US-UK disinformation-fighting NGOs, media fact-checkers, online Nazi hunters, Bellingcats etc, all supposedly set up to protect us from exactly this. war-podcaster Mark Ames tweeted. In 2013, then-Senator John McCain posed alongside Neo-Nazis in his failed efforts to sabre-rattle for war against Russia while forcing Ukraine into the European Union. The European Unions influence waned in the Brexit years that followed, deferring their imperialist intentions for nearly a decade. The news represents the latest infiltration of propaganda to Western media by a foreign group. The Chinese Communist Party has consistently worked their influence into Western media, with a long list of outlets participating in Chinese propaganda events. Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com The large-scale and multi-hazard storm system plowed through the Central US and Eastern US from Thursday to Friday, Feb. 17 to Feb. 18. Severe weather, such as the record-breaking snowfall and several tornadoes, caused widespread disruption as the storm left millions of Americans affected in its wake. Thousands of domestic and international flights have either been delayed or canceled due to the storm. In addition, infrastructural damage leading to power outages and disruption of road traffic movement had swept some parts of the country. Starting in the Western US earlier this week, the storm system developed its strength, capable of cross-country coverage throughout the week, prompting US weather authorities to issue multiple severe weather warnings and storm alerts for thunderstorms and tornadoes. Storm Aftermath: Damage and Disruption The storm system, with its winter and severe weather effects, has caused at least 3,000 domestic or international flights across the US to be canceled or delayed over recent days, as per the FlightAware tracking website. The storm also caused widespread power outages across the country. In Pennsylvania, at least 60,000 people were left without electricity by Friday morning, as per Power Outage US. However, gradual resumption of power is likely in the coming days. It also prompted strong wind advisories from the states of Texas to Maine, with an approximate distance of over 1,900 miles, according to AccuWeather. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and strong winds were reported from the states of Oklahoma, Alabama, to Kentucky. In Alabama, US meteorologists recorded incidents in the formation of tornadoes in Alabama's Fayette, Jefferson, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa counties. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but there were damage to properties and disruption to road traffic movement. Also read: Storm Hits Central and Eastern US: Flights Cancelled, Warnings for Flash Floods, Thunderstorms, and Tornadoes Issued Cross-Country and Multi-Hazard Storm The development of the storm system was well-anticipated and tracked by US meteorologists over the last six days. After bringing heavy snowfall and hail to areas outside Los Angeles, California, earlier this week, the storm traveled from the west coast to the east coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Weather Service (NWS) has monitored its progress over the week. The US weather agency issued several severe weather warnings and storm alerts for life-threatening and disruptive weather phenomena brought by the storm. The warnings and alerts pertained to the risk of thunderstorms and tornadoes along the storm's path, especially in Central US. Moreover, the storm was described by the US weather authorities as a multi-hazard storm since it also brought heavy snowfall, torrential rain-induced flash floods, and strong winds. Transition into the Spring Season A mixture of cold and warm weather temperatures has engulfed the Eastern US this week, an indication of a transitioning season as the country is heading towards its spring season, which will approximately start by mid-March. According to National Geographic, the Earth's Northern Hemisphere, which includes the US, has its spring season that starts from at least March 20. Although the occurrence of storms is more prevalent during the winter season, severe weather phenomena may also happen during the spring. Related article: Winter Storm: Blizzard Conditions Affects 100 Million People Across the US Storm Eunice wreaks havoc across the UK and some parts of central, northern Europe after following the path of Storm Dudley over recent days. Eunice unleashed record-breaking strong winds with a destructive force, causing damage, travel disruption, and killing five people in Europe. The duo storms formed over the Atlantic Ocean and traversed the UK and passed through Europe, affecting multiple countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, and Poland. Travel chaos, power outages, fallen trees, and casualties were reported. Travel Impact on the UK Storm Eunice struck the UK on Friday, Feb. 18, prompting hundreds of schools into countrywide closure and Prime Minister Boris Johnson to prepare the military for support even before the storm arrived. Furthermore, the UK authorities urged millions of Britons to cancel their travel plans. A demonstration of the widespread damage of Eunice was reported in London, England, on Friday when some sections of the famous 02 Arena collapsed. It also caused the evacuation of visitors of the arena, a landmark located in Greenwich, south-east London, as per the BBC news. Furthermore, there were reports of flight delays at the Heathrow Airport and the Stansted Airport in London due to strong winds reaching up to 61 mph, as per AccuWeather. The flight delays approximately took at least an hour. In addition, wind gusts of up to 70 to 80mph occurred in major cities like Edinburgh. Moreover, the storm cut train services in England, Scotland, and Wales. Although the severe weather effects caused disruption and damage, there were no immediate reports of casualties across the UK. Also read: Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice: Severe Weather Warnings Issued to England and Across the UK Casualties and Damage in Europe Five people have been reported killed in Europe as the two consecutive storms shifted from the UK. Power lines went down and travel was also disrupted in central and northern Europe, according to the Associated Press. The storms affected a large portion of the continent with some countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, and Poland, reeling from its severe weather, highlighted by strong winds on a continental level. In the Netherlands, domestic and international flights were affected at the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, with Lufthansa and other airlines canceling several flights because of the storm. In addition, some domestic and international trains in the country were also canceled. In Hungary and Poland, two flights were re-routed between the two countries to avoid strong winds. Meanwhile, in Germany, three motorists were killed due to fallen trees and a vehicular accident caused by strong winds. Two of the motorists died in the town of Bad Bevensen, south of Hamburg; while the other motorist died near the city of Osnabrueck. Strong winds also killed two people in Poland after the storms caused the collapse of a construction crane. Further Weather Warnings in the UK In the aftermath of storms Eunice and Dudley, there are ongoing severe weather warnings for rain and wind across the UK from Saturday to Sunday, Feb. 19 to Feb. 20, as per the Meteorological Office (Met Office), the UK's official weather service agency. Related article: Storm Causes Widespread Disruption in Central and Eastern US in its Wake Scientists are concerned due to the environmental damage caused by the oil spill off the coast of Peru more than a month ago. They called on the Peruvian government to stop its reliance on oil and demanded that Peru consider an alternative energy source in the future. On Jan. 15, an oil spill occurred in the Pacific Ocean near off the coast of Callao District, just north of the capital city of Lima. Also called the 2022 Callao oil spill the incident has been considered one of the greatest marine ecological disasters in history. The oil spill spanned not only off the coast of Callao but also reached other beaches in the coastal areas of Peru. After the incident, the cause of the spill was blamed on the Tonga volcanic eruption that day. However, both Peruvian authorities and international organizations have condemned the incident. The initial investigation is still ongoing, highlighting that human error and not natural causes be the driving factor that led to the oil spill on Jan. 15. Environmental Damage Had Scientists Concerned The oil spill off the coast of Peru on Jan. 15 covered almost everything, including crabs, rocks, and seaweed, unlike anything seen before, according to Deyvis Huaman, a conservation biologist of Peru's National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP), as cited by the Nature website. Scientists have joined with local authorities in assessing the overall damage of the oil spill and cleanup efforts in coastal areas. The spill has spread to over 20 beaches-covering more than 41 kilometers (25 miles) starting off the coast of Callao, as per OLT News. Due to the environmental damage caused by the 2022 Callao oil spill, scientists are calling the possibility that the Peruvian government stop its reliance on oil and find an alternative source of energy. Oil spills are common across Peru, especially near the northern districts and Amazon jungle. However, Huaman emphasized that the Jan. 15 oil spill is the most damaging event concerning pollution on marine waters and the largest near the capital. Also read: Peru Suffers From Disastrous Oil Spill, Declares Environmental Emergency to Protect Birds Oil Spill Linked with the Tonga Volcanic Eruption On the day of the incident, Peru witnessed the spillage of 11,900 barrels of oil from the La Pampilla refinery-operated by the Spanish oil company Repsol. The Spanish firm reportedly attributed the incident to be caused by the Tonga volcanic eruption on the same day, as per the La Prensa Latina media agency. The firm's claim went out after receiving heavy criticism from Peruvian authorities. However, Repsol reportedly specified that wave surges from the Tonga eruption caused the turnover of its tanker, which was pumping crude oil from the refinery at that time. Local and International Investigations The General Directorate of Captaincies and Coast Guard, Peru's National Maritime Authority, is reportedly continuing the investigation into the oil spill incident. In addition, international organizations have joined the investigation as damage assessment and cleanup efforts continue along Peruvian coasts. An international team consisting of experts from the United Nations (UN) has been sent on the ground since January. Peru, being an agricultural country rich with both land and maritime resources, is facing the environmental repercussions of the oil spill-with the country's local wildlife and fishing industry at stake. Related article: Sunlight Dissolved Up to 17% of Oil During the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Incident: New Study New Castle, PA (16103) Today Thunderstorms this evening giving way to periods of light rain late. Low 58F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening giving way to periods of light rain late. Low 58F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Amid recent student protests over the University of Connecticuts handling of sexual assault investigations, university officials have cited two statistics that paint starkly different pictures of how many times students filed reports saying they were sexually assaulted. By one measure, defined under federal regulations, UConn says there were 9 reported sexual assaults at its Storrs campus during 2020. By another, defined by Connecticut law, the university says it received 80 reports of sexual assault that same year. While neither statistic is technically wrong, each has its flaws. And experts said the gap highlights shortcomings around the legal requirements that dictate how schools measure reports of sexual assault on their campuses. What you need is something in the middle, and its somewhat disappointing that thats not whats being done, said S. Daniel Carter, an expert on campus crime statistics and advocate for campus safety measures. Knowing how often cases are being reported is critical to encouraging more victims to come forward to disclose what is considered a vastly underreported act, advocates said. There are a variety of important differences between what the two metrics capture. For example, the lower figure does not include any incidents that occurred off-campus unless it was on nearby public property or if the university or a student group controls the property, such as a Greek house. About 35 percent of Storrs campus undergraduates live off-campus, as do almost all graduate students, according to the university. Meanwhile, the higher figure includes cases that happened in previous years but were reported in 2020. Find support Contact the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence 24-hour hotline to speak to an advocate. 1-888-999-5545 for English, 1-888-568-8332 for Spanish.Students at UConn can call 860-486-4705 for mental health support. See More Collapse UConn said that 34 of the 80 cases reported during 2020 were alleged to have happened that year. In response to questions from Hearst Connecticut Media Group, the university declined to say which years the other cases were alleged to have happened. But the university noted 64 of the 80 victims were connected to UConn when the incidents were reported to have occurred. Referring to the 80 figure, UConn added: Please also note that the term sexual assault as used in the report is a broad term which includes any form of non-consensual sexual contact. Earlier this month, after some students raised concerns about how the school handles investigations of sexual assault, the university issued a statement describing the federally-required measure as the most reliable indicator of sexual violence reporting over time on UConns campuses. Meanwhile, that same statement from UConn, issued on Feb. 4, said the state-required figure: has far broader parameters and therefore larger numbers. They include incidents with no connection to UConn, incidents that occurred before the reporting year, or other circumstances that prevent UConn from intervening in an enforcement role, that statement continued. In response to questions this week, UConn said only one of the 80 cases involved both a victim and alleged perpetrator who were not affiliated with UConn in any way. In most cases, the victims had a connection to the university, the school said. Four of the 80 cases were reported by non-students/non-employees, while in 11 more cases the victim was unknown, the school said. The rest of the victims were current and former students and employees, including 53 who were undergraduates at the time of incidents. UConn in its Feb. 4 statement described the state-required statistics as critical to help us provide support, but are not an indicator of on-campus single-year incidents. In a statement Friday, university spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said: UConn believes that both reports are valuable and help provide a holistic view of these important issues when taken together." She added that the federal report, "is the best indicator of incidents within a specific year on property that UConn owns or controls." Alexandra Docken, a 20-year-old student from Maryland whose recent protest over how the school handled her sexual assault claim sparked the recent concern at the campus, called UConns description of the figures frustrating. Theyre trying to act like there are less reports than what there actually are and trying to distance themselves and make it seem like its less of a problem than it is, said Docken. By playing down the numbers thats not just numbers, thats somebody, thats not just a statistic, Docken added. Each number is a person with a story, so thats also really frustrating. The lower number comes from reports schools must file each year detailing campus crime statistics to comply with a federal law called the Clery Act. The law is named after Jeanne Clery, who was raped and murdered in her dorm room at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1986. Her parents later lobbied Congress to institute the reporting nationwide standards. In 2014, Connecticut passed a law extending the requirements of the Clery Act. It ordered colleges statewide to file annual reports that include statistics about reports of sexual assault, intimate partner violence and stalking, regardless of where the incident occurred and whether the perpetrator was connected to the school. That law change followed a series of incidents, including a lawsuit against UConn brought by five students over how they said their claims of sexual assault and harassment were handled. The university ultimately paid $1.3 million to settle the suit. Carter said the geographic restrictions on what schools have to report to the federal government mean important crime statistics are missed. While Carter noted the Connecticut reporting requirements are too broad, he said the Clery numbers are all but irrelevant in measuring how often students are assaulted. Its just too narrowly defined, he said. Reitz noted the university widely publicizes both reports. UConn takes an expansive view of the Connecticut law in an attempt to capture as many reports as possible, she said. This is critical to ensure that students can receive services and support for trauma they experienced at any time in their life, and which they may continue to carry while living and learning at UConn, she said. UConn officials noted they can only investigate a case where a student or employee is accused, regardless of whether it happened on campus. That means the university may not be able to investigate cases in which a student graduated or dropped out. But the university can and does still offer support, Reitz said, and campus police can help begin the process of filing a complaint if the student wishes. The school may also take a variety of responsive and preventative actions, including behavioral meetings with the alleged respondent, enacting University no-contact directives per a students request, and/or additional training and prevention work within impacted organizations and departments, Reitz said. In the majority of cases, the university cant respond because the incident is never reported. Authorities are notified in only about one quarter of serious sexual assault or misconduct incidents, a study by the Association of American Universities in 2015 found. That means the best measure of the prevalence of sexual assault are university climate surveys, which asks a sample of the student population about their experiences, Carter said. UConn conducted a climate survey in 2015, finding 5.5 percent of undergraduate and graduate students on the Storrs and regional campuses said they had experienced a sexual assault during their time at the university, regardless of whether it occurred on-campus or off-campus. That would translate to roughly 1,700 students, based on a calculation from the student population in 2015. Soon, all Connecticut universities and colleges will be required to conduct bi-annual climate surveys, under a state law signed last summer. Bridget Koestner, education and youth services coordinator for the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, which lobbied in support of the law, said the climate surveys give students who didnt wish to formally report an incident the chance to see their experiences accounted for. Koestner said each of the data points has its own purpose. We really need to look at what the Clery numbers tell us, what the state's reports tell us and what the students tell us, she said. One in three students who experience sexual violence end up unenrolling, Koestner said, highlighting the importance of strong reporting policies so that universities can respond and offer help. Correction: A previous version of this story gave an incorrect description of S. Daniel Carters profession. John Frayne hosts Classics of the Phonograph on Saturdays at WILL-FM and, in retirement, teaches at the UI. He can be reached at frayne@illinois.edu. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 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." Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit Sundiata Cha-Jua is a professor of African American studies and history at the University of Illinois and a member of the North End Breakfast Club. His email is schajua@gmail.com. Brett Kepley is a lawyer with Land of Lincoln Legal Aid Inc. Send questions to The Law Q&A, 302 N. First St., Champaign, IL 61820. Longview, TX (75601) Today Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. By linking human population studies with experiments in cell and animal models, researchers have provided evidence that complex mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals impact children's brain development and language acquisition. With their novel approach, the scientists show that up to 54 per cent of pregnant women were exposed to experimentally defined levels of concern. While current risk assessment tackles chemicals one at a time, these findings show the need to take mixtures into account for future risk assessment approaches. There is increasing evidence that environmental chemicals to which we are continuously exposed can have endocrine disrupting properties and can thus be dangerous to human and animal health and development. Every year sees the release of a huge number of new compounds as part of the market authorization and production processes of a vast range of goods, chiefly but not only plastic derivatives, that enter the human body from several sources, including water, food and air. While exposure levels for individual chemicals are often below existing limit values, exposure to the same chemicals in complex mixtures can still impact human health. Yet all existing risk assessments, and thus established limit values, are based on chemicals being examined one at a time. There was thus a strong need to test whether an alternative strategy would be possible, in which the actual mixtures measured in real life exposures could be tested as such in both the epidemiological and experimental setting. The EU-funded EDC-MixRisk project set out to tackle this unmet need. "The uniqueness of this comprehensive project is that we have linked population data with experimental studies, and then used this information to develop new methods for risk assessment of chemical mixtures," says Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, Professor at Karlstad University, Project Manager of the SELMA study and responsible for the epidemiological part of EDC-MixRisk. The study was conducted in three steps: Firstly, a mixture of chemicals in the blood and urine of pregnant women was identified in the Swedish pregnancy cohort SELMA (see fact box for more details), associated with delayed language development in children at 30 months. This critical mixture included a number of phthalates, bisphenol A, and perfluorinated chemicals. Secondly, experimental studies uncovered the molecular targets through which human-relevant levels of this mixture disrupted the regulation of endocrine circuits and of genes involved in autism and intellectual disability. Thirdly, the findings from the experimental studies were used to develop new principles for risk assessment of this mixture. It is striking that the findings in the experimental systems well reflected what we found in the epidemiological part, and that the effects could be demonstrated at normal exposure levels for humans." Joelle Ruegg, Professor of Environmental Toxicology at Uppsala University and Vice Coordinator of EDC-MixRisk "Human brain organoids (advanced in vitro cultures that reproduce salient aspects of human brain development) afforded, for the first time, the opportunity to directly probe the molecular effects of this mixture on human brain tissue at stages matching those measured during pregnancy. Alongside other experimental systems and computational methods, we found that the mixture disrupts the regulation of genes linked to autism (one of whose hallmarks is language impairment), hinders the differentiation of neurons and alters thyroid hormone function in neural tissue," says Giuseppe Testa, Principal Investigator of the EDC-MixRisk responsible for the human experimental modeling, Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Milan, Head of the Neurogenomics Research Centre at Human Technopole and Group Leader at the European Institute of Oncology. "One of the key hormonal pathways affected was thyroid hormone. Optimal levels of maternal thyroid hormone are needed in early pregnancy for brain growth and development, so it's not surprising that there is an association with language delay as a function of prenatal exposure," says Barbara Demeneix, Professor of Physiology and Endocrinology at the Natural History Museum in Paris and involved in the mechanistic, in vivo, studies. By linking different scientific methods in this way, the researchers were able to show that 54 per cent of children included in the SELMA study were at risk of delayed language development (at age 30 months) as they were prenatally exposed to a mixture of chemicals at levels that were above the levels predicted to impact neurodevelopment. This risk did not become apparent when the current limit values for individual chemicals were used. The study was conducted in a collaboration among universities and research centers from Sweden (Uppsala University, Karlstad University, University of Gothenburg, Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Stockholm University, Orebro University), Italy (University of Milan, European Institute of Oncology and Human Technopole), France (CNRS/Museum d'histoire naturelle), Finland (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)), Germany (University of Leipzig), Greece (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), and the US (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York). More about the SELMA-study: The SELMA study is conducted at Karlstad University, Sweden, and follows approximately 2,000 motherchild pairs from early pregnancy over childbirth and up to the child reaching school age. The overall aim is to investigate the impact of exposure to suspected or proven endocrine disrupting chemicals during early pregnancy on the child's health and development later in life. The study has shown a connection between mixtures of different chemicals and the child's gender development, respiratory problems, cognitive development and growth during childhood. SEN. BINAY CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF FUEL SUBSIDY FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT SECTOR Senator Nancy Binay urged over the weekend the Department of Budget and Management to immediately release funds for the provision of fuel subsidy to the public transport sector. This, as public utility drivers are feeling the heat with a steady rise in oil prices for the seventh week in a row now. "Umaaray na po ang ating mga public transport sector workers. Ngayon pa nga lang sana sila babangon muli dahil matagal silang natengga dahil sa pandemya, nanganganib pa dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng langis," Binay said. According to Budget Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie L. Canda, the Dubai crude benchmark used as basis for the release of funds for the fuel subsidy program of the 2022 General Appropriations Act had already been breached. As well, the agency had already received the request of both the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for its release. The DBM, however, is still waiting for an additional requirement from the Department of Transportation hence it still cannot release the subsidy. Under the General Appropriations Act of 2022, the fuel subsidy program's funds can only be released when the average Dubai crude oil price based on the Mean of Platts Singapore reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel for three consecutive months. The senator appealed for compassion and greater urgency from the national government. "Kung iisang dokumento na lang pala ang hinihintay and the rest of the criteria for the release of aid is already fulfilled, sana i-release na. Napaka-urgent ng isyu na ito at kailangan ng agarang resolusyon," Binay said. "Sana tayo ang mag-adjust. From the DOTR's side, ayusin sa lalong madaling panahon ang mga kulang na papeles. Nakikiusap rin tayo sa DBM na i-assess kung talaga bang magpapapigil tayo sa additional na requirement at hindi hahanap ng solusyon," the lawmaker added. The fuel subsidy program had been allocated P2.5 billion under the 2022 budget, which would provide aid in the form of vouchers to public utility, taxi, tricycle and full-time ride-hailing delivery service drivers nationwide as identified and validated by the LTFRB. Another P500 million was also set aside for fuel discounts to farmers and fisherfolk under the Department of Agriculture. The LTFRB said that 377,443 beneficiaries will receive P6,500 each for fuel subsidy. The International Aspirin Foundation has published a report of the Winner and Highly Commended awardees, present at the prestigious Emerging Aspirin Investigator Award Ceremony. Featuring research into aspirin and chemoprevention, pre-eclampsia and frailty prevention as well optimizing dosing levels, the report highlights the variety of work currently being led by early career researchers into the different medical uses and impacts of the drug. The report leads with Emerging Aspirin Investigator Award 2021 Winner Dr Tracey Simon MD MPH, Hepatologist, Division of Gastroenterology, Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, USA and her work on Aspirin and Primary Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. It also features the Highly Commended candidates: Dr Helga Helgadottir, Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iceland and her work on the prophylactic use of aspirin to prevent the development of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy; Dr Holli Loomans-Kropp, Postdoctoral Fellow, GIORG National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA and her work on the association between aspirin use and cancer risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial; Dr Ariela Orkaby, MD MPH Geriatrics and Preventative Cardiology, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, VA Boston Healthcare System GRECC, USA and her work on the association between aspirin use and a decreased risk of frailty and functional limitation in older men; Dr William Parker, MA MB BChir PhD SRPharmsS MRCS MRCP, British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellow in Cardiology, University of Sheffield and Registrar in Cardiology at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK and his work on optimising aspirin dosing for patients with high-risk coronary syndromes: the WILLOW programme. Dr Lucia Cea Soriano PharmD PhD, Assistant Professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain, who was unable to attend the meeting, was also recognized and awarded a certificate of commendation. The most menacing fallout from COVID-19 often shows itself only after the initial "acute" infection passes. A team of VA researchers has been shining a light on various dangerous and enduring consequences that can arise following the initial COVID bout. These COVID complications include mental health disorders. In one of two studies they conducted on COVID's chronic effects that were published in February 2022, researchers with the VA St. Louis Health Care System focused on mental health disorders following COVID-19 infection. The group's findings appeared Feb. 16, 2022, in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The researchers found that, even in people not needing hospitalization while infected with COVID-19, serious health issues related to mental health could persist, or pop up, in the weeks and months following the acute stage. They say the reasons for the increased mental health risks after COVID are not completely clear. Biologic changes may occur in the body that affect the brain, and nonbiologic changes such as social isolation and trauma may also be at play. Led by principal investigator Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, who heads up both the Clinical Epidemiology Center and the Research and Development Service at the VA St. Louis Health Care System, the researchers found increased risks of conditions such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and substance use disorders. For many people, COVID-19 infection comes with only mild or moderate symptoms, such as an irksome cough and shortness of breath that last for a few days. But this first phase can be the "tip of the iceberg," according to Al-Aly. "Those who go on to experience serious chronic consequences-;effects that commonly last a lifetime-;are the ones who will bear the scars of this pandemic," he says. Al-Aly is a nephrologist-;a doctor specializing in kidney disease-;as well as a clinical epidemiologist with expertise in big data. His team analyzes huge data sets too complex for conventional computer software. As a researcher, Al-Aly specializes in COVID's chronic effects, which are known technically as "post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2" and informally as "long COVID" or "long-haul COVID." Studies by Al-Aly and others have shown that long COVID can affect nearly every organ system. "People return to their doctor with fatigue, brain fog, amnesia, strokes, new-onset diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, and more," the physician-researcher says. From the wide range of chronic consequences of COVID, one area that Al-Aly and his team decided to zero in on was mental health. They selected this area because of its serious ramifications for individual and public health, explains study coauthor Dr. Yan Xie, a clinical epidemiologist with the VA St. Louis Epidemiology Center. The research group compared the mental health risks for those who had COVID-19 and survived the first 30 days of infection with the same health outcomes among those who were not infected. Over a study period of about a year, the researchers identified elevated risks for issues such as anxiety, depression, stress disorders, opioid use, substance use disorders, and sleep conditions. We've all suffered some sort of distress from this pandemic-;maybe a measure of anxiety or difficulty sleeping. But these challenges are magnified, especially in those who were admitted to the hospital during the acute part of their COVID battle but also in many who experienced only mild or moderate symptoms." Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, lead investigator Compared to those who did not have COVID, those in the COVID group had a 60 percent higher risk of having any mental health disorder or mental health-related prescriptions. Findings by the type of mental health issue were: Anxiety: 35 percent higher risk in the COVID-19 group Depression: 39 percent higher risk Sleep disorder: 41 percent higher risk Opioid use: 76 percent higher risk Opioid use disorder: 34 percent higher risk Non-opioid substance use disorders: 20 percent higher risk. Given the large number of people with COVID-19, these findings could translate into a huge impact in the United States and around the world, the authors point out. In the study published in BMJ, the researchers analyzed medical records in a database within VA, which operates the largest integrated health care system in the United States. The analysis included nearly 154,000 patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 in a defined time frame from March 2020 into January 2021. (The time frame predated the delta and omicron variants, as well as wide availability of vaccines.) Using sophisticated statistical methods, the researchers compared these patients' health information with data from more than 11 million people who had not had COVID-19 infection-;about half of them from the same time frame and the other half from a pre-pandemic timespan. "A strength of our research was the large number of patients and the ability to leverage the breadth and depth of the VA's electronic health records system," highlights Al-Aly. As a pioneer in the use of electronic health records, VA "can offer answers to questions about areas including the pandemic that would be hard for others to address." Al-Aly also credits his multidisciplinary research team for making the rigorous analysis possible. "We brought together public health experts from across disciplines, successfully marrying the medical and research perspectives," Al-Aly says. Evan Xu, with VA St. Louis, co-authored the BMJ article with Al-Aly and Xie. The team hopes their research and that of other groups will encourage individuals, health care systems, and policymakers to remain vigilant concerning the virus. The best defense against long COVID, according to the researchers: Avoid getting COVID in the first place. That means taking steps such as getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing high-quality masks, and washing hands regularly, Xie specifies. For those who become infected and develop mental health disorders, Xie says, "We hope our results will make it easier for them and their health care providers to identify these conditions and initiate treatment." From a broader, public-policy perspective, Al-Aly urges a prompt and robust response to support the millions of people who could face serious mental health challenges resulting from COVID. "No doubt, the VA will take care of our patients, and health care systems as well as governments across this country and around the world must also prepare. It is very important to address these issues now, before they become much larger crises down the road." Al-Aly says he and his colleagues will continue studying long-haul COVID. "As a physician and a researcher myself, working with a group of full-time researchers, we will continue to leverage our expertise to answer questions that the public, including Veterans and Veterans' organizations, care about." Al-Aly's ongoing research includes an examination of the link between long COVID and diabetes. "By generating more awareness of the spectrum of health complications long-haulers face," he says, "we can work to nip this long-COVID crisis in the bud and keep it from ballooning into a larger public health plight." What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. (Newser) The works of Charles Dickens are widely read, but a single page had defied scholars for more than a century. The contents of the letter, written in 1859, remained a mystery because it consisted not of letters of any alphabet but of symbols, dots, and scribblesa shorthand all Dickens' own, developed while he worked as a court reporter. Last March, frustrated experts at the University of Leicester threw their effort open, the New York Times reports, posting a copy of the letter online and offered about $400 to whoever had the most success deciphering it. That did the trick: 70% of the letter now is decoded. A computer technical support specialist from San Jose was declared the winner from a field of 1,000. "After getting mostly C grades in literature, I never dreamed anything I'd ever do would be of interest to Dickens scholars!" Shane Baggs said. Ken Cox, 20, a cognitive science student at the University of Virginia, came in second. He grew up knowing Dickens because of his mother's interest. The scholars remained involved when the tech people joined the effort, per the Times. "Some stuff that is really obvious to the Dickensians isnt obvious to the cryptographers and maybe vice versa," said one of the organizers. The school led workshops on the shorthand that Dickens learned from a manual called Brachygraphy when he was 16. His system evolved into something no one else could understand. Baggs' breakthroughs included realizing that the "@" symbolwhich others thought stood for "at," as it does nowwas a reference to Dickens' journal All the Year Round. Experts believe the page is a copy of part of a lost letter Dickens sent to the editor of The Times of London. It turns out that Dickens was appealing the decision to reject an ad for a new literary publication. The directness of his language, for the time, shows Dickens was angry, one expert said. The group plans to work on decoding the rest of the letter and other texts for the next year. (Read more Charles Dickens stories.) (Newser) Oscar Schwartz went back and watched the TED talks from the group's 2015 conference. Bill Gates warned about pandemics, Monica Lewinsky spoke about how to curb online bullying, and a Google engineer described driverless cars. Seven years later, did these "ideas worth spreading"TED's famous taglinedo any good? Not so much, Schwartz writes in an in-depth critique of the popular speaking forum at the Drift. "In fact, seven years after TED 2015, it feels like we are living in a reality that is the exact opposite of the future envisioned that year," he writes. "A president took office in part because of his talent for online bullying. Driverless cars are nowhere near as widespread as predicted, and those that do share our roads keep crashing. Covid has killed five million people and counting." All of this speaks to what Schwartz sees as the fundamental failing of TED talks. They are what he calls "inspiresting." That is, the most successful (at least in terms of popularity) TED talks are a formulaic combination of interesting and inspirational. But they are more "earnest and contrived" than effective in bringing about actual change. In referencing a talk given by the now-disgraced Elizabeth Holmes, Schwartz writes that at its peak a decade or so ago, TED became a "magnet for narcissistic, recognition-seeking characters and their Theranos-like projects." The piece traces the platform's origins and rise, noting that while it's not as popular as in years past, TED remains a ubiquitous presence in a number of different formats. Read the full essay, which sees a misstep in the expansion into lower-quality TEDx talks. (Read more Longform stories.) (Newser) The family behind Purdue Pharma is willing to contribute another $1 billion to settle thousands of opioid crisis lawsuits, provided it buys the Sacklers immunity from all current and future civil cases. That protection was included in the first bankruptcy plan for the company, which was rejected last year by eight states and the District of Columbia, throwing it into the current negotiations. When such a shield is granted, experts critical of it say, it's usually to companies seeking bankruptcy reorganization, not to owners who did not file for personal bankruptcy, the New York Times reports. Under their proposal, the Sacklers would contribute between $5.5 billion and $6 billion, up from the original $4.3 billion, a court filing Friday revealed. The family would pay out the added money over 18 years, per the AP. The settlement is to go toward treatment and prevention of opioid addiction, as well as to victims. But an advocate for people with opioid use disorder said he doesn't see the pot of money for victims changing, despite the added amount. "The government's pot will continue to get larger as additional settlement negotiations may continue, yet there's no increase for direct payments to families and survivors," Ryan Hampton said. "It's dead wrong and unjust." The Sacklers declined to comment on the proposed deal. A mediator said the latest proposal has the support of most of the states that rejected the first plan, but she wants negotiations to win over the holdouts to run through this month. At the same time, the company is appealing a judge's decision to reject its plan. The Sacklers have denied any wrongdoing in fostering the opioid crisis, but Purdue pleaded guilty to branding and fraud charges, per CNBC. On March 3, the current protection that prohibits new lawsuits from being filed against the Sacklers while Purdue is in bankruptcy expires. (Read more opioids stories.) (Newser) In an emotional appearance before the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the leaders of Western nations Saturday that sanctions against Russia should take effect immediatelywithout waiting for an invasion. "We don't need your sanctions after" parts of Ukraine are occupied by Russian troops and its economy has collapsed, he said. Zelensky also told them they should reach no agreement with Russia without Ukrainian involvement, the New York Times reports. He expressed gratitude for unity against Russia and frustration by its limited effects, calling the alliances protecting Europe "brittle" and "obsolete." Other developments included: A show of unity : Vice President Kamala Harris told the Munich gathering: "Our strength must not be underestimated because after all it lies in our unity. And as we have always shown it takes a lot more strength to build something up than it takes to tear something down." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also attended, stressing the seriousness of the sanctions Russia would face if it invades Ukraine, per the Hill. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the response will be global. "If Ukraine is invaded," he said, "the shock will echo around the world, and those echoes will be heard in East Asia, they will be heard in Taiwan." : Vice President Kamala Harris told the Munich gathering: "Our strength must not be underestimated because after all it lies in our unity. And as we have always shown it takes a lot more strength to build something up than it takes to tear something down." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also attended, stressing the seriousness of the sanctions Russia would face if it invades Ukraine, per the Hill. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the response will be global. "If Ukraine is invaded," he said, "the shock will echo around the world, and those echoes will be heard in East Asia, they will be heard in Taiwan." China weighing in : Appearing at the conference over a video hookup, China's foreign minister urged new negotiations that could address Russia's security concerns while maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty. Earlier this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Winter Olympics, where they said the two nations are closer than evera friendship with "no limits." At the same time, Wang Yi questioned the effectiveness of NATO. : Appearing at the conference over a video hookup, China's foreign minister urged new negotiations that could address Russia's security concerns while maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty. Earlier this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Winter Olympics, where they said the two nations are closer than evera friendship with "no limits." At the same time, Wang Yi questioned the effectiveness of NATO. Eastern Ukraine casualties: Defense officials announced that the shelling of eastern Ukraine had increased tenfold in the past three days. On Saturday, the defense minister said, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five were wounded, per the Washington Post. Oleksii Reznikov said that although no offensive was being planned for the region, Ukraine will "not allow the firing on the positions of our troops and human settlements with impunity." (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) The QAnon movement got its start in 2017 when somebody known as "Q" began posting conspiracy-laden messages online. Now, two independent teams of linguistic sleuths say they have settled the question about Q's identity, reports the New York Times. Both have concluded that Q is actually two people. The theory is that the original posts were written by Paul Furber, a software developer and tech journalist from South Africa. But at some point in 2018, Ron Watkins of the US took over. Watkins ran the 8chan message boardnow known as 8kunwhere the posts gained popularity. For the record, both deny it. Their names have surfaced before as likely candidates, and an HBO documentary asserts that Watkins inadvertently admitted to it on camera. The new analysesone by Swiss researchers and the other by a French teammade use of machine learning to pore over posts by Q and compare them to posts made by Furber, Watkins, and others. Both say it's a near certainty that Q has been revealed, and two experts who reviewed the findings for the Times say they make a strong case. Furber, for his part, explains away the similarities of his writing and Q's by saying that Q influenced him so much that he began mimicking him. The analysts dispute that. Watkins, who is running for Congress in Arizona, says simply, "I am not Q." But the 34-year-old also praises the Q posts and says "there is probably more good stuff than bad" in them. Read the full story, which notes that Q has been silent since December 2020. (The FBI thinks QAnon will strengthen as it decentralizes.) (Newser) Two of the most high-profile figures on the left and right are swinging at each other publicly. As the Hill reports, it involves Tucker Carlson of Fox News questioning the ethnic heritage of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and AOC firing back: Carlson: He said it was "absurd" AOC is considered a person of color. "She's a rich, entitled white lady," he said, per Newsweek. "She's the pampered obnoxious ski bunny in the matching snowsuit who tells you to pull up your mask while you're standing in the lift line at Jackson Hole. They're all the same, it doesn't matter what shade they are." He said it was "absurd" AOC is considered a person of color. "She's a rich, entitled white lady," he said, per Newsweek. "She's the pampered obnoxious ski bunny in the matching snowsuit who tells you to pull up your mask while you're standing in the lift line at Jackson Hole. They're all the same, it doesn't matter what shade they are." AOC: "This is the type of stuff you say when your name starts with a P and ends with dejo," she tweeted, a reference to the Spanish-language insult pendejo. AOC's mother was born in Puerto Rico, and her Bronx father has Puerto Rican roots. Carlson: The host referenced a new book about AOC by New York editors in which she describes herself as "alone" one particular day. Says Carlson: "Is it just us, or does that sound like an invitation to a booty call? Maybe one step from 'what are you wearing?' Either way, it's a little strange, it's definitely oversharing." (In a separate essay at Fox News, Carlson calls Take Up Space: The Unprecedented AOC a "book-length suck-up" to her.) The host referenced a new book about AOC by New York editors in which she describes herself as "alone" one particular day. Says Carlson: "Is it just us, or does that sound like an invitation to a booty call? Maybe one step from 'what are you wearing?' Either way, it's a little strange, it's definitely oversharing." (In a separate essay at Fox News, Carlson calls Take Up Space: The Unprecedented AOC a "book-length suck-up" to her.) AOC: Youre a creep bro," she tweeted. "If youre this easy w/ sexual harassment on air, how are you treating your staff? She added: Any man that talks like this will treat any woman like this. Doesnt matter if youre Republican, Democrat, or neither, this is clearly not a safe person to leave alone w/ women. Once again, the existence of a wife or daughters doesnt make a man good. And this one is basura. (Read more Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stories.) (Newser) Update: Queen Elizabeth II has apparently weathered her bout with COVID just fine. The 95-year-old, who tested positive on Feb. 20, met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, which the BBC notes is her first face-to-face meeting since she contracted the virus. She had resumed virtual engagements about a week ago. Also of note: The queen was pictured with blue and yellow flowers on Monday, and they just happen to be the national colors of Ukraine. Our original story from Feb. 20 follows: The queen has COVID, but her symptoms are mild, says Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth II, who is 95, tested positive and is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms," the palace announced Sunday, reports the Guardian. So mild that she will not cancel what are described as "light duties" this week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," the palace said in a statement, per the AP. Elizabeth has received three COVID vaccinations, though the BBC notes that she had been in contact with her son, Prince Charles, who recently tested positive himself, as did his wife, Camilla. Elizabeth this month celebrated her 70th year on the throne, making her the UK's longest reigning monarch. (The queen has settled on a future title for Camilla.) (Newser) Update: Boris Johnson confirmed Monday that his government is scrapping the last domestic COVID restrictions in England this week. The prime minister said it marked an end to "two of the darkest, grimmest years in our peacetime history," the AP reports. "Today is not the day we can declare victory over COVID, because this virus is not going away," Johnson said. "But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enabled us to protect ourselves whilst restoring our liberties in full. He confirmed that mandatory self-isolation for people with COVID-19 will end starting Thursday and the routine tracing of infected peoples contacts will stop, along with most free testing. The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said the government's "half-baked" approach would leave Britain vulnerable. "'Ignorance is bliss' is not a responsible approach to a deadly virus," Starmer said. Our story from Sunday follows: People with COVID-19 won't be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the UK government has announced, as part of a plan for "living with COVID" that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ending all of the legal restrictions brought in to curb the spread of the virus will "protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms." He is expected to lay out details of the plan in Parliament on Monday, the AP reports. "I'm not saying that we should throw caution to the winds, but now is the moment for everybody to get their confidence back," Johnson told the BBC in an interview broadcast Sunday. "We've reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favor of encouraging personal responsibility," Johnson said. But some of the government's scientific advisers said it was a risky move that could bring a surge in infections and weaken the country's defenses against more virulent future strains. Wes Streeting, health spokesman for the opposition Labor Party, accused Johnson of "declaring victory before the war is over." Johnson's Conservative government says it will remove "all remaining domestic COVID regulations that restrict public freedoms." The legal requirement to isolate for at least five days after a positive COVID-19 test will be replaced with advisory measures, and the coronavirus will be treated more like the flu as it becomes endemic. Scientists stressed that much remains unknown about the virus and future variants that may be more severe than the currently dominant omicron strain. Epidemic modelers who advise the government also warned that "a sudden change, such as an end to testing and isolation, has the scope to lead to a return to rapid epidemic growth" if people throw caution to the wind. (Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive.) Shamokin, PA (17872) Today Periods of rain. Rain becoming heavy at times overnight. Low near 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Rain becoming heavy at times overnight. Low near 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Paula Earp is a board member with Golden Heart Community Foundation, an Affiliate of the Alaska Community Foundation. She can be reached at paula.earp@gmail.com. Charlie Dexter is a professor of applied business emeritus at the UAF Community and Technical College. He can be reached at cndexter@alaska.edu. This column is brought to you as a public service by the UAF Department of Applied Business. Ray Bonnell is a freelance artist, writer and longtime Fairbanks resident. See more of his artwork at www.pingostudio.us. Sources: Environmental Impact Statement, Skakwak Highway Improvement. Department of Public Works, Canada & U.S. Department of Transportation. 1977 Haines Highway. Merle Lien. Haines Sheldon Museum website, . 1987 Jack Dalton, The Alaska Pathfinder. M.J. Kirchoff. Alaska Cedar Press. 2007 The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Frank Murkowski was governor of Alaska from 2002 to 2006. He previously served in the U.S. Senate, where he served as chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 1995 to 2001. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today called on Bahraini citizens not to travel to Ukraine at present, In a travel advisory issued today, the ministry urged Bahrainis who are currently in Ukraine to leave for their safety, given the recent developments and security instability there. For assistance, please contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Operations Office) at 0097317227555 TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Cancelling housing applications of people whose salary exceeded BD1,200 over time has deprived many of their right to own a home, said a Parliamentarian. MP Hamad Al-Kooheji said the cancellation decision comes down as a shock for citizens, who had waited for long and had several obligations. It is necessary to amend the conditions for obtaining social housing, especially regarding age, said Al Kooheji. He added: Depriving housing service to people above 35 years of age make many waiting citizens ineligible. The housing, Al-Kooheji said, has cancelled the requests of citizens whose salaries exceeded the specified ceiling, as they waited for years for a housing unit. Cancellations took place because of a citizens career growth, the annual increases and promotions he received. Citing the situation, Al-Kooheji asked the parliament, Does the career development and ambition of the Bahraini citizen make him ineligible for obtaining a housing service. Some of the citizens salaries, when applying for the housing unit, were well within the application limits. However, after years of waiting, career development and promotions, their salaries grew. Cancelling their applications, citing their salary, now is an encroachment on their rights, said Al-Kooheji. Citing a report of the Parliamentary Investigation Committee in Housing Services, Al-Kooheji said that the Housing ministry dropped 650 such requests for the salaries of beneficiaries breaching the application limit. He also pointed out that the Housing Ministry has also cancelled the applications of divorced women and transferred the application to the name of one of the sons. These acts are threatening the cohesion of the Bahraini family and putting many mothers in a tight spot. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain's Ambassador to the U.S. Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa hosted the President of Red Six International Kristen Fontenrose in the third episode of the Bahrain Banter podcast. The discussion revolved around drones, one of the most important current global topics. In the third episode of the podcast, Shaikh Abdullah touched on several topics, most notably the current assessment of the general security situation in the Middle East, ways for the Arab Gulf states to remain at the forefront of confronting drone attacks, and the processes of importing the technology needed to build and launch armed drones. Other topics were the types of technologies and systems that are most successful in tracking, countering and shooting down these drones, and the role of the U.S. in exchanging experiences and knowledge with allied countries. Fontenrose shared her assessment of the security environment in the Middle East and said that she is currently on a tour around the countries of the Middle East. The technology discussed is of growing importance in all the countries she visited, she added. She said the best way to address this threat is integrated air and missile defence with multiple and overlapping systems, which countries must confront collectively and not individually. Fontenrose indicated that the collective efforts do not require highlighting the weaknesses of neighbouring countries, but rather requires Gulf cooperation that seeks a common warning system for the countries. She added that there are three ways for terrorist groups to import the technology needed to build and launch armed drones, the most prominent of which are commercial suppliers - given that the parts used in these drones are used in all types of drones-, and the black market for expendable parts. Fontenrose said that technological progress might contribute to terrorist groups not needing to import the necessary pieces, given the development witnessed by these groups, organizations and the countries that stand behind them, in their gaining experience in printing three-dimensional pieces in conjunction with the ease of transferring knowledge between terrorist organizations. She highlighted that imposing sanctions is not an effective way to address drone programs as equipped drones are not imported, and as there are other ways, such as the market for consumable parts, or similar recreational drone parts. Therefore, governments should urge factories to verify their customers in order to mitigate the possibility of their equipment falling into the hands of terrorist organizations, she said. Fontenrose called for multilateral efforts to end support for militias operating against recognized governments internationally. The "Bahrain Banter" is a monthly podcast in which the Bahraini ambassador in Washington hosts guests to discuss the most important regional and international topics. It is broadcast through various outlets, including Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Previous guests were former Secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer, and the former head of the U.S. Cyber Command, retired General Keith Alexander. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com By Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood Youth, said Oscar Wilde, is wasted on the young and experience on the old. It would seem MP Sawsan Kamal is also of the same opinion because she called for the reassessment of the definition of elderly based on Bahrains modern conditions. World-class healthcare and better nutrition and overall quality of life have combined to make this century one of the healthiest for Bahrain citizens. This, despite the alarm bells rung at intervals about obesity, sedentary lifestyle and associated health scares. In many countries, the elderly are defined as having a chronological age of 65 years or older. However, there is no clear medical or biological evidence to support this definition. As MP Dr Sawsan correctly points out, our world has changed and we need to keep abreast of these life modifications. The old days of hard physical work when the body needed to rest after age fifty are gone. Todays knowledge industry sees more of us desk-bound and the work is from neck-up for the eyes and the brain, mainly. We accumulate expertise and experience and by age 60, we are valuable assets to society. Moreover, people in the 60 to 75 age group are not usually physically unfit. Why then are we so quick to retire our golden sixty-somethings from our workforce and relegate them to mild grandparenthood when we should be seeking out their wisdom? An active person with a busy intellectual life will have to be healthier in the company of mixed-age groups, s/he will feel the mental stimulation and the energy to stay physically fit. Such an approach to ageing will undoubtedly enrich our society and help us to tap into the ability of older persons to guide us. We can also then focus on offering proper elderly care to the age group that is really in need of it the above-75 years when increasing health issues manifest themselves and need a more measured and frequent intervention. I hope the government will listen to the suggestion of people like Dr Kamal and initiate a study to rewrite our elderly care manifesto. Events were held across the United States on Saturday to raise awareness of racial discrimination. On February 19, 1942, then-US President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order that led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans. The order, signed about two months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, stripped people of Japanese descent of their civil rights. About 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry and others were sent as hostile aliens to internment camps around the US. On Friday, US President Joe Biden issued a statement about the executive order, saying the US will never again engage in such an un-American act. DANBURY When most people think of Danburys Black history, esteemed opera singer Marian Anderson usually comes first to mind but the history of African-Americans in the Danbury community and their contributions to the citys fabric starts long before that and doesnt always receive the same attention. The African-American story in Danbury is part of the weft and the weave of our whole communitys story, so while separating it out is difficult, highlighting it is not, said Brigid Guertin, director of the Danbury Museum & Historical Society. If you start at the very beginning, we have stories associated with enslaved members of our community, as well as free African-Americans, she said, noting that a number of Danburys earliest residents of African descent fought in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Although southern states were known for having plantations and large numbers of enslaved people, the northern states including Connecticut were not immune to the institution of slavery. Some of the earliest records of slavery in Connecticut date back to the mid-1600s. Not only that, but Connecticut had more slaves of African descent than any other New England state by the start of the American Revolution. There were 18 enslaved people of African descent residing in Danbury in 1756, according to that years census. According to A Historical Sketch of the Negro in Danbury to 1900 a research paper on early African-American life in Danbury written by the late Thomas G. West in 1966 the number of slaves in Danbury reached the greatest extent of its growth by 1774. That years census recorded 53 slaves residing in Danbury accounting for less than 3 percent of the towns population. After that, Danburys slave population gradually decreased. According to census records, there were 23 slaves in 1790 and three by 1800. Danburys last known slave was a man owned by a white woman named Mary Prindle. Prindle was at least 45 years old and the enslaved man was between the ages of 26 and 45 in 1820 the last census year an enslaved person of African descent in Danbury was recorded. He and Prindle were both noted in the census but unlike Prindle, the enslaved man was not listed by name. There were no enslaved individuals reportedly living in Danbury by 1840, and the number of free non-white Danbury residents jumped from 20 in 1790 to 81 in 1860. By this time, many free African-Americans in Danbury were working as laborers or domestic servants, and a number of them resided with the white residents who employed them. After the Civil War, though, those numbers gradually diminished as Black residents started setting up their own households mostly in or near the center of town. By 1880, there were more than 30 Black families living within and three living outside the borough limits, according to West. The greatest concentration of African-American households at the time were on Ives and Cherry streets. Census records from 1880 show there were also Black families living on Coal Pit Hill, Clapboard Ridge and Middle River roads; Wooster, West Wooster, Elm, Beaver, Franklin, Canal, Delay, Center, Smith, South and Osborn streets, as well as Highland and Maple avenues. One of, if not the first Black property owner in Danbury was a man named Lyman Peters, who first purchased land on Grassy Plain Road in 1850. After buying more real estate in the late-1800s, according to West, Peters became the largest African-American landholder in the area. According to West, there was another large African-American property owner in Danbury named Homer Peters. However, its not entirely clear if Homer and Lyman were two separate people. According to the Danbury Museum & Historical Societys Museum in the Streets sign at the Deer Hill Avenue and West Street intersection, Homers first name was actually Lyman. Lyman Homer Peters hailed from Newtown and became known as Danburys town barber. He married a former slave from Maryland named Nancy Kerr in 1831, and lived for some time in a little house on Coalpit Hill, according to James Montgomery Bailey and Susan Benedict Hills History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896. In the 1840s, Peters purchased and moved his family into a new home at the foot of Liberty Street, out of which he would sell ice cream during the summer months. In addition to being a barber and seasonal ice cream seller, Peters was known as the town fiddler. According to Bailey and Hills book, he was a talented and entertaining violinist who would furnish dancing music for local festivities. During his time in Danbury, Peters owned three homes and was regarded as the informal leader of Danburys small black community, according to the Danbury Museum. When he died in 1881, the local newspaper described him as a man of large, good nature and considerable wit (who) was well liked as he was well known. Another one of Danburys early Black property owners was a man named Alexander Pine, who became the first property owner in his family after purchasing a parcel on Cherry Street in the late-1860s. His brother, James, followed suit and did the same four years later. In November 1860, 63-year-old Millison or Millicant Phillips bought a house for her, her son and his family somewhere in Danbury for $300. According to West, that property was later sold to a Black saloonkeeper named Ralph Holey or Holly in 1863. Over the next few decades, Black men buying property became more common place. A man named Stephen Drew purchased farmland in the Middle River district and built a home for his family in 1871. The house which, from census records, appears to have been on Franklin Street Extension stood on a slope overlooking the road until the mid-20th Century when after a long period of being boarded up, the house was razed, according to West. A few years later, in 1877, two more Black men purchased land: Nelson Butler who built on Clapboard Ridge Road in the citys Hayestown district and William Jenkins, who built a house several hundred yards away from Butler on a property purchased under the name of his wife, Nancy. Contributed Photo / Bethel Police Department BETHEL An Ohio man accused of stealing a car with a child inside it was arrested Sunday in town after being found sleeping in another stolen car, officials said. At around 7 a.m., Bethel police officers received a report of a vehicle idling in the Best Western parking lot on Stony Hill Road for several hours, police said. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. US President Joe Biden will hold a meeting of the National Security Council on the situation in Ukraine on Sunday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says. President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in Ukraine and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team. They reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time, Psaki said in a Saturday statement. According to the White House, Biden has already received an update on the meetings held at the Munich Security Conference, including those with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tomorrow, the President will convene a meeting of the National Security Council on the situation in Ukraine, Psaki said. Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATOs military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an invasion in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATOs military presence further eastward in Europe. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kievs sabotage of the Minsk agreements. The self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics (LPR and DPR) in Ukraines southeast (Donbas) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region on Friday over the escalation of tensions on the contact line. DPR and LPR have been reporting ongoing shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces since Thursday. This comes after the spread of a letter on social media claiming that Gurpatwant Pannu has declared his support for the Aam Aadmi Party in the upcoming Punjab elections on Sunday. The greatest supporter of Azad Khalistan, Gurpatwant Pannu of Sikhs for Justice, said that senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) officials falsified the letter of him endorsing AAP to get radical support. This comes after the spread of a letter on social media claiming that Gurpatwant Pannu has declared his support for the Aam Aadmi Party in the upcoming Punjab elections on Sunday. Surprising: Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice declares support for Aam Aadmi Party. pic.twitter.com/qRpw5gElun Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) February 17, 2022 Sikhs For Justice released a statement claiming that the letter is phony, and its leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, accused the Aam Aadmi Party of making a phony letter viral in a video message. The letter sent in the name of Sikhs for Justice by the Aam Aadmi Party, Kejriwal, and Bhagwant Mann is false, stated Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, SFJs General Consul General. For the false letter submitted by Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal will have to pay compensation, says a statement posted in Gurumukhi on SFJs Instagram account. The account then posted a video of Pannu claiming that the letter was fake and that the organization does not endorse any political party. Pannu, speaking in Punjabi in the video, adds, According to a letter circulating, the SFJ is supporting the Aam Aadmi Party in the elections. This letter is a forgery and a fabrication. Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal, and the AAP are all spreading the fake letter. The Aam Aadmi Party spreads false information. The main purpose of the SFJ is to separate Punjab from India, and to that end, a referendum on Khalistan will be held shortly. Meanwhile, AAP is dealing with another controversy right now. Former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said in a statement on February 16 that AAP president and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had informed him that he will either become the CM of Punjab or the first Prime Minister of liberated Khalistan. Vishwas has stated on several occasions that the AAP is aiding separatists and proponents of Khalistan in Punjab. The Indian high commission in Ottawa issued an advisory for Indian students affected by the sudden closure of three universities on Friday. M College in Montreal, CED College in Sherbrooke, and CCSQ College in Longueuil have allegedly sought creditor protection, blaming their financial difficulties on the Covid-19 pandemic. Several Indian students registered at these colleges, which are all run by Rising Phoenix International Inc in Quebec, rushed to the Indian High Commission in Ottawa for help, since many of them had been compelled to pay thousands of dollars in tuition without warning, only to have their education interrupted. The high commission stated that it has been in regular touch with the federal government of Canada, the Quebec provincial government, and Canadian members from the Indian community to give assistance to the affected students and to find a solution to the problem. Meanwhile, the Quebec government has recommended impacted students to contact the institutions where they are enrolled immediately. Students should register a complaint with the Quebec provinces minister of higher education if they have problems getting their costs reimbursed or transferred, according to the high commission. The authorities are giving enrolled students who are already in Canada a grace period to seek admission to a different college. Before applying for admission or making any payments to such schools, the high commission advised Indian students considering higher education in Canada to thoroughly investigate the qualifications and status of the institution. Furthermore, the advisory advised against paying any institutions whose credentials were not up to date. The students were also told that if they want emergency assistance, they can contact the Education Wing of the High Commission in Ottawa or the Consulate General of India in Toronto. The Ottawa Police have arrested 70 individuals and towed 21 vehicles as authorities crack down on trucker protests across the country empowered by the Trudeau governments use of the Emergencies Act, the department said via Twitter. DEMONSTRATORS: You must leave. You must cease further unlawful activity and immediately remove your vehicle and/or property from all unlawful protest sites. Anyone within the unlawful protest site may be arrested, the Ottawa Police also said on Friday via Twitter. The ongoing protests, which initially began in opposition to vaccine mandates for truckers, have evolved into broader demonstrations against the Trudeau government and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The protests pose an ongoing threat to the countrys economy and security, Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti said on Friday. Meanwhile, Canadian law enforcement agencies are preparing to take imminent action against participants in the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa, who demand the government scrap COVID-19 vaccine mandates, interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said. Weve been bolstering our resources, developing clear plans and preparing to take action. The action is imminent, Bell told a news conference on Thursday. The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) will be assisted by the countrys federal police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and other law enforcement agencies from Ontario and Quebec, Bell said. Two companies named in a federal grand jury subpoena investigating former state official Konstantinos Diamantis were the primary beneficiaries of millions of dollars worth of hazardous waste abatement work on state buildings since 2017, records show. Asbestos Abatement and Insulation Services (AAIS) Corporation and Bestech Inc. of Ellington are two of the four companies that the state Department of Administrative Services chose in 2017 to be on an exclusive list of contractors that would handle all abatement work on state buildings. The list was originally intended for state agencies and municipalities that needed emergency work done. Since the contract went into effect, there have been 284 projects, each identified as a separate work order under the one contract, including abatement at college campuses and the former Seaside Sanatorium in Waterford. Diamantis team was in charge of the contract, state officials said Friday. AAIS and Bestech were among the names that federal authorities asked officials to search for in a subpoena issued in October that centers on Diamantis. The grand jury investigation has raised questions about whether Diamantis, who ran the Office of School Construction Grants & Review first at DAS and then at the Office of Police and Management pressured municipalities to hire specific contractors, construction managers and hazardous waste and asbestos removal companies. An analysis by the CT Mirror shows that AAIS and Bestech got all but 15 of the 284 purchase orders issued by the state for hazardous waste disposal and demolition from fiscal year 2017 through 2022 contracts that are paid for by the state and not tied to school construction jobs. On Friday, after receiving questions about the arrangement from the Connecticut Mirror, the state abruptly canceled the contract, even though it was supposed to run until April. In July 2021, state officials created a new contract, identified as 20psx0154, to increase the number of contractors on the hazardous waste abatement list from the four on original contract 16PSX0110. DAS spokeswoman Lora Rae Anderson said Friday that state officials are going to amend the 2021 contract and that guidance for both state and municipal use is going to be updated. She did not give a timeline for that update or explain what it would entail. Anderson said Diamantis school construction grant team was in charge of the hazardous waste and abatement contract. Representatives from AAIS and Bestech, as well as Diamantis attorney Norm Pattis, did not respond to requests for comment last week. Two companies, 98.8% of the moneyThe Mirrors analysis shows: Since the 2017 fiscal year, the state has paid out about $29.2 million for hazardous waste and asbestos abatement work under DAS contract 16PSX0110. AAIS received $20.6 million of that and Bestech $8.2 million, purchase orders show about 98.8% of all the money spent through the contract. The state issued 284 purchase orders under the emergency contract. One of the contractors, Haz-Pros, got five jobs. Environmental Services Inc. got 10. AAIS was named on 214 purchase orders, including exclusive agreements to do work at all state colleges and vocational schools. Some of the work was assigned by other state agencies, such as the Military Department, but the majority were assigned by DAS. Bestech Inc. got the remaining 55. Wow, I had no idea it was that much money, Raymond Newbury, Haz-Pros Asbestos Services Manager, said Thursday in an interview. We did not get that many jobs, Newbury said. I knew they (AAIS) were getting most of the work. I thought it was just the familiarity with the people that dealt with the contractors. I would call Mike Newbury said the contact for almost all abatement jobs was not Diamantis but Michael Sanders, who worked on the school construction grant team that Diamantis oversaw. Sanders had been doing state abatement contracts for years, first at the old Department of Public Works before moving to DAS. Sanders died in December. The state medical examiner's office has ruled his death a drug overdose, but the investigation is still open. I would call Mike a couple times a year and tell him that I could really use some work, Newbury said. But you know, when I asked Mike, he would say that AAIS were just cheaper. A review of the pricing lists submitted by the four companies who were awarded the contract shows that while AAIS offered cheaper prices on asbestos removal for other jobs such as mold remediation and lead paint removal, the price ranges were very close among the four contractors. Sanders' role Sanders is listed as the Construction Services Associate Project Manager in the "memorandum of understanding" that transferred the school construction program from DAS to the Office of Policy and Management in 2019. The grant program went to the oversight of OPM when Diamantis was named its deputy secretary. Anderson said Diamantis and his team, specifically Sanders, were in charge of the hazardous waste abatement contracts. "Municipalities are responsible for their own contractor procurement and contracting per state statutory requirements for bidding. Therefore, the Department of Administrative Services does not select vendors for towns," Anderson said. Gov. Ned Lamont fired Diamantis from his OPM position on Oct. 28, days after the federal subpoena was served. When told he would be placed on administrative leave from his school construction job, Diamantis retired. Diamantis had run the school construction grant program for more than six years. Its unclear when Sanders joined the school construction grant team, but Newbury said Sanders was the only person he dealt with since the contract went into effect. A May 2020 letter from Bristols former corporation counsel Dale Clift shows that Sanders was deeply involved in one hazardous waste abatement school contract in Bristol in 2020. According to Clift, Sanders advised the city to reject the lowest bid, from Select Demo Inc., and instead hire Bestech. Clifts letter said that the directive delivered by Sanders was issued by Diamantis. (Sanders) represented that you were directing all bids for abatement and demolition to be rejected, Clift told Diamantis in the letter. This directive came so late in the process and was so surprising, the project personnel sought and received verbal reinforcement and validation of your directive over the next several days. The city eventually hired the low bidder anyway. Sanders worked in state government for 27 years until he died in December under what police described as suspicious circumstances. Police found the 53-year-olds body at a home in Old Saybrook on the evening of Dec. 17. Police arrested the man living in the house and charged him with risk of injury to a minor and possession of narcotics. The states Chief Medical Examiner later listed Sanders cause of death as an accidental overdose tied to cocaine and fentanyl. Manchester project questioned Around the same time that Bristol officials say they were being pressured by the state to hire Bestech, a similar scenario was playing out in Groton this time involving AAIS, who were not the low bidder for a hazardous waste disposal/demolition contract there. Groton also eventually chose the lowest bidder, Stamford Wrecking, but only after that companys lawyer New Haven attorney Raymond Garcia questioned why his client wasnt getting the contract. In January 2021, Garcia was contesting another contract in Manchester, which was in the process of renovating the Buckley Elementary School. In two letters to city officials, Garcia warned they needed to put the contract out to bid for everyone and not just the contractors on the states emergency list. But assistant city attorney John F. Sullivan responded in a letter saying that Manchester was just following the states guidance. The contract in question is identified as State DAS Contract 16PSX0110. The Town is selecting a bid from one of the four contractors approved by the state for this type of work under this contract, Sullivan wrote. The city asked the contractors on the states list for bids, and three of them AAIS, Bestech and Haz-Pros submitted bids, with AAIS getting the contract as the lowest bidder, for $1.47 million. After the Manchester contract went to AAIS without Stamford Wrecking getting a chance to bid for it, Garcia took his concerns to Attorney General William Tong on Feb. 2 in a three-page letter that outlined how the 2017 contract was being circumvented. A new contract The discussions among Garcia and state officials, including Diamantis and Assistant Attorney General Margaret Chapple, led to the issuing of a new directive to municipalities on March 2, 2021. The directive, signed by Diamantis, clarified when municipalities should use the states hazardous materials abatement contractors list for their school projects. The directive states that if municipalities planned to use one of the companies on the so-called emergency contractor list, they needed to solicit a minimum of four bid proposals in order to be eligible to get state funding. Then, in July 2021, state officials put the old hazardous material abatement contract, which was set to expire in April 2022, out to bid again in order to get more contractors on the list. DAS contract 20psx0154 added more contractors to the emergency list. In addition to AAIS, Bestech and Haz-Pros, four new companies are included: Manafort Brothers Inc., New England Yankee Construction, Omni Environmental and Stamford Wrecking Company, which had been battling the state for nearly a year. Newbury said he was notified about the new contract and did bid to stay on the list, even though he hasnt gotten much work out of it. I think the contract is in effect, but I don't know anybody that's used it yet, Newbury said. State records show that only one purchase order has been issued under the new contract: a $1.45 million purchase order on Feb. 8 for a hazardous material remediation at Norwalk Community College. The contractor is AAIS. GUILFORD Kaoud Rugs is among the best-known names in the Connecticut carpet industry, but for owner Rumzi Randy Kaoud, its a love story as well as a business. Kaoud, who became enthralled with the magic of Oriental rugs as a child growing up in the Palestinian city of Ramallah and made it his business as an adult, has written a memoir, A Lifelong Love Affair: From Ramallah to New Haven and the Artistry of Persian Rugs. I would do it again, Kaoud, a Woodbridge resident, said of his lifes journey. He runs the Guilford store at 594 Boston Post Road and his son, Jim Kaoud, runs the Orange store at 463 Boston Post Road and together, they own both legendary rug stores. The book, an easy read with many photographs of some of the finest Oriental rugs, touches on Randy Kaouds young life in Ramallah, his early business in New Haven, his love of America and his deep relationship with Yale University through the rugs. It also talks of his amazement at how the oldest rugs, 150 years old, were made by primitive means by villagers, yet became works of art for those of the highest intellect. He wrote the memoir during the pandemic. There is a magical element. Its not just floor covering. Its real time artwork, architectural artwork, three-dimensional artwork, he said of the rugs. The old rugs made by villagers are so complex in design, its as if an engineer created them, rather than an uneducated villager, he said, and it was the intellectual set that most appreciated the artistry on the floor. No two are the same, the wool hand-dyed and varied. You leave your house that day, you come home, its like you discovered something new, he said. You cant upload it in your brain - its too complex. The memoir is selling fast online through Amazon and is available in both stores. The stores sell traditional wall-to-wall and other rugs, but have a special niche in the Oriental/Persian rug arena. Jim Kaoud, who shares his dads appreciation of antique rugs, said the memoir is an interesting read, but there were no surprises for him after living with and working with his father all these years. I knew of his affection for Yale, Jim Kaoud said. The old ones (Oriental/Persian carpets) have a certain feel when you look at them. To me its just raw art. Randy Kaoud, his mother and younger brother came to New Haven in 1958 when he was 20, to join his father, siblings and other relatives who already were here. He was well-suited to attend college, as he had graduated from an elite private, American Quaker school before coming to America. The school was located just outside Jerusalem. Part of what he learned there was hard work, honesty and rules, he said. But the academically accomplished Kaoud was tired of the rigidity of that school, and since boyhood had been enthralled with the Oriental/Persian rugs that a neighbor/salesman would hang from the balcony. When I came here, my dad said, Do you want to go to college? I said, No, I want to go into the family rug business, Randy Kaoud said. He said, Good luck to you. That would set off a journey that took Randy Kaoud to some of the finest homes in New Haven and led to memorable relationships at Yale University, where many administrators, professors and students sought his carpets. It was in the early days that Randy Kaoud was introduced to a Yale University design specialist who appreciated his work and had him go into the home of Yale then-President Alfred Whitney Griswold on Hillhouse Avenue to repair, clean and replace his many Oriental rugs while the Griswold family vacationed on Marthas Vineyard. The designer began recommending Kaoud to the Yale community, and Kaoud said he catered to them. He started in business with his two brothers, Abe and Fred, but eventually they went their own ways. In the 1950s, when wall-to-wall carpet came into vogue, people were selling their Oriental/Persian rugs in New Haven, he said. We bought a lot of them, Randy Kaoud said. People didnt want them. They didnt appreciate the artwork. In the 1980s the carpet market shifted again, from wall-to-wall to newly produced carpets from India, China, Pakistan and Turkey, he said their designs inspired by Persian carpets, but simpler and made for profit. The originals can sell for tens of thousands of dollars, the most valuable among them upwards of $50,000. The old Persian carpets have architectural poetry, he wrote, noting, theres no machine known to man that can weave by knotting the same way. He said the process of hand weaving is uniquely suited to carpet construction. Randy Kaoud dedicated the book to his family, including his late wife, Salwa; to Mr. Taborian for hanging the colorful rugs from his balcony; and the weavers, to whom he wrote, Thank you for the magic. The cover depicts Randy Kaoud as a child glancing from home to a balcony across the way where a neighbor would air the carpets he sold on the railing. Thats when the love affair started. Randy Kaoud started studying business on his own by learning from those with experience and it was like getting a degree on Main Street, he said. Then he joined the National Guard, as he wanted to experience military life, and was sent to the intelligence gathering unit. In the book, Kaoud speaks of his love for America, which he calls, A God given blessing for every inhabitant who lives here. He writes: I had come from a village in Palestine right to the shadows of Yale University. I was extremely happy and appreciative, and It seemed to me so valuable to live near this most humane institution that attracted the highest intellects on the planet. The Kaoud name entered the rug business arena more than 60 years ago and is well known throughout Connecticut. So here in the best country on the planet, with the best form of government, with the most educated people and the best universities, here we are offering for sale the most talented form of art, Kaoud wrote. Niagara Falls, NY (14301) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. The National Association of Seadogs, NAS (Pirates Confraternity) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take a brave move to investigat... The National Association of Seadogs, NAS (Pirates Confraternity) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take a brave move to investigate former DCP Abba Kyari to save Nigeria from global scrutiny and the fading image of the country. The organisation asked Buhari to take responsibility for the scandal, blaming the Buhari government for being responsible for Kyaris mess. NAS stated in a press release signed by the groups President, Abiola Owoaje that the presidents laid-back approach to the issues of corruption and impunity has emboldened state officials and law enforcement agents to elevate official corruption and impunity to statecraft. NAS also chided the Inspector General of Police for the unsavoury image of the Force which has been further battered by Kyaris cocaine saga. Owoaje said IGP who could hardly give a cold shoulder for wrong behaviour but hobnobbing with a suspended officer under investigation over allegations of international fraud to the disturbing extent that the latter was a conspicuous personality among guests at his sons wedding recently. The IGP has shown that he is undeserving to be trusted to clamp down on crime and criminality even among the rank and file over which he superintends. The group said the police have not sincerely investigated Kyaris criminal indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America as part of investigations into the $1.1 million advance fee fraud involving an Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi. The President, according to the group, has a moral and legal duty to allay the fears of many Nigerians who view the Kyari drug saga as an orchestrated ploy to delay his extradition to the United States to face money laundering charges. Nigerians, wearied by a litany of pernicious lies and propaganda by the current administration, and also having watched state officials habitually perpetrate injurious acts without consequences, can hardly be blamed for lack of trust, the group stated. Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called on the two aspirants that contested the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Cong... Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called on the two aspirants that contested the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress with him, to join him and move the state forward. Oyetola, who polled 222,169, had defeated ex Secretary to the state government, Moshood Adeoti, who was supported by the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola and ex Deputy Speaker, Lasun Yusuf at the Saturdays primary. Adeoti got 12921 votes, while Mr. Lasun Yusuf got 460 to place third. In his acceptance speech, Oyetola said the victory was made possible by the members of APC that gave him another opportunity to face the people of Osun and seek re-election. He then urged them to close ranks and eschew bitterness in whatever form, calling on aggrieved members to have a rethink and join hands with him to further strengthen the party and deliver outstanding results at the governorship poll. He said, Todays victory is made possible by the members of our great party who gave us another opportunity to face the people of Osun to seek re-election. The outcome of this primary election is victory for our party and members who have spoken loudly through their votes. It is victory for our people who trooped out in large number during our strategic tour of the State to inform them of our intention to seek a second term. It is a restatement of their confidence in our Development Agenda which hope delivered in 2018 and performance sealed in 2022. It is evidence of their belief in sustainable development which we brought into governance and preached every inch of the way. I thank you all our party members for your constant support, and especially for speaking eloquently today with your massive votes in favour of our administrations restoration and consolidation agenda. With this primary election now concluded, I invite us all to rededicate ourselves and the party to delivering an overwhelming victory at the gubernatorial polls holding on Saturday, 16th July, 2022. For me, we are all winners. I, therefore, extend my hand of fellowship to the other two aspirants to join me as we prepare for the July election. We are all brothers. Lets join hands to build the Osun of our dream. Let us close ranks and eschew bitterness in whatever form. Therefore, may I use this opportunity to also ask all our aggrieved members to have a rethink and join hands with us to further strengthen our party and deliver outstanding results at the gubernatorial poll. He also commended the Chairman of the Osun Governorship Primary Election Committee, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, and other members of the committee for conducting a hitch-free exercise. President Muhammadu Buhari, in a week of special security concern, condemned a rise in ritual killings and deadly attacks against on-duty ... President Muhammadu Buhari, in a week of special security concern, condemned a rise in ritual killings and deadly attacks against on-duty policemen and ethnic minorities. Buharis concerns followed the latest incidents reported in Enugu, Imo, Abia, Zamfara and Ogun States. The president frowned at the incidents of ritual killings, hate crimes and killing of law enforcement officers, saying these were aberrations. In a statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, Buhari expressed sympathy to families of the victims. He urged law enforcement agencies, state governments, local authorities, community and religious leaders to take all lawful actions to prevent further occurrence of such incidents. He also charged the security agencies to put in place measures against such primitive acts including hate crimes and acts of terror. Before departing for Brussels on Feb. 15, the president had hosted Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo. Uzodinma had briefed the president on socio-economic developments and security situation in his state. The governor informed the president of the electricity potential in Nworie River in the state, and the Nigerian leader had also given the approval for the commencement of conceptual designs for the power generating project. The president welcomed the idea of using the Nworie River in Imo State to generate and boost electricity supply in the state, he said. Also on Feb. 15, the president also met behind closed door with Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi. Bello noted that Kogi had been enjoying relative peace and stability in recent times due to new security measures introduced in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo also presided over the virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Feb. 16. The Council approved the National Policy on the Government, Second Level Domain, aimed at safeguarding official communications using government top-level domain of dot government dot ng. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, disclosed this when he addressed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting. Pantami said with the approval of the policy, government officials must now migrate from using generic domain in their websites and their emails to the second level domain under the government top-level domain. According to him, the use of private email like, yahoo.com; hotmail.com or gmail.com for official communications by government officials will no longer be tolerated. The Council also approved 2.8 million dollars for the procurement of rolling stocks operational maintenance equipment for Ibadan to Kano standard gauge and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge railway projects. The rolling stocks are consumables meant for the maintenance and operation of the railway. The president, who returned to Abuja after attending the sixth Europe-Africa Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, departed the country on Feb. 16, to join other African and European leaders to discuss issues of mutual concerns to both continents. These included; Financing for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth; Climate Change and Energy Transition, Digital and Transport (Connectivity and Infrastructure); Peace, Security and Governance; and Private Sector Support and Economic Integration. While in Brussels, the President apart from actively participating in the sixth EU-AU Summit, held various bilateral meetings with world leaders including the Presidents of Algeria, South Africa, and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia under the auspices of the G4. During the G4 meeting, the leaders resolved to strengthen the platform for the resolution of the various issues confronting the African continent. The G4 Platform, an initiative of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, was set up toward discussing and proffering solutions, as well as aggregating positions to ensure that the African Union carried its work forward successfully, efficiently and quickly too. In his contribution at a roundtable discussion on Peace, Security and Governance at the summit, Buhari called on European leaders to lend their weight to measures by the African Union to stem the tide of unconstitutional leadership changes rearing its head again on the continent. He equally stressed the need to nip the root causes of extremism, conflicts and tensions in Africa at inception. A few days to the Enugu local government election, which is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, February 23, the Enugu State chapter of the All ... A few days to the Enugu local government election, which is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, February 23, the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has raised the alarm over alleged exclusion of the party from the poll. APC alleged that it had been stopped from participating because the list of her candidates was not published by the electoral body. It threatened to void the exercise if it holds as scheduled. The party accused the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) of deliberate plot to disenfranchise the party faithful by refusing to publish a list of 260 councillorship and 17 chairmanship candidates it forwarded to the electoral body in December 2021. Addressing the disenfranchised candidates and other party faithful at the State secretariat, 126 Park Avenue, GRA, Enugu, weekend, the State chairman of APC, Barr Ugochukwu Agballah, declared that the party would void the election should the electoral body exclude APC from participating in the exercise. Enugu must rise for democracy to thrive. On Wednesday (February 23) the local government election will not be held; if they go ahead, it will be an exercise in futility, he declared. Agballah announced that the legal team of the party had already filed a suit at the State High Court to void the election for unlawful exclusion, which he said was a breach of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act. Agballah, who received his certificate of Returns from the APC national leadership on February 14, 2022, claimed that his emergence as the APC chairman in the State was causing fears within the ranks of the State government and the ruling party. He said that he will also join forces with progressive elements in the South-East APC to work for the emergence of Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in 2023. Igbos are not inferior in Nigeria, there is time and season for everything. It is the time for Ndigbo to produce the presidency of Nigeria, he declared. It was reported that the ENSIEC had earlier published a list of APC candidates under the faction of the party led by Dr. Ben Nwoye, the caretaker Committee chairman of the party in the State. Shehu Sani, a socio-political activist, has reacted to the killing of eight Northerners in Abia cattle market. Sani urged the Abia State Gov... Shehu Sani, a socio-political activist, has reacted to the killing of eight Northerners in Abia cattle market. Sani urged the Abia State Government to ensure that those behind the killed were dealt with. The former Kaduna Central Senator said the government should compensate the family of the deceased. In a tweet, the former lawmaker stressed that every Nigerian has the right to live in any part of the country. The cold blooded murder of eight persons in the Abia cattle market stands unreservedly condemned. The Govt. of Abia State must ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice and the families of the deceased compensated. Every Nigerian has the right to live in any part of Nigeria, he tweeted. Recall that hoodlums recently attacked the new Abia cattle market in Omuma Uzo, Ukwa West Council Area, killed traders, mostly northerners and slaughtered their cows. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 52F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 52F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. The plan is to throw up a Hindu CM in Muslim-majority Kashmir. by A G Noorani Historically, Kashmiris have, in their own typically meticulous manner, divided their bitter winter months into phases. The Chillai Kalan begins on Dec 21 and ends on Jan 31. The Chillai Khurd which follows ends 20 days later. Chillai Baccha, the last, has 10 days of mild cold. The worst of the cold season is over now. There is, however, no sign of the merciless political winter ending. The government of India, which snatched away Kashmiris autonomy, or what little was left of it, in August 2019, has a different plan. Its home minister, Amit Shah, never tires of saying that the former status will be restored, but after the elections. The plan is to rig the elections through a politically oriented redrawing of constituencies, throw up a Hindu chief minister in this Muslim-majority Kashmir, replicate the BJP, more precisely Prime Minister Narendra Modis agenda at the centre, instal Hindu raj in Muslim Kashmir and recast its polity radically. Simultaneously, with the abrogation of Article 370 of the constitution proving illusory the guarantees of Kashmirs autonomy, the government of India set up, strangely enough, a delimitation commission headed by a retired judge of the Bombay High Court, Ranjana Prakash Desai, with no background or any knowledge of Jammu & Kashmir, its history, geography or politics. The commission has five associate members. Three are from Dr Farooq Abdullahs National Conference including retired justice Hasnain Masoodi. Two others are from the BJP. Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mohammed Akbar Lone are the other two members of the NC. The BJPs two members include the viciously anti-Kashmir BJP leader of Jammu, now central minister in the prime ministers office, Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma. Reports have it that this hand-picked commission will increase Jammus seats at the expense of Kashmirs seats. The commissions term expires on March 6. The NC is clueless about the commissions odd ways of working despite its three associate members. We dont have any information, be it the case of its likely extension or its decision to share its interim report with its associate members shortly before putting it in the public domain, or for that matter any recommendation to increase Lok Sabha seats. Whatever we have come to know about it, it is through media reports like anyone else and not officially or through the commission by any means. Journalist friends deliberated on it. But we, as associate members, did not get any kind of information other than these inputs from journalists, said Masoodi. He said, Even after National Conference associate members submitted their objection to the commissions draft recommendations, we did not get any response from it. We did not get any information neither verbally nor in writing. Masoodi is an associate member. In all this, the centre draws huge comfort from the fact there was no revolt in Kashmir. On the contrary, some notables proved to be turncoats. Earlier this month, Amit Shah said: He (Akhilesh Yadav) stood in front of me and said that due to the decision (revoking Article 370) khoon ki nadiyan bahengi (rivers of blood will flow) but Akhilesh Babu, leave that river of blood, no one had the courage to throw even a kankad (stone). He asked: Had SP, BSP, Congress been in power, would they ever have withdrawn Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir? When Modiji became PM for the second time, he withdrew it (Article 370) on 6 August 2019. Akhilesh Yadav was against it. The BJP will make good capital of it in the 2024 general elections. There is only one politician who might have led a revolt. But he cannot for reasons political and personal. He is Dr Farooq Abdullah, though he is battling for political survival. He is heading the only party with a mass base in both Kashmir and Jammu. He led others in 2019 to draw up the Gupkar Declaration. The biggest challenge he will face will be the next assembly election. A lot depends on Mehbooba Mufti. Will she cooperate with him? The Jama Masjid in Srinagar has been closed for two and a half years. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been under house arrest all this while. It is well known that his moderation was stifled by the arrogant extremism of Sayed Ali Shah Geelani. The result is that Umar Farooq could not take any constructive initiative. He has met the prime ministers of India at least twice. Except for his family members and staff, none can enter his house. He cannot offer his prayers in the mosque. The people miss his Friday sermons. He is a man of impeccable integrity and great courtesy. He is uniquely qualified to speak on behalf of the people yet he has been kept under house arrest. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch should urge the government of India to release him. The writer is an author and a lawyer based in Mumbai. Dr. Alfredo Lopez, a faculty member at LSU School of Medicine for 41 years who studied nutrition and its relationship to heart disease and cancer, died Saturday at Poydras Home in New Orleans. He was 90. He was a model of a devoted physician, providing superb care and ensuring that the next generation of physicians would do likewise, said Dr. Stephen Hales, a pediatrician and longtime friend. A good physician affects the lives of patients. A great physician does not only that but also influences the next generation. In a statement, Dr. Steve Nelson, interim chancellor of LSU Health Science Center New Orleans, said, His legacy will endure for generations to come. A native of Salamanca, Spain, who joined the LSU faculty in 1967, Lopez wrote more than 70 articles for peer-reviewed journals and more than 100 presentations. From 1974 until his retirement in 2008, Lopez was chief of the section of nutrition and vice chair for academic affairs in the medical school. He earned an undergraduate degree at Instituto Fray Luis de Leon in Salamanca and a medical degree at the University of Salamanca School of Medicine in 1955. He then embarked on a career that spanned three continents, starting at the University of Salamancas medical school, where he was an assistant professor of physiology and medicine from 1956 to 1958. His next stop was the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, where he taught biochemistry on a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Lopez moved to North America in 1960 to become a Rockefeller Foundation fellow in the Graduate School of Tulane Universitys School of Medicine, where he earned a doctorate in biochemistry at Tulane University. His next stop was the University of Iowa College of Medicine (now the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine) in Iowa City before he returned to New Orleans to join the faculty at LSU School of Medicine and direct the lipid clinic at Charity Hospital. Lipids, along with carbohydrates and proteins, are organic compounds that are the main constituents of plant and animal cells. Cholesterol and triglycerides are lipids. At a lipid clinic, patients can get help if they have abnormal levels of such substances, which can put people at risk of a heart attack or stroke. In recognition of Lopezs work, the National Institutes of Health gave him a Career Development Award in Nutrition. Lopez, a former president of the American Heart Association of Louisiana, received the Best Clinical Professor Award from his students at LSUs medical school, and he was given the Outstanding Professor Award by the schools Aesculapian Society, which is named for the Greek god of medicine. He also was elected to the schools chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha, the scholastic honor society for medical students. He was the founder and a former president of the Sociedad Espanola of New Orleans and a member of the Hispanic American Medical Association of Louisiana, the Louisiana Statewide Nutrition Task Force, the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, the Central Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Heart Associations Council on Atherosclerosis and the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Survivors include his wife, Helene Calleja Lopez; a son, Dr. Fred Lopez, of New Orleans; a daughter, Elena Lopez Guida, of Gulfport, Mississippi; and five grandchildren. Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements, which are incomplete. North shore District Attorney Warren Montgomery and his staff are in the middle of what might be the most critical case their office will ever have to make: arguing the need for a sales tax to fund criminal prosecutions in the face plummeting revenues. The jury? Often tax-averse St. Tammany Parish voters. The funding crisis for the 22nd Judicial District Attorney's Office has been building over several years, Montgomery and his top officials say. The district, which covers St. Tammany and Washington parishes, has not seen an increase in the number of assistant district attorneys that the state will help pay for in 14 years. The pandemic resulted in fewer traffic tickets, another revenue stream. Court fines and other sources of income have been affected not only by COVID-19 shutdowns but changes in state law. "I've not just had to let people go, people are leaving," Montgomery said. "Good people felony prosecutors you really don't want to leave." Staffing has dropped from 137 in 2019 to 123 today, as the office has reduced force through attrition and layoffs, letting go of three support staff members and moving two others to grant-funded jobs. Four prosecutors have left or will soon leave. Tax defeat, budget abyss But while the DA already had financial challenges, the declining revenue became a gaping abyss late last year when voters rejected a 4/10ths-cent sales tax to fund criminal justice costs, including the DA's office. The defeat marked the fourth time St. Tammany voters shot down a parish-sponsored sales tax to criminal justice costs. This defeat was by the largest margin of the four tax attempts - 65% of those voting said no. The budget adopted by the St. Tammany Parish Council for 2022 provided $3.1 million to the DA's office. That's $1.7 million less than the agency received in 2021, when Montgomery had to ask for additional funding just to keep operating. It's also $3.1 million less than what the DA had requested in the expectation that the parish tax would pass last fall. With the parish unable to convince voters to back a criminal justice tax, Montgomery put a 1/7th-cent sale tax on the April 30 ballot. It would generate an estimated $7.9 million annually. Now, he and top staff members are making the rounds with groups like the Northshore Business Alliance and the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce to make their pitch. "People are just like me, I don't like taxes," Montgomery said. "I'm doing everything I can to educate them." All of the DA's funding sources are being stressed, said Collin Sims, chief of criminal prosecutions for the office. The DA's office gets 30 "warrants" from the state to help pay the salaries of assistant district attorneys. And while the amount of each warrant was increased in recent years from $45,000 to $50,000 -- meaning $1.5 million for the DA's office -- the number of warrants has not gone up in 14 years, despite growth in population, Sims said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The warrants don't cover the complete cost of an assistant district attorney's salary, he said. Another revenue stream is the 25% share that the office gets for every traffic ticket. The number of tickets dropped steeply during the pandemic, Sims said, as policing agencies faced their own COVID-related staffing issues. The DA also gets revenue for people put in diversion programs, but that source has seen a nearly $400,000 drop since Montgomery took office in 2015, something Sims said is due to changes in the law that have changed deterrents to pleading guilty. Overall, the office has seen a $700,000 to $800,000 revenue drop in what Sims calls "DA revenues." Tsunami of trials The workload, by contrast, is growing. "We have a tsunami of felony trials at the same time funding is decreasing," Montgomery said. The pandemic put a stop to jury trials for more than a year, leaving a higher volume of more serious and complicated cases pending trial, Sims said. At the same time, support staff has been diminished and experienced prosecutors are leaving. He said he can't afford to lose any more and pointed to cases like the prosecution of former Sheriff Jack Strain that consume huge amounts of time. While the office is still recruiting prosecutors to replace those who've left, it's harder to hire people when they're worried about further cuts, Montgomery said. Which brings the toughest question: what happens if the voters can't be persuaded? Montgomery says he'll have to file suit against the parish, since by law the funding is the responsibility of parish government. The parish must also cover some costs of the Sheriff's Office and judges. "We would have no choice but to file suit, which would precipitate suits by the Sheriff's Office and judges," Montgomery said. "It could force the parish into municipal bankruptcy," Montgomery said. "No one wants to see that happen. But that's the truth." If it came to that, even a successful lawsuit wouldn't bring an immediate influx of money. Montgomery said that his office has made adjustments to go through the end of this year, but if the tax fails, more would be needed -- which he described as "uncomfortable" for other agencies and for the public. A letter Montgomery sent out earlier this month was more blunt, saying that the budget cuts will mean fewer timely criminal prosecutions "and more criminals on the streets of St. Tammany Parish." A woman was robbed at gunpoint in Central City Saturday at 10:21 p.m., according to the New Orleans Police Department. As she got in her car at South Galvez and 3rd streets (map), a man pulled out a gun and demanded her purse, the NOPD said. The man ran away, but no other details were immediately available. The robbery is one of several violent crimes to take place since Saturday morning. Here's what else we know via preliminary information from the NOPD: Man carjacked in St. Roch A man was carjacked in the 2500 Block of North Tonti Street (map) in St. Roch Saturday at 2:30 p.m., when someone pulled a gun and demanded he get out of his car. The subject then drove away. Man arrested for Florida Area robbery A man was arrested after robbing someone at gunpoint at 1922 Port Street (map) in the Florida area. The man approached the victim at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, demanded their property and ran away, though police apprehended him shortly after. One shot in Little Woods A person was shot at 7220 Hayne Boulevard (map) in Little Woods in New Orleans East Saturday about 11 p.m. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up A man went up to the victim, shot him and ran away. High rise shooting leaves one injured Someone was shot while driving on the Interstate 10 high-rise bridge at West 7th (map) near the Desire Area at 12:43 a.m. Sunday. Woman arrested for 7th Ward stabbing A woman was arrested for stabbing someone at 1714 Marigny Street (map) in the 7th Ward at 1 a.m. Sunday. Lisa Scarborough, 55, is accused of stabbing the victim in the shoulder during an argument. Paramedics arrived and brought the victim to the hospital. Anyone with information regarding these crimes is asked to contact Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward. South Broad Street has reopened after closing for a homicide investigation, NOPD says New Orleans police have completed their investigation of a homicide that happened early Friday near the intersection of South Broad Street and The Rajapaksas also need repression. People must be taught to fear again, as they did under Mahinda Rajapaksa presidency. by Tisaranee Gunasekara A crisis of this magnitude can lead to renewal or destruction... ~ Ariel Dorfman (The last September 11) Perhaps Englands Henry II did not quite say, Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest? Perhaps he was less explicit, as the sole contemporary chronicler maintains. His meaning nevertheless was clear to the hearers. Four loyal knights, eager to gain favour of their royal master, murdered the offending cleric, Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury. Just five days after his landside electoral victory, Sri Lankas newly minted executive president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fired a broadside at the countrys most celebrated sleuth. Shani Abeysekara investigates according to his thinking, complained the president during a temple visit. . Non-governmental organisations dont ask questions about that. To jail those who waged the war, officials and navy commander, to jail intelligence agents, to jail me. Not only that. There are officials who were forced to mention my name. Non-governmental organisations dont question that (https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/sri-lanka-50543813) In lands where the law of the ruler prevails, incurring a rulers wrath is dangerous business. SSP Abeysekara was subjected to a humiliating transfer, interdicted and eventually arrested. He would spend eleven months in jail, until granted bail by the Appeals Court. In its decision, the court shredded the CCD case, characterising the charges against Mr. Abeysekara as a result of falsification and embellishment and a creature of afterthought. This week, Shani Abeysekara filed a fundamental rights case in the Supreme Court seeking protection against am alleged plan to re-arrest him, under the PTA, for failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attack. An investigation has been commenced against him, he claimed, on the basis of an anonymous petition. This week the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar bench delivered a stinging rebuke to the police and the AGs Department by dismissing a similar case against the former defence secretary and the former IGP. Delivering the unanimous verdict, Judge Aditya Patabendige stated that former head of the State Intelligence Service Nilantha Jayawardana had neglected his responsibilities...and had tried to place the blame for the attack on someone else. He also said, It was unacceptable to file cases against government servants alone when politicians were above them (The Island 19.2.2022). Will the police now launch an investigation on the former SIS chief and on his political and systemic protectors? Or will they scurry in whatever the direction their current political masters point them, and to hell with facts? Not the most sensible course of action, given our judiciarys manifest determination to uphold the rule of law, given that Sri Lanka is under the UN Human Rights Commissions microscope, given that the GSP+ hangs in balance. But do the police have a choice but to emulate the example of Henry IIs knights and wield metaphorical swords against traitors to (uncrowned) king and country? Who needs human rights? Human rights were found recently. If we can live in a correct manner theres no need for human rights. Those who do not practice religion are the ones who hang on human rights. This statement, worthy of Vendaruwe Upali thero of be-like-Hitler fame, was made by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjih at St Mathews church in Ekala in September 2018. While the rest of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration remained mum, Minister Mangala Samaraweera responded to the Cardinal. The need for Human Rights was an outcome of the marauding religious zealots of the Inquisition and the Crusades where non-believers were massacred en-bloc, he tweeted. Pity the Cardinal always seems to get things wrong in trying to be a populist. Soon, the pro-Rajapaksa Joint Opposition leaped into the fray in defence of the Cardinal. Mahinda Rajapaksa lamented the attacks on religions. In his weekly Lankadeepa column, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa railed against modernitys disregard for religious traditions. The Cardinals remarks were in synch with the Rajapaksa project and the global populist wave which preached the mutual exclusivity between freedom and security, between basic rights and economic prosperity. As Pope Francis pointed out during his recent visit to Greece, Democracy demands hard work and patience. It is complex whereas authoritarianism is peremptory and populisms easy answers appear attractive. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, like many a Sinhala-Buddhist monk, succumbed to the lure of populisms easy answers. What he forgot was that Lankan populism is of the blood and faith variety. Its most basic precept is the Mahawamsa myth of Lanka being the only home of pure and pristine Buddhism and Sinhalese being its sole protectors. In that nexus, Sinhala-Catholics are as alien as Tamils, Muslims or Burghers. They, like all other minorities, can live here so long as they accept their secondary status and stay within those confines, without making demands or waves. In his struggle to obtain justice and closure for the victims of the Easter Sunday massacre, the Cardinal exceeded those confines. He crossed the Rajapaksa redline when he questioned the regimes handling of the issue. Now he and the community he represents are in the enemy territory. Two Catholics have been fingered as being the mastermind of three aborted bomb attacks, including on the famous Bellanwila temple. The Cardinal is being accused of conspiring with international enemies. According to media reports, Lankan Catholics have been banned from attending the Kachchativu religious feast on the orders of the president. Pandemic is the reason given. That would have seemed reasonable if the Siripada season has not been in full swing with official patronage, and the ruling SLPP did not recently hold a mass meeting in Anuradhapura. Hatred of one group can lead to hatred of others, Amartya Sen points out in The Argumentative Indian. Ceylons first anti-minority outbreak was a Sinhala on Sinhala clash, between Buddhists and Catholics of Kotahena in March 1883. Anti-Christianity was present in the Sinhala-Only project. Gangodawila Soma thero ignited an anti-Christian wave in the first years of the new millennium. When he fell victim to Russian winter, the JHU, led by Champika Ranawaka and Udaya Gammanpila used the anti-Christian wave to vault into parliament. True Russias Orthodox Church is as distinct from Catholicism as the Calvary Church, but in the eyes of Sinhala-Buddhist extremists, they are all Christians. As Jorges Luis Borges said, populism promote(d) idiocy, and peddled fictions which cant be believed and were believed (quoted in Federico Finchelsteins From Fascism to Populism in History). So who needs human rights? The answer is humans, all humans, not just atheists and secularists. Especially those humans unfortunate enough to live in lands where democracy and the rule of law are in total or partial abeyance. When our own government persecutes us, it is not unpatriotic to turn to the world for help, any more than it is anti-family for a battered spouse or abused child to seek help from neighbours or police. National sovereignty does not mean the sovereigns right to jail, torture, murder and otherwise illegally punish citizens, a truth Tamil Catholics had known for decades and Sinhala Catholics are discovering now. In Thomas Mores Utopia, different religions coexist in peace and even atheists are tolerated. In his private life, More was a man of outstanding decency and goodness, a friend to whom the celebrated humanist Erasmus dedicated, In Praise of Folly. Yet as Henry VIIIs chancellor, More was notoriously intolerant and excelled at and exulted in burning religious dissenters. Politicians cannot be trusted to create utopias, including the ones they themselves imagined. That is why we need constitutions, laws, and courts, and, when all internal remedies fail, an international community willing to mitigate the worst of national excesses. Politics of salvation is their only salvation According to the recent CPA survey, Confidence in Democratic Governance Index, the economy is the main concern of a majority of Sinhalese (29% prioritise controlling cost of living while 27% economic growth). How do a Sinhala majority regard governments past performance and future potential in matters economic? 71.6% of Sinhalese said that their income levels got worse in the last two years (little worse 32.8%; lots worse 38.8%). When it comes to governments promises to ensure the countrys recovers, 64.9% of Sinhalese felt they had no confidence (21/2% somewhat unconfident; 43.7% very unconfident). Pressed to the wall of bankruptcy by a crisis predominantly of their own making (from axing the tax-base to the fertiliser fiasco) the Rajapaksa are becoming increasingly dependent on India for day-to-day survival. A provincial council election this year might be part of the price India extracts for their emergency handouts. And to win such an election or at least to emerge from the fray as the single largest political formation the Rajapaksas need to build a bridge to their disaffected Sinhala-Buddhist base, with bricks of minority-phobia and cement of targeted repression. Foreign Ministrys recent rant against former Lankan human rights commissioner, Ambika Satkunanathan is not an aberration, but the new norm. At the recent SLPP rally in Anuradhapura, Minister Johnston Fernando, called TNA parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran a Tiger agent, repeatedly, in the presence of both the president and the prime minister. Much of his ire was directed at Mr. Sumanthirans timely effort to encourage the opposition forge a consensus on urgently needed economic remedial measures. As he explained in an article, the purpose of these gatherings was to form a set of economic proposals and present them to the government. A sane and sensible government would have welcomed the initiative. The Rajapaksa regime regards these efforts as Tiger conspiracies. To a hungry base they have nothing to offer but the ecstasy of ethno-religious racism. But that alone is not enough to win elections. The Rajapaksas also need repression. People must be taught to fear again, as they did under Mahinda Rajapaksa presidency. Why did the police arrest social activist Shehan Malaka Gamage less than a fortnight before Geneva, and in a manner reminiscent of white van terror? The police could have arrested him at home or at work, or ordered him to come to some police station. Instead, men in civilian attire riding a white van made a grab at him in broad daylight on a busy road with plenty of witnesses. Previously, whistleblower Thushan Gunawardane said that a white van had haunted the vicinity of his residence. This week, parliamentarian Shanikyan Rasamanikkam alleged that a white van tried to abduct a Tamil political activist. Are these stink bomb of terror aimed at silencing critics? Or are we witnessing the rebirth of white van phenomenon? Or a bit of both, some terror amplified hundredfold by induced fear? Why were two social media critics summoned to the CID in this month alone? Has the CID being downgraded to (Social Media) Criticism Investigation Department, because if social media is silenced, media freedom will die by default? On January 30th a JVP meeting was attacked with eggs. The two attackers captured by the participants turned out to be employees of Avant Garde, the security related business empire owned by rags-to-riches billionaire Nissanka Senadhipathi. This week, journalist Chamuditha Samarawickramas house was subjected to a rock and faeces attack. From eggs to rocks and faeces in a fortnight; would live bullets be the next step? As the gap between Rajapaksa wellbeing and the wellbeing of not just Lankans or Sinhalese, but the Rajapaksas own base widens, the family will intensify its efforts to divide and terrify. The violence of their words and deeds will increase in inverse proportion to their popularity. Sinhala anger and desperation will be weaponised against some minority community, leading to an outbreak of violence after a real or purported inciting incident. If the opposition can come together not around this or that aspiring president but a basic programme of national renewal (national defined as Lankan not Sinhala, let alone Sinhala-Buddhist) then the Rajapaksa attempts will fail, and the crisis will open a new path to a marginally better future. As historian John Lewis Gaddis said, in his Pulitzer winning book On Grand Strategy, a winning grand strategy must ensure that potentially unlimited aspirations are aligned with necessarily limited capabilities. The Rajapaksas are in trouble because they believed their capacities to be as unlimited as their aspirations. Hopefully, the opposition will not make the same mistake. They must stop competing with each other for a presidential election that is two and a half years away, and prepare for a provincial election which may be round the corner. For years, schools around the United States saw it coming: Fewer people were having fewer children, which eventually would shrink the number of students and make operating schools more expensive. It's a scenario that's been playing out in New Orleans area schools for the past several years. But despite a smaller number of children entering kindergarten each year, a larger percentage of them are choosing to attend public school, according to a New Schools for New Orleans analysis of census and enrollment data. "We have a bigger piece of a smaller pot," said Olin Parker, president of the Orleans Parish School Board. Enrollment drops Public schools in Orleans Parish recorded 45,022 students in February 2021, a number that dropped to 43,982 in October, according to the Louisiana Department of Education. Surrounding parishes also saw enrollment decline over the same period: Jefferson Parish - 48,761 to 47,720 48,761 to 47,720 St. Bernard Parish - 7,911 to 7,795 7,911 to 7,795 St. Charles Parish - 9,721 to 9,493 9,721 to 9,493 St. Tammany Parish - 37,478 to 37,374 As of October, 16,000 students across the state were enrolled in home-school programs: 414 in Orleans Parish, 583 in Jefferson Parish and 1,064 in St. Tammany, according to the Department of Education. Thats a major fall from 33,001 a year earlier, during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic before vaccines were available. Different dynamics The smaller student population results from fewer births, a population decline and elevated home prices, said Brian Eschbacher, an independent education consultant working with New Schools for New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, births in New Orleans increased steadily until leveling off in 2015, although population remains well below pre-storm levels. Since then, births have declined 14%, Eschbacher said. Mirroring the population shifts, the number of kindergarteners entering school increased through 2019, but since then has declined by more than 2,500 students, or 5%. Kindergarten cohort sizes peaked in 2014 and have declined 16% since then. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The pandemic that began in 2020 was another factor, decreasing overall enrollment by about 3% over the past three years, but class sizes were already trending downwards, Eschbacher said. New Orleans has seen a smaller decline in enrollment than Nashville, Tennessee, Austin, Texas, and Denver, he said. A lot of these dynamics are outside the control of the school district, Eschbacher said. This is a dynamic that is happening to many of our peers ... and it is unlikely that these dynamics are going to improve in the near future. Effect on classroom The enrollment decline affects schools differently based on demand, Eschbacher said. In New Orleans, 23% of schools have remained full and 29% have enrolled less than 80% of their target number of students. The rest fall somewhere in the middle, with the average school reaching 86% of its target. Schools unable to fill classrooms face higher operating costs per pupil. For example, a New Orleans public school with a target of 550 students but only 475 enrolled would have a funding gap of $725,000. It costs essentially the same to run a first-grade class with 16 students as it does with 23 students, Parker said. So under-enrolment means teacher pay suffers, the offerings for students suffer, theres fewer opportunities for things like art, music and extracurricular activities. So we need to think about not only where our students go to school moving forward but also the type of education they receive moving forward. He said some charter system leaders think that if their schools were fully enrolled, they could increase teacher pay by $4,000 to $5,000. In New Orleans, four schools are already scheduled to close at the end of this year. The charters for James A. Singleton Charter School and Arise Academy were not renewed following F ratings from the state in the 2018-19 academic year. Live Oak Elementary, one of the FirstLine Charter Schools network of five elementary charters, and IDEA Oscar Dunn charter school, will close at the end of the school year, both citing under-enrollment. Private schools also down Private schools have continued to enroll about 22% of kindergarteners in New Orleans, with the raw numbers falling at a greater rate than public schools, Eschbacher said. In January, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans said it would close three schools at the end of the current academic year: St. Mary Magdalen in Metairie, St. Rita in New Orleans and St. Rosalie in Harvey. The decisions were based on financial concerns and drops in enrollment to fewer than 200 students, the archdiocese said. It should shock nobody to see politicians engaging in politics, particularly the politics of self-interest i.e., getting themselves and their allies not only reelected but safely ensconced in power, and pleasing powerful patrons. State Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central, may not play well with others, as my colleague Lanny Keller amply documented last week, but his dramatic diagnosis of the phenomenon Wednesday rang true. You look at every bill that passed in this last year, what youll find is if it wasnt backed by deep-pocket, corporate special interests, it didnt have much of shot, Ivey said in a moment of personal privilege that morphed into a full-blown rant. We squash debate. We dont debate issues. We have everything preplanned and organized. Weve got the political machines operating full throttle every time, Ivey said. There was also a bunch of stuff about his colleagues being lazy and too stupid to work together (see above reference to not playing well with others), but Iveys absolutely right that different legislative factions Black and White, which overlap heavily with Democrat and Republican are routinely at odds these days. There was almost no common ground during the redistricting session that just wrapped up. The Republican majority refused to adjust district lines so that the 33% of Louisianans who identified as Black in the last U.S. Census could have a reasonable chance of electing a similar percentage of lawmakers who share their concerns. Heres where the self-interest comes in. Black voters here and around the country vote heavily Democratic. Giving those voters a realistic chance at proportional representation is fair on its face and complies with at least the spirit and seemingly the letter of the federal Voting Rights Act (even if the U.S. Supreme Court appears inclined to continue chipping away at the landmark 1965 law). But it also directly conflicts with the Republican leaderships goal of protecting its own and locking in its current advantage for years to come. That means keeping five of six congressional districts in reliable Republican hands, not the four of six that would put representation more in line with both the Census numbers and the states overall leanings in national politics. It also means refusing to create new majority-minority legislative districts that might interfere with the brass ring goal of solidifying veto-proof majorities. And during the session, it also meant tabling Iveys bill that would have evened out the populations across Louisianas seven grossly unequal state Supreme Court districts, and also created a second majority-minority district. Doing so wouldnt have affected legislative vote counts, and its not technically required after each Census (which is why the district lines havent changed since 1997). But it would have made the powerful court, which is, among other things, the final arbiter of laws that the Legislature passes, more representative of all Louisianas people. Ivey's not an ideal messenger here, in that he saw fit to support the legislative map that entrenched the Republicans' advantage in his own chamber. Still, he's got a point. My guess is that a lot of voters might support the idea of fairer representation and also want people who agree with them in charge. But surely many agree that lawmakers should work together for the good of the entire state, as Ivey said, and feel alienated from the whole process when they dont. As for special interests, polls support Iveys argument that they get their way more than the regular folks do. A modestly higher minimum wage, which has popular and gubernatorial support but has never gone anywhere in the Legislature, is one example. The requirement that people who carry concealed handguns have permits and undergo training is popular too, which didnt stop the Legislature from voting to end it although lawmakers failed to override Gov. John Bel Edwards' veto. Edwards has voiced general support for district maps that would allow more Black representation which of course would also likely give him more Democratic allies and he may or may not use his veto pen again. Regardless, theres likely to be litigation over whether the Legislatures approach violates the Voting Rights Act. No matter what the courts do, lawmakers have tipped their hand. Iveys legitimate criticism of the status quo notwithstanding, plenty of his colleagues want to keep things just the way they are. Perry Young. Place: First Baptist Church of Norman 211 W. Comanche. May 26th, 2022. 1:30 pm. Lunch will be served 12:00pm at FBC before the service. If wanting to attend lunch, please let us know so there is enough food. 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. For the second consecutive year, Eagle Grange no. 1 near Montgomery has supported local FFA programs by awarding Blue Jacket Scholarships to high school students. This year, six jackets were sponsored, three each for Montgomery and Milton Schools. A public recognition was held at an Eagle Grange meeting on February 1. Eagle Grange sees their distinctive blue FFA jacket as a privilege to wear, and a much sought after goal. For high school students to be invested with their own blue corduroy jacket as they begin their FFA involvement, the experience can be life changing, according to Eagle Grange. It can provide new opportunities to develop leadership, encourage commitment, take social responsibility, and enjoy a sense of belonging. As one student remarked, wearing the official FFA [blue] jacket holds us to a higher standard. Realizing that many students and their families may need financial assistance to obtain the jacket, Greenwood High School FFA advisor Krista Pontius of Millerstown, Perry County, initiated and continues to manage this statewide initiative by the Pennsylvania FFA Alumni Association. Students who apply for a jacket scholarship must explain why they are interested in agricultural education, define one goal they hope to achieve throughout their FFA career, and identify what wearing the FFA jacket means to them. In recent years thanks to support from individuals and organizations like the Grange, more than 300 jacket scholarships have been provided annually across PA. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. More from this section Abortion rights rally to take place Tuesday evening at federal courthouse Annville -- A cooperative effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the National Guard Bureau, in consultation with the state Department of Education, will open the Keystone State Challenge Academy (KSCA) this summer. Applications are now open for the Academy. KSCA is intended to be a high-energy, positive learning environment for at-risk teens to further their educations and set a path to a brighter, more promising future. As expected from an institution run by the National Guard and DMVA, the Academy will feature a structured and disciplined residential program built on a military-based training model. The Academy's mission is to intervene in the lives of 16 to 18-year-olds who have dropped out of high school. Academy organizers hope that providing an educational experience outside of a traditional school setting will interest, excite, and engage students and renew opportunities for success in work or further education. The Academy is planned to officially open on July 16, 2022, with applications open now for new students. The residential facility is located at Fort Indiantown Gap in Annville. There is no tuition fee and students are not required to perform military service in exchange for their attendance at the Academy. Meals, housing, uniforms, and school supplies will be provided at no cost. Attendees will undergo a 22-week residential course where they may work towards obtaining a GED or high school credits, learn life and job skills, improve self-discipline, practice teamwork, and perform acts of service to the community. Following this, there is a year-long post-residential phase in which students are expected to transition into full-time employment, return to high school, or continue to college or a trade school. During the post-residential year, cadets will be guided by a mentor of their choosing in cooperation with Academy staff. For more information or to apply, please click here. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. HealthDay News -- It's possible to create "universal" donor organs that would eliminate the need to match transplant donor and recipient blood types, researchers report. "With the current matching system, wait times can be considerably longer for patients who need a transplant depending on their blood type," said senior study author Dr. Marcelo Cypel, surgical director of the Ajmera Transplant Centre, University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto. "Having universal organs means we could eliminate the blood-matching barrier and prioritize patients by medical urgency, saving more lives and wasting less organs," added Cypel. He is a thoracic surgeon at UHN, a professor in the department of surgery at the University of Toronto, and the Canada Research Chair in Lung Transplantation. The researchers said their proof-of-concept study is a significant step toward creating universal type O organs for transplantation. The need to match donor and recipient blood types can result in long waits for some people in transplant waiting lists. For example, patients with type O blood have to wait an average of two times longer for a lung transplant than those with type A blood, according to study first author Aizhou Wang, a scientific associate at Cypel's lab. "This translates into mortality. Patients who are type O and need a lung transplant have a 20% higher risk of dying while waiting for a matched organ to become available," Wang said in a UHN news release. She pointed to other examples. A patient with type O or B who needs a kidney transplant will wait for an average of four to five years, compared to two to three years for people with types A or AB. "If you convert all organs to universal type O, you can eliminate that barrier completely," Wang said. Blood type is determined by antigens on the surface of red blood cells. In this study, the researchers used an ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) system, which is normally used to pump fluids through donor lungs to prepare them for transplantation. But in this case, the study authors used human donor lungs from type A donors that were not suitable for transplantation. One lung was treated with a group of enzymes to clear the blood type-determining antigens from its surface, while the other lung was untreated. The team then added type O blood to the EVLP and found that the treated lungs were well tolerated while the untreated lungs showed signs of rejection. The findings were published Feb. 16 in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The researchers are now preparing a proposal for a clinical trial within the next 12 to 18 months. More information There's more on organ transplantation at the United Network for Organ Sharing. SOURCE: University Health Network, news release, Feb. 16, 2022 Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. 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Shamokin Police said a 20-year-old man is on life support and listed as critical condition after being assaulted at a residence near the 500 block of North Franklin Street. According to an affidavit from officers Tyler Bischof and Alexis Temple, a woman contacted the department about an assault that took place on the night of Jan. 21, 2021. The woman provided officers with text messages and a video that allegedly showed an unconscious male. Temple said the video showed Kody Scicchitano lying on the floor as a man, identified as Anthony Torres, 27, of Shamokin, could be heard in the background making comments. Temple said officers spoke with Tarra Krieger, who was allegedly inside the residence on the night of the assault. According to the report, Krieger told officers she feared for her life and was scared of Torres. Krieger allegedly told Torres Scicchitano needed help and she was going to call 911. He tried to come up to me and I went upstairs and went in my bedroom and I told him to leave me alone and I was scared, Krieger told Temple, according to the affidavit. A second witness, identified as Nicole Koons, 19, of Shamokin, told police after she heard two loud bangs, she went downstairs and had to push Torres off Scicchitano. According to the affidavit, Torres kicked Sciccihitano several times in the head before going upstairs and playing video games. Afterwards Nicole Koons stated that it appeared that Scicchitano was only sleeping and did not need medical attention, Temple wrote. Nicole Koons stated an hour or two passed before the ambulance was called for Scicchitano. According to the affidavit, the assault took place around 3:30 p.m. Officers said a friend of Koons, who allegedly stopped by the residence after the assault, placed a call to 911 at 5 p.m. Torres was charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault, second-degree misdemeanor simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person. Torres was given $150,000 monetary bail after an arraignment on the charges with Judge John Gembic. Torres could not make bail and was transported to the Northumberland County Jail. Koons and Krieger were held on $75,000 monetary bail after being charged with two misdemeanors in second-degree recklessly endangering another person and third-degree statement under penalty. All three individuals are scheduled to meet with Gembic on Feb. 22 for preliminary hearings. Anthony Torres docket sheet Nicole Koons docket sheet Tarra Krieger docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Berwick, Pa. Narcotics officers said on the night of Feb. 10, 2022 they viewed a vehicle pull into a parking lot and a male exit. According to an affidavit, the male got out of the vehicle and into another one for a total of eight seconds before getting back into his car and leaving. Officer Philip Mainiero of the Berwick Police Department said officers witnessed the incident during a surveillance operation in a high drug trafficking area. Sean Edward Patillo, 27, of Williamsport was stopped as he traveled onto W 2nd Street in Berwick. Patillo agreed to a search of his vehicle which turned up a Jimenez Arms 9mm pistol with the serial number altered, according to the report. Patillo, who has a 2018 felony conviction for narcotics, was placed into handcuffs and transported to the Berwick Police Department. Authorities stopped the second vehicle and discovered four grams of cocaine. Patillo was charged with multiple felonies that included first-degree possession of a firearm prohibited, second-degree possession of a firearm with manufacturer number altered, and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. A third-degree misdemeanor of false identification was tacked off after authorities said Patillo admitted to used a false name initially. Patillo was arraigned before Judge Richard Knecht on Feb. 11 and given $125,000 monetary bail. He will face Knecht again on Feb. 28 for a preliminary hearing. Members of the Pennsylvania Attorneys General office assisted with the operation. Docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Loyalsock Township, Pa. State Police in Montoursville said a welfare check on the afternoon of Feb. 13 turned dangerous after an aggravated assault took place. Lance Tyler Mansfield, 33, of Williamsport was charged with six counts each of first-degree felony aggravated assault and second-degree misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person after a short high-speed pursuit ended in the Sheetz on Westminster Drive. Trooper Sara Barrett said Mansfield was located inside a parked truck in front of a residence near the 1100 block of Canterbury Road in Loyalsock Township. According to her report, Mansfield refused several orders to exit the vehicle and a warrant was issued for his arrest. State Police attempted to break a window out of the truck but were unsuccessful. A trooper also attempted to enter the vehicle through a small opening and failed. Mansfield allegedly turned the truck on and revved the engine before pulling out of the driveway at a high rate of speed. While exiting the residential driveway at a high rate of speed, Mansfield placed several Pennsylvania State Troopers in immediate danger of serious bodily injury, wrote Barrett. According to the report, troopers used legal intervention to stop Mansfields vehicle after a short chase. Barrett said Mansfield caused a struggled and refused to be handcuffed. Mansfield was also charged with a count each of third-degree felony fleeing and second-degree misdemeanor resisting arrest while being arraigned by Judge Gary Whiteman. Court records show Mansfield is being held on $75,000 monetary bail at the Lycoming County Prison. Docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Plunketts Creek Township, Pa. A minor contacted the Lycoming County District Attorneys office and reported abuse that dated back to 2014, according to an affidavit filed by trooper with PSP Montoursville. Related reading: Man charged after juvenile comes forward about unwanted advances James Nathaniel Lakes, 48, of Jersey Shore was charged with several felonies for the alleged assault that was reported to authorities on Jan. 18, 2022. During an interview with authorities, the accuser told interviewers Lakes had forced her to grab his penis when she was between the ages of 10 and 12. The accuser also described how Lakes would touch her vagina as he forced her on his lap. The victim said that the reason she did not disclose about being sexually assaulted by Lakes was due to being scared and not having anyone to talk to, wrote Trooper Sara Barrett. According to the affidavit, the accuser reported an incident in 2014 that involved Lakes removing his clothing and grabbing the minor several times. State Police said nothing else was disclosed about the incident and the investigation was closed. Lakes was charged with ten counts of second-degree felony aggravated assault compliant is less than 13 years old. He was also charged with a count each of second-degree aggravated indecent assault, third-degree endangering the welfare of children, and corruption of minors. All charges are felonies. Lakes, who is already being held at the Lycoming County Prison, was arraigned for Judge Gary Whiteman on Feb. 10. Lakes is scheduled in court to for a preliminary hearing on March 14. Court records show Lakes has an open case in Lycoming County for corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and indecent assault without consent of others. Docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Tribune wire Tech review| Tech review: Mesh Wi-Fi covers your whole house (and yard) eero LLC/TNS The Eero 6 Pro can be configured for as many Eero devices as your home needs, which is typically two or three. I get a lot of readers asking about Wi-Fi in their homes and whether Wi-Fi extenders can help them cover dead spots. My advice is to avoid cheap Wi-Fi extenders and spend the money on a mesh Wi-Fi router system, which uses two or more devices to cover all of your home or office. If you work in a large office, or use the Wi-Fi in a hotel, hospital or university, you have used a mesh Wi-Fi system. You might think your home isnt big enough to need mesh, but Eero introduced affordable mesh systems for the home back in 2015. Eero, bought by Amazon in 2019, continues to produce very easy-to-use mesh Wi-Fi systems. Ive been testing the Eero Pro 6 (starting at $229), which is the companys newest and fastest system. Eero Pro 6 The Eero Pro 6 uses tri-band Wi-Fi to allow for more ways for your devices to connect to your home network. Wi-Fi runs on two wireless radio frequency bands 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz. Tri-band means Wi-Fi with one radio for 2.4 GHz and two radios for 5 GHz. In this case, three bands are better than two. The Eero devices automatically figure out the fastest path for your wireless devices to connect to your homes network and for the Eero devices to talk to each other. The Pro 6 comes in three configurations with one, two or three access points. Each Pro 6 has two Ethernet ports and gets its power from a USB-C wall plug. You have to connect the first Eero to your broadband modem with an Ethernet cable. Any other Eeros can connect back to the first Eero wirelessly. You can use any open Ethernet ports to connect wired devices to your network. You can add as many Eero devices as you need for your space. The system can handle up to 128 Eero devices. How many do you need? Each Eero Pro 6 device covers about 2,000 square feet, so you can plan accordingly for the size of your home. One Eero may be all you need. But if youre considering mesh Wi-Fi, its likely because your existing Wi-Fi router doesnt quite reach all areas of your home. Perhaps your broadband modem is in one end of the house and your home office is at the other end. Id recommend a configuration with two Eero Pro 6 devices to start. You can always add a third or fourth device as needed. They are a bit cheaper if you buy them in a two- or three-device kit, so youll save yourself some money if you buy more than one to start. Setup Eero has always been known for easy setup. The setup and administration of the Eero system is done through an app on your iOS or Android device (phone or tablet). Also, you should know Eero is designed to replace your current Wi-Fi router. It wont work with your current router. If you are like me and your broadband modem has a built-in Wi-Fi router, youll be setting up the Eero as a separate network. My old Wi-Fi network is still in place, I just dont use it. After you unpack the Eero devices, pick one, plug in the power and use the included cable to connect it to an Ethernet port on the back of your broadband modem. Then download the free Eero app, set up an account and follow the onscreen instructions to configure the initial device. Youll have to give your Eero network a name and password. Then you set up and place the other devices. The app will walk you through this as well. If you have a dead spot, or a room with very spotty coverage, youll be tempted to set up the Eero in that room. The app will tell you if your placement is good in relation to your other installed Eeros. The mesh devices have to be close enough to communicate with each other. If the troublesome room is too far from the first Eero, you may be asked to try setting up the second one a bit closer to the first one. Think about proper placement to cover the areas that need more signal. If you want better coverage in the backyard, put an Eero in a room that faces the back yard and put it near a window. Note, the Eero is for indoor placement only. Its not designed to be exposed to the elements. You can place them on separate floors. But remember that they have to be close enough to talk to each other. Once all the Eero Pro 6 devices are set up, your work is pretty much finished. You can sit back and enjoy the newer, faster Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi 6 The newest Wi-Fi standard, called 802.11ax or Wi-Fi 6, is fast. It is designed for gigabit networks like AT&Ts fiber internet service. Wi-Fi 6 is capable of transmitting data at speeds of more than a gigabit. I have fiber internet, and speed tests show my download speed is around 950 Megabits-per-second (Mbps). The Eero Pro 6 Wi-Fi network connects to my MacBook Pro at 1,200 Mbps. This means the Eero Wi-Fi moves data a bit faster than my home network, which is great. Do you need Wi-Fi 6 at home? Wi-Fi 6 only works at the top speeds if you have devices (computers, phones, tablets) that also have Wi-Fi 6 radios inside. Youll have to check with your devices manufacturer to know for sure. My MacBook Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max both have Wi-Fi 6, so I knew I was ready for a Wi-Fi 6 system at home. If your devices dont have Wi-Fi 6, you wont be seeing the fastest wireless speeds. But like any standard, Wi-Fi 6 will become more popular as new devices are introduced. Also, if you dont have gigabit (1,000 Mbps) internet service, but youd still like mesh, you might be better off with Eeros slower and cheaper systems. You can check Eero.com for details and specifications. Security subscription Like many companies, Eero offers a subscription service to add additional security and convenience features. There are two levels of subscription. Eero Secure ($2.99 a month or $29.99 a year) helps protect your devices from threats, provides parental controls to filter content and an ad blocker for devices on the Wi-Fi network. You also get activity reports and access to VIP support when you need help. Eero Secure+ ($9.99 a month or $99 a year) includes all the above features, plus a license for password manager 1Password, a subscription to Malwarebytes to help scrub your computers of malware, a subscription to Encrypt.me, which is a virtual private network service to encrypt all your internet data and a subscription to DDNS, which is a service that allows for safe access to your network devices outside your home. Secure+ is a pretty good deal, especially if you are paying for one or more of those services already (I am). These subscriptions are optional and not necessary at all to use the Eero system. App The Eero app is your control center for the Eero network. It is easy to see what devices you have connected and the networks status. You can check the usage of each device and run diagnostics on the whole setup. The app is where youd change the Wi-Fi password or set up guest access. Guest users can get on the internet, but not the rest of your connected devices. Home Automation Eero devices have a built-in Zigbee hub to connect compatible home automation devices to Alexa in your home. To use this feature, you link your Eero and Amazon accounts in the Eero app. Conclusions Eero is the system I recommend for most people who want a simple, but robust mesh Wi-Fi system throughout their home. You dont have to be a technology columnist to set it up. You can have it up and running in about 15 minutes and it is one of those gadgets that you wont need to worry about it just works. Eero is also very good about keeping things up-to-date with fairly frequent software updates that happen behind the scenes. There are other mesh systems that offer more features, but I have yet to find one that is as user-friendly as the Eero. Pros: Simple to set up and expand. Easy control via app. Cons: Some features are subscription-only. Bottom Line: This is the system I recommend most often, and I use it in my home. AV1 is an emerging video codec increasingly adopted by companies in the content-streaming and entertainment space. They range from Samsung to Broadcom - but not Qualcomm, an OEM that has failed to support this form of decoding even in its top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. Now, the company is touted to fix this - in the processor's successor. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Benchmark , Biotech , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Ice Lake , Intel , Intel Evo , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Leaks / Rumors , Linux / Unix , List , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Raptor Lake , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Wi-Fi 7 , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) , Zen 4 Ticker AV1 is a relatively new video codec rated to help deliver higher-resolution video with smaller file-sizes. These potential advantages are so important that its adoption has been pushed by players such as Google, which may have impelled OEMs from Samsung and MediaTek to NVIDIA and AMD to bake support for its decoding into their chipsets. For example, this spec is found in the Exynos 2200 (and the 2100 before it) and the Dimensity 9000 - but not the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, even though the latter has been touted as its most advanced flagship processor by Qualcomm during its late 2021 launch. This leaves the OEM behind the curve in this respect, and according to Protocol, there it will stay - albeit only until next year. The blog asserts that Qualcomm is now working on AV1 support in the "SM8550". This internal code-name more than likely refers to silicon that might launch in 2023 (or very late 2022) as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The interim 8 Gen 1 Plus, tipped for a much earlier release to supplant the Gen 1, is also reportedly in the works, but is linked to the code-name SM8475 (whereas the Gen 1 is the SM8450). Therefore, Qualcomm is now slated not to catch up in AV1 terms until the next product cycle. Brussels, 20 February 2022 (SPS) - Spain has a legal, historical, political and moral responsibility towards the Sahrawi people, and must assume its role in achieving the decolonization of occupied Western Sahara, affirmed the President of the Republic, Secretary- General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali. "Spain cannot unilaterally abandon its legal, historical, political and moral responsibility towards the Sahrawi people. It is the administering power of Western Sahara and it is up to it to assume its essential role in the achievement of the decolonization of the territory," declared Mr. Ghali to the Spanish news agency EFE, on the occasion of his participation in the summit between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) in Brussels. He rejected the idea that the way out of this conflict is through some form of "autonomy" of the Western Sahara, the option proposed by Morocco, because "it does not offer a solution but rather a fait accompli of illegal occupation. Mr. Ghali said he "continue to believe in the international community, represented by the United Nations, which must guarantee the self-determination and independence of a peaceful and patient people like the Sahrawi people", as it has already done with "similar conflicts, such as those in East Timor and Namibia". "The latest case of decolonization in Africa cannot be an exception," he said. Regarding the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Ghali denounced the fact that it has become "a mere instrument in the hands of Morocco to legalize its illegal occupation, limiting its task to the maintenance of the ceasefire" (broken in 2020), with the aim of "burying its main mandate, which bears its name, namely the referendum on self-determination. He considered that the UN Security Council should "assume its responsibility to put things in their place so that MINURSO fulfills the mission entrusted thirty years ago. 062/T Patients can enroll in a clinical trial for a new atrial fibrillation device at Community Healthcare System. David Orchowski, a 71-year-old resident of Chicagos Hegewisch neighborhood, was the first to enroll in the study of the safety and effectiveness of the WATCHMAN FLX left atrial appendage closure device that replaces long-term blood thinner use with a one-time procedure. The hope is to reduce the risk of strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation that's not caused by an issue with a heart valve. He underwent a 45-minute-long procedure to have the device inserted. It could be one more tool in the toolbox that doctors have available to them to help people live a longer, healthier life with less fear of a stroke, he said. He hoped to help others and said it was easy to do so. He just has to field a few questions over the phone and continue to meet with his doctor. I am extremely pleased with how things are going, he said. I look forward to being a participant over the long haul. The clinical trial is study whether the WATCHMAN FLX can become a first choice for patients who can't tolerate long-term blood thinner use. Our cardiovascular teams were the first in Northwest Indiana to offer WATCHMAN and the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX as an effective treatment option for these patients, said Samer Abbas, medical director of Cardiovascular Services at Community Hospital and the Structural Heart program of Community Healthcare System. We are pleased to participate in this important study that will evaluate whether a one-time WATCHMAN FLX procedure is equally effective as blood-thinning medication as a first-line treatment for a wider population of patients. The clinical trial will include patients at low or moderate risk of bleeding from blood thinner use or who want an alternative to long-term anticoagulation. Community Healthcare System has a well-established history of providing excellence and innovation in cardiac care which has distinguished us as a leading site for clinical trials such as this, Abbas said. We are fortunate to have been asked to participate in this study in the company of nationally-recognized centers such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and others. About 3,000 patients nationwide will take part in the study, including about 20 at Community Healthcare System. They will be evaluated over five years for bleeding, strokes or other adverse events A positive outcome from the CHAMPION-AF trial may put the WATCHMAN FLX device on equal footing with best-in-class drug therapy for stroke risk reduction and offer an alternative for more patients who would otherwise face life-long use of blood thinners and the associated risk of serious bleeding, Abbas said. Our participation in important studies such as this ensures we maintain that level of excellence and contribute to a broader knowledge through cardiovascular research. Anyone interested should call 219-703-1152 to make an appointment. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Cleveland-Cliffs looks forward to a bright future after posting record profits last year. The steelmaker is projecting another strong year as automotive demand picks back up, it locks down more long-term contracts and shifts focus to bigger, more stable customers. "The future, and specifically, 2022, is clearly bright for Cleveland-Cliffs," CEO Lourenco Goncalves said in a conference call for investors. "Underlying demand remains strong, infrastructure-related spending has started, particularly regarding electrical steels. And the chip shortage affecting the automotive has begun to ease, leading to meaningful pent-up demand for cars and trucks." The Cleveland-based steelmaker, which has a large presence in Northwest Indiana, expects to benefit from the auto industry's rebound from the global semiconductor shortage. "That should benefit Cleveland-Cliffs a lot more than any other steel company in the United States," Goncalves said in the conference call. "Let's make this abundantly clear to our investors. There is no other steel company, integrated or mini-mill, in the U.S. or more broadly in North America capable of supplying all the specs and all the tonnage we supply the American automotive industry. Cleveland-Cliffs already has all the equipment and technological capabilities that other companies are only now spending several billions of dollars to try to replicate by building new melt shops and new galvanizing lines." Longtime mine operator Cleveland-Cliffs bought ArcelorMittal USA and AK Steel with the aim of becoming a premier supplier to the American auto industry. "We typically sell 5 million tons of steel directly to automotive manufacturers and also sell another 2 million to 3 million tons through intermediaries. Put another way, almost half of our steel sales end up in automotive functions," Goncalves said. "Another interesting fact, even though we have not deliberately tried to grow our automotive market share in 2021, we have actually increased our market share through tons resourced by our clients. While the clients do not tell us why they are taking the order away from another steel company and reassigning this specific item to Cleveland-Cliffs, we can only assume that these other steel companies are not meeting the automotive industry's high standards." Cleveland-Cliffs has a strategic advantage that has allowed it to return more money to shareholders, Goncalves said. "That's probably why these competitors have to invest several billions of dollars to play catch-up. Cleveland-Cliffs does not have to spend this type of money and will not," he said. "With our capex needs in 2022 relatively low and strong confidence in our cash flows, we are very comfortable putting in place the $1 billion share buyback program just announced." The steelmaker also already has 45% of its steel volumes sold under annual fixed-price contracts, which is the highest in the industry. It's looking to increase that amount. "Another differentiating big feature of our way of doing business is the predictable pricing model that we have in place with automotive and tin plate and some select clients in other sectors as well," Goncalves said. "This feature eliminates the worst cancer in our industry, which is self-inflicted volatility. Going forward, we will work with more clients to move sales under this model. Real clients don't need indexes. They need reliable suppliers and fair prices." Cleveland-Cliffs believes the entire steel industry will benefit from more predictability. "The harm caused by the volatility of steel pricing is most damaging for smaller service centers, who leave out of their inventory values. Ironically, these same folks are the ones who create volatility in the first place, panic buying, double and triple ordering when supply is tight, and then halting purchases altogether when inventories are temporarily adequate, perpetuating a never-ending cyclicality," he said. "We are convinced that it is in everyone's best interest to limit volatility in our industry. And that's not only desirable but also feasible. The steelmaker also is working to limit volatility by shifting focus to bigger customers. "That's why we are moving away from sales to smaller players, further concentrating on the larger clients, which already make up the vast majority of our sales," Goncalves said. "At this point, all-important clients of Cleveland-Cliffs are being offered index-free deals to continue to do business with us. Marrying stable costs with stable prices up and down the supply chain can create a much healthier business environment for steel in the United States." Celso Goncalves, Cleveland-Cliffs' executive vice president and chief financial officer, said the company remains in a strong financial position after strong market conditions and last year's "outstanding annual results." "With this record annual profitability, we put the cash we generated to good use. We reinvested in our business, acquired the leading prime scrap processor in North America, deleveraged our balance sheet, and reduced our diluted share count by 10% last year," he said. "Looking ahead, with another year of considerable and predictable free cash flow in front of us, we have further accretive uses of capital already underway in 2022, including the $1 billion share repurchase authorization that we announced this morning. Just to give you an idea of how 2022 is going so far, on a year-over-year basis, we have already generated more adjusted EBITDA in January of 2022 alone than we did in the entire first quarter of 2021." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LYNWOOD The lines have stretched out the door and at times the parking-lot entrance onto the road after it was announced Warsaw Inn would close later this month. But there's still a chance the popular Polish restaurant could go enjoy a second trip to the buffet line under new ownership. Longtime owner Angie Golom decided to close the buffet at 2180 Glenwood-Dyer Road in Lynwood after 50 years because she thought it was time to retire. But she just put Warsaw Inn on the market for sale Wednesday after an outpouring of public mourning has drawn interest from potential buyers. "There's been a number of people who expressed interest," she said. "But we just put it up for sale days ago." The huge crowds that turned out also has Golom considering extending the closing date past the currently planned Thursday, but she doesn't know if there would be enough food left to do so. Warsaw Inn ran out of Polish sausage, blintzes and other food when it reopened last Wednesday after making the closing announcement. "I don't think we can keep up with this from the last few days," she said. "It's unbelievable. An overwhelming amount of people are coming out. I'm so flattered, feeling so blessed that so many people love our food." License plates in the parking lot hail from as far away as Wisconsin and Michigan. "We're seeing people from all over," Golom said. "We've always had customers from all over. They come for the quality of the food. We still make the pierogi by hand here." Polish immigrants Eugene and Angela Zubrzycki first opened Warsaw Inn in Calumet Park in 1972. Golom, their daughter, has been running it by herself since 1983. After a half-century in the restaurant business, she wants to retire at the age of 69. "I'm looking forward to it," she said. "My children and grandchildren are really excited. They live in different states. I will go and visit and hopefully go on vacations together. It will be wonderful." Her husband, Edward, retired a few years ago. "He's just been kind of waiting for me to retire," she said. "But I wanted to reach the 50-year mark. It's quite an accomplishment, don't you think? It's been a half a century. We survived COVID, and now I'm retiring." If she can work out a deal, with a prospective buyer would get the old family recipes that have been tweaked and improved over the years. Adorned with wallpaper, light fixtures and pastoral paintings that call to mind the old country, the restaurant serves more than 60 items, including stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes and many varieties of pierogi. The staff would be willing to return if a new buyer took over, employee Debbie Morey said. Hundreds of people have been showing up since the closing was announced for the chance to dine there one last time. "We've been running on a one- to two-hour wait for a table since Wednesday," she said. "We actually have had to take the phone off the hook. On Wednesday, the line went all the way to the back of the building and it stayed there to about 6 p.m. "People tell us they'll miss us so much. They're so broken-hearted," she said. "They wish that we were staying, are so glad they got to come for the last time. It's been very surreal." Many people have been coming since it first opened a half-century ago. "We have a lot of regular, loyal customers," she said. "A lot." A few other old-school Polish restaurants remain in the Region, including Big Frank's Sausage in East Chicago, the Polish Peasant in Michigan City, Cavalier Inn and MJ's Polish Deli in Hammond, and Dan's Pierogis in Highland. Warsaw Inn will be open from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday until it closes on Sunday. For more information, visit www.angieswarsawinn.com or call (708) 474-1000. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 2 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MUNSTER Munster High School students were given the unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges recently. Students were required to provide information about competition for their product, what their market share would be and several other parts of a business pitch. Ideas presented included solutions to small cup holders for cars, distraction toys for dogs and air freshener solutions. Students were able to request funds from the panel of judges, ranging from asking for approximately $300 to $1,000. The money was from the Munster Education Foundation. Judges included Kyle Dempsey, a State Farm agent; Jose Gutierrez, a product manager; Juanita Johnson, of Profitable Solutions; Tricia Shelton, president of the Munster Education Foundation; Mike Maroulis, of Bowman Displays; Amy Van Pelt, ICE and Intercontinental Data Exchange strategic account director; and Dejan Illijevski, investment advisor for SCM Investment Services. The event was part of an Entrepreneurship Capstone class at Munster High School. It is open to any student who has taken four credits of any business class, but many of the students who presented were seniors. The students began the year looking at a problem they found worth solving. They then had to form teams to solve the problem and create a business model canvas, a one-page business plan that helped students determine estimated costs, estimated revenues, ways they would promote the product to consumers and more. They pitched a minimum viable product, which is essentially a small version of a solution to get in front of potential consumers to test how it would perform on the actual market. Many teams were looking for funding to get their first prototype and test. Several students had already done some tests of their products, but most did not have the exact plan figured out. Judges were able to ask questions, and sometimes students indicated they would have to look more into that issue. For example, for the dog distraction toy, judges asked about how it would perform with small or large dogs. As the group had not yet created a full prototype, they said that was ongoing and that they would hope to get back to the judges on that subject. Student teams must now build a prototype, test and begin marketing plans. They will present a final product in May with hopes receiving money to continue their business. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Press Release February 20, 2022 De Lima to Cusi, Juaneza: Let electric coops choose their General Manager Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima urged Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and National Electrification Administration (NEA) Chief Emmanuel Juaneza to empower electric cooperatives by upholding their authority to hire their General Manager. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, said there is no justification for Cusi's and Juaneza's interference in the affairs of the electric cooperatives, especially in the selection of their general managers. "Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and NEA Chief Emmanuel Juaneza should listen to the electric cooperatives," she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 1220. "The latter's complaints on DOE's and NEA's usurpation of electric coop powers to choose their own general managers remain unacted upon by both Cusi and Juaneza, to the point that the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (PHILRECA) is now already calling for their resignation. It did not have to come to this point," she added. Instead of undermining electric coops, De Lima added that the DOE and NEA "should uphold their prerogative to select their own general managers," a prerogative which she noted "has been previously recognized by past DOE secretaries and NEA chiefs before Cusi and Juaneza ignored them and proceeded to issue orders usurping this power of the electric cooperatives." Recently, officers of PHILRECA and National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers, Inc. (NCECCO), called for the immediate resignation of Cusi and Juaneza. NEA was reportedly criticized for being "anti-cooperative and anti-people" for issuing NEA Memo 2021-055 and NEA 2021-056, which transferred the power to hire, select, and appoint General Managers of electric cooperatives from the EC Board of Directors to NEA's Board of Administrators. According to leaders and advocates from the rural electrification sector, said memoranda do not uphold the interests and welfare of the coops and its members. De Lima maintained that the attempt by DOE and NEA to centralize power and authority over electric cooperatives is "anathema to the principles of local community initiative, autonomy, and self-sufficiency upon which the establishment of cooperatives is founded." "There can be no more contradiction of the very reason-for-being of cooperatives than an intrusive and heavy-handed national government and its agencies that view electric cooperatives as their underlings," she said. "This perspective of the national government on the nature of electric cooperatives should be reversed now, before it completely destroys the cooperative as an institution with a long-running tradition of reliability in the country," she added. The word is beshert. Its a Yiddish term. Loosely translated, it means soulmate or destiny and it emerged as the best way to describe what happened Saturday afternoon in Boynton Beach. Advertisement Phyllis Felsenfeld and Elaine Wyler, who were close friends in elementary school at PS (Public School) 130 in Brooklyn from 1945 to 1949, reunited for the first time in 73 years. Its amazing, Elaine said. Im still in a daze. Advertisement Beshert also best describes the initial June 2020 meeting between Phyllis and Elaines grandchildren, Alex Horowitz (Phyllis grandson) and Carly Gorodetzky (Elaines granddaughter), who are engaged to be married in January. They were set up on a date because Alexs parents happened to move into a neighborhood near Carlys fathers childhood best friend. And although Alex and Carly have known each other for more than a year it wasnt until last week they discovered their grandmothers were close friends as children. And beshert describes another amazing factoid that wasnt discovered until Saturday 86-year-old Elaine and 86-year-old Phyllis were born two days apart. Elaine, whose maiden name is Lowin, turns 87 March 10; Phyllis, whose maiden name is Kamil, turns 87 March 12. Saturdays reunion, which happened at Alexs parents house, featured hugs, tears, laughs and recollections. Phyllis said she and Elaine would play jacks, pickup sticks, and punch ball at school among other childhood games. After school, theyd hang out at each others houses. They recalled the roller-skating rink that was near their school as well as nearby Prospect Park. Phyllis Felsenfeld hugs her friend Elaine Wyler during their reunion on Saturday. Alex Horowitz, Phyllis' grandson, and Carly Gorodetzky, Elaine's granddaughter, got engaged two months ago. Alex went to Carly's grandmother's house and they began talking. He realized she had a lot in common with his grandmother. Alex called his grandmother and asked whether she knew Elaine Lowin (maiden name), and Phyllis remarked it was her best friend in elementary school. They put them together on a FaceTime call. They met for the first time in more than seven decades Saturday. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Some of their recollections were sparked by a class photo, others were stirred by a school album filled with signatures and well wishes Phyllis brought. Not everybody saves these things, Phyllis said. On one of those pages was a poem Elaine wrote to Phyllis, her good friend: We had some fun, Advertisement We laughed a lot, And, oh, the trouble in which we got. And now that we must go away, I hope I see you again some day. Love & luck, Elaine Lowin Advertisement Carlys parents, Jeffrey and Shari Gorodetzky, were at the reunion along with Alexs parents, Craig and Bonnie Horowitz, and a few other family members. Everyone was moved, but the stars of the show were moved more than anyone. You remember this, Phyllis said to Elaine as she showed her a picture. This is when we were really best friends. Elaine nodded, later quipping with a smile, Im starting to feel old. Phyllis Felsenfeld hugs her friend Elaine Wyler during their reunion on Saturday, the first time they've seen each other since 1949. They'll attend their grandchildrens' wedding in January. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) This entire experience is mind-blowing for the two families, including the part where Elaine and Phyllis unknowingly reared their children a few minutes apart. Elaine lived in the Oyster Bay section of Long Island while Phyllis lived in Jericho. Now, they live about 20 minutes apart, Elaine in Boca Raton and Phyllis in Tamarac. Alex and Carly owe their introduction to another among the numerous coincidences in the story. Advertisement Carly came to Florida from New York City during the COVID lockdown in 2020 to stay with her parents. She needed a brief change of scenery. A few years earlier, Alexs parents befriended a neighboring couple in their community in Boynton Beach. It turns out the man was the lifelong best friend of Carlys dad. My parents, who are typical Jewish parents, Alex said, kind of talked about their single son with their neighbor a million times. The neighbors told Alexs parents they knew a single woman who just came down from New York and perhaps they should get Alex and the woman together. They went on a date, and now theyre engaged to be married Jan. 14. Carly Gorodetzky and Alex Horowitz watch as Elaine Wyler, Carly's grandmother, and her close friend, Phyllis Felsenfeld, Alex's grandmother, reunite Saturday in Boynton Beach for the first time in more than seven decades. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Now, lets go back to last Saturday. Alex and Carly were at Elaines house chatting. As Elaine talked about growing up, living in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, and attending Erasmus Hall High School, Alex began to get curious. He knew Phyllis grew up in Flatbush and attended Erasmus Hall. He decided to call Phyllis and he asked whether she knew Elaine Lowin. As soon as he said, Elaine Lowin I said, Are you kidding?! That was one of my four best friends in elementary school, Phyllis said. Advertisement Thats when they decided to put Phyllis and Elaine on a FaceTime call. It was very emotional, Alex said. I was almost coming to tears myself. Thats when they decided they needed to get the women together for a face-to-face meeting, and that meeting took place Saturday. The women hope its the first of many lunches and meetings. Elaine Wyler and Phyllis Felsenfeld look over a school photo from PS (Public School) 130 in Brooklyn during their reunion on Saturday. The women were close friends between 1945 and 1949. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) The bizarre thing is if Alex and Carly wouldnt have met with Elaine last weekend and put the pieces together, its likely Phyllis and Elaine would have attended the wedding in January, been introduced to each other as Phyllis Felsenfeld and Elaine Wyler, and never known they were Phyllis Kamil and Elaine Lowin, close childhood friends. Its beshert. I really do believe that this is that, Carly said. Its a meant to be type of thing. GARY A man was found dead following a fiery semitrailer crash in Gary. First responders were called at 6:46 p.m. Saturday night to Spencer Street and U.S. 12 in Gary, said Gary Police Department Cmdr. Jack Hamady. A rolled over semi was found on fire at the scene. The fire department extinguished the flames and found a man dead inside of the semi. Police determined the semi was traveling eastbound on U.S. 12 when it drove off the roadway, struck a utility pole and caught fire. It was a single-vehicle crash and no other injuries were reported. Lake County Sheriffs Reconstruction Unit and Indiana State Police are assisting Gary Police Department in the investigation. The mans identity has not yet been released by officials, pending family notification. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Former state Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, ended his nearly four decades of service in the Indiana Senate when he retired Jan. 11. But there was no way the 88-year-old was going to permanently stay away from the marble-walled chamber thats practically been a second home for the onetime banker and former Hammond City Council president since Mrvan first won election to the Senate in 1978. Accompanied by his wife, Jean, and his son, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, the former state senator was heartily welcomed back to the Statehouse last week by his colleagues some of whom werent even born when Mrvans already underway public service career took him to Indianapolis. For more than an hour, the 50 Hoosier senators shared stories about working with Mrvan, the lessons they learned from him, and the things he achieved for Northwest Indiana and the state as a whole. For example, state Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, pointed to Mrvan winning enactment in 2017 of a statewide child abuse and child sexual abuse prevention program known as No More Secrets, which requires Indiana schools provide all students age-appropriate and evidence-based instruction on different types of abuse, as well as access to help. Young also noted Mrvan led the effort to keep serious sex offenders out of schools used as polling places by making the offenders automatically eligible to vote by mail, as well as a law permitting child sexual abuse victims to pursue criminal charges against their abusers up to age 31. "This guy cares about individuals and people, Young said. "He had a lot of things that he wanted to do that could help. Didn't get everything through. But the things you did get through have helped so many people in the state of Indiana. "You've done a great job. Probably more than I've ever done, or anybody else, to help people and protect them. Senator Mrvan, I'm going to miss you a whole lot. You are a great and decent human being." State Sen. John Crane, R-Brownsburg, recalled serving alongside Mrvan on the Senate Education Committee, which is notorious for weekly meetings lasting upwards of five hours. Frankly, there were so many long committee hearings there's probably years we would love to get back of our lives, Crane said. But I've been privileged to be able to share many committees with Senator Mrvan, and he's always demonstrated just an absolute courteousness, thoughtfulness and a big heart for vulnerable people. "Senator Mrvan always had a kind word to say to me whenever I would see him and always had thoughtful contributions. State Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, the longtime chairman of the Senate Education Committee, acknowledged Mrvan was an excellent member of the panel that helps set policy in schools across the state. "I admire you, Senator Mrvan. You're a statesman and you're the type of person that I look up to, Kruse said. I appreciate your service and your life and your commitment to God, and I just pray that God will be with you in the balance of your life. State Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, had a different committee experience with Mrvan when the Hammond senator quizzed him one day about where Garten purchased his colorful clown socks. But Garten said that helped him realize how closely Mrvan was paying attention to everything happening around him, and how much Garten could learn by following Mrvans example. "I can remember thinking as a younger senator, 'Who is this older gentleman over there who looks asleep.' And as soon as I would think that, he would ask some of the most pointed, intelligent questions about a bill things that I didn't catch, Garten said. State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services, said hell of course remember Mrvans health committee work on behalf of Hoosiers. But he also recalled working with Mrvan to keep the Region's steel industry alive when Charbonneau still was head of government affairs for U.S. Steel, as well as talking on the phone with Mrvan when they both suffered serious health issues in 2020. Though Charbonneau said what hell really remember is racing Frank and Jean Mrvan up Interstate 65 after the Senate adjourned on Thursday afternoons to the Starbucks in Lebanon to get the coffee needed to make the long drive back to Northwest Indiana a bit more pleasant. "Down at the crux, Frank is a good person. And when you think about it, that is what the good Lord asks us to be, Charbonneau said. "If we were all just good people, this world would be a wonderful place. Frank is one of those good people." State Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, also knew Mrvan through his work at the Statehouse on behalf of the steel industry. Pol said he remembers as a child canvassing neighborhoods with his grandfather, a leader in United Steelworkers Local 1010, and passing out leaflets bearing the name of his future colleague who began his Senate tenure before the 37-year-old Pol was even a blip on the radar. "I recall seeing your name for the first time on some of these leaflets and asking my grandfather, 'Who is Mr. Van? Pol said, only to have his daughters ask him the exact same question a few years ago. "The way that my grandfather spoke about you as a champion of labor, he talked about you as if you were a titan. You were always looking out for the best interests in your community, and to stay in your seat for the decades you were able to, obviously he was right, Pol said. State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, noted that Mrvan served with his father, Ernie Niemeyer, in the Indiana Senate, and said both he and Congressman Mrvan, a former North Township trustee, benefited from the name recognition generated by their fathers when they each got into Lake County politics. "We didn't always agree on issues and stuff, Niemeyer said. But he was one of the first senators I went to when I came into this chamber. State Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo, emphasized that point: "You not only have a good name. But you've left a good name, Buck said. For state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, its not Mrvans name thats important, or his longevity, but his civility. "When I think about the conduct, the personality, and how he approached everything, I think about the word civility. You cannot think about the word civility without thinking about Frank Mrvan, Randolph said. Similarly, state Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said even though she only got to know Mrvan toward the end of his Senate tenure, there never was any question about his commitment to public service. "I appreciate the legend that you are, both at home and in this building, and the legacy that you'll leave behind, always. When I hear my colleagues speak of you it's always with the utmost respect and appreciation, Yoder said. State Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, who was 1 year old when Mrvan was elected to the Senate, and who interned for Mrvan some 12 years ago, said he always will value the advice he got from Mrvan when he was elected to the Senate in 2020. "Never change your heart. Always stay authentic, Qaddoura said. "He reminded me constantly that wealth, and even health, is not something we can always maintain. But we will always be remembered for how big our hearts are and how we treated other people, and for 40 years he's served with honor, he's served by placing other people's interests ahead of his own interests, and he was very passionate about so many public policy areas. "The state of Indiana is better because of you. You left a legacy, and I hope we can walk in your shoes and celebrate your contributions. Senate Democratic Leader Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, agreed Indiana definitely needs to commemorate Mrvan, and his service to the state, with more than a simple Senate ceremony. "Serving in this body is a very taxing responsibility and Senator Mrvan took on that responsibility when I was just a little toddler. That shows me this man truly loves the state of Indiana, Taylor said. "It's tough sometimes to say goodbye to something you love. But I know you also love Jean. I know you love and are proud of your son, the congressman. So this is your time to be with them, Senator Mrvan. And it's time for us to pick up the mantle and move forward. Mrvans successor, state Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland, pledged to do his best to live up to the example Mrvan set as a friend to all the communities in Northwest Indiana. "I can tell you as his constituent, as a person he served, that entire time he served us so very well, Griffin said. "You will be profoundly missed." Senate Resolution 42, presented by state Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, a graduate of Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, officially recognizes Mrvans accomplishments. It was unanimously approved by the Senate. State Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, also presented Mrvan with the crystal eagle sculpture thats given to all retiring members of the Senate family. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Former state Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond, likely never again will speak in the Indiana Senate as a member of that august body. But the retired lawmaker, who served Indianas 1st Senate District from 1978 to 1995 and from 1998 to 2022, had some advice for his former colleagues last week after they honored his decades of public service to the state and the Region. At the top of the list, he urged the 50 Hoosier senators to really try to make a difference in the lives of the 6.8 million people they represent. "You're so important! You can change things! Mrvan proclaimed. "I guess I'll never be saying 'Madam President and ladies and gentlemen of the Senate' anymore. But this was a phrase that meant a lot to me. It meant that I had the ability, and so have you, you were blessed with this ability by God to be one of 50 who can do something for their fellow man and for themselves. "I didn't want to leave, to tell you the truth, because this is such an important job, and it's in your hands. You've got this greatness in you just by making it here." Mrvan said Indiana did a lot during his tenure in the Senate, which was controlled by Republicans the entire time, to help companies thrive, and to earn top rankings for Indiana as a good place to do business. He said, going forward, the Senate and the House similarly should strive to make Indiana the No. 1 or No. 2 state in the country for education and child care. "I'm not going to take anything under 5, the 88-year-old quipped. And I'm going to come back and haunt you. You know, I'm going to have that power pretty soon. So if you don't do those good things, you're going to wake up screaming at night." Mrvan said one of his proudest moments came last year when the Senate almost unanimously approved the current state budget that funneled billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief to projects, programs and people long neglected by the state. "Please, please, please fight for the people. That's what's important. The mills, the banks, they're all going to have representatives. But the guy that's got a job for $10 an hour he needs you, Mrvan said. If it's good, good for the people, vote for it. Make Indiana the best state in the world. Mrvan also explained in his experience a good senator needs to love the people he serves, as well as the people he serves with. He urged the senators never to get bitter or mad, no matter what short-term obstacles are in their paths. "This is an institution for love. You cannot be a success here without loving and liking the job or the people you work with, Mrvan said. "I know as a man, especially guys where I come from, we don't talk about love too much. But I tell you, I love every one of you, no matter if you hurt me or if you didnt. Mrvan said he is a simple man with only a high school education I might have a little looks, but that's about it." Nevertheless, he said he knows deep down his former colleagues need to make the most of their opportunities to work together for the good of the state. I've had good times, and I've had some bad times. But being a senator is the greatest thing I've ever had, and I'm proud to have known you, and worked with you, and those before you, Mrvan said. "God and country and Indiana. Bye." Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HIGHLAND Four years after the curtain dropped on the historic Town Theatre, the Town Council has a proposal to redevelop the vacant site and the land nearby. But 1st Metropolitan Builders must first convince the council that it has a viable plan, and it hinges on the town's largest employer agreeing to a relocation. The block on which the theater once stood, including the land behind it to the bike trail, is a parcel of about 5 acres. The western part of this parcel, along the trail, would feature eight 12-unit condo buildings. The eastern part, along Kennedy Avenue, would have retail stores with possible residential units on the second floors. "We are working on some retail boutique type of uses," attorney David Westland said. "The goal would be to make that a walkable area with the residential and retail." To pave the way, an agreement would be needed with EMCOR Hyre Electric, which has 300 employees, to relocate to the other end of town and sell its existing property for the condo complex. "It's a very nice looking project," said Council President Bernie Zemen, D-1st. Westland, of Westland & Bennett PC, represents 1st Metropolitan, and said the company would like to close on a purchase of the theater site after making an earlier successful bid for $120,000. The theater property is currently owned by the town. Westland said the plan would "make the downtown a place where people want to drive to" as a destination. The condo project would cost $40 to $50 million, and each unit would have two bedrooms, two baths and a garage. Each unit would sell for $250,000. "This is a transformational project for downtown Highland one that the folks in Highland have been talking about for the last 20 to 30 years," Westland said. If Hyre agrees to the plan, its new home would be in a 10-acre professional business/industrial park that would be built on South Kennedy Avenue, immediately north of a gas station on the corner at Main Street, Westland said. The complex would require an investment of $10 to $15 million, he said. "This is very preliminary," Westland said of the overall plan. He noted that 1st Metropolitan has, thus far, employed engineers, surveyors and an attorney to get the plan started. But before investing any more funds, the firm needs feedback from the council on whether to proceed any further, Westland said. "This proposal is nothing new," said Councilman Mark Herak, D-2nd, adding that similar ideas have been pitched to the council before. Herak said the town would insist that the condos be owner-occupied with no rentals and no temporary, long-term housing arrangements. Herak stressed the council wants Hyre to stay in Highland and wondered what it might require as an enticement to move from the land it has occupied since 1960. He also said that the conceptual drawings are very attractive and that the council would want to know what incentives 1st Metropolitan would want to do the project. Westland said that as much as $3 million in fill and sanitary lines would probably be needed at the relocation site. He also indicated that 1st Metropolitan could possibly purchase its own bonds. "It would be a 'buy your own bond' scenario in the downtown portion," which would spare the town any financial risk. Westland said the firm would also agree to a planned unit development. PUDs give a town more control over certain aspects of building projects. "It's an idea we'd like to explore further," Herak said. "(But) we're not going to break the bank either." The two sides will talk further at an upcoming council study session, and 1st Metropolitan will also talk with its financial experts. The Town Theatre, and several adjacent buildings also owned by the town, was torn down in January 2018 after the council determined the theater building had deteriorated beyond restoration. Several businesses still exist on the block where the theater stood. "The project doesnt require the acquisition of the other businesses, although it does present some possibilities for those addresses," Westland noted. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Urban League of Northwest Indiana is accepting applications for qualified high school students wishing to receive financial help through scholarships. Young people from Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties are encouraged to apply through 11:59 p.m. March 27. Online registration is available at https://ulofnwi.communityforce.com. Other scholarships are available at www.unlofni.org. Many of those who have already won scholarships speak of the help it provides. Many times the financial challenges students in the Region face are insurmountable. The Urban League gives students a convenient platform in which to apply for several scholarships. Scholarships are also available for returning adults. Those who have stepped out of school and plan to begin again could be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship. A tentative listing of scholarships includes: * Joseph Trent Morrow Scholarship: Two $2,500 scholarships for high school graduating seniors from Gary, East Chicago or Hammond. * Horizon Bank Scholarships MIDYEAR: Five $1,000 scholarships for Lake, Porter, LaPorte county high school graduating seniors and college students. * Horizon Bank Scholarships: Five $1,000 scholarships for Lake, Porter, LaPorte county high school graduating seniors. * Sen. Carolyn B. Mosby/NIPSCO Scholarships: Five $1,000 scholarships for Gary, East Chicago, Hammond or Merrillville high school graduating seniors. * NIPSCO STEM Power Scholarships: One $1,000 and one $500 scholarship for LaPorte County high school graduating seniors. * Michael L. Suggs S.T.E.M. Youth Leaders Scholarship: One $1,500 for a graduating high school senior in Lake, Porter or LaPorte counties. * Chester Arthur Jones and Robert L. Buggs Sr. Engineering/Construction Trades Scholarship: One $500 scholarship for a Lake County graduating senior. * National Hook-Up of Black Women, Inc. Scholarship: One $500 scholarship for a high school graduating senior in Northwest Indiana. * Sen. Eddie Melton Future Leaders Scholarships: Two $500 scholarships for high school graduating seniors in District 3: Portions of Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart, Ainsworth, Merrillville and Crown Point. * National Council Negro Women- Gary Section Bethune Education Scholarship: One $500 scholarship for a high school graduating senior in Northwest Indiana. * Anthony Courtney Northwest Indiana Corvette Club Scholarship: Two $1,000 scholarships for high school graduating seniors in Northwest Indiana or south suburbs of Chicago. * Martin Family Promise: One $1,000 scholarship for a Gary or Merrillville high school graduating senior. *Guthrie Family Scholarship: Three $2,000 scholarships for West Side Leadership Academy graduating seniors. * Mary Morris Leonard Scholarship: One $1,000 scholarship for an East Chicago Central High School graduating senior and one $1,000 scholarship for a Lake County high school graduating senior. * The Gary Frontiers Service Club, Inc. Scholarship: One $500 scholarship for a Gary high school graduating senior. * D. Givens Consulting and Healthcare Scholarship: One $1,000 scholarship for a Gary resident high school graduating senior who plans to major in the nursing or healthcare field. * Diane Lewis Education Scholarship: One $1,000 scholarship for a high school graduating senior from Gary, Merrillville, Hammond, or East Chicago. * Dare to be Different Scholarships: Four $500 scholarships for Lake County high school graduating seniors. * Gary School Giveaway Scholarship for Graduating Seniors at West Side Leadership Academy or Lake Ridge New Tech High School: Five $1,000 scholarships for West Side Leadership Academy graduating seniors and five $1,000 scholarships for Lake Ridge New Tech graduating seniors. * Gary School Giveaway Scholarship for college students who have completed five year of college: Three $750 scholarships for students who graduated from a high school in Lake, Porter or LaPorte counties and have completed first year of college. * Roy Dominguez Scholarship: One $2,000 scholarship for a Lake, Porter of LaPorte county high school graduating senior. * First Midwest Diversity Scholarship: One $1,000 scholarship for a Northwest Indiana high school graduating senior with a disability that required accommodation. * Sheriff Oscar Martinez Scholarship: One $500 scholarship for a Lake County high school graduating senior. * Timothy Lamar Johnson Foundation Scholarships: Two $1,000 scholarships for Northwest Indiana high school graduating senior. * Gary Game Changers: One $1,000 scholarship for a Gary high school graduating senior. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR RETURNING ADULTS * Diane Lewis Adult Learner Education Scholarship: One $1,000 scholarship for a Gary or Blue Island, Illinois resident earning a first bachelor's degree. * Adult Learner Returning Student Scholarship: Ten $1,000 scholarships for Lake, Porter and LaPorte county residents. Additional scholarships available. See the Urban League website at www/ulofnwi.org. Click on education/ucl scholarship applications. * Indiana Commission on Higher Education; CHE: Home (in.gov) * USDA 1890 National Scholars Program: 1890 National Scholar Program| NRCS (usda.gov) * Legacy Foundation: Apply for Scholarships| Legacy Foundation (legacyfdn.org) American Association of Blacks in Energy: Submit applications to local chapter: AABE: Scholarships United Negro College Fund: Scholarships- UNCF https://uncf.org/scholarships. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. This article is part of a special report on the 50th anniversary of the Pentagon Papers. The Pentagon Papers may have been all over the front pages of U.S. newspapers 50 years ago, but they were barely noticed in Hanoi. Communist leaders were too busy fighting their war in the present to look at its history. Besides, the contents of the papers only served to confirm their longstanding notions. By the time Vietnam Archive: Pentagon Study Traces Three Decades of Growing U.S. Involvement appeared on the front page of The New York Times on June 13, 1971, the North Vietnamese government had been claiming for years that American military involvement was illegitimate. What shocked Americans at the time was nothing new to the Vietnamese, said Dr. Vu Minh Hoang, a historian at Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. Not until August of 1971 and then buried on page six by the Vietnam News Agency did the state-run media finally see fit to report the news. The United States now believes that Russia has as many as 190,000 troops in or near Ukraine, nearly twice as many as there were in January, according to an assessment made public on Friday by Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. That was a significantly higher number than the 150,000 troops President Biden referred to earlier this week, and the 100,000 in January. But American officials said the new number includes some forces that were not previously counted most notably Russian forces in Crimea, as well as separatist forces led by Russian military officers in the Donbas region, a portion of eastern Ukraine they have controlled since 2014. The officials did not provide a breakdown of these forces. The new number also includes some additional forces that have moved into Belarus, according to American officials briefed on the intelligence. And the combat forces have increased, according to a defense official. There are now between 120 and 125 battalion tactical groups, up from 83 earlier in February. Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, called on Saturday for fresh negotiations to avoid major conflict over Ukraine, arguing that a set of moribund cease-fire agreements from 2014-15 could form the basis for a deal. Speaking by video link to the Munich Security Conference, Mr. Wang suggested that it was still possible to find middle ground that respected Ukrainian sovereignty while accommodating the security concerns of Russia, an increasingly close geopolitical partner of China. The template for a solution to the volatile tensions, Mr. Wang said, lay in cease-fire blueprints called the Minsk accords, which Ukraine accepted in 2014 and 2015 in an unsuccessful bid to defuse conflict in its east. Russia-backed separatists attacked and grabbed territory there after Ukrainian protesters deposed a pro-Russian president in 2014. The accords are notoriously ambiguous, and Russia and Ukraine interpret them very differently. Now we need to go back to the initial solution of the Minsk agreement, because that agreement was reached by all parties related this issue, Mr. Wang said, speaking through an English-language translator. AVILO-USPENKA, Russia Inna Shalpa, a resident of the separatist-held town of Ilovaisk in eastern Ukraine, had no idea where the Russian bus she stepped into with her three children would take her on Saturday. But she was ready to accept the uncertainty, convinced that a wider war at home was imminent. We were mostly worried about the children, Ms. Shalpa, 35, said in the middle of a frantic effort to distribute people among buses parked in front of the first Russian railway station on the other side of the border from Ukraine. Mr. Shalpa was one of several thousand people who have crossed into Russia after Kremlin-backed leaders of the two separatist republics in Ukraine declared an evacuation of women and children, claiming that the Ukrainian government is about to launch an attack. Kyiv has denounced the separatist claims as baseless provocation, and many of their moves are seen as a deliberate effort to create panic potentially as a pretense for Russian military action. But for many residents, the fear of violence is real. Artillery fire escalated sharply in eastern Ukraine on Saturday and thousands of residents fled the region in chaotic evacuations two developments rife with opportunities for what the United States has warned could be a pretext for a Russian invasion. Russian-backed separatists, who have been fighting the Ukrainian government for years, have asserted, without evidence, that Ukraine was planning a large-scale attack on territory they control. Western leaders have derided the notion that Ukraine would launch an attack while surrounded by Russian forces, and Ukrainian officials dismissed the claim as a cynical Russian lie. But separatist leaders on Saturday urged women and children to evacuate, and able-bodied men to prepare to fight. And the ginned-up panic was already having real effects, with refugees frantically boarding buses to Russia and refugee tent camps popping up across the Russian border. While Brightline is regarded by some as an emerging gold standard for higher speed train travel and a magnet for upscale development in South Florida, the line also has become a grim barometer for what the public and policy makers probably never envisioned: an alarming number of deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and along tracks. Before it resumed service last November after a long COVID-induced hiatus, Brightline spent millions to upgrade its safety systems and launch a public awareness campaign. To say the results have been disappointing is an understatement. Advertisement On its first formal day of operations, an inaugural train traveling south from West Palm Beach struck a vehicle that attempted to cross the tracks ahead of the train in Pompano Beach. In the ensuing three months, there have been several more collisions between trains and vehicles along the 66.5-mile stretch of Florida East Coast Railway tracks between West Palm Beach and Miami. A fatal crash Tuesday involving the privately owned passenger railroad was the ninth since it resumed operations in November, and the 57th since Brightline began test runs in 2017, giving it the worst per-mile fatality rate in the nation, according to an ongoing Associated Press analysis. Advertisement [ WATCH: Car cuts around crossing gate, gets hit by Brightline train in fourth accident in a week ] Its really in everyones interest to try to make sure this stops happening as soon as possible, said Paul Lewis, policy director of the Eno Center for Transportation, an independent think tank in Washington, D.C., The impacts reach far beyond the loss of life and damage to property, said Kim Delany, director of strategic development and policy for the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, of which Palm Beach County is part. They take psychological tolls on train crew members, she said, as well as on first responders, and friends and family of the victims and beyond. Thats been a lot of tragedy for the region to live with, which is awful, and what has become obvious is if we could reduce trespassing, well have a safer region, Delany said. The record does not bode well for a South Florida region that will be the scene of more local and regional train services between now and the end of the decade. Many policymakers, executives and politicians have come to understand that it will take more programs, more money and better planning to combat the maddening behavior of motorists who try to beat trains across the tracks, or pedestrians who either blithely use train tracks as alternate foot paths, or worse, complete suicide by train. That happened as recently as Saturday morning, when a man stepped in front of the train in Delray Beach. Starting next year, Brightline, with trains that can travel between 81 and 125 mph, will be whisking passengers from Miami to Orlando, through the downtowns of Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, along the Treasure Coast to Cocoa, and then west to Orlando International Airport. The lines trains are currently permitted to travel at speeds of up to 79 mph along the FEC corridor, the same maximum speed as many commuter railroads across the U.S. At some point around 2027, a Coastal Link rail service may be carrying local commuters among cities in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The Broward part of the project is now under study by the Florida Department of Transportation. Advertisement The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says a driver in Lake Worth Beach went around the crossing gate and tried to beat the train when the car was hit on Feb. 16, 2022. (Brightline/Courtesy) And along the CSX line west of Interstate 95, Tri-Rail will likely be ferrying passengers not only between the West Palm Beach area and Miami International Airport, but to Brightlines downtown MiamiCentral station as well. The Federal Railroad Administration, which oversees safety regulations around the country, has taken notice. It has summoned the operators of Brightline, Tri-Rail, Amtrak, and CSX, whose north-south line runs along the west side of I-95, to a meeting in Boynton Beach next Wednesday to assess what communities and others are doing to deter accidents involving trespassers on tracks and motorists at crossings. Local elected officials and law enforcement authorities are also on the invitation list. In a statement, an agency spokesperson said Brightline has not been found to have violated any rules in the wake of any of the accidents. It is important to point out that none of the tragic incidents involving grade crossings and trespassers resulted from the railroads failure to comply with federal regulations, the agency said. It also noted that communities themselves are part of the safety matrix and that federal money is available to help local police agencies enforce the laws and educate the public.. Weve helped fund multiple law enforcement agencies programs that successfully deter drivers and pedestrians making poor decisions along rail rights of way, the FRA said. These programs have also helped redirect those experiencing emotional distress to needed counseling services. We encourage law enforcement agencies along the Brightline corridor to apply for these grants and, when possible, to cite motorists for failing to obey state traffic safety laws. Advertisement Dubious ranking Florida ranks among the top five states in the nation for vehicle collisions, according to a study by the Eno Center for Transportation. Lewis says there has been a national trend of more fatal incidents around the country since 2012. Prior to that, the number of incidents had been declining since the 1990s. He said he is aware of Brightlines problems with fatal accidents, which he believes are attributable in part to the relative newness of the service. Some of it is people not used to having trains moving slightly faster, Lewis said. Perhaps they havent learned the travel patterns. Essentially, it is drivers trying to save themselves tenths of a second on their commutes. Of all the public and private operators of trains in South Florida, Brightline easily has led the pack in deadly accidents since it started service in 2018. A Brightline train approaches Washington and Railroad avenues in Lake Worth Beach on Feb. 17, 2022. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Tri-Rail, the 72-mile, 18-station commuter line that runs along I-95 from the West Palm Beach area to Miami International Airport, has had its trouble, too, but at a lower incident rate than Brightlines. There have been no deaths thus far this year involving Tri-Rail trains. Six were recorded last year one at a crossing and the others involving people walking along the tracks. The highest number of fatalities in the last five years came in 2017, with two deaths at crossings and 12 involving trespassers. Advertisement At one point, the company tested drones as a means of monitoring its tracks, but the idea was temporarily shelved after the FAA updated its regulations to require certified pilots as operators. Tri-Rail doesnt have any on staff. Steven L. Abrams, the Tri-Rail executive director whose headquarters is in Pompano Beach, acknowledged that erratic drivers and trespassers pose problems that are hard to control. [People] just dont see the trains, and they dont see how fast the trains go, he said. A woman and baby were able to leave their car unharmed on Feb. 15 when it became stuck on the tracks and then was hit by a Brightline train at Southwest10th Street, according to Delray Beach Fire Rescue. (Delray Beach Fire Rescue) Erratic behaviors Nonetheless, drivers and pedestrians continue to take unfathomable risks. Abrams has a front-row seat to the dangerous conduct. My office overlooks our corridor and there is not a day that goes by when there isnt someone strolling up the tracks using it as a shortcut, Abrams said. You have the impatient driver at the crossing. You have someone using it as a path. You have the unfortunate suicides. Its very unpredictable. Advertisement One day at the Deerfield Beach station, Abrams recalled, he witnessed two men on opposite sides of the station meet in the middle of the tracks so that one could light a cigarette for the other. From his office, he also watched an elderly woman, with the aid of a walker, navigate around a lowered crossing gate. [ RELATED: What makes the combination of South Florida drivers and high-speed trains so deadly? ] What to do about it Executives and analysts agree that railroad operators and government planners have a long-term problem on their hands. On Nov. 21, Brightline installed two cameras at two crossings in Miami-Dade County to track motorists skirting around closed gates, said spokesman Ben Porritt. To date, there have been 812 infractions, and Brightline has been sending letters to the homes of offenders warning them that what they are doing is illegal and dangerous. Porritt said Brightline is working with law enforcement to implement fines. Advertisement This is an unusual situation, said Gregory Stuart, executive director of the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, which sets transportation policies for the county and seeks federal money to fund them. There are more than 300 railroad crossings in a tri-county region that is populated by 6 million people, Stuart said. He argues that more local, state and federal government involvement and money are needed to enhance public awareness and tighten security around railroad properties. Even developers, he said, should be kicking in money to help pay for fencing and other measures in places where they are building residential and mixed-use projects along the tracks or in nearby neighborhoods. Most urbanized areas are separated [from trains,] Stuart said. We arent. He suggested a surge in transit-oriented development, which has meant new building projects and more people living and doing businesses near the Florida East Coast rail line, is going to pose bigger challenges for keeping people away from the trains. [ RELATED: Train deaths prompt Gov. DeSantis to seek more safety measures ] The bigger questions we have to be looking at is what has the investing been so far and the things that are happening in the corridor as well, he said. As soon as that starts, there are going to be more opportunities for more people to get in front of an oncoming train. Advertisement We have to get in front of that. At the Pompano Tri-Rail station at Northwest33rd Street and Northwest Eight Avenue, traffic was disrupted in 2019 after a train struck a car at the intersection. The driver of the Mercury Grand Marquis was killed. (Sun-Sentinel/Mike Stocker) Many are trying. We are well aware of these Brightline accidents and obviously that is of great concern, said Chris McVoy, a city commissioner in Lake Worth Beach, where two of the four Brightline crashes over four days last week occurred. McVoy also serves on the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency. The agency has been working to secure funding so county governments and cities can pay for additional safety measures at railroad crossings since Brightline, first known as All Aboard Florida, announced its Miami-to-Orlando route plan. An end to quiet zones? Several years ago, as the certainty grew that Brightline would become a reality, communities besieged elected commissioners, city managers, mayors and the media with concerns that a stream of fast trains running through densely populated areas would bring a steady chorus of train horns from before dawn to late at night. Therefore, many worked to establish quiet zones, effectively silencing the warning horns sounded by locomotives and thus removing an important safety measure. In the end, the entire stretch of the Brightline route between Miami and West Palm Beach became a quiet zone. Advertisement There was a lot of effort to make quiet zones, McVoy said. Obviously, they are not 100%. The Federal Railroad Administration approved them. In non-quiet zones, federal law requires slower trains to sound horns a few times with long and short bursts at least 15 seconds and no more than 20 seconds from reaching the crossing. Higher-speed trains, like Brightline, must sound the horns within a quarter-mile of a crossing. There are exceptions that allow for horns to be sounded within quiet zones because of perceived dangers on the tracks. The challenge is with higher-speed trains like Brightline, it can take about a quarter mile to stop a train. Before silencing the horns, various city and county engineers had to work with railroad engineers to enhance the railroad crossings with other safety measures. That meant adding lights, warning bells and signs, rumble strips to slow traffic, and installing road medians to deter impatient motorists from driving around cars stopped at crossing gates. Advertisement Cities and counties could take even greater steps by installing multiple gates to stop motorists and deter pedestrians from crossing the tracks as trains approach. But those measures are costly and can run as much as $500,000. A typical railroad crossing has what are called entry gates that block motorists and pedestrians from entering the lane of traffic over the tracks. Those gates do not extend across the entire width of the road, but rather, there is one on each side of the crossing. A Brightline train traveling northbound passes Washington Avenue and Railroad Avenue in Lake Worth Beach on Feb. 17, 2022. There have been four accidents involving Brightline trains this week alone, including one at this intersection. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) All too often in South Florida, motorists use this open space in the opposite lane of travel to try to beat the trains. All too often, the maneuvers have proven to be deadly. Thats why Jupiter intends to have four quadrant crossings at each of its six railroad crossings two entry gates and two exit gates when Brightline trains start to pass through town. Currently there are four crossings that have been completed with the four gates, said town engineer C.J. Land. Only about a third of the nearly 180 crossings along Brightlines current route have four gates. Advertisement Barring enhancements, and in the wake of the recent Brightline deaths, members of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency met Thursday and raised the possibility that the end of quiet zones could be near. The reasoning: A horn could stop motorists from circumventing smaller crossing gates. Im not sure a horn would do a lot of good but maybe, said McVoy of Lake Worth Beach. Hes hoping there can be a balance. These [crashes] are obviously extremely unfortunate, McVoy said. I cannot encourage people enough to be extremely careful at the crossings; to be patient and to be aware that Brightline is coming. Wait for the dust to settle and the arms to raise. Advertisement A Brightline train approaches Washington and Railroad avenues in Lake Worth Beach on Feb. 17, 2022, where one of four accidents occurred in the past week. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Staff writer Brooke Baitinger contributed to this report. Eileen Kelley can be reached at 772-925-9193 or ekelley@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @reporterkell. Saraceno is not so much an artist as a polymath on a mission and his efforts often seem more like science than art. The Sheds various displays reflect, to varying degrees, his activities as arachnophile, artist, architect, activist, teacher, musician, environmentalist and social justice warrior for clean air. His overarching goal might be summed up simply as getting humans to live right. This means getting them to understand that they are not the top of a pyramid of power in what is called the Anthropocene era, but exist on a horizontal plane with all non-humans, to which they should be sensitized and from which they have plenty to learn. And they exist in what Saraceno prefers to call the Aerocene era in which interspecies-cooperation and clean air are required. That said, one might ask how someone with the acute environmental consciousness of Saraceno allows his work to be shown at the Shed. Granted the building, or at least its exterior, may be the best part of the civic catastrophe and failure of will that is Hudson Yards, perhaps the worst of this citys many recent self-inflicted architectural wounds. Saracenos quest has been inspired by spiders and the ingenious basis of their airborne lifestyle the multifunctional webs that provide shelter, protection, food and, when vibrated, a means of communication. Spider webs also served as models for levitating sculptures. Consisting of translucent webs and orbs these have become Saracenos best-known work, of which Free the Air is the latest example. The exhibition portion of Tomas Saraceno Particular Matter(s) begins with the quiet spectacle of his collaborations with spiders: in a darkened gallery, seven glass boxes each holding several different connected webs, all shimmering white. Each web has been built by a different species of spider on a sturdy wire frame in Saracenos studio, where he monitors their progress, switching out one species and introducing another as he sees fit. Especially in the dark, these pale, ghostly crystalline structures make you appreciate how much we already owe spiders, since their webs provided early humans with precedents for architecture and textiles. BOSTON It has been a theme of this troubled time: If the pandemic has ruined your big birthday party, simply celebrate a year (or two) later. The Boston Modern Orchestra Project BMOP, universally turned 25 last April. But this unique, invaluable ensemble, which under its founding conductor Gil Rose offers performances and crucial recordings of contemporary scores and long-ignored, often American music from the past 100 years, only got the chance to make merry earlier on Friday, with a sprawling free concert here at Symphony Hall. The program was an endearingly eccentric if thoughtful one, starring the organist Paul Jacobs in Stephen Pauluss sensitively scored, rather bewitching Grand Concerto for organ and orchestra (2004) and Joseph Jongens entertainingly vast Symphonie Concertante (1926) for the same forces. Those were paired with an organ work rewritten for orchestra Elgars 1922 arrangement of Bachs Fantasia and Fugue in C minor and an orchestral work that would later be rewritten for organ: Messiaens early, lovely LAscension (1933). If it was not exactly a quintessential BMOP concert one might have expected Aaron Copland or Lou Harrison instead of Jongen, and certainly a living composer, if expectations were something Rose bothered himself with it was still characteristically creative, often excellent and always committed. It was a happy reminder of what a potent force this band of freelancers has become in music that few other groups dare touch. So many of the stories are inspired by real-life experiences you had when your kids Tolon, Tucker and Eliza were little. Now that theyre adults, is it more difficult to come up with fresh ideas? So many episodes grow out of our writing teams experiences and it turns out theyre still helpful and relevant to kids! There are episodes, like the one on head lice, that every time we run them, because its still an ongoing problem for a lot of kids, it gets a lot of positive feedback. Why end it now, then? Technology has changed in the last 25 years, and kids are now watching stories on their iPhones, listening to podcasts, playing games on their devices theyre getting information so many other ways. Were looking for ways to try new things. Have you been surprised by the reaction? It was wonderful to see the response. Im still getting many messages on my Instagram page: Is Arthur really over? I love seeing reactions from these young adults who grew up with Arthur, the fact that these characters are still fresh in their minds. Its great that hes touched so many people so deeply that they want him to continue. In the first book, Arthurs Nose, Arthur looked like an aardvark with a long snout, not a mouse with glasses. What happened? The second book, Arthurs Eyes, came from when my son Tolon was getting glasses. He came home and said, Dad, I thought all my friends were better-looking. You cant make that up! So of course Arthur had glasses, too. As the series went on, I just got to know him better, and he became more lovable and more humanlike and his nose got shorter. It was not intentional! I had no particular ambition to write about the pandemic, but it was like a giant tree trunk that fell across my path, said Ian McEwan, whose forthcoming novel, Lessons, follows a British man from the 1940s to his twilight years in 2021, when hes living alone in London during lockdown, looking back on his life. Its going to be in literary novels simply because theres no way around it, if youre writing a socially realist novel. Anne Tylers French Braid, which comes out next month, follows a Baltimore family from the late 1950s to the upheaval of 2020, when a retired couple finds unexpected joy after their adult son and their grandson come to live with them to ride out the pandemic. Nell Freudenbergers novel in progress, tentatively titled The Limits, explores the feelings of dread and uncertainty that the virus unleashed, and features a teenager struggling to balance remote learning with caring for a child, a biologist unnerved by climate change and a doctor who feels helpless as he treats Covid patients. In Isabel Allendes Violeta, the narrators life is bookended by two pandemics, the Spanish flu and the coronavirus, a strange symmetry that she reflects on as shes dying in isolation. The experience of the whole planet frozen in place because of a virus is so extraordinary that I am sure it will be used extensively in literature, Ms. Allende said in an email. It is one of those events that mark an era. Theres been no shortage of pandemic-themed content, from TV shows and documentaries, to long-form nonfiction, poetry and short stories. But novels often take longer to gestate, and the first wave of pandemic-inflected literary fiction is arriving at a nebulous moment, when the virus has started to feel both mundane and insurmountable, and its unclear when the crisis will end, making it an unwieldy subject for fiction writers. You couldnt yet have the great coronavirus novel, because we dont know how this story ends yet, said the writer and critic Daniel Mendelsohn. As the first trickle of Covid-centric novels began last year, some critics questioned whether the pandemic could yield worthwhile literature. I am a little fearful of the onslaught of Covid-19 fiction heading toward us in the coming years, the reviewer Sam Sacks wrote in The Wall Street Journal. Last November, when the English author Sarah Moss published her novel The Fell about a woman who defies a mandatory quarantine order after shes exposed to Covid a handful of reviewers in Britain panned it for recreating the grueling experience of lockdown. Ms. Sun added that the leak appears to be part of a concerted effort to discredit the bank and the Swiss financial marketplace, which has undergone significant changes over the last several years. The leak follows the so-called Panama Papers in 2016, the Paradise Papers in 2017 and the Pandora Papers last year. They all shed light on the secretive workings of banks, law firms and offshore financial-services providers that allow wealthy people and institutions including those accused of crimes to move huge sums of money, largely outside the purview of tax collectors or law enforcement. The new disclosures are likely to intensify legal and political scrutiny of the Swiss banking industry and, in particular, Credit Suisse. The bank is already reeling from the abrupt ousters of its two top executives. With its ironclad bank-secrecy laws, Switzerland has long been a haven for people who are looking to hide money. In the past decade, that has made the countrys largest banks especially its two giants, Credit Suisse and UBS a target for the authorities in the United States and elsewhere who are trying to crack down on tax evasion, money laundering and other crimes. In 2014, Credit Suisse pleaded guilty to conspiring to help Americans file false tax returns and agreed to pay fines, penalties and restitution totaling $2.6 billion. Three years later, the bank paid the Justice Department $5.3 billion to settle allegations about its marketing of mortgage-backed securities. Last fall, it agreed to pay $475 million to U.S. and British authorities to resolve an investigation into a kickback and bribery scheme in Mozambique. And this month, a trial got underway in Switzerland in which Credit Suisse is accused of allowing drug traffickers to launder millions of euros through the bank. The billionaire investor Carl Icahn began his battle with McDonalds in his usual fashion buying a small stake in the company and then pushing his own candidates for its board. But whats different this time is the issue better treatment for the pigs whose meat goes into McDonalds sausage patties and other pork products. On Sunday, McDonalds confirmed that Mr. Icahn, who it says owns 200 shares in the restaurant chain, had nominated two people to its board over the matter in what is likely to be the start of a bitter, and peculiar, contest. Unlike the typical target of corporate agitators, McDonalds has done well, with its shares climbing more than 18 percent over the past 12 months to give it a market capitalization of $187 billion. And while Mr. Icahns stake in the company is small, activist investors with social causes have had recent success on small stakes, like Engine Capitals board victory at Exxon Mobil last year over its climate strategy. Mr. Icahns two board candidates are Leslie Samuelrich and Maisie Ganzler, according to McDonalds. Ms. Samuelrich is the president of Green Century Capital Management, an investment fund with a sustainable energy focus, according to her LinkedIn profile. Ms. Ganzler is chief strategy and brand officer at Bon Appetit Management Company, according to her LinkedIn profile. Known as the social cost of carbon, the metric is designed to underline the potential economic threats from greenhouse gas emissions so they can be compared to the economic benefits from acts like oil drilling. Economists and climate scientists say it is needed because climate-fueled heat waves, storms, wildfires and flooding already cost the United States billions of dollars annually but those costs are often not taken into account by policymakers. Factoring in those costs could make it harder for fossil fuel projects to win federal approval. But 10 Republican-led states sued the government, and on Feb. 11, Judge James D. Cain Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana found that the Biden administrations calculations artificially increase the cost estimates of oil and gas drilling. Judge Cain, a Trump appointee, said using the social cost of carbon in decision-making would harm his native Louisiana and other energy producing states. He issued an injunction preventing the administration from considering the metric. The Justice Department said it intends to appeal. In an ironic twist, the fallout from the judges ruling at least initially is that the federal government has stopped work on new oil and gas leases, as well as permits to drill on federal lands and waters. Work surrounding public-facing rules, grants, leases, permits and other projects has been delayed or stopped altogether so that agencies can assess whether and how they can proceed, the Department of Justice wrote in a legal filing late Saturday asking the court to stay the injunction against using a climate metric. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Sunday described the new pandemic plan he released last week as a more sensible and sustainable approach that would lead the state out of crisis mode now that Omicron cases had dropped significantly and many residents were eager to move on. His comments on MSNBC followed an announcement from state officials last week about a next-phase plan, which would prioritize strategies like coronavirus vaccination and stockpiling supplies while easing away from emergency response measures like mask mandates. A year and a half, two years ago, we had a war metaphor and we were hoping there would be a day where there would be a ticker-tape parade a la World War II, Governor Newsom said. At the end of the day, though, I think we are realizing that were going to have to live with different variants and this disease for many, many years. And thats what this plan does, it sets out a course to do it sustainably. But endless discussions about the intent of the founding fathers miss a fundamental point. History is not merely the study of intent; it encompasses effect. Whether or not every founding father intended to create a government that sanctioned slavocracy, and later Jim Crow, those were the outcomes. To limit the question to the intent at the expense of the experience of the enslaved and their descendants is to prioritize white American intentions or ideals over Black bodies, a mistake our Republic has made over and over. What cannot be doubted is that for African peoples brought to this land against our will, slavery and anti-Black racism are defining characteristics of our American experience. This is why Martin Luther King Jr.s famous I have a dream speech draws upon the Declaration of Independence in its opening movement. He highlighted the fact that this declaration had little purchase in the lives of Black folks: When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men yes, Black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds. Black history, then, should be a challenge to our Republic and its core narrative. Instead of quibbling with this detail or that, it must raise a fundamental question about the quality of life Black people have been allowed to experience. If we are indeed a part of this nation, then our lives and experiences have a claim on our national narrative. African American history forces us to view the Black experience of injustice not as the interruption of or caveat to an otherwise grand narrative, but as a compelling story in its own right. Would this leave us with only a tale of woe? No. There is a dark beauty to the American story. The beauty is not in our innocence. We have been party to too much death and terror for that. African American history requires the recasting of our central figures, where those on the sidelines are brought to the forefront. The enslaved must be allowed to unbend their backs and step into the light and claim the glory due to them. Washington and Lincoln must give way to Truth and Douglass as American marvels. What makes America a wonder is that this is the land upon which my ancestors, despite the odds, fought for and often made a life for themselves. We are great because this land housed the poetry of Phillis Wheatley and Maya Angelou, the advocacy of Fannie Lou Hamer, the urgency of Nina Simones music, and the faith-inspired demand for change in Martin Luther King Jr.s sermons. This way of telling the story allows us to speak of American ideals even if the norm is failure rather than accomplishment. It allows our history to chronicle progress without diminishing the suffering necessary to bring it about. This means, too, that to tell the American story well, the contributions of us Black folks cannot be limited to February. Black history offers America a chance to see itself both as what we have failed to become and as we wish ourselves to be. It is not to inspire hate for one race or to foment division. America seeing itself clearly is the first step toward owning and then learning from its mistakes. The second step is the long journey to become that which we hope to be: a more perfect and just union. But as we mark the 50th anniversary of that visit, some U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts have second-guessed the wisdom of partnering with Beijing. Even Nixon apparently looked back on the strategy with mixed feelings, and possibly some regret. Russia was a military threat, but never an economic rival. China, however, is becoming the first power in a century capable of challenging American dominance on both economic and military terms. Some American policymakers felt that China would eventually rise, with or without U.S. help. If you take that view, then welcoming China as a friendly partner, instead of a hostile power, made sense. Today, China has a far bigger stake in the international system and the U.S. economy than Nixon could have imagined possible. Still, over the years, American policymakers have oversold the benefits of engaging China and have underplayed the risks. Steps by China toward a free-market economy didnt turn it into a democracy, as many argued it would. And although a lot of American businessmen grew wealthy off Chinas success, and American consumers were able to buy a lot of cheap stuff, many American workers suffered when factories moved to China. Over the last 20 years, Washington has been too preoccupied with the war on terrorism to think about how to prevent the United States from becoming too dependent on a Communist country that could prove to be fundamentally at odds with us. President Xi Jinping of China makes no secret of his view that the United States is a fading superpower that is intent on blocking Chinas ascent to its rightful place in the world. Donald Trump slapped tariffs on Chinese goods, bringing an era of hopeful engagement to an end. But Mr. Trumps isolationism benefited China, which filled the void of Americas global retreat. President Biden, who has rallied Europe, Australia and Japan with talk of fighting autocracy and making democracy bloom around the world, presents a thornier problem for Mr. Xi. If the United States and Europe remain united, they form an economic bloc that is still roughly twice the size of Chinas economy. But by framing the struggle as a fight between the free world and dictatorship, the Biden administration risks pushing Russia and China closer together into what some are calling a new axis of autocracy. This time, Moscow is the little brother, seeking support from Beijing. It could prove to be among the most consequential geopolitical developments in decades. LONDON (AP) Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that the famously stoic 95-year-old monarch plans to carry on working. The palace said the queen would continue with light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week. Advertisement She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines, the palace said in a statement. People in the U.K. who test positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for at least five days, although the British government says it plans to lift that requirement for England this week. Advertisement The queen has received three doses of coronavirus vaccine. Both her eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall both contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor Castle, where the queen is staying. FILE - Queen Elizabeth II speaks during an audience at Windsor Castle where she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries, Wednesday Feb. 16, 2022. Buckingham Palace said Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and will continue with duties. (Steve Parsons, Pool via AP, File) (Steve Parsons/AP) Senior British politicians sent get-well messages. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health. Health Secretary Sajid Javid wrote that he was Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery, while opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer wished the queen good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Maam. Britains longest-reigning monarch, the queen reached the milestone of 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6, the anniversary of the death in 1952 of her father King George VI. A fixture in the life of the nation, Elizabeth has been in robust health for most of her reign and has been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year she has been seen using a walking stick, and in October she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests. The queens doctors ordered her to rest after that and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November. This month she returned to public duties and has held audiences both virtually and in person with diplomats, politicians and senior military officers. During one exchange caught on camera last week, she walked slowly with a stick and said as you can see I cant move in apparent reference to her leg. Advertisement Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said members of the royal family would be concerned by the COVID-19 diagnosis, given the queens age. She turns 96 on April 21. In the coming days a very close eye will be kept on her and the indications are that, all being well, its nothing more than a minor inconvenience, he said. The queen has a busy schedule over the next few months of her Platinum Jubilee year, and is scheduled to attend in-person public engagements in the coming weeks, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor on March 2 and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14. On March 29, she has a remembrance service at Westminster Abbey for her husband Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99. Public celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee are scheduled for June, with festivities including a military parade, a day of horse-racing and neighborhood parties over a June 2-5 long weekend. The queen is the latest monarch from around the world to catch COVID-19. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, and Spains King Felipe VI, 54, both tested positive for the illness earlier in February and had mild symptoms. Advertisement Her diagnosis comes after a difficult week for Britains royal family. On Tuesday the queens second son, Prince Andrew, settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed he had sexually abused with her when she was 17 and traveling with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew strenuously denied the claim by Virginia Giuffre. He agreed in a settlement to make a substantial donation to his accusers charity. On Wednesday, Londons Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into allegations that people associated with one of Prince Charles charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure honors and citizenship in return for donations. Such losses often fuel the Chinese propaganda machine and hurt U.S. interests. Every case that goes south, especially one that concerns a minority community, discredits the Justice Department in the minds of the American people, said David H. Laufman, an official in the departments national security division during the Obama administration. In announcing changes to the China Initiative, Mr. Olsen is expected to say that the Justice Department will treat some grant fraud cases as civil matters going forward, reserving criminal prosecution for the most egregious instances of deception, according to the people briefed on the matter. He is expected to note that China is not the only foreign nation that has tried to secure financial and other ties to American researchers in the hopes of obtaining valuable information, so the problem is broader than the China Initiative name conveys. In addition, the Justice Department will have a revamped process for evaluating whether a researcher has adequately disclosed foreign affiliations, which will take into account recently released guidance from the White House that describes what researchers must disclose. It is unclear whether the Justice Department will rename the program, or whether it will investigate espionage and corporate fraud crimes committed by foreign nations as it always has, but with no moniker. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. Various Asian American business and civil rights groups as well as the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus told the White House and the Justice Department last spring that the China Initiative gave the impression that prosecutors were more intent on cracking down on Chinese people, rather than the Chinese government. The cases involving researchers exacerbated that perception. Most failed to uncover espionage, and the government instead fell back on paperwork mistakes to bring charges, said Ben Suarato, a spokesman for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. There are real national security concerns. Were just saying that the China Initiative was the wrong way to address them. After his confirmation in October, Mr. Olsen held a series of listening sessions with congressional staff members, universities, civil rights groups and national security officials in an effort to address myriad concerns, including how the initiative might have contributed to racial profiling, according to people briefed on the meetings. ESTANCIA, N.M. The chorus of small voices ringing from a third-grade classroom on a recent morning signaled how far Estancia Elementary School had come in resuming a sense of normalcy after the latest coronavirus surge. Students in the small, remote community of Estancia, N.M., were enthusiastically engaged in a vocabulary lesson, enunciating words with a bossy r, as well as homophones and homonyms, and spelling them on white boards. But there was also a sign of how far the district, about an hour outside Albuquerque, still had to go. The teacher moving about the classroom and calling on students to use the words in a sentence was clad in camouflage. My substitute is wearing gear, one student responded. The crime scene was extremely chaotic, the police said in a statement on Sunday, and a number of witnesses were uncooperative with responding officers. Most people on scene left without talking to police. The statement added that detectives believe a large number of people either witnessed what happened or recorded the incident. This is a very complicated incident, and investigators are trying to put this puzzle together without having all the pieces, the statement said. One of the victims, Dajah Beck, who turns 39 on Monday and who was contacted through her attorney, said she was shot twice. One bullet went through her side, and the other grazed her knee. Ms. Beck said she was part of a volunteer motorcade group that was working to set up a safety plan and reroute traffic a block or two ahead of the marchers. Were not part of the protest, she said, adding that no one in the motorcade group was armed. As Ms. Beck and the group were working, with one woman riding in a truck because she walked slower and with the aid of a cane, a man approached her and a small group of women, screaming that they were violent terrorists and repeatedly calling them a misogynist vulgarity. The man said they were the people responsible for violence in the city, Ms. Beck recounted, adding that he said: If I see you come past my house, Ill shoot you. People in the group tried to calm the man down. But as Ms. Beck looked away from him toward one of her friends, thats when he started shooting, she said. She fell to the ground after she was shot and crawled behind a truck tire for cover. Moments later, she said, the first thing that I saw was my two friends on the ground covered in blood. One of them was the woman who died. Ms. Beck said that at that point, the shooter had been subdued and people were on top of him. Even if its not the placebo effect, its still unclear which component of cold-water swimming may contribute to reported improvements in mood and well-being, said Mike Tipton, professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, who studies the bodys reaction to extreme environments. Not only are swimmers immersing themselves in frigid water, but they are also often exercising, socializing, spending time outdoors and taking on a challenge all of which may boost mental health. No one has done the studies that tease out the active ingredient, he said. Why do people think cold water is key? There are several reasons to think that cold water might provide mental health benefits. Immersing yourself in icy water triggers the release of stress hormones, such as noradrenaline and cortisol. This is likely why people say that a dip in cold water wakes them up, Dr. Tipton said. Some studies have also reported increases in brain chemicals that regulate mood, such as dopamine, following a cold soak, which may explain the post-swim high people feel. In addition, putting your face in cold water can activate the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, which prompts the body to relax after a stressful event. This may help people feel calm and tamp down inflammation. Several conditions, including depression, are tied to chronic inflammation, said Mark Harper, an anesthesiology consultant at Royal Sussex County Hospital, who is studying cold water swimming as a treatment for depression. Some researchers also hypothesize that adapting to the shock of cold water may improve a persons ability to cope with other stresses. A small 2010 study showed that people who were habituated to cold water had a reduced stress response when they were subjected to another strain in this case, working out in a low oxygen environment. But enduring hypoxic exercise is not the same as enduring psychological stresses, however, and more work is needed. Although cold water immersion clearly has some physiological effects, there have not been enough high-quality studies to recommend it as a mental health treatment, said Sophie Lazarus, a clinical psychologist at Ohio State University. Other treatments for anxiety and depression, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, have more scientific backing, she said. They may also be safer. Can cold water immersion be harmful? Yes. Researchers know more about the dangers of cold water than its potential therapeutic effects. One of the most obvious ones is hypothermia, which usually sets in after about 30 minutes in adults. But cold water presents significant risks long before that. The initial shock of being plunged into icy water can cause arrhythmias and heart attacks. The risk of arrhythmias is increased when people put their faces underwater while experiencing this initial cold shock. The combination activates opposing branches of the nervous system, which send conflicting signals to the heart. Cold shock also triggers the gasp reflex, followed by hyperventilation. If your airway is underwater, this can lead to drowning. Adding to the risk of drowning is the fact that swimming in frigid water quickly leads to exhaustion. Image Gov. Gavin Newsom of California plans to prioritize strategies like coronavirus vaccination and stockpiling supplies. Credit... Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group, via Associated Press Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Sunday described the new pandemic plan he released last week as a more sensible and sustainable approach that would lead the state out of crisis mode now that Omicron cases had dropped significantly and many residents were eager to move on. His comments on MSNBC followed an announcement from state officials last week about a next-phase plan, which would prioritize strategies like coronavirus vaccination and stockpiling supplies while easing away from emergency response measures like mask mandates. A year and a half, two years ago, we had a war metaphor and we were hoping there would be a day where there would be a ticker-tape parade a la World War II, Governor Newsom said. At the end of the day, though, I think we are realizing that were going to have to live with different variants and this disease for many, many years. And thats what this plan does, it sets out a course to do it sustainably. The Omicron variant sparked an enormous surge in California. Though the state has seen a sharp decline in known infections since mid-January, new cases are still hovering at more than 13,000 per day. Overall through the pandemic, the coronavirus has infected at least 1 in 5 Californians and killed more than 84,000, according to a New York Times database. How cases, hospitalizations and deaths are trending in California This chart shows how three key metrics compare to the corresponding peak per capita level reached nationwide last winter. Cases Hospitalizations Deaths Mar. 2022 May 50% 100% 150% 200% of Jan. 2021 peak About this data Sources: State and local health agencies (cases, deaths); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (hospitalizations). California is among the many states to loosen masking requirements in recent weeks, with Hawaii as the last state holding onto a statewide mandate. Puerto Rico also has yet to announce upcoming changes. But federal health officials have yet to release any new recommendations that reflect the lifting of restrictions including mask mandates in schools in nearly every state, and the U.S. path in the next phase remains complicated. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last week cited the need to remain vigilant so that infections continue their promising decline nationwide. She said the C.D.C. would soon be releasing new relevant guidelines that would suggest adjusting restrictions, including for mask-wearing, based on factors like hospital capacity, not just case counts. Despite the rollbacks across the country, many people remain extremely vulnerable and feel left behind by the changes. More than seven million adults in the United States are considered to be immunocompromised, meaning they have diseases or are receiving treatments like chemotherapy that reduce their ability to fight coronavirus infections or respond well to vaccines. And tens of millions have other conditions that put them at greater risk for severe illness or death. Californias new plan emphasizes surveillance and preparedness, focusing on continuing to promote vaccines while stockpiling medical supplies, ensuring surge staffing, combating disinformation and increasing wastewater and genomic tracking to spot new variants. Under the plan, mask requirements would be subject to change based on the severity and volume of new infections. In his remarks on MSNBC, Mr. Newsom acknowledged the fatigue felt by people because of the whipsaw component of changing rules and policies depending on each surge or wave. Were exhausted. Everybody is exhausted. And at the same time were also a little bit anxious. What does the future hold? he said. Californias new policy was based on a two-month review of best practices across the world, Mr. Newsom said. But he stressed the need to be humble in the face of a virus that could continue to mutate in unexpected ways. On CNN on Sunday, Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado also emphasized the uncertainty of what could be around the corner, even though he had lifted mask mandates and other restrictions last summer. Asked why more governors were doing so now, he highlighted the protection now offered by booster shots, which dramatically decrease the risk of severe illness. California and Colorado have reported a fully vaccinated rate of about 70 percent; roughly 92 percent of Colorado residents 65 and older are fully vaccinated, as compared to 89 percent in California. I think whats important is we prepare for an uncertain future, Governor Polis said. And I think a lot of states are undertaking that. I hope the federal government is as well. Show more WASHINGTON Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Sunday that President Biden was still willing to talk to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia despite the U.S. governments assessment that Mr. Putin has already decided to invade Ukraine. We believe President Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward, Mr. Blinken said on CNNs State of the Union. Mr. Biden and Mr. Putin last spoke for one hour by telephone on Feb. 12. In that call, Mr. Biden warned Mr. Putin that a new invasion of Ukraine would result in swift and severe costs for Russia. Mr. Biden has promised to impose harsh economic sanctions against Russia if Mr. Putin carries out an invasion, although Beijing, which has strengthened its ties to Moscow, could help blunt those penalties. Mr. Biden said on Friday that he believed Russia would invade Ukraine within days. In recent weeks, the Russian military deployed more than 150,000 troops around Ukraine, positioning them along the countrys western border with Ukraine, on the Crimean Peninsula that Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, and in Belarus, which has a pro-Moscow government. U.S. officials describe it as the largest military buildup in Europe since World War II. ATHENS Rescuers said on Sunday that at least one person had been found dead on a ferry that caught fire off the Greek island of Corfu on Friday, the first person known to have been killed in the blaze, though 10 others remain missing. Hundreds have already been taken safely off the stricken ship, the Italian-owned Euroferry Olympia, which had been carrying more than 290 passengers and crew members when the fire broke out a few hours after it left the northwestern Greek port of Igoumenitsa, bound for Brindisi, Italy. There were also 153 trucks and 32 cars aboard. The dead man was found when rescue workers opened the doors to a truck being carried on the ferry. He had burns over a large part of his body, said Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis, a spokesman for the Greek fire service. The victims identity was not immediately released. Earlier Sunday, a 21-year-old truck driver from Belarus became the latest passenger to be rescued from the ferry, and search operations were continuing for the other 10 people still unaccounted for, said Nikolaos Alexiou, a spokesman for the Greek Coast Guard. After the news of Queen Elizabeths positive coronavirus test on Sunday, people expressed concern about the health of the extremely popular sovereign, as well as about the future of the monarchy, which has been struggling with scandals major and minor. According to Buckingham Palace, if the queen needs to suspend her official duties because of illness or because she is abroad, two or more counselors of state can act on her behalf. These counselors include the sovereigns spouse which does not apply to the queen, as her husband, Prince Philip, died last year and the next four people in the line of succession, who are appointed when they turn 21. The four counselors are currently Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince William and Prince Harry. But royal experts say that among them, only Prince Charles and Prince William were likely to take up some responsibilities. Like most higher education institutions in Florida, Florida Atlantic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. A bill in the Legislature would require universities to alternate accrediting bodies, and give them the right to sue if they believe they are not being treated fairly. The president of United Faculty of Florida writes that this would cause accrediting organizations to avoid the state, causing loss of accreditation and, with it, federal financial aid for students. (Joe Cavaretta / Sun Sentinel) The beatings will continue until morale improves. Such is the mantra of the Florida Legislature these days, as a number of bills currently under consideration would dramatically restrict everything from voting rights to an individuals personal liberty to be who they are, spend their money how they wish, and believe or think whatever seems best to them. Advertisement This theme of punishing Floridas citizens for doing their jobs is particularly evident in higher education, where new bills that tinker with accreditation standards for political gain could end up costing hundreds of thousands of Floridas higher education students access to federal financial aid and federal student loans. Andrew Gothard teaches English at Florida Atlantic University and is president of the United Faculty of Florida. Among other things, the Postsecondary Education legislation (Senate Bill 7044/House Bill 7051) requires every university and college in Florida to change accreditors at the beginning of each accrediting cycle (roughly every five to seven years, on average), and it provides a legal cause of action against any accreditor that takes retaliatory action against an institution. The latter part should read more accurately as any accreditor that fairly applies its rules to all schools it accredits, including those in Florida. Advertisement The short of it is the ruling party, as some in power would clearly like to be called, is upset the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which accredits Floridas higher ed institutions, is applying the same standards to our states flagship schools that they apply to every other university and college in the Southeast. This has been most recently seen when the accreditor warned against shoehorning Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran into the presidency at Florida State University due to a lack of qualifications and in the ongoing investigation of the University of Florida for reported instances of undue political influence on faculty and students. Heres the upshot: If you talk to faculty and higher ed administrators all over this state (in other words, the people who actually do the work to ensure their campuses are accredited), they will tell you that these legislators are playing political games with a system that they do not fully understand and the potentially dire consequences will fall upon the students. Contrary to what has been said in committee hearings, accrediting bodies are not required to accept new applications from Florida schools, and the allowance of legal action against accreditors that enforce their rules will almost certainly ensure that they wont have anything to do with us. So, when a school cant find a new accreditor, and it cant go back to SACS by law, Floridas schools will lose accreditation. A loss of accreditation means that, at minimum, students will no longer have access to federal financial aid, such as Pell Grants and federal student loans, which are key to making higher ed equally accessible to all Floridians. Future degrees from that institution will become worthless, and students will be left scrambling to transfer to competing institutions, where their current course credits may no longer have value. High quality faculty will no longer seek Floridas higher ed campuses as their home, and the research funding, as well as technological and industrial innovations that they would have brought to our state, will be taken elsewhere. In short, the upside to these bills cannot be found, while the downside could be catastrophic, all for no tangible improvement to the higher ed system. Average folks in Florida dont often worry about higher ed accreditation because they dont have to. This is the advantage of having one of the best, if not the best, public higher education systems in the country. Dont let Tallahassee take that away from all of us just to score a few cheap political points against a regional accreditor. Ask your legislators to vote no on SB 7044/HB 7051 before they cause irreparable harm to Floridas higher education system. Andrew Gothard teaches English at Florida Atlantic University and is president of the United Faculty of Florida. PARIS President Emmanuel Macron of France and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin, spoke by telephone on Sunday and agreed on the need to prioritize a diplomatic solution to the current crisis and to secure a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine in the coming hours, according to a statement from Mr. Macrons office. The statement added that, if the conditions are met, a diplomatic path should allow the organization of a meeting at the highest level in order to define a new peace and security order in Europe. The Kremlin, however, signaled little optimism. In a statement published after the call, it said Mr. Putin repeated his contention that Western countries were pushing Ukraines government to a military solution of its conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east. The Ukrainian government in Kyiv insists that it has no plans to launch an offensive against the separatist territories, but separatist leaders over the weekend began an evacuation of women and children, claiming that such an offensive was imminent. The military exercises, known as Allied Resolve 2022, revolve around a fictitious conflict between an aggressive coalition of hostile states serving as a stand-in for NATO, and two made-up nations representing Belarus and the Russian Federation. Following the Kremlins script that Russia is a victim rather than an aggressor, Saturdays drills southwest of the Belarusian capital, Minsk, re-enacted a counterattack to liberate territory seized by the enemy. Signaling the power that Moscow has on hand in the event of a real war, a Russian Tupolev strategic bomber flew over the pretend battlefield escorted by fighter jets. If you want peace, you prepare for war, said Aleksandr Volfovich, the state secretary of the Belarus security council. He declared the exercises a success that demonstrated the determination and readiness of Belarusian and Russian forces to successfully repel any attack. Asked whether Belarus would assist Russia in any invasion of Ukraine, he said: Belarus is not helping Russia seize Ukraine. Russia does not need to seize Ukraine. Belarus is a country of goodness and peace. We very much hope to live with everyone in peace. Western officials have expressed concern that Russian troops may stay behind in Belarus rather than return to their often distant home bases in Russia. Mr. Volfovich declined to comment on that possibility, but said that forces taking part in the exercises would carry out checks for several days after the official end of the maneuvers on Sunday. TAGANROG, Russia Lyudmila V. Ladnik fled her home in eastern Ukraine fearing that rising tensions could force her back into a bomb shelter like the one she took cover in seven years ago, when her town of Debaltsevo was shelled during fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. But once she crossed into Russia on Sunday, part of a growing evacuation ordered by separatist leaders, she already wanted to go back. They lied to us, fumed Ms. Ladnik, 62, referring to Russian authorities. She said she had been told that residents of the separatist areas would stay temporarily in Rostov, but on Sunday she learned that they would be moved farther inside Russia, to a town such as Kursk. With dismay, she wondered whether her evacuation to Russia would be longer than she had expected. We are now calling everyone back home, telling them to stay, she said. Confusion reigned on Sunday as more people crossed into Russia following a warning from Kremlin-backed rebel leaders that Ukraine was about to launch an attack on the separatist areas. The government in Kyiv has denied any such plans, and rebel leaders have produced no evidence to support their claim. The United States has said the warnings could be part of a Russian propaganda campaign to justify a military intervention by Moscow. By Sunday afternoon, the news that Queen Elizabeth II had contracted the coronavirus had filtered through London with news alerts on phones bringing the information to many going about their weekend business. But as the general public and political leaders reacted, many were quick to reflect about how the news came as the government plans to roll back the last remaining coronavirus restrictions. A number of people said that the queens illness had driven home just how susceptible the broader population was to the virus. It doesnt have boundaries, thats what its telling us, said Hussein Ahmed, 34, who was waiting for a bus in North London. It does not give a damn about whether you are the queen or a king or a normal civilian, a person in high power; you are getting it. Gail Smith, who was walking with her friend in blustery rain in North London, said that they had seen the news and were sad and concerned for the queen. But, they added, they were not surprised to see that it had reached royal circles because there were still so many people becoming infected in London and across the rest of Britain. About 200 people, mostly expatriates from Ukraine, gathered in London on Saturday to express solidarity with friends and family in the country who are living under the threat of a Russian invasion. The rally convened at the foot of a statue of Volodymyr the Great, who ruled a region including modern-day Ukraine during the 10th and 11th centuries and is a symbol of Ukrainian nationalism. Under a cloudy sky, the demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags, sang nationalist songs and held aloft placards demonizing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Many of the attendees said that they were clinging to the hope that a full-scale Russian invasion could be averted but that all signs suggested their homeland was on the brink of a terrible ordeal. The country I know and love might be destroyed, said one of the rallys organizers, Natalia Ravyluk, who is originally from Ukraine. We are frustrated, and we are terrified. MUNICH The Munich Security Conference convened this weekend under the banner of Unlearning Helplessness. The phrase had ominous echoes with Russia threatening Ukraine, and Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, drove them home by accusing the West of appeasement. It was here 15 years ago that Russia announced its intention to challenge global security, Mr. Zelensky said on Saturday at the annual gathering of international policymakers. What did the world say? Appeasement. Result? At least the annexation of Crimea and aggression against my state. The mood at the conference the Davos of foreign affairs, a venue of often bracing conflict was subdued, almost disembodied, marked by stunned nervousness over the possibility of a European war, diminished by harsh Covid-19 restrictions and missing the Russian participation that has often stirred vigorous debate. The Russian no-show felt ominous, a symbol of a Europe newly divided. Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, put the choice facing the continent starkly: either a system of joint responsibility for security and peace or spheres of influence, which she compared to the carve-up of Europe into Allied and Soviet spheres at Yalta in 1945. Israel will reopen to all foreign tourists, regardless of their vaccination status, as the country eases travel restrictions amid a rapid decline in coronavirus cases from the Omicron variant. Only fully vaccinated foreign visitors have been allowed to enter the country since January, but that mandate will end as of March 1, Israeli leaders announced in a statement Sunday. Tourists entering Israel will be required to pass two P.C.R. tests one before departure and one after arrival. Israel has reported a 63 percent decline in new coronavirus cases over the past two weeks, according to according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Israel has maintained a stringent border policy throughout the pandemic and its once-thriving tourism industry has struggled. It first closed its borders to most foreign travelers in March 2020, and did not reopen them until Nov. 1, 2021. By the end of 2021, the borders were shut again, amid the Omicron wave. Olean, NY (14760) Today Rain likely. Low 56F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 56F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. autoevolution 02 May 2022 As airlines are recovering from the effects of a two-year pandemic, theyre also getting back on track when it comes to fleet.. This month marks the 80th anniversary of the fall of Singapore and the beginning of the incarceration of the men and women associated with the 8th Division Gulf International Bank - Saudi Arabia (GIB Saudi Arabia) has closed a project finance facility of SR400 million ($106.5 million) with Saudi German Health to build a state-of-the-art hospital in Jeddah. This 65,000-sq-m, 350-bed hospital marks the Groups expansion of footprint in the Saudi Arabian healthcare space. The state-of-the-art hospital will address the untapped need for healthcare by offering a wide range of high-quality healthcare services needed by the market. The project is led by Humania Capital (the investment arm of the Bait Al Batterjee Group) in partnership with Middle East Healthcare Company (MEAHCO). The facility was fully underwritten by GIB Saudi Arabia and was closed in a two-bank financing deal between GIB and Bank Al Jazira. The project is already partially completed and expected to start operations in 2024. As a Group, we remain committed to providing greater access to state-of-the-art healthcare for the people of Saudi Arabia. This hospital project is another step in that direction, said Sobhi Abduljaleel Batterjee, Chairman of Saudi German Health. Abdulaziz Al-Helaissi, Group Chief Executive Officer at GIB said: We are pleased to provide financing for this landmark healthcare project and to support Saudi German Health in its expansion plan. Enhancing development in this strategic industry and backing private sector participation in the economy is a strategic pillar of the Kingdoms Vision 2030 and GIB continues to prioritise and play an important role in driving economic diversification and private sector growth. Naif Abdulkareem, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Bank Al Jazira added: In line with the Kingdoms Vision 2030, Bank Al Jazira is strongly committed to playing a pivotal role in the Health Sector Transformation and will continue to support to achieve an improved health and healthcare services in cooperation with all public & private health sector bodies. In continuation of this strategic national objective, Bank Al Jazira has embarked upon identifying and supporting ample opportunities in such critical sectors. Financing of this leading, state-of-the-art hospital project in Jeddah with a top tier name, does reflect this strong commitment. As a continuing partner, we also wish the best to the esteemed Batterjee Group for all such future endeavours. Our vision is to serve the entire Kingdom which includes the major as well as smaller cities, added Makarem Batterjee, President Humania Capital and Vice Chairman MEAHCO. We are delighted to have GIB Saudi Arabia and Bank Al Jazira as our project finance partners and look forward to their continuing role in our expansion. TradeArabia News Service 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Russia and Belarus, meanwhile, will extend their joint military exercises a move US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says is a further pointer to an imminent invasion of Ukraine. The timing of the Munich Security Conference gave Germany a chance to underline its commitment to transatlantic alliances. But the Ukrainian president warned that old international security structures are under threat. Friends of a British man killed by a shark in Australia have described how the news "hit us like a truck". Demonstrations against public health measures have forced RCMP to block access to the Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey, B.C. for the second weekend in a row. NATO's chief said that "all signs" suggest Russia will attack its neighbor as the alliance relocated its Kyiv staff. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy delivered a passionate speech in Munich. DW has the latest. Police in Canada have retaken control of the streets around Ottawa's parliament buildings after a three-week protest - declaring: "This unlawful occupation is over." Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned Beijing for directing a laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft, saying it was "an act of intimidation." Australian forces said it put the crew's lives in danger. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke says Ukrainians on temporary visas will be offered asylum, if the situation further deteriorates on the Ukraine-Russia border. Marassi Al Bahrains Industrys Top Performing Agent 2021 Award went to Vincci Property Management, while the Consistently Outstanding Performing Agent 2021 accolade was won by Highbridge Co. The Outstanding Performing Agent 2021 award went to Integration Real Estate. Eagle Hills Diyar (EHD), the pioneers behind the iconic Marassi Al Bahrain development, organises the annual event which aims to honour real estate agents for their achievements, presenting them with awards for their performance and role in supporting the development. The agents in attendance received a briefing on upcoming Marassi projects in the pipeline, and the years incentive schemes were announced. Among the EHD projects in the pipeline is the upcoming Marassi Park; a cosmopolitan central park development at the very heart of the unique beachfront community, as well as Marassi Galleria; the developments 200,000 sq m shopping district which will be home to a range of the world's top retailers and brand names, making it a key anchor with the development's master plan. Commenting on this occasion Dr Maher Al Shaer, Managing Director of EHD said: We are happy to be working hand in hand with our esteemed partners in the industry to promote EHDs iconic projects within the Marassi Al Bahrain development. I would like to extend my thanks and congratulations to all the winners, and we look forward to a long and continued relationship with all our representatives. -- TradeArabia News Service The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which pushed Ethiopia into a longstanding dispute with Egypt and Sudan, started generating electricity on Sunday, according to officials. European countries are using various dialogue formats to resolve the Ukraine conflict. The Normandy Format, established in June 2014, is one; and now the British prime minister has suggested a new military pact. The call between the French and Russian presidents is described by the Elysee as among "the last possible and necessary efforts to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine". The Beijing Games closed on Sunday, with IOC president Thomas Bach calling for political leaders to be inspired by the athletes' "examples of peace". The French president made separate calls to Russian and Ukrainian leaders to try and prevent an invasion. Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris warned of the "real possibility for war in Europe." DW has the latest. (MENAFN - The Peninsula) AP Munich: Acknowledging 'the real possibility of war, Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a weekend of outreach to European allies with a push to bolster the West's ... Rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety after the blaze broke out on the Italian-flagged.. Upworthy 20 Feb 2022 Brussels (AFP) Feb 19, 2022 High-speed trains between Belgium and the Netherlands were cancelled because of damage caused by Storm Eunice, which whipped across Britain and northern Europe, the Thalys rail service said Saturday. A spokesman for Thalys, which links Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne, told AFP "the whole Dutch network" handling high-speed trains was affected, thus impacting trains leaving Belgium. Microsoft has announced that American users can now dial 911 using nothing but Skype, a feature that has until now been available in a very limited number of regions. Worth knowing, however, is that Skypes 911 calls may not be as reliable as traditional phone calls, pretty much because they also depend on a series of other factors, such as an existing data connection. A phone calls obviously works even if theres no power in your home, so in theory, 911 calls on Skype should be used only in case of a real emergency. Microsoft explains that Skype can also transmit your location to emergency teams. You can also enable 911 emergency location sharing to permit Skype to automatically capture and share your location with emergency operators when making a 911 call. Your location will only be shared in the event you dial 911 for the purpose of routing your call and providing location information to your local emergency operator, Microsoft A doctor who was stabbed nine times by a 17-year-old boy has said he would like to meet his attacker if given the chance. Belfast Telegraph 20 Feb 2022 With a solid plan in place, Bahrain could easily become one of the countries that is able to shift its consumption patterns towards more sustainable sources. This was the opinion of Group Chief Executive Officer of The Oil & Gas Holding Company (nogaholding), Mark Thomas, who highlighted the companys new direction towards sustainable energy while addressing the challenges facing the kingdom at a webinar on The Energy Transition in Bahrain Chances, and Challenges hosted by the German Business Community. Thomas touched upon elements of a multipronged approach to transition the companys operations into responsible energy production and stem oil and gas-based consumption within the kingdom. Through initiatives like this webinar, we look towards opening up channels of communication with countries who face similar challenges, such as Germany, to benefit from a shared knowledge platform and global expertise in our quest towards enhancing the energy sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, he stated. The webinar, moderated by the Deputy Delegate of German Industry & Commerce for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen, acted as a knowledge-sharing platform featuring speakers from the Energy sector in Bahrain and Germany, and explored potential opportunities for growth within both countries. The session proffered existing research on renewable energy sources and discussed the challenges and new policies required to facilitate the transition. The webinar also featured speakers and researchers from distinguished entities, including Ellen von Zitzewitz, from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, who outlined Germanys Climate Energy & Hydrogen Policy as part of the Bilateral Energy Cooperation amongst nations; in addition to Dr Abdulla Alabbasi from the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies, Derasat, who addressed the theoretical and practical considerations of accelerating the transition to renewable energy in Bahrain; and Dr Hanan Albuflasa from the Renewable Energy Labs in the Department of Physics at the University of Bahrain, who highlighted Bahrains role in the international renewable energy market.-- TradeArabia News Service Infantry soldiers based in Northern Ireland have swapped the green fields for arid desert as they hone their skills with the Jordanian Armed Forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expresses frustration during the Munich Security Conference on Saturday amid the growing fears of a Russian invasion of his nation, urging concerned parties to address the crisis through diplomacy. The Biden administration plans to build up global coalitions to counter a pact between Vladimir V. Putin and Xi Jinping, portending a new type of Cold War. Newsy 25 Feb 2022 Watch VideoWith a military intervention in Ukraine off the table, and countries around the world looking to heap more financial.. The US embassy in Russia cautioned Americans on Sunday to have evacuation plans, citing the threat of attacks in Moscow and along the Russian border with Ukraine, drawing a rebuke from Russian foreign ministry. 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. CADILLAC Out of the 50 Michigan State Police troopers to graduate from the 140th Trooper Recruit School this week, one is set to start nearby. Trooper Marcus Stowe was assigned to the Cadillac post which also has troopers assigned to cover neighboring areas like Manistee and Benzie counties. Stowe would first need to complete his field training. He is expected to be working part of his probationary period in each of the counties the post covers with a senior officer so he can better learn the posts coverage area. After this step, troopers can pick their shifts based on seniority. Stowe was part of a ceremony in Lansing that included Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as the keynote speaker and Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police, who gave the Oath of Office to 50 individuals who begin their assignments at MSP posts across the state next week. Today is an exciting day for the Michigan State Police and our 50 new troopers, said Gasper. We are looking to them to continue our tradition of delivering the best in public safety and community services. Some days will be difficult, but the work you will do will be fulfilling and rewarding. The 140th Trooper Recruit School started on Aug. 22 with 74 prospective troopers at the state police training academy in Lansing. Recruits received training in patrol techniques, report writing, ethics, cultural diversity and implicit bias, decision making, leadership, first aid, criminal law, crime scene processing, firearms, water safety, defensive tactics and precision driving. Including the recent 50 graduates, there are about 1,200 troopers assigned statewide and a total of 1,900 enlisted members of Michigan State Police. Whitmer said she is proud of the graduates as they joined Michigan State Polices ranks. Public service is a noble calling and one with great responsibility, Whitmer said in part. According to the release, the next recruit school is the departments first recruit school for licensed police officers. That is expected to start on March 6 in Lansing. Those officers are expected to graduate on May 27. With hundreds of trooper vacancies due to continued attrition, state police are actively recruiting for future trooper recruit schools. More information on open positions and applications for Michigan State Police jobs can be found online at michigan.gov/MSPjobs. Renewable energy and related manufacturing will be a lucrative sector for Bahrain, says Husain Mohamed Rajab, CEO of Tamkeen, Bahrain's labour fund, in an interview with CNNs Marketplace Middle East. CNNs Eleni Giokos travelled to Bahrain to see how the Kingdoms Vision 2030 plan is investing in sectors like tourism, business services, manufacturing, and logistics to boost growth. Bahrain relies on oil and gas for its electricity supply. But renewable energy is a fundamental component of the countrys economic recovery plan. Rajab tells Giokos: Renewable energy is one of the key sectors that are growing in the region. GCC is one of the most energy rich regions globally. And that drives a lot of interest from governments to support the growth and development of any activity in this sector. Definitely manufacturing of solar panels or anything that has to do with renewable energy is considered as a priority for us. This is good news for small businesses like Solar One, Bahrains first solar panel company, as the government sees entrepreneurship as pivotal to the countrys economic future. Giokos spoke to Faisal Khalifeh, the Founder and Managing Director of Solar One. He says the company produces around 60,000 solar panels in a year. It just feels good to be part of Bahrains goals, with their renewable energy targets. Bahrain is home to the largest aluminium smelter outside of China. Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) produced over 1.5 million metric tonnes of aluminium in 2021, and CEO Ali Al Baqali says in the programme: "Nobody can compete China. Chinas producing more than half of the total production of the world. But I think there is a strong demand in the market. Al Baqali takes Giokos on a tour of the smelter and gives her a look at how aluminium is produced. Here, he discusses the climate change concerns within the aluminium industry. The smelter is very energy intensive. We are producing electricity through natural gas. We know that there is issues about the natural gas. We are certified as a green aluminium. However, there are challenges to reduce this number. Thats why we are putting a lot of initiatives to be more green, to tackle all these aspects in the future. The Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre is set to be the regions largest exhibition centre when it opens later in 2022. At the construction site, Giokos met Zayed Al Zayani, Bahrains Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism who spoke about economic diversification. Diversification is not new to us. Weve done it before. Before oil, we were a pearling nation. We went from pearling to oil, to industry, to banking, to telecoms, and Im sure well find more and more as we go along. He adds: I think the biggest asset in Bahrain is the Bahrainis themselves. - TradeArabia News Service Palestine, TX (75801) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - The European Union and the African Union have announced a Euros 150 billion package to support the 2030 and Agenda 2063, which represent the long term economic growth plans for both sides Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) After 20 years, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) changed the checklist usually used to monitor infant and young children's milestones. The checklist is meant to give parents, caretakers, and pediatricians a more precise benchmark to spot developmental delays earlier, CNN reported. CDC asked AAP to develop experts to review the milestones, which then formed a group of eight experts in different areas of child development. It is the first review since its release in 2004 as part of the CDC's developmental surveillance campaign in 2004, "Learn the Signs. Act Early." The Checklist Paul H. Lipkin, M.D., FAAP, one of the child development experts who reviewed the checklist said, the earlier the child is identified with developmental delays, the better. The recent revision of guidelines, Lipkin added, "accomplishes these goals." Among the changes on the checklist is that the revised version will have a 75% percentile milestone instead of the previously used 50th percentile milestone at a given age. The move is meant to eliminate unnecessary confusion and alarm in developmental delays while identifying children requiring additional evaluation and resources. According to the AAP News, clinicians reported that following the previous guidelines was a challenge for families with concerns about child development. In some cases, the families and clinicians had to wait for the milestones, leading to a delay in diagnosis. Read Also: Anko Wiggle Cart Misuse Dismays Kmart, a Major Australian Retailer The AAP News also indicated other changes in the checklist, which includes: Included checklists for ages 15 and 30 months. There is now a checklist for every well-child visit from two months to five years; Adding more social and emotional milestones like at four months, smiles on their own to get your attention Experts removed vague languages like "may" or "begins" when referring to specific milestones. Removal of duplicate milestones They are providing new, open-ended questions for discussion in families. Example: Is there anything that your child does or does not do that concerns you? Revision and expansion of activities and recommendations for developmental promotion and early relational health The revised milestones were presented to parents and caregivers with different educational backgrounds, income levels, and racial groups to gauge their adaptability. CDC'S Free Milestone Tracker Recently, CDC also announced its Milestone Tracker App, which incorporates the updated checklist. The app aims to help parents track the child's development while playing, learning, speaking, and the children's movement until they reach the age of five. The app is also designed to alert parents of missed milestones, prompting them to talk to their pediatrician about concerns that they may encounter. However, Child Development expert Dr. Jenny Radesky told CNN that parents should also remember that milestones are not everything. They have a way of figuring out the development delay in their kids, and they should trust this knowledge. Parents would know what brings joy to their kids, what overstimulates them, and when parents feel most connected to them. While not considered milestones, these parent-child relationships are crucial to children's well-being. Related Article: Nine-year-Old Boy Develops App for Non-verbal Brother With Autism To Help Him Communicate The Chief Executive Officer of Royal Vina Foods, Davina Sheila Mensah has emerged as the Entrepreneur of the Year at the just-ended fourth edition of the Youth Excellence Awards (YEA) held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The prestigious award was in recognition of her dedication and commitment in building the local production industry as well as being a highly respected advocate for best practices in consuming made in Ghana brands. Expressing her delights after receiving the awards on her Instagram handle, Davina Mensah said, she is very grateful to God and the entire Royal Vina team for such wonderful work done over the year. According to her, the team has performed wonderfully well since the introduction of the made in Ghana prod into the Ghanaian market. "Congratulations to the entire team of the Royal Vina Foods and our cherished customers. We won by God's grace", she said. Davina Sheila Mensah took the opportunity to entreat everyone to keep consuming made in Ghana products and services in order to build a strong and resilient economy for a better future. " I will like to entreat everyone to keep eating made in Ghana foods for a better economy". The Youth Excellence Awards (YEA), is an awards scheme that seeks to honour and celebrate outstanding youth in Africa who goes through thick and thin to create a positive impact on society in their various field of work. In attendance were prominent Ghanaian celebrities and public figures in the likes of Bola Ray, who was honoured for his hard work, the French Ambassador, Her Excellency Anne Sophie-AVE who also grabbed the Ambassador Of The Year Award. Davina Sheila Mensah earlier this year won the Entrepreneur of the Year and Royal Vina Foods emerged as the Discovery Local Brand of the Year at the Global Business and Entrepreneurship Summit and Awards (GBESA 2021). Royal Vina food is a food entity that deals in the production of Ghana brown rice, Ghana white rice, Pure honey, brown sugar and coconut oil. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says new arrangements have to be made in the regional fight against terrorism following the withdrawal of French troops from Mali. He noted that France had played a critical role in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa, with ... considerable financial and human sacrifice. President Akufo-Addo, who is the Chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, said the regional body was, therefore, unhappy with the departure of the troops from Mali. He emphasized that the battle against terrorism in West Africa was a common fight and it is an international situation that we have to look at in the context of a broad response. France and its European partners announced last Thursday that they would begin a military withdrawal from Mali after nearly a decade fighting jihadist insurgency, following the deterioration of relations with Malis new military regime, which disagreed with France's call for an immediate return to civilian rule. Relations between Mali and France have plummeted since the coup detat staged by the military on May 25, 2021, which saw junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita attempting to reinforce military control despite international calls for a return to civilian rule. Anti-French sentiment has been running high in Mali since that time, with the military junta spurring Malians to protest against international pressure, particularly from France, and sanctions by ECOWAS to get the military to relinquish its hold on the country. The junta Friday asked France to withdraw its troops from the Sahel State without delay claiming the results of France's nine-year military engagement in Mali were "not satisfactory." The European Union last month confirmed that the Malian military rulers had engaged the services of hundreds of foreign mercenaries to help the country fight jihadist insurgents. "Based on precedents in other countries, it is our opinion that their presence will only aggravate the crisis and pose serious risks to human rights," they added. President Akufo-Addo in an interview with France 24 on the sidelines of the EU-African Union summit in Brussels, Belgium on Friday, said the bloc was displeased with the intervention of mercenary forces in Mali, stating ECOWAS was determined to resolve the political and security issues in the crisis-torn nation without the interference of foreign mercenaries. Everybody is worried. We have a long-standing protocol within ECOWAS, AU, against foreign mercenaries intervening in the lives of our various states. So if there is a mercenary force in Mali, it is a matter that concerns us. You know the role foreign mercenaries have played in our history and it hasnt been a positive one. (They should leave?) obviously, we would prefer to be dealing with the Mali State and government, he said. President Akufo-Addo said the bloc was considering other measures to get Mali to return to democratic governance since the junta had failed to adhere to transition agreements reached with ECOWAS. He said the junta's proposal of a four-year transition was "clearly unacceptable", insisting that a 12-month transition period would be "an acceptable framework." The ECOWAS Chairman said the bloc would continue to dialogue with the military rulers in Mali to get the country back to democratic rule. In these matters the doors never close to talk and negotiation. There are contacts and dialogue going on. As far as we are concerned, there was an agreement between ECOWAS and the transition authorities at the beginning of August 2020, which required that the transition be brought to an end in February this year, at the end of this month. At the last minute, we heard from the new junta in Mali that they no longer were in a position to honour that pledge, that they were proposing a four or five years in office. Some of us were aghast by this new development. Im an elected President in Ghana. I have four years in office and an unelected illegitimate regime too wants to be in office with the consent of ECOWAS for five years, it sounded outrageous. That is why the proposal was rejected, he said. We are determined to work towards a more acceptable solution. My own feeling from talking to my peers is that a 12-month period would be an acceptable framework. You hearing it from my mouth, doesnt mean it is ECOWAS policy. We need to engage and find out how that can work out, he said. On the situation in Burkina Faso, President Akufo-Addo was hopeful that the country would return to constitutional rule soon because the military rulers had "moved very quickly" to engage in consultations. He also advised the coup leaders in Guinea, which took power last September, to provide an acceptable transition timetable as soon as possible to avoid further sanctions. Source: GNA 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 Newmont Ghana has donated 45 laptops and 15 tablets to the College of Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to support teaching and learning in the University. This donation forms part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Newmont signed with the University to collaborate in influencing the curriculum and help train the next generation of engineering professionals for the industry. Presenting the items on behalf of the mining company to the College, Daniel Egya-Mensah, the General Manager of Newmont Ghanas Akyem Mine noted that the companys partnership with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology flows from Newmonts Global University Strategy, with the objectives of creating a robust leadership pipeline to meet future needs of the business, attracting and retaining best talents within the next generation workforce, sustaining meaningful relationships with the educational community, among others. Mr. Egya-Mensah also indicated that Newmont Ghana donated the items after careful review of the needs of the College and with the aim of facilitating and improving the interface between the students and lecturers. Within the context of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is our expectation that these devices will help bridge the gap created by the Covid-19 pandemic and enable students and lecturers to interact in a seamless fashion, he added. Receiving the items on behalf of the College, Prof. Ellis Owusu Dabo, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University, said we believe these devices will go a long way to support the learning of our engineering students and equip them for the everchanging world of work. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Arabian Business Community (ABC) Bahrain edition delivered 1,570,604 referrals to businesses in Bahrain during 2021. The ABC portal has established itself as the leading business reference resource for contact and business information about companies in the Kingdom. The portal provides a unique promotional service which helps companies to increase their business potential by allowing them to promote themselves to customers for their products and services. In todays challenging market, companies are looking to obtain that leading edge on their competitors and ABC Bahrain provides the advantage of generating quantifiable business referrals to their corporate profiles on the portal, says Ahmed Suleiman, Director of Public Affairs of Al Hilal Group. For just BD8 per day, a company can join the community as a Premium Partner providing it with a range of benefits including Top of Mind positioning in their field of business. The enhanced profile pages effectively provide them with a Showroom for their products and services. In addition, a company will receive email campaigns and classified advertising on the site at no extra charge. Al Hilals strength as a media company will give added value promotional exposure not just on ABC but across Al Hilals range of publications and social media sites including the Gulf Daily News (GDN) and the groups market leading trade media such as Gulf Construction, Gulf Industry, Travel & Tourism News and Oil & Gas News, adds Suleiman. Al Hilal has recorded an increase in the number of Bahraini companies joining the community this year and ABC has now become the most highly ranked information resource in Bahrain. When searching for information about companies in the kingdom you will see that the Google search engine ranks ABC highly and in many cases above an individual companys social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, adds Ronnie Middleton, Managing Director of Al Hilal Group. This is the result of our very successful and ongoing SEO strategy which keeps ABC ahead of any other corporate information resourcing websites. Today, ABC represents the most cost-effective marketing tool any company can use. Our message to Bahrain based companies is to position yourself ahead of your competition, become a Premium Partner on ABC Bahrain! Al Hilal Group has rolled out country dedicated ABC portals across the GCC. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, 2021 saw a record number of business referrals being delivered across all 14 portals totaling 6,016,977. TradeArabia News Service Former Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu, has raised concerns about the character of the black person in dealing with situations. According to him, it is extremely difficult for a typical black person to admit his mistakes, hence stressing this attitude is mostly the reason why there is so much hardship. He was commenting on the fuel price increases in Ghana which have compounded the plight of the citizenry as transport bus operators warm up to increase transport fares. Currently, fuel prices in Ghana have soared burdening vehicle owners and drivers as well as Ghanaians who board commercial vehicles. Not only have fuel prices gone up, the prices of commodities have also jumped up aggravating the living conditions of Ghanaians. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Charles Owusu noted the African economies for which Ghana is included are struggling because of this ''not accepting mistakes'' behaviour. "No typical black person admits his or her wrong, so we can't learn. A black person will never accept his wrongdoing . . . it's too hard for us to admit our mistakes," he said. He argued that there will be a lot of improvement should the leaders in Africa, Ghana to be specific, begin to accept their fault, stressing, "if we admit our mistakes, I'm sure we can effect changes''. 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has come under intense criticisms not only because of the way he is administering Ghana's economic affairs which some Ghanaians strongly believe has made living difficult for them but also due to the recent arrests of some journalists and persons. On Friday 27 July 2001, Ghanas parliament unanimously repealed the Criminal Libel and Seditious Laws, which had been used to incarcerate a number of journalists in the past. Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor, whose administration saw to the cancellation of the Criminal Libel Law, stated it was amended to expand the boundaries of freedom. The amendment meant that any person accused of committing an offence under the repealed sections will be discharged. Therefore, with the arrests of the media practitioners, some critics argue that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who played a pivotal role in the institution of the laws that gave people the freedom to express themselves, have rejected his values. They believe the President is using the Police to terrorize people and also to gag the media which they claim is suppression of freedom of speech and press freedom. Commenting on the recent actions by the Police, Kwesi Pratt, on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', made a sudden disclosure about President Akufo-Addo's impact on his life. Sounding shocked that these arrests are happening under Nana Addo's regime, Mr. Pratt revealed one person who taught him a lot of things about fighting for people's freedoms is none other than President Nana Akufo-Addo. Although not to hold brief for the media practitioners and persons arrested over their defamatory statements, Kwesi Pratt condemned the approach used by the Police in their arrest of these persons. ''When it comes to the rule of law, freedom of speech, Criminal Libel Law and so forth, I learnt a lot from Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the time we worked together'', he said. An Accra FM's Presenter, Kwabena Bobie Ansah days ago landed himself in trouble after alleging that the First and Second Ladies, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia have stolen State lands.He was arrested and charged with offensive conduct.The Police also arrested the leader of the #FixTheCountry demo, Oliver Barker-Vormawor after the latter's comments on social media about plotting a coup and is also charged with treason felony.NPP Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly called 'Abronye DC', was also not spared as the Police apprehended him over his claims that former President John Mahama is involved in a coup plot.He has been charged him with two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace. 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 Kobby Ofori a staunch member of the NPP Manchester Chapter and Aspiring Youth Organiser for the NPP-UK Elections has congratulated the teaming Youth in the UK diaspora for their immense contribution to the development of the NPP and Ghana as a whole. He vibrantly made these remarks at the just ended NPP Manchester @ 10 Anniversary in Manchester Mecure Hotel, in the presence of some remarkable dignitaries like John Boadu -the General Secretary of the NPP, Chairman Alex Dade - Board Chairman for GIPC, His Excellency Paapa Owusu Ankomah - Ghana High Commissioner to UK , Salam Mustapha (Aspiring NPP National Youth Organiser) as a rep from the Vice Presidents Office, NPP- UK Branch Chairman- Kwaku Nkansah, Manchester Chairman- Alex Mensah and Mr Awuah Ababio of Diaspora Affairs Mr Kobby Ofori, an active vibrant youth who aspires to be the next NPP UK BRANCH YOUTH ORGANIZER was also honoured for his immense contributions to the Manchester Chapter over the decade which includes being the Co-founder of Tescon in the United Kingdom and the National Union of Ghanaian Students together with Mr Eric Amofa. According to Mr. Kobby Ofori (Incoming Branch youth Organiser) unity is one ingredient that can sustain the electoral fortunes of the NPP in 2024, he also encouraged the youth in the diaspora not just visit Ghana for fun but to participate fully in national politics and use their skills and talents to support the party and the National Agenda. Mr. John Boadu, the General Secretary of the NPP commended the chapter on their dedication to such a wonderful event and also reiterated how blessed he felt to be a part of this history. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.10 per week for 10 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. UAE and Hungary have reviewed means of strengthening bilateral relations and growing cooperation, particularly in the field of energy, clean energy, sustainability and water resources. Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, held a meeting on the sidelines of Expo Dubai 2020 and discussed issues of common interest, said a Wam news agency report. The two sides also discussed exchange of expertise and best practices in infrastructure, housing and transport. Al Marzrouei praised relations between the UAE and Hungary, which has witnessed a tremendous growth, thanks to the keen support of their leaderships. He briefed the Hungarian minister and his accompanying delegation about the UAE's achievements in the light of the 'Projects of the 50' that aim to accelerate the UAE's development and transform the country into a comprehensive hub in all sectors and establish its status as an ideal destination for talents and investors. Al Mazrouei also highlighted the UAE's efforts to enhance sustainability and to address the issue of climate change, as well as its ambitious strategies, including the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2050 and reduce carbon footprint of power generation by 70 percent, thus saving AED700 billion by 2050. What had been one of the Port of Charleston's top selling points its quick turn-around time for truckers picking up and dropping off cargo is fast becoming a liability as the State Ports Authority looks to ease congestion on the waterfront. It now takes an average of about one hour for a driver to wait in a queue to enter one of the terminals, check in at the gate, pick up or drop off a shipping container and exit the property. A year ago, it was just under 42 minutes. Those averages can be deceiving because it includes all of the State Ports Authority's terminals, not just the workhorse Wando Welch, where 75 percent of all cargo is moved. The so-called turn times can be much longer at the Mount Pleasant hub, especially during peak hours. Gate transactions the number of times a container is picked up or dropped off were down 9.1 percent in January compared to the previous month. That's partly the result of it taking longer to maneuver through the nearly 66,000 cargo boxes sitting on the terminals about a third more than the SPA can efficiently handle. Frustration is another factor, as some truckers are avoiding the port altogether. "Container drayage is largely an entrepreneurial market where the pool (of drivers) is not increasing, and they're rather independent," said Jim Newsome, the SPA's chief executive. "They can work when they want to work, and not work when they don't want to work. That's just another of the challenges because, bear in mind, 80 percent of what we do is by truck. We're doing what we can to influence it, but the options are finite." Barbara Melvin, the chief operating officer, said the maritime agency isn't happy with the hour-long average. "We're in constant contact with our motor carriers about this," she said. "This is not what we want to see. We're used to seeing it in the 45- to 47-minute timeframe." Melvin said the higher turn times are partly the result of a hiring spree at the SPA as the agency deals with a record amount of cargo. "Our yards, with a lot of trainees, are not as fast as they used to be," she said. "We do not allow our trainees to just kind of rip off containers. We ask them to take their time to get comfortable with the process and be safe in their operations." A labor dispute between the SPA and the International Longshoremen's Association has also kept the new Leatherman Terminal from being fully utilized to ease the congestion elsewhere because most shipping lines won't use it while the two sides are sparring. The Leatherman's first phase can handle 700,000 cargo boxes a year. Through the first seven months of the SPA's fiscal 2022, which started July 1, just 79,584 containers have moved across the new North Charleston wharf less than 20 percent of its capacity. Meanwhile, truckers say they're caught in the middle of what they see as a no-win situation. "Once we have our tickets it is not that bad most of the time, but getting into the kiosk and getting checked in by the (ILA's) checkers is the major delay in my opinion," trucker Fletcher Pilling said on Facebook. "One side blames the computer system and the other side blames the labor issues and us truckers are the ones affected the most." Dueling Volvos Volvo Cars will build its next-generation XC90 sport-utility vehicle in South Carolina, but that doesn't mean the old version of the automaker's top-selling vehicle is going away. Automotive News reported last week that the company will continue to build a hybrid XC90 in Sweden even as its all-electric replacement will start production late this year at the $1.2 billion manufacturing campus near Ridgeville. Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said production of the two models is due to the continuing strong demand for hybrids in the U.S and China. The new XC90 will reportedly be called Embla the first Volvo with a name rather than a mix of letters and numerals. It will join the S60 sedan on the production line at the plant off Interstate 26. Automotive News also reported that a third Volvo model an as-yet-unnamed crossover that will sit between the automakers mid-sized and biggest sport-utility offerings will be built at the South Carolina plant, along with the all-electric Polestar 3 for its high-performance sister brand. Volvo has said all of the new vehicles it makes will be fully electric by 2030. Car and Driver points out that leaves plenty of time for gas-powered models like the XC90 to phase out. A federal report saying the United States will see about as much sea rise in the next 30 years as it had in the past 100 came as little surprise to coastal communities in South Carolina, many of which have already experienced frequent disruptions from high tides. The report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated about an average of a foot of sea rise for coastal communities across the country by 2050, with the possibility of higher amounts along the East Coast and parts of the Gulf Coast. "The minor nuisance-like flooding that's becoming a growing problem is likely to become damaging flooding. That extra foot on average or so around the country is just going to reach farther inland and grow deeper and more severe," William Sweet, one of the authors of the report and an oceanographer at NOAA, said in a media briefing on Feb. 15. Overall, oceans are rising because surging global temperatures from climate change are making polar ice melt and ocean water expand. The differences in regions of the United States are caused by sinking land in some spots, and also changing dynamics in the Atlantic Gulf Steam current. This surging conveyor belt along the East Coast can make the oceans rise along the shore if it wobbles or slows. "The report is on target with many of the scientific understandings of how things are accelerating," Norm Levine, director of the Lowcountry Hazards Center at the College of Charleston, wrote in an email. "The types of models that have been produced by the college and the city (of Charleston) are still appropriate for understanding the impacts that are expected with the increasing rate of (sea level rise)." Dale Morris, chief resiliency officer for Charleston, likewise said that "none of this surprises those of us who are in the field." Charleston is in the midst of assessing whether to put a sea wall around its low-lying historic downtown peninsula, with the help of the Army Corps of Engineers. The structure is designed to protect the city from hurricane surges but would also be able to handle higher tides, city officials have said. Charleston also recently passed a long-term planning document that directs developments away from low areas along tidal streams and rivers, which lace many areas of the city. That policy will have to be incorporated into zoning code over the next year or more, Morris said. Over the long term, he added, the city will face the question: "The folks that are in low areas now and need to get out, how do we, as a city or a community, do that?" That planning will be important because the NOAA report clearly spells out that the pace of the rising ocean is accelerating, said Molly Mitchell, a researcher at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. VIMS' own research, using historical data to plot an accelerating curve for short-term sea level rise, creates projections similar to NOAA's approach of scaling global climate models down to the local level, Mitchell said. That creates confidence in the science, she said. "Its not just that the flooding is increasing, but that increase is accelerating," she said. "You're going to very quickly see these impacts in areas that were very stable for a long time." Many smaller communities with fewer resources along the coast will likewise be affected by the rising swells. Take Folly Beach, a town mostly situated on a barrier island outside Charleston. The beach destination has longstanding erosion issues because of the management of ship channels in Charleston Harbor, but when seas rise, they tend to seep in first from the side of the island where marsh sprawls out into the Folly River. City Manager Aaron Pope said Folly faces about $12 million in drainage needs around the island, and is in the midst of studying other potential infrastructure problems, like the vulnerability of Folly's many septic tanks. Septic tank systems can fail when sewage seeps into groundwater, which is expected to rise in tandem with the oceans. Folly is also planning to start putting berms, or potentially, living shorelines on the marshy side of the island, Pope said, and intends to raise several roads to withstand higher tides. Some residents there have already taken their own initiative. Aaron Swensen, who bought his home on East Indian Avenue in 2020, said he was aware of flooding problems on the street before he bought his lot from conversations with the neighbors and his real estate agent. But he, his wife and two children love the neighborhood and proximity to the beach. So Swensen has taken to building his own earthen berm. Between dirt, supplies for a drain and labor, he's spent about $4,000 so far as he works to build a 3-foot buffer around the property near the back, marshy side of the island. Swensen also said he plans to eventually flood-proof the bottom of his brick home, and add additional levels on top. Water infiltrated the lowest floor a few years before he bought the house, he said. Whether in downtown Charleston, where some owners are lifting their historic homes, or at his home on Folly, "No one's moving. No one's saying 'I wish I didn't live here.' They're just making it work," Swensen said. Liz Alston, a former Charleston County educator, school board chairwoman and historian at Emanuel AME Church, died Feb. 19 at an area hospital. She was 82. In the hours after her death, her loved ones remembered her as a voracious reader, determined to study the Bible as many times as she could from cover to cover. Reading Scriptures helped Alston as a member and in her work as a historian at Emanuel, where she led efforts to archive thousands of items left at the churchs doorstep in the wake of the 2015 massacre there. It also made her a reigning Scrabble champion in every game she played, family members said. Elizabeth Alston was born in 1939 in the Jedburg area of Summerville. She was a former Charleston County school board member and chairwoman until 2002. Her work on the board came after she retired in 1994 after nearly 30 years as a teacher and administrator for Charleston County School District. She also served as principal at St. Johns High School. Albert Alston, her husband, said the two met at a Christmas party at an area school. Alston saw her alone at the party and told her he wanted to marry her. In three months, we were married, he said. They had been together 53 years. And in their marriage, Alston and his nieces watched her go from managing a classroom of 17 students to becoming chair of a school board for thousands of students in 1999. I see the fruits of her labor, through the people who have been around her, and I see the achievements that they have made, he said. People became enlightened by her. Sherrie Snipes-Williams and Trudy Snipes Baylock said their aunt's work inspired them to work in education, too. Us nieces and nephews spent our summers with her, said Snipes-Williams, who is the head of Charleston Promise, an education nonprofit downtown. Going to meetings with her, watching her work it helped each of us in our own way connect to academia. Alston has been praised for decades by students and peers for her impact on them in the early years of integration in South Carolina. Before becoming principal at St. John's, she taught history at Bonds-Wilson and Chicora high schools, including the county's first Black history course. That course covered not only African American contributions to the state's history but also those of several other ethnic groups. It eventually was adopted by 33 school districts. Jennings Austin, former principal of the shuttered Lincoln High School in McClellanville, said Alston inspired adults alongside students, including him. She guided Austin in his work confronting issues of race at the high school. I am White and I was principal at a predominantly Black school, Austin said. She helped me with people. She was a great resource, giving advice on how to deal with these situations in the community. Tackling these racial strains was a tenant of Alstons life, said Kylon Middleton, a member of County Council and pastor at Mount Zion AME, Emanuels daughter church. Middleton met with Alston every Tuesday for years to talk about those tensions. We had a book study group with Grace Church centered around reconciliation and race relations, improving these relations in Charleston and, peripherally, in America, Middleton said. We would look at the systemic racism that exists and try to find commonalities, ways we can bridge those gaps in the community. Middleton said her work in race and history was deeply connected to her faith. And it showed. She was a godly woman, he said. I would take groups to Emanuel AME and she would tell them of the churchs deep history and connection to civil rights the advancement of Black people and all people through the story of the church. It was one of her cornerstones. Alston led the efforts to document the world's response to the murder of nine parishioners at Emanuel by a white supremacist. She helped archive the thousands of notes, canvases, quilts, among other items left at the church after the shooting. The Rev. Eric Manning, Emanuels pastor, called Alston a historian and champion of education, saying she was a pillar of the community. Genita Snipes, Alstons niece, said her work preserving that history did not end with the church. Alston also wrote The Ethnic History of South Carolina: South Carolina's Contribution to American History, which also detailed the different cultural groups that have lived in South Carolina. She was one of the preeminent historians of her time, Snipes said. Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said Alstons life was one to celebrate and remember. With faith in God and an unwavering commitment to equality and progress, Liz Alston dedicated her life to the highest form of public service the education of our children, he said. She loved her family, her friends and her community. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced in the coming days, the family said. They hope to celebrate Alston's life, recognizing her efforts to impact all whom she met. The Major Rager, an annual concert held during the Masters, is returning for the 10th year. The event, hosted by Friends With Benefits Productions, will be at full capacity for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. It will be held at the Sharon Jones Amphitheater in North Augusta on April 9. The Future Birds, a rock band based in Athens, Georgia, will be headline the event. They are returning to the Major Rager stage after performing at a scaled back version of the event during the 2020 Fall Masters Tournament. Theyre kind of a rock band and theyre great. They are based out of Athens. We are all UGA boys, said George Claussen, the founder of Friends with Benefits Productions. They have been a band for about 10 years so we have known them for a while. Claussen is excited to see live music come back after a difficult two years due to the pandemic. It's a good feeling to know that we are kind of moving past this and life is kind of opening back up again because it definitely really affected the music world as well as other things, Claussen said. I think it's an industry that people didnt talk about enough during COVID, but the music world was crushed during those two years and it's now starting to come back around. It was a struggle for those musicians and people in that industry. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased online at fwbpro.com. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Hale House Foundation, a recovery residence in Augusta, in memory of former FWB employee Frank Hull. He passed away about six months ago, Claussen said. Hes from this area, he is from Augusta. He was a big fan of this band, they knew him so we are giving a portion of proceeds to the Hale House Foundation in honor of him. He is also excited to have to see the Sharon Jones Amphitheater come to life. The venue along North Augustas Greeneway was dedicated to the late soul artist in Spring 2021. We have done a couple of concerts down at Sharon Jones, but not nearly what we wanted it to be since thats been open, he said. We definitely want to use that venue and use it to the potential it deserves. Students from various North Augusta schools showcased their visual artwork in the yearly exhibit hosted at the Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta. They are always very excited, love to have their picture taken in front of their artwork, Mary Anne Bigger, the director of the Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta said. Tonight they are doing something extra by coloring a heart to show their support for North Augusta. Art from North Augusta area elementary schools through high school students was on display in the two level gallery. Works were judged and awarded with ribbons by members of the North Augusta Arts Council. Genesis Gomez, a North Augusta High School student, showcased a variety of pieces from over the course of a semester. It makes you feel proud, Gomez said. You know everyone gets to see what you did and how much time it actually took to do it. Another student, Adriana Martinez, liked looking at other students works. You get to see the other styles that other artists have too, Martinez said. The exhibit opened to the public with a reception during the monthly downtown Third Thursday event. It will be open for free through March 11. The Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta is located at 100 Georgia Ave. For more information, visit their Facebook page or www.artsandheritagecenter.com/. 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. If you have a bike and live remotely close to Greenville, chances are youve heard of the famous Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 22-mile bike/walking trail that connects Greenville to Travelers Rest along the Reedy River. A House bill would support efforts to build more such trails. Hong Kong: Mainland medical supplies arrive To follow up the second Mainland-Hong Kong thematic meeting on the COVID-19 epidemic, the task force of ensuring medical supplies led by Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau is proactively co-ordinating medical supplies from the Mainland to Hong Kong. Mr Yau said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is grateful to the central government for its care of the Hong Kong people and its strong support for the city's anti-epidemic efforts. Leveraging the central authorities' guidance based on their experience in fighting the epidemic, as well as their manpower and resource support, the Hong Kong SAR Government will spare no efforts in combating the fifth wave of the epidemic. Mr Yau said the task force is working at full speed to co-ordinate the deliveries, ensuring that the large number of medical supplies, including rapid antigen test kits, masks, medicines, protective gear and medical products from the Mainland, are delivered to Hong Kong and distributed to relevant departments, organisations and residents in an orderly manner. The first batch of 10 million test kits provided by the Mainland began arriving yesterday. The rest of the kits ordered from across the world including the Mainland will arrive progressively. Apart from the 150,000 boxes of Chinese medicines donated by the nation today, more than 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the Mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the Mainland also arrived in batches recently. The Commerce & Economic Development Bureau will continue to co-ordinate with departments and agencies to procure and distribute urgently needed medical supplies to fight the epidemic, adding that it will request assistance from the Mainland when necessary. This story has been published on: 2022-02-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Press Release February 20, 2022 Gordon pays tribute to his father on death anniversary Senator Richard J. Gordon today paid homage to his late father James Leonard Tagle Gordon, who was brutally murdered 55 years ago today. The younger Gordon thanked his father for inspiring him to change course from a promising corporate career into a well-recognized public service career that has spanned for five decades now. "His death is what changed the course of my life. I was already on my way to becoming an executive in a multi-million company. I was 22 years old and the then brand manager of Safeguard, under Procter & Gamble," recalled Gordon in a Facebook post. "Tatlong beses pinagtangkaan ang kanyang buhay dahil sa laban niya sa mga korap at illegal na gawain. Ang kanyang pagkamatay ay siyang nagtulak sa akin na maging abugado, at sa murang edad na 26, naging youngest [Constitutional Convention] delegate," he added. Gordon headed to Olongapo today to pay tribute to his father, who served as the town's chief executive from 1963 until his assassination on Feb. 20, 1967. Fondly called by his constituents as Mayor Jimmy, Gordon is considered as the Father of the Olongapo City, having pushed for its independence from American jurisdiction. His birthday is commemorated as a special non-working holiday in the City of Olongapo and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone every January 17 by virtue of Republic Act (RA) 11217, which was signed in 2019. Gordon also said that he misses his father every day, and recognizes the sacrifices he made for the betterment of Olongapo, even if it cost his life at just 50 years old. "Every day I do my best to continue the work you did. I'll never forget the times we spent together as a family and how you lived your life with integrity and kindness. I know you, Mama and Bong, are now together in Heaven and that consoles me," remarked Gordon. Born to an American Marine father and Filipina mother, Gordon chose Filipino citizenship, contrary to the decision made by his siblings, whom pushed to become United States citizens. After his election, Gordon earned the ire of his many political opponents as the mayor took on the city's underworld and corrupt public officials. His life was attempted on for two times unsuccessfully before being shot and killed by an escaped murder convict on the steps of the town hall. Gordon's funeral was attended by hundreds of thousands of people in mourning, including national lawmakers, and other government officials. Dick Gordon, on the other hand, vowed to seek justice for Filipinos who have been wronged by taking law at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He became a lawyer, and was elected as the youngest delegate of the 1971 Constitutional Convention, and took on his father's former job as Olongapo mayor, where he transformed "Sin City" into a vibrant community recognized throughout the country. Dick Gordon also became the founding chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), where he saved the former U.S. naval base from collapse and transformed it to a freeport zone, where he created over 200,000 jobs and billions of pesos worth of investments. The International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) 2022, which will draw industry leaders, experts and delegates from 70 countries and more than 300 global companies, opened on Sunday evening in Riyadh with the theme 'Fuelling Global Recovery through Sustainable Energy'. The conference, being held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will host 107 technological sessions with more than 800 scientific papers, said a Saudi Press Agency report. Deputising for HRH the Crown Prince, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy, is scheduled to inaugurate the conference that will be held at Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre. This years conference will focus on enhancing global recovery through sustainable energy, where senior leaders of the energy sector in the region and the world will discuss joint visions and exchange talks on the latest developments and trends in energy fields and current and emerging technologies that will form the future of the energy sector. The conference kicks off with a ministerial session on Sunday on the main theme of the conference Fuelling Global Recovery through Sustainable Energy, which will see the participation of Prince Abdulaziz; UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al-Mazrouei; Kuwaiti Minister of Oil Mohammad Abdul Latif Al-Fares; Bahraini Minister of Oil Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa; Iraqi Minister of Oil Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismail; and Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla. On Monday morning, Prince Abdulaziz is scheduled to inaugurate the exhibition accompanying the conference. The conference sessions will also embark on a discussion about the role of major petroleum companies and the petroleum industries in general in leading the global recovery for a sustainable future. Later on, a discussion panel will be held, where speakers will discuss methods of dealing with the permanent movement witnessed by global markets. The day sessions will conclude with a symposium that will discuss transformations witnessed by the energy sector towards realising a sustainable future that is economically profitable. The third day will witness a symposium on the Circular Carbon Economy and Policies: Achieving Win-Win, which will be followed by a discussion panel on the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. On the final day, a panel session will be held to discuss the importance of agility and resilience in the midst of change that are witnessed by the petroleum industry and its global markets. These sessions and panels will see the participation of presidents and executive officers of major petroleum companies and companies working in the petroleum industry and relevant international institutions. The conference will host speakers such as President and CEO of Saudi Aramco Amin H Nasser, President and Group CEO of Malaysian Petronas Tengku Muhammad Taufik, CEO of Schlumberger Olivier Le Peuch, President and CEO of Occidental Petroleum Vicki Hollub, and CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources Scott D Sheffield, among others. Founded in 2005, the IPTC is a flagship multidisciplinary technical event. The scope of the conference programme and associated industry activities address technology and relevant industry issues that challenge industry specialists and management around the world. A core axiom of green energy is that it is actually cheaper than fossil fuels, because the wind and sunlight are free. The Rocky Mountain Institute argues with a straight face that the faster the world deploys renewables, the more money we will save in energy costs. Tell that to Denmark, which generates half its electricity from wind power, but has the second highest electricity rates in Europe. Or California, with its pedal-to-the-(wind and solar)-metal drive for green energy that has delivered retail electricity rates twice as high as neighboring states. In fact I am unaware of any jurisdiction that has deployed a large amount of renewables and experienced a decline in costs. (See Ben Zychers copious refutation of this nonsense here.) The newest drive of the green energy climatistas is to outlaw natural gas appliances and boilers for both residential and commercial buildings. I can just see the good green people of Marin County giving up their Wolf and Viking kitchen ranges and stoves, and then voting like San Franciscans to oust their local politicians who forced this on them. The idea behind this that we should electrify everything, because we can generate all the electrons we need with free wind and solar. New Jersey is trying to jump on this bandwagon, with an aggressive plan from their narrowly re-elected Governor Phil Murphy to replace gas boilers in the state with electric boilers and related equipment (HVAC systems, etc). Turns out reality may intrude: Cost correction draws more criticism for Murphys electrification plan The Department of Environmental Protection, which is mulling new regulations for boiler permits, said in a rule proposal unveiled in December that electric boilers would cost between 4.2% and 4.9% more to operate than their gas counterparts. But a correction issued by the agency Tuesday said running electric boilers would cost between 4.2 and 4.9 times more than their fossil fuel equivalents. Thats a several orders of magnitude error, which is pretty hard even for a government bureaucracy. Even if you swallow the Biden Administrations inflated (like everything else) social cost of carbon calculations that a federal judge recently blocked, there is no way this proposal can come close to offering benefits in excess of the costs of future climate change. Chasera reminder of about how green so-called green energy is (I assume the coal mine is included because its footprint is smaller than the mines needed for green energy): Chaser 2: Americas Power Grid Is Increasingly Unreliable The U.S. electrical system is becoming less dependable. The problem is likely to get worse before it gets better. Large, sustained outages have occurred with increasing frequency in the U.S. over the past two decades, according to a Wall Street Journal review of federal data. In 2000, there were fewer than two dozen major disruptions, the data shows. In 2020, the number surpassed 180. . . The historic shift to new sources of energy has created another challenge. A decade ago, coal, nuclear and gas-fired power plantswhich can produce power around the clock or fire up when neededsupplied the bulk of the nations electricity. Since then, wind and solar farms, whose output depends on weather and time of day, have become some of the most substantial sources of power in the U.S., second only to natural gas. Grid operators around the country have recently raised concerns that the intermittence of some electricity sources is making it harder for them to balance supply and demand, and could result in more shortages. You dont say! Nothing better exhibits the seriousness of the Biden administration in connection with Russias threatened invasion of Ukraine than sending Kamala Harris to the Munich Security Conference to chime in with prepared remarks. Let us remember, Harris solemnly intoned, [f]rom the wreckage of two world wars, a consensus emerged in Europe and the United States. A consensus in favor of order, not chaos; security, not conflict. Emergency! Call the speech doctor! The conference was held at Hotel Bayerischer Hof, situated in the heart of Munichs historic center. Munich is of course well-known as the site of the Fuhrerbau, where Chamberlain and Daladier treated with Hitler in 1938. In Munich: The Price of Peace, Telford Taylor called it the Nazi sanctum sanctorum. It would be most fitting for the parties to use in the event that the United States resumes its apparently imminent agreement with Iran. Caroline Glick takes up the Biden administration and Ukraine in her JNS column today: This brings us to the direct losses the United States has suffered due to Bidens handling of the Ukraine crisis. Rather than undo the damage he caused to U.S. credibility with his abject surrender of Afghanistan to the Taliban, Biden exacerbated the damage. By threatening war one moment and pledging not to go to war the next, Biden turned himselfand through him, the United States of Americainto a joke on the world stage. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky felt compelled to tell Biden to tone down his rhetoric about an imminent Russian invasion twice in under a week, and insist Bidens warnings did not correspond with the situation on the ground, it became clear that U.S. support is not what it once was. Bidens support for Ukraine has arguably done Ukraine more harm than good in the present emergency. When seen in the context of Bidens wider foreign policy, his decision to adopt a saber-rattling posture while declaring he has no saber is even more disturbing. While making entirely empty threats at Russia, Biden is genuflecting to Iran and China. Taken together, it becomes impossible to claim that Bidens handling of the Russian threat to Ukraine has strengthened him either domestically or internationally. Glick closes with a question: Given its destructive effect on both the United States and NATO, what stands behind Bidens strategically indefensible position on Ukraine? The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has called for capacity building for Nigerian judges in some areas of emerging crimes. Mr Mohammed said this while receiving some United States officials led by the countrys Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, a statement by the CJNs spokesperson, Ahuraka Yusuf Isah, stated on Saturday. Mr Mohammad said Nigerian judges needed training on areas that were becoming a challenge owing to a lack of technological knowledge and technical talents and capacity. Some of these areas, according to the CJN, are block technology and online dispute resolution as it affects e-commerce. Judges in the country require training on block technology and online dispute resolution as it affects e-commerce which is becoming a challenge due to inadequate awareness of technology and technical abilities and capacity, Mr Mohammad said. The statement also said Mr Muhammad specifically requested workshops for judicial officers on Copyright Law in the new digital environment and the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in intellectual property disputes. Capacity building for our judicial officers is our priority, while the development of the capacity of our Research Assistants and other staff of the National Judicial Institute, who are fully involved in these training programmes, is also very important, Mr Muhammad was quoted as saying. He told his visitors that the Nigerian judiciary was open to initiatives aimed at improving and strengthening the capacity of judicial officers in the handling of cases on emerging crime trend in the country. The statement quoted Mr Muhammad as highlighting some emerging crimes which Nigerian judges need training on to include cybercrime, cross-jurisdictional infringement of intellectual property rights, and cases relating to cybersecurity and espionage. Your Excellency, without taking the cat out of your bag, I want to assure you that our doors are always wide open to welcome proposals that will be beneficial to the development of the Rule of Law and the overall growth of the Judiciary of this country. The National Judicial Institute will never relent in its efforts to serve as the principal focal point of judicial activities on issues relating to the promotion of efficiency, uniformity and improvement in the quality of judicial services in our courts, the CJN said. Response Responding, Ms Leonard said the courtesy was an opportunity to encourage the Nigerian Judiciary to continue collaborating with the United States Mission which includes raising the profile of intellectual property (IP) protection essential for Nigerias development and international partnerships. She said the U. S. is looking to increase its capacity-building engagement on cybersecurity issues. She added that her country was interested in continued collaboration with the judiciary and courts through its International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office (INL) and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT). Ms Leonard hinted that the U.S. was exploring how best to support Nigerias judicial processes during the 2023 elections. The Justices of the Supreme Court, who joined the CJN to receive the U.S. delegation were Olukayode Ariwoola, John Okoro, Amina Adamu Augie, Ejembi Eko, Uwani Abba-Aji, M.L.Garba, Helen Ogunwumiju, Abdu Aboki, Adamu Jauro and Emmanuel Agim. Others were the Administrator of NJI, Salisu Garba Abdullahi; President of National Industrial Court, Benedict Kanyip; Secretary of National Judicial Council (NJC), Ahmed Gambo Sale; NJI Secretary, Abubakar Maidama, and the Acting Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajio Sarki Bello. Bandits on Saturday morning killed five persons and wounded many others after blocking the Yauri-Koko road in Kebbi State. They killed three persons during the road blockade and two more while on their way to Bakin Turu village. The member of the House of Representatives for Ngaski/Shanga/Yauri, Yusuf Sununu, told BBC Hausa, as monitored by PREMIUM TIMES, that the bandits also abducted many residents of Bakin Turu during the attack. The Yauri-Koko road that they blocked, they were there for several hours this morning (Saturday). They killed three motorists and wounded several others. As I am speaking to you now, we are preparing to bury one of those killed by the bandits. While in Bakin Turu village, they (bandits) abducted men and women and domestic animals. We are yet to ascertain the number of residents abducted by the bandits. And we also learnt that on their way to the village, they saw two Fulani people and killed them too, he said. He, however, noted that the blocked Yauri-Koko road has been cleared by security agents. Mr Sununu said Yauri town has been witnessing influx of displaced residents of surrounding communities. Honestly speaking, Yauri town has been filled by displaced residents seeking refuge. People have all left their villages so what well do now is to wait until people return home so that we can count those who have been killed or abducted, he added. A former senator from Kaduna State, Shehu Sani, took to Twitter to narrate how he escaped being attacked by the bandits. We were heading to Kebbi for a wedding,weve been informed that Bandits have blocked the road.Some said we should pray and move on,Ive joined those who prayed and moved back home. Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) February 19, 2022 We were heading to Kebbi for a wedding, we were informed that bandits have blocked the road. Some said we should pray and move on, Ive joined those who prayed and moved back home, he tweeted. At least 48 people were killed last week (February 13 to 19) by non-state actors across Nigeria. The victims include three police officers in Ebonyi, eight people who were killed at a cattle market in Abia State and 18 people killed by bandits in Zamfara State. The figure signifies a slight increase when compared to the previous week when about 40 persons were killed, including 11 security officials. Last weeks fatal attacks took place in the South-west, South-east, North-central and North-west geopolitical zones. No incident was recorded in the other two zones. PREMIUM TIMES compiled the incidents from media reports. Thus, unreported cases are not included. Below are the recorded incidents: South-west A commercial motorcyclist identified as Ashimiu Lawalwas found dead in the Leme area of Abeokuta South local government area of Ogun State. The deceaseds body was found and taken to an undisclosed morgue by police officers in the early hours of Sunday. Mr Lawal, whose assailants remained unknown was reportedly seen with a bullet wound. In Osun, One person was reportedly shot dead on Saturday by gunmen suspected to be cultists at a polling centre in Odogbo-Ijesa in Atakumosa East Local Government Area of Osun. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victim was waiting to vote during the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in his ward. South-east The Abia State Government confirmed the killing of eight persons by gunmen at the new Cattle Market in Omuma-Uzo in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday. The Commissioner for Information, Eze Chikamnayo, who confirmed the incident, said some gunmen attacked the traders at the cattle market on February 15, at about 11.35 p.m. He said the attackers have yet to be identified. In Anambra State, gunmen killed Sule Mathew, a first-class graduate of Communication and former intern with PRNigeria while travelling with other passengers. He was killed with one other passenger at Ekwulobia, one of the largest cities in Anambra State after Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi. In Ebonyi state, gunmen on Monday night killed three police officers in front of a police station along the Enugu-Abakaliki highway. The officers were said to be manning a roadblock in front of the station when the gunmen opened fire on them. North-central A student of Nasarawa State University, Keffi in Nasarawa state was assassinated by unknown gunmen on Monday. His body was found in front of his compound at BCG, Angwan Lambu area of the students campus. In Plateau State, no fewer than four travellers were attacked and killed while many were injured. The attack occurred on Wednesday morning at Bida Bidi Junction of Jos North Local Government Area of the state. The attack, according to survivors, occurred at about 12 midnight. The travellers were on their way from Kano to Nasarawa State when hoodlums who blocked the popular Zaria Road highway beat up and macheted the travellers. Also in Plateau, gunmen killed two persons at a mining site in Jos North Local Government Area. The victims and others had gone to the mining site located at Yelwa- Zangam community on Tuesday morning when the gunmen attacked them, killing two of them on the spot while others escaped. Advertisements In Benue state, three kinsmen of Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, were killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Nathaniel Ikyur, in a statement, said the victims were killed on Saturday at about 5:00 p.m. when the gunmen laid an ambush and blocked the Lordye-Gbajimba Road. North-west In Zamfara, at least 18 people were confirmed dead and several others injured after an attack by bandits in Kadaddaba in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The attack, which lasted from 10 p.m. on Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday, was the first recorded in the village since the beginning of banditry activities in the area. In Kebbi State, bandits, on Saturday morning, blocked the Yauri-Koko road, killed three and wounded several travellers. The bandits also killed two more people while they were on their way to Bakin Turu village. The lawmaker representing Ngaski/Shanga/Yauri district in the House of Representatives, Yusuf Sununu, told BBC Hausa that several residents of Bakin Turu were abducted during the attack. Potential Solution As part of the measures to check the rising insecurity across the nation, the Nigerian police called for legislation that would compel private citizens, including government agencies and corporate organisations, to install CCTV cameras and security sensors on their facilities. The police made the call on last week at the end of their two-day retreat and conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The retreat was attended by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, and about 148 other senior police officers from the rank of commissioner of police and above from all over the country. According to a statement from the deputy spokesperson of the Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, the retreat emphasised on intelligence as the brainbox of policing and proposed a legislation that will place an obligation on government agencies, corporate bodies, estate developers and private individuals to install CCTV cameras and security sensors on their facilities as a standard practice amongst others. Mr Adejobi, a chief superintendent of police, said a communique that captured the proposal, had been sent to relevant authorities, including President Muhammadu Buharis office, the National Security Adviser, the National Assembly, Ministry Of Police Affairs, and the office of the Chief of Defence Staff. Mr Baba said officers must embrace intelligence-driven approaches towards effective policing of the nation. An operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has been shot dead in Ebonyi State, Nigerias South-east, by gunmen. The operative was killed, Sunday morning, during an attack on NDLEA team on duty along the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway. Another officer of the agency reportedly sustained serious injury. The attack took place around 3 a.m. close to a military checkpoint, PREMIUM TIMES gathered. The gunmen took a rifle from the NDLEA officers before setting ablaze the agencys patrol truck. On 20th February 2022, Sunday morning at about 300hrs at a drug checkpoint along Enugu Abakaliki expressway at Ezzangbo, unknown gunmen attacked drug law enforcement agents and shot two drug officers on duty. One officer killed while the other one was shot in the leg which fractured his leg. One rifle collected, one patrol Hilux Van burnt. The names of the victims not yet disclosed, a source told PREMIUM TIMES. The NDLEA spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Audu Benji, said he was in a meeting and would get back to our reporter on the incident after the meeting. READ ALSO: Mr Benji did not, however, get back to our reporters. He did not also respond to calls and text messages. The police spokesperson in the state, Loveth Odah, did not respond to calls seeking her comment. The attack is coming barely six days after three police officers were shot dead by gunmen at the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway in Ebonyi. The three officers were gunned down in front of the Ezillo police station where they were manning a roadblock along the expressway. Turkish Airlines will operate 388 direct weekly flights to 47 cities in 29 countries from Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum-Milas and Izmir during the upcoming summer, carrying Turkey to the centre of tourism in the region. Turkish Airlines expects that with short travel times along with high comfort, these direct flights will be an important factor when it comes to decision of foreign tourists, an airline statement said. Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof Dr Ahmet Bolat stated: Our tourism destinations are centres of attraction for the region with their unparalleled natural beauty and trusted tourism standards. Flight demands from all over the world are increasing even more as the summer season is approaching. As the flag carrier airline, we are aiming to bring foreign tourists with Turkey as their destination to the south of our country with direct flights and the comfort of Turkish Airlines. We will continue to proudly fly our flag while contributing to the economy of our country with our direct flights. Demand higher than pre-pandemic Preparing its flight plans by carefully analysing the travel demands of its guests, global carrier will operate a record number of tourism focused flights during the summer of 2022 with the increased attention of foreign tourists for Turkey along with countries relaxing travel restriction. Operating 83 flights to 30 destinations during 2019 which was the most successful year before pandemic, Turkish Airlines now prepares to operate 140 direct flights to 38 destinations during the same period of this year. Starting its international flights on 2020, AnadoluJet will open its wings for the countrys tourism during this year as well. Successful brand will carry tourists to holiday destinations in Mediterranean and Aegean with 248 weekly flights from 39 destinations abroad. The UK, Germany, Lebanon, Russia and Israel are at the forefront of the high demand for summer travel from travel agencies and passengers. AnadoluJet will operate 72 frequencies to 8 destinations in Germany, 35 frequencies to 2 destinations in UK and 24 frequencies to 1 destination in Lebanon every week. As for the Turkish Airlines, global carrier will operate most of its direct tourism flights to the UK (46 frequencies) and Russia (22 frequencies). TradeArabia News Service A group of northern youth from the 19 states in the region, under the aegis of North-4-Osinbajo, has thrown its weight behind the presidential ambition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The coordinator of the group, Sani Mohammed, said this at the maiden rally it organised on Saturday in Jos. Mr Mohammed, who said that membership of the group cuts across political parties, ethnic and religious affiliation, described the vice president as a man of honour who had all it takes to move Nigeria forward. According to him, Mr Osinbajo as vice president has contributed to the growth of Nigerias economy, insisting that he will do better if he becomes the number one citizen of the country. He said that Mr Osinbajo, if elected, would consolidate on the gains achieved by President Muhammadu Buhari in the last six-and-a-half years. The North-4-Osinbajo is a northern political group that is conceptualised to push the ambition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Our conviction as youths is borne out of the experience, expertise and commitment of the vice president. What endeared us and indeed most Nigerians to this gentle technocrat and academician is his passion and personal conviction to issues of welfare of Nigerians, security and opportunities. Having carefully consulted with the necessary individuals and groups, we have resolved to collectively and massively canvass support from both women and youths in the 19 northern states for Osinbajo, he said. Mr Mohammed appealed to the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to ensure that the vice president picked its presidential ticket for the 2023 general elections. He also called on Nigerians at all levels to support the vice president in his bid to move the country forward. (NAN) The Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council has said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has the potential to be a good president. Malla Sasime, the vice-chairman of Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, expressed this view while receiving Mr Osinbajo who paid a courtesy call on traditional rulers at the Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council Secretariat on Saturday in Yenagoa. Mr Osinbajo was in Bayelsa to perform the groundbreaking of the construction of Angiama-Oporoma Bridge, which will link Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, and the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. The traditional ruler thanked Mr Osinbajo for the visit and implored him to maintain a cordial relationship with the state. Vice President, your name has been called for very good reasons. And the reason why your name has been on is maybe people think that you have been very good and we appreciate your efforts in governance. If you come out for president, you will be a good material as those rumours are all over the place on social media. So, we thank you for being a good vice president, we hope that you keep your relationship with Bayelsa in very good stead. Thank you very much, the traditional ruler said. Responding, Mr Osinbajo, who was accompanied by Governor Douye Diri, thanked Mr Sasime for his kind welcome and reception. He said that he was in the state to identify with developmental projects of the governor in collaboration with the federal government. As you have heard, I am here at the invitation of my brother, the Governor of Bayelsa, to celebrate the second year anniversary of his government and also to look at some of the works that are going on as well as perform the groundbreaking of a very important project. We will be driving in a few minutes on the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road and, thereafter, we will be performing the groundbreaking of the Angiama-Oporoma Bridge which are very crucial projects. I am sure you all know how important that road project is and how several governments have worked on it including the immediate past governor of the state. They have done their own bit up to a point and in the true tradition of continuum of the government, the current governor is set to complete the project and to ensure that it is made available to the good people of Bayelsa, especially many of these communities that will benefit significantly from this. According to the vice president, the project is evidence of the collaboration between the federal and state governments. He said President Muhammadu Buhari has shown his desire to ensure that despite political differences, every state in Nigeria benefits fairly and justly from his administration. By making sure that as this road has been built, the Federal Government refunded the cost of the project so far and will continue to refund. So, essentially, what we are seeing here is collaboration between the state and the Federal Governments for the benefit of the good people of Bayelsa, said Mr Osinbajo. (NAN) Nigeria on Saturday recorded 22 additional coronavirus infections across five states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), raising the countrys infection toll to 254,243. The latest statistics released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Sunday morning, shows that the death toll stands at 3,142, as no fatality was recorded on Saturday. The disease centre stated that a total of 230,587 have now been successfully treated and discharged nationwide, including 25 community discharged cases reported from the FCT on Saturday. The breakdown of the NCDC data shows Lagos State came first on the log with 13 infections. Osun State in the South-west reported four cases, followed by Kaduna State in the North-west with two cases. The FCT, Ekiti and Oyo states reported a single case each. The NCDC also noted that 10 states: Abia, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, and Sokoto reported that they recorded no cases on Saturday. Unknown gunmen have killed the best graduating student of Communication from Bayero University Kano, Sule Mathew, a week before he was to begin his national youth service. Mr Mathew was a former intern with PRNigeria, an online news platform which reported that he was killed while travelling to Anambra State alongside other passengers. It said Mr Mathew, who studied Information and Media Studies, graduated with first-class from the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University Kano (BUK), recently. He was killed alongside other passengers at Ekwulobia, one of the largest cities in Anambra State after Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi. His remains are reportedly deposited at the General Hospital, Ekwulobia. According to PRNigeria, a coursemate of the deceased, Salis Manager, said Mr Mathew was billed to participate in the forthcoming orientation programme of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Mathew was among the first set of students to intern with PRNigeria Centre in Kano in 2019. He lost his father in June, a few months to his final examination, and graduated as the overall best student of our Department in August 2021 and was due to enrol for the mandatory NYSC programme next week, Mr Manager said He was on a six-month non-residential fellowship program that trains, and mentors young citizen activists to push for democratic reforms Gidan Yanci. He was on his way to Anambra from Abuja when the gunmen attacked their vehicle a tear-filled Mr Gambo Ibrahim, a bosom friend of Mr Mathew, who had been living with him right from their Diploma days narrated. After waylaying them, the gunmen opened fire on them killing all of them except the driver who escaped. So, when we couldnt reach him and hear of the incidence, we sent Sules picture to the mortuary to confirm if he was among those killed and we got feedback that he was identified among those killed. Prior to this sad news, I kept calling him on the phone but couldnt reach him. Then suddenly we heard this sad news. I am so shocked, Binta Musawa, Mr Sules coursemate said. Mr Mathew hails from Ayangaba Kogi State. He was co-founder of hostutors.com, a Nigeria social enterprise that focuses on making learning in formal and vocational education accessible and affordable for everyone by connecting all categories of learners with best-fit tutors, the deceased classmates told PRNigeria. A governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Onofiok Luke, has said that he was not negotiating for any other political position in the state, other than the governorship. Mr Luke, a lawyer and former speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, represents Etinan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. I dont want to perpetuate myself in political office that is why I am not negotiating for anything, Mr Luke said in a video clip posted on Facebook. Its governorship or nothing, he added. The lawmaker said in the 16-second clip that he would go back to his law chambers or travel out of Nigeria for a two-year programme in Harvard University, U.S., if he does not win the 2023 governorship in Akwa Ibom State. Mr Luke and a senator from the state, Bassey Albert, are pushing ahead with their governorship aspiration, despite Governor Udom Emmanuel picking one of his cabinet members, Umo Eno, as his preferred successor for the 2023 election. Both Mr Luke and Governor Emmanuels preferred successor, Mr Eno, hail from the same Local Government Area Nsit Ubium. Mr Luke in a statement he issued last month said he was neither against the choice of the governor coming from his local government area nor the aspiration of Mr Eno whom he described as his brother. He, however, disagreed with the way Mr Eno was presented to the public by the governor. I honoured an innocent meeting (invitation) from the governor out of respect and as a loyal party man. It was at the said meeting that I heard of the agenda and choice for the first time and no one held any discussion with me prior to the meeting, he said in the statement. My supporters and those sympathetic to my cause should please note that we are as resolute as ever in our desire to give our people purposeful leadership in the office of the Governor come 2023, Mr Luke said. Gunmen suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Friday, attacked two bank staff mistaken for security operatives in Anambra State. The victims, Karo Simon and his driver, were heading to Awka in a navy blue-colour Toyota Hilux truck, when the gunmen, who mistook them for police operatives, came out from a bush, and opened fire on them. The incident happened at about 1 p.m. in Awka-Etiti, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state. Mr Simon is the South-east and South-south head of the security unit of a new generation bank. On February 18, I cheated death as IPOB/ESN ambushed me on my way to Awka, Anambra State. God kept me alive. They were out to kill me simply because I drove a hilux, Mr Simon said via a Twitter post, Friday night. A video clip uploaded by Mr Simon on the microblogging site, showed the truck riddled with bullet holes. The truck has a light bar on its roof, similar to the type seen on police patrol vehicles, but Mr Simon said the light was not put on, and that they did not also put on the siren. He said they were driving through the area for their routine assignment when the attack happened. Mr Simon told PREMIUM TIMES, Saturday, that some soldiers at a military checkpoint close to the scene of the attack informed him that the gunmen had been attacking people and vehicles perceived to be security agencies. The soldiers, according to him, said the gunmen have a camp around the area. Today, I had my own share of the attacks, he said, adding that he and his driver managed to escape unhurt. Police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not aware of the attack. I dont have the details. I will put calls across and get back to you, Mr Ikenga told PREMIUM TIMES, Sunday morning. There have been renewed attacks on security agencies lately in Nigerias South-east. An officer with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency was shot dead on Sunday in Ebonyi State. Three police officers were shot dead by gunmen some six days ago at the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway in Ebonyi. The three officers were gunned down in front of the Ezillo police station where they were manning a checkpoint along the expressway. One person was reportedly shot dead on Saturday by gunmen suspected to be cultists at a polling centre in Odogbo-Ijesa in Atakumosa East Local Government Area of Osun. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victim was waiting to vote during the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in his ward. Confirming this, the State Police Command Spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said: The killing is suspected to be cult-related, as the killers and the victim were said to be suspected members of cult groups. It was reported that a gang of six men, led by a known and wanted cultist (name withheld), went to a polling centre in Odogbo-Ijesa in Atakumosa East and pulled out their victim from the queue. The suspects were reported to have shot their victim dead before driving off in a Hilux truck and motorcycle they came with. The witnesses at the scene and some residents claimed that the victim was also a known cultist in the community. When the police were informed of the incident, they chased the suspects and accosted them at Iwara-Ijesa. The suspects then opened gunfire at the police team, which led to exchange of gunshots that eventually forced the suspects to flee into the bushes, after they were overpowered, thereby leaving their vehicle and motorcycle behind, Ms Opalola said. The police spokesperson said that the abandoned Hilux truck and motorcycle had been taken to Ilesa Police Area Command, while the police are on the trail of the suspects. She said that the suspected cultists were known to the residents in Atakumosa East LGA, while their leader was on the wanted list of the police. (NAN) An aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel has declared to run for the Nigerian Senate in 2023, despite the governor, alongside some political leaders in Akwa Ibom State, zoning the particular race to an area outside where the aide hails from. The aide, Ephraim Inyangeyen, who is the chief of staff to Mr Emmanuel, met on Friday with his extended family to officially inform them of his intention to contest the senatorial election for the Akwa Ibom South District. Mr Inyangeyen and the governor hail from Onna Local Government Area of the state. Onna is in Eket Federal Constituency which is part of Akwa Ibom South District. Governor Emmanuel and others have agreed to a deal that the next senator for the district should come from another constituency Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. After Governor Emmanuel declined interest in the Senate race, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in the district met last month at the residence of Nduese Essien, a former minister of Lands and Urban Development, and took a decision to zone the Senate race to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. Those who attended the meeting included the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, a former Nigerian ambassador to Russia and Belarus, Assam Assam, and a former commissioner for information, Chris Abasi-Eyo. Governor Emmanuels chief of staff, Mr Inyangeyen, was also at the meeting. Mr Inyangeyen did not speak at the meeting, nor did any of the attendees oppose the resolution, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. The chief of staff did not respond to calls and a text message from our reporter. Mr Essien, who is the political leader in the district, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES the meeting took place in his residence. He also confirmed that Governor Emmanuel said he was not interested in going to the Senate. We expect to have very competent persons from Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency and they will be subjected to scrutiny, out of which we will choose who to represent us in the red chambers, Mr Essien was quoted by local media to have said at the January meeting. Why Im against zoning Inyangeyen Mr Inyangeyen, while consulting the PDP leaders on Friday in his ward in Onna, said zoning was not bringing the best to the district. It is my position that everything henceforth be based on competence and credibility. Let all those who seek that office test their popularity in the field. Everybody in Eket Senatorial District feels the same level of sadness over the kind of representation the senatorial district has witnessed in the past 15 years. Any patriotic son or daughter of the senatorial district should be bothered. Hence my decision to commit my capacity to the kind of change I envision, Mr Inyangeyen said. The Chairman of PDP in his ward reportedly said Mr Inyangeyen has all it takes to bring a new dawn to the district. Essien Ndueso, a media aide to Governor Emmanuel, apparently reacting to Mr Inyangeyens ambition, said in a Facebook post that the political leaders of the Akwa Ibom South District have spoken on the matter, and that responsible indigenes of Eket Federal Constituency where the chief of staff hails from would give support to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. Mr Inyangeyen was scheduled to consult the PDP, Onna chapter, on Saturday, February 19, but the meeting had been postponed indefinitely, according to the PDP Chairman in Onna, Ubong Adiakpan. Mr Adiakpan, a lawyer, said the PDP was yet to take a position on the zoning of the senatorial election. The PDP chairmen in the different local government areas in the district were not involved in the zoning of the senatorial race to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency, he said. History of zoning in the district Besides Eket Federal Constituency and Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency, Oron Federal Constituency is among the three that make up the Akwa Ibom South District. Advertisements A former senator, Udo Udoma, from Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency, represented the district from 1999 to 2007, followed by Helen Esuene, from Eket Federal Constituency, from 2007 to 2011. Eme Ekaete, also from Eket Federal Constituency, represented the district from 2011 to 2015. Nelson Effiong, from Oron Federal Constituency, succeeded Mrs Ekaette, and represented the district from 2015 to 2019. He was succeeded by Akon Eyakenyi whose tenure would end in 2023. Mr Inyangeyen has been Mr Emmanuels trusted friend for several years even before the latter became governor in 2015. He was first appointed commissioner for works before he was moved to the position of chief of staff in 2020. There are speculations that the relationship between the two was becoming frosty because of political differences. The European Union will focus on three key areas of infrastructure, health and education in a sizable and ambitious package of support for Africa in the coming years. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said this on Friday in her closing speech at the two-day EU-AU summit held in Brussels, Belgium. The summit was attended by many African and European leaders, including Nigerias President Muhammedu Buhari who has since returned to Abuja. I would like to share with you three key issues that I am taking from this Summit: Now is the time to turn our shared vision into reality. It is time to become operational, the EU president said. Ms Von der Leyen said this is the first time Europe is having a global investment strategy, and never before have we put on the table such a sizable and ambitious package with Africa. We will work together as of tomorrow to develop strategic projects with transformative impact, she added. Under the Global Gateway African investment package, Ms Von der Leyen said the EU will prioritise infrastructure, with a focus on energy, digital and transport interconnection. Our objectives are greater access to electricity through the expansion of regional power grids, and the development of hydrogen capacity. Greater internet access via submarine cables linking Europe and Africa, and terrestrial cables across Africas regions, she noted. She said the EU will also construct strategic transport corridors across the continent to enhance mobility and develop continental supply chains. The EU President said these investments will go a long way to contribute to the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. She noted that the blocs education priority will focus on technical vocation, education training and youth entrepreneurship. Africas youth wants to shape their future and their continent. Lets give them the skills that are sought after in industries and services. Lets provide financial and technical support to young entrepreneurs who are setting up start-ups and small and medium sized businesses. This will be our focus. Ms Von der Leyen said the partnership on health will focus on the delivery of vaccines and their rollout and on Africas local vaccine production capacity under the motto mRNA technology for the continent. In conclusion, she said a monitoring mechanism would be put in place to follow up on the implementation of the Global Gateway African investment package and other commitments made at the summit adding that only what gets measured, gets done. I have proposed to the African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki a meeting of our two Commissions in spring to take this work forward. This is a new way of working together that can deliver transformative results on the ground. But it needs everyone on board to be successful: us political leaders, the private sector, and most of all our citizens, she said. The Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Wilfred Machage, on Saturday, slumped in his Abuja residence from where he was rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead. According to The Standard newspaper in Kenya, Sospeter Magita, his twin brother who is a former Kenya ambassador to Russia, said he died after eating lunch. It is a very sad moment that I have today lost my best friend and confidant, he said, adding that Mr Machage died in the presence of the latters wife. President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya has also extended his condolence to the bereaved family, a statement from the State House said. I received the shocking news of the sudden death of my friend and our countrys ambassador to Nigeria Dr Wilfred Machage last evening with disbelief, Mr Kenyatta said. Describing Mr Machage as a selfless person, Mr Kenyatta said he will be remembered for his many years of public service over the years as a medical doctor, politician, cabinet minister and diplomat who worked tirelessly for the wellbeing of Kenyans. As a politician, Dr Machage was a relentless advocate of the interests of wananchi especially Kuria and Migori residents that he represented in the National Assembly and Senate respectively, he said. The Kenyan president said Mr Machages loyalty, professionalism and firmness saw him appointed to various senior government positions. Dr Machage was a charismatic, determined and forthright leader whose friendly disposition and wit earned him many friends, Mr Kenyatta said. Mr Machage was appointed Kenyas High Commissioner to Nigeria in 2018 from where he was accredited to 12 other countries in Central and West Africa. Before then, he was a two-term Kuria East MP, senator and former cabinet minister. NAIROBI, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's pension industry said Thursday it plans to partner with Chinese firms in order to boost returns on investments. Sundeep Raichura, chairman of Kenya Pension Fund Investment Consortium (KEPFIC), told Xinhua in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that they are keen to collaborate with foreign firms that have the expertise to undertake viable infrastructure projects such as roads, rail and energy plants. "As the Kenyan pension industry, we cannot compromise on the returns of our investments and therefore we are keen to partner with global partners including Chinese infrastructure financiers and developers," Raichura said on the sidelines of a conference on the opportunities and experiences in infrastructure and alternative investments for Kenya's pension industry. KEPFIC is a consortium that has 24 pension schemes with a portfolio of approximately 500 billion shillings (about 4.4 billion U.S. dollars) in aggregate. Recent provisions in investment guidelines of Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA), the pensions regulator, allow pension funds to invest up to 10 percent of their assets into infrastructure. Nzomo Mutuku, the chief executive officer of the RBA, said that pension schemes are required to undertake due diligence before investing their funds in any assets. While stressing that pension funds should ensure that they partner with firms that have demonstrated the capacity and track record of doing infrastructure projects in other jurisdictions, Mutuku believed that investments in infrastructure will help pension funds diversify from traditional assets classes such as government securities and equities markets. The church that will stem the tide of money rituals to the barest possible level is the church with the majority of her leaders doing exactly what Jesus modelled and taught; that is, standing on the pedestal of humility, integrity, truth and love in word and in deed. It is a church that will be deeply rooted in the message of repentance, humility, hard work, love, truth, holiness and consecration. The Real Gospel Should Not Produce Greedy and Covetous People It was Bruce Shelly who once said, Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of its God. And that is exactly the core of the gospel, humility. The real gospel does not and should not produce proud people, neither should it produce greedy and covetous people. Why? Humility and greed are mutually exclusive entities and are antithetical to the values that Christ represents. As Dr Lutzer clearly elucidates, the cross no longer humiliate us; it exalts us. That is where things have gone wrong, and that is why the Nigerian youth is becoming rebellious to the God who made him and to many of the messages we are preaching. In the days of the fiery British Preacher, Jonathan Edwards, he would stand to preach, and people would be trembling on their seats, holding tight to those seats to prevent their descent to hell as they cried to God in forgiveness for their sins. It was in one of those sessions of his teachings that he preached the popular message, sinners in the hands of an angry God a message widely regarded as the most popular message in Christian history. Those messages cant produce greedy or covetous people who would ever dream of bringing blood money into the church as tithe and offerings. The Church Of Christ Is the Moral Compass of Any Nation The church of Christ is the moral compass of any nation. The key actors in every church system are the clergies, the pulpit handlers or put in a laymans language, the pastors and preachers. The quality of the teachings emanating from church pulpits determine, to a large extent, the dominant values of a nation, and in particular, the overarching values of the youths. For every lover of truth, the words of Jesus, together with the dominant teachings and practices of the Apostles, should form the basis of doctrines and values for every true follower of Christ. But when evil reigns supreme in a nation, with many of its actors being named with churches, it becomes a matter of emergency for all men of conscience to rise up in support of the outbreak of revival in the land. While it is true that the presence of the church would not completely eliminate evil in a nation, we should at least start to eliminate some evils in our nation. Can it be said that the number of criminals has reduced year-on-year in Lagos State because of the church? Let it be said that the spate of ritual killings and money rituals has reduced in the nation because of our crusades and evangelistic activities. Money Rituals Belong To a Culture of Greed Ritual killing for money making is deeply rooted in an extreme culture of greed and sudden outbreak of wealth. It is a reflection of the pervasive spiritual climate over a nation. Some years back, I visited a particular state in Nigeria, and with the recommendation of a dear friend, I attended one of the popular Pentecostal churches in that city. I was dazed to see the numerous crowds of young people and adults alike who attended the first and second services of this big church. In my own estimate, this was a beautiful community of believers. I didnt attend the church as an investigator, but I attended just to fellowship with my brethren and be blessed. After the service, I struggled among the thousands of worshippers to locate my friend who had invited me. When we got back into his car, I was too quick to share my excitement with him, this church is so blessed and big. And that was when he surprised me. He said and I quote, many of those young men you see driving flashy cars are into various degrees of fraudulent businesses, which we call Yahoo Yahoo. If this was someone given to frivolity or tale bearing, I would have dismissed it. But this was someone I knew who was not given to careless and cheap blackmails. The question here is this, would Leonard Ravenhill or Jonathan Edwards or John MacArthur or Reinhard Bonnke be the pastor of this church and these criminals would still seat comfortably in the pew for these many years? That is exactly where my point is. The church in Nigeria has produced many fantastic and God fearing preachers, but at the same time, has also gotten quantum numbers of false preachers with large followerships, whose lives and ministries have contributed immensely to the furthering of the wave of greed, covetousness, materialism, pride, arrogance and ego-centrism among the youths and across the nation. When we preach sudden wealth transfer without responsibility and commitment to work, we are programming the youths to become ritualists in the future. When we tell them to expect a 24-hour miracle money in every meeting and at all times, we are programming them to become future ritualists. The Presence of the Church Should Reduce Evil In a Nation Drastically While it is true that the presence of the church would not completely eliminate evil in a nation, we should at least start to eliminate some evils in our nation. Can it be said that the number of criminals has reduced year-on-year in Lagos State because of the church? Let it be said that the spate of ritual killings and money rituals has reduced in the nation because of our crusades and evangelistic activities. It becomes increasingly depressing and disappointing if our large numbers cannot be correlated to any positive change in the society, and particularly in controlling the money ritual vices among the youths, many of whom are attending our churches. What kind of messages are we preaching? What types of lives are we living as pastors? What do the youths see us model as core values on our pulpits? All of these are poised to shape the right and wrong values in them. It is by seeing a new generation of church leaders and pastors that dont fraternise with occultic and corrupt politicians; leaders who dont accumulate wealth and rub it on the face of the members with little or no appreciable support for those members in times of their needs; and leaders who are never associated with all shades of financial and sexual scandals that the growth and passion for truth in the nation will be advanced. The Promotion of Success Without Hard Work and Integrity Must stop The evil trend of money rituals will continue unabated as long as our society continues to celebrate church leaders whose core values keep appealing to the ego of their listeners through the preaching of blessings without repentance, prosperity without piety and success without hard work and integrity. The church that will stem the tide of money rituals to the barest possible level is the church with the majority of her leaders doing exactly what Jesus modelled and taught; that is, standing on the pedestal of humility, integrity, truth and love in word and in deed. It is a church that will be deeply rooted in the message of repentance, humility, hard work, love, truth, holiness and consecration. If the youths dont see you do what you preach, they wont believe you. It is by seeing a new generation of church leaders and pastors that dont fraternise with occultic and corrupt politicians; leaders who dont accumulate wealth and rub it on the face of the members with little or no appreciable support for those members in times of their needs; and leaders who are never associated with all shades of financial and sexual scandals that the growth and passion for truth in the nation will be advanced. To change the trajectory of the value system collapse in Nigeria, we need the emergence of new breeds of preachers whom the youths can see as true role models in message, character and values. Ayo Akerele, a leadership and system development strategist and minister of the word, writes from Canada and can be reached through ayoakerele2012@gmail.com. The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Edo State, on Saturday, clamped down on filling stations hoarding fuel and those selling above the approved pump price of N165. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the exercise took the corps to fuel stations on Airport Road, Akpakpava Road, Sapele Road and Ugbo Road, all within the state capital. NAN also reported that the majority of the stations were selling petrol at between N205 and N220 per litre. The civil defence officials forced the stations to revert to the N165 pump price. Aniekan Udoeyop, the state commandant of the corps, told reporters during the exercise that the clampdown had become imperative as the actions of the fuel stations and their owners were creating artificial scarcity in the state. Mr Udoeyop lamented that in spite of his earlier warning to fuel station owners and operators, some of them were not only hoarding products, but were selling above the N165 pump price. For crying out loud, any fuel station which is not ready to sell at normal price should close down. I had on February 7, gone round fuel stations across the state and advised them on the need to maintain the status quo in pump price per litre, as well as desist from hoarding product to forestall artificial scarcity. But here we are today, seeing some stations selling for as much as N220 per litre. This is bad, and the height of wickedness for these fuel station owners and operators to capitalise on a little mistake from the government and punish their fellow human beings. ALSO READ: Customers accuse Abuja fuel station of dispensing water For those stations with fuel, but hoarding it, we will ensure they remain closed, so we are coming back to seal them up, he said. Mr Udoeyop disclosed that all the persons arrested during the clampdown would face the law, while stations sealed would not be re-opened until they normalise their metre. NAN reported that some of the stations visited include Mende Gas, Hifly petrol, Elilove oil and Raptor oil, DVD oil and VOE oil where fuel was sold at between N205 and N220 per litre. NAN also reported that 12 fuel attendants/managers were arrested during the exercise. (NAN) Governor Willie Obiano has said that Anambra State will begin to earn 13 per cent derivation in line with its status as an oil-producing state, from March. Mr Obiano disclosed this while answering questions from reporters in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area, after a tour of the Awka International Convention Centre and Anambra Cargo and passenger airport on Saturday. He said he was notified by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Pricing and Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA) which confirmed to him that crude oil was being lifted in commercial quantity in Anambra. He said there are 15 oil wells in Anambra, with the Eniye 10940 Oil field operated by SEEPCO fully operational and wholly owned by the state. Mr Obiano also said the rice production of the state had hit 530,000 metric tonnes yearly from the 85,000 metric tonnes capacity of 2014. He said the revolution his administration brought into the agricultural sector made the state become not only self-sufficient in production but a net exporter of the commodity. He said the state demand was just about 330,000 metric tonnes of the total output, noting that a lot of investment has been made in the sector and that many family economies had been transformed by the boom. He said the Anambra airport which has become operational would boost trade and commerce as well as export capacities of the state. Mr Obiano said the 10,000 capacity International Convention Centre would be inaugurated on March 9. The governor, who said he would not be going for any political office, announced that his wife, Ebelechuwku, would be contesting the senatorial election for Anambra North District. (NAN) Ugochukwu Agballah, the new Enugu State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed dismay over the alleged exclusion of the partys candidates in the forthcoming council elections in the state. Mr Agballah, who received his Certificate of Return from the APC National leadership on February 14, said this on Saturday in Enugu while addressing party faithful on the February 23 local council elections in the state. The chairman said the party would boycott the election if the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission refused to address the issue. He also threatened to sue the election commission over the exercise. Mr Agballah said APC would not participate in the poll over fears that the election commission would not conduct a free, fair and transparent election. He wondered why the commission rejected his list of candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship elections, and instead accepted the one submitted by the former APC chairman, Ben Nwoye. The APC chairman said the commission would not have done that, if they wanted to conduct free, fair and credible elections. Government declares work-free day Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government has declared February 23 as a public holiday to encourage residents to participate in the local council elections. The elections would hold for 17 chairmanship and 260 councillors positions. The announcement of the holiday was contained in a statement issued by the media aide to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Steve Oruruo on Sunday. Mr Oruruo said between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the Election Day, markets and offices shall be closed and movement of persons and vehicles restricted, except for those on essential duties. All residents legally qualified to vote are, therefore, encouraged to go to the polls and cast their ballots. The state government, in its unflinching commitment to safeguarding and strengthening democracy, has made requisite arrangements to guarantee a hitch-free process, Mr Oruruo stated. (NAN) Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has distributed 2,700 smart phones and two cars to Imo youths as part of activities marking the St. Valentines Day celebration. Mr Uzodinma, who distributed the gifts during the Hope for Imo Valentines Day Concert in Owerri on Saturday, also promised the recipients free airtime and data subscriptions. The two brand new cars were presented to Joshua Okeke from Orlu Local Government Area and Blessing Emekwe from Ikeduru Local Government Area, who were winners in a lucky draw conducted at the venue of the programme. The governor restated his commitment to youth empowerment through job creation and called on the youth to help fish out criminals disturbing the peace of the state. He promised to replicate the gesture in the three senatorial zones of the state so that the technical empowerment would get to all the youths of the state. I have come to give the youths the opportunity to be part of government and governance, to stop unemployment by empowering the youths. My government belongs to you, it is your government. Imo youths and Imo people in general will in 18 more months see the magic on development, Mr Uzodinma said. The organiser of the concert, Paschal Okechukwu, who is the Special Adviser to the governor on Social Media Influence, thanked the governor for his approval of the event. Mr Okechukwu said the programme was aimed at making Imo youths technologically sound and to bring them up to speed with their counterparts across the globe. Imo youths are ready now, more than ever before, to work with the governor and contribute their quota to the good governance of the state, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the concert featured musical performances by popular artists, including Flavour and Chinyere Udoma. Among the dignitaries in attendance were the former governor of the state, Ikedi Ohakim, state and federal lawmakers, and top government officials and entrepreneurs. (NAN) Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun has been declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in the state. Mr Oyetola, who is seeking re-election, scored 222,169 votes to defeat his closest rival, Moshood Adeoti, the preferred candidate of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who scored 12,921 votes. The governor won in all the 30 local government areas of the state in the direct primary election on Saturday. He also defeated Lasun Yusuf, a former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, who scored 460 votes. The Kwara Governor, AbdulRaham AbdulRazak, Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, announced the results at about 3.00 a.m at the APC Secretariat in Osogbo on Sunday. Mr AbdulRazak said that the total registered voters for the exercise was 408,697. The chairman added that the total number of accredited voters was 247,207 while the total votes cast was 235,550. He said: I, AbdulRaham AbdulRazak, the Chairman, Primary Election Committee, hereby certified that Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola, having scored the highest votes cast in Osun governorship primary election held on Feb.19 and met all requirements as contained in the guildlines of the election is hereby declared the winner. In his remarks, the Chairman of APC in Osun, Gboyega Famodun, commended the committee for a job well done. Mr Famodun said the peaceful outcome of the primary had put an end to the tension in the state. He said the party would work toward the victory of Mr Oyetola, who is now the partys candidate for the July 16 governorship election in the state. Aregbesola rejects result Hours before the results were announced, however, Mr Aregbesola had alleged fraud and rejected the results. Mr Aregbesola through his media aide, Sola Fasure, however, urged his supporters to remain calm even when provoked. We have heard of how party registration cards were being hawked this morning to the supporters of the state governor, the minister said as part of his fraud allegations. We are still receiving and studying all these reports and will take a definitive position on them. Read the statement; On behalf of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, I will like to thank you most sincerely for heeding the call earlier this morning to participate in our partys governorship primary and conduct yourselves most peacefully. You adopted a non-violent posture, even in the face of sore provocation. You have demonstrated your loyalty to the party and democratic ideals. You have comported yourselves as Omoluabi in the true essence. We have received and continue to receive the reports of the shenanigans of the officials who conducted the sham of an election. We have been inundated with reports state-wide of how your names were expunged from the partys voters register, which was not made available until this morning, contrary to the convention of making the list available to the candidates before the election. We have heard of how party registration cards were being hawked this morning to the supporters of the state governor. We have also received reports of how accreditation was not done at all in many wards and how people without the party identification just participated and queued behind the governor in many polling units. We have received the report from our members and independent observers, how government officials and notable supporters of the governor officiated in the election, how votes were farcically counted in favour of the governor and how the votes recorded for him were more than the number of voters accredited ab initio in many units. We have heard of the absence of result sheets and other vital documents for recording results and vital data. We note also the absence of INEC officials in most wards, casting serious doubt on the credibility of the election. We note with shame and much regret the consternation of local and international observers on what they regard as a travesty of an election. Advertisements I will urge you to maintain your cool and calm. Be not downcast, be not agitated. Hold your head high. We are still receiving and studying all these reports and will take a definitive position on them. You are urged not to take laws into your hands. Please leave the rest to the Almighty God and let us explore all peaceful and legal means for addressing the matter in order to obtain justice. Please remain committed to peace and the rule of law. Be unflinching in your commitment to the democratic ideals. Democracy is for the long haul. As you all know, we never tire and we never give up on the cause we believe in. Be rest assured that victory is ours. 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. Vote View Results MOSCOW, Feb. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During a Forum of the Russian and Brazilian Councils of Entrepreneurs, Andrey Guryev, Chairman of the RussiaBrazil Business Council CEO of PhosAgro, proposed the creation of a joint carbon exchange and invited his Brazilian counterparts to join the Green Club of producers of agricultural products free of harmful substances. The Forum took place on 15 February, the day before a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro. The Forum was attended by the heads of state and civic organisations from both countries as well as representatives of the Russian and Brazilian business communities. They discussed the current state of trade and economic relations between the countries as well as promising projects, the implementation of which will breathe new life into the development of business and investment cooperation between Russia and Brazil. "Our Forum seems particularly valuable and timely, as it is taking place on the sidelines of an official visit by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. I am confident that Brazil's leader will come away from his visit with a large portfolio of concrete business proposals from both countries, including as a result of the exchange of views at today's Forum," said Alexander Shokhin, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, in his opening remarks. Andrey Guryev, Chairman of the RussiaBrazil Council of Entrepreneurs and CEO of PhosAgro, focused in his remarks on the significant growth in bilateral trade between Russia and Brazil in 2021. "One third of all Russian trade with Latin America is with Brazil, our key partner in the region. The pandemic and lockdowns around the world caused a slight decline in bilateral trade in 2020. But we overcame this crisis by a wide margin. Right away, in 2021, trade between Russia and Brazil increased by 87% to USD 7.5 billion," said Mr Guryev. He added that mineral fertilizers were Russia's main export to Brazil. For example, PhosAgro, one of the world's leading producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, supplied nearly 1.6 million tonnes of product to Brazil last year, a third more than the year before. This was the largest amount of PhosAgro fertilizers supplied to Brazil over the past 10 years. Mr Guryev, Deputy Chairman of the RussianBrazilian Intergovernmental Commission, proposed the creation of a working group on carbon neutrality. "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 in his remarks. PhosAgro's CEO noted that, in the context of agriculture the driving force behind Russia and Brazil's expanding trade it is important 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 Brazilian part of the Council of Entrepreneurs supported the recommendations, which are to be submitted to the President Bolsonaro today during his meeting with representatives of Russian business. The Chairman of BrazilRussia Council of Entrepreneurs, Marcos Molina, called Russia and Brazil "leading countries" in the global community, which imposes on both of them a special responsibility for the development of bilateral relations. "First of all, relying on the business circles of both countries in various fields, in agriculture, in the pharmaceutical industry, we are fully responsible for developing and strengthening our relations, since we have all the opportunities and tools at our disposal for this," said Mr Molina. Alexander Yakovenko, Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focused on the importance of President Bolsonaro's visit in terms of the development of relations between the two countries. According to him, this event, including the Forum of the Councils of Entrepreneurs of Russia and Brazil, which was timed to coincide with the meeting of the leaders of the two countries, made it possible to gather in one place a "critical mass" of people who can take bilateral relations to a new level. Mr Yakovenko also pointed out the importance of political support for the work of the Councils of Entrepreneurs of Russia and Brazil on the part of the governments of both countries. "I see this as a guarantee of successful work in resolving those issues that will facilitate the development of both trade and economic relations and political relations between our two countries," emphasised Mr Yakovenko. Vladimir Ilyichev, Chairman of the Russian part of the RussianBrazilian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, welcomed the fact that, as of 2021, bilateral trade was on a sustainable growth path. At the same time, he noted that the potential for economic cooperation was still far from fully realised: "The current level of trade between Russia and Brazil does not exhaust the capacity of our countries' economies, so it is necessary to increase trade volumes by diversifying counterdeliveries and increasing the share of high-value-added products, while also stepping up our project activities." In addition, Mr Ilyichev expressed hope for constructive dialogue with Brazil in order to remove existing trade barriers that hinder the development of cooperation. Augusto Pestana, President of the Brazilian Export Development Agency, Apex Brasil, stressed the importance of both trade and joint investment projects for the development of economic cooperation between Russia and Brazil. He noted that cooperation in the field of agriculture is fundamental here, and also highlighted the importance of implementing projects in the field of infrastructure and energy. According to him, it is necessary to proceed from the strategic directions of relations, which, in particular, will be determined during the visit of Brazilian President Bolsonaro. "It is also important to note the work of the two chairmen of the Councils of Entrepreneurs of RussiaBrazil and BrazilRussia: Mr Andrey Guryev and Mr Marcos Molina. They determine the size and scope within which our economic development and cooperation will expand," said Mr Pestana. Veronika Nikishina, CEO of the Russian Export Center (REC), noted the importance of supporting Russian export-oriented businesses operating abroad, including in Latin America. She said that insurance coverage was provided in 2021 to exporters from this sector that enabled them to ship products to Brazil with deferred payments of USD 892.6 million. This concerns insurance for short-term receivables, which enables companies to reduce the risk of non-payment by a foreign buyer. "Our KPI is to help exports, and we are very interested in expanding the arsenal of support measures that will be in demand on the part of Russian exporters and their Brazilian buyers. We wish everyone success, and we want export records to increase considerably in the coming years," said the head of the REC. Konstantin Savenkov, Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, expressed interest on the part of Russia in diversifying reciprocal supplies and balancing trade with Brazil. As a result of efforts made over many years, he said, Russia won the right to supply agricultural products to the Brazilian market. At the same time, he called on Russian producers to increase grain supplies to Brazil, since volumes are still far below their maximum potential. Vladimir Padalko, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, called for further acceleration in the expansion of trade and economic cooperation. In particular, he proposed holding a conference for Russian companies wishing to enter the Brazilian market in conjunction with the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission scheduled for this year. About Us PhosAgro (www.phosagro.ru) is one of the world's leading vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms of production volumes of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with a P 2 O 5 content of 39% and higher. PhosAgro's environmentally friendly fertilizers stand out for their high efficiency, and they do not lead to the contamination of soils with heavy metals. The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer in Europe (by total combined capacity for DAP/MAP/NP/NPK/NPS), the largest producer of high-grade phosphate rock with a P 2 O 5 content of 39%, a top-three producer of MAP/DAP globally, one of the leading producers of feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and the only producer in Russia, and Russia's only producer of nepheline concentrate (according to the RFPA). PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, more than 50 grades of fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate, which are used by customers in 100 countries spanning all of the world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets outside of Russia and the CIS are Latin America, Europe and Asia. PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and global depositary receipts (GDRs) for shares trade on the London Stock Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1 June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in the MSCI Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes. More information about PhosAgro can be found on the website: www.phosagro.ru. SOURCE PhosAgro MOSCOW, Feb. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund), R-Pharm group and AstraZeneca announce interim results of phase II clinical trials to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the combined use of AstraZeneca's vaccine and the first component of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine (Sputnik Lite). According to the interim results of the trials, involving 100 volunteers in Russia and 100 volunteers in Azerbaijan, the vaccines combination demonstrated an acceptable safety profile, which is consistent with the results of previous AstraZeneca vaccine, Sputnik V and Sputnik Lite vaccines clinical trials. Volunteers were being monitored for 57 days after the first dose. Monitoring results demonstrated a good safety profile of the combination. No serious adverse events related to vaccination were registered. The research conducted by RDIF, the Gamaleya Center, AstraZeneca, and R-Pharm is the first study in the world to evaluate the combined use of components of different adenovirus vaccines to prevent coronavirus infection. In December 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a similar approach, also known as heterologous prime booster vaccination.[i] The WHO estimates that interchangeability of different drugs will allow greater flexibility in vaccination programs, increase vaccine efficacy and affordability. A joint phase II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a combination of AstraZeneca's vaccine and the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine is being conducted under the memorandum signed in December 2020 by the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the Gamaleya Center, AstraZeneca and R-Pharm. The study takes place in Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Volunteers receive intramuscular injections of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Ad26-S component of the Sputnik V vaccine in different sequences at 28-day intervals. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF): Preliminary data from the trial to test Sputnik Light and AstraZeneca vaccines combination support the "mix and match" approach to revaccination. With new dangerous variants of concern emerging, this approach could provide safe, effective and long-term protection. Vasily Ignatiev, CEO of the R-Pharm Group JSC: Current safety data adds to the data on the high immunogenicity profile of the vaccine combination that has been announced earlier. We are one step closer to completing the studies. The results are being processed. Irina Panarina, GM, Russia & Eurasia: The results, obtained in the clinical trials, indicate the safety of vaccine combination. The use of vaccine cocktails may be an option in face of growing healthcare system needs to vaccinate population across the world. About the Sputnik Light vaccine: Sputnik Light is based on recombinant human adenovirus serotype number 26 (the first component of Sputnik V). A one-shot vaccination regimen of Sputnik Light provides for ease of administration and helps to increase efficacy and duration of other vaccines when used as a booster shot. Sputnik Light as a booster significantly increases virus-neutralizing activity against Omicron, which is comparable to titers observed after Sputnik V against wild-type virus, associated with high levels of protection. Sputnik Light has been registered in more than 30 countries with total population of over 2.5 billion people. A number of countries, including Argentina, Bahrain, UAE, San Marino and Philippines, have already authorized Sputnik Light as a universal booster. About COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca The vaccine was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body. [i] World Health Organization. (2021). Interim recommendations for heterologous COVID-19 vaccine schedules: interim guidance, 16 December 2021 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1698158/Russian_Direct_Invest_Fund_Logo.jpg SOURCE The Russian Direct Invest Fund (RDIF) NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ronn Torossian is one of America's leading public relations executives. Here are his tips on the best marketing podcasts to listen to. Torossian advises that Podcasts allow companies and brands to tell their story anywhere and at any time. This helps build a brand beyond just being a business. Unlike radio programs, users can listen to podcasts on- demand rather than having to schedule their day around a program. Listeners can either stream or download them, and listen to their podcasts whenever it's convenient. Business is a podcast category on every platform, and there are many marketing podcasts which are popular today. Marketing podcasts are an accessible way to gain insider knowledge at any time and in any place. Given below are some popular marketing podcasts which are extremely helpful. The agents of change On this podcast, Rich Brooks interviews marketers from around the globe to get their tips and tricks on SEO, mobile marketing, and social media. Through their weekly podcasts, The Agents of Change provide the know-how on running better online campaigns. The podcast covers a wide range of themes and topics, which include a beginner's guide to Google Adwords, increasing viewership on YouTube, and how to obtain sponsors for a blog. Everyone hates marketers Louis Grenier, who likes to talk about himself in the third person, is the founder of this popular marketing podcast. The weekly episodes cover topics such as customer research, marketing strategies, and brand positioning. It aims to teach marketers how to generate leads without resorting to spammy tactics. The podcasts provide insights that can prove to be helpful for marketing strategists. Marketplace Marketplace is a business podcast hosted by Kai Ryssdal. It focuses on providing context for the economic news of the day. Through stories and conversations, the podcast helps listeners understand the economic world around them. The podcast offers discussions on topics that most people don't feel too comfortable talking about, like the unanticipated ways in which money affects relationships, shapes identities, and often defines what it means to be an adult. The smart passive income With the Smart Passive Income podcast, or SPI , the host Pat Flynn reveals online business strategies and marketing tips and tricks. As the title suggests, the podcast is about gaining passive income through online marketing. Sometimes a new episode comes out twice a day. The host discusses all kinds of business questions and case studies. The listeners can also learn about email marketing, building a team, social media strategies, and creating online courses. SEO Podcast SEO Podcast is one of the longest running and most authoritative podcasts for staying ahead of the changing digital marketing curve. The podcast explores the complex world of search engine marketing. The topics include SEO, PPC, email automation, and social media marketing. B2B weekly Marti Sanchez, the CEO of influencepodium.com, and Nemanja Zevkovic from Funky Marketing, host a live weekly Q&A where they discuss topics related to B2B, like sales, social media, and personal branding. The Zoom sessions are turned into podcast episodes which can be found on Youtube and Apple podcasts. The focus of this podcast is solely on real examples and case studies from the B2B industry. The advantage is that listeners can tune in to the Zoom session, as participants have a chance to turn on the camera, jump into the session live, ask questions, or share their perspective on a topic. Niche Pursuits Niche Pursuits is the go-to podcast for listeners who are interested in learning how to earn money through niche affiliate websites. In each episode, Host Spencer Haws chats with a niche site owner about their successes, failures, and tactics. The guest speakers often have unique stories to share about their success. Ronn Torossian is a NYC native, Torossian lives in Manhattan with his children. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and active in numerous charities. SOURCE Ronn Torossian Members of Women's Federation for World Peace in Zambia pose for a photo in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, on Feb. 16, 2022. (Photo by Lillian Banda/Xinhua) by Lillian Banda LUSAKA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Despite numerous efforts by stakeholders to end gender-based violence in Zambia, incidences of violence against women and girls are still rampant, particularly in low-income areas of the country. An initiative by the Women's Federation for World Peace (WFWP), an international non-governmental organization that works with and for women worldwide, however, is helping to end acts of violence in Zambian communities through its signature campaign. The campaign, which seeks to build and restore peace in homes across the world, is empowering women in Zambia with tools to enable them to become champions of peace in their respective communities. Through the campaign, women are encouraged to be peacebuilders in homes and the wider society by promoting peaceful resolution of disputes among other things. "There is a tendency by people involved in a dispute to resort to confrontational measures which often lead to violence. However, through sober dialogue, a lot more good can be attained. That is the central message of the signature campaign," said Annie Mwale, WFWP Zambia president. Mwale observed that as a result of the campaign, there have been some noteworthy reduction in cases of domestic violence in general and acts of violence against women in particular in communities that have participated in the signature campaign. "We continue to receive positive feedback from community leaders and women that have taken part in the signature campaign to the effect that their communities are registering a drop in incidences of violence against the female folk," she said. WFWP has been working with community leaders including religious and village heads in mobilizing women to sign up for the campaign, which aims to reach 2 million women globally, according to Mwale. In Zambia, activities for the signature campaign started toward the end of 2020 and are expected to go on till mid-2023. "So far we have had over 19,000 signatures for peace from women in Lusaka, Eastern and Southern provinces of Zambia. We are set to reach the remaining seven provinces of the country," Mwale revealed. She said that WFWP is seeking out signatures from women because they are key in promoting peace in homes and inculcating values in children and adults alike. And women spend more time with children and other members of the family hence the need to empower them with tools to enable them to be better peacebuilders. "It is good to note that more women in Zambia are buying into the campaign and signing peace forms. This is a clear indication that Zambian women want violence-free environments," Mwale asserted. Yili's commitment to maintaining low leverage while it pursues growth supports the upgrade of its outlook to stable. Yili could achieve its 2025 growth target through organic growth alone. HUHHOT, China, Feb. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Ratings announced it has revised its rating outlook for Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. ("Yili") to stable and affirmed the "A-" long-term issuer credit rating on Yili and the "A-" issue rating on the senior unsecured notes that the company guarantees. S&P said that the stable outlook reflects its view that Yili will have the ability and discipline to fulfill its growth targets. S&P also noted that with its disciplined financial policy, robust organic growth, and stable free cash flow, Yili could maintain its minimal leverage position as it pursues growth. Yili, currently the fifth-largest dairy producer in the world, has unveiled its new mid- to long-term strategic goals. S&P said that the company would need to grow revenue at above 10% annually to become one of the top three global dairy players by 2025, adding that Yili could achieve this through organic growth alone. Data shows that in the first three quarters of 2021, Yili registered gross revenue of RMB 85.007 billion and a net profit of RMB 7.967 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.23% and 31.82%, respectively. Significantly, S&P predicted that the size of other potential external acquisitions beyond the strategic acquisition of Ausnutria will not have a material impact on Yili's leverage ratios. Moreover, the company's healthy EBITDA growth and solid operating cash flow should support its low leverage, according to S&P. On the one hand, Yili's good operating cost controls could better offset the impact of higher raw material prices. Yili also has better pricing, a premium product mix and a higher-margin layout for its powdered-milk business. S&P forecasted the company's EBITDA margin to rise incrementally to 11.2-12.0% in 2021 and 2022, up from 11.1% in 2020. On the other hand, Yili's advantage in liquidity has been further strengthened due to its strong operating cash flow, adequate cash reserves on its balance sheet and private placement. The company also enjoys strong capital market access as well as strong and longstanding relationships with banks, as indicated by its issuance of bonds with low coupon rates. S&P therefore estimated that Yili's free operating cash flow will remain at RMB 2.5 billion to RMB 4.0 billion in 2022 and that ample operating cash flow will aid rising capital expenditures in 2023. At the end of 2021, Yili unveiled its New Vision for corporate value creation across key aspects, including high-quality development, exceptional business performance, and the pursuit of shareholder value, which together will further consolidate Yili's stable and healthy growth momentum. SOURCE Yili Group Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent. CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERE CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR NEW ORIENTAL LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/edu-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=edu LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: April 5, 2022 CLASS PERIOD: April 24, 2018 through July 22, 2021 CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Email at [email protected] NEW ORIENTAL'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCT New Oriental provides educational programs, services and products to students across the People's Republic of China ("China") and delivers online courses through its online learning platforms. On June 1, 2021, Chinese regulators announced they had fined 15 off-campus training institutions, including New Oriental, for illegal activities such as false advertising and fraud. Among the violations were reportedly fabricating teacher qualifications, exaggerating the effects of training, and fabricating user reviews. Following this news, the price of New Oriental American Depository Shares ("ADSs") dropped from $11.09 on June 1, 2021, to $9.32 on June 3, 2021, a 16% decline over the two-day period. Then, on July 23, 2021, China unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its education sector, banning companies that teach the school curriculum from making profits, raising capital or going public. This drastic measure effectively ended any potential growth in the for-profit tutoring sector in China. Following this news, the price of New Oriental ADSs fell from $6.40 on July 22, 2021 to just $1.94 by market close on July 26, 2021, a nearly 70% decline. WHAT CAN I DO? New Oriental investors may, no later than April 5, 2022 seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages New Oriental investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. At the end of the day, we have succeeded if the bad guys pay up, and if you recover your assets. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP James Maro, Jr., Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (484) 270-1453 [email protected] SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of TAL Education Group (NYSE: TAL) between April 26, 2018 and July 22, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 5, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased TAL Education securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the TAL Education class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3137 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 5, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) TAL Education's revenue and operational growth was the result of deceptive marketing tactics and illicit business practices that flouted Chinese laws, regulations, and policies, and exposed TAL Education to an extreme risk that more draconian measures would be imposed on TAL Education; (2) TAL Education had engaged in misleading and fraudulent advertising practices, including the provision of false and misleading discount information designed to obfuscate the true cost of TAL Education's programs to its customers, the creation of fake customer reviews designed to fraudulently lure new customers to TAL Education programs, the misrepresentation of teacher qualifications and course qualities, and the marketing of rigged promotional events; (3) TAL Education had defied Chinese policies designed to alleviate the burden imposed by tutoring services on students and their families, including by imposing hefty advances and recurring debt payments on course enrollees, by offering courses designed to give affluent students unfair advantages, by holding courses outside of allowable tutoring hours, and by linking for-profit courses to government-mandated schooling; (4) as a result, TAL Education was subject to an extreme undisclosed risk of adverse enforcement actions, regulatory fines, and penalties, and the imposition of new rules and regulations adverse to TAL Education's business and financial interests; and (5) consequently, TAL Education's historical growth was not sustainable or the result of legitimate business tactics as represented, and defendants' positive statements about TAL Education's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and lacked a reasonable factual basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the TAL Education class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3137 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent. CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERE CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR TAL LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/tal-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=tal LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: April 5, 2022 CLASS PERIOD: April 26, 2018 through July 22, 2021 CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Email at [email protected] TAL'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCT TAL provides K-12 after-school tutoring services in the People's Republic of China. Specifically, the company offers tutoring services to K-12 students covering various academic subjects, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, political science, English, and Chinese. On April 25, 2021, media reports revealed that the city of Beijing had fined four online education agencies, including TAL, the maximum fine of 500,000 yuan (approximately $80,000) each for misleading customers with false advertising. Specifically, regulators found that TAL's VIE, Beijing Xueersi Education Technology Co., Ltd., had been misrepresenting the un-discounted costs of enrollment in its courses to consumers, thereby deceiving customers into paying full price for courses that they believed they were receiving at a discount. Following this news, the price of TAL American Depository Shares ("ADSs") dropped from $53.14 on May 11, 2021, to $46.25 on May 13, 2021, a 13% decline over the two-day period. Then, on June 1, 2021, Chinese regulators announced they had fined 15 off-campus training institutions, including TAL, for illegal activities such as false advertising and fraud. The offending companies, including TAL, were hit with maximum penalties for their illegal business practices, totaling a combined 36.5 million yuan ($5.73 million). Following this news, the price of TAL ADSs dropped from $40.51 on June 1, 2021, to $33.27 on June 3, 2021, nearly an 18% decline over the two-day period. Finally, on July 23, 2021, China unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its education sector, banning companies that teach the school curriculum from making profits, raising capital or going public. This drastic measure effectively ended any potential growth in the for-profit tutoring sector in China. Following this news, the price of TAL ADSs fell from $20.52 on July 22, 2021, to just $4.40 on July 26, 2021, a nearly 79% decline. WHAT CAN I DO? TAL investors may, no later than April 5, 2022 seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages TAL investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. At the end of the day, we have succeeded if the bad guys pay up, and if you recover your assets. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP James Maro, Jr., Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (484) 270-1453 [email protected] SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Berlin, Feb 20 : The German government on Saturday urged its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, while Lufthansa plans to partially suspend flights to and from Ukraine from Monday. "A military conflict is possible at any time... Leave the country in good time," The German Federal Foreign Office said in its security instructions on its official website, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Lufthansa, the flag carrier and largest airline of Germany, announced that it will suspend its regular flights to Kiev and Odessa until the end of February. Certain flights will still operate Saturday and Sunday, in order to offer travel options to those who have already booked. Those affected by the cancellations will be informed and rebooked on alternative flights, the company added. However, Lufthansa said that flights to Lviv in western Ukraine will continue on a regular basis. New Delhi, Feb 20 : As his film, "The Kashmir Files", based on the forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley gets set to release on March 11 this year, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri says no film made on this theme in India has been able to capture the truth about the tragedy. "In fact some were pro-terrorism while others seemed to focus on a love story, keeping the exodus in the background. They were agenda driven narratives and not honest films. 'The Kashmir Files', from the first to the last frame sticks to the injustice the community has faced," he tells IANS. Brewing in his mind for the past three decades, and making it for over four years now, the filmmaker says he researched thoroughly on the subject before touching it. "We travelled extensively and met the first-generation victims -- going to their houses, living with them and then recording their video testimonials which ran into hours and days. Post that, we took all these stories, more than 700 of them and picked up common elements, weaving them into a narrative." The film, which stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi and Puneet Issar besides others has had a few select screenings in the US, which were attended by many members of the Pandit diaspora. Not to mention, a Congressional reception for the director, where Congressmen and Senators came and spoke about the film. "The response was extraordinary. For the past thirty years, nobody asked the Pandits what happened to them. In the numerous TV debates on Kashmir, they have always been left out," says Agnihotri. Talking about Zee Live's 'Arth - A Culture Fest' (February 18-20), which he attends annually, the director feels that it is dedicated to culture, and he has always believed that the same is the backbone of the society. "Art, literature, music poetry all these things are the soul of our country." Adding that he is a socio-political commentator who prefers to talk on behalf of those who are not heard and prosecuted for the wrong reason, he adds, "I get attracted to stories that are not brought into the spotlight, the ones ignored even by the media. In fact, all my previous ones and the next two too are on such subjects." Agnihotri, who has announced his next film titled 'The Delhi Files' says he has started work on yet another project. "It is a big canvas film and covers perhaps the most important chapter of Indian history. However, I would not like to talk about it right now." (Sukant Deepak can be contacted at sukant.d@ians.in) Lucknow, Feb 20 : Samajwadi Party veteran and leader of the opposition in the state legislative council, Ahmed Hasan, passed away after prolonged illness on Saturday. Hours later, his ailing wife, Hazna Begum, 75, also breathed her last. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and a host of senior politicians condoled Hasan's death. With an unblemished political career spanning three decades, Hasan, 88, was a close associate of Mulayam Singh Yadav. A six-term MLC, he was appointed a minister thrice under the SP governments. He was the leader of the opposition in the council for three terms when the SP was out of power. Hasan was known for keeping a low profile as a politician. Chandigarh, Feb 20 : Polling across 117 Assembly constituencies began on Sunday morning in Punjab that is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with more than 2.14 crore voters exercising their franchise to decide the fate of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders. The polling will be conducted till 6 pm and the counting of ballots will take place on March 10. The main contest is among the ruling Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is contesting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party after breaking two-decade old ties with the BJP in 2020 over the farm laws. The BJP-Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) alliance is also in the fray, besides the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, comprising Punjab farmer bodies that had taken part in the agitation against the Centre's now repealed agricultural laws. All the parties are banking on freebies to woo the electorates. AAP has promised Rs 1,000 for all women, while the Congress has assured Rs 1,100 per month for needy women. The SAD-BSP alliance has promised Rs 2,000 per month to all women heads of BPL families. The youngest in the political landscape is controversial and crowd-puller candidate Sidhu Moosewala, while the eldest one is Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 94, whose feet were touched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi owing to humility after filing his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Chief Electoral Officer S. Karuna Raju told the media on Saturday of 1,304 candidates -- 231 are from national parties, 250 from state, 362 from unrecognised parties, and 461 independent candidates. A total of 315 contesting candidates are with criminal antecedents. He said 24,689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been established at 14,684 polling station locations of which 2,013 are identified as critical and 2,952 vulnerable pockets. There would be 1,196 model polling stations and 196 women-managed stations. There will be webcasting of all stations. Raju said the total electorates comprised 444,721 of the age of 80 years or more, 138,116 voters with disabilities and 162 Covid-19 patients. A total of 348,836 electors of 18-19 years age would exercise their right of franchise for the first time, while 1608 are NRI voters. The hot seats include Amritsar (East) from where Congress state unit chief Navjot Sidhu is in the race to retain it; Patiala (Urban), the 'royal' bastion of Congress rebel Capt Amarinder Singh, whose fledgling PLC is contesting the polls in alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt); and Dhuri from where AAP's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann is trying his luck for the first time. The other hot seat to look out for is Chief Minister Charanjit Channi's Chamkaur Sahib, a reserved seat that he has won three consecutive times. It is currently in the news for illegal sand mining. Channi, the chief ministerial face who was elevated after Capt Amarinder Singh's resignation on September 18 last year, is the first Scheduled Caste Chief Minister of a state that is home to 32 per cent Scheduled Caste population, the highest in the country. He is contesting from Bhadaur in Barnala district, a second seat, apart from Chamkaur Sahib. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. The AAP had emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won 15 seats, while the BJP, which had a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, secured three seats. Mumbai/Khajuraho, Feb 20 : Taking cognizance of a complaint by a Maharashtra heritage expert, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is probing allegations of certain activities reported from the vicinity (buffer zone) of the ancient Khajuraho Temples - a UNESCO World Heritage site. The quiet development follows objections by the Jalgaon-based Heritage Foundation Director Bhujang Bobade to the ASI Director-General, Madhya Pradesh ASI officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others. Bobade said in his complaint that a group of Jain Temples in the close proximity of the Khajuraho Temples have recently carried out certain minor renovations and used chemical/synthetic paints. "This poses a severe threat to the safety of the 11-12 centuries old Khajuraho Group of Monuments, comprising two dozen temples. They were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and accorded global protection. Surprisingly, not a single concerned authority has bothered to acknowledge my email complaints so far," a miffed Bobade told IANS. It was in December 2021-January 2022 that locals were taken aback to witness painting and minor repairs being undertaken on the equally ancient cluster of Jain Temples outside the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, but falling within the 'buffer zone' of the UNESCO World Heritage site. "As per UNESCO rules, there is a minimum 300-metre 'buffer zone' around all such World Heritage Sites, where no such activities that can potentially harm the designated protected monuments are permitted. The Jain Temples here have apparently flouted the rules," claimed Bobade. Social media was agog with viral photos and videos of the facelift work that has now given the old Jain Temples a sparkling white faAade -- barring two, the Parshvanath and Adinath Temples -- a sharp contrast to the dark-greyish brown demeanour of the world heritage complex beside, and later confirmed in a site visit by IANS. When contacted, the ASI Jabalpur Circle Head Dr Shivkant Bajpeyi said that the Jain Temples do not come under their jurisdiction and hence they don't interfere in their activities. "However, after the concerns raised in certain quarters, we have sought a 'Status Report', which has been received. After studying it we shall examine further measures," Bajpeyi told IANS. The temple trustees vehemently denied having effected any repairs-renovation but admitted that the Jain Temples around the Khajuraho complex were given a makeover with a coat of fresh paint. "This is a part of the regular maintenance that is carried out periodically, as required... This is not the first time and we have painted these temples in the past," asserted the Jain Temple Prabandhan Committee (JTPC) Member Ramesh Jain to IANS. When asked why the Parshvanath and Adinath Temples were spared the brush and paint, Jain said those two temples are managed by the ASI. A cross-check by IANS with the local ASI office verified the claim. ASI officials in Delhi said that the JTPC has been demanding that the ASI hand over the remaining two (Parshvanath and Adinath) temples for proper upkeep, but that would not be possible on several grounds. Now, with the ostensible blessings of a prominent Digambar Jain guru, Acharya Shri Vidyasagarji Maharaj, a new Jain temple is also being constructed, some 300-350 metres from the boundaries of the existing Jain temples, near the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, sparking concerns afresh in officialdom. The Acharya is revered by top politicians including the Prime Minister, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and other bigwigs across the political spectrum. The Jain Temples are described as 'live monuments' with top religious leaders and commoners congregating or praying and celebrating festivals there. Bobade cautioned that if the UNESCO rules are flouted, it could lead to forfeiture of the 'World Heritage Site' tag, resulting in a huge embarrassment for India, and urged that prompt remedial steps be taken to protect the Khajuraho Temples, its identified 'buffer zone' plus the coveted title. Built during the reign of the Chandela Dynasty, the Khajuraho complex is the largest concentration of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, coming up over 11 centuries ago. Originally, the site comprised 85 Khajuraho Temples sprawled across 20 sq kms, but now barely two dozen temples survive in a 6 sq km area. The temples are noted for their intricate, detailed carvings, symbolism, stunning erotica and the expressions of ancient Indian art that continue to amaze the modern world. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in & Praveen Dwivedi can be contacted at praveen.d@ians.in) Kabul, Feb 20 : Geneva Call, an independent humanitarian organisation, has said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire and warned that if cash does not reach soon, poverty and misery will increase in this country. In an exclusive interview with TOLO News, head of the organisation, Alain Deletroz, said that humanitarian aid alone will not prevent the crisis in Afghanistan and that the country's economy needed to become healthier as more money was provided. "As a humanitarian organization we avoid commenting on political issues, but what we keep saying and telling our donors, if there is no money coming to Afghanistan at all, the humanitarian situation will be increasing," he said. Concerns over the deterioration of the economic situation in Afghanistan have been heightened by the recent decision of US President Joe Biden to split the frozen Afghan assets currently in American banks Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal said in a report that Biden's executive order to distribute $7 billion of Afghan assets to the families of 9/11 victims is another blow to the country's declining economy. "The Biden administration's decision to effectively seize the Afghan central bank's foreign reserves is likely to deepen Afghanistan's already devastating economic crisis, according to Afghan bankers and economists and international aid workers," the report reads. After the collapse of the previous government, world aid to Afghanistan halted, and the imposition of sanctions on the Islamic Emirate has put the country on the brink of a complete economic collapse. Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) makes a speech during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022. The 58th edition of the MSC opened here on Friday afternoon with a theme focusing on "unlearning helplessness" against the backdrop of tensions in the Ukraine crisis. (Xinhua/Lu Yang) MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 58th edition of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) opened here on Friday afternoon with a theme focusing on "unlearning helplessness" against the backdrop of tensions in the Ukraine crisis. There is a mounting feeling of "helplessness" in many societies across the world in the face of a growing number of crises and conflicts, according to a security report published ahead of the conference. "The feeling of helplessness is becoming a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, which leads to give up, even though we have all the tools and resources to address such challenges as the pandemic, climate change or great power confrontations," said Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the MSC, in his opening speech. Man-made problems can be solved by man, Ischinger said, calling on everyone to collectively unlearn and overcome helplessness. Participants in the high-profile conference are also scheduled to discuss the ongoing tension around Ukraine. While Russia says it is withdrawing some of its troops from the Ukrainian border, U.S. President Joe Biden says his government has "not yet verified that." United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in his opening remarks at the MSC that he was "deeply concerned" over the situation in Ukraine and appealed for de-escalation. "I am deeply concerned about heightened tensions and increased speculation about the military conflict in Europe. I still think it will not happen. But if it did, it would be catastrophic," Guterres said. "There is no alternative to diplomacy, and all issues, including the most intractable, must be addressed through diplomatic frameworks, and it is high time to seriously de-escalate," he added. Other topics, such as climate change and digitization, will also be discussed in Munich. Except for official Russian representatives, more than 30 heads of state and government, 100 ministerial officials and leaders of important international organizations gathered at the three-day conference to discuss current crises and future security challenges. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a speech during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022. The 58th edition of the MSC opened here on Friday afternoon with a theme focusing on "unlearning helplessness" against the backdrop of tensions in the Ukraine crisis. (Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) makes a speech during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022. The 58th edition of the MSC opened here on Friday afternoon with a theme focusing on "unlearning helplessness" against the backdrop of tensions in the Ukraine crisis. (Xinhua/Lu Yang) Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky makes a speech during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022. The 58th edition of the MSC opened here on Friday afternoon with a theme focusing on "unlearning helplessness" against the backdrop of tensions in the Ukraine crisis. (Xinhua/Lu Yang) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a speech during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022. The 58th edition of the MSC opened here on Friday afternoon with a theme focusing on "unlearning helplessness" against the backdrop of tensions in the Ukraine crisis. (Xinhua/Lu Yang) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a speech during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) held in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2022. The 58th edition of the MSC opened here on Friday afternoon with a theme focusing on "unlearning helplessness" against the backdrop of tensions in the Ukraine crisis. (Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua) New Delhi, Feb 20 : Amid plans to implement the new education policy (NEP) in 46 central universities across the country, a new challenge has emerged in the form of a shortage of at least 6,481 teachers in these universities. The University of Delhi is the largest university among all the 46 central universities. However, a total of 859 posts of teachers are lying vacant. Besides, 317 posts are vacant in JNU, 211 in Jamia Millia Islamia, 611 in Allahabad University and 499 in BAU. Academicians say that the posts of professors, associate professors and assistant professors have been vacant for a long time in central universities. Advertisements have also been issued many times to fill the vacant position. However, despite the screening process by several varsities such as Delhi University, the posts were not filled. Minister of State for Education Subhash Sarkar had said in a written information that 859 posts in Delhi University, 611 in Allahabad University, 499 in Banaras Hindu University, 359 in Aligarh Muslim University, 317 in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and Dr. Harisingh Gour University 230 posts of teachers are vacant. Also, 230 posts of teachers in Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, 211 in Jamia Millia Islamia, 199 in Puducherry University, 191 in Visva Bharati (West Bengal), 175 in Northeast Hill University, 153 in Hyderabad University and 148 in IGNOU, Tripura University. There are 143 vacant posts of teachers in Orissa Central University, 137 in Central University of Haryana, 129 in Haryana Central University, 124 in Guru Ghasidas University, 119 in Manipur University and 100 in Rajasthan University. The situation is no different in Himachal Pradesh where the Central University is located. It has 97 vacant posts while Karnataka Central University has 91, Rajiv Gandhi University (Arunachal Pradesh) 89, Punjab Central University 89, Maulana Azad National Urdu University 86, Kerala Central University 81 , 80 in Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, 80 in Nagaland University, 78 in Assam University, and Central University of Gujarat -- 68 posts are vacant. There are 61 vacant posts of teachers in Jharkhand Central University, 58 in South Bihar Central University, 58 in Jammu Central University and 58 in Mizoram University. Amit Khare, then Secretary in the Ministry of Education, had issued a circular on August 24, 2021 to fill the posts of teachers, directing all central universities and institutions of higher education to fill up the vacancies. Prof Dr Hansraj Suman of Delhi University said that the vacancy is only for the departments of Central Universities, while thousands of posts of teachers are lying vacant in its affiliated colleges. He said that before the circular of the Ministry of Education, the UGC has also issued a circular for permanent appointment to universities and colleges many times. Many academicians have demanded a circular be issued to the Vice Chancellors of all Central Universities before the implementation of the National Education Policy. In this, the time limit for filling these posts should be fixed and grants for those universities should be stopped which do not follow the rules. The Union Education Ministry says that the creation and filling of vacancies in 46 central universities is a continuous process. Therefore, the Ministry of Education has issued instructions to all the Central Universities to fill the vacant teachers posts in a special drive and mission mode manner. Chennai, Feb 20 : The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) has always been embroiled in controversy and several social and political struggles have taken place in the power plant which finally commenced generating power into the Southern Grid from October 22, 2013. The plant, which has an installed capacity of 6000 MW from its 6 units now has two units under operation generating 2000 MW. Russian state company Atomstroyexport has joined hands with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project. The construction of Units 3 and 4 was commissioned in 2016 and will start generating power from 2023. This would add up to 2000 MW more power into the grid. Recently a controversy erupted in Tirunelveli district and adjacent areas of the plant after NPCIL floated tenders for the construction of an Away from Reactor (AFR) for the storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF). With the proposed facility planned to be situated near the power plant, activists and environmentalists have raised concerns, citing a possible threat to the local population. The issue gained prominence after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin aired his opposition to the project and flagged a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing the concerns of the people of Tamil Nadu over installing the AFR there. Stalin in the letter to the Prime Minister expressed his opposition to the project on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu and as an alternative suggested that the SNF be transported back to Russia or be stored in a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) in an uninhabited and ecologically non-sensitive area. In the letter Stalin said, "I request that in the interest of public safety, health and welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu, action may be taken to take the SNF back to Russia. This must not only be for Unit 1 and Unit 2 but also for the subsequent four units. In case this is not a feasible option, the spent fuel may be permanently stored in a Deep Geological Repository in an uninhabited and ecologically non-sensitive area." Stalin pointed out that several such facilities across the world have faced accidents leading to a disastrous impact on the environment and the people residing in and around such plants. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has also come out strongly against the construction of the Away from Reactor and asked Stalin to ensure that AFRs are not constructed at Kudankulam. He said that Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the plant were generating power which was shared with other south Indian states like Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry but the Spent Nuclear Fuel has become the liability of only Tamil Nadu. OPS said that if the AFR was constructed at Kudankulam other state governments would also dump their nuclear waste here. He called upon the Tamil Nadu government to stop the tendering process initiated by the NPCIL. He added that the last day of the tender was February 24 and urged the government to act on it immediately. Other than the political leadership, social and environmental activists are also opposing the project. G. Sundarrajan, an anti-Kudankulam activist and General Secretary of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an organization taking up environmental issues, told IANS, "The state government must take the initiative and not allow NPCIL to build an AFR facility and withhold the Consent to Establish (CTE) issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for the under-construction units 3 and 4 at the KNPP." He said that the AFR becoming a permanent structure can pose serious issues for the local population as no decision on a Deep Geological Repository has been taken. He added, "The Supreme Court had directed the authorities to build the DGR at the earliest so that the spent fuel could be stored there." The NPCIL had earlier told the Supreme Court that a DGR would be constructed within five years by 2018. Later, five more years were sought and that period will also end by 2023 but the construction of the DGR has not taken place. However, the Indian government has adopted a 'Closed Fuel Cycle' where spent fuel is considered as a material of resource. Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh recently told the Lok Sabha on a question by DMK leader T.R. Baalu that, "The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Agreement of 2010 facilitates storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel generated at KNPP and given the small quantity of high-level waste generated post reprocessing, there is no need for a deep underground geological disposal facility in the near future." The minister has also said that the AFRs are designed to withstand extreme natural events like earthquakes and tsunamis and there was no need for any apprehension. Chennai, Feb 20 : AIADMK Coordinator and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene in the issue of the participation of Indian devotees at St. Anthony's church in Sri Lanka's Katchatheevu. Panneerselvam on Saturday said that according to reports, the festival is to be held on March 11 and 12, and the Sri Lankan Government has decided to conduct the festival without the participation of the devotees, which includes fishermen from both India (Tamil Nadu) and Sri Lanka. He said that the Sri Lankan government had cited several reasons, including security and the Covid pandemic to conduct the festival without the participation of devotees from Tamil Nadu. In the letter, the former Chief Minister mentioned that fishermen from the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu have traditionally undertaken a pilgrimage to St. Anthony's Church, Katchatheevu in the past and requested Jaishankar to immediately sort out the matter. Paneerselvam said that this has caused great frustration among the devotees of the coastal areas of the state. Katchatheevu has been a contentious issue with the Sri Lankan Navy arresting fishermen from Tamil Nadu for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) near the Katchatheevu island. Several Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested and many were lodged in jails with their vessels compounded by the Sri Lankan authorities. Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Amritsar: People holding their identification cards, stand in a queue to cast their votes, during the Punjab assembly elections, on the outskirts in Amritsar, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. on Sunday February 20, 2022.(Photo:IANS/Pawan Sharma) Image Source: IANS News Chandigarh, Feb 20 : Approximately 4.80 per cent polling across 117 Assembly constituencies was registered in the first one hour in Punjab that began on Sunday morning with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Sidhu, Sukhbir Badal, Bhagwant Mann and Capt Amarinder Singh among the prominent faces in the fray Punjab state is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with more than 2.14 crore voters exercising their franchise to decide the fate of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders. The polling will be conducted till 6 p.m. and the counting of ballots will take place on March 10. Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, who were among the early voters, cast his vote in Panjkosi village in Abohar constituency, while greenhorn Congress' candidate Malvika Sood, who is sister of actor Sonu Sood, cast her vote in Moga and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief minister candidate Bhagwant Mann exercised his franchise in Mohali. Mann is contesting from the Dhuri Assembly seat, while Finance Minister Manpreet Badal asked voters to choose carefully. Ahead of casting his vote, Channi offered prayers to Lord Shiv at a temple in Kharar town. The main contest is among the ruling Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is contesting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party after breaking two-decade old ties with the BJP in 2020 over the farm laws. The BJP-Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) alliance is also in the fray, besides the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, comprising Punjab farmer bodies that had taken part in the agitation against the Centre's now repealed agricultural laws. All the parties are banking on freebies to woo the electorates. The AAP has promised Rs 1,000 for all women, while the Congress has assured Rs 1,100 per month for needy women. The SAD-BSP alliance has promised Rs 2,000 per month to all women heads of BPL families. The youngest in the political landscape is controversial and crowd-puller candidate Sidhu Moosewala, while the eldest one is Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 94, whose feet were touched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi owing to humility after filing his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Chief Electoral Officer S. Karuna Raju told the media on Saturday of 1,304 candidates -- 231 are from national parties, 250 from state, 362 from unrecognised parties, and 461 independent candidates. A total of 315 contesting candidates are with criminal antecedents. He said 24,689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been established at 14,684 polling station locations of which 2,013 are identified as critical and 2,952 vulnerable pockets. There would be 1,196 model polling stations and 196 women-managed stations. There will be webcasting of all stations. Raju said the total electorates comprised 4,44,721 of the age of 80 years or more, 1,38,116 voters with disabilities and 162 Covid-19 patients. A total of 3,48,836 electors of 18-19 years age would exercise their right of franchise for the first time, while 1,608 are NRI voters. The hot seats include Amritsar (East) from where Congress state unit chief Navjot Sidhu is in the race to retain it; Patiala (Urban), the 'royal' bastion of Congress rebel Capt Amarinder Singh, whose fledgling PLC is contesting the polls in alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt); and Dhuri from where AAP's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann is trying his luck for the first time. The other hot seat to look out for is Chief Minister Charanjit Channi's Chamkaur Sahib, a reserved seat that he has won three consecutive times. It is currently in the news for illegal sand mining. Channi, the chief ministerial face who was elevated after Capt Amarinder Singh's resignation on September 18 last year, is the first Scheduled Caste Chief Minister of a state that is home to 32 per cent Scheduled Caste population, the highest in the country. He is contesting from Bhadaur in Barnala district, a second seat, apart from Chamkaur Sahib. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. The AAP had emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won 15 seats, while the BJP, which had a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, secured three seats. New Delhi, Feb 20 : There has been a significant shift in the customers' fashion choices and they now prefer apparel that offers the right blend of traditional and contemporary styles. This has prompted retailers and designers to adapt their business models to accommodate this demand. Both demographic and psychographic transformation is causing a noticeable shift in fit preference and product uniqueness in the Indian apparel industry. This was previously deeply rooted in the vastness and richness of Indian culture. Since the availability and accessibility of ready-made brands were limited, most people wore personalised apparel in the past. Because of its high cost and limited use, ready-made clothing was considered posh. People welcomed premade clothing enthusiastically, as time passed, owing to its inexpensive and readily available nature. The demand shifted towards prefabricated apparel as the industry gained traction and began to take advantage of economies of scale. However, while ready-made apparel was famous for its convenience, custom fitting emerged at the forefront with its promise of choice, flexibility and better fit. The shift from ready-made to customised clothing This dramatic transition in consumer preference and demand for ready-to-wear clothing was not a chance event. The move was gradual and was largely driven by prefabricated industry players' sweeping changes in business plans, which then directly appealed to buyers. This included expanding the range of products available, lowering prices, and speeding up the garment production process. The raw materials were gathered from local regions, and the clothing was stitched in a mass-producing factory unit to bring about this change. The personalised apparel sector, on the other hand, has made a noteworthy recovery in recent years. Prices of ready-to-wear apparel, particularly designer ones, have risen considerably over the last decade. Yet consumer demand and necessities for multiple choices have stayed consistent. As a result, in today's world of fashionistas, an increasing number of people are looking for affordable ways to obtain their desired designs and fits. This explains why people are now gravitating towards personalised clothing. The climate conscious sustainable option We are seeing the rise of custom fashion style models employing extremely effective and sustainable ways of production as purchasers become more aware of the effects of fast fashion. The popularity and availability of customisation, especially in sustainable fashion, among purchasers grew as a result of the scarcity of affordable readymade brands. It surpassed the value of the customisation clothing sector, making it a luxury commodity only available to ultra-professionals. However, it is now becoming a preferred choice for people of different stratas. Because each piece of clothing is made to order, there is a huge reduction in material or fabric waste and energy consumption. Custom clothing offers buyers the satisfaction of knowing that they own apparel that is completely unique to their style and personality, as opposed to ready-made brands. A zero waste model Wrong sizing is one of the most common reasons for online garment returns. Producing clothing based on consumers' body measurements is beneficial to both customers and the environment. We all have different body shapes and sizes, and finding items that fit properly and fulfil our style requirements can be tough at times. Custom clothing steps in as a viable solution to this problem as customers will be able to create (3D/AR/MR) and order garments that they will love and wear for a long time. This business strategy allows for the creation of only what is required, consuming no further resources. In this way, custom-fit addresses two major problems in the garment industry: overproduction and waste. Over the previous few decades, the clothing and fashion environment has been constantly shifting. The industry has evolved from a focus on customised apparel to readymade fittings taking their place, with bespoke clothing gradually reclaiming the throne and striving to maintain it. The fashion trends and client preferences that have dominated the businesses have changed throughout time and are primarily responsible for the industry's many dynamic shifts. Based on current trends, the industry is rapidly moving toward bespoke clothes, and this tendency is projected to continue for the foreseeable future. Hence it would be appropriate to say that custom-fit clothing is, without a doubt, the future of fashion. (Bibhuti Dash, Founder and CEO, LOUOJ) (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Did films inspire fashion, or was it the other way round, with the stars picking up fashion trends from people? That was an eternal debate in the years gone by. People had little exposure to fashion. Traditional families, especially women, could only imagine themselves indulging while the most fashionable attire for men was a suit and a necktie. Sporting a T-shirt while on a holiday was the most fashionable a man could get. Jeans were not in contention yet. And, yes, one accessory that helped change the look of a man or a woman was glares, popularly known as goggles. Guys like to follow their favourite star and the one way to show it was to copy his hairstyle. The Raj Kapoor hairstyle had to come naturally, so few could manage it. The hairstyles of Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar were the most popular. Actually, women stars spread more fashion than their male counterparts. For instance, Sadhna's Chinese cut was the rage among young girls. And, just about every female actor wore a bouffant hairdo and women fans loved to follow it, especially during occasions such as weddings. One can easily find pictures where top female stars, such as Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Sadhna and Asha Parekh, sporting a bouffant in one frame. Stars were not very adventurous when it came to fashion ideas as, mostly, Hollywood stars and films inspired their dressing. There came a time when tailors turned into costume designers. Each star had his own tailor, now called costume designer. In the same way, each star had his own hairstylist. In most cases, the hairstylist and costume designer remained exclusive to a particular star because star egos stopped another star from going to the same person! Even if these designers remained exclusive to one star, if their star was popular, his fans provided all the custom he needed. They struck it rich with their star clients acting as their models. This was because someone or the other wanted a kurta similar to the one Rajesh Khanna wore in many of his films, or an open-collar shirt that Amitabh Bachchan wore in 'Deewaar' or 'Trishul'. Those were the days when a top-selling star was committed to as many as 12 to 20 films and shot for three to four films a day, allotting shoot time by the hour to his producers and jumping from one studio to another. The costume designers had to be handled as tenderly as the stars, for they could upset four to five hours of a shooting 'date' allotted by the actor! In such an event, for a superstar, fashion and clothes did not matter. There is the instance of Dharmendra, shooting three songs for three films on the same day moving from one location to another. He was still the much sought-after romantic hero (the action tag was yet to come). As there was no time to change, he was seen wearing the same yellow-and-brown striped shirt in three songs shot for three different films -- 'Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke', 'Jeevan Mrityu', and 'Mere Hamdam Mere Dost'! Now, as the stars had started wearing specially designed dresses, they also inspired many of their followers, especially young people and college students. In my time, if I have seen a star most followed for his fashion statements, it was Rajesh Khanna. Whatever he wore was fashionable. His costume designer suggested he wear a kurta instead of tucking in a shirt because of his rather big hips. And that came to be known as the 'guru kurta' and became a fashion statement of the day. Rajesh Khanna was a star of the masses and his ways were easy to adopt. So was Dev Anand. While a lot of what he wore and did was followed, the specially designed checked hat that he wore in 'Jewel Thief' probably sold more than the tickets for the film! The fact is, Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand's fashion was more affordable for their fans to follow, while Bachchan's was a bit more elegant and hence, the fans could only admire it. Amitabh Bachchan's dress sense was considered to be the most stylish. His style statements, however, were expensive and also needed a certain personality to carry them off. Not everybody could imitate him. But his costume designer benefited the most, as the rich South Mumbai youth made a beeline for his designer, Kachins. More than Rajesh Khanna's dress designer or Amitabh Bachchan's, the ones who were most in demand by the producers were the ones who made clothes for the villains and the character artistes. That was because a character actor does a number of films at a time, plays a different character in each film and needs more change of dresses than a hero does. Madhav Men's Mode was one such designer who prospered delivering this service for most of the villains and character actors. There were many prominent male costume designers such as Kachins, Bada Saab, Lifestyles, Stylo, and such. Being a designer for female stars was tougher and more challenging. There are a number of Indian dresses for women and, depending on the film, many situations to provide for, so a designer had to work hard. Some designs made an actress look divine, like a character out of a mythological tale, while others would show her as a trendy modern girl. Unlike today, the costumes had to go with the theme of the film and the character the star portrayed. There were many designers for female stars, such as Bhanu Athaiya, Anna Singh, Neeta Lulla, Dolly Ahaluvalia, Manish Malhotra, and so on. The spouses or kin of some actors have also taken to costume designing. Where all designers failed, if their services were sought for this, it was to design costumes for the poor or the desperately poor characters on screen. The best they could come up with was a worn-out garment with patches here and there. It looked so forced. What is the fashion scene now? There does not seem to be any. Male actors now sport six-pack abs, which are designed in a gym with a lot of protein supplements. These muscles are complemented by body-hugging shirts, which amplify the hard work, and that is the costume designer's job. As for female stars, anything that needs little cloth material and manages to reveal the most is the fashion. There seems to be no relation between fashion and films anymore. If female stars showcase any fashion, it is on the ramp. New Delhi, Feb 20 : Hundreds of Pakistanis and Indians engaged in a debate on the "Pakistani Crushed Rock Salt" following a post shared on a Facebook group regarding the product, Samaa TV reported. On Saturday, Suraj Jain from Jalandhar shared photos of the product on the India Pakistan Heritage Club group's Facebook page with the caption: "Dear Pakistani friends. Hum aapka NAMAK khate hai (we eat your salt) !!!!" The statement was met with warmth by Pakistani page members who shared the socio-cultural context with their Indian counterparts. It was taken as a proclamation of affinity to Pakistan and its people. Many Pakistanis were surprised that Pakistani salt with such a brand name and packaging was allowed to be sold in the Indian market. But then there were detractors: some Pakistanis demanding "namak halali" from Indians and some Indians coming up with tit-for-tat responses, the report said. At least one Indian company has named this Himalayan salt as "Pakistani Crushed Rock Salt". The word 'Pakistani' appears prominently on the packaging. Hans India and a few others mention the Pakistani origins of salt on their packaging but take care to relegate it to less visible spaces, Samaa TV reported. The "Pakistani Crushed Rock Salt" is available in and around Jalandhar at Rs 95 (PKR223) per kg. This is way above the price of ordinary iodized salt being sold at Rs 24 per kg. In Pakistan, rock salt is sold as Lahori namak and has seen an uptick in its prices since the 2019 row with India when its medicinal benefits were widely discussed. Online shopping sites now sell it at PKR199 per kg, though in local markets it is much cheaper. A significant proportion of Pakistani pink salt is also sold in the local Indian market. However, most Indian companies would not call it Pakistani salt. It's sold as Himalayan salt, pink salt or sendha namak. Sendha means 'rock' in Hindi, Samaa TV reported. The report claims that it is no secret that the best Himalayan salt is found in Pakistan. This rock salt is also known as pink salt and is popular for its health effects. It is also a known fact that Pakistan exports a large quantity of Himalayan salt - about 100,000 tonnes a year - to India. In 2019, the issue was in the news after Indians tried to register the salt in their name with international trade bodies. India exports some of the salt it imports from Pakistan to the west after value addition, Samaa TV reported. (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in) Moscow, Feb 20 : Russia's Investigative Committee said that it has initiated a criminal case against an attempted murder after "Ukrainian paramilitaries" shelled the border area of the Rostov region. From 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday, unidentified persons on the territory of Ukraine attacked the border area of the Rostov region by using a multiple launch rocket system, the Committee said in a statement. No casualties among the civilians were reported, and an investigation is underway, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Explosions were reported in the border area of the Rostov region as a large number of refugees are fleeing from Ukraine's Donbas to Russia to escape a possible war. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the acting head of the emergencies ministry to urgently fly to the Rostov region to organise on-site work on providing refugees with accommodation, hot meals and other necessities, including medical care. Hours after the shelling was reported, Sputnik reported that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry denied the allegation, saying Kiev made no such attacks. Sanaa, Feb 20 : At least 156 Houthi militants were killed in battles with the Yemen government army in the past two days in the northern province of Hajjah, military sources said. The battle raged on in Harad city near the Saudi border and the adjacent Abs district. "A total of 106 militants were killed on Friday in a battle with the government armed forces in Harad," one of the sources told Xinhua news agency on Saturday. "Dozens of vehicles of the Houthi militia were also bombed by the coalition airstrikes," the source added, referring to the Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government army. The battle in Harad erupted days after the Houthi militia drove the government army out of the city, killing more than 60 soldiers and wounding 140 others, according to the military sources. In Abd district, the Yemeni troops backed by the coalition warplanes repelled on February 17 an attempted advance of the Houthi militia towards the positions of the Yemeni army. "Fifty Houthis were killed on the spot and dozens of the militants wounded," another military source on the frontline of the Bani Hasan area told Xinhua. "The army also shot down 10 bomb-laden drones," he added. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. New Delhi, Feb 20 : Evidence suggests that Russia is planning "the biggest war in Europe since 1945", UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC. "All the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun," he said on Saturday from Munich where world leaders are meeting for an annual security conference. Intelligence suggests Russia intends to launch an invasion that will encircle Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Johnson told the BBC. "I'm afraid to say that the plan we are seeing is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale. "People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail," he said. The latest estimates by the US government suggests that between 169,000 and 190,000 Russian troops are now stationed along Ukraine's border, both in Russia and neighbouring Belarus - but this figure also includes rebels in eastern Ukraine. Johnson also indicated that the UK would bring in even more far-reaching sanctions against Russia than have been suggested before. He said the UK and the US would stop Russian companies "trading in pounds and dollars" - a move that he said would "hit very very hard" with its impact. Western officials have warned in recent weeks that Russia could be preparing to invade at any time, but Russia has denied the claims, saying troops are conducting military exercises in the region. Asked whether a Russian invasion is still thought to be imminent, Johnson told the BBC: "I'm afraid that that is what the evidence points to, there's no burnishing it. "The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun." The Prime Minister said US President Joe Biden had told Western leaders intelligence suggested Russian forces were not just planning on entering Ukraine from the east, via Donbas, but down from Belarus and the area surrounding Kiev, the BBC reported. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Centimeter-sized glass globules collected by the Apollo 16 missions (a, b) and those observed by the Chang'E-4 mission (c, d). (Photo provided to Xinhua) BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Yutu-2 lunar rover of China's Chang'e-4 mission has discovered two macroscopic translucent glass globules during its exploration of the far side of the moon, which could potentially help reveal the moon's early impact history. According to a study published in Science Bulletin, the Yutu-2 rover captured images of two translucent globules using its panoramic camera. No composition data has been obtained for the globules. But their unique morphology and local context suggest they are most likely impact glasses -- quenched anorthositic impact melts produced during cratering events -- rather than being of volcanic origin or delivered from other planetary bodies, the researchers said. Lunar anorthosite is a major rock of the lunar highlands, which formed in the lunar magma ocean. The researchers said the globules are different from the glass beads sampled by the Apollo missions, as they are larger in size and exhibit colors. They predicted that the glass globules would be abundant across the lunar highlands, providing promising sampling targets that could reveal the early impact history of the moon. The Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3, 2019. So far, Yutu-2 has traveled more than 1,000 meters on the far side of the moonrde. Ljubljana, Feb 20 : Slovenia has started to ease Covid-19 restrictions as the number of new daily cases had been gradually falling over the past weeks. From Saturday, it has become possible to enter Slovenia without a vaccination certificate, a negative Covid-19 test or proof of recovery, reports Xinhua news agency. In the country, people no longer have to go into mandatory self-isolation after close contact with someone with Covid-19, the government said on its website. Certain other restrictions continue to remain in force, including a face mask mandate in all indoor public spaces and the obligation to present a vaccination certificate, proof of recent recovery from Covid-19 or a negative test before entering most indoor public spaces. Capacity limits will also continue to apply in certain public indoor spaces. Health Minister Janez Poklukar told reporters that the rest of the restrictions cannot be lifted until the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals falls. According to Poklukar, Slovenia, with a population of 2.1 million, now ranks second in the world in terms of the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care per million citizens. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, Feb 20 : Two persons suffered burn injuries in an explosion in a chemical factory in Om Vihar in Delhi's Uttam Nagar area on Sunday. A call regarding the blast was received around 10.14 a.m. and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot, the Fire Department said. Fire officials said a drum filled with chemical, used for sticking foam, exploded leaving two youths with 90 per cent burn injuries. The injured were identified as Sahil and Talim, aged 21 and 22 years, respectively. The injured were rushed to a nearby government hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. Their condition is stated to be critical, the fire officials added. The cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained. The Delhi Police are recording the statement of Alluddin, the father of the injured. Bhubaneswar, Feb 20 : An average 45 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 12 p.m. in the third phase of Panchayat elections underway in 171 Zilla Parishad zones of Odisha, an official said here on Sunday. The polling, which began at 7 a.m., ended at 1 p.m. As per preliminary reports, barring a few booths of Jajpur district, polling was smooth in the state, Secretary to State Election Commission (SEC), R.N. Sahu said. As per reports, three media persons were allegedly assaulted in Jajpur district. The journalists from an electronic media house were attacked by unidentified miscreants while they were going to cover the alleged loot of ballot boxes from two booths at Bachala Panchayat under Binjharpur block in the district, sources said. Sahu said the Commission was yet to receive any report about the incident. The District Collector will be asked to submit a detailed report on this after completion of the voting, he said. The third phase voting was underway at 18,495 booths in 1,382 Gram Panchayats under 63 blocks of 29 districts. As many as 679 candidates are in fray for the 171 Zilla Parishad seats. The SEC has already decided to conduct re-polling at 45 booths, where election was disturbed during the first two phases of polling. The re-polling will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on February 23 under tight security arrangements at the booths. The police, so far, arrested 62 persons in the district in connection with poll disruption incidents during the first of the two-phased Panchayat elections in the state. Bihar: Dreams started seeing the books in the hands of the daughters of garbage pickers. Image Source: IANS News Bihar: Dreams started seeing the books in the hands of the daughters of garbage pickers. Image Source: IANS News Bihar: Dreams started seeing the books in the hands of the daughters of garbage pickers. Image Source: IANS News Bihar: Dreams started seeing the books in the hands of the daughters of garbage pickers. Image Source: IANS News Bihar: Dreams started seeing the books in the hands of the daughters of garbage pickers. Image Source: IANS News Patna, Feb 20 : Ragpickers, slum dwellers and orphan children in Bihar's Danapur, for whom attending school was always a distant dream, can now complete their education with the help of an NGO called 'Nai Dharti'. Sister Nivedita Girls' School run by 'Nai Dharti', in Maner block of Danapur's Sarai village, is providing free education to 100 underprivileged girls who cannot even afford school supplies. In a bid to educate disadvantaged girl children in the state, this NGO, run by Nandita Banerjee a former bank manager, is providing free stationery kit, uniforms to encourage girls to go to school and hone their hidden talents like painting, dancing, etc. Most of these young ragpickers would gaze longingly at kids clad in starched uniforms, walking to school every morning. But now they can materialise their dreams of completing secondary education as they can live in the school boarding free of cost. Nandita Banerjee, who is also the secretary of 'Nai Dharti', told IANS that seeing young girls toiling for hours in the rubbish dumps to make a living, prompted her to drive a paradigm shift in the field of education. "Even while working in a bank, I used to do philanthropic work, but later I realised that it is not enough to help elders. Something should be done for the underprivileged children too," she said. After this, Nandita quit her job and started working for homeless children. She decided to open schools for impoverished girls and started 'Nai Dharti' in 2011. "At least 5 girls first came to us in 2009. We opened the school in 2011. The institution received recognition till Class 8 in 2013," she said. For the first time in 2020, five girls from the school passed their 10th board exam, conducted by the Bihar Board of Open Schooling and Examination. Tanu Kumari, who secured 79 per cent marks in her Class 10 boards, is a 12th grade student today. She aspires to become a doctor, and is a hostelier here. Tanu's father died due to alcohol-related causes while her mother is behind the bars for the last two years for selling liquor. "This story is not just about one Tanu. There were many such girls, who thought school was a distant dream, due to poverty. But today they have matriculated," Nandita said. According to Nibha Kumari, who matriculated recently, this education has helped her break free from the shackles of poverty. If it was not for Nandita's pledge to sponsor their education, she would have been begging or ragpicking. But today, she dreams of becoming a doctor and engaging in philanthropic work to help those still wallowing in the fringes of society. Talking about the facilities provided by her organisation, Nandita, said: "The school has a computer lab and science lab. We are making a lot of effort to hone these kids in things they are good at." "Recently, two girls here won awards in painting. These children are being taught to turn their weaknesses into strengths." However, Nandita does not take any help from the government. She runs her NGO from the donations received from other organisations. Her husband Ratindra Kumar Banerjee has also joined her in her work. Though they initially faced financial trouble, a lot of people have now come forward to support them. New Delhi, Feb 20 : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared a laser incident involving a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft last week is an "act of intimidation" by China, the Guardian reported. Australia's defence department reported a laser emanating from a People's Liberation Army Navy vessel illuminated a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft last Thursday when the Chinese ship was sailing east through the Arafura sea, the report said. On Sunday, Morrison characterised the episode as "a reckless and irresponsible act that should not have occurred". The February 17 incident in waters to the north of Australia followed days of domestic political contention about national security. Morrison said Australia would be "making our views very clear" to the Chinese government through defence and diplomatic channels. Morrison said China needed to provide an explanation "as to why a military vessel in Australia's exclusive economic zone would undertake such an act - such a dangerous act", the report added. "I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation, one that was unprovoked, unwarranted," Morrison told reporters on Sunday. "Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation." With a federal election looming, Morrison is attempting to paint his political opponents as being weak on national security, and has declared the authoritarian regime in Beijing wants opposition Labor to replace the Coalition in the coming contest. Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20 : In a case of open rebellion, a group of BJP workers closed the Kasargod district committee office of the party following a dispute with the leadership over an alliance of convenience with the CPI-M in 'Kumbala' panchayat. The party cadres and workers came in a procession towards the office and closed it with chains and lock. Party's local leaders and cadres demanded that the state president of the party, K. Surendran, reach the venue and settle the issue. It may be noted that the saffron party is very strong in Kasargod and in Manjeswara and Kasargod Assembly segments, the BJP candidates always reached the second spot in poll results. K. Surendran has been contesting from the Manjeswar seat, and in the 2016 Assembly elections, he lost by 89 votes to P.B. Abdul Razak of the Indian Union Muslim League. However, he could not repeat that feat in the 2021 Assembly elections where he lost to A.K.M. Ashraf of the Muslim League by 745 votes. The controversy that has erupted in Kasargod has jolted the state BJP leadership as this has taken place in the party's stronghold of Kasargod where the party has always been a force to reckon with. BJP local leader M. Praveen while speaking to IANS said, "We are fighting a war with the CPI-M in Kerala and the alliance with that party in Kumbala was totally uncalled for. We will not budge till the state president intervenes and settles the matter." However, BJP state president K. Surendran returned from Kannur and has not reached Kasargod as was expected. BJP state president K. Surendran while speaking to IANS said, "I have to study the issue and have to speak to the local leadership on the matter. I cannot comment unless I get proper information on the same." Sanaa, Feb 20 : Yemen's Houthi group launched an explosive-laden drone strike against a school in the country's northern oil-rich province of Marib, a government official said. "Several students were critically injured when a Houthi explosive-laden drone struck their school in the government-controlled province of Marib," the official told Xinhua news agency on Saturday. He clarified that the Houthi drone attack hit the primary school of Harib district while the students were leaving their classes. Meanwhile, Yemeni state-run Saba news agency reported that at least three students were injured as a result of the Houthi drone attack. In January, the pro-government Giants Brigades troops launched a large-scale military operation and expelled the Houthi militia out from the district of Harib following fierce battles. The Houthis are still launching sporadic military operations against Marib, in an attempt to control the whole strategic province that includes the country's largest oil and gas fields. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia has been leading a military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthis forced him into exile. Hyderabad, Feb 20 : Police were probing the sexual harassment angle after an intermediate first year (Class 11) student hanged himself at Telangana Social Welfare Residential College near here. The 17-year-old student was found hanging in a classroom at the college located at Gowlidoddi on Saturday, sending shock waves among the student community at the government-run residential school. Vamsi Krishna, hailing from a village in Nagarkurnool district, was a student of intermediate first year and had returned to the college hostel on January 31 when the college reopened after the third phase of Covid-19 pandemic. According to police, the student ended his life in one of the classrooms on the intervening night of February 18 and 19. The college staff noticed the boy absent from daily morning drill on Saturday and started looking for him. They found one of the classrooms locked. They broke it open to find him hanging from the roof. Police shifted the body to the government-run Osmania Hospital for autopsy. They found two suicide notes from his belongings. In one of the notes, he wrote that he was sexually harassed and he could not disclose this to his parents and teachers. In another suicide note, the student wrote that he was taking the extreme step as he was suffering from blood cancer. Vamsi Krishna's parents and other relatives who rushed to Hyderabad on receiving the information staged a protest against the negligence by the college authorities. They wanted to know what the in-charge of the hostel was doing when he left the hostel to go towards classrooms. A case of death under suspicious circumstances was registered at Gachibowli police station under Cyberabad police commissionerate. Circle inspector Gone Suresh said they were probing the case from all angles. Gonda : , Feb 20 (IANS) ITI Limited-Mankapur, once a pioneer in the telecom sector once, has lost its sheen due to competition and changing technologies. One of its units located just about 30 kilometres north of Ayodhya is now hoping for revival. But amongst the hectic election campaigning, no party is interested to listen to the grievances of the 500 odd employees of the unit. Established in 1983, but now unable to compete in the market, the employees association in December 2021 wrote a letter to the Prime Minister and blamed the Chinese companies for the loss of the ITI. "The Chinese companies' provide cheap telecommunications equipment. Despite that ITI has made profits due to policy level changes by the government, but the employees are getting pay which is at the 1997 pay scale." This particular unit has changed its policies and has started making mask vending machines and sanitary napkin vending machines. The association wrote to the government for more work orders so that the company can be revived. The campus, which has three schools up to the Class 12, including the central school, hospital and many other amenities, is reeling under financial distress. Buildings are crumbling and in need of urgent repair. Though many people speak about the government apathy, no one wants to speak on record since it's a PSU and they are not authorised to speak. ITI Limited, Mankapur, a government of India undertaking, was established in 1983 for manufacturing Electronic Switching System (E-10B). Mankapur started manufacturing OCB/CSN Exchanges from 1993-94 and supplied 3000 KL to BSNL/ MTNL. The plant started manufacturing Base Trans-receiver Station (BTS rack) for GSM equipment. To further diversification efforts, the plant has built up a new infrastructure for manufacturing of LED Based Products like LED Solar lantern & LED street lights for rural applications and LED tube lights & decorative indoor lights for Grid Based urban applications. Plant has the facilities for assembly & automatic testing with SMT Line, environmental test labs, PCB manufacturing and sophisticated Powder Coating Line. Projects of national importance like Network For Spectrum (NFS) and National Population Register (NPR-40) are being executed by ITI Mankapur plant. The Unit is ISO 9001-2008 certified and also accredited with ISO 14001: 2004 Certification for Environment Management System. Hyderabad, Feb 20 : In the wake of online trolling against actor Mohan Babu Manchu and his family members, the family has issued a legal notice to trolls. As Mohan Babu's latest movie 'Son Of India' was released, a number of trolls mocked the actor for not being able to attract many viewers to the theatres. Actor Mohan Babu and his son, actor and MAA president Vishnu Manchu filed a legal complaint against the online bullies and websites that mocked the film. In the letter issued by Manchu Vishnu and Mohan Babu, the duo called out against the mockery as they were "downright hurting their feelings". The father-son duo also requested all social media platforms to look into their complaint and remove abusive comments immediately. The letter further reads, "We shall sue your establishments and go to the extent of claiming damages to the tune of Rs 10 crore". A couple of days ago, reacting to the brutal trolls, Mohan Babu said he sees a conspiracy behind it. "I am well aware that there are two heroes behind this trolling gang. They have hired men to troll me, Vishnu and Lakshmi. They will pay for it someday," he said. SHENZHEN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen reported eight new locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the municipal health commission said Sunday. Six of the new cases were found among close contacts of previously reported cases. The other two were detected during the city's nucleic acid testings for key groups. One is a cross-border truck driver and the other a local company's employee in Longgang District. The new cases with mild or moderate symptoms have been sent to a designated hospital for medical treatment. The epidemiological investigations are underway. Jerusalem, Feb 20 : Israel's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Oded Forer had to cancel his planned trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after he tested positive for Covid-19. He was scheduled to attend events held during the food, agriculture and livelihoods Week, which was launched at the Dubai Expo 2020 and featured a three-day Israeli conference starting from Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency. Forer was to sign a wide range of agreements at the UAE, alongside holding meetings with other Agriculture Ministers, according to the Israeli conference's website. In his tweet late Saturday, Oded Forer said the event would be held without him, and he would be on quarantine. The ministry's Director General Naama Kaufman Fass will take his place at the events. The conference, which will be participated by scientists, industry representatives and policy makers from Israel and around the world, includes meetings and discussions on new technologies, innovation and knowledge, according to its website. In the last 24 hours, Israel's Ministry of Health reported 12,568 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest daily figure since January 3, bringing the country's caseload to 3,535,062. The number of death cases from the virus in Israel rose to 9,842, with eight new fatalities, while the number of patients in serious condition decreased from 832 to 822. The number of active cases declined to 142,486, the lowest number since January 8. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Chandigarh, Feb 20 : The Election Commission on Sunday restrained actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood from visiting polling stations in his hometown Moga in Punjab over complaints that he was influencing voters. For the past several days, he was going from house to house in scores of villages with folded hands and a smile on his lips to drum up support for his sister Malvika Sood Sachar, who is contesting the Punjab Assembly polls. Officials told IANS that Sonu Sood's car was impounded after a complaint from a supporter of Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Barjinder Singh, alias Makhan Brar. Sonu Sood was asked to stay inside his house. "A flying squad team has been deputed outside Sood's house," returning officer Satwant Singh told the media. However, the actor denied the allegations. "I'm a local resident. I have not asked anyone to vote for any particular candidate or party. I was just visiting our booths set up outside polling stations," he said. His sister Malvika joined the Congress just a week ahead of the pronouncement of the polls for 117 Assembly seats. She has replaced sitting Congress legislator Harjot Kamal, who joined the BJP and is again in the fray to retain the seat that has been the Congress stronghold since 2007. SAD leader and former minister Tota Singh, who was convicted in 2012 in a case of corruption and sentenced to a year of imprisonment, represented this seat for two successive terms -- 1997 and 2002. Malvika, 39, married and running her parental family business in Moga, had told IANS that she has taken the political plunge to dedicate herself to serve the society like her brother. Sonu Sood's childhood friends in his hometown, some 175 km from the state capital Chandigarh, described him as the messiah of tens of thousands of desperate migrants amidst pandemic and supporting school educations of scores of underprivileged, while his family believes his philanthropy spirit comes from his ancestry. Born to a business family, the siblings' father was in the cloth business and mother was an English lecturer in town's oldest D.M. College of Education. Their eldest sister is settled in the US. Munich, Feb 20 : German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned against guessing or assuming Russia's decisions on Ukraine, after the US warned of an imminent invasion. "We do not know yet if an attack has been decided on," said the Minister on the sidelines of the ongoing Munich Security Conference. "My urgent appeal to all is that we look closely at the facts on the ground," Baerbock said, warning against the risk of "targeted disinformation", reports Xinhua news agency "In crisis situations, the most inappropriate thing to do is to somehow guess or assume," said Baerbock, in response to a question on whether Germany shared US President Joe Biden's assessment. Biden said Friday that he was "convinced" that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "made the decision" to attack Ukraine in the coming days, raising fears that a major conflict could break out in Europe. Prayagraj : , Feb 20 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court dismissed a contempt petition regarding the usage of loudspeakers in temples as well as in mosques, observing that the time of filing of the petition indicates that it was a sponsored litigation so as to affect the communal harmony of Uttar Pradesh during the state elections. In the contempt petition, the petitioner Islamuddin of Rampur district had requested the court to punish Rabindra Kumar Mander, the district magistrate of Rampur as well as superintendent of police (SP), Rampur for wilfully disobeying the earlier order passed by this court in a public interest litigation (PIL) on April 15, 2015. In the order, the court had directed the district administration of Rampur and the regional pollution control board (RPCB) to ensure that there is no noise pollution by use of loudspeaker or any other device causing noise pollution beyond the prescribed standard in the noise pollution (regulation and control) rules, 2000. According to the petitioner, it was in 2021 that certain people started using loudspeakers in the temple as well as mosque which led to noise pollution. Hence, he filed the present contempt petition before the high court on February 3, 2022 for ensuring the compliance of the earlier court's order dated April 15, 2015 and to also to punish the authorities concerned who allegedly disobeyed the court's order. New Delhi, Feb 20 : A Mewat-based notorious criminal, wanted in connection with several cases, has been arrested from the national capital, Special Cell of Delhi Police said on Sunday. One single shot pistol of .315 bore with four live cartridges were recovered from his possession. The arrested, identified as Rakesh alias Bhondu, was wanted in connection with murder, robbery, rape, assault and kidnapping cases, among others, in Delhi and Haryana. Acting on a tip-off that Rakesh will visit Mehrauli-Badarpur road in Lado Sarai to do a recee, a team, comprising Inspector Shiv Kumar and Karamvir Singh, and led by ACP Attar Singh, reached there and arrested him. Special Cell DCP Jasmeet Singh said: "Rakesh is involved in total five criminal cases in Delhi and Haryana. He was absconding in two cases. One is of assault on police and another attempt to murder registered at Khyala Police Station." During interrogation, Rakesh disclosed that in 2021, he, along with his seven aides, was fleeing after stealing cows from the national capital. But when they were challenged and chased by police, the gang members started pelting stones and glass bottles at PCR cans which was following them. "More PCR vans were rushed but accused persons did not relent and kept on pelting stones and glass bottles which caused extensive damage to four police vehicles. When truck-borne accused persons found PCR vans still chasing them, they started throwing cows from the truck to dissuade police to stop chasing and succeeded in fleeing from the scene after abandoning their truck in dark stretch," the senior police official said. The gang members also rob cars and mini trucks at gun point. They use these stolen vehicles for committing armed robbery/dacoity on the highways in Delhi NCR and adjoining areas. Brasilia, Feb 20 : The death toll from landslides and floods that occurred last week in the city of Petropolis in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state has increased to 146, the Civil Defense has said. The number of missing stands at 191, with 24 people rescued since February 15, Xinhua news agency quoted the Civil Defense as saying. Attempts to find survivors under the mountains of mud that swept through neighbourhoods were temporarily suspended on Saturday due to more rain and the risk of further landslides. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the region on Friday and described what he saw as a "war scene". Several hills collapsed during the heavy rains, carrying away homes and vehicles, as residents continue to dig through the mud to search for their missing loved ones. About 14 states of the country have sent tracking dogs and rescue teams to aid the search for survivors. Gurugram, Feb 20 : Hundreds of residents of Chintels Paradiso apartments on Sunday staged demonstrations and held a protest march demanding a CBI probe into the high-rise roof collapse in Gurugram's Sector 109 that claimed two lives. The angry residents also sought "immediate arrest" of the promoters & directors of Chintels India Ltd and the government officials who gave occupation certificate (OC) for these apartments. The residents, carrying placards, also protested against the police and the district administration. The protest was also supported by the other adjoining housing society residents. The protest march began from Chintels Paradiso main gate towards ATS chowk (through Chintels Serenity, Brisk Lumbini, Raheja Chowk and later), to back to the main gate of the apartments. "Two innocent lives were lost, and one fellow resident was seriously injured. Our fellow residents of D tower have been displaced from their homes, and the residents of other Chintels Paradiso towers have been staying in a state of fear & anguish in an unsafe environment, so we need immediate action against those guilty," Lalit Kapoor, a resident said. "The protest was against the inaction of government and administration because even after several days, despite all our pleas, the Central Government, Haryana government, and senior administrative officials have not taken any action, and the builder Chintels India Ltd and other Government officials responsible for this are roaming freely," Sonia, another resident said. Two separate FIRs have been registered in the incident till now. The first FIR was registered on February 10 over a complaint by the husband of one of the victims. The second FIR in the case, naming all the directors of Chintels India Limited; Ashok Solomon, Chairman of Chintels India Ltd; structure engineer, architect and contractor, was registered on February 13. "We demand that the guilty -- promoters & directors of Chintels India Ltd and its sister concerns, and the government officials who gave OC for these apartments -- be arrested and a CBI inquiry into the incident be initiated," Nidhi Sharma, a resident said. According to the police, the structural audit report regarding the reasons for the collapse of floors of the residential tower is awaited from the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), and action will be taken according to law. "We have already invested our savings in this society and are now forced to spend the nights in the open. We are scared to enter the premises. We require stringent action against those who are guilty," a protesting resident said. Seoul, Feb 20 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating fell 0.8 percentage points to 42.4 per cent last week, a new poll revealed on Sunday. The negative assessment on Moon's conduct of state affairs gained 1.2 percentage points to 54.1 per cent, according to the Realmeter survey. Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party declined 1.1 percentage points to 37.1 per cent last week, reports Xinhua news agency. The main conservative opposition People Power Party secured 38.8 per cent of support last week, up 2.0 percentage points from the previous week. The minor centrist People's Party won 7.5 per cent of approval score, followed by the minor progressive Justice Party with 3.6 per cent of support. As for the approval rating of presidential candidates, support for the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung shrank 0.4 percentage points over the week to 38.7 per cent last week. Support for the People Power Party's Yoon Suk-yeol climbed 1.3 percentage points to 42.9 per cent last week. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party garnered 8.3 per cent of support, and Sim Sang-jeung of the Justice Party won 3.2 per cent of approval rating. The country's presidential election is scheduled for March 9. Canberra, Feb 20 : Australia reported more than 15,000 new Covid-19 cases and 33 deaths on Sunday, one day before the country's borders reopen to fully vaccinated tourists almost after two years since the onset of the pandemic. From Monday, Australia's strict border restrictions will ease, allowing international tourists to enter the country for the first time since March 2020, reports Xinhua news agency. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, tourism was worth about A$60 billion ($43 billion) a year to the Australian economy, employing more than 650,000 people. The industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, with international visitor numbers falling by about 99 per cent. More than 50 international flights are expected to land in Australia within 24 hours of the border reopening. International arrivals will have to prove that they are either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a valid medical exemption. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday the number of arrivals would increase as a result of a A$40 million Tourism Australia advertising campaign. "I know the tourism industry has been getting ready. I know the airlines have been getting ready. So all the readiness puts us in a strong position to go forward from tomorrow," he said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Seoul, Feb 20 : South Korea has issued an emergency warning to urge the last remaining citizens to quickly leave Ukraine due to escalating military tension along the eastern border with Russia, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. The Korean Embassy in Ukraine stepped up its warning as shelling in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine intensified in new signs of fears that a war could start within days, reports Yonhap News Agency. A total of 68 Korean nationals were staying in Ukraine as of Saturday, which excludes diplomatic staff and 10 living in the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, according to the Mnistry. Among them, 40 will depart Ukraine over the weekend, while the embassy will continue to persuade other citizens to flee the nation or move to the western region for their safety. The Embassy has been providing emergency kits and information about bomb shelters for the remaining citizens in case of contingency, it noted. The Korean Embassy has relocated its staff to temporary offices in Ukraine's Liev on the western border and Przemysl in Poland's southeastern region since February 16. BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A pandemic like COVID-19 could reveal how humanity would respond to a global challenge. Over the past two years, some countries have taken care of themselves at the expense of others, some have slung mud and shifted blame, and others have engaged in bullying and snatched vaccines. For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made his argument crystal clear -- solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon for defeating the virus. He has appealed for global solidarity on many occasions and pushed for a community of health for all. Global humanitarian action has been launched, the largest since 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded. In 2021 alone, China provided more than two billion doses of vaccines for some 120 countries and international organizations, more than any other country in the world. One of every two shots administered around the world came from China. "Amidst the raging torrents of a global crisis, countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges," said Xi. A fundamental logic is that humanity shares a common future. This also underscores the direction of China's diplomacy in the new era. "Mankind, by living in the same global village in the same era where history and reality meet, has increasingly emerged as a community of common destiny in which everyone has in himself a little bit of others," Xi said at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia, in March 2013. This marked the debut of his flagship vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Based on the ideal of universal harmony in Chinese culture, the vision embodies an advanced worldview and represents a comprehensive, revolutionary transcendence over the realpolitik approach to international relations in the West. It is one of the latest theoretical achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Based on this vision, China has been forging communities with a shared future at bilateral and regional levels. It has also proposed to build such communities in the fields of cyberspace, nuclear security, ocean and health. The vision has been written into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China, the Constitution of the country, as well as documents of multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It has increasingly become an international consensus. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has made 41 overseas trips as Chinese president, with footprints covering 69 countries on five continents. China has explored a new path of growing state-to-state relations based on communication, not confrontation, and based on partnership, not alliance. "Frequent overseas trips may be exhausting, but we are repaid with a broader network of friends," said Xi. China has established diplomatic relations with 181 countries. It also has partnerships with more than 110 countries and international organizations. Contrary to a couple of countries that have engaged in hegemonism and bullying, China has stayed committed to fairness and justice on the international stage, stuck to extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and continued to stand up and speak for developing countries. China holds that global affairs should be jointly managed by all countries. It advocates true multilateralism. There is only one set of rules in this regard -- the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The vision of a community with a shared future for humanity is the epitome of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in China's diplomacy. It is China's proposal for solving problems facing humanity and advancing world peace. Building such a community is "the only future for humanity on this planet," said Peter Thomson, president of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly. New Delhi, Feb 20 : A 24-year-old man was charred to death while another received severe burn injuries after a fire broke out in a house in the national capital's Uttam Nagar area on Sunday. A Fire Department official said that they received a call about the fire incident around 10.14 a.m. at Phase-V, Om Vihar, Uttam Nagar in west Delhi after which as many as two fire tenders were immediately pressed into service. The deceased was identified as Sahil, a resident of Uttam Nagar Delhi. "The blast occurred in a drum filled with chemical (used for sticking foam) resulting in 90 per cent burn injuries to two boys," Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg told IANS. When the firemen reached the spot they found both the boys -- Sahil and Talim -- severely burnt after which they were rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where Sahil was declared as 'brought dead'. The fire was put out at 10.55 a.m. The police along with the Crime Team also reached the spot. According to a preliminary probe, the fire was said to have caused by a short circuit. The father of the deceased identified as Allaudin was engaged in the profession of repairing sofa and bed. The police said the foam used for repairing the sofa had caught fire. Meanwhile, the second injured Talib was referred to Safdarjung Hospital where his condition is still critical. The police have registered a case under sections 288, 304 A of the Indian Penal Code and further probe is on. Hardoi : , Feb 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday mounted a blistering attack on the Samajwadi Party while addressing a rally in Hardoi district, where he said that some political parties have been kind to terrorists. This is a matter of great danger to the security of the country, he said. The Prime Minister alleged that in 2006 there was a bomb blast in Kashi. There was also a blast in the Sankat Mochan temple. The Cantt railway station there was also attacked. When the Samajwadi Party government came to power again in 2013, they decided to withdraw the cases against the accused named Shamim Ahmed. The court, however, did not allow the conspiracy of the Samajwadi Party government, he said. The Prime Minister said that in 2007 there were bomb blasts in the court premises of Lucknow, Ayodhya. In 2013, the Samajwadi government withdrew the case against a terrorist named Tariq Kazmi. But even in this case, the court did not allow the conspiracy of the socialist government to work and sentenced that terrorist to life imprisonment. "You all know that when there is a terrorist attack, terrorism increases, then the poor, the middle class have to bear the maximum loss. When a terrorist attack happens, the life of ordinary human beings gets affected, business gets affected, tourism comes to a standstill. These people were exploding bombs and the Samajwadi Party government was not even allowing these terrorists to be prosecuted," he said. He said that the attitude of the leaders of Samajwadi Party and Congress, has been even more dangerous. These people call a terrorist like Osama as 'Ji'. These people shed tears on the elimination of terrorists in Batla House encounter. He said that, "For so many years, I remained silent because the hearing of the Ahmedabad blast case was going on. Today, when the court has sentenced the terrorists, I am now raising the issue. And today I will also praise Gujarat Police for their efforts to eliminate several modules of terrorists." He said that when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, during that time there were serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad also. "I can never forget that day. On the same day, I had resolved that my government would find these terrorists from the underworld and punish them," he added. The Prime Minister alleged that these are people who fight even with their family for the chair. He said that the double engine government in UP is not the government of any one family. The government of India in Delhi is not the government of any one family. This is the government of the poor, farmers and youth. Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20 : Chief coordinator of Twenty Twenty, a political outfit in Kerala, and known industrialist, Sabu M. Jacob has called for a CBI probe into the death of Deepu, an activist of the party, who is also a Dalit. Sabu in a press conference on Sunday said that the Twenty-twenty does not believe that the state police would do justice and that Deepu's death may be brushed under the carpet by the Kerala police. Deepu, a Dalit activist of the Twenty Twenty succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Kochi after allegedly being attacked by CPI-M workers. Twenty Twenty has alleged that the CPM leader and Kizhakkambalam MLA, P.V. Sreenijan was behind the murder and called upon the police to issue a charge sheet with Sreenijan as the first accused. Sabu M. Jacob also alleged that the MLA had publicly stated that the deceased Deepu was suffering from liver ailments and that he died due to diseases and not by the thrashing meted out to him. Twenty twenty reacted sharply against this statement and said that Deepu had internal bleeding following the assault by the CPM men and that he was not suffering from any other ailment as said by Kizhakkambalam MLA, P.V. Sreenijan. The Twenty-twenty chief coordinator told media persons that doctors of the private hospital were under pressure when Deepu was admitted to the ICU. He further said that the Kerala police had filed a case against him (Sabu) for violating Covid protocol as the deceased Deepu had tested positive. Sabu M. Jacob said that while Congress leaders and BJP leaders had also participated in the funeral of Deepu, the case was registered against only twenty twenty workers and leaders. Meanwhile, the Kizhakkambalam police said that no case was filed against Congress leaders including opposition leader, V.D. Satheeshan as they had paid their last respects to Deepu at his home. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, K. Sudhakaran told media persons, "Police must register a case against CPM leader, P.V. Sreenijan who is also the MLA of the area for allegedly being part of the conspiracy in the brutal assault and subsequent death of Deepu, the dalit leader of twenty twenty." Twenty twenty is a political outfit floated by industrialist Sabu Jacob of the Kitex group. Twenty twenty is ruling four panchayaths in Ernakulam district including Kizhakkamabalam. Police have already arrested four persons in connection with the assault on Deepu and they are in judicial custody. The deceased Deepu's father Kunjayan said that his son was under threat from CPM men and had threatened that they would kill his son. Srinagar, Feb 20 : The Army on Sunday paid tribute to Sepoys Chavan Romit Tanaji and Santosh Yadav, who were killed during a gunfight with terrorists at Chreymarg in South Kashmir's Shopian District. A hardcore terrorist was neutralised in the gunfight, which happened in the early hours of Saturday in the Tsermarg Village of Shopian District, where a joint operation had been launched by the security forces. During the encounter, the two bravehearts ensured zero collateral damage to the civilian lives and property. The 14-hour long operation was pursued on specific human intelligence about the presence of terrorists in the general area of Awaneera and Tsermarg. As the Security Forces closed in towards the suspected house, heavy automatic fire was drawn from the house endangering the civilians present around the house. Taking swift evasive action, the forces evacuated the civilians, including women and children to a safe location and eliminated the hiding terrorist. In a solemn ceremony at BB Cantt, Lt Gen D.P. Pandey, Chinar Corps Commander and all ranks paid homage to the gallant soldiers. "Two gallant soldiers, Sep Santosh Yadav and Sep Romit Chavan hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively, in an act of exemplary bravery, sustained injuries in the initial gunfight and later succumbed to their injuries. These heroes laid down their lives for the Nation in the highest traditions of the Indian Army, while saving the civilian brethren," the Army said. Sepoy Chavan Romit Tanaji, was 23 years old and had joined the Army in 2017. He belonged to Village Lokmanya Nagar of Thane District in Maharashtra and is survived by his mother. Sepoy Santosh Yadav was 28 years old and had joined the Army in 2015. He belonged to Village Tadva of Rudrapura Tehsil, Deoria District in Uttar Pradesh. The Braveheart is survived by his wife. "The mortal remains of Sep Chavan Romit Tanaji and Sep Santosh Yadav will be taken for last rites to their native places, where they would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their dignity and well being," the Army said. Chennai, Feb 20 : Well-known producer Boney Kapoor, who has produced actor Ajith Kumar's upcoming film 'Valimai', says the actor is a modest person who has nothing but sheer passion for his profession. Sharing details of his experience of working with Ajith Kumar, Boney Kapoor says, "He is an actor of modesty, who has mastered the discipline, has sheer passion for his profession, and has immense dedication. No wonder, he is a most-sought actor among the producers. He has been a great support in getting this project shaped up as envisaged during the pre-production phase." The producer also has words of praise for the film's director H. Vinoth. He says, "Filmmaker Vinoth's work in 'Valimai' is beyond brilliance. He is a perfectionist, who will leave no stone unturned to achieve his vision, but in a producer-friendly mode. The entire crew bonded like a family that helped us complete 'Valimai' during this critically challenging pandemic phase." The movie is produced by Zee Studios and Boney Kapoor. Boney Kapoor points out that 'Valimai' will mark the beginning of pan-Indian releases for the actor. "Valimai is the beginning of a pan-India release for Ajith Kumar's movies as we will be releasing the film in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada. The film has emotional elements, family elements, outstanding action blocks, and amazing performances by Ajith Kumar and the other members of the cast." OTT platforms have quoted fancy prices to procure 'Valimai' for a direct premiere. However, Boney Kapoor has strictly refrained from taking this route. Says Boney Kapoor, "As a producer, I am confident that 'Valimai' is a tailor-made movie catering to the pulse of the audiences. Of course, OTT platforms are opening wide markets for the movies, but a movie like 'Valimai' is made for the theatrical experience." The film is set to hit screens on February 24. New Delhi, Feb 20 : An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel on Sunday allegedly shot himself dead in the national capital's Chanakyapuri area, an official said. The 33-year-old ITBP constable was identified as Yogeshwar Reddy, a resident of Bellary in Karnataka. Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Deepak Yadav said that Reddy was presently posted at Nehru Taramandal (Nehru Planetarium) here in Chanakyapuri. "Prima facie it looks like the constable committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest by his service weapon on Sunday morning," the he added. A suicide note was also recovered from his almirah. However, the conent of the note has not been disclosed. "The reason apparently is related to marital discord," said the official. The deceased had on February 5 returned from leave. Further probe is on, added the DCP. COLOMBO, March 17, 2014 (Xinhua) -- India fishermen are freed in northern Sri Lanka Kankesanthurai harbour of Jaffna on March 17, 2014. 116 Indian fishermen were freed by a local court in northern Sri Lanka Kankesanthurai harbour of Jaffna. (Photo: X Image Source: IANS News DJ, wrestler among 3 held for arms trafficking in Delhi Image Source: IANS News Chennai, Feb 20 : The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested six Indian fishermen and seized their boat allegedly for poaching in country's territorial waters. The arrest was made on Saturday night near the Kovilan lighthouse, Jaffna. According to information from the Sri Lankan Army website, the fishermen and the boat were captured for crossing the IMBL. The fishermen were the residents of Nambuthalai in Ramanathapuram district and the boat was owned by a person from Nagapattinam. The fishermen leaders said that they have set sail from Nambuthalai on February 18. With this incident, 29 fishermen and six fishing boats are under the custody of the Sri Lankan authorities in the month of February alone. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss called upon the Indian government to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government and to work for the release of fishermen and the boats under the custody of the Sri Lankan authorities. London, Feb 20 : British Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for Covid-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday. The Queen is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the statement released by the Palace. Patna, Feb 20 : Suresh Sharma, a former Bihar cabinet Minister and BJP leader, on Sunday levelled corruption charges against Cabinet minister Ram Surat Rai. Rai is the state Land Reforms and Revenue Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government. He had landed in a controversy in 2021 when a huge consignment of liquor was seized from a school owned by him in Muzaffarpur district. Sharma alleged that Rai is a contractor by profession and has alleged links with land mafias in Muzaffarpur district. He obstructed the construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) in the district to help land mafias, Sharma alleged. "The approval of the Bihar government and fund allocation regarding the STP has already been completed, but the Cabinet minister is not allowing its construction for his own vested interests. He has alleged links with land mafias and has deliberately created hurdles in this proposal to help them," the BJP leader claimed. "Everyone knew that the flood water entered the localities of Muzaffarpur in 2021 and was not evacuated due to choked drains and lack of STP in the district. Rai has conspired to turn the city into a living hell," Sharma said. The BJP leader has spearheaded to address the smooth water evacuation issue in the city for which an STP is required. He added that he himself is an engineer. "He (Ram Surat Rai) will take a long time to become like me. He was earlier a farmer before entering politics and is now bullying the people. He is facing many corruption charges, which everybody knows. On the other hand, no one could level a single corruption charge against me. If anyone can, I would retire from politics," Sharma said. Reacting to the allegation, Rai said that Sharma is a senior BJP leader, but he must introspect as a person. Sharma is making false statements for personal gains, he added. New Delhi, Feb 20 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said that various religious traditions and practices are prevalent across the country but there is only one belief and that is to work for the welfare of all considering the entire humanity as one family. President Kovind was speaking on the occasion of inauguration of the three-year long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad, the founder of Gaudiya Math and Mission in Puri, Odisha. "God is worshiped in all its forms. But the tradition of worshiping God with Bhakti-Bhav (devotion) has been significant in India. Here many great saints have practiced selfless worship. Even among such great saints, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has a special place. Inspired by his extraordinary devotion, a large number of people chose the path of Bhakti," he said.The President said that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to say that people should remember God with a humble attitude considering themselves to be smaller than grass. One must be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of any sense of ego and must give respect to others. One should always be remembering God. The President mentioned that the Bhakti-Marg's speciality of complete devotion to God is witnessed not only in the spiritual side of life but also in the day-to-day life of every individual. "Serving the needy has been given a top priority in our culture. Our doctors, nurses and health workers displayed this spirit of service during the Covid pandemic. They were also infected with the coronavirus, but even in such extreme circumstances, they did not lose courage and were engaged in the treatment of people," the President said. He further mentioned that many of the corona warriors sacrificed their lives but the dedication of their co-workers remained unwavering. "The whole country would always be indebted to such warriors," President Kovind added. The President expressed confidence that the Gaudiya Mission would be successful in its resolve of spreading the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to the world, keeping its objective of human welfare as paramount. BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Providing timely help to those in need is a tradition that has been passed down in China through generations. The spirit is well manifested in the Chinese idiom "Xue Zhong Song Tan," which literally means, "to send charcoal in snowy weather." The story behind the idiom dates back to an ancient emperor. One freezing winter day, the emperor was resting in the palace, feeling shivery and cold, despite burning charcoal while enjoying delicious food and wine. Looking at the snow outside, he suddenly thought of the poor people suffering cold and hunger. The emperor then ordered officials to send food and charcoal to the old and poor in the capital to keep them warm. The move created quite a stir at the time and later people used the idiom to describe giving others help when they are in need. As time went on, the connotation of the idiom has become a social norm in China, and people are encouraged to lend others a helping hand in everyday life. The idiom also echoed China's vision of "building a community with a shared future for mankind." Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has provided over 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for more than 120 countries and international organizations and contributed to the fair distribution and use of vaccines worldwide. The much-needed vaccines have helped some countries, especially developing countries, push forward their vaccination drives. By actively cooperating with other countries in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, China is putting into practice its concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, British scholar and political commentator Martin Jacques said in an interview with Xinhua. Patna, Feb 20 : A man has been arrested on the charge of smuggling 1,000 live cartridges from Rajauli integrated check-post in Bihar's Nawada district on Sunday, the police said. "We were on a regular vehicle checking drive at the Rajauli check-post. We were checking every vehicle. A bus coming from Kolkata via Dhanbad was intercepted at the check-post. During the checking of luggage of the passengers, we found a large number of live cartridges concealed in a cotton bag," police officer A.K. Singh said. There were 1,000 live cartridges inside the bag, including 500 bullets of .315 bore, 400 of .32 bore and 100 bullets of single and double barrel rifles, the officer said. The accused confessed that he was just transporting the ammunition given to him by a handler from Kolkata to be delivered to another handler in Patna. The accused said that he did not know the names of the handlers. Mumbai, Feb 20 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday grilled former NSE director Ravi Narain who served as the CEO of NSE before Chitra Ramakrishna in connection with the probe into certain irregularities at the NSE. Earlier, it was speculated that he had fled to London but the CBI source confirmed that Ravi Narain is very much in Mumbai and his statement wad recorded. "Ravi was asked to join the investigation. He responded to our summon. He was called at a Mumbai office where he was grilled. He is also a suspect in the case," said the CBI source. Ravi was too evasive and tried to evade a lot of questions. He also requested that his LoC should be closed. Now CBI will record the statement of Anand Subramanian who was hired in NSE by flouting all rules by Chitra Ramakrishna as a Chief Strategic Advisor. Chitra Ramakrishna, the ex MD and CEO of National Stock Exchange (NSE) was recently grilled by the CBI in Mumbai. On February 18 she got her statement recorded with the federal probe agency. The CBI had asked her around 50 questions. She had tried to play victim card by claiming she didn't know a lot of things. She also had claimed that she was innocent and somebody was trying to frame her. CBI had asked her, for how long she had been sending mails to Yogi Baba, was she given any cut for sharing classified information, if yes, where did she invest the money. The CBI had already issued Look Out Circular (LoC) against Chitra, Anand Subramanian, the former Group Operating official and Ravi Narain, the ex-NSE CEO (before Chitra). Sources told IANS that Chitra and two others involved in the case were flight risk and hence the LOCs were issued. Arrests in the case is now more likely. The CBI has lodged an FIR against Chitra on the basis of the 192 page report of the SEBI in which she has been accused of leaking classified information to a Yogi Baba who lived in the Himalayas. "There was a flight risk, there were possibilities that they may flee abroad and taking preventive steps we issued the LOC," sources had told IANS. On February 17, the Income Tax Department had conducted raids at the house of Chitra in Mumbai and Chennai during which icriminating documents were recovered. The I-T department scanned various transactions and digital records. They also recorded the statements of a few of her employees. Recently, SEBI had imposed a fine of Rs 3 crore on her. SEBI had uploaded a 192-page order on its official website narrating how Chitra was allegedly involved in suspicious activities by leaking information. Chitra had said that a sage, who lives in the Himalayas, was giving her directions. She also sent him emails regarding the NSE. She quit SEBI in December 2016. It has been learnt that she allegedly shared vital inputs with the Yogi. "Information regarding organisational structure, dividend scenario, financial results, human resource policies and related issues, response to regulator, etc, were shared by her with the Yogi," said the source. Between 2014 and 2016 she sent emails at rigyajursama@outlook.com. Subramanian was made the Chief Strategic Advisor of NSE. He served at this post between 2013 and 2015. He was given the post of group operating official and advisor to the MD. He discharged his duties on this post between 2015 and 2016. Subramanian, who had previously been working as a mid-level manager in Balmer and Lawrie, had no exposure to the capital market. His salary was increased from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 1.68 crore annually. In 2017, his salary was hiked to Rs 4.21 crore yearly. Mumbai: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray address a press conference after a meeting, in Mumbai on Sunday, February 20, 2022. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut was also present. (Photo: IANS/snapsIndia) Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Feb 20 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday met here and decided to work together for an anti-BJP front. Thackeray assured support to Rao for his efforts to form a national alternative. After the meeting at Thackeray's residence, both the leaders told reporters that they would hold talks with the leaders of other regional and national parties to strengthen the country. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief said there is a need for a big change in the country. "A beginning has been made with our meeting. I believe a good message has gone out from here," said KCR, as he hoped that the meeting would yield desired results. Stating that the campaigns launched from Maharashtra had succeeded in the past, KCR said that Maratha warriors like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Balasaheb Thackeray inspired the country. He said they want to move ahead with the same spirit and fight injustice and save democracy. Alleging that the country's federalism is being damaged, Thackeray said, "The atmosphere that should be there between states and the Centre is not seen today. This politics will not work. So, we have made a fresh start." "The situation prevailing in the country and the way low-grade politics is happening is not Hindutva," said Thackeray, whose party Shiv Sena severed ties with the BJP in 2019 to form the government in Maharashtra in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. "Hindutva is not about violence or revenge. If things continue like this, what is the future of the country," asked Thackeray. He also voiced his unhappiness over the way the Central government 'spread rumours' about some states and some leaders. KCR also invited Thackeray to Hyderabad for further talks. "We are brothers because our states share a 1,000 km long border. We built the Kaleshwaram project with the cooperation of the Maharashtra government. We want to continue working together," said the TRS leader. KCR later left for a meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Chandigarh, Feb 20 : Sixty-three per cent of over 2.14 crore voters in Punjab turned out on Sunday till 5 p.m. to elect 117 members of the Assembly amid minor skirmishes and snags in EVMs, officials said. "The voter turnout was 63 per cent with chances of the final figures likely to increase over 70 per cent. Rural areas saw high percentage of polling compared to urban ones," an electoral officer told IANS here. The Malwa region, which has the highest number of 69 seats, saw the highest poll percentage compared to Doaba and Majha regions. Except some incidents of minor clashes, no major poll-related violence has been reported in the state so far. Punjab is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders in the fray. The polling will be conducted till 6 p.m. and the counting of ballots will take place on March 10. The main contest is among the ruling Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is contesting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party after breaking two-decade old ties with the BJP in 2020 over the farm laws. The BJP-Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) alliance is also in the fray, besides the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, comprising Punjab farmer bodies that had taken part in the agitation against the Centre's now repealed agricultural laws. Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, who was among the early voters, cast his vote in Panjkosi village in Abohar constituency, while greenhorn Congress candidate Malvika Sood, who is the sister of actor Sonu Sood, cast her vote in Moga, while Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) CM candidate Bhagwant Mann exercised his franchise in Mohali. Mann is contesting from the Dhuri Assembly seat. Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal asked voters to choose carefully. Ahead of casting his vote, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi offered prayers to Lord Shiva at a temple in Kharar town. He said the people of Punjab have decided to bring the Congress back to power with a huge majority. Talking to media before going to the polling booth to cast his vote in Kharar town, he said, "The position is clear, people want Congress back, and we are heading for a two-third majority." He alleged that the Dera Sacha Sauda in connivance with the BJP has supported the Akali Dal in this Assembly polls. "Dera was responsible for the incidents of sacrilege in Punjab and they are getting their support now in the polling," Channi said. Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Sonu Sood accused other party candidates of trying to buy off votes. However, the Election Commission restrained him from visiting polling stations in Moga over complaints that he was influencing voters. His vehicle was impounded and he was instructed to stay inside his house. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats in the 117-member Assembly, ousting the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. The AAP had emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won 15 seats, while the BJP, which had a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, secured three seats. Itanagar, Feb 20 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu on Sunday said that they would start the process from April to resolve the long pending disputes along the 804 km inter-state border of the two states. Sarma and Khandu on Sunday attended the 50 years celebration programme of Arunachal Pradesh and 36th statehood day at Naharlagun. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the event from Delhi and said that his government is working with full force to make Arunachal a major gateway to East Asia. Sarma, while addressing the function, informed that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments would sit together from April to resolve border disputes. He hoped that the majority of border problems would be solved this year. "Border issues can only be solved amicably and through dialogue between all stakeholders," he asserted. The Assam Chief Minister requested Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who is a Lok Sabha Member from Arunachal, to work as a leader of team northeast so that the entire region can play a vital role in development of the country. Saying that legendary musician of Assam, Dr Bhupen Hazarika's songs have reflected the beauty of Arunachal and eulogised the bonhomie among the people of both states, Sarma recalled how Assamese stalwarts like Indira Miri, Annanda Prasad Borthakur made immense contributions for the social and educational development of Arunachal Pradesh. The Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister echoed his Assam counterpart and thanked Sarma for initiating the process to resolve the inter-state border disputes. Till 1972, Arunachal Pradesh was known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and it was administered by the External Affairs Ministry with the Assam Governor acting as agent to the President of India. On January 20, 1972, the state gained Union Territory status and was renamed as Arunachal Pradesh and it became a full-fledged state on February 20, 1987. Meanwhile, the Assam Chief Minister and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma recently met Union Home minister Amit Shah in Delhi and apprised him about the efforts being made to resolve six of the 12 inter-state border disputes between the two northeastern states. Assam's border dispute cases with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh are before the Supreme Court but there are no cases on the inter-state disputes with Meghalaya and Mizoram. Recently, Assam and Nagaland had signed an agreement to remove state forces from the disputed locations. Sarma recently discussed an out-of-court settlement of the boundary disputes with Pema Khandu. The worst-ever violence along the Assam-Mizoram border on July 26 last year left six Assam Police personnel dead and nearly 100 civilians and security personnel of the two neighbouring states injured. London, Feb 20 : The death of a new-born baby with Lassa fever in the UK last week has raised concerns about the global threat posed by deadly infectious diseases. Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness, similar to Ebola, and people become infected through exposure to food or other items that have been contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats. So far, the UK has confirmed three cases. It is the first time the acute viral illness has emerged in the UK in 13 years. It is normally only seen in west Africa, The Guardian reported. Officials from the UK Health Security Agency are closely monitoring hundreds of people identified as potential contacts of the three cases. Many of these individuals will continue to be monitored for the rest of the month and into March, the report said. While no further cases have been identified to date, global health experts noted the return of Lassa fever at a time when the UK is still fighting off Covid-19 is a sign of worse things to come. "The three confirmed cases of the potentially deadly Lassa fever in the UK, now very sadly including one death, are a stark reminder of our interconnected world and the need to continue to invest in outbreak preparedness and response efforts," Melanie Saville, the director of vaccine development at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), was quoted as saying. "Emerging infectious diseases are increasing in prevalence, severity and spread as a result of climate change, global transportation and human encroachment into previously isolated areas," she added. The growing threat posed by deadly infectious diseases, Saville said, underlines the "urgent need for vaccine". CEPI is now advancing the development of six Lassa fever vaccines. Three of these -- developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals, the International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), and Themis Bioscience -- are the first in the world to enter clinical trials, the report said. Further, to produce a licensed Lassa vaccine for routine immunisation, the largest-ever Lassa fever study, called Enable, has been launched in west Africa with more than 20,000 participants, the report said. Some scientists have raised concerns over the need to increase funding for the development of vaccines for other deadly infectious diseases. Dame Sarah Gilbert, one of the creators of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, had warned in October that her team was struggling to raise the money needed to develop vaccines against diseases, including Lassa fever. Meanwhile, the UK government this week committed 10 million pound funding for research into vaccines against deadly infectious diseases. The UK Vaccine Network will provide grants for 22 projects aimed at tackling severe illnesses in low- and middle-income countries. They include 498,000 pound to DIOSynVax to develop its vaccine against Lassa fever, Ebola and Marburg virus disease, the report said. New Delhi, Feb 20 : A 24-year-old woman was arrested for getting her mother killed with help of a man in south Delhi, an official said on Sunday. The deceased, identified as Sudha Rani (55), a resident of Madangir in south Delhi, was found lying in a pool of blood at her house on Saturday. Furnishing details about the case, Deputy Commissioner Benita Mary Jaiker said an information was received on February 19, Saturday, that some quarrel or murder has taken place in front of Mart Madangir. As the police reached the spot, they found Rani, lying in a pool of blood with her throat slit with some sharp weapon. There were no visible signs of struggle in the room and even the jewellery of the deceased, including gold chain and rings, were found intact. Daughter of the deceased, Devyani, stated that at about 9:30 p.m., two armed persons with face mask entered her house and robbed her of jewellery and cash. "The robber, then tried to rob her mother but in the process killed her mother by slitting her throat," she told the police. DCP Jaiker said the statement of Devyani was found to be suspicious as she was changing her statement after short intervals and was trying to "mislead the police team". The police then registered a case under section 302 of the IPC and constituted a team to solve the case. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased was shifted to AIIMS for postmortem. The police team then again interrogated Devyani as she was continuously changing her statement and was not very clear about the sequence of events even as she was present on the spot during the incident. The scene of crime was also inspected in detail by the crime team as well as police staff and there was no sign of struggle in the room. The senior official said that inspection of the scene of crime and contradictory statements of Devyani made her the prime suspect, as a needle of suspicion was pointing at her. "On sustained interrogation and continuous questioning, Devyani broke down and admitted that she along with one Kartik Chauhan, 23, a resident of Tigri, New Delhi killed her mother and tried to give it a colour of robbery," the DCP said. Jaiker further said that the accused Devyani was married to one person from Greater Noida and also has a 4-year-old son. But soon after the marriage, she left her husband and started living with one person named Shibu. "The deceased was not happy with this relationship and wanted the accused to break her relationship with Shibu and start living with her husband. The deceased was also threatening the accused of disowning her," the official said. Frustrated after her mother stopped helping her financially, Devyani plotted to kill her. "She involved Kartik, a friend of Shibbu, who was also infatuated towards her," said the official. On the fateful day, Devyani gave tea mixed with sleeping pills to her mother. "When she lost consciousness, Devyani called Kartik -- who killed the deceased by slitting her throat with a surgical blade and throwing it from the window. Thereafter, Devyani gave some jewellery and cash to Kartik, who flee from the spot before the police reached there," official added. Both the accused have been arrested and the surgical blade used to commit the crime has also been recovered. "Further probe is on," the official added. New Delhi, Feb 20 : The Ukrainian defence ministry has reported further ceasefire violations in the east, after a day of heavy weapons fire Saturday, CNN reported. The ministry said that in the first 11 hours of Sunday, "20 incidents of ceasefire violation by the Russian occupation forces were observed, including 18 incidents when the Russian occupation forces utilised weapons prohibited by the Minsk Agreements". The Minsk II agreement led to a shaky ceasefire between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatist forces, and bans heavy weapons near the line of contact between the two sides. Ukraine said it recorded a total of 136 ceasefire violations on Saturday, the report said. The Ukrainian Border Guards said that because of the shelling, one crossing point for international humanitarian organisations, Shchastia, at the Line of Contact, had been closed since 8 a.m. local time Sunday. An UNHCR convoy that used the crossing point on Friday said that it had been caught in crossfire. Some residents of Donetsk -- which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists -- reported heavy shelling early Sunday. One woman contacted by CNN said she and her children wanted to move closer to the city centre because of shelling in her district, Abakumova. It's unclear where the shelling originated. The authorities in the breakaway republics persistently claim shelling by Ukrainian forces, who in turn regularly deny firing artillery across the front lines. The Russian authorities say that more than 40,000 people have arrived in Russia after being evacuated from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, according to the acting head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Alexander Chupriyan, CNN reported. Chennai, Feb 20 : Citing date issues, actor Kamal Haasan has excused himself from hosting the remaining episodes of the popular televison reality show 'Bigg Boss Ultimate'. In a statement, Kamal said, " The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions rightly imposed by the government has created disarray and has constrained us to reschedule the production and the post production of our forthcoming film 'Vikram'. "We had so far meticulously planned to ensure that the production schedule of 'Vikram' does not affect my commitments to Bigg Boss, a show that is very close to my heart. So much so, I did not let any personal discomfort I might have had after I was personally down with Covid," he said. The actor further said, "The reschedule of the production activities for Vikram that were forced on account of lockdowns and restrictions imposed have unavoidably resulted in overlap of dates required to be allotted for Bigg Boss Ultimate. "Considering the fact that some more days of the shoot are left to complete the scenes which have the combination of some of the most prominent stars and technicians of the film industry, it has become practically impossible to manage both 'Vikram ' and 'Bigg Boss' together. It would be unfair to make such eminent stars and technicians wait for me ,considering their schedules and other commitments. Consequently, I am now constrained to opt out of this season of Bigg Boss Ultimate after February 20." The actor said, " I had a free and fair discussion with the management of Vijay TV and as always, the management has been most supportive and cooperative. I am overwhelmed and touched by their understanding on the constraints resulting out of this pandemic and consequent restrictions forcing me to exit from the remaining episodes of Bigg Boss Ultimate. Till I meet you again in Season 6 of Bigg Boss, my best wishes to you all." New Delhi, Feb 20 : German airline Lufthansa has said it will suspend flights to Ukraine capital Kyiv from Monday amid growing fears of a Russian invasion, BBC reported. The airline said it will also stop flights to Odessa, a key port on the Black Sea. "The safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority at all times," said Lufthansa, as per the report. Last week, Dutch airline KLM had said that it is suspending flights to Kyiv. Lufthansa said it will operate flights on Sunday before the suspension come into force on Monday. The suspension is expected to remain in place until the end of February. On Saturday, Germany's Foreign Office urged its citizens to leave Ukraine "now". It said: "If there is a Russian attack on Ukraine, the options for assisting German nationals are very limited." Lufthansa said it continues "to monitor the situation closely and is in close contact with national and international authorities". It added: "Affected guests will be informed and rebooked on alternative flight connections." The airline usually operates 74 flights to Ukraine every week under its Lufthansa banner or other carriers it owns, which include Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and Swiss, BBC reported. Lufthansa said it would continue to fly to Lviv in western Ukraine. The first batch of 150,000 boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) donated by the Chinese mainland, arrives at Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 20, 2022. Separately, over 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the mainland has also arrived in batches recently. (Xinhua/Li Gang) HONG KONG, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of 150,000 boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) donated by the Chinese mainland, as well as some other anti-epidemic supplies ordered previously arrived at Hong Kong on Sunday. "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is grateful to the central government for its care of the people of Hong Kong and its strong support for the city's anti-epidemic efforts," said Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau, who led a task force of ensuring medical supplies including coordinating medical supplies from the mainland to Hong Kong. Yau stressed that by leveraging the central authorities' guidance based on their experience in fighting the epidemic, as well as their manpower and resource support, the HKSAR government will spare no effort in combating the fifth wave of the epidemic. He said that the task force is working at full speed to coordinate the deliveries, ensuring that the large number of medical supplies including rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, masks, medicines, protective gear and medical products from the mainland are delivered to Hong Kong and distributed to relevant departments, organizations and residents in an orderly manner. To enhance the capability of "early identification, early isolation and early treatment of the infected," the HKSAR government is procuring over 100 million RAT kits to substantially ramp up Hong Kong's capacity of rapid testing. The kits will be distributed as a priority to specified high-risk and target groups of people. The first batch of 10 million RAT kits provided by the mainland has arrived in batches since Feb. 19. Separately, over 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the mainland has also arrived in batches recently. Meanwhile, Hong Kong on Sunday registered 6,067 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official data showed. Since the start of a mass inoculation program in February last year, about 5.79 million people, or 85.9 percent of the eligible population in Hong Kong, have taken at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines, while about 5.11 million, or 75.8 percent of the eligible population, have taken two doses. Over 1.45 million people have taken their third shot. Edward Yau (4th L), secretary for commerce and economic development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, poses for a group photo upon the arrival of the first batch of 150,000 boxes of anti-epidemic traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) donated by the Chinese mainland, as well as some other anti-epidemic supplies ordered previously, in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 20, 2022. Separately, over 300,000 boxes of different types of Chinese medicines will be delivered from the mainland to Hong Kong in batches. The first batch of 25 million KN95 masks provided by the mainland has also arrived in batches recently. (Xinhua/Li Gang) Gurugram, Feb 20 : A two-day seminar, aimed at addressing the problems of group housing societies and licence colonies, will be organised in Gurugram on February 25-26, the district administration said in a statement. According to officials, issues related to safe group housing society, problems of structural, sewerage connection, road and othera will be discussed in the seminar that will be organised in association with Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HRERA), Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). Meanwhile, representatives of different RWAs met the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar over the issues related to the housing societies, during his visit to Gurugram on Sunday. The Chief Minister has assured them that necessary steps will be taken to resolve the issues. "The Chief Minister has listened the problems of group housing societies very carefully and assured that appropriate action will be taken at the earliest to resolve them. Also, we will put our problem as well as suggestions in the seminar," an RWA's representative said. "We raised our concern related to builder and the system before the Chief Minister and received a positive response from him. We hope that necessary steps will be initiated to address the problems of our housing society," said another RWA member. The Chief Minister said in a statement that a committee would be constituted to work on complaints related to any building. "Time-bound completion certificates will be given to the builders in the state and the accountability of the builders, as well as the contractor, will be fixed," he added. New Delhi/Chandigarh, Feb 20 : The voters in Punjab on Sunday said that the political party they voted for on Sunday and if it comes to power, must address the issues of education, creation of jobs for youth and drug menace so that once again Punjab becomes 'Rangla Punjab'(colourful Punjab). A 83-year-old voter Joginder Singh in the Kharar constituency under Mohali district, told IANS that raising the issue of Khalistan was a malicious attempt to defame the Sikh community. He also said that anyone who is born in the Khalsa community is always ready to sacrifice his life for the country, for society and for his religion. As far as the political parties in the fray are concerned, they always make promises and once they come to power, forget all their promises, Singh said while a school teacher Binny was clearer in her opinion and wanted change of guard in the state. Talking about the issue of unemployment, she said that this should be prioritised by the party she has voted for and they should work to create jobs for youths so that their exodus from the state stops. In other constituencies too, the voters were expecting that the political parties whom they have voted will work for creation of jobs, good education and better health infrastructure. A young voter Kevin Peterson said that the party he has voted for should endeavour to create job opportunities for youths and better education for all in Punjab. Echoing the same sentiments, the first time voters Simerjit Kaur and Roshni said that the political party who they have voted for should work sincerely for job creation and good education system in the state. Most of the voters IANS spoke to wanted creation of job opportunities as a top priority of the next government. The state of Punjab went for one day assembly polls on Sunday for 117 assembly constituencies and apart from the ruling Congress Party, the Aam Aadmi Party, Akali Dal, BJP in alliance with newly floated outfit by Congress turncoat and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, are contesting the elections. The fate of 1,304 candidates in 117 assembly constituencies have been sealed in the EVM and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. Mumbai, Feb 20 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday dispatched a courier containing around 4,000 postcards to President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding the status of 'Classical Language' to Marathi. This was the second lot of postcards - earlier another lot of 6,000 was sent - to the President with the same plea, and people from across the state - celebs to commoners - have so far 'dropped' over 125,000 pleading postcards to Rashtrapati Bhavan in the past couple of months. It was in December last year that the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar fired the first 'postcard' to the President, neatly typed in Marathi and signed by him, that started the trend. Present were Marathi Language Minister Subhash Desai and Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant as the CM approved and cleared a gift-wrapped box containing the postcards, with the slogan 'Abhijat Marathi Jan Abhiyaan' (Mass Campaign for Classical Marathi) printed on it. The move attained urgency as the state will celebrate the 'Marathi Language Day' on February 27, and the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is hoping the Centre will accord the status to the state language by then. Presently, there are only six Indian languages bestowed the status officially - Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia, based on various parameters. MVA leaders pointed out that although the Centre took the decision in 2004 to confer the "classical language" status to various languages, the Marathi language has been ignored despite repeated requests. Even a high-level committee of language experts appointed by the Centre had unanimously approved a proposal to this effect seven years ago, but there has been no further progress in the matter. Pawar had said in his postcard to the President that it was necessary to grant the status of a "classical language" to Marathi as recommended even by the Sahitya Akademi, at the earliest. "Marathi is not only an ancient language but also the state language, used by litterateurs, intellectuals, by people of religion besides the common masses, and ranks among the major languages in the world," he pointed out. (IANS - Dec 24, 2021). The Maharashtra Legislature passed a unanimous resolution recommending to the Centre to accord the "classical language" status to Marathi in 2020. In anticipation of the exalted status, Thackeray in October 2021 cleared the proposal to construct a 'Marathi Bhasha Bhavan' on a 2,500 square metre plot in south Mumbai, which had been on the backburner for nearly eight years. Coming up within the Jawahar Bal Bhavan complex at Marine Drive, the work on the project is starting shortly with a completion target of 18 months, comprising a library, an expo centre, conference halls, etc, to promote the Marathi language. During the tenure of Congress Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, a committee chaired by litterateur Rangnath Pathare had prepared a voluminous report running into 500 pages on the same issue. The report was forwarded to the government in July 2013, but the matter remained unresolved after the change of guard both at the Centre and the state. The Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which started in 1878, has demanded the "classical language" status for Marathi several times in the past. The status paves the way for two prestigious international-level awards for scholars of eminence in the Indian "classical language", setting up centres of excellence for studies, the University Grants Commission creating or starting certain number of Professional Chairs in these languages besides dedicating various institutions for the same to promote the study and research in such "classical languages". Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20 : The ruling CPM-led LDF and the Congress-led Opposition UDF are in unison over the pension for the personal staff members of the ministers. Currently in Kerala, if a personal staff member completes two years in service, he is entitled to draw a pension for life, and after his passing away his family is also eligible for the same. The Kerala assembly had passed a bill on this subject in 1994 and ever since the state coffers have been paying pensions to the former staff members of the ministers. However, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is in an open fight with the state government and opposition, is adamant that the government give a report to him regarding pension to the staff members. He had communicated the same to the Chief Minister when the latter visited him in the Raj Bhavan recently. The CPM, which is leading the state government, is not amused by the Governor's 'dictum'. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPM state secretary, while speaking to media persons at Thiruvananthapuram, said, "There is no question of reversal on the pension given to staff members of ministers and a very few are political postings among the staff members." In Kerala, a minister is entitled to appoint 30 staff members but the state restricted it to 27 members. Interestingly the minimum pension for a personal staff member is Rs 3,550 after the eleventh pay commission in the state. The personal staff members after working for two years are entitled for pension and if a person joins the service at the age of 18 and he leaves the service at the age of 20, he is eligible for pension. While a government servant retires at the age of 56 in Kerala, the personal staff member does not have an upper age limit. The personal staff of ministers, speaker, deputy speaker, and opposition leader are entitled for a pension. Arif Mohammed Khan has categorically stated that a staff member is posted for 2 years and after that period he resigns and another person is posted who can serve for the rest of the term of the minister, which leads to pension for both of them. Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, who is a Member of Parliament from Vatakara Lok Sabha constituency, while speaking to media persons said, "The Governor cannot do anything. The practice of continuing the pension for personal staff members will continue as it is based on a bill passed by the Kerala Assembly." With the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF in unison against the Governor's move to put a brake on the pension for staff members of ministers, the state will probably witness a major confrontation between the Governor on the one side and the ruling and opposition parties on the other side. Chandigarh, Feb 20 : Haryana witnessed a significant growth in agriculture with the adoption of latest technologies, including solar irrigation pumps, the state government said on Sunday. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the state government is consistently encouraging farmers to adopt latest farm technology to increase the farm sector output. To bring solar energy in the field of agriculture, the Energy Department and the New and Renewable Energy Department have set new dimensions in the field of electricity and renewable energy, an official statement said. Following the same path, the state government has done commendable work in channelising solar energy in the field of agriculture. Haryana now becomes the second state in the country after Gujarat which has promoted solar energy with the operation of solar water pumps in promotion of micro irrigation under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Utthan Mahabhiyan (PMKUSUM). There are about 80 lakh acres of cultivable land in the state, out of which, 75 per cent area is irrigated. The rest of the land has to depend on rain for irrigation. By installing the solar pumps, diesel will be saved for the farmers and income will also increase, the statement said. The government is giving 75 per cent subsidy on solar pumps and farmers have to spend 25 per cent of the amount. There was a little work done in the field of solar energy in the state and only 492 solar pumps were installed until 2014. The present government took it seriously and prepared a roadmap to promote solar energy in the state. In its first phase, a target of installing 50,000 solar pump sets has been set and in the last seven years, 25,897 solar pump sets have been installed, read the statement. The state government has set a target for the year 2021-22 to provide 22,000 solar tubewell connections, out of which 15,000 connections have been provided and the remaining will be provided by March. One inspiring story is of Sumitra Devi, who is a beneficiary of the PM Kusum scheme. By availing the benefits of this scheme, she has not only increased the crop production, but is also setting an example for many other farmers in the state. Devi hails from Mahendragarh district and has got a solar pump installed for irrigation of a five-acre land in Bhagadhana village. And now, she uses it for the cultivation of various crops such as millets and pulses, etc. Sharing her success story, Devi says, "As the running cost of a diesel pump is very high, I used to cultivate only one crop. Then I got to know about the PM-Kusum scheme, through which the Centre and state governments are providing 75 per cent subsidy to install the solar pumps. I applied for it and got a 10 AC HP submersible pump installed in my farm." "Now I can cultivate more than one crop and irrigate the fields in the daytime. Besides, there is no cost of running it and the maintenance cost of the solar pump is negligible. I am very satisfied with the installation of the pump," she added. New Delhi, Feb 20 : In what can be termed as the biggest street crime incident of the year so far, a group of robbers looted over 100 people on Saturday on the Korangi Causeway in Karachi, Express Tribune reported. Ten to 12 robbers reportedly set up roadblocks to trap vehicles and proceeded to rob the people with relative ease and appeared to not be afraid of police and rangers. According to the citizens caught in the roadblock, they had phoned the police helpline but it could not reach the location in time, the report said. Moreover, the police not only denied the incident but also failed to register an FIR. Talking to the Express Tribune, a citizen said that the city "has been handed over to robbers" and that the performance of police, rangers and other law enforcement agencies responsible for the protection of life and property has been "reduced to zero". Earlier this week, a senior producer working for a private TV channel was shot dead during a botched robbery in Karachi's North Nazimabad area. Athar Mateen was gunned down after he rammed his vehicle into the bike of alleged robbers who were looting a citizen, said the police. As the alleged robbers fell down, they fired shots at the vehicle, killing the media worker, said SSP Central Rana Maroof. The suspects managed to flee after the incident on a bike snatched from a citizen while leaving their bike behind, the SSP added. New Delhi, Feb 20 : Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Anil Chaudhary on Sunday accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of "misleading the people of Delhi with bundles of lies". "Kejriwal had said in 2019 that 22,000 new classrooms were built in 5 years, but three years later, on his own admission, his government has built only 20,000 class rooms, which is 2,000 classrooms short," DPCC president said. On Saturday, Kejriwal had said that the Delhi Government has built 20,000 classrooms in the last seven years, adding that this is more than the combined number of classrooms built by Central and state governments during this period. The DPCC chief said that after Kejriwal's former associate Kumar Vishwas' disclosure about a "secret deal" with separatist elements of Punjab, the Delhi Chief Minister seems to have lost his balance. "Kejriwal is now resorting to blatant lies to salvage his tarnished image," Chaudhary asserted. He further said that Kejriwal had promised in his election manifesto that he would build 500 new schools and 20 new colleges, but despite the availability of land, the Delhi government was able to build just one school in 7 years. Further, slamming the present dispensation in the national capital, Chaudhary said the pass percentage of government schools has witnessed a 28 per cent reduction and nearly 1.25 lakh students have left the government schools. "75 per cent students of the government schools couldn't access online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic due to lack of facilities as the Kejriwal government did not provide any help or incentives," he added. Chennai, Feb 20 : The Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (SEC) has ordered repolling in seven wards of the state on Monday, after the AIADMK complained of violence by DMK workers in these wards during the urban local body polls held on February 19. In Chennai corporation, repolling will be held in a booth in Washermenpet under Ward 51 and in a polling station at Odaikkuppam-Besant Nagar under Ward 179. Repolling will be held in a polling station each at Jayakondam municipality and at Tiruvannamalai municipality. A booth in Tiruvamangalam municipality will also go to the polls on Monday following the SEC order. It is to be noted that the opposition AIADMK had appealed to the SEC for repolling in these booths after widespread violence allegedly carried out by the DMK cadres in these polling stations. The elections will be held from 7 am to 6 pm with the last one hour exclusively reserved for Covid -19 patients. Urban local body polls were held in Tamil Nadu after a gap of 11 years on Saturday. The counting of votes will take place on February 20. New Delhi, Feb 20 : The police in Nepal fired rubber bullets and tear gas as hundreds of people protested over a $500m US grant going before parliament, BBC reported. Nepal signed the Millennium Challenge Corporation pact to fund infrastructure projects in 2017 and it has been a bone of contention between the US and China. Several people were injured in the demonstrations outside the Parliament in Kathmandu. Groups opposing the US funding have said it undermines Nepal's sovereignty, the report said. Protesters were also targeted with water cannon in an attempt to disperse Sunday's demonstration. Police had stones thrown at them. The Nepal Parliament has until February 28 to ratify the deal, which has been delayed by divisions within political parties, including the ruling coalition. Nepalese media has reported that the US administration has held conversations with Nepali politicians urging them to endorse the pact by the end of the month or face the ties between the countries being reviewed. In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said such development co-operation should "come with no strings attached". The Millennium Challenge Corporation was created by the US Congress in 2004 and offers large grants to support economic growth and reduce poverty, according to Washington DC. New Delhi, Feb 20 : The Ministry of Home Affair (MHA) will verify the background of Air India's newly appointed CEO Ilker Ayci, officials said. This is routine procedure when a foreign national is appointed CEO of any Indian company, officials added. Ayci, a Turkish citizen, was recently appointed as the CEO and MD of Air India. The officials said that the process will be initiated once the MHA gets official communication on Ayci from the Tata group or the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which is a nodal Ministry. The Union Home Ministry is likely to take help from the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) in background verification of Ayci, who was CEO of the Turkish Airlines from 2015 to 2021. Tata Group bought the debt ridden state-owned Air India from the Central government by placing a bid of Rs 18,000 crore at an auction and on January 27, it took over the full control of Air India. Press Release February 20, 2022 Gordon appeals to uphold human rights for detained doctor Senator Richard J. Gordon expressed grave anxiety and deep concern over the continuing disappearance of Dr. Maria Natividad Castro. Castro, a cum laude graduate of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) and St. Scholastica High School-Manila valedictorian, was reportedly arrested by San Juan Philippine National Police (PNP) elements on February 18 by authority of a supposed Warrant of Arrest issued by an Agusan del Sur Regional Trial Court (RTC) for alleged kidnapping and serious illegal detention. It was also reported that Castro has, up until now, not been presented in public, has not been made available by the PNP for family visit or consultation with counsel of her own choice. Gordon, who authored and sponsored Republic Act No. 9851 or An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity, said that Castro's incommunicado status violates the Constitution which states that "(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate the free will shall be used against him. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention are prohibited." "The talents of people like Castro, a brilliant and humane physician, whose activities included setting up community centers and trainings on human rights are what are sorely needed by our country, especially in these pandemic times," said Gordon. He furthered that if the charges are true, for the sake of argument, Castro is still protected by our Constitution and laws which presumes innocence, which allows consultation with family and/or lawyers, and which prohibits secret detention places, among others. "I urge Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra and Chief PNP Dionardo Carlos to look seriously into this matter and ensure that this continuing violation of the Constitution and Dr. Carlos' rights cease immediately," Gordon stated. More help has arrived! The second team of mainland health experts and workers arrived in China's Hong Kong to help the city fight against the latest COVID-19 outbreak. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Dhaka, Feb 21 : The Bangladesh government has decided to make "Joy Bangla" the national slogan of the country. The decision was taken on Sunday during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. A notification in this regard would be issued to make it public, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told the media after the meeting. Hasina joined the meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence while the ministers took part in the meeting from the conference room at the secretariat. The Cabinet Secretary said: "There is a verdict to make 'Joy Bangla' national slogan which was issued by the High Court. The Cabinet Division discussed the matter and came up with directives to issue a notification making 'Joy Bangla' national slogan." In a rebuke to Maryland state legislators, a federal judge has granted the Association of American Publishers motion for a preliminary injunction, blocking Maryland officials from enforcing the state's new library e-book law. It is clear the Maryland Act likely stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Copyright Act, concluded federal judge Deborah L. Boardman, in a 28-page opinion. Although the judge noted that the Maryland Act only requires an offer to license and does not explicitly require publishers to grant licenses to libraries, this is a distinction without a difference, Boardman concluded (lifting directly from the AAPs brief), holding that the threat of civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance amounts to a forced transaction that effectively strips publishers of their exclusive right to distribute. In enjoining the law, Boardman found that the AAP cleared all four factors necessary to grant a preliminary injunctiona likelihood of success on the merits; irreparable harm; winning the balance of equities, and that the injunction was in the public interest. But while the court entertainedand largely accepted the AAPs arguments on each factorthe courts decision ultimately came down to one simple finding (which the AAP also argued): the Maryland law is fatally flawed because it is preempted by federal copyright law. While the State may view the Act as necessary to correct an imbalance and expand library access to digital literary products, the salutary legislative purpose plays no role in the conflict preemption analysis, Boardman held. The States characterization of the Act as a regulation of unfair trade practices notwithstanding, the Act frustrates the objectives and purposes of the Copyright Act. In a statement, AAP officials praised the court's "decisive" action. We are extremely pleased with the courts swift opinion and strong analysis in granting a preliminary injunction today." said AAP president and CEO Maria Pallante in a statement. "As the court concluded, this outcome is very much in the public interest, and it is only through the protection of copyright that books and other creative works may be generated and distributed at all.'" In a statement, ALA officials told PW that the library community's efforts toward achieving equitable access to digital content would continue. ALA unequivocally supports the Maryland law and stands by the Attorney Generals defense of Maryland libraries right to buy licenses for digital content on reasonable terms," said ALA president Patty Wong in a statement. "The Maryland legislature, which voted unanimously in favor of the legislation, rightly sees the unfairness in the marketplace and used its legal authority to correct it. ALA sees the unfairness to our public libraries, which have paid for e-book licenses on unreasonable terms for far too long. Most importantly, libraries see the unfairness for Maryland residents, who rely on them for access to e-books." "Regardless of the legal technicalities, the proceedings thus far have established that there is a definite injustice in library access to digital books," added Alan Inouye, ALA Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations. "ALA looks forward to the next steps in this proceeding as well as efforts elsewhere towards the goal of equitable library access to digital books and fair treatment for all stakeholders in the digital book ecosystem." It is clear the Maryland Act likely stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of the Copyright Act... First introduced in January 2021, the Maryland law requires any publisher offering to license "an electronic literary product" to consumers in the state to also offer to license the content to public libraries "on reasonable terms" that would enable library users to have access. It passed the Maryland General Assembly unanimously on March 10, and went into effect on January 1, 2022. The law emerged after a decade of tension in the digital library market, with libraries long complaining of unsustainable, non-negotiated high prices and restrictions. More specifically, the law emerged as a direct response to Macmillan's (since abandoned) 2019 embargo on frontlist e-book titles, which prompted numerous appeals to both federal and state legislators. Similar bills are currently pending in at least five other states. The AAP, however, filed suit on December 9 of last year arguing that the Maryland law infringes on the exclusive rights granted to publishers and authors under copyright. A week later, on December 16 AAP attorneys moved for a preliminary injunction blocking the law. In defending the law, Maryland state attorneys countered that the law is not about copyright protection but about "the unfair and discriminatory trade practices of publishers at the expense of public libraries. Boardmans speedy 28-page decision on the AAP's motion comes just days after a February 7 hearing at which she appeared clearly skeptical of the Maryland law. While the law is now enjoined, the legal battle continuesand Maryland state officials have asked the court to dismiss the AAPs case, which is still pending. Boardman's opinion in enjoining the law, however, reads like a thorough vindication of the AAP's copyright argument. "Libraries face unique challenges as they sit at the intersection of public service and the private marketplace in an evolving society that is increasingly reliant on digital media," the judge concluded. "Striking the balance between the critical functions of libraries and the importance of preserving the exclusive rights of copyright holders, however, is squarely in the province of Congress and not this Court or a state legislature." Update: Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh has released the following statement: Our office is currently reviewing the decision to determine next steps. We think publishers should not be able to unfairly take advantage of Maryland public libraries. We will continue to pursue fair treatment for Maryland public libraries. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/20/2022 ADVERTISEMENT [ Spoiler Warning: This report features spoilers about the current status of Mike and Ximena's relationship and if the couple called it quits or are still engaged or married]. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT So what's the latest on Mike and Ximena's relationship? Is the couple still together and engaged now or have they broken up? ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. : Before the 90 Days featured Ximena Morales Cuellar and Mike Berk getting engaged during his first trip to see her in Colombia, so do spoilers reveal that the couple is still together now or have they broken up? And did they ever get married?On Season 5 of : Before the 90 Days, Mike, a 34-year-old IT support technician and volunteer firefighter from Thiells, NY, revealed how he had met Ximena, a 24-year-old from Pereira, Colombia, on a dating app after being single for 20 years or so.Mike hadn't been in a serious relationship since high school and he wanted to find a woman with whom to settle down.When Mike saw Ximena, he thought she was "the most beautiful woman in the world." The pair went on to communicate for about a year."She's the first person I truly feel like I fell in love with, and we even went as far as talking about getting married and having kids together. We have that connection, both mentally and emotionally," Mike revealed.However, there was a language barrier between them since Mike only spoke a little Spanish and Ximena only spoke Spanish.Regardless, Mike said he couldn't stand to be apart from Ximena any longer and so he had booked a ticket to Colombia and couldn't wait to hold her and be with her in person.Mike dreamt of Ximena and her two sons, Harold, 3, and Juan, 9, moving in with him in the United States. (Mike lived with his father and grandfather at the time). He gushed about really wanting to "go for it" and start a family."This relationship seems like it's too good to be true, but at the end of the day, I know this is real and it makes me happy. So I'm just going to go with it," Mike acknowledged.Mike then packed his belongings, as well as an engagement ring, for a two-week trip to Colombia. Mike said if he discovered Ximena had been using him the whole time, his heart would be broken.Prior to Mike's arrival, Ximena shared how she lived in Pereira in Colombia with her two boys and being a mother was her joy and main priority."Juan's dad was a one-night stand, and that was it," Ximena revealed. "And Harold's dad is in jail. He wanted to defend his uncle and acted without thinking, and so that's what he's paying for now."Since Harold's dad was going to be locked up for a long time, Ximena said she wanted to find another man who could support her and love her.Ximena was also struggling financially as a manicurist amid COVID-19. Mike had therefore been sending her money for a couch, dining table, refrigerator, stove, blender, coffee maker and more. Mike had also been sending her money for food and rent."I stay afloat with what Mike contributes to me," Ximena said. "But Mike is not the kind of guy I'm usually attracted to because I like big men. My ex-boyfriends have been policemen, tattoo artists, farmers, even drug dealers."Ximena admitted that she didn't find Mike physically attractive but she was attracted to his heart.When Ximena and Mike met at the airport for the first time, Ximena claimed their kissing wasn't passionate. She also watched Mike struggle when trying to talk to her extended family.But Mike said his first night with Ximena in bed was "the best time" he's ever had with a woman."Ximena knocked it out of the park. We had a great time over and over again," Mike said.Ximena, however, said the sex was just "normal" for her and "nothing out of this world."Ximena later broke Mike's heart by telling him that she couldn't have any more children."I suffered a lot with my two deliveries because to have a child Caesarean is the worst pain a mother could go through," Ximena explained in a confessional. "So I decided to get operated [on] and they cut my tubes and burned them, so that I definitely couldn't have more kids."Mike wished he had been told this sooner because he didn't like having secrets between them, and he called the news "devastating.""I didn't think that I'd meet you. It's not my fault," Ximena said.Ximena told Mike that Juan and Harold never had a father before and he could be their dad. She suggested how Mike leaving them would really hurt and upset her sons."Forgive me for not being able to give you a child," Ximena requested."It's okay," Mike responded. "We can raise Harold and Juan together."After choosing to stay together, Mike booked a romantic getaway so he could get to know Ximena better and they could have some privacy as well as deep conversation.When the couple sat in a hot tub together outside of their villa, Ximena opened up about her past "crazy" relationships with "aggressive partners" -- and she once lived with a hitman who claimed to be a tattoo artist!"He ordered to have me killed. Well, he had me locked up," Ximena revealed.Ximena said the man threatened to kill her, and Mike became worried for Ximena's life as well as his own. Mike found this information alarming but chose not to hold Ximena's past against her.While Mike had his own issues to overcome with Ximena, Ximena was also growing increasingly more annoyed with Mike."He is super, super gross," Ximena admitted."He throws clothes everywhere like a kid. He'll let out a fart in front of me. And he burps on top of you. So it's like, 'Oh no!' It's funny but infuriating at the same time... Can you imagine three or four years from now?! It's crazy."Ximena told Mike that he needed to correct his bad habits and change if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together."It disgusts me. That makes me fall out of love," Ximena shared with Mike. "The truth is that I'm disappointed about all of those things."Mike agreed to work on his issues but felt a little hurt by Ximena's nitpicking. She clearly considered him to be "a slob.""If we get married, I don't want a messy husband with no manners. That's not the future I want," Ximena complained to the cameras.Mike explained to Ximena how he was diagnosed with ADHD in middle school, which affects his concentration and focus and makes him distracted.Ximena said she felt better knowing Mike had a good reason for behaving the way he did.Later on, Mike received a blessing from Ximena's father, Jamir, to propose marriage. Jamir understood that Mike was going to take care of Ximena's children like they're his own and be a good husband.Mike then popped the question during a nice dinner out with Ximena and her close family members.Ximena gushed to her family about how Mike is a very loving and tender man, but she also worried about rushing into a marriage that should be forever.However, if Ximena ended her relationship with Mike, she'd also no longer have a way to pay for her apartment and would need to start working again. Ximena also pointed out how her sons would receive a better education in the U.S. and Mike could provide them with a better life.Ximena therefore agreed to marry Mike and cried tears of joy because he's "sweet, kind and very loving.""He's won the affection of my family and my kids," Ximena shared. "So why would I say no?"Mike said Ximena had made all of his dreams come true, and he was thrilled to be getting "an instant family."It then became time for Mike to leave Colombia, but he planned to return in a couple of months. Mike said he had to go back to work but hated the idea of leaving only hours after proposing.Mike intended to marry Ximena during his next visit to Colombia, apply for a visa and then move Ximena and her sons to New York, and Ximena said she was excited about starting a life with Mike in the United States."I can't put into words how much I will miss her," Mike said.Ximena then gave Mike a necklace to solidify their love, and he promised that he would come back. Mike had found happiness with Ximena, and he said he trusted her wholeheartedly.Mike just hoped he and his new fiancee wouldn't grow apart.Mike and Ximena appeared to still be together and engaged in early January 2022.Ximena posted two videos on her TikTok account -- which have since been deleted -- indicating she and Mike were an item at the time.In the first of two videos Ximena posted that no longer appear on her TikTok account, she showed a picture of Mike holding a ring box as well as her wearing an off-the-shoulder sparkly wedding dress."I love you my life. Thank you for so much happiness," Ximena wrote in Spanish, according to Soap Dirt.In the second video, Ximena shared a picture of another wedding dress hanging up as well as a ring box by itself.She simply captioned the post, when translated from Spanish to English, "Marry me!"But on February 17, Ximena posted a new video featuring an entirely different guy!Ximena was apparently showing off her new boyfriend, indicating that she and Mike have recently broken up.Ximena quickly deleted the video of this mystery man, presumably because producers saw the spoiler material -- which indicates she's no longer engaged to Mike -- and asked her to take it down.The video, however, was captured by @90shotzfired and later reposted by 90 Fiance blogger John Yates.In the video, Ximena spliced together clips of her FaceTiming with the man, and she also included some solo shots of this bearded man. Ximena set the video to the same romantic song she had once in one of her previous TikTok videos that featured Mike.Shortly after Ximena took down her post, she apparently messaged @90shotzfired on Instagram and tried to explain why her recent video of a mystery man was not a spoiler about whether she and Mike are still together.But John believes Ximena is just trying to cover her tracks and she's clearly not dating Mike anymore.John wrote on his Instagram account, "I'm sorry but I'm not buying ANY of this -- if I were Judge Judy I'd say BOLOGNA MADAM! First off she messages Shotz with every excuse in the book -- 'someone stole my account', then the 'video is fake', then 'this was before I met Mike' then it was 'someone stole my phone' -- well WHICH EXCUSE IT IT?"Mike proceeded to comment on all the drama on Instagram when a fan asked him if he's okay."I am fine and just shocked [at] what I am seeing," Mike responded.But John also criticized Mike's reaction to Ximena's alleged new boyfriend."Then you have Mike saying 'I'm so shocked' GTFOH," John complained."I have been blogging about this show for a looooong time and here's what happened: Ximena posted the new video of her man on her TikTok... production caught wind of it and told her to take it down but it was too late as the floodgate had already been opened. The end. #90DayFiance."John also reposted a picture @90shotzfired had uploaded from Ximena's TikTok video. The screenshot shows one of Ximena's FaceTime conversations with her new guy took place in February 2022."Sure Ximena, this video was from the past," John captioned the screengrab, clearly calling her out for lying. "The past being 10 days ago. Maybe the dog ate your homework."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/20/2022 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Pastor Calvin Roberson appears to have thrown some major shade at Alyssa Ellman, whose marriage to Chris Collette just ended in divorce on the latest Season 14 episode.Pastor Cal and fellow experts Dr. Viviana Coles and Dr. Pepper Schwartz matched Chris and Alyssa to wed on the show's fourteenth season as complete strangers, but their marriage turned out to be a disaster.Before it aired, Pastor Cal posted a teaser clip of 's February 16 episode of his first sit-down conversation with Alyssa and Chris after the couple's tumultuous honeymoon in Puerto Rico on his Instagram account."Unfortunately, some people think they know what they want but really don't," Pastor Cal captioned the footage, in part."And then there are others who are dishonest throughout the process. We may not always be able to tell the difference between the two but in the end, the truth always prevails."When this counseling session filmed one week into the extreme marriage experiment, Alyssa and Chris were supposed to have moved into a "neutral" Boston, MA, apartment together, but Alyssa refused to live with her new husband.The clip therefore showed Pastor Cal asking Alyssa and Chris to explain the "trouble in paradise" they had been experiencing."Alyssa from the wedding night has had no interest in being married to me," Chris said during the couples' counseling session."She said we're not compatible. She's used the phrase 'robbed' and 'gypped' -- and it started the night of the wedding."Pastor Cal then asked Alyssa when she first felt disappointed in being matched with Chris for matrimony."When I first saw him," Alyssa replied in the clip."And I think that was when I first started to be like, 'Oh my God, what did I get myself into?' Sharing the bed thing has never been something I've been comfortable with no matter who the person is."Pastor Cal countered, "But you do know you were getting married?""No, I know," Alyssa responded.Chris interjected, "I think there are a lot of reasons to still be here, but I don't think marriage is the one that you're here for."Alyssa snapped back while wiping her tears, "I'm not a bad person, and I'm a good person."Pastor Cal captioned his Instagram post, "We always have high hopes for all of the participants chosen on married at first sight. But, to make marriage work, two people must be willing.""This is not just a show for me," he continued. "It's about helping real people with real feelings, who are really married and are dealing with real issues."Pastor Cal went on to write about how some people think they know what they want when they really don't and "there are others who are dishonest throughout the process."He concluded, as mentioned above, "We may not always be able to tell the difference between the two but in the end, the truth always prevails," and he also wrote the following hashtags: #marriageaintforpunks #readthebook #studythebook."The host of : Afterparty on Lifetime, Keshia Knight Pulliam -- who has interviewed both Alyssa and Chris on her talk show -- commented on Pastor Cal's post with three clapping-hands emojis.Dr. Viviana also recently slammed Alyssa for disrespecting the process and not being respectful to her husband."I believe Alyssa went into this with all the good intentions and I THINK, like so many others, she thought, 'Well if it doesn't work out with us, at least I can meet amazing women and we will join the ranks of all the other #mafsbrides who came before us and make the best of it,'" Viviana reasoned."I actually think that is not the worst way to look at this process."Viviana proceeded to put a big "BUT" in her next tweet."BUT because at the point [Alyssa] is refusing to communicate with her husband, she is refusing to be respectful to him, and she is disrespecting the process that has produced many loving families, I'm hopeful that this awful situation will be addressed accordingly," Viviana wrote."I have never had any reason to believe that anyone involved with this process is into this. But I guess you'll have to see for yourselves."Only hours after their wedding ceremony, Alyssa determined that Chris wasn't her type and they weren't a good match for a number of alleged reasons.Alyssa therefore slept in a different hotel room from her husband on their wedding night and managed to keep her distance from Chris for the majority of their honeymoon in San Juan.Instead of trying to talk to Chris and get to know him better, Alyssa appeared to shut down -- and she could barely tolerate her husband. At one point, Alyssa even criticized Chris' "aggressive" hand gestures when talking to producers.Due to Alyssa's apparent lack of effort in the relationship, Chris questioned his wife's intentions for going on the series to begin with and for wanting to stay in their marriage at all."I do not want to talk to him! I hate him!" Alyssa yelled at a producer. "He's a f-cking assh-le! He's disrespectful and he's rude and he's doing me dirty."Alyssa continued to lament, "It's f-cking disgusting that a man is treating a woman like that, who's been nothing but nice to him! I am a good person and if I don't come off that way on the show, I'm going to be f-cking pissed!"At the end of the honeymoon, Alyssa told Chris that she didn't want to live with him once they returned to Boston, but Alyssa told her husband during their chat with Pastor Cal that she'd still like to "work on things" and see what they "could do."Alyssa looked at Chris during Wednesday night's episode and explained, "I wanted to come here today because I don't like the way things have been going and I don't like how they got here. I've been in a better headspace since I've gotten home and I'm still working towards that."She added, "[I want] to stop the pattern... and figure out how we can move forward from this place that we're in."Chris, however, was on a different page after feeling totally rejected for a week."For me, this is my 'Decision Day,'" Chris stated."Are you saying that you want a divorce?" Pastor Cal asked."I want a divorce," Chris confirmed.Alyssa started to cry and vented about how she had worked so hard to get to this point and never thought this would be the outcome -- a situation of "arguing, miscommunication, disrespect and feeling alone."Chris simply determined he and Alyssa would be happier long-term apart and if he wasn't her top priority for continuing the process, then he didn't want to continue the marriage at all."I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I'm frustrated still. But it's never been about who I was matched with, it's never been about the process, it's always been about that the person I married didn't even want to try to be married to me," Chris concluded.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group or click here to view our newspage!And click here for more updates on former cast members and info on where they are now! Lindsey Pearlman -- an actress who appeared on General Hospital and Chicago Justice -- has died at the age of 43. ADVERTISEMENT "Today around 8:30 a.m., Hollywood Area officers responded to a radio call for a death investigation at Franklin Avenue and North Sierra Bonita Avenue," the Los Angeles Police Department said on its website Friday. "The L.A. County Coroner's Office has since confirmed the individual to be Lindsey Erin Pearlman. The cause of death will be determined by the coroner." Pearlman's friends and family asked the police to look for her after they had not heard from her since Tuesday. Her husband, Vance Smith, confirmed the news on Instagram. "The police found Lindsey. She's gone. I'm broken," he said. "I will share more later, but I wanted to [say] thank you to everyone for their love and efforts and ask you to respect the privacy of her family at this time." Pearlman studied comedy at Chicago's The Second City Conservatory and acted on Vicious, Empire, Sneaky Pete, American Housewife, The Purge and Selena: The Series. Katonah, NY (10536) Today Cloudy skies with periods of light rain late. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of light rain late. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for continued engagement and dialogue to lead to a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Ukrainian issue. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. HOHHOT, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is piloting a grassland policy insurance program in 13 county-level regions to beef up efforts on ecological protection. According to the regional forestry and grassland bureau, the pilot program covers nearly 38 million mu (about 2.5 million hectares) of grassland in 13 banners, counties and development zones. The program is designed to protect the ecology and benefit herders by helping cushion against damages and losses from natural disasters such as droughts, fires, pests and sandstorms, said the bureau. Local authorities funded 90 percent of the insurance premium, and local herdsmen paid the rest, according to Yang Shiping, the deputy director of the forestry and grassland bureau in Urad Back Banner. The county-level region, home to parts of the Urad grassland, a major natural grassland in Inner Mongolia, signed the first insurance policy in November 2020 and later gradually expanded the policy insurance to cover more grassland. "With grassland insurance, our herdsmen can receive compensation even if we encounter natural disasters such as drought, thus ensuring our production and living," said local herder Gereltu. All herdsmen insured in the Urad Back Banner received total compensation of more than 700,000 yuan (about 110,500 U.S. dollars) in 2021. The autonomous regional government is exploring ways to build a market-oriented guarantee and insurance system that helps protect the grassland ecology. Also, to guard against grassland disasters and promote post-disaster recovery, said Wang Jianhe, the deputy head of Inner Mongolia's forestry and grassland work station. While protecting grassland ecology, the insurance guarantees the production and life of local herders and prevents them from returning to poverty after such disasters, Wang said. After a three-year trial period, the insurance policy will be gradually expanded across the entire autonomous region, the official added. Connecticut State Police HARWINTON State police are investigating after numerous mailboxes throughout town were reported either damaged or stolen on Saturday. Harwintons Resident State Trooper said in a Facebook post that Troop L was notified Saturday morning of numerous mailboxes that had been damaged and/or taken throughout town during the overnight hours. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW HAVEN Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport straddles New Haven and East Haven, and has had its share of ups and downs over the years. Some nearby residents and officials see it as an asset, while others consider it a burden. With new services starting recently, the small airport is busier than it has been in a while, and there are more changes on the horizon. Here are five things you need to know about Tweed: 1. Its home to Avelo Airlines Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Tweed has been in the news lately, particularly since Avelo Airlines, a new, low-cost startup airline, announced last May that it would make Tweed its first East Coast base of operations and begin flying later in the year. Avelo, the only commercial airline currently serving Tweed, which uses the booking symbol HVN, has since added flights to six Florida destinations Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and Sarasota-Bradenton using three jets that are currently based there. Last week, Avelo announced plans to add flights beginning in May to four more other destinations: Nashville, Tenn.; Savannah, Ga.-Hilton Head, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C. All of the flights are on full-size Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 jets. Avelo Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy has said that three additional 737-700s will be delivered to be based at Tweed over the coming months, and more destinations soon will be added. He would not say which destinations the airline plans to announce. In its first 100 days serving Tweed, Avelo hired 109 people and spurred more than $20 million in local economic impact, with additional destinations coming soon, Levy has said. During the next few months, the airline plans to double both the size of its fleet in New Haven to six airplanes and the amount of local people it employs to more than 200, as it adds several new routes, he said. 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. 2. Theres a proposed expansion under way Courtesy of Avports Tweed also has been in the news because of a proposed $70 million-$100 million expansion project. The project would involve lengthening the usable portion of the runway for takeoffs by more than 1,000 feet, from 5,600 feet to 6,635 feet, by paving portions of the existing, unpaved runway safety areas. It also would involve building a new terminal on the East Haven side of the airport and moving the airports entrance to that side to provide access via Hemingway Avenue, which is a largely-commercial state road. The approach to Tweed currently is on New Haven city streets, largely along Townsend Avenue, and runs almost entire through residential neighborhoods after people exit Interstate 95. Tweeds longtime operator, Avports LLC, owned by a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, would finance an initial $70 million expansion under a 43-year airport lease agreement with the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority which the Board of Alders unanimously approved in September, which opens the door for airport expansion. But while Tweed is busier than it has been in years, much still needs to happen and not everyone in the neighborhood is on board. 3. After many years of spotty service, service is growing Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media When it comes to commercial flights, Tweed is busier now than it has been in decades but it still is not as busy as it was as recently as the mid-1990s. As recently as 1996, Tweed was served by four airlines, with United flying full-size 737 jets to Chicago, United Express flying turboprops to Washington Dulles Airport, US Airways Express flying turpoprops to Philadephia and Continental Express flying turboprops to Newark. The Tweed New Haven Airport Authority was formed to enable the city to move quicker to rebuild the airports service after United, United Express and Continental Express all pulled out, leaving US Air Express, which later became part of American Airlines network after American and US Airways merged. For years after US Air stopped flying into Reagan National Airport following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Tweed offered service to just one destination: Philadelphia International Airport, although there were short-lived additions of service. Most notable was a period when Delta Connection flew from New Haven to Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport from 2004-06. More recently, American Eagle flew between Tweed and both Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., before the coronavirus pandemic ultimately spelled the end of Americans service. It ceased all flights in October 2020, then resumed flights to Philadelphia in January 2021 after receiving federal CARES Act funding, then suspended service to New Haven at the end of September 2021. 4. Tweeds planned growth is not a done deal Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Asked at Feb. 11 press conference to celebrate Avelos first 100 days of service, Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Sean Scanlon said that nothing will be finalized and no applications will be filed until the current environmental assessment being done on improvements recommended in Tweeds 20-year master plan update is completed. He hopes to see that happen by this summer. The proposed runway extension, the proposed new 70,000-square-foot terminal and any new entrance all would require approvals Tweed has yet to seek, including from the East Haven Planning and Zoning Commission and Inland Wetlands Agency and the state Department of Environmental Protection, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration. Scanlon also said the airport authoritys new agreement with Avports, which would extend Avports contract to manage the airport and map out how its relationship with the city and the authority for the next four decades, also is still being negotiated. Last years Board of Alders approval was done with the understanding that the Avports agreement still would have to be worked out. Scanlon said its important to get it right. 5. Some neighbors oppose the expansion Mark Zaretsky / Hearst Connecticut Media At every public meeting, and many of the press conference the airport holds, residents opposed to further expansion or in some cases to any additional service attend. Residents, including members of a Stop Tweed Expansion Facebook group and an environmental and opposition group called 10,000 Hawks, complain about noise, traffic, occasional flooding, aircraft exhaust and other quality of life issues. Opponents also have raised questions about how climate change and associated sea level rise might affect the airport which is located close to Long Island Sound and borders tidal wetlands. Some experts have suggested that those are valid questions. In recent weeks, some neighbors have photographed and filmed Avelo flights taking off and landing to show how low they sometimes fly and how loud they can be. Others have taken to posting details of when commercial flights take off and land so others can watch for them and monitor when they arrive late and even measured sound threshold levels using apps on their smart phones. mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com The junta is pitting Pyu Saw Htee forces against opponents just like setting up cockfights, says one fighter. An aerial view of Chaung Oo village, in Sagaing region's Pale township, where junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee fighters burned more than 300 homes, Dec. 18, 2022. The torching of hundreds of homes in Myanmars Sagaing region Friday highlights a brutal weapon in the juntas scorched-earth campaign in the parts of the country that have resisted the year-old military regime: the secretive Pyu Saw Htee militia. The pro-junta forces are the year-old military regimes answer to the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militias that have sprung up across swathes of Myanmar to resist the military takeover. In a recent measure of their impact, the research group Data for Myanmar reported that pro-junta forces burned down a total of 4,571 homes between seizing power in a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 and Feb. 14 this year. Fridays arson attack in volatile Sagaings Pale township followed a pattern of escalating junta responses to response to PDF actions. Residents of Pales Chaung Oo village told RFAs Myanmar Service that around 20 soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee fighters stormed the area in an early morning raid, torching more than 300 of the tracts 350 homes, following an attack on their joint training camp near Zee Pyu Kone by pro-democracy militias on Feb. 14. Pyu Saw Htee forces and soldiers came from the northwest of the village and burned our homes. The wind was coming from the west, and it fanned the flames, he said. The source said that while the fires had since gone out, residents were still unable to return to the village due to the ongoing threat of an attack. Internet service has been shut down for nearly six months in Pale, but sources in the area say that pro-junta forces have burned at least 1,000 homes in the townships Hlaw Gar, Inn Ma Htee, Pan, and Mwe Tone villagessending thousands of refugees scrambling for shelter in nearby forests. Asked about Fridays arson attacks, junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said the military was not responsible for burning the homes. PDF troops are organizing terrorist activities in Sagaing. Because of instability in the region, local people are forming the militias to resist against [the shadow National Unity Government (NUG)] and the PDFs, he said. The PDFs have attacked these villages and burned down the houses. The military is protecting civilians who had to flee their villages because of this. There is no reason the military would do such a thing because they are there to protect civilians. Pyu Saw Htee fighters train at a shooting range under the tutelage of junta soldiers, Feb. 11, 2022. RFA Widely viewed as military stooges Zaw Min Tun also dismissed reports of the Pyu Saw Htees existence, although he acknowledged that the military is currently forming native militia groups in response to internal insurgency movements in play since Myanmar gained its independence from Britain in 1948. The groups located in areas with heavy insurgent activity are in a challenging situation. he said, adding that all militia groups working with the military will surrender their guns at the end of their mission. Pyu Saw Htee is derived from Pyusawhti, the legendary founding king of the Pagan Dynasty, the first Burmese kingdom. Sources told RFA that Myanmars military is not only responsible for arson attacks against civilians, but that the junta has been secretly organizing citizen militias to disrupt, detain, or even kill activists that oppose its rule. In areas where the PDFs were the strongest, such as in Magway and Sagaing regions in the north and west, the junta armed and trained groups of citizens who support military rule, forming the militia groups now known as the Pyu Saw Htee. The groups were given carte blanche to make arrests, seize property, kill PDF members, and destroy villages, sources said. The online news outlet The Irrawaddy in June reported that the groups are widely viewed as military stooges, but were responsible for assassinations of the elected politicians deposed in the 2021 coup, burnings of schools in Yangon and other cities, and disinformation campaigns to discredit junta opponents. The groups consist of active and retired military personnel, civil servants, members of the military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party, ultranationalists and people hired for a wage of 5,000 kyats (about US$3) per day, the independent outlet reported. The military partys crushing loss to Aung San Suu Kyis ruling party in November 2020 elections the military claims were rigged triggered the army coup detat three months later. Stealing cattle Soe Lay of Gangaw township in the region of Magway, which has also targeted by arson attacks, said the military and their proxies work in lock step and also steal livestock. They provided military training. They are even building bunkers in our villages. Some even have machine guns. The Pyu Saw Htee are gaining strongholds in the largest villages of Gangaw township, Soe Lay told RFA. They came in alongside a military regiment and they slaughtered our cattle and took it away, he said. Soe Lays village has been able to mount an effective defense so far, but he said he worries that the Pyu Saw Htee or the military could one day use a stronger force to overrun the village. RFA has been unable to independently verify the total number of Pyu Saw Htee groups throughout Myanmar. A Facebook account that claimed to be linked to the groups headquarters wrote in May that it had formed on March 5, 2021 and counted veterans and members of the pro-military Ma Ba Tha nationalist groups among its personnel. A PDF member in Pale township told RFA the military has armed the Pyu Saw Htee to crush the junta resistance and sow conflict. I have witnessed atrocities committed by these militia groups. They brutally killed three civilians near Min Taing Pin village a week ago and afterwards they robbed a gold shop, a clothing store, and a mobile phone store in the market for no reason, he said. A resident of nearby Khin-U township, who declined to be named for security reasons, told RFA that villages where the USDP party enjoys strong support, people are forming Pyu Saw Htee groups to seize property that could be used to support the resistance movement. When they are short of food supplies and cash, they raid the villages nearby and rob the local people, he said. They even took away truckloads of rice supplies. Another resident of Khin-U said Pyu Saw Htee members live like ordinary citizens when the military regiments are away but when junta troops are present, they act as informants and assist in raids or robbing civilians. Destroyed homes in Chaung Oo village, Feb. 18, 2022. RFA Setting up cockfights When asked about reports of ties between the USDP and the Pyu Saw Htee, party spokesperson Nandar Hla Myint told RFA he was unsure. First, we made it crystal clear [to them] that we never condone violence. We do not condone armed resistance movements which target civilians and schools, he said. Second, we, as a political party, have instructed our members to respond to armed violence with armed defense, in accordance with the law, said Nandar Hla Myint. The military is known to have a set of protocols to form militias as part of its standard operations, political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA. They dont have secret militia-raising activities in majority Bamar regions since there was no major armed resistance movement there before, he said. They mostly work in areas where the armed ethnic groups are based. But right now, the PDFs have intensified their presence in the Sagaing and Magway regions. Thats why the military is bringing in these militia groups. Ko Khant, the spokesperson of local North Yamar PDF group, which is active in Sagaings Yinmabin township, told RFA that the military arms the Pyu Saw Htee to agitate anti-junta forces and goad them into clashes. Its just like setting up cockfights. They are using these militia groups as part of their military strategy, but our resistance movement will not fail, no matter what strategy they use. We will not give, he said. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Eugene Whong and Joshua Lipes. Myanmar and Gambia will present arguments as to whether the ICJ has jurisdiction to examine the genocide claim. Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, watch on a mobile phone a live feed of former Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's appearance at the UN's International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands, on the second day of a hearing on the Rohingya genocide case, Dec. 11, 2019. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is holding hearings this week to determine whether it has jurisdiction to judge if atrocities committed by the Myanmar military against Rohingya Muslims constituted a genocide. The West African nation of Gambia filed a case at the ICJ in November 2019 accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention during the alleged expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Rakhine state to neighboring Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown in 2017. During the hearings on Feb. 21-28, which include both in-person and virtual participants, representatives of Myanmar and Gambia will present arguments as to whether the ICJ has jurisdiction to examine the claims. The ICJ is the judicial arm of the United Nations. The case is separate from an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as to whether two waves of violence in Rakhine that led to the forced deportation of more than 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh represented a crime against humanity. The ICC can prosecute individuals, while the ICJ works as an arbiter in disputes among nations. Myanmars military seized power from the democratically elected government in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup that ushered in a period of violence. Security forces have killed more than 1,560 people across the country. Myanmars National Unity Government (NUG), a government in exile formed by elected leaders, previously refused to accept the authority of the ICJ to decide if the 2016-17 scorched-earth campaign constituted genocide against Rohingya Muslims. But the NUG recently changed its stance and urged The Hague court not to recognize the ruling military junta as the countrys representative. Rohingya living in refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh said they are hopeful that the ICJ can bring justice for the Myanmar militarys rights violations against the ethnic minority group. Mohammad Nur, former general secretary of the Kutupalong Camp-2 East refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, noted that the former government led by Aung San Suu Kyi supported the militarys action in Rakhine, but now has reversed course. So, this changed scenario gives us hope, he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The Rohingya refugees are ineligible to become citizens in Myanmar under current policy. But last June the NUG said that it plans to amend the countrys constitution to give citizenship to Rohingya, 300,000 of who still live in Rakhine state. Nur said they want to return to their home country because the refugee camps where they now live are squalid and overcrowded and offer limited educational and employment opportunities. If the court decision comes out in our favor, the military government will come under international pressure and, hopefully, agree to give us citizenship, he said. Jafar Alam, a Rohingya physician at the Kutupalong camp, told BenarNews that the NUGs reversed position supporting the ICJs jurisdiction over the genocide case will bode well for the refugees. We, all the Rohingya people, have been waiting eagerly to hear a decision in favor of us, he said. If the ICJ decision comes out in our favor, then there will be no problem for us to go back to Myanmar. During a videoconference on the ICJ hearing hosted by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Feb. 17, Wai Wai Nu, a Rohingya activist and director of the Womens Peace Network, said that the case opens the door for accountability and justice for Rohingyas and many other communities in Myanmar. It's helped [people] to realize the enormity of the crimes against the ethnic communities and the people of Myanmar, she said. It also raises the debate of justice and accountability domestically, not just internationally, which is very important for our country, Myanmar, because the questions of justice and accountability have always been under-discussed or dismissed, she said. Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director, said his group is trying to get more nations to support the ICJ case. Hopefully, were getting closer and closer to our goal of breaking the cycle of impunity that the Tatmadaw [Myanmar military] has sustained throughout the course of modern Myanmar, causing untold suffering against the Burmese people. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service and Kamran Reza Chowdhury for BenarNews. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Journalists hounded and harassed to the point where many have fled the country. Independent or opposition media shuttered or blocked online. Nearly all news media reaching the public controlled by the government. For years, media experts and others have been warning about Azerbaijan's dire media landscape. And now they say it could get even worse. Despite protests from many of the remaining independent reporters in the country and criticism from the West, including the Council of Europe, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev approved a new law on the media on February 8. The legislation, passed by the country's largely rubber-stamp parliament in late December 2021, places fresh restrictions on the owners of media operating in Azerbaijan as well as journalists, who will be required not only to register with the authorities but to abide by other new rules, including one on the "objective" interpretation of facts and events. Natiq Mammadli, department director at the state's Media Development Agency, which was involved in crafting the law, has said it is merely aimed at modernizing the country's media legislation as well as improving the professionalism of journalists. Media rights activists, as well as Azerbaijani independent journalists and media, aren't convinced. "We're indeed very concerned with the application of this law we publicly denounced several times," said Jeanne Cavelier, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk of the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in e-mailed remarks to RFE/RL. According to RSF and other media experts, Aliyev has waged a campaign against his critics, with independent journalists and bloggers jailed on dubious grounds if they do not first yield to harassment, blackmail, or bribes. Worsening Situation Many of the country's journalists operate outside the country, having fled persecution. A crackdown after 2020 parliamentary elections largely boycotted by the opposition, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the short war in 2020 in Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory disputed with neighboring Armenia, have all conspired to create a worsening situation and more censorship for journalists in Azerbaijan, RSF has said. In the most recent RSF index, Azerbaijan ranked 167th out of 180 countries. In the post-Soviet space, only Turkmenistan ranked lower. On December 26, 2014, Azerbaijani police raided and sealed RFE/RL's Baku bureau citing charges that were thrown out by an Azerbaijani court. The bureau remains closed and local RFE/RL correspondents continue to be harassed by Azerbaijani officials. Fatima Movlamli, a freelance journalist covering a protest of mothers of sons killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, was arrested and beaten in detention by police in Baku on February 15, becoming apparently the first reporter to fall victim to the new media legislation. "The police [said] she had no right to work as a journalist since she was not included in the register created by the new media law," Cavelier said. By registering, journalists are forced to hand over to authorities information and details that will ultimately make their tracking and possible future detention easier, Cavelier explained. "All those who'll be registered take the risk of facilitating their repression by the authorities because they have to give them personal details like their addresses, details of their bank accounts and work contracts; those who won't be registered are liable to find their activities even more restricted," Cavelier said. Azerbaijani media outlets that have based themselves abroad to avoid harassment, such as Meydan TV, which is based in Berlin, will find it much harder to operate, RSF has warned. If they are not registered as media outlets in Azerbaijan, it will be illegal for their correspondents to work there. Those registered and allowed to report inside Azerbaijan will also face scrutiny to report "objectively," as defined by the Aliyev government. "I'm especially appalled by the fact that journalists will have to comply with the 'objective' interpretation of the facts -- without any definition of an objective interpretation. It will be an additional pretext to put independent or critical journalists in jail," Cavelier said. 'Turning Into North Korea' Independent journalists inside Azerbaijan protested the changes that have been reportedly in the works since the start of 2021. "From today onward, the media [in the country] can be considered dead," said freelance journalist Nurlan Libre, as he placed a symbolic headstone in front of the country's parliament building during a protest on December 24, 2021, that was quickly dispersed by police. "This is censorship, this is authoritarianism. It is against our constitutional rights. This means turning the country into North Korea," he added in a Facebook video on the protest. In a rebuke of the legislation on February 10, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, a human rights group, noted that the Azerbaijani parliament had passed it "With no formal opportunity for the public to discuss and comment on the draft." It noted that any journalist with a criminal record would be excluded from the new reporter registry. "Given the country's long track of imprisoning journalists on fake charges over the years, this specific precondition will eliminate a significant number of independent reporters and legalize censorship," the Norwegian Helsinki Committee said. To no avail, Dunja Mijatovic, the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, called on President Aliyev on January 25 to use his authority to return the legislation to parliament for revision, "in order to bring it in line with international and European standards on freedom of expression and media freedom." Media owners will also face new requirements, as outlets must now be owned by Azerbaijani citizens permanently residing in the country. 'Death Of Independent Journalism' If outlets are found to have accepted foreign funds or have a director who does not meet the requirements of citizenship and education, they could be suspended for two months, or even shut down if violations are repeated. The restrictions apply to print, online, and broadcast entities, as well as any individual or group that mainly publishes "audiovisual material" online. Targeting foreign funding or foreign ownership is not unique to Azerbaijan. Russia's "foreign agent" legislation was adopted in 2012 and has been modified repeatedly. It requires NGOs that receive foreign assistance and that the government deems to be engaged in political activity to be registered, to identify themselves as "foreign agents," and to submit to audits. RFE/RL has been targeted by the controversial legislation, with 18 Russian-national journalists on the government's "foreign agent" list, and facing over $13 million in assessed fines. To rule on who is and isn't abiding by the new restrictions will be the Azerbaijani courts, as well as a new seven-member Audio Visual Council. Appointed by the president, the council will rule on cases involving individuals or organizations that publish "audiovisual material" online. Cavelier echoed the fears of others that the new draconian measures could be the final nail in the coffin of independent journalism in energy-rich Azerbaijan. "So this law may mean the death of independent journalism, which is already in hard difficulties in the country because of the ongoing repression," she said. With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service More than 100 people who were evacuated from a steel plant in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol have arrived in Zaporizhzhya, the Mariupol city council said, as Russian forces resumed their assault on the complex. 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. The council said in a statement that the people who arrived in Zaporizhzhya -- a city about 230 kilometers northwest of Mariupol -- were receiving assistance after emerging from weeks in the bunkers of the sprawling Azovstal plant. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 156 people were evacuated. She said several hundred more people remained inside the plant and tens of thousands of women, children, and elderly remain in Mariupol. "There is no medicine, water, or communication services," she said at a briefing on May 3, adding that the authorities needed to rescue everyone who wants to escape. The United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross coordinated the evacuation of women, children, and the elderly from the steel works. "We would have hoped that many more people would have been able to join the convoy and get out of hell. That is why we have mixed feelings," Pascal Hundt of the ICRC told journalists on a video conference call. Osnat Lubrani, UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said that 101 women, men, children, and older people could finally leave the plant, and several dozen more joined the convoy in a town on the outskirts of Mariupol. Some evacuees decided not to stay with the convoy and headed to destinations other than Zaporizhzhya, Lubrani said. A few women who arrived in Zaporizhzhya held up handmade signs calling on the Ukrainian authorities to evacuate soldiers still holed up in the plant and their relatives and loved ones who are trapped. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the continued coordination with Kyiv and Moscow will lead to more humanitarian pauses that will allow civilians safe passage from the fighting. WATCH: Current Time reporter Borys Sachalko comes under fire as he accompanies a Red Cross team attempting to evacuate a village that lies between Russian-occupied Kherson and Ukrainian-held Mikolayiv in southern Ukraine. Despite the calls for additional evacuations, Russian troops began to storm the plant soon after the latest group of people got out, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications under the National Security and Defense Council said in a statement on May 3. According to the Vereshchuk, Russia purposely resumed the assault after some civilians got out. "This was their plan: to allow some civilians to leave and then continue bombing. However, civilians remain there, there are people who did not have time to get out from under the rubble because the blockages were so heavy that in two days they simply could not lift them physically. We need to continue the humanitarian operation, including Azovstal," Vereshchuk said. French President Emmanuel Macron also urged that evacuations from the steel plant be allowed to continue. Macron spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on May 3, calling on Russia to rise to the level of its responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council by ending its devastating aggression, an Elysee statement said. The storming of the plant comes days after 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." Later on May 3, Russian strikes began targeting the western city of Lviv. The strikes happened just before 8:30 p.m. local time. It wasnt immediately clear what was targeted. Mayor Andriy Sadoviy wrote on social media that people in the city should take shelter. Train service out of Lviv was suspended. Sadoviy acknowledged in another message that the attacks had damaged power stations, cutting off electricity in some districts. The governor of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine said Russian troops shelled a coke plant in the city of Avdiyivka, killing at least 10 people and wounding 15 more. "The Russians knew exactly where to aim -- the workers just finished their shift and were waiting for a bus at a bus stop to take them home," Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote in a Telegram post. "Another cynical crime by Russians on our land." Kyrylenko said 11 more people were killed in the shelling of four towns in the region. The number includes five killed in the town of Lyman and four in Vuhledar. Kyrylenko said the death toll on May 3 was the highest on a single day since a Russian strike on a train station in the city of Kramatorsk killed 57 people on April 8 and injured 109 others. WATCH: Ukrainian troops southeast of Kharkiv survey heavy damage to a community cultural center, reflecting on the impact on locals, now all but gone. Ukrainian officials say the Russian military also struck railroad infrastructure across the country on May 3. Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the state-run Ukrainian railways, said the Russian strikes hit six railway stations in the countrys central and western regions, inflicting heavy damage. The governor of the Dnipro region, Valentyn Reznichenko, said Russian missiles struck railway infrastructure in the area, leaving one person wounded and disrupting train service. Earlier on May 3, in a video address to the parliament in Kyiv, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced 300 million pounds ($376 million) worth of extra military aid for Ukraine. 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 EU's executive indicated it was prepared to propose another sanctions package to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine. But Slovakia and Hungary will not support sanctions against Russian energy, including on oil imports. The two countries say they are too reliant on Russian oil and there are no immediate alternatives. The sanctions will also target the Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, which will be excluded from the global banking communications system SWIFT, unnamed diplomats said. 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 on May 2. 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. 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 NAIROBI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Four people including two foreigners were Sunday morning killed after a vehicle they were traveling in plunged into a railway track near Dagoretti neighborhood in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the police said. Nairobi regional deputy police commander, James Mugera said two others were injured in the accident, adding that two Canadians and two Kenyans were among those killed in the accident. Mugera said the four-wheel drive car hit a roadside wall and plunged into the track almost five meters down. Witnesses said the car was moving to the city centre when the driver lost its control after the hit and plunged into the track. The incident caused a huge traffic jam on the busy road as officials tried to rescue those trapped in the car for almost three hours. Locals asked authorities to rectify boulders at the scene, which they claimed are a death trap on motorists using the road. According to the police, fatal accidents are common in Kenya due to reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, drunk walking, drunk riding, and failure to use helmets. STANYTSYA LUHANSKA, Ukraine -- When the war first broke out eight years ago, Natalya, 28, just hid in the basement when the gunfire and artillery bombardments came too close. Now its different. Now I fear for the children, she said, holding her 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter by the hand as she crossed from the city of Luhansk, held by Russia-backed separatists since 2014, into Ukrainian government-held territory. Were leaving for good. Ukraines long-running war, fought in the eastern Donbas region, could be on the verge of a major escalation, with more than 130,000 Russian troops poised near Ukraines borders and tension rising between Russia on the one hand and Kyiv and the West on the other. The fenced-off, heavily guarded, cordoned checkpoint in Stanytsya Luhanska has been in place for years. For residents of the separatist-held city of Luhansk and the government-controlled areas to the north, it has been a major inconvenience -- but one that people had gotten used to, showing passports and residence permits as if crossing an international border. Now it feels different. Amid increased fighting, mounting fears of a new Russian invasion, and false claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Ukrainian government is committing genocide in the Donbas, the separatist leaders in Luhansk and Donetsk on February 18 announced mass evacuations to Russia. They later announced a general mobilization order for men aged 18 to 45 and forbade men of those ages from leaving the territories. Without providing evidence, the separatist leaders claimed that Ukrainian government forces would soon launch a big offensive. Kyiv denied any such plans, and Western officials have accused Moscow and the separatists of planning to create a pretext for a new Russian invasion of Ukraine. On February 20, a steady stream of people passed through the checkpoint over a period of several hours. They were not responding to the evacuation calls and were remaining in Ukraine -- fleeing their homes and what they said was mounting violence, particularly in the city of Luhansk. Some said they were getting out for good. Of course, were frightened. Everyones frightened. No one has any idea whats going to happen, said Anya, a bookkeeper who stood with her 12-year-old son Danil and 6-year-old Artyom eating shawarma wraps, waiting for relatives to meet them. What would you do in this situation? She said crossing the line at Stanytsya Luhanska has always been an inconvenience. It became a major problem when authorities imposed once-a month limitations for crossing, as part of efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, which has been more problematic in the separatist-held territories. Near the checkpoint, a small collection of pop-up shops offered groceries, shawarma, medicines for sale; across the street were a series of fitted-out shipping containers offering rapid COVID testing. Anya said she and her husband, an agronomist, initially had no plans to leave or evacuate their apartment in Luhansk -- both were still getting paid at their jobs, albeit not very much. That changed on February 19, when the separatist administrations in Luhansk and Donetsk barred all men between the ages of 18 and 55 from leaving; a day later, a general mobilization order was also ordered. Authorities also ordered schools closed as of February 21 -- not that it made that much difference, she said: Schools have been mostly doing remote learning to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Its been useless. The children dont learn anything. So, they decided to send the boys away to live with their grandparents, in the village of Bilokurakyne, about 150 kilometers away in government-held territory, she said. Shell video chat with them, and hopes to see them in a month, when shes allowed to cross again. Unless we end up in total hell. 'No One Wants Us Anywhere' The days before she crossed over with her sons, she said, there were nearly a dozen teeth-rattling explosions audible in her neighborhood. She said it was impossible to say where they came from, or who was to blame. But she said in general she and her entire family felt the world had all but forgotten about the conflict, and the people still trying to live in the area. No one wants us anywhere, not in Kyiv, not in Moscow, she said. Im glad that maybe in Europe, or the United States, somewhere theyre reading about us. In Stanytsya Luhanska itself, fears spiked two days earlier when shelling that Ukrainian officials said came from the Russia-backed separatists hit a kindergarten in the town. two teachers were reported slightly injured in the incident, which left a gaping hole in the schools brick walls. Its unclear how many people have left the separatist-held parts of Luhansk and Donetsk since the evacuation orders were issued. Leaders of the Russia-backed separatists have been quoted by Russian media as saying tens of thousands of people have left, mostly for the neighboring Russian region of Rostov. 'Really Brutal' There were no verifiable number of how many people have left Luhansk on their own, crossing into Ukrainian government-controlled territory. The Russian state news agency TASS quoted separatist authorities in Luhansk on February 20 as saying that nearly 34,000 people have crossed into Rostov. Its brutal, really brutal, said Tanya, 27, who, along with her 3-year-old daughter, had been visiting her parents in Stakhanov, a town southwest of Luhansk, not far from the line of control separating government forces from separatist fighters. People are totally afraid whats going to happen next. Soldiers are everywhere. Theres constant shooting. She said she had no idea who was doing most of the shooting. Its panic, total panic, said Tetyana, who worked on a nearby farm complex until she retired in 2012. She was evacuating Luhansk with her daughter and her 8-year-old grandson, locating to Rubizhne, the north. For them, the decision to leave came with the prohibition on military-aged men from leaving, and conscript them into the local militia forces in Luhansk. Why did we decide to go? When they gave the order to start taking the men into service, she said. Natalya, who like all the people interviewed for this article asked not to give her surname, recalled calmly hiding out in the basement in 2014 when Luhansk came under bombardment. She said she was supposed to have her first day of work on February 21, as a shopkeeper in a small grocery store in the city -- but the order barring men from leaving the region and the closure of schools was the last straw. The children are sleeping through the night, more or less. Me? Not really, she said. In Novoluhanske, a frontline town on the government-held side whose outskirts briefly came under heavy artillery fire during a visit by Ukraines interior minister on February 19, the most common lament from residents interviewed by an RFE/RL reporter wasnt the threat of a new invasion by Russian forces: it was that the town was dying, if not dead already: people moving away and the school all but shutting down, with a tenth of the student population it had just a few years ago. Why would I leave? I have three apartments here. My mother lives here, my grandmother. Besides, where I would go? Ive lived here all my life. Its my home. My town, said Serhiy Kraynov, 26, as his 6-year-old son Zhenya played on a decrepit, rusting playground. Still, he said: Yes, the shooting, the artillery in recent days has definitely been serious; havent heard anything like this in a long time. We had a nice town. There were lots of children. All the homes were full. After 2014, 2015, everyone left, said Olesiya, a 65-year-old retiree who has been selling bread from a dilapidated kiosk for the past six months to supplement her monthly pension of 3,000 hryvnyas ($106). Asked if she would move away in the event of full-blown new war, she laughed. And where would I go? No one needs me. No one needs us at all here, she said. "I just bided my time:" Steve Nicks claims she delayed breakup with Lindsey Buckingham to save Fleetwood Mac Professor NGUYEN MAI, Chairman of Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) spoke with Saigon Investment and provided some of his analysis and recommendations. JOURNALIST: - Sir, what do you think about the prospects of Foreign Direct Investment flow into Vietnam this year? Prof. NGUYEN MAI: - Forecasts given by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which is the world's most trustworthy platform, shows that global Foreign Direct Investments will recover in 2022, and return to the 2019 levels by 2023, and even grow much higher by 2024 and 2025. A report on ASEAN released by UNCTAD in late 2021 included some positive predictions that Vietnam remains a relatively successful country and a promising future destination for foreign investors. Investigations released in recent months by foreign chambers of commerce like Amcham, Eurocham and Kocham indicate that 60% to 65% of foreign businesses in Vietnam have plans to expand their business activities in 2022 and in the years to come. This is a pretty high percentage compared with many other countries. Vietnam's top leaders and officials such as the President, the NA Chairman and the Prime Minister have made very significant visits to Europe, the USA, India, the Republic of Korea and some ASEAN countries. At high profile talks or investment promotion conferences, European and US Corporations vowed to pour remarkably large investments into Vietnam, including for gas power plants and offshore wind energy projects worth billions of US dollars. Such signals can ensure us that foreign investment capital in Vietnam will increase by about 10% to 15%, or between USD 31 bn and USD 36 bn. This means that we could reach the goal set by Resolution 50-NQ/TW issued on 20 August 2019 by the Politburo, aimed at improving the laws and policies for better quality and more effective foreign investment cooperation by 2030. - Sir, this means that attracting sufficient FDIs could be within our reach. What do you think about our possible selection of good quality FDI projects with application of new and high technology as directed in Resolution 50-NQ/TW? - Resolution 50 sets requirements for application of advanced technology, modern management and environmental protection in 50% of production activities by 2025 and 100% by 2030, as compared to 2018; and the localization rate, which is now 20% to 25%, is required to be raised to 30% by 2025 and 40% by 2030. I believe we will hardly meet the requirements if we do not have effective measures. In order to attract high-quality Foreign Direct Investments, we must be able to appeal to large international corporations that are willing to transfer technologies, provide adequate training for workers and satisfy the prerequisites for green and sustainable development. These matters require suitable and appropriate measures. The first step, as directed in Resolution 50-NG/TW, is to establish and perfect the FDI laws and policies in line with latest development trends and international advancement. When we fulfill our responsibilities in accordance with the new generation of Free Trade Agreements, we are required not only to comply with trade and investment regulations, but also assume different responsibilities, including responsibility for guaranteeing the workers' rights and gender equality. EU also set high requirements for origins of products, food safety and environmental protection. Many people may ask why we have been talking a lot for years about trying to perfect our laws and policies but they still are not yet perfect. It is true that we have not been able to make our laws perfect enough although we switched to the market economy thirty-five years ago. The laws and regulations must be enforced strictly from the central agencies to the provincial ones, especially by the authorities in charge of Industrial Parks (IPs) and Export Processing Zones (EPZs). In order to attract high quality FDIs, we must make IPs eco-IPs and our cities into eco-cities. We must not allow construction of IPs in the same old ways. Instead, we must build IPs with houses for workers, kindergartens, schools and hospitals, and other such basic needs of the people. This complies with the required laws and regulations. The second step is to make every effort to attract major projects from the EU and the USA as well as take the most advantage of the good relationships with Japan, the Republic of Korea and the ASEAN community. We should also take a closer look to see why investment flows from these countries into our country have not been as much as into other countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. I do believe that we have not met three of the requirements. The first one is intellectual property protection. We have all the necessary laws, but enforcement remains a problem, making it impossible to stop things like violations of copyrights and trademarks. The second one includes requirements for publicity, stability, no discrimination and no unofficial hidden costs. The last step is a requirement for quick responses and formalities which are still very slow and complicated, and may take investors up to a year to complete procedures for a project to get started, and then years to complete the formalities for fire control and prevention as well as land clearance. The third step is to have new ideas and actions, and there should be a thorough reform in administrative affairs on a national basis. Additionally, investments should be focused on specific areas. For instance, Hanoi needs to have IT, AI or Big data projects, and the capital officials should proactively call for investments from the EU and US Corporations. The fourth step, which plays a pivotal role in promoting productive investments, is to create favorable opportunities for foreign investors who are currently operating their businesses in Vietnam, because they can offer the most persuasive advertisement of the image of things that are Vietnamese or related to Vietnam. - Thank you very much. Tri Nhan DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A 14-year-old girl has been killed and a 38-year-old woman was injured after they were struck by lightning in Tanzania's southern highlands region of Katavi, police said on Sunday. Ally Makame, the Katavi regional police commander, said the lightning strike that hit Tulieni village in Mpanda district on Saturday evening also burned two houses to ashes. "The girl was inside one of the houses that were struck by lightning. She died on the spot," Makame told a news conference. He said the lightning strike followed a heavy downpour that was accompanied by strong winds in the area. Meanwhile, two herders sustained serious injuries when a tree under which they took shelter from rain fell after it was struck by lightning. The two herdsmen took cover under the tree in Ololosokwan village in Ngorongoro district in Tanzania's northern region of Arusha, said Justine Masejo, the Arusha regional police commander. Masejo said the two herders were using their cell phones when the lightning struck the tree on Saturday afternoon, adding that none of the livestock they were herding was injured. NEW DELHI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Nine people, including a groom, were killed Sunday after a vehicle carrying them plunged into a river in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, police said. The accident took place in Kota district, about 251 km south of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. "Today in the morning at 7:50 a.m. (local time) we received information about the accident. Immediately a rescue operation was launched, following which bodies were pulled out from the car," a police officer said. "The car had plunged seven-eight feet deep into the water." Reports said the driver lost control over the vehicle. According to police, the car was traveling to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed grief over the accident. "The death of nine members of the marriage party, including the groom, after the car carrying them fell into Chambal River is very sad and unfortunate. Have spoken to the collector and assessed the situation. My deep condolences are with the aggrieved families," Gehlot wrote on social media. Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving. Around 150,000 people are killed every year in around half a million road accidents across India, officials said. India's federal minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has said that the government has set a target to reduce road accident deaths by 50 percent by 2024. 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. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Voters show their inked fingers after casting their votes for the Assembly elections of Punjab at Bhagwaan village in Amritsar district of India's northern Punjab state, Feb. 20, 2022. Voting for local elections is underway in two Indian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, officials said Sunday. (Str/Xinhua) NEW DELHI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Voting for local elections is underway in two Indian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, officials said Sunday. The voting, which began in the morning in all poll-bound states, will continue until 6:00 p.m. local time. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), voting will be completed in a single phase in Punjab. However, Uttar Pradesh will be witnessing the third phase of the seven-phase staggered elections. Authorities have provided all the necessary facilities and security arrangements to ensure free and fair polling in the poll-bound states. "In today's phase, 59 constituencies spread across 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh are voting. Simultaneously, polling for assembly elections for 117 seats in Punjab is also being held in the single-phase," an election official said. "Reports pouring in from all the poll-bound states say voting is going on peacefully." Officials say in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic and new cases of the Omicron variant across the country, ECI has laid focus on COVID-safe elections. "The COVID-19 patients, who are quarantined, will be allowed to cast their vote at the last hour of the poll day at their respective polling stations, under the supervision of health authorities in strict adherence to COVID-19 appropriate protocol," the official said. "Proper mechanism of collection and disposal of waste or used gloves has been put in place at each polling station." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to voters in the poll-bound states to vote in large numbers. "The Punjab elections and the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections are being held today. I call upon all those voting today to do so in large numbers, particularly the youth as well as first-time voters," Modi wrote on social media. The counting will take place on March 10. People queue up to cast their votes for the Assembly elections of Punjab at Manawala village in Amritsar district of India's northern Punjab state, Feb. 20, 2022. Voting for local elections is underway in two Indian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, officials said Sunday. (Str/Xinhua) A voter shows his inked finger after casting his vote for the Assembly elections of Punjab at Bhagwaan village in Amritsar district of India's northern Punjab state, Feb. 20, 2022. Voting for local elections is underway in two Indian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, officials said Sunday. (Str/Xinhua) People queue up to cast their votes for the Assembly elections of Punjab at Manawala village in Amritsar district of India's northern Punjab state, Feb. 20, 2022. Voting for local elections is underway in two Indian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, officials said Sunday. (Str/Xinhua) A voter shows her inked finger after casting her vote at a polling booth for the Assembly elections of Punjab at Bhagwaan village in Amritsar district of India's northern Punjab state, Feb. 20, 2022. Voting for local elections is underway in two Indian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, officials said Sunday. (Str/Xinhua) When either David Campos or Matt Haney arrives in Sacramento as the next 17th Assembly District member representing San Francisco later this spring, many of their colleagues will look at them for what they are: another left-leaning legislator from San Francisco. But until the April 19 runoff election that decides who goes to Sacramento, many San Francisco voters will be parsing dozens of other factors important in the diverse, politically hyperaware district in the eastern side of the city. That is why the two men will claw for every vote and often at each other in what is likely to be another close, low-turnout, off-the-traditional election calendar election. How close? Only 887 votes separated the two men, who emerged from a field of four candidates in Tuesdays election, according to ballots counted through Friday. Haney held the edge, garnering a little under 37% of the vote. This is going to feel more like a local race than a state-level race, said Jason McDaniel, a professor at San Francisco State University who closely watches local elections. Elections are rarely about one issue. While housing may take center stage, its going to be about a lot of other issues as well. It will be a race that will split racial and ethnic blocs and the LGBTQ community, too. And of course Democrats, since nearly three in four city residents are registered as one. Campos, a native of Guatemala who Equality California says would be the first LGBTQ immigrant in the Legislature, sees the choice as a larger, philosophical one. The main difference between the two, Campos said, is that he is not accepting corporate contributions. We see politicians running for office promising all of these things including Medicare for All and yet it hasnt happened, Campos, 51, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, told me. Politicians say, Were for this change as they take money from the very people that are against that change. And you know what happens when theyre elected? The change doesnt happen. They vote against it. Haney, 39, a current supervisor, pointed out that Campos is the vice chair of the California Democratic Party which hasnt been shy about raking in corporate donations. Then again, neither has Haneys campaign or the independent expenditure committee supporting him. Haney said he is not accepting corporate political action campaign contributions. I am not a king of any party, Campos replied. Im a Democrat and we have a lot of voices in the Democratic Party. On Sunday, the state partys executive committee will decide whether to accept contributions from fossil fuel companies and law enforcement organizations. Campos opposes accepting contributions from either. Haney countered that every every other word out of his mouth is corporation. And I think hes a lot less focused on the the actual needs and experiences that people have. Here are some of the many factors to watch as the campaign unfolds: Housing on the ballot: Haney and the independent expenditure groups supporting him will pound Campos for his 2015 proposal, when he as a supervisor, to create a moratorium on the construction of market-rate housing in the Mission District. (The board rejected it.) Its a sign of Campos inflexible attitude on how to dig out of the housing crisis, Haney said. Campos said the moratorium proposal came from his constituents, and he was representing their wishes. If I had to do it, again, I wouldnt do it, Campos said. We need housing of all types, including market-rate housing. After Tuesdays election, YIMBY Action, one of San Franciscos and the nations loudest advocates for building housing everywhere, announced it was endorsing Haney. In the primary, it endorsed political newcomer Bilal Mahmood, saying that it was skeptical of Haneys mixed record on housing. Whats changed, other than the group trusts Haney way more than Campos? Whenever someone evolves on an issue, you want to make sure that they stay true to that, but were feeling much more hopeful about (Haneys) commitment, YIMBY Actions Laura Foote told me. (Haney) didnt get the endorsement and then during his speech at his victory party (Tuesday night), hes talking about the need to build more housing. Thats pretty committed. The Chesa Boudin factor: The nationally watched June 7 recall election of San Franciscos controversial District Attorney Chesa Boudin will be heating up at the same time as the Assembly race is in gear. Mentioning Boudin will be a calculated risk for both candidates, McDaniel said. Campos is on leave as Boudins chief of staff while he runs for Assembly. Whoever wins the special election in April will have to turn around and run for a new term in the June primary and November general election, too. If Haney pushes too hard on the Boudin connection, he may alienate the progressives who support the district attorney. Campos may rev up progressives if he links arms tightly with Boudin, but doing so may drain support from moderates. A lot of progressives do well in the city when they could run against an establishment moderate candidate, McDaniel said. Haney has done a good job so far in appealing to both progressives and more centrist voters who have backed San Francisco Mayor London Breed, he said, but its a delicate dance hes trying to do. Haneys progressive two-step can be a bit clumsy. Haney, who opposes the Boudin recall, told me, I dont have any plans to make the district attorney part of this race, myself. Moments later in our conversation, he did. Haney pointed out that in his official ballot statement, Campos did not state that he is on leave from his job as Boudins chief of staff. I mean, thats very strange, Haney said. Campos replied that the supervisor from the Tenderloin is going to say a lot of things about me between now and April 19. Campos stood by his work with Boudin, saying that he is proud of the fact that we have been pushing for reform in the criminal justice system. Whose Tenderloin is it: Campos regularly refers to Haney as the supervisor from the Tenderloin, a neighborhood that has become nationally known for being ridden with crime, drug abuse and homelessness. Campos points out that things got so bad in this neighborhood under his watch that in December, Breed declared a 90-day state of emergency in the Tenderloin, promising to ramp up policing in the area and crack down on drug dealers and users there. 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. If you are happy with what he has done in the Tenderloin, then you probably should vote for him, Campos said. But if you believe that what is happening in the Tenderloin is unacceptable, then I hope that you will consider looking at us because we need change. Haney said Campos moniker for him is a very cynical thing for him to do and hes sort of playing on peoples fears. A huge part of why Im running is because we need more statewide leadership on the issues that have long plagued the neighborhood, Haney said, noting that hes done much to bring more resources to the neighborhood. He also noted that he represents a very large district that includes more well-to-do neighborhoods like South Beach, Mission Bay and Rincon Hill. Quipped Haney: Hes not calling me the South Beach supervisor or the Mission Bay supervisor. Getting along with others: Campos and Haney both support single-payer health care. Haney said he was disappointed that after single-payer legislation died last month in the Legislature, and Campos tweeted that he wished the bills author, Assembly Member Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, a Haney endorser, had called for a vote so that every legislator would be on the record for where they stood on the proposal. Campos said he was respectfully pointing out that (Kalra) was wrong not to seek a vote. Haney saw it as Campos not being a good team player. Hes talking a lot about Medicare for All, yet hes attacking the author, Haney said. I think that is a sign for a lot of people in Sacramento of how ineffective he would be a legislator. Campos countered that its hard to say he isnt collegial when hes been chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and vice chair of the California Democratic Party. Campos is endorsed by six of Haneys colleagues on the 11-member Board of Supervisors. Haney is backed by two. If you want to know how well I work with people just ask Matt Haneys colleagues a majority are supporting me, Campos said. Who hasnt endorsed yet: Some key endorsers havent weighed in yet. State Sen. Scott Wiener told me, Im neutral in this race. City Attorney David Chiu, who held the Assembly seat before Breed appointed him to his current role, told me, I have no plans to endorse at this time. San Franciscos other state legislator, Assembly Member Phil Ting, is backing Campos. The third-place finisher in Tuesdays election, Bilal Mahmood, told me, I have not yet decided who to endorse. Neither has fourth-place finisher Thea Selby. Breed hasnt made an endorsement, but her spokesman confirmed there remains a possibility she will. In a close, hard-fought local election, any edge would help. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Sunday that last weeks school board recall election was mainly a result of parents frustrated about a slow reopening of in-person instruction during the COVID pandemic. In a Sunday interview on NBCs Meet the Press, Breed said the school board recall election that ousted three members Tuesday was not a Democratic, Republican issue but instead about parents who were upset that the board did not focus on bringing students back into classrooms. They were focusing on other things that were clearly a distraction, Breed said. Not to say that those other things around renaming schools and conversations around changes to our school district werent important, but what was most important is the fact that our kids were not in the classroom. We failed our children, she said. Parents were upset. The city as a whole was upset, and the decision to recall school board members was a result of that. The election results garnered attention from political commentators and conservatives from across the country on social media, saying the recall was a referendum on wokeism and a rebuke of the citys progressive politics. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was was invited by the Stanford College Republicans to an event on campus Thursday, called the three ousted school board members woke during a sold-out speech in front of hundreds of students and community members. The event also drew students to protest Pences invitation to the campus. This week in San Francisco, parents recalled three woke school board members who cared more about renaming schools than reopening, Pence said. Several issues over the past two years including lawsuits, renaming schools, controversial murals, stripping merit-based admissions to one of the top-performing public high schools in the country and a slow reopening of schools despite public health authorization to do so led to the recall of commissioners Gabriela Lopez, Alison Collins and Faauuga Moliga, the only board members who had served long enough to qualify for a recall at the time. On Sunday, when asked by show host Chuck Todd how much of the recall was about renaming schools and parents upset about the school board permanently stripping merit-based admissions at Lowell High School, Breed said it was likely some voters were upset about both issues. She said discussions on those issues are important to have, but not at the expense of making sure that the priority of what the school district is there to do is met. At the end of the day, our kids were not in school, and they should have been, she added. Breed is responsible for appointing replacements to the school board. At a news conference Wednesday, the mayor said shed already met with parents about what they want to see from the school board but hadnt yet interviewed any potential candidates. 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. Im going to be looking for people that are going to focus on the priorities of the school district and not on politics and not on what it means to run for office and stepping stones and so on and so forth. We need people who want to be on the school board to make a difference and who meet those qualifications to do the job, Breed said Sunday. Todd also asked Breed whether she expects there will be a crossover from voter frustration in last weeks school board election to District Attorney Chesa Boudins recall election on June 7, and whether she will support the recall. Breed backed the effort to recall the three school board members. Breed answered that people are definitely frustrated about accountability in their concerns around crime in the city, but she didnt draw a direct line between the two elections. I havent made a decision one way or another about the (D.A.) recall, the mayor said. Im still debating on whether or not I will, but ultimately what I want to be able to do is make sure that the decision I make is not an impediment to my ability to work with the district attorney in keeping San Franciscans safe. Jessica Flores is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It was through the creation of Negro History Week in 1926, which was the predecessor to Black History Month, that self-made scholar Carter G. Woodson dreamed of using education to eradicate racial inequality in America. Woodson envisioned schools having a year-round focus on Black studies, with students demonstrating what they learned in the week that coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14). If Woodson were alive today, hed be portrayed by conservatives as a radical academic trying to indoctrinate the youth. The ignorance Woodson was trying to overcome has grown more complex since 1926, and critical race theory an education concept capable of exploring why has become a convenient straw man to pummel by anyone uncomfortable with examining Americas original sin. Developed in the 1980s, the academic framework functions around the central idea that racism is systemic, not individual. It isnt rotten luck that explains why Black people make up 5% of San Franciscos population but 37% of its homeless population, or why Black Oaklanders are nearly 13 times more likely to be arrested for a felony than white residents, according to city data. These disparities are byproducts of long-standing oppressive systems that used racial covenants to prevent Black residents from owning homes, and mandatory minimum sentencing that filled Americas prisons with more Black bodies than white ones during the war on drugs. Yet the notion of dedicating classroom time to examining why these systems exist and how they function wasnt welcome when Woodson suggested it 96 years ago, and the same proved true in 2020. Former President Donald Trump kicked off the smear campaign against historical accuracy in September 2020 when he condemned critical race theory for being part of a propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country. School board meetings have since become ideological battlegrounds where frenzied parents pumped up with online misinformation from conservative operatives warn that acknowledging and dissecting systemic racism will further divide the country, not heal it. The warnings didnt fall on deaf ears. Currently, at least 30 states have legislation aimed at prohibiting teachers from teaching divisive topics like critical race theory, according to New York-based nonprofit PEN America. California isnt among them, but as my colleague Jill Tucker wrote last month, that doesnt mean the rights anti-CRT campaign isnt making waves here. Tuckers reporting reveals that communities that have become less white in recent years were three times more likely to be among the nearly 900 nationwide school districts dealing with push-back against critical race theory. One such place is Paso Robles, which banned the teaching of specific race-based concepts in August, The Chronicle reported. At the time, school board president Chris Arend told Fox News that critical race theory was a disgustingly racist ideology meant to divide America. Meanwhile, the Bay Area isnt immune to awkward disputes over how to teach students about race. Hip Hop for Change doesnt have a curriculum rooted in critical race theory, per se, but it does educate youth about Black issues through music and art. And sometimes this includes lessons aimed at unpacking why there were assassinations of multiple Black leaders during the civil rights era, Hip Hop for Change education director Marlon Richardson told me. This isnt something students are typically hearing in African American Studies or during Black History Month in school, he said. This knowledge can be startling for minds that havent been primed to receive it. 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. Last year, a potential collaboration between the Oakland education nonprofit and Palo Altos Nixon Elementary fell apart after a PTA leader requested Hip Hop for Change tweak its assembly presentation by omitting mention of graffiti arts origins and removing a PowerPoint slide that included pictures of its members wearing End White Supremacy T-shirts. Richardson ended talks with the school and posted about the ordeal on Facebook and LinkedIn, which drew support from Nixon Elementary parents unaware of what had transpired. Our nonprofit is able to have tough conversations, but were able to do it with love, were able to do it with kindness, Richardson told me. But lets not insulate our kids from the truth thats going to set us free in terms of equality in this country. A quarter century after he started Negro History Week, Woodson lamented that his vision of an America collectively armed with a clear-eyed view of history wasnt coming to pass. In 1950, he wrote in the Negro History Bulletin, his periodical for high school teachers, that schools and their administrators do not take the study of the Negro seriously enough. More than 70 years later, parents freak out if their kids hear the words white supremacy in a classroom. And critical race theory has become the protagonist in a culture war. My, how far weve come. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips appears Sundays. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips To me, Fremont will always represent the American dream and the American nightmare. Often seen as the drive-by city between San Jose and Oakland, Fremont is a reminder of the original sins of white nationalism and American imperialism in all its hubris, violence and absurd contradictions. In 1846, John Fremont was sent by the U.S. War Department on an ambitious expedition to survey California. Like most colonizers before and after him, he took credit for discovering something that already existed. (Isnt that wild?) The inhabitants of the land, Native Americans, were apparently not part of Gods plan. In order to ensure theyd be erased from the story, Fremont and his men presided over not one but several massacres of Indigenous people along the way to their destiny. None of his men were charged or punished for their crimes. I wonder how Fremont and his merry band of murderers would react knowing that today, the town named after him is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the Bay Area, populated by brown and Asian immigrants who came from shithole countries? (Its the little things that give me joy.) Freakmont, as it is affectionately known by some, still doesnt get love or respect. Its viewed as the quiet, boring, suburban town where middle-class and upper-class immigrants and Silicon Valley workers reside for the expensive houses, great weather, excellent public schools and delicious ethnic food. We dont have the Golden Gate Bridge, but we do have Pakwan, Shalimar and De Afghanan Kabob. We also are the hometown of Olympic gold-winning figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. During my youth, in the 80s, Fremont had yet to experience the Silicon Valley tech boom and population growth. There was still plenty of affordable land and even many white people. My father had achieved the coveted upwardly mobile middle-class status a few years before most of his Pakistani peers and was able to invest early. My grandparents and my mother in particular were quite social, and our old home is still fondly remembered for these festive Quran khatams and old-school music parties where community members and my aunt sang ghazals and Bollywood classics. My mother and aunts were trained by my Dadi to cook up a feast on the drop of a dime. People were always staying with us, some of them family and others just random folks who stayed six months or a year or two because they were related to my parents friends and needed a place to stay when first arriving in Amreeka. To most this would seem like a chaotic halfway house for itinerant Pakistanis, but to me it was normal. I thought all homes were like this, filled with several generations of eccentric family members, religious functions mixed with social gatherings, giant pots of food, Urdu and Saturday morning cartoons, He-Man action figures and Sunday school where the religious teacher would come to our home and teach the neighborhood kids how to read the Quran. We even had a huge wraparound yard with a separate garage and a giant eucalyptus tree in front of the sidewalk. It was Xanadu for us first-generation kids. By 1987, my parents had achieved the Amreekan dream. They had checked off all the boxes for the barometer of Pakistani immigrant success: A marriage. A child. A nice suburban home. A Honda, Mercedes, BMW and/or Toyota. (Double check!) A big-screen TV. A job that somehow affords all this. In many South Asian communities, personal fulfillment and desires take a back seat to log kya bolingay, the sole question that never receives an answer but nonetheless drives immigrants to participate in a relentless, panicked race that eventually leads them to their graves. What will people say? We spend our entire lives hijacked by what will people say? We are obsessed with it. We do everything we can to show our good face, even sabotaging our own happiness in the process. We give up so much for people who really dont know us or care about us and who wont even come to our funeral, because theyre too consumed and self-absorbed, running the same race, asking themselves, What will people say? If you live in an apartment when all your peers live in a house, what will people say? If your kid was born here and went to school and was unable to get a good job, what will people say? If youre above the age of 30 and youre unmarried, what will people say? My parents never drilled the checklist into my head. I never heard them obsess over the size of our house or compare our cars with our friends. This conversation never came up in my house, but it smothered my generation nonetheless. It was inescapable. We breathed it in, observing what our community elders valued, how they valued us, how they were judged, how they judged others, how people were ranked. All that was left was for me to go to a good college, get a good degree, get a good job with a good salary, marry a good girl, produce good children and then pass on this recipe of success to my good children so the goodness could be replicated until the end of times. Happiness is optional. But happiness defined my childhood. I thought this was the norm, not the suburban exception. Ignorance, no matter how well-intentioned, is one of the unfortunate handicaps and setbacks of privilege. Success in America, or the appearance of it, has its own toxic baggage. All eyes are on you. Especially when you have the biggest house in the community, your Dada is driving a Benz and your parents have allegedly made it before everyone else. Compliments are now laced with poison. Guests enjoy the haleem and the kheer after the music party, but a few ask, Why them? Why not me? Passive-aggressive cuts are delivered with wide smiles in between pleasantries. During junior high, a friend from school moved into one of the multimillion-dollar mansions that started to quickly replace the vineyards on nearby Mission Hills. Many of my parents contemporaries had literally moved on up. Our house was now quaint compared to their spacious palaces. No complaints. I congratulated my friend on the move. Now we have the biggest house, he responded. His voice was tinged with anger and pride, a cocktail mixed with vengeance and triumph, as if some cosmic wrong was righted. It shook me. I had no idea there was a competition. I wished someone had informed me while I was playing my Sega Genesis. This essay was adapted from Wajahat Alis new book, Go Back To Where You Came From. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A battery of drums throbbed Saturday on San Franciscos Market Street as trucks rolled by bedecked with tasseled dragons and men in work boots adjusted a float designed like a BART car. After a year hiatus, the San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade roared back to life. Thousands convened to celebrate the Year of the Tiger, which many hoped would mark the end of a grueling pandemic, a burst of violent crimes against Asian Americans and other crises that began in 2020 and continued to fester in 2022. We hope that the community continues to be resilient, said Stephanie Wong, longtime parade-goer and winner of San Franciscos 2016 Miss Chinatown USA pageant. She volunteered to help organize this years pageant, which wrapped up last week with a coronation ball at the Hyatt Regency hotel. The theme, Wong said, was Resilience Embracing Beauty and Strength. The winner would sit on a throne atop a parade float, festooned in roses. Officials had aimed to draw big crowds to the festivities Saturday night, and by 4 p.m. transbay BART trains were standing room only though by dusk, some downtown streets still seemed quieter than during previous parades. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Muni pledged to provide free rides until 5 a.m. Monday. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency waived fares for the Lunar New Year weekend to help transport people to the attractions in Chinatown and boost the neighborhoods economic recovery. Supervisors Connie Chan, Aaron Peskin and Dean Preston partnered with SFMTA to roll out the complimentary ride program, coupled with another enticement for visitors: two hours of free parking in the Portsmouth Plaza Garage for the remainder of February. Standing on the paved brick near the First Republic bank, Marleen Luke smiled radiantly in a black sequined gown and white feather boa. She and several other women were dressed in bejeweled capes and feathered headpieces to evoke Chinatowns Forbidden City nightclub, a popular destination in the 1940s, at the edge of the Stockton Street Tunnel. The women also carried feather dusters, a prop they would whip out while performing Gai Mou Sou, the viral rap song they recorded last year to protest a wave of hate crimes against Asian Americans. We had no idea it would be so popular, Luke said, beaming. We were on The Steve Harvey Show. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Johanna Montagne of Oakland stood in a throng of parade-goers near Market and Post streets, her 2-year-old daughter, Anais, slung on her hip. Anais wore a purple qipao dress that the family purchased that day in Chinatown. Montagne, who grew up in San Francisco and has attended many Chinese New Year Parades, noted its traditional to wear something new. And red for good luck, she said, gesturing to her red cotton shirt, also from a shop in Chinatown.Im excited its live again, Montagne said, as other bystanders craned their cell phones to photograph floats with tigers in every form: fluffy, feathered, bejeweled, meticulously carved into statues. Many wished Saturday nights revelry would wash away a long period of despair. The city canceled last years event amid surging coronavirus infections, which forced the closture of schools and businesses and caused tourism to sputter in San Francisco. 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. Chinatown merchants were among the hardest hit in the region, struggling to stay afloat at a time when few people were traveling to the city, and residents were postponing weddings, canceling banquets, and ordering goods online, instead of at local shops. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle For a while, people kept asking if the parade would continue or if the street fair would be canceled, said Anni Chung, CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly, an organization that serves mostly immigrant Asian seniors. She acknowledged that she and her staff had worried the event might shut down for another year as omicron raged through the Bay Area. But on Saturday, the streets were bustling as Chungs staff sat at booth on Grant and Pacific avenues. Were all putting on our happiest faces to welcome in the new year, because its been a long time, Chung said. Its time to get over the pandemic, the pandemic, the pandemic. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Franciscos historic Sir Francis Drake Hotel officially has a new name, the Beacon Grand, with a reopening planned for spring, according to Leah Goldstein, public relations manager for the hotel. The rebranding process for the famous San Francisco hotel has been ongoing since the Northview Hotel Group purchased the property last April for roughly $157 million from the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group. Everything was done with so much thought for such an iconic property, Goldstein told The Chronicle. We are not just changing the name and then quickly changing everything about the hotel. It is all much more intentional than that. The 416-room hotel on Powell Street near Union Square has been shuttered since the onset of the pandemic. The original name of the 94-year-old hotel paid homage to 16th century explorer Francis Drake, known as the first English sea captain to circumnavigate the world. But Drake was also a slave trader, and the use of his name came under scrutiny in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the attendant racial reckoning that gripped the Bay Area and the rest of the nation. The news of the name change was first reported by the San Francisco Business Times. Kimpton Hotels, the hotels former owner, released a statement in 2020 saying the company planned to evaluate a name change and potential rebranding of the property. Goldstein said plans to rename the hotel werent settled until Northview Hotel Group took over last year and expressed the desire to create an entirely new experience for future guests, which included the new name of the Beacon Grand. In Marin County, the school district in San Anselmo voted last year to rename Sir Francis Drake High School to Archie Williams after nine months of debate. Williams was born in Oakland and honored with many academic achievements. He also famously competed in track and field in the 1936 Olympics. Marins Sir Francis Drake Boulevard was named after him in 1929. The 43-mile road runs through five jurisdictions in Marin County, each with the power to decide whether to keep or change the name. 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. Activists clinched a victory after the Fairfax City Council voted last March to rename a stretch of the boulevard that runs through the city. A name the council is considering is Coastal Miwok Trail, a nod to its Indigenous roots. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard also intersects the towns of Ross, San Anselmo, Larkspur and Marin, but government officials in those areas ultimately voted to keep the original name. Although Northview Hotel Group has moved forward in dropping the Drake name, Goldstein said the rebranding will preserve components of the propertys past. Helping in this effort is Oakland architecture firm Arcsine, which has been partnering with Northview to design the interior elements. There is still no official word on the future of the Starlight Room, which sits atop the hotel and has been beloved by tourists from around the world. The new concept very much honors and respects the history of the iconic hotel, she said. We are aiming for early March to share more details and images. Alexandria Bordas is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexandria.bordas@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @crossingbordas A 73-year-old hiker who went missing during a sudden snowstorm has been found safe after rescuing himself in remarkable fashion. Gab Song went missing Feb. 15 after telling family he was doing a solo hike up Mount Pinos, an 8,847-foot summit near the Tejon Pass. When he didnt return that evening and calls to his cell phone went straight to voicemail his worried family reported him missing. That day, a shock snowstorm swept through Los Padres National Forest, dropping snow and obscuring trails with fog, raising concerns even further. Song, who was carrying his compass, backpack and some snacks, didnt panic, however. He had a lighter, which he used to ignite small articles of clothing as kindling and start a fire to keep warm at night. After eating the last of his snacks by the end of his first day, he used the melted snow to sustain him. When the sun was up, Song used his compass to hike east, knowing he would eventually run into roads or homes if he did so. As Song hiked, search and rescue teams, along with his family and friends, took to Los Padres National Forest to look for him. They knew hed never done the Mount Pinos Trail before, but that he was an experienced hiker who knew how to take care of himself. On Thursday morning, after two nights exposed to the freezing elements, Song hit a road. When he saw a passing car, he raised his arms up for help. According to the Kern County Sheriffs Office, the good Samaritan drove Song to their home, where they made him tea and called the sheriffs department to report the missing hiker found. According to CBS LA, when Song was reunited with his relieved loved ones, he happily told them, Im [a] strong man. Search and rescue teams agreed; Songs son Mike Song told KGET that rescuers called him a stud. I was like, dang, I guess thats my pops, Mike Song said. I cannot explain how delighted [I am], his friend Peter Lee told Central Recorder. Hes a very close friend who survived. File photo taken on Oct. 7, 2021 shows Queen Elizabeth II attending an event at Buckingham Palace in London, Britain. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday. The queen is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, the palace said. (Xinhua/Han Yan) LONDON, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday. The queen is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, the palace said. "She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," it added. The announcement was made just a few weeks after the 95-year-old monarch marked her Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Earlier this month, Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time after he fell ill with the virus in 2020. British media said he had seen the queen a few days before his positive diagnosis, citing palace sources. By Xinhua writer Wang Bin BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- On Feb. 21, 1972, then U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China upon invitation, embarking on an "ice-breaking" journey attracting attention worldwide. During his visit, China and the United States reached an important consensus on principles for handling bilateral relations and published the Shanghai Communique, a major step forward in normalizing bilateral relations. Looking back at history, the most fundamental reason why China and the United States were able to make the handshake across the Pacific Ocean was that both sides adhered to the principle of mutual respect and sought common ground while shelving differences. With the future in mind, China and the United States should draw wisdom and strength from their "ice-breaking" history to bring ties back on track and work for the sound and steady development of bilateral relations. As China and the United States are two major countries with different political systems and cultural backgrounds, it is normal to have divergences. This is the reality the two sides realized 50 years ago. However, for some time, certain U.S. politicians have viewed China-U.S. relations from a zero-sum game perspective and stirred up troubles unilaterally, making bilateral ties extremely difficult. Hyping up ideological antagonism is an obvious infringement of the original intention of developing China-U.S. relations. Only by transcending divergences and seeking common interests can the two countries accord with the trend of history and the general expectations of the international community. As both China and the United States have undergone tremendous changes over the past 50 years, it is imperative to view each other from a correct perspective for the two sides to continue co-existing peacefully. Whatever development stage China is in, China's goal has never been to threaten other countries. Instead, it aims to bring a better life to its people and promote the common development of all nations. Some U.S. politicians who hype up the rhetoric of containment and competition against China are merely driven by the "anxiety disorder" from seeking hegemony. Such a practice won't help solve the problems faced by the United States and will only damage the interests of both countries and the world at large. History and reality have fully proven that China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. They can get many things done for the good of the two countries and the whole world when they cooperate with each other. The multiple challenges faced by humanity demand cooperation among all countries, particularly China and the United States. As the two largest economies in the world and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the United States shoulder the major responsibilities for world peace, development and stability. Under the current circumstances, the two countries should demonstrate a sense of responsibility, strengthen cooperation, and work with all countries to address the challenges and to inject more certainties and positive energy into a world witnessing many turbulences and changes. History is the best textbook. Only by learning from the past can China and the United States make a better future for bilateral relations. Artillery fire escalated sharply in eastern Ukraine Saturday, and thousands of residents fled the region in chaotic evacuations two developments rife with opportunities for what the United States has warned could be a pretext for a Russian invasion. Russia-backed separatists, who have been fighting the Ukrainian government for years, have asserted, without evidence, that Ukraine was planning a large-scale attack on territory they control. Western leaders have derided the notion that Ukraine would launch an attack while surrounded by Russian forces, and Ukrainian officials dismissed the claim as a cynical Russian lie. But separatist leaders on Saturday urged women and children to evacuate and able-bodied men to prepare to fight. The ginned-up panic was already having real effects, with refugees frantically boarding buses to Russia and refugee tent camps popping up across the Russian border. At the same time, the firing of mortars, artillery and rocket-propelled grenades by separatist rebels along the front line roughly doubled the level of the previous two days, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five wounded, the military said. Ukrainian officials said the shelling came exclusively from the separatists, who are seen as a proxy for Russia. New York Times reporters at the scene witnessed shelling from separatists and saw no return fire from the Ukrainian forces, although residents in the separatist regions said there was shelling from both sides. I have a small baby, said Nadya Lapygina, who said her town in the breakaway region of Luhansk was hit by artillery and mortar fire. You have no idea how scary it is to hide him from the shelling. In a pointed reminder of where this conflict could lead, Russia engaged in a dramatic display of military theater Saturday, test-firing ballistic and cruise missiles. President Vladimir Putin of Russia presided over tests of nuclear-capable missiles as part of what Russia insists are nothing more than exercises and not the precursor to an invasion. Tensions between the United States and Russia have not been this high since the Cold War, and Russias nuclear drills appeared carefully timed to deter the West from direct military involvement in Ukraine. Western leaders gathered in Munich issued repeated calls for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, despite President Joe Bidens claim Friday that Putin had already decided to invade Ukraine. The leaders displayed a remarkably united front in what Vice President Kamala Harris called a defining moment for European security and the defense of democratic values. But in Ukraine, the fighting edged perilously closer to a tipping point. And there were alarming signs of what U.S. officials described as possible precursors to a pretext for a Russian invasion. Intense artillery barrages targeted a pocket of government-controlled territory around the town of Svitlodarsk, a spot that has worried security analysts for weeks for its proximity to dangerous industrial infrastructure, including storage tanks for poisonous gas. A stray shell from returning government fire risks hitting a chemical plant about 6 miles away in separatist-controlled territory. The plant, one of Europes largest fertilizer factories, has pressurized tanks and more than 12 miles of pipelines holding poisonous ammonia gas. An explosion there could produce a toxic cloud that could serve as an excuse for a Russian invasion or, U.S. officials have warned, Russia could stage its own explosion there to justify intervention. Another potential flashpoint in the area, a water network that supplies drinking water to several million people on both sides of the conflict, may have been damaged by shelling Saturday. Russias Interfax news agency cited a spokesperson for the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic saying that shelling had struck a pumping station and the water supply was at risk. A loss of water for residents in the Russian-backed areas would reinforce Russian assertions of dire conditions for civilians and would be a setback for Ukraine, which has tried to persuade residents that the government is not their enemy. A cutoff of that water supply amid fighting in 2014 hastened a flow of refugees from the city. In what Western officials dismissed as a baseless provocation, Denis Pushilin, leader of one pro-Russia separatist region, the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic, called on all able-bodied men to be prepared to fight the coming Ukrainian assault. I appeal to all men of the republic who are able to hold weapons in their hands, to stand up for their families, their children, wives and mothers, he wrote on social media. The Kyiv government denied any plans for an attack, but the warnings prompted residents to flock to bus depots in eastern Ukraine. Inna Shalpa, a resident of the separatist-held town of Ilovaisk, in the Donetsk region, had no idea where the Russian bus she and her three children boarded was headed, but she was ready to accept the uncertainty to flee an expected war. We were mostly worried about the children, Shalpa, 35, said in the middle of a frantic effort to distribute refugees among buses, parked in front of the first Russian railway station on the other side of the border. On Friday, Putin ordered the government to pay $130 to every refugee, and the Russian region of Rostov, which has several crossing points with the separatist areas, declared a state of emergency. By Saturday, several thousand people had fled the separatist regions of Ukraine and crossed into Russia. As the separatists stirred upheaval in eastern Ukraine, the Russian missile tests, of three ballistic and cruise missiles, were also intended to send a different message, that a conflict could quickly escalate. Putin watched the display from a Kremlin command center, accompanied by President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, which is considering letting Russia base some of its nuclear arsenal on its territory. The test was technologically unremarkable, with videos issued by Moscow showing a fighter jet releasing a cruise missile from the air, a mobile-launch vehicle shooting off an intercontinental ballistic missile and a hypersonic sea-launched missile. The Kremlin said the test was designed to show off Russias triad launches from the ground, air, and sea which mirrors the array of weapons in the American arsenal. Two of the three weapons were designed to evade U.S. missile defenses. In Munich, Western leaders continued to insist that diplomacy was still possible while warning of serious consequences for Russia if it invaded. Harris said in that case, the United States and its allies would target not only financial institutions and technology exports to Russia, but also those who are complicit and those who aid and direct this unprovoked invasion. Russia continues to claim it is ready for talks, while at the same time it narrows the avenues for diplomacy, she said. Their actions simply do not match their words. Similar warnings were uttered by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She promised a serious package of financial and economic sanctions against Moscow in case of any aggression, which may cost Russia a prosperous future. The new German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said a Russian move into Ukraine would be a grave mistake that would prompt immediate and heavy political, economic and strategic consequences. Nothing justifies the deployment of well over 100,000 Russian soldiers around Ukraine, he said. No country should be anothers backyard. Even the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, in a striking comment of some distancing from Russia, said that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of every country should be safeguarded. Ukraine is no exception, he said in a virtual appearance at the Munich conference. But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who flew to Munich for a few hours despite U.S concerns that he not leave the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, impatiently pressed Western leaders to take stronger action now. What are you waiting for? he asked. We dont need your sanctions after the economy collapses and parts of our country will be occupied. He also made clear that Ukraine would continue to seek membership in NATO, and blamed the West for not being honest about whether it really would welcome Ukraine into the alliance. We are told the doors are open, he said. But so far, the strangers are not allowed. If not all members are willing to see us, or all members do not want to see us there, be honest about it. Open doors are good, but we need open answers. Bidens televised speech Friday evening was the first time that the president had said that he now considered, based on intelligence and troop movements, that Putin had decided on a major invasion of Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days, adding that we believe that they will target Ukraines capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people. The United States now says that Russia has as many as 190,000 troops in or near Ukraine, nearly twice as many as there were in January, according to an assessment made public Friday by Michael Carpenter, U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. U.S. officials said that Bidens assessment was based in part on new intelligence showing that nearly half of the Russian forces had moved out of staging and into combat formation, and could launch a full-scale invasion within days. And in recent days, researchers have seen the Russians put their surface-to-air missiles on alert, with the missile canisters pointing straight up into the air in firing position instead of the normal horizontal direction. But Bidens heightened sense of urgency was not immediately apparent in Kyiv, despite his having explicitly identified the capital city as a Russian target. The idea of Russian forces storming what is currently a calm and peaceful city was hard for many people there to imagine. Russia will do something, said Sofiya Soyedka, 32, a Kyiv resident. But invade Kyiv? No way, she said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The second anti-pandemic work group from the Chinese mainland to support the COVID-19 control efforts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) arrives at south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang) The second medical team from the mainland consists of 114 members, who will fully cooperate with the HKSAR government in fighting the latest COVID-19 outbreak. HONG KONG, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The second team of mainland health experts and workers arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) via the Shenzhen Bay Port on Saturday to work with the HKSAR government in fighting the latest COVID-19 outbreak. The team is comprised of 114 members, including four critical care medical specialists, four administrative staff members, and 106 sampling workers. The second anti-pandemic work group from the Chinese mainland gets ready to depart from Shenzhenwan Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) The four critical care specialists will discuss with clinical medical experts in Hong Kong on the treatment of severe and critical COVID-19 cases, and share the treatment experience of COVID-19 patients in the mainland. Also on Saturday, the construction of two community isolation and treatment facilities built with assistance from the mainland began at Penny's Bay and Kai Tak Pier in Hong Kong, respectively. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks at the commencement ceremony held at Penny's Bay quarantine site in south China's Hong Kong on Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua) Designed and constructed by China State Construction International Holdings Ltd., the two isolation facilities are expected to provide about 9,500 quarantine units when fully operational. On behalf of the Hong Kong residents, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam expressed her heartfelt thanks to the central leadership for their great attention, care and full support to Hong Kong at the commencement ceremony held at Penny's Bay quarantine site. The HKSAR government would like to express its sincere gratitude to the China State Construction International for its professionalism and sense of responsibility in assisting Hong Kong in the fight against COVID-19, Lam said. Sonoma County has reached a new milestone in the fight against COVID-19, having administered one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the campaign to strengthen county residents' immune systems against the daily virus continues into its 15th month. The county's Department of Health Services announced Saturday that 1,000,594 does of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been administered in Sonoma County since the vaccination campaign began in December 2020. The current total of vaccines includes first, second and booster doses. A total of 376,946 residents, or 80 percent of the ages 5 and older population who are eligible for the shot, are now fully vaccinated. San Jose firefighters were battling a two-alarm house fire Saturday evening in east San Jose. The fire was reported in the 3100 block of Coldwater Drive near South White Road. A San Jose police spokesperson said several people who live at the house have been evacuated. No one has been injured. Police are assisting with traffic control in the area and are asking motorists to avoid the area to assist emergency vehicles in gaining access to the neighborhood. There are no further details at this time. Xi Gamma Omega Members and Xi Pi Chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., will host a donation drive Sunday to collect new and unused essential personal care items for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault fleeing abuse. The event will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday in observance of World Social Justice Day at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School at 960 10th St. in Oakland. The event is a partnership between the sorority and Family Violence Law Center, one of the oldest domestic violence agencies in the Bay Area. The center provides free, confidential crisis intervention and legal services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alameda County. Oakland police are looking for an elderly woman who has been missing since Tuesday. Maria Mooney was last seen Tuesday near the 6500 block of Liggett Drive. She was wearing a pink striped long sleeve shirt and gray pants. Mooney's family told police she may be heading to the Sacramento area. Officers added that Mooney has dementia. Petaluma police officers made four DUI arrests Friday and Saturday, with two of them involving collisions, according to a police spokesperson. On Saturday afternoon, a 27-year-old Rohnert Park man was found stopped in his car in a traffic lane on the Old Redwood Highway overcrossing. As an officer approached him, the man drove away, but the officer eventually made a traffic stop and determined that the man was driving under the influence. He was also driving on a suspended license from a prior DUI offense. The driver, Victor L. Sonato, refused to submit to a chemical test and was subsequently arrested for DUI and driving with a suspended license. Sonato was arrested and transported to Sonoma County Jail. The California Highway Patrol reports a fatal traffic collision has closed northbound Interstate Highway 880 in Oakland early Sunday morning. CHP officers and Oakland Fire Department crews responded to reports just after 12:30 a.m. of a body in the right lane of the highway and of an overturned vehicle south of the 7th Street off-ramp. The CHP issued a SigAlert at 12:53 a.m. closing all northbound lanes and diverted traffic off the highway at the exit to Interstate Highway 980. The CHP had no estimate when the northbound lanes of the highway will reopen. A motorist was airlifted via medical helicopter to a local hospital after suffering major injuries from a solo vehicle collision with a tree late Saturday afternoon, according to a spokesperson for the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. The accident occurred at approximately 5:09 p.m. at Walnut Boulevard and Bougainvilla Drive when firefighters and paramedics responded to the crash scene. When it was determined that the injured motorist needed immediate transport to the hospital, nearby Palmilla Park was prepared for landing the helicopter. The motorist was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for treatment. Stockton police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened Saturday night south of downtown. Officers responded to an 8:35 p.m. report of a shooting near the intersection of California and Worth streets, according to a 10:35 p.m. tweet from Stockton Police Department. The man shot was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday for the greater San Francisco Bay Area calls for cooler temperatures with highs in the 60s. Overnight lows Sunday morning will range from the low 40s to the mid 50s. A dry cold front will reach the region Monday, bringing cooler temperatures and a chance of rain Tuesday from San Francisco southward. Copyright 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Another school funding session is underway and so is the drama. Norwalks Chief Financial Officer (CFO) upset parents over his honest questioning of the citys return on investment, with so many kids not reading on grade level. He later apologized. I cannot remember a time when Norwalk didnt have a school funding problem. Today, more than 60 percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch and 75 percent are high needs. All children deserve an equitable education, but meeting these needs has become an increasing financial challenge for Norwalk. Our most vulnerable are at the highest risk of falling through the cracks. Over the years, a racially diverse, middle class has left our schools for other towns. Would this have happened, if over the past decade, Norwalk had enjoyed its fair share of state Educational Cost Share (ECS) funding? Created in 1988, the ECS formula followed years of lawsuits and challenges regarding equity in state funding. One of its aims was to consider property wealth when distributing financial aid across towns. In 2005, a lawsuit was filed, Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) v. Rell by 16 towns (including Norwalk) claiming the formula was still flawed, due to (among other things) arbitrary caps on increases, inadequate aid for special education, weighting of student needs and inaccurate assessments regarding town wealth or ability to raise funds. In 2016, a Superior Court Judge ruled that Connecticut failed in its funding formula because it had no rational, substantial and verifiable plan to distribute money for education aid and school construction. The school finance system particularly the ECS formula was not rational, substantial and verifiable and failed to address gaps in school resources or community wealth. The decision was appealed and in 2018, Connecticuts Supreme Court reversed the decision, deciding 4-3 in favor of the state. The flawed formula was tweaked by the Legislature, but remains largely unchanged. Fast forward to today. In addition to the CFO questioning the Board of Educations operating budget increase, he also expressed concerns over capital spending, if Norwalk assumes too much debt. Whats behind the latest struggle? The same issue Norwalks always had the states ECS formula. If spoken of by elected officials or their surrogates, its accompanied by excuses or shrugged shoulders. Hartfords drive for density in Norwalk is accompanied by zoning and tax policies disconnected from the realities of funding our schools. Why does City Hall still dole out years of developer tax breaks when we struggle with education funding? This story has been playing out for more than a decade. Considering Hartford enjoys the upside of Norwalks density, via additional income taxes ($155 million sent in 2018; ranking us eighth out of 169 towns, according to the Department of Revenue Services) its infuriating to see the paltry amount returned. How does the state justify a $200 million regional high school in Norwalk that nobody asked for, that we must bond, and promise 80 percent reimbursement, but NOT help cover learning costs inside our schools? The new high school is already over budget, minus a swimming pool, and blows Norwalks school construction budget out of the water, threatening other K-8 projects. What are Norwalks top elected officials doing? Our state senator and mayor held a rally in Darien, appealing their rejection of the states Open Choice program, where students in struggling urban districts can attend suburban schools. When top leaders use political capital for a PR stunt for 16 kindergarteners out of Norwalks 11,000-plus students, instead of lobbying Hartford for funding, they should be apologizing! Until parents understand the bigger financial picture and call on the state senator, mayor, Common Council, superintendent and Board of Education to talk to Hartford nothing will EVER change. Australias grand hydrogen export ambition faces its first market test with Japans largest power generator calling for competitive bids to supply the hydrogen product ammonia as it attempts to cut carbon emissions in its coal-fired power plants. However, the terms of the bid exclude fuel from a showpiece $1 billion hydrogen plant Australian energy giant Woodside plans to build near Perth. Woodsides proposed H2Perth hydrogen plant in Kwinana, south of Perth will mainly be powered by gas. On Friday JERA announced it needed up to 500,000 tonnes of ammonia a year from 2027, into the 2040s. JERA, a fuel procurement and power generation joint venture between the power utilities that serve Tokyo and Chubu, plans to replace some coal burnt in its power stations with ammonia that releases no carbon emissions. Yet what are the qualities that set digital leaders apart? For one, theyre willing to hire outside the box. This means augmenting full-time positions in a business with a nimble contract workforce that can be scaled up or down to meet changing business demands. More pertinently, its about building a workforce that has the desire and opportunity to continuously learn. The old days of a career spent honing one repetitive skill or role are gone. Now its about reskilling and upskilling as new technologies emerge. How is this done? Digital leaders need to establish and maintain the culture of a learning organisation so theyre constantly raising the digital skills of their workforces. This could mean providing access to a treasure trove of digital resources that allow employees to learn at their own pace, supported by gamification to incentivise them to take full advantage of these resources (and keep up with their colleagues). And one of the best ways to ensure people have access to learning resources is to give them the flexibility to work, learn and live practically anywhere. As weve seen over the last two years, remote working has become the norm for so many. Allowing that workplace flexibility is one of the key factors setting digital leaders apart. Its also helping them attract the best talent as employees search for flexible workplaces which allow them the to find a better work-life balance, whatever that might mean to them. Workplace flexibility is setting digital leaders apart. Credit:Getty Images According to Howatt, organisations will need to assess a candidates potential for adapting to a changing environment rather than demand an exact fit during the hiring process. She says companies hoping to narrow the digital IQ gap should keep an open mind and plan on reskilling or upskilling existing talent as well as new hires. Tech Council of Australia CEO Kate Pounder says the task ahead for Australian firms when it comes to boosting digital IQ is formidable, and agrees that thinking outside the box when it comes to taking on new staff is crucial. Australia will need an extra 260,000 people to enter tech jobs over the next four years, says Pounder, whose recently formed peak body represents some of Australias biggest and hottest tech companies including Atlassian, Afterpay and Canva. The best and fastest way for the tech sector to find new talent is to broaden the pool of people we hire, in terms of gender diversity, skills and studies, and age, because it means there are more people available in Australia to work in the sector. In particular, reskilling and transitioning workers into the sector will be the main way people enter the sector in the next four years, with 146,000 people forecast to come by this path, Pounder says. While many companies have been able to pivot and move relatively seamlessly forward with their digital transformation others are finding it difficult to adapt. Protivitis Senior Digital Director, Rupesh Mahto suggests its not too late to act and offers a few pointers for organisations still at the beginning of their transformation journey. Mahto says organisations need to draw on human-centric design principles and bring new digital expertise into a business and meld those people with an organisations future leaders. Where possible he says business should look to increase automation while ensuring it augments the workforce and increases efficiency. Companies should also embrace data to gain a better understanding of their entire operations. This means constantly utilising real-time data to streamline business processes and understand where bottlenecks and inefficiencies lie. Bringing technology, data and human insight together can only help to raise an organisations digital IQ and help ensure it prospers in the digital economy. Learn more about the power of digital transformation, and register for Protivitis upcoming webinar with Leslie Howatt and Rupesh Mahto: How Emerging Technology Enables Digital Transformation Trends in 2022. There is a moment in the opening montage of Inventing Anna, Netflixs slick new Shonda Rhimes true-crime series, that shows a printing press firing off an article about Anna Delvey (real name Anna Sorokin), the captivating real-life fake heiress who scammed millions out of New Yorks elite in 2017. The article then morphs into a tweet that is fired off by journalist Vivian Kent (played by Anna Chlumsky, based on New York Magazine writer Jessica Pressler). A rush of hearts, likes and retweets flood the page as the story goes viral. Netflix series Inventing Anna tells the story of New Yorks infamous fake heiress Anna Delvey. Credit:Netflix Aside from being a thoroughly modern introduction to a thoroughly modern crime, it is a reminder that the story youre about to watch is very much rooted in the here and now. Inventing Anna is not only based on real events, its based on recent events. We only need to wind the clock back four years to find Sorokin carrying out the crimes that are being fictionalised in Inventing Anna. Sorokin masqueraded as Delvey, a wealthy German heiress with a healthy trust fund and went about defrauding banks, scamming friends and skipping out on hotel bills. Doug Taylor, The Smith Family CEO. Credit:The Smith Family [Research shows] that living in poverty for a year or two as a child has a detrimental impact on your long-term trajectory around things like educational outcomes and future opportunities, says Professor Sharon Bessell, director of the Australian National Universitys Childrens Policy Centre and Poverty and Inequality Research Centre. When children are living in poverty in Australia, it means theyre often going to school without breakfast. They also report being conscious that their parents often their mums are skipping meals so that they can eat, and theyre feeling guilty about that. Doug Taylor, The Smith Family CEO, says that children in poverty in Australia can sometimes live in stressed households. The mental load of living in poverty is very real, he says. About one third of the students and parents that we support have a health or disability issue, which can make it hard or even impossible for the parents to work in paid employment. And more than half of the parents on our program are single parents, which can obviously make things even harder. Of the families we support, about 70 per cent may be experiencing unemployment for a period of time. Grappling with all of those things at once makes it enormously challenging to find a way out, despite peoples best endeavours and hard work. Beating child poverty Child poverty is such a complex and multi-faceted issue that it requires attention from governments and society. Professor Bessell is concerned the individual blame and shaming playing out in our welfare system is harmful for children. She says Australia desperately needs to address housing affordability and adopt more child centred approaches to welfare. Poverty is not about individuals making bad choices there are systemic failures that both create and perpetuate child poverty, she says. We want to be breaking that cycle and making sure that children have opportunities, regardless of the family theyre born into or the challenges their parents are facing. Taylor believes we can all help make a difference to childrens prospects by supporting their education. Education is key to uplifting Aussie kids. Credit:Getty Images The Smith Familys Learning for Life program ensures children in need are supported for the entirety of their education. It provides them with financial assistance for educational needs such as textbooks, school shoes, and excursions. It also includes support from a Learning for Life coordinator linked to the family for the duration of the childs education. We also provide extra out-of-school learning and mentoring programs. Combined, this wraparound support helps children to fully participate in their education and thrive while there. The results of Learning for Life prove that education is a key circuit breaker for poverty. In the past eight years over 16,000 Learning for Life students across Australia have been supported to complete Year 12. This type of support has meant the world to Jacqui Bilson. It takes a village to raise a child, she says. In my situation, I wasnt telling anyone that I needed help, I wasnt letting anyone in. I was very ashamed of not being able to manage my finances. So, having these kinds of programs that are reaching out, where people can feel not ashamed to come forward and say, okay, I do need help. They are so important. Thanks to the support Bilson received through Learning for Life, she was able to pursue a career in family law. And now, as a practising lawyer, she is focused on giving back to the community by supporting families. From my experiences with The Smith Family and Learning for Life, I am so happy to recommend [them to] any friends or clients that I meet who are in a similar situation to what Ive experienced. To find out more about sponsoring an Australian child through The Smith Family, visit thesmithfamily.com.au today. Traffic on Sydneys roads is expected to quickly bounce back to pre-pandemic levels as people who return to work in offices opt to drive instead of taking public transport because of lingering concerns about COVID-19. The latest figures from the states transport agency show patronage across the public transport network in the second week of February averaged 1.1 million trips a day, which is about 56 per cent lower than before the pandemic. Traffic on the Anzac Bridge last week. Credit:Dean Sewell In contrast, road traffic across greater Sydney in the second week of this month was down about 9 per cent on pre-pandemic levels. Most pandemic restrictions in NSW including working from home orders, density limits and QR codes ended on Friday, 10 days earlier than expected. First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on February 21, 22, and 23, 1972 Ferries not running February 21, 1972 Several thousand commuters will have to find alternative transport to work this morning while Manly Ferries remain out of service. Congestion on the Harbour Bridge during the strike. Credit:Alan Gilbert Purcell The ferries may resume after 1 pm, when 18 engineers who went on strike on Friday afternoon will meet again. Mr Claassens said the decision to shut the network was a dummy spit by the NSW government. They [the government] have inconvenienced the people of NSW just because it was going to be a little bit difficult, he said. RTBU secretary Alex Claassens. Credit:Wolter Peeters The ball is in their court, our members are ready to go to work. As soon as the government decides they want to run trains, we can run them. Its Transport for NSW and the governments call to shut down the network. The network-wide outage comes after months of industrial negotiations between the state government and rail unions over workplace conditions and safety of the rail system. The government and union met at the Fair Work Commission over the weekend, where Transport for NSW says the union agreed to removing several industrial measures, including an overtime ban for all employees. However, negotiations broke down on Sunday evening, with Mr Claassens saying confusion over the unions demand for a ban on acceptance of altered work pushed the rail agency to shut down the entire network overnight. Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland told 2GB radio that Monday would be difficult for commuters. Customers have been urged to avoid travel or seek alternative options including buses and light rail. Issues considered sticking points by the RTBU in current enterprise agreement negotiations include workers wanting a commitment that no train services or lines will be lost if privatisation occurs, workers seeking a guarantee that any changes to services will leave them as safe or safer and workers wanting a commitment to maintain the existing level of hygiene with full-time jobs. Mr Claassens said the union had been trying to negotiate an enterprise agreement that enshrines safety on the train network and wants the NSW government to start resolving the laundry list of safety and employment issues workers have raised. Loading Weve been taking industrial action since September, and weve always tried to deliver a service to the people of NSW, he said on 2GB radio on Monday morning, noting members had arrived at 2am prepared to work. They [the government] want to use this to prove a point. For anybody to accuse us of not acting safely is just absolutely low. The matter was due to return to the Fair Work Commission at 9am. At a press conference, held at the same time as Mr Elliotts radio appearance, Mr Claassens asked the state government to get David Elliott back out here today. Wheres David Elliott today? Im not sure. But I need, we need somebody with a calm head instead of trying to take us on, he said. NSW Transport Minister David Elliott. Credit:Steven Siewert Come out here and have a proper bloody conversation, and we can get these trains moving again and do the right thing by the people of NSW. NSW Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope labelled the situation industrial bastardry of the worst form. He said the government had been left with no alternative for the safety of the system than to say trains could not operate safely and reliably, with crews, working signalling and services running on time. Were prepared to negotiate, but not in circumstances like this where they just pull the rug from signed agreements, Mr Tudehope said on Monday morning. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the industrial action showed disrespect and was not how this should be done. Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Paul Jeffers There are people this morning who are going to have an overpriced Uber, or theyre not going to be able to get to work, Mr Morrison said during an appearance on 2GB radio on Monday morning. This is just not how you behave and this is not how you treat your fellow citizens. Speaking of the international borders reopening on Monday, he said arrivals were being welcomed to the countrys biggest international gateway with a train shutdown. This is an important day that Australians have looked forward to, he said. The union movement has decided to really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back. A corner store in south-west Sydney is at risk of collapse after a car crashed into it on Sunday morning, but luckily causing no serious injuries. NSW Ambulance was called to Edge St, Lakemba just after 10.30am after reports that a car had mounted the footpath and crashed into a convenience store with a residence attached. The store was closed at the time. A corner store in Lakemba, in south-west Sydney is at risk of collapse after car crashed into it on Sunday morning, February 20, 2022. Credit:NSW Fire & Rescue Fire and rescue NSW acting superintendent Mat Sigmund said the driver and residents were shaken by the accident but no one was seriously injured. Crews have shored up some of the walls, but we have concerns about structural collapse, Mr Sigmund said. We have a laser device called a Leader Sentry, monitoring movement in the walls, and we are consulting government engineers (about remedies). That's all for the blog today. We hope you've managed to navigate the shutdown this evening. As yet, there's no news about tomorrow. If the stand-off continues it could be another day without trains. But don't discount the potential for a late-night compromise that gets the network up and running by the morning. To close, here are a couple of things to read: This opinion piece from state political editor Alex Smith about Premier Dominic Perrottet's almighty gamble And this analysis from senior writer Deborah Snow about the public sector's growing push for wage rises. For those still battling to make it home, good luck and take care. And who could blame us, given Pynes highly regarded farewell included his talk of amateur thespianism and his laughter generating confession: I do not have a log cabin story like so many people in this place but I once did have to get my own lemon for a gin and tonic. When Christopher Pyne exited Federal Parliament in 2019 and gave his memorable farewell speech To the chagrin of a few and the joy of many, I am retiring from the Australian Parliament, we suspected that the Adelaidian court jester might end up as the Sam Dastyari of Liberal politics. (Radio segments with Kyle and Jackie O, residency on Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here .) Or the piping shrike, to be specific. Pyne has arrived in Sydney to open the doors this week of the Pyne and Partners political consultancy he founded after leaving politics with former chief of staff Adam Howard. The lobby shop has secured a shiny new office at 111 Elizabeth Street and Pyne gets the keys on Monday. Evidently one to know where the action is, Pyne appears to be thrilled with the location. Were right in the centre of the fashion district were virtually surrounded by Hermes, Harrolds and [Ermenegildo] Zegna, which is right where we want to be really, the ebullient former Adelaide MP told CBD. New staffers in the office include former Barton Deakin adviser Jack De Hennin and Tamika Dartnell-Moore who comes from Macquarie Street where she worked as a senior adviser to long-serving former arts and special minister of state Don Harwin. The office adds to footholds in Canberra and Adelaide. Presumably Melbourne is next given the lobby shop already reps groups including Crofton Park Developments which is owned and controlled by Ellerston Capital director Sam Brougham and arts patron wife Tania Brougham and Shane Quinns developer Quintessential Equity which has a sizeable foothold in Pynes home town of Adelaide developing a $400 million Entrepreneur and Innovation Centre at the much-hyped Lot Fourteen project. Readers will recall former defence minister Pyne memorably signed on with big accounting firm EY in 2019 as a defence consultant even though the Ministerial Code of Conduct which prohibits former ministers from lobbying or meeting with MPs, the public service or the defence force on any matter on which they have had official dealings as Minister in their last eighteen months in office put him on ice for 18 months. Now that waiting period is well and truly over. In Sydney, new clients include Eptec Marine headed by former Downer EDI boss Geoff Knox and Israeli defence giant Elbit. As for the timing, Pyne denies an upcoming election plays into the decision to plant the flag in Sydney. Weve done well so far in Canberra and in Adelaide and so why wouldnt you want to be in the biggest market? he said. As for the upcoming election, he appears unfazed. I have good contacts across the aisle and always played the ball as opposed to the person and so my relationships are strong on both sides [the major parties] I never had any difficulties with crossbenchers or Labor or the Greens. ON-SCREEN ROMANCE Certainly on his latest podcast Pyne Time featuring the federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg reveals both men flicking the switch to vaudeville better than Paul Keating ever managed. How right he was. Its like clockwork (so to speak). The debate ignites every October, as Coolangattas neighbours in Tweed Heads suddenly find themselves an hour ahead of their Queensland cousins. Many, including Daylight Saving 4 Queensland campaigner Nick Lloyd, think it is time to revisit the issue and he says a new referendum is the only way to do it. One thing about a referendum is that it puts the matter more easily to bed, he said. So there is no room for any of them to bring it back up again for at least an entire generation. But not all Queenslanders agree. Some, like Mount Isa-based state MP Robbie Katter, are openly antagonistic to the idea. The daylight saving debate in Queensland has een geographically divided, with the No vote strongest in the north and west and the south-east in favour. Credit:Lydia Lynch In November, Mr Katter presented a petition to the Queensland Parliament in November opposing daylight savings, attracting 7750 signatures. At the same time as Mr Katters petition was in the field, a pro-daylight saving petition attracted 18,507 signatures. Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman responded to both petitions on the same day, December 17, last year. In both letters, Ms Fentiman notes the introduction of daylight saving is not currently under consideration by the government. The government believes there are other priorities facing Queenslanders that require attention, including delivering initiatives in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as outlined in our Economic Recovery Plan, she said. Interestingly, however, Ms Fentiman has some additional comments in her response to the pro-daylight saving petition. I note the petitioners views: that daylight saving could assist in supporting Queenslands economic recovery from COVID-19 including through business efficiencies and increased tourism and retail opportunities; and that daylight saving should be introduced in Queensland or, at the very least, in the south-east of the state, she said. Read into that what you will. Mr Lloyd, for one, said the state government was missing a golden opportunity to lead. If Labor can lead against those who refuse to get vaccinated, then surely they can lead against the small minority who are not for any form of daylight saving, he said. Central to opposition from the north-west of the state is the impost a change in timezone would have in those hot regions that already have later sunsets. In Mr Katters petition, he notes Queenslands geographic divide. Recent university research has claimed that [daylight saving time] is supported by 60 per cent of Queenslanders, and therefore it should be introduced immediately, he said. However, this is underwhelming support when considering 73 per cent of Queenslanders live in the south-east corner, which is the only region in the state that typically desires longer days. To allay concerns from rural Queensland, Mr Lloyd suggested following the lead of New South Wales. There, the outback town of Broken Hill, not far from the South Australian border, operates on Central time. Loading Broken Hill citizens live on Adelaide time, rather than their own state capital of Sydney. Its definitely a common compromise around the world and Western society, Mr Lloyd said. There are about 14 or so dual-time states in the United States that adopt that sort of dual out arrangement. Florida is a classic example. Its a tourism state and Pensacola, in the north-west corner of that state, are on a different time to the rest of their state. I understand Queensland politicians are highly parochial about the state being split into two time zones, but that said, they can just allow western Queensland to officially start and finish work and school half an hour later. But any decision to reintroduce daylight saving, Mr Katter said in his petition, would further the cultural, economic and political divide that already exists between the south-east corner and the rest of the state. Further comment was sought from Mr Katter. Whichever side of the fence one lands, it is clear a referendum held 30 years ago holds little weight now. Loading On the day of the 1992 referendum, there were 1,835,727 Queenslanders on the electoral role. As of the 2020 state election, that number had increased by 84 per cent, to 3,377,476. No Queenslander under the age of 48 has had their say. These changing demographics, Mr Lloyd said, means it is time to go to the polls again. The Queensland economy needs an economic recovery as soon as possible after all weve been through with COVID, he said. Theres tourism benefits. Theres health benefits. Theres economic benefits. Origin Energys decision to bring forward the closure of its Eraring coal-fired power station NSWs largest reflects the reality of a 21st-century power grid, and 21st-century economics. Coal is king no longer. Unable to compete on cost with renewable energy, it is also inflexible, ageing, inefficient and polluting. Eraring power station, which owner Origin Energy has said will close seven years early in 2025. Credit:Dean Sewell In Australia, and globally, renewables backed by storage deliver the cheapest power, and do so without the greenhouse emissions coal and gas produce, which is critical if we are to avoid the worsening impacts of climate change. As a senior executive for over 10 years at Origin, I was responsible for the development of its power generation fleet, gas, wind and solar. In the early 2000s, before global emissions ballooned on the back of coal and gas expansions, gas power was seen as a transition pathway to renewables. Even then, though, I thought Origins foray into coal power was a step too far in the face of climate change science, and stayed well clear of it. Hundreds of people have marched through Melbournes streets to condemn the threat of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine. One of the protest organisers, Liana Slipetsky, from the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria, has been demonstrating against Russian aggression towards the country since she was a child. The march in Melbourne on Sunday. Credit:Chris Hopkins During the march from Federation Square to the steps of Parliament House on Sunday, she stopped at the spot where a photo was taken of her grandfather, marching for the same cause, about 30 years ago. When will this end? The only thing that makes this different is the world has opened its eyes, Ms Slipetsky said. Australian diplomats and defence personnel have demanded answers from Beijing after a Chinese navy vessel aimed a military-grade laser at a RAAF aircraft which could have blinded the Australian crew. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government had made official representations with their Chinese counterparts over the incident, which he labelled an act of intimidation. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday confirmed that Australian diplomats and defence personnel had lodged complaints with Beijing. Credit:Paul Jeffers The action was taken by a Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer at 12.35am last Thursday as it sailed through the Arafura Sea, which is between the Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea. The Australian aircraft was in the area to conduct surveillance on the Chinese ships, which is standard activity when Chinese ships are sailing through Australias northern approaches. I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation, one that is unprovoked, unwarranted. And Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation, Mr Morrison said, suggesting that China would react much more aggressively if Australia ever did that to a Chinese aircraft. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne will meet remotely with Mr Kuleba on Sunday night to discuss the worsening situation, including how Australia could help Ukraine fend off a Russian attack. Australia will offer help with cyber-security training so Ukraine can better defend against Russian hacks. In a joint statement Senator Payne, Mr Dutton and Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said on Sunday night that Australia was joining with the US and Britain in publicly attributing last weeks cyber attacks to the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate. The Australian government stands in solidarity with Ukraine and our allies and partners to hold Russia to account for its ongoing unacceptable and disruptive pattern of malicious cyber activity, the ministers said. The international community must not tolerate Russias misuse of cyberspace to undermine Ukraines national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity by seeking to disrupt essential services, businesses and community confidence. Australia will continue providing cyber security assistance to the Ukrainian government, including through a new bilateral cyber policy dialogue and further cyber-security training for Ukrainian officials. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday ruled out Australia deploying troops in Ukraine, but confirmed it would be offering help whether it be in the cyberspace area or things of that nature. He said Australia would impose additional sanctions on Russia if it went ahead with an invasion of Ukraine. He said the Kremlins actions were unwarranted and unprovoked in terms of the threats of terrible violence that Russia is imposing on Ukraine. This is not any legitimate action. There is no just grievance which is being pursued by Russia in relation to Ukraine, Mr Morrison said. Loading Ukraine is a country that wants to make its own decisions, who wants to join NATO thats up to them. Its not up to other countries to seek to bully them out of the decisions that they want to make as sovereign countries, and they cannot use threats of violence to intimidate countries in this way. Its not just about their territorial sovereignty. Mr Dutton said he hoped for an 11th-hour miracle but its very hard to see how thats the case. I think, frankly, we would expect that there will be an incursion into the Ukraine. Were seeing the opening days really all of that cyber attacks, the false flag activity and other reporting that ... is there at the moment, Mr Dutton told Sky News. Its regrettable. But I think thats the action that Putin is intent on taking. And taking troops back, moving troops back, is just not a reality. The Defence Minister said Mr Putin needed to resist the urge because it would result in the bloody scenes that we would expect out of a war zone to be filling our TV screens, and the human tragedy of that on the ground is something that the world just doesnt want to see. Were in the year 2022. And, frankly, leaders should be behaving in a different way, in a more responsible way. And the Alliance now between China and Russia is deeply concerning. And thats the world in which we live and we need to respond accordingly, and that will include sanctions and it will include a co-ordinated act of implementing those sanctions and, obviously, we will work closely with our allies because Russia does ... need to understand, as does China, that there is a price to pay for those acts of aggression. The Ukrainian embassy in Australia said allegations its government intended to launch an offensive operation in the uncontrolled Donetsk and Luhansk regions were divorced from reality. A Ukrainian serviceman points in the direction of incoming shelling in the village of Krymske, Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine on Saturday. Credit:AP Ukraine is also not conducting or planning any sabotage acts in Donbass, the embassy said. We categorically reject the attempts of Russia to aggravate the already tense security situation. Russia is making these moves to increase psychological pressure on both the Ukrainian government and the residents of the temporarily occupied territories, and to form information background to conceal escalation of the security situation. Loading Labor leader said Anthony Albanese said there was no place for the intimidation and threats that weve seen from Russia against a sovereign government, which should be respected. Earlier, Denis Pushilin, head of the pro-Russia separatist government in the Donetsk region, cited an immediate threat of aggression from Ukrainian forces. I appeal to all the men in the republic who can hold weapons to defend their families, their children, wives, mothers, Mr Pushilin said. Together we will achieve the coveted victory that we all need. The federal government is recruiting volunteers to fill staff shortages in aged care a move criticised by Labor and unions as miserly and a cop-out after a slow rollout of Defence Force support. The Health Department has asked Volunteering Australia to sign up thousands of people to answer phones, talk with residents, brush their hair and help them exercise, and restock masks, freeing up overworked staff for showering, wound dressing and medication management. An initial 2000 volunteers will be sent into aged care homes struggling with staff shortages, with potential to scale up to more than 18,000. Health Services Union NSW secretary Gerard Hayes said the plan was a cop-out and a cheap trick by a government that had under-resourced the aged care industry for so long. Its flying in absolutely the wrong direction [to be] going from an underpaid to an unpaid workforce, he said. COVID makes you reassess your life. I think if were ever going to do it, this year is the year. Its just an opportunity for the girls to experience another country, and for me to check out from work for a bit, she said. Shannon Quinane, who lives in Darwin, is another intending to have an effective gap year in Bali with her husband, Shane, and three children aged three to nine. They plan to fly out in April and live in Ubud for six to 12 months. Shannon Quinane and her family are headed for Bali in April. Life is short. There has been a lot of time wasted for a lot of people, she said. It feels like we dont want to waste any more of our lives together as a family waiting and waiting and waiting. When is ever the right time? Its a quandary that airlines have had since Indonesian signalled last October that it was finally opening back up to the foreign tourists on which the provinces economy relies so heavily. Because of the quarantine demands enforced by the government of President Joko Widodo, not a single international flight was scheduled until February 3, when 12 passengers stepped off a Garuda Indonesia plane from Japan. Wednesdays flight from Singapore was only the second to turn up since then. Simone Collins, who runs a website called Our Year In Bali that assists families relocate, said the challenges of short-term leisure travel had led to more weighing up a stint as a tempat, or temporary expat, on the island. Pedestrians cross a street in Seminyak, Bali. Credit:Bloomberg Most of them have been to Bali before and have said, were going to do a decent chunk now, she said. Most are going for six months to a year. Obviously, you need some kind of financial resources external to Bali to help you survive but there are a lot of parents who are quite happy to go and just chill out with the kids. While international arrivals to Bali have access to the resort they have booked rather than being confined to a hotel room for quarantine, the resumption of tourism in Bali has been complicated by travellers having to pre-apply for visas, according to Liam Hayes, the Bali-based director of Perths Indonesia Institute. PCR tests are also required on days three and five. They need to go back to keeping it simple, Hayes said. No quarantine and visa on arrival. Passengers arrive at the airport in Denpasar on the Singapore Airlines flight on Wednesday. Credit:AP But with Indonesia this week announcing that hotel quarantine would be reduced from five days to three days for the triple vaccinated from next month and potentially to none at all by April 1 if the Omicron wave subsides there are positive signs. Garuda Indonesia chief executive Irfan Setiaputra told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age the airline was hoping to begin Sydney to Bali flights again on March 4. Australias Jetstar has set a launch date of March 14, having this month postponed the restart of flights from Melbourne and Sydney by a fortnight. Loading The variable is, of course, the virus. Indonesia is experiencing a surge of the Omicron variant, with 63,956 new cases of COVID-19 recorded on Thursday just short of the previous days record including 1445 in Bali. To date, the strain has not had anywhere near the devastating impact of last years Delta outbreak, when as many as 2000 people died a day as a result of the virus. There were 206 deaths on Thursday including 18 in Bali, according to Indonesias COVID-19 taskforce, but the nationwide hospital occupancy rate was only 30 per cent of what it was when Delta was in full swing, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said this week. ~ Assessment on 12.5% cuts to take place during the Spring~ PHILIPSBURG:--- Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relations and Digitalization, Ms. Alexandra van Huffelen said on Saturday when she met the press with Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs that the Dutch Caribbean Islands are in dire need of reforms through the COHO in order for things to get better for the people of St. Maarten. Van Huffelen said that she is more than happy to visit the islands to see for herself the effects of Hurricane Irma on St. Maarten as well as the coronavirus pandemic. She explained that the effects of both can still be felt within the economic and social fabric of the island. Despite such she is very much impressed with what she heard and saw thus far as there are many people working extremely hard for a brighter future for St. Maarten and its people. The Dutch State Secretary said she held meetings with the board of the NRPB and even visited some of the homes they assisted in repairing. She said is glad that the Netherlands was able to assist with the reconstruction of the homes, the infrastructure, the economic development and now addressing the issues surrounding waste management. Van Huffelen further stated that this is how it should be because St. Maarten forms part of the Kingdom as we are brothers and sisters within the Kingdom of the Netherlands even if one argues or disagree. With regards to the COHO, Van Huffelen said that the islands are in need of the necessary reforms in order to better the future of St. Maarten and its people. She said since the Netherlands had to assist the Caribbean Islands in order for them to get through the pandemic, it was necessary for the Netherlands to grant the countries liquidity support, therefore it was important for things to be reformed. Some of those things are to build a stronger government, to assess the labor market and the basis of the economics, and to ensure the country function well in the future and remain sustainable while developing a good social fabric, these and others she said she believes the reforms are necessary and the countries will be working on these reforms together. With regards to the 12.5% cuts imposed on salaries in exchange for liquidity support. Asked if the Kingdom would consider removing the cuts knowing the cost of living on St. Maarten. Van Huffelen said that these discussions were held with the government and parliament when she met with them. She recognized that these cuts have placed the people of St. Maarten in a strenuous and stressful position. However, this matter would have to be further discussed after a full assessment is made. She said that these discussions and assessments should take place anytime during the spring of 2022. However, the goal is to ensure that the cuts would be made bearable for the people of all the islands. One of the things that will be discussed is the cost of living on St. Maarten and how its been influencing peoples lives. The Kingdom also has to discuss further if St. Maarten would receive any further liquidity support in the second quarter 0f 2022. The State Secretary acknowledged that St. Maarten has lots of challenges and there is a lot more that must be done together. She said even though there is no definite decision on whether or not St. Maarten will get further financial support there are still a number of projects and programs in place for continuity. She said the loans granted to St. Maarten during the pandemic will be discussed in March in the RMR. Somerset, KY (42501) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 56F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 56F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. With The Walking Dead set to return with the second part of the three part final season, I thought we should take a quick look at where we left our favorite characters in For Blood. Im also going to include a few thoughts on the finale of The Walking Dead: World Beyond that may have a bearing on how season 11 plays out. For Blood was written by Erik Mountain and was directed by Sharat Raju. Like all good season pausing cliffhangers, the episode left pretty much everybody in peril assuming they hadnt already been killed off As the episode opens Maggies (Lauren Cohen) group has brought their herd to Popes (Ritchie Coster) encampment. Pope discusses whats going on with the herd, asserting that nothing is random, including their movement. Daryl (Norman Reedus) says hes seen the behavior before and can move them. Pope chooses Daryls plan over Carvers (Alex Meraz) but sends Wells (Robert Hayes) to carry it out. Loved Reedus here as his only tell that Daryl is worried is his chewing his bottom lip. Clearly, hed meant to use it as a way of contacting the others. Leah (Lynn Collins) checks on Wells, calling him the Pied Piper, and hes clearly not taking the whole thing very seriously until hes suddenly surrounded. Wells calls Pope to say hes got a situation, but is too busy fighting walkers to clarify. Wells is the first casualty of the episode and as hes consumed by the herd, we see Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) pick up his walkie talkie and shuffle off with it and Maggie. Back in Alexandria, everyone is sheltering in one house from the storm which is getting worse. The kids huddle together and Judith (Cailey Fleming) comforts RJ (Antony Azor). A branch comes through a window and the front door bursts open. Judith rushes to help the adults, telling the other kids to stay where they are. As we look out the window, the windmill is on fire hit by lightening and bits of the wall blow past down the street. Leah wants to go after Wells, but Pope tells her that hes already dead at Maggies hands. Leah is furious that Pope sacrificed Wells. Pope insists that he was a soldier, but she saw him as family and it wasnt God that sent Wells out, it was Pope. Hes not happy at her clear insubordination. He points out that shes had a lot to say since her boyfriend showed up. Pope insists that Wells drew out the enemy and now they can destroy them. The episode ratchets up the tension by cutting back and forth between crises. Aaron (Ross Marquand), Carol (Melissa McBride), Rosita (Christian Serratos), Connie (Lauren Ridloff), Magna (Nadia Hilker), and Kelly (Angel Theory) discuss what to do. The windmill fire is drawing walkers. Aaron takes a team to fight the fire, Carol takes a team to mend the wall, and Rosita will lead the team to protect the house. Connie insists shes going and wants to go with Carol. Carol tells her thank you in sign language and is clearly touched. Angel joins them and Connie doesnt try to dissuade her. Virgil (Kevin Carroll) offers to go, and they tell him to help Rosita. Judith wants to go with Carol, but she asks Judith to help the other kids feel less afraid. Gracie (Annabelle Holloway) asks Aaron not to go, and he tells her that it wouldnt be fair to ask someone else to do something he wasnt willing to do himself. Judith offers to stay with her. They all head out and Dianne (Kerry Cahill) shuts the door. Once again, Pope asks Daryl to tell him more about Maggie. Daryl says he cant, and Pope wonders why hes keeping Daryl around. Daryl reminds him that Pope said God chose him. Pope tells Daryl about a dog he had that he rescued that had a hard time learning to trust. Hed look at him the same way Daryl was looking at him and you couldnt tell if he wanted to bite you or lick you. Daryl tells him not to worry hes not going to lick him. Pope just laughs and says fair enough just dont try to bite him. The dog did, and he strangled it. Leah steps in to say that they kept him because hes a great tracker. Daryl tells them that he knows Maggie is a great shot and wont want them to see her coming. Maybe check the trees. Theyre interrupted by the scouting party returning. They all go back up on the wall. Pope is impressed that shes turned the dead on the living. The herd is getting closer, and Daryl asks how strong the gate is. Pope says its strong enough, but they wont get that far just as a mine explodes. The field they have to cross is full of them. Lydia (Cassady McClincy), Rosita and Dianne try to reinforce the windows. Meanwhile, Judith and Gracie share a moment. Gracie wishes she was more like Judith and not afraid. Judith assures her that shes been scared plenty of times. She tells her you can use your fear to run faster and fight harder it makes you stronger. Gracie gets up, and Virgil tells Judith that Michonne would be proud of her. Fleming is such an amazing actor and really shines in this simple scene. She asks if Virgil knows where Michonne went and he tells her he doesnt. She tells him that she hasnt heard from Michonne in such a long time and wishes she was there. Virgil tells Judith that Michonne is there in Judith. And Judith smiles. Virgil tells her that she can also bet that where ever Michonne is, Judith is with her too and this clearly comforts her. The scene is interrupted by Gracie getting too close to a window and Judith having to rush in with her katana to chop off a walkers arm and save her. Rosita tells Lydia to radio Carol that there must be another breach in the wall. She tells Judith to blow out the candles but they are clearly in trouble. As they watch walkers explode, Pope asks Leah to share whats on her mind. She resists until he insists and then says shes thinking about all those theyve lost. Pope asks if she blames him. She says no. Pope spouts more God-talk and insists that every war has sacrifices. He insists that they are still worthy and thats why they will prevail. Leah doesnt look so sure. Daryl watches as Maggie and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) sneak off from the herd. We see them duck behind a tree (he did warn Pope!) and remove their masks as they come up to the wall. Daryl distracts Powell (Eric LeBlanc), the sentry, by offering him a smoke. Daryl drops the matches and takes the opportunity to kill Powell. He throws the body over the wall and tells Maggie and Gabriel to head to a door, which he jimmies open. Back in the herd, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) are both hit with shrapnel. Pope pulls the others off the wall and Leah tells Daryl ominously that theyre going to end it. Maggie and Gabriel crawl under the wall Im not clear why they didnt go in the door Daryl opened. The two split up, and Maggie tells Gabriel that they get the food and go home. Back in Alexandria, Rosita rushes out alone into the herd to kill the walkers and clear the house. Judith watches from the window as she disappears into the storm. Dianne opens the door to let her back in and she tells them to stay away from the windows! Its a terrific moment for Serratos. On the roof, Leah and Ancheta (Dane Davenport) uncover a massive hwacha that theyre going to fire at the walkers. Daryl tells Leah that hes sorry about Wells. Then he asks her if she believes that God chose them. Leah says she knows how it sounds but that theyre all alive because they believed in Pope so it doesnt matter if she believes. He tells her that it matters to him. She asks if he ever wonders what it would be like if theyd never left the cabin. She tells him that its hard to watch people she cares about change. She seems on the verge of saying something else when Pope interrupts them on the walkie to say its time. Daryl tells her that he has to tell her something and confesses that the people attacking are his people. There there for the food. Theyre good people and have families. Leah is shocked and devasted that he lied to her. He tells her it was to protect his family and surely she can understand that. Leah tells him that Carver warned her not to trust him but she wanted to so badly. Daryl says he wasnt sure if he could trust her either and asks her to come with him. Pope bursts onto the roof and wants to know what theyre talking about. Leah tells him family. Pope tells Daryl that when its done he wants him to bring Pope the woman. Maggie hotwires a truck and uses it to take out the gate, letting in the herd. Pope continues to get ready to fire the weapon. Leah tells him that their people are out there. Pope insists that God will protect them. He tells Ancheta to light it up and Leah kills Pope and Daryl kills Ancheta. Maggie is almost killed by one of the soldiers, but Gabriel is in place with a sniper rifle and saves her. Daryl tries to take Leah to safety, but she radios the others to say that Pope is dead and Daryl murdered him and is with the enemy. The others say they are on their way. Leah says that Pope forgot about what mattered not war, but people. Daryl would do anything to protect his family, and so would she. The others rush onto the roof as Daryl flees. Leah tells Carver to get the gate closed, and then theyll kill everything inside the walls. Back in Alexandria, the house is surrounded again, and Rosita has everyone retreat upstairs. Gracie has stupidly gone downstairs to look for a weapon, and Judith follows her. The two end up trapped in the flooding basement. Leah pulls her men back, and Maggie immediately realize that theres no good reason for it just as the hwacha starts spewing rockets everywhere. Great performances from Reedus and Fleming, and I wasnt initially sold on Lynn Collins, but she delivers a terrific performance here. Will she be the big bad in the next part or is that reserved for the Commonwealth? I was not impressed with the second season ofand the finale was definitely a let down the predictable death of Huck (Annet Mahendru) and Dennis (Maximillian Osinski), the downfall of Kublek (Julia Ormond), and even the escape of the scientists were ho hum. Iris (Aliyah Royale) could not have been more annoying and there was no consistency to the characterizations. Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis is always delightful to watch and a shout out to Mahendru for some very good performances. We were teased with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) who never appeared. The most interesting part of the entire series was the end teaser that revealed the Walkers may have been created in a lab and that there are faster more chaotic ones in Europe if not elsewhere. So the questions remain will we see these more frightening 28 Days Later type walkers? Will we see the CRM? Will Rick and/or Michonne ever reappear? Personally, I doubt the answer to any of these is yes at least in this next part of the final season. What are your predictions for this part of the show? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! The outset of COVID-19 saw an outpouring of support for what were termed essential workers, and high on the list were teachers. With no experience teaching remotely, an entire profession was forced to adapt on the fly and come up with ways to keep students learning and engaged from a distance. There were plenty of hiccups, but somehow, they managed to do this. Two years in, some of those good feelings started to sour. Amid yet another coronavirus wave, teachers were seen in some quarters as too reluctant to return to full, in-person classrooms. What was really happening was reasonable. Even with vaccines available and safety measures in place, COVID danger has not disappeared. Teachers were looking for assurances that as much as possible was being done to keep them safe from a deadly disease. The belief that there was more to be done turned out to be justified. An investigation by Connecticut Public Radio last month found that one-third of school districts in the state did not have enough money to maintain or improve school air quality, and about 20 percent did not even have a program in place to make that determination. Given what weve learned about COVID and how much money has poured in to cover just these kinds of issues, it was a shocking finding. Teachers were saying their workplaces werent as safe as they should be, and the stats backed them up. It wasnt the first time in recent memory they were proven right on a major public policy issue. Its been a decade since Connecticut became the focus of a school reform effort that swept the nation, with charter schools and standardized tests debated in the Legislature as then-Gov. Dannel Malloy pushed major changes. It was always a little odd, since Connecticut is consistently named as home to some of the best public schools in America. But not everything about school reform was really about better schools. Its helpful to go back and remember how this started, at least the modern version of it. When George W. Bush took office after the turn of the century, one of his major initiatives besides cutting taxes for rich people was a bipartisan education reform known as No Child Left Behind. This was an example of two parties in Washington setting aside their differences and enacting some truly terrible public policy. The law established new benchmarks for standardized testing, which were to progressively rise over the years. Eventually, as the law was written, schools were supposed to reach 100 percent proficiency on standardized tests. This was never going to happen, as everyone knew. Still, it gave lawmakers a chance to feel like they were holding people accountable. When Bushs successor, Barack Obama, took office, he inherited a mess of a federal education policy and somehow made it worse. To get a waiver from No Child Left Behind, the federal government required states to, among other things, adopt systems linking teacher job prospects to test scores. That led to Malloys reform efforts, and a furious, ultimately successful pushback by teachers and their unions. The final law included few of the problematic proposals Malloy introduced, and seemed to make teachers happy. The controversy then faded for a while. Underlying all this are legitimate issues. It was never fair to call urban schools failing, as happened often during the reform debate, but there is a major resource shortfall, and an accompanying achievement gap. What never made sense was linking these facts to teachers job security, since unions are just as much a factor in failing districts as they are in rich towns where public schools are among the prime attractions. Now there are numbers backing up teachers assertions during the Malloy controversy. Because similar reforms were enacted in states across the country at different intervals, its possible to compare what happened in their wake, and the quick answer is nothing. A study from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University finds that the massive effort to institute new high-stakes teacher evaluation systems had no measurable impact on student outcomes, including test scores and graduation rates. The reforms that did pass in Connecticut mostly involved intensified help for school systems that needed it most, which is something that could have happened without much controversy, as well as increasing access to preschool. On the big issues, the teachers arguments held up. Why does this matter in 2022, a full decade after the worst of the school reform fights in Connecticut? Because this stuff never goes away. Its always lurking, and it came the surface over the past year during the debates about COVID and school closures. Partly because theyre public employees and partly because theyre so heavily unionized, teachers will always be in someones cross hairs. Of course some districts need help, and theres much more that could be done to provide a better education to everyone in Connecticut. But targeting teachers never made any sense. Public schools are one of the things that mostly work in Connecticut. We should keep it that way. Hugh Bailey is editorial page editor of the New Haven Register and Connecticut Post. He can be reached at hbailey@hearstmediact.com. Milton, PA (17847) Today Rain. Low 52F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Rain. Low 52F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Hazleton, PA (18201) Today Showers early with a steady rain developing overnight. The rain will be heavy at times. Low 47F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Showers early with a steady rain developing overnight. The rain will be heavy at times. Low 47F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (471) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (71) Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca urges, in a message sent on Sunday on the occasion of Roma People Liberation Day, to respecting and supporting this community, renouncing prejudice. "I urge you to respect this community and support it to be a part of everything we want, without forcing it to deviate from its specificity. Paradoxically, the instinct for freedom and independence seems to define the Roma's spirit most strongly. Adding to that is the power to always say things by name, the passion of nature, authenticity, inventiveness and last but not least artistic talent, especially in music and dance," the prime minister said in the message. The prime minister believes that we should not think in terms of prejudice. "Let us not think in terms of prejudice, let us not reject what is different, let us not apply racist models of judgment, let us not categorize people according to their affiliation of any kind, but let us rejoice in what is special about the other and solve problems together. Through solidarity and respect for diversity, we all have something to gain, it is important not to leave anyone out", added Nicolae Ciuca. In the context of the Roma People Liberation Day, the prime minister wishes the Roma community to obtain "with quick steps" everything that can contribute to a better life. "Dear members of the Roma community in Romania, I congratulate you on this day in which you celebrate one of the most valuable rights, the freedom that is so dear to you. I wish you to obtain with quick steps everything that can contribute to a better life for you, from all points of view - social, material and spiritual. I wish you health and a long life", transmits the prime minister. *** Romania marks on Sunday 166 years since the complete liberation on the national territory of the last Roma left in slavery, by a law promulgated by the ruler Barbu Stirbei on February 20, 1856, "Legislation for the emancipation of all gypsies from Wallachia", following which 250,000 Roma people received the status of free people. A similar normative act had been voted by Moldavia, about two months before, at the initiative of the ruler Grigore Alexandru Ghika. Fighting racist and xenophobic manifestations, overcoming prejudice, and achieving real equality of opportunity can be ensured through education and culture, President Klaus Iohannis said in a message sent on Sunday on the occasion of Roma People Liberation Day. "At a time when speech inciting to hatred, violence and intolerance are once again present in the public space, we have the duty to remain vigilant and not to allow human rights to be violated and the Roma people to be once again marginalized. I am convinced that the fight against racist and xenophobic manifestations, the overcoming of prejudice, as well as the achievement of real equality of opportunity can be ensured through education and culture. In 'Educated Romania', national minorities are valued, and the relations between people and authorities are based on dialogue and on the appreciation of diversity, the driving forces of Europe's progress", the head of state says. He mentions that it is 166 years since the Roma community gained its freedom, and "the act of liberating the Roma in 1856 is the expression of the consensus of the political elites of that time on a major goal: Romania's adherence to Western humanistic values, through the inclusion of the Roma in the destiny and construction of the nation". "Since then and until now, the Roma community has constantly contributed to the modernization of our country. The Roma minority has been present in the founding moments of Romania's history and has shared the difficulties, but also the ideals and hopes of our nation. The liberation of Roma offers a good example to stress our society's capacity to find its cohesion. The liberation of the Roma laid the foundation stone of the process of recovering the identity and memory of a community deeply tried by history. Today we evoke the memory of the victims of slavery, deportation, humiliation, deprivation and forced assimilation. (...) The Roma People Liberation Day is also a renewed opportunity to reflect on the set of values that formed the basis of the vision and action of the elites who fought, at the beginning of Romania's modernity, for the freedom and dignity of the Roma, as an inseparable part of national freedom and dignity. Let us capitalize on their efforts and continue to act in the same spirit of solidarity, responsibility and respect for our fellow human beings", transmits Klaus Iohannis. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu continued his series of working meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, with a meeting with Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) said. According to a release sent to AGERPRES, the discussion deepened the exchange of views and assessments on the worrying security situation in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea region, following the telephone conversation of the two ministers on February 12. "The two heads of diplomacy reaffirmed the common approach to Euro-Atlantic security and the principles that should guide the response to the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation. The Romanian and Canadian Foreign Ministers discussed in detail the latest developments in the security situation. They agreed that further Allied deterrence and defence were needed on the Eastern Flank, including in the south, at the Black Sea," the Foreign Ministry said. Thus, according to the MAE, Minister Bogdan Aurescu and his Canadian counterpart agreed to continue contacts and cooperation in order to adapt the response of NATO and allied states to current security developments, in order to strengthen the collective commitment for security of allies on NATO's Eastern Flank, including by creating a fighting group in Romania. They also agreed on the importance of the comprehensive and substantial package of sanctions being prepared at EU, US, Canada, UK level, emphasizing the essential nature of close coordination between all these actors, but also the relevance of this package as a tool. of discouragement. At the same time, Minister Aurescu reiterated the importance of an adequate strategic communication on this package, from the perspective of its deterrent role. The MAE states that it has reiterated its support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right to make its own foreign and security policy choices, in compliance with international law. The Canadian minister thanked the Romanian side for its willingness to cooperate in identifying measures to protect Canadian citizens who could be affected by the worsening security situation in Ukraine. In view of the experience of consistent bilateral cooperation in the field of defence, especially in the field of reinsurance measures of the Eastern Flank allies, it was agreed to further develop bilateral and allied cooperation. Minister Bogdan Aurescu also thanked the Canadian side for maintaining Canada's contribution to the strengthened air police mission in Romania in 2022. The two ministers also discussed opportunities to strengthen the strategic relationship between Romania and Canada, based on common values and interests. In this context, the importance of the Romanian community in Canada as a bridge between the two states was reiterated. The traditional bilateral cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy was also mentioned, according to the MAE. Finally, it was agreed to continue the high-level dialogue, including by preparing for a visit by the Canadian foreign minister to Bucharest - including to mark the 55th anniversary of embassy-level diplomatic relations this year - and to maintain a close relationship in defining and implementing measures to ensure security and stability in the Black Sea region. Calvin Wilson Calvin Wilson is theater critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Calvin Wilson 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 Secrets upend the tranquility of a summer getaway in Stick Fly, a brilliantly acted, hilariously insightful and highly entertaining Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production. Directed by Chanel Bragg, playwright Lydia R. Diamonds comedy-drama focuses on an upscale African American family with a home on Marthas Vineyard. But amid the grandeur of the surroundings, undercurrents of discontent gradually surface. Family patriarch Joe LeVay (Ron Himes), a successful neurosurgeon, cant conceal his disappointment in his younger son, Kent (Ricardy Fabre), an aspiring writer whom he urges to get a respectable job. Neither is Joe entirely pleased with his other son, Flip (DeShawn Harold Mitchell), whose career as a plastic surgeon is deemed acceptable, but whose guest Kimber (Blair Lewin) is a young white woman. But theres even more going on. Apparently, Flip is no stranger to another guest, Kents entomologist fiancee, Taylor (Amber Reauchean Williams). Cheryl (Bobbi Johnson), who has taken over housekeeping duties for her sick mother, also significantly figures in the story. And Joe dodges explaining the conspicuous absence of the family matriarch. Diamond brings a contemporary sensibility to the play while taking an approach thats very much in the classic tradition of Chekhov and Ibsen. And she has created characters who are at once recognizable and specific. Stick Fly addresses race and class with subtlety, nuance and an edginess rooted in hard truth. But the play is perhaps best appreciated as a window into an overlooked sector of African American life. In a nation in which The Cosby Show was notable at least in part because it was the rare television series that consistently acknowledged the existence of Black professionals, plays such as Stick Fly are clearly anomalies. But regardless of their artistic worth, such works may be appreciated as correctives to routinely stereotypical depictions of African American characters in popular culture. The cast is excellent, triumphing as an ensemble while also embracing moments of actorly opportunity. Particularly impressive are Himes, who persuasively captures Joes humor and dignity but also his anger; Lewin, who gets to the heart of Kimbers vulnerabilities; and Williams, who imbues Taylor with fiery resolve. Bragg has a sure feel for the material, and the production benefits immensely from the contributions of scenic designer Kyu Shin, lighting designer Amina Alexander, costume designer April Hickman, and sound designer and composer Twi McCallum. Stick Fly takes its title from a method that entomologists use to study houseflies: gluing them to sticks. Although the metaphor may be a bit forced, Diamond seems to be suggesting that the play is an experiment in anthropology the study of what makes us human. If that is indeed the case, the experiment is a resounding success. 'Stick Fly' When Through March 6; performance times vary Where Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA, 6880 Washington Avenue How much $25-$99; proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test required More info repstl.org Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger 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 To understand Thomas Utterback, it helps to go back four decades or so, to 1987 in a federal courtroom in downtown St. Louis. Utterback was an attorney then, representing Democratic committeeman Leroy Tyus in the corruption trial of the century in St. Louis. This was the trial that led to multiple convictions of mail and wire fraud in a get-rich-quick scheme involving bribery of public officials making a decision as to who would get the citys cable television franchise. A whos who of Democratic politicians and operatives were eventually charged or convicted. Sorkis Webbe Sr., the power-broker who ran his political machine out of the Mayfair Hotel, would die before he went to trial. His son, Sorkis Webbe Jr., was convicted of fraud. Tyus, Eugene P. Slay, and attorney James Cullen were all convicted, though an appeals court later overturned those convictions. Utterbacks role in the case would seem not particularly noteworthy attorneys represent all sorts of clients, thats their job if not for what happened about 10 years later. Thats when Utterback was arrested in a Geneva hotel room with $3.2 million in $10 and $20 bills stuffed in four suitcases. Utterback had agreed to try to launder the money for a drug dealer, Edward Trober, the former owner of the Panama Jax nightclub in Collinsville. Trober promised Utterback 10% of the drug money if he would fly it out of the country and launder it. Utterback first flew to Panama, but his contact there said it was too much money. So, he repackaged the money and flew to Switzerland. An airline worker in Amsterdam tipped off police. Utterback was sentenced to three years in federal prison. Utterback had spent much of his career as a municipal attorney. But he wanted something more, speculated some attorneys who knew him at the time. I think Tom was interested in getting rich quick and being successful, one lawyer told the Post-Dispatch in 1998. I think Tom was always one of these guys who wanted to strike it rich, said another. He wanted to make a lot of money. Fast forward another couple of decades. Thats when I met Utterback. He had a news tip for me. Look at the Dismas House, he said. Thats the nations oldest halfway house for federal prisoners, right here in St. Louis. Utterback passed through its doors when he left federal prison. Look at its board, Utterback told me. The place is run by former city and county parks director Gary Bess, he said. I started looking. I found years of financial shenanigans, with Bess wife, Vivienne, and her brother, John Flatley, and other family members, taking about $5 million in inflated salaries from the $43 million federal contract handed out by the Bureau of Prisons to run the facility. The contract is supposed to pay for services that help former federal detainees get jobs and integrate back in the community. My reporting, spurred first by a tip from Utterback, showed that the board running Dismas House was not fulfilling that mission, instead using too many of its resources to line family members pockets. Until today, I didnt mention that Utterback was the source for the tip. I had an agreement with him to protect him as a source. That changed this week when Utterback sent me an angry email, copying another reporter, outing himself as my source. I dont blame Utterback for being angry. He didnt like my most recent column on Dismas House, the one that explains that Utterbacks new nonprofit, Exodus Reentry Villages, the one that won the latest $44 million BOP contract, is running into its own problems. Hes now promised two different locations to the federal government; both have fallen through. Hes given the federal government inaccurate information in his application about who was on his board. His statements, to the federal government, to people in the St. Louis community, and to me, simply dont add up. There will be no Gary Besses or John Flatleys in Exodus, and Exodus profits will be invested back into the neighborhoods so ravaged by mass incarceration, Utterback emailed me and another reporter on Thursday. Just remember that you had no interest in Dismas House until I informed you Gary Bess ran the place. You did a fine job of investigation, but I still know more than you do about the whole thing. I dont doubt that Utterback knows more than me. That is why I keep asking him questions he wont answer. Who is on his board? How did he convince the BOP that his startup nonprofit, with no experience or funding, was better than a competing bidder made up of the most experienced prison reentry nonprofits in St. Louis? Why does he tell me that another ex-con with a banking fraud conviction, Mark Repking, is playing no role with Exodus, when board member Gene McNary tells me Repking plays an important role? Why does Utterback use his status as an ex-con when he thinks it helps him, but get angry at me when I mention it in the context of him trying to manage a $44 million federal contract? They are the sorts of questions Utterback might have asked back when he was an attorney, in a federal courtroom in St. Louis, trying to help his client beat a bribery charge. From City Hall to the Capitol, metro columnist Tony Messenger shines light on what public officials are doing, tells stories of the disaffected, and brings voice to the issues that matter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ELSBERRY A pink flowering dogwood grows near Lost Creek, marking the spot where a speeding pickup entered the floodwaters and sank, killing passenger Jennelle Wulfmeier. Wulfmeier's family planted the tree two summers ago next to hand-painted plaques and a cross in memory of the 20-year-old St. Charles County woman who died in 2020. "I'm making sure she's not forgotten," said Wulfmeier's younger sister, Cassie Wulfmeier. "That tree will be there, always, and will bloom every year that she can't." At the Lincoln County courthouse, Cassie Wulfmeier gave an emotional victim-impact statement last month before a judge sentenced Cole McCall to prison for involuntary manslaughter. "She had so many dreams," Cassie Wulfmeier said of her sister, looking directly at McCall. "You robbed us of a life with her." McCall, 23, was sent to prison for 20 years after pleading guilty Jan. 14 in Jennelle Wulfmeier's death and to crimes in two other felony cases. He crashed a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado on Jan. 10, 2020, a rainy night with flash flood warnings. He was being chased by another motorist who said McCall gave him a phony $50 bill to buy a vehicle. Jennelle Wulfmeier was a passenger in the pickup truck. It crashed at the end of South Seventh Street in Elsberry and hit a levee. The vehicle went airborne and landed in swollen Lost Creek. McCall escaped and ran away, yelling to the man pursuing him to call 911 because his girlfriend was still inside the truck. Wulfmeier was trapped as the pickup sank, drifting with the current. Searchers found the vehicle with her body inside the next day. Jennelle Wulfmeier had lived in the St. Charles area with her mother and sister. Cassie Wulfmeier said Jennelle was a friend of McCall but not his girlfriend. Cassie Wulfmeier, 21, said in an interview that she has so many questions, still. She watched video police took of the pickup being pulled from the water. Law enforcement gave her a photograph that shows her sister's cell phone wedged in the truck's door, as if Jennelle frantically tried to pry open the door. "I wonder what her last moments were like," Cassie Wulfmeier said. "It's one of the last things she did trying to save her life. "Every day of my life," she said, "I have to live with this nightmare." Jennelle Wulfmeier was conceived via in vitro fertilization, as was her sister Cassie 18 months later. "It goes to speak to how truly wanted we were," Cassie Wulfmeier said. Cassie and Jennelle were close, and strangers mistook them for twins when they were young. After graduating high school, Jennelle Wulfmeier worked at a pet store. She wanted to be a dog trainer. She had two bearded dragons and a Beagle named Nana. "She always dreamed of being swept off her feet," Cassie Wulfmeier said. "She always wanted to be a mom. She wanted to find the love she gave to everyone around her." After Jennelle's death, her sister and mother kept a box of mementos. Stuffed animals, photographs, her graduation cap and gown. They were lost in a house fire in late January, two weeks after McCall's sentencing. In court, McCall read from a handwritten statement, calling Wulfmeier his best friend. He said he wished he would have died instead of her. He said there was nothing more he could have done to save her. Her family is dubious. "Such a selfish human being," Cassie Wulfmeier said. "I can't fathom how he just baled with no regard for anyone else but himself." McCall's lawyer could not be reached. Cassie Wulfmeier said she and her mother, Joyce Wulfmeier, were satisfied with the plea deal that Prosecuting Attorney Michael Wood's office offered McCall. And when Cassie Wulfmeier spoke in court, she gave McCall a parting shot. "We hope you spend every day (in prison) thinking about that night," she said. "Just as we are cursed to." Staff writer Kim Bell can be reached at kbell@post-dispatch.com Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CLAYTON After parceling out millions in federal aid on a per-request basis over the last year, St. Louis County has about $90 million left to spend, and several competing proposals for the money. Council Chair Rita Days, D-1st District, says she wants to see the results of a pending public survey before spending whats left of the $193 million the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act. County Executive Sam Page agrees, spokesman Doug Moore said. The survey, he said, will be part of a broader community engagement effort announced last week to include public town halls and an online portal to track ARPA spending. While the survey has broad support from the other six members of the County Council, some say it shouldnt further hold up key spending proposals that have been on the councils agenda for months. That includes $4.2 million to buy a new 911 emergency dispatch system to upgrade one installed in 2001. The sponsors Council members Kelli Dunaway, D-2nd District, Lisa Clancy, D-5th District, and Tim Fitch, R-3rd District said theyll ask for a final vote on Tuesday, arguing that its an urgent need. They delayed a vote last week after Days and Council members Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, and Ernie Trakas, R-6th District, argued it should be part of a broader consideration of ARPA proposals. Webb said the 911 dispatch upgrades were not the only ARPA bill on hold, for the community survey. There are quite a few, she said. Webb and Days also have called for $50 million for public health projects in north St. Louis County, including the construction of two new public health centers and the deployment of two mobile health units. Separately, Fitch, a former county police chief, has introduced a bill for $34.4 million for improvements for the police department, including the construction of a real-time camera surveillance and crime reporting center, a new central county precinct and the purchase of 50 patrol vehicles. Trakas also has called for $62.5 million for infrastructure, public health and small business support projects in his south St. Louis County district, which is mostly unincorporated. Trakas has long complained that other districts benefit from dollars directed to municipalities. The countys 88 municipalities have separately received a total of about $135 million in federal aid divided among them based largely on their population. And Clancy has a bill for $2 million to continue a GrandPad program that loaned thousands of tablets to homebound seniors isolated during the pandemic. The program, which was paid for through past pandemic aid, is set to expire in March. Fitch said in an interview that the survey is a good idea, but there are some items were going to have to purchase no matter what the survey says, including the dispatch system and other police requests. Trakas said the survey should have been prepared and circulated much earlier, but would provide important and necessary information. But, he added, his overriding imperative is that unincorporated St. Louis County receive the bulk of County ARPA dollars ... and most importantly, that South County gets its fair share. Dunaway said the survey should inform how we approach whatever remains of the ARPA money, and added that it could help inform future county plans. But it should have been done months ago, and shouldnt hold up the dispatch system upgrades or other urgent issues. She, Clancy and Fitch also said they supported giving final approval to the GrandPad program as early as Tuesday. Plugging budget holes Over the past year, the county has appropriated roughly $103 million from the ARPA windfall. The bulk $80 million was used, at Pages recommendation, to shore up the countys operating budget through 2024 to avoid cuts from revenue losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The council also has approved spending another $23 million, including $11 million for public health COVID-19 testing and staffing, $5 million for emergency housing aid and $5.2 million for temporary pay raises for jail corrections officers. The council also approved $1 million to continue contracts with Deloitte and Lewis Rice, two firms that have advised the county on federal aid regulations since 2020, $875,000 to pay for a vaccine incentive gift-card program, and about $175,000 to provide raises for some employees with public-facing roles during the pandemic. The countys process for spending ARPA money is markedly different than it was for the $173.5 million it received in 2020 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In a controversial vote in April 2020, the councils Democrat majority Days, Clancy, Dunaway, and former councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray ceded control of the funds to Page without further council approval, citing a federal end-of-year deadline to spend the money. Days later said she regretted the decision, and has since led a new council majority including Webb, Fitch, and Councilman Mark Harder, R-7th District, that has been critical of Pages spending of the past federal aid. But now that the council has retained authority over ARPA spending, the process had been haphazard, Dunaway said. With ARPA, the council had time and space to find a strategy and work through it and find a way address the most pressing needs in the county, Dunaway said. Fitch pushed back, arguing the county was in no obligation to plan for the money before a federal deadline in late 2024. The emergency part of the pandemic is over for the most part, these funds are for recovery, Fitch said. This recovery is going to take multiple years. The survey, he said, was only presented to the council in November by Deloitte. Clancy said the majority was leaning too much on the firm. Deloitte is there to provide technical assistance and theyre doing a good job of that, but they need a vision to work from, she said. A majority of the council appears to be paralyzed in what that vision is. We need to make decisions. The anticipated community survey, according to a copy which is expected be published online, would ask residents for their preferred uses of the money in seven broad categories, according to a draft copy seen by the Post-Dispatch. The questions seek residents ideas for projects in public health, economic support for small businesses, resources for mental health and substance abuse issues, housing assistance, childcare and education, water and broadband infrastructure and road repair. During public comment at a council meeting last week, Shavanna Spratt, of Ferguson, said she wanted to see funds directed toward public health and education in north county. But she also challenged county officials to get wider views and engage residents who may not be able to make it to meetings in this space. I dare you to think outside of the box, step outside of your comfort zones and really engage with us here in the community. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After all the epic upheaval in the 1970s over the Equal Rights Amendment, some are arguing that the constitutional amendment declaring, simply, that women must be afforded the same rights as men officially became law last month two years after Virginia ratified it and put it over the 38-state threshold for addition to the Constitution. Or not. As galling as it might sound that even in 2022, a handful of Republican senators have moved to make sure the ERA isnt stamped into law, there are in fact some remaining issues that need to be resolved. There are questions about whether Congress can retroactively waive a decades-old deadline that was missed, and whether some states that have rescinded their ratification had the power to do that. Those issues can and should be addressed and then this long-overdue amendment should, finally, be enshrined in the Constitution. The burning debate from the 1960s and 1970s of whether women should have the same rights as men is hardly debatable today. Consider the single sentence behind all these decades worth of controversy: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. How could any modern American, of either gender or any party, seriously oppose that sentiment? The main reason, opponents say today, is that they believe that language will strengthen the standing of abortion-rights advocates in court. Thats a virtual admission that even conservatives understand that restriction of abortion rights is inherently the restriction of womens rights. But issues of gender equality go far beyond abortion. Most notably, women on average still make less money for the same work as men do, and are still largely locked out of the prime leadership positions in corporate America. The glass ceiling certainly has been cracked in recent years, but no one could rationally claim its been shattered. Opponents also make some of the usual histrionic arguments that earlier generations made against the amendment: That it would tear down gender barriers, outlawing separate bathrooms and other public accommodations, a silly scare tactic. Or they assert it would potentially subject women to the military draft a more reasonable prediction, but one that should be addressed within the wider debate of whether a military draft (of either gender) is just or workable in modern times. All of this said, proponents who are pushing to formally certify the amendment despite technical questions about its passage potentially hurt their own just cause. If and when this amendment goes onto the Constitution, it must be without the kind of asterisk that would result from cutting corners. That would also set a dangerous precedent for others who would change the Constitution in less-positive ways. This one is too important not to do it right. But it should get done. New board members bring a wealth of financial, strategy and global health expertise NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J., Feb. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioAegis Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage, private company developing therapies for inflammatory, infectious, and degenerative diseases based on a portfolio built around gelsolin technology, announces the appointment of Dr. Kerry Maguire and Kris Vinckier, to the Corporate Board, effective February 15, 2022. Kerry Maguire, DDS, MSPH, Brings Extensive Clinical and Global Health Expertise Dr. Kerry Maguire is a healthcare executive who most recently served as the Vice-President for Clinical Operations at the Forsyth Institute in Cambridge, MA. As a public health professional, her focus has been on health disparities of vulnerable populations, primarily children and people living with HIV. Kerry has held faculty roles at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the University of Colorado where she taught both didactic and clinical courses and participated in school, university, and faculty governance. Dr. Maguire also led the Academic Relations team at Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals and was Director of Professional Advocacy at Toms of Maine. She currently serves on the boards of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Foundation, The Childrens Trust, and Options for Children in Zambia, an organization she founded with BioAegis co-founder, Dr. Tom Stossel, to address oral health, HIV, and sickle cell disease in rural Africa. Kerry graduated cum laude from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine and completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency the following year. She received her Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. I am delighted to have the opportunity to help drive the advancement of this technology. My belief that gelsolin can improve global health is a continuation of Toms legacy and my passion for making a difference, shared Dr. Maguire. Kris Vinckier Brings Over 35 Years of Financial, Strategic and Leadership Experience Kris Vinckier is a Director and Co-Founder of Paradox Investment Management BV, which manages the investment fund, Paradox Investment Network BV, a Private Privak under Belgian Law. Mr. Vinckier is a seasoned executive in the financial and commercial services sector, who currently serves as the Head of Business Strategy Life and Employee Benefits for Vivium, a brand of P&V Group, one of Belgiums premier insurance companies. Mr. Vinckier has over 35 years of experience in C-level executive positions which include directing the integration of complex and diverse aspects of business operations from risk analysis and product development to implementing and optimizing organizational efficiencies through commercialization--including the development of end-market distribution channels. Kris Vinckier has negotiated high-level policies with political and regulatory bodies and consulted on acquisition transactions. He has led postgraduate leadership and strategy programs with a focus on the banking and insurance sector. As a new board member, I will endeavor to bring my knowledge, experience, and perspective to the BioAegis board, said Mr. Vinckier. With additional capital from Paradox, BioAegis is now poised to expeditiously advance new indications, building out BioAegis pipeline. Mr. Vinckier received his undergraduate and masters degree in Physical Education and Movement Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Leuven in Belgium. About BioAegis BioAegis Therapeutics Inc. is a NJ-based clinical-stage, private company whose mission is to capitalize on a key component of the bodys innate immune system, gelsolin, to prevent adverse outcomes in diseases driven by inflammation and infection. BioAegis platform is built upon the recombinant form of plasma gelsolin, a highly conserved abundant human protein in healthy individuals. Its role is to keep inflammation localized to the site of injury and to boost the bodys ability to clear pathogens, but normal levels are depleted by diverse inflammatory conditions. Restoring gelsolin levels with the human recombinant form helps immune cells fight infection and controls inflammation so it does not spread and cause damage. BioAegis has the exclusive license to broad, worldwide intellectual property through Harvard-Brigham and Womens Hospital. It holds over 40 patents issued for coverage of infection, inflammatory disease, renal failure, multiple sclerosis, and other neurologic diseases. BioAegis will also have US biologics exclusivity and has recently filed new IP in areas of unmet need. Investor Inquiries: Steven Cordovano 203-952-6373 [email protected] Media Inquiries: Christine Lagana [email protected] This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations of management. These statements relate to, among other things, our expectations regarding managements plans, objectives, and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. BioAegis assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements appearing in this press release in the event of changing circumstances or otherwise, and such statements are current only as of the date they are made. (Tribune News Service) Andrew M. Mead often wondered about his fathers role in World War II, but it wasnt until Mead was in his mid-20s that his father, Donald C. Mead, finally began sharing details of his secret mission. Mead for many years believed his father served as a tank commander. But Donald Mead, who died in 1981 at the age of 58, actually served as a member of the Ghost Army, a group of soldiers assigned to a top secret Army unit that used deceptive warfare tactics to give American troops a battlefield advantage. Soldiers in the Ghost Army were instructed to use their brains to mislead and deceive the German army, including by pretending to be a much larger and better-equipped fighting force. After the war ended, the units soldiers were sworn to secrecy, records were classified, and their equipment was placed in storage. Accounts of the Ghost Armys undercover role started to circulate more openly in the 1970s and the United States officially declassified their mission in 1996, although it remained a little-known piece of World War II history. Now, members of the Ghost Army are being honored with Congressional Gold Medals recognizing the risks they took and the lives they saved. Only a small number of the soldiers are still alive, but medals also will be given to the families of those who have since died, including Donald Mead. Andrew Mead, who lives in Bangor and who serves as an associate justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, provided the Press Herald with a copy of a letter written by his father and published by the Armed Forces Journal in 1981. The headline to his letter read, The Sonic Deception Facet of Electronic Warfare. In the letter, Donald Mead describes his units role in weakening Nazi defenses in northern Italy by persuading the German commander, through deceptive sounds, to move German troops away from the main thrust of the Allied forces attack. That allowed the Allies to break through German lines, cross the Po River, and successfully win the Italian campaign. Nowhere in any official history or archive has this contribution to Allied victory been recounted, Donald Mead wrote. Believing that this part of World War II history should not be forgotten, I would be glad to make available to any serious researcher any information I have. In a separate letter to the National Archives and Records Section, dated February 1976, Mead requested a copy of his units combat journal. He describes in even greater detail his units mission of sonic deception, which involved the use of high-powered amplifiers and loud speakers mounted on tank-destroyer vehicles. During the night, the sound devices broadcast recordings of armored vehicles moving, to delude the enemy into believing a large United States armored truck force attack was being mounted. When ... my father told us that his WWII service involved inflatable rubber tanks, I must admit that as a young man I was unimpressed and possibly amused, Andrew Mead wrote in an email. But many years later as I began to put the pieces together, I came to understand how extraordinary it truly was. But, by then he had passed away and it was too late to have the conversations I wish we had had earlier. The Ghost Army Gold Congressional Medal project has provided a welcome opportunity albeit well after the fact to pay tribute to him and the other courageous and creative men whose exploits might have otherwise disappeared into the void over the years. Ghost Army soldiers used air compressors to inflate rubberized tanks, and trucks equipped with ear-piercing sonic units designed to emulate troop movements to mislead the Nazis about the true size and location of American troops. They also dispatched false radio communications to befuddle German intelligence. The Armys entire objective was to fool the Germans into thinking that American troop size was much larger than it actually was, a diversionary tactic that gave American troops the time they needed to maneuver their actual forces into position. The National World War II museum in New Orleans may have described the Ghost Army best when it staged a special exhibit from March 2020 through January 2021 called: Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II. There were two branches of the Ghost Army the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, which served primarily in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. It was the largest unit with 1,100 soldiers. Mead was a sergeant in the 3133rd Signal Corps Special Command, which served in Italy. More than 200 soldiers served in Meads unit. A total of eight Ghost Army soldiers were born in Maine, according to the Ghost Army Legacy Project, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that is dedicated to ensuring that the efforts of those soldiers receive recognition. None of the nine surviving members are in Maine. Andrew Mead said he wanted to honor his fathers memory by making the Ghost Armys efforts more public. He contacted Maine Sen. Susan Collins, whom Mead described as being very supportive. Collins agreed to co-sponsor legislation that will result in surviving members of the Ghost Army and their families receiving the Congressional Gold Medal the nations highest civilian honor. Sen. Edward Markey, D- Mass., and U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, D- N.H., joined Collins to sponsor the bicameral legislation. President Biden signed the bill into law Feb. 1. The nine surviving Ghost Army members who live across the United States and the relatives of other members who have died will receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Our nation will always be grateful to the members of the Ghost Army, the top-secret Army units who served with distinction during World War II. I am pleased that our bipartisan legislation has been signed into law, which will recognize these soldiers by bestowing Congress highest civilian honor, Collins said in a statement. Their courage and resourcefulness were pivotal in the European theater and likely saved many American lives. Ghost Army units were instrumental to Allied successes at the Battle of the Bulge and the final battles in Italys Po Valley, the legislators pointed out. Collins own father, Don Collins, was a World War II veteran who was wounded twice in the Battle of the Bulge. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his service. Collins, Markey and Kuster estimate that 15,000 to 30,000 American soldiers lives were saved as a result of the Ghost Armys efforts. Donald Mead grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts. As a youth he operated a private radio station and was an accomplished telegrapher. He enrolled in 1941 at the University of Maine in Orono, where he studied electrical engineering. Andrew Mead said his fathers military career began in 1943 during his sophomore year at the University of Maine. Donald Mead joined a large group of friends who traveled to Bangor to enlist in the United States Army. Mead said his father received his basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey before he was invited to an interview at a nondescript office building in New York City. He was dismissed after the interview and didnt fully understand what the interviewers intentions were until he was ordered to report to a secret training facility at Pine Camp in upstate New York. Pine Camp was renamed Fort Drum in 1974. Mead said his father deployed to Italy in 1943 as a member of the 3133rd Signal Corps Special Command. Rick Beyer serves as president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project. Beyer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, best-selling author and history enthusiast. He produced and directed the PBS documentary The Ghost Army and is the co-author of the The Ghost Army of World War II. Beyer said the 3133rds assignment was to create sound deceptions created by installing sonic units on tanks, including speakers that could be heard miles away. A platoon of British engineers equipped with inflatable tanks was also attached to the unit, giving the 3133rd the means to carry out limited visual deception as well. Beyer said the 3133rd was in action for 19 days. They carried out two successful missions in Italy. The soldiers of the 3133rd created their own unofficial uniform arm patch that showed the devil thumbing his nose. Another unit of the Ghost Army, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, saw significantly more action in Europe. The 23rd used inflatable tanks, fake sound effects, radio trickery and illusions to fool the Germans into thinking they were facing much larger enemy units than they actually were in the field of combat. The 23rd operated in northern Europe, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany, and carried out 20 missions, according to Beyer. Beyer said one Gold Medal will be produced by the U.S. Mint and presented to the Smithsonian Museum. It will contain 300 grams of gold, worth an estimated $20,000. It will take two years to create the design and mint the medal. Bronze duplicates will be presented to the surviving veterans and their families. An official presentation ceremony will be hosted by members of Congress in two years. Beyer said the Congressional Gold Medal dates back to the American Revolution and is the highest distinction Congress can bestow. The nine surviving Ghost Army soldiers are all in the late 90s, according to Beyer. They live in Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida and New York. After the war ended, Donald Mead returned to the University of Maine, where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. After graduation he was hired by Western Electric, where he became involved in a number of Department of Defense projects, his son said. He died in August 1981, the same year his letter was published publicly offering to share his story in the hope that this part of World War II history should not be forgotten. Four decades later, he has helped to make sure it never will be. (c)2022 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine) Visit at www.pressherald.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) A mysterious orb floating over Hawaii prompted the U.S. military to scramble fighter jets to investigate, authorities reported. The object seen over Kauai on Monday, Feb. 14, appeared to be an unmanned balloon with no identification markings, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, Hawaiis adjutant general, said in a series of Twitter posts. In regards to aerial activity over Kauai on 2-14:U.S. Indo-Pacific Command detected a high-altitude object floating in air in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands. In accordance with homeland defense procedures, Pacific Air Forces launched tactical aircraft to intercept and -1 /3 Kenneth S Hara (@HawaiiTAG) February 17, 2022 Local officials and onlookers identified the fighter jets as F-22s, The Drive reported. Residents said the bright white orb appeared to be stationary, Hawaii News Now reported. Some reported hearing loud booms and speculated the military had shot it down. Military officials said they did not fire on the object, according to the publication. They are continuing to track the orb. 2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. He is the man with the very long table who seats world leaders and ministers at an almost comical distance. He is a lone figure in a dark coat laying a wreath at a St. Petersburg cemetery or sitting solo in his Olympic viewing booth in Beijing. He is aging, isolated, more powerful than ever and on the brink of waging a possibly catastrophic war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the 22 years since he first took office, has evolved from an afterthought of Washington leaders to the worlds most watched and pleaded-with man, using reconstituted Russian military might to force the globe to reckon with his interests after having complained for years about being ignored. His latest belligerence follows two years of pandemic isolation and eight years of Western sanctions that analysts say have fed the bunker mentality Putin has exhibited since his earliest years. At 69, and now a grandfather, he has had hours alone to consider his legacy as Russias longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin and ponder one of his most striking and unendurable failures: the escape of Kyiv, for centuries the center of East Slavic statehood, into the hands of the West. Putins growing hunger for risk comes as the United States, mired in political dysfunction and humbled by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, sees its relative global power decline. As Washington governance has faltered, Putin has reformed Russias military into a capable force, eradicated political opposition at home, extended control over domestic Internet and media, amended the Russian constitution to retain power and hardened Moscows finances against external pressure. With the staying power of an ensconced autocrat, he steadily has built a foundation to take greater risks abroad and the confidence to confront Washington ever more vigorously. In many ways, Putin believes his time has come at last. If you are sitting in the Kremlin, things havent been better from the standpoint of trying to push your interests against the West, said Thomas Graham, senior director for Russia on the White House National Security Council under President George W. Bush. The trajectory of developments would tell Putin he is on the rise and the United States is on the decline. That shift comes as Putin views himself increasingly in historical terms. Putin has got himself so wrapped up with the Russian state that he cant extract himself from the idea that he is the state, said Fiona Hill, who held the top Russia post at the NSC under President Donald Trump. He is already living history. To lose Ukraine would be to suffer a historic humiliation in Putins eyes, she said, describing Putins mind-set as, Hes not going to let Ukraine get away not on his watch. Feeling slighted Putins long journey from inheriting a country reeling from the Soviet Unions collapse to threatening the West with a full-scale war in Ukraine is the story of a leader who for years felt slighted and demeaned by a succession of U.S. presidents preoccupied with other issues, only to build up the power to strike back. But from his earliest days as leader, the former KGB officer exhibited a bellicose streak. He led a brutal war against Chechen separatists upon taking office famously vowing to waste them in their outhouses and exhibited a paranoia from his early days about foreign enemies trying to destroy Russia. To a man who brawled on the streets of Leningrad in his youth and made his career in the Soviet security services, Russias weakness after the U.S.S.R.s collapse had become revolting. His anger over his nations humiliating frailty came through in the speech to the nation he gave in 2004, after a terrorist attack on a school in the Russian city of Beslan. Putin lamented how Russia had failed to protect itself after the Soviet Unions downfall, giving its enemies the chance to tear the country apart. We demonstrated weakness, and the weak are beaten, Putin said. Vowing to make Russia stronger, he immediately took steps to consolidate his power. He loathed how the United States threw around its weight unchecked. In the color revolutions that brought Western-leaning governments to power in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, Putin saw unabashed U.S. encroachment on his sphere of influence. In NATOs 2004 expansion to the Baltics and four other Eastern European states, he saw Washington taking advantage of Moscows hobbled military. In the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, he saw the unbridled hubris of a reckless nation intoxicated with uncontested power. The way the United States treated him only fed his anger and suspicion. When Bush needed to refuel Air Force One on a trip in late 2006 to southeast Asia, he stopped in Moscow but did not go to the Kremlin, forcing the Russian president to come to the airport and meet in the terminal. President Barack Obama famously dismissed Russia as a regional power, adding to the American slights that Putin would register from the White House. Months after the airport meeting with Bush, Putin made clear he would end U.S. dominance. At the 2007 Munich Security Conference, 15 years ago this month, he excoriated Washington, telling a crowd including Robert Gates, then the secretary of defense, that the United States had overstepped its borders in every way and exhibited an almost unconstrained hyper use of force. In that speech, he chided NATO for putting its front-line forces on our borders, assailed U.S. plans for missile defense installations in Europe and called for a new architecture of global security to balance out the U.S.-dominated world the same demands he has been making in recent weeks. Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said the 2007 speech was a road map for Putin. He demonstrated how he would behave and he was honest, Kolesnikov said. But Putin lacked the power to force his vision. The following year, NATO met in Bucharest and declared it was a question of when, not if, Ukraine and Georgia would join the military alliance. An enraged Russia invaded Georgia four months later, and once again demanded a new European security architecture. But the Russian militarys disastrous performance in that war underscored that Moscow remained ill-positioned to reorder world affairs. Perhaps no episode fed his fears of U.S. influence more than the late 2011 mass protests in Moscow. The outpouring of anger in the streets, which followed a Russian parliamentary election widely seen as rigged, represented the biggest-ever threat to his power at home. In the protesters demands for democracy and justice, Putin saw Washingtons tentacles coming to strangle him. He denounced the protesters as State Department-backed pawns taking cues from Obamas secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and after four years as prime minister, he returned to the presidency a changed man. He clamped down on domestic dissent and cast himself as a global standard-bearer for those opposed to liberal Western values. His intervention in Syria showed his willingness to use force to counter U.S. power and helped him professionalize a military he is now relying on to threaten Ukraine. Interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign demonstrated a new level of risk-taking in Putins quest to hit back at Washington and a growing confidence in his ability to get away with it. Annexation of Crimea When a pro-European uprising in Ukraine pushed out the Kremlin-leaning government in 2014, Putin lashed out using military tactics to combat what he viewed as a U.S. attempt to weaponize a brother nation against him. Discounting agency for Ukrainians, he blamed the crisis again on U.S. power run amok, saying the Americans influencing Kyiv were acting like theyre in a lab, running all sorts of experiments on the rats without understanding the consequences of what theyre doing. His annexation of Crimea brought him an irredentist surge in popularity at home, and in a triumphant speech afterward, Putin warned that the United States had crossed Russias red lines in Ukraine, forcing him to snap back hard. Later that year, he confessed to wishing sometimes the Russian bear could sit quietly and eat berries and honey but said the West would never leave the bear in peace unless it were subdued or made irrelevant. Because they will always try to put him on a chain, and as soon as they succeed in doing so, they tear out his fangs and his claws, Putin said. Once theyve taken out his claws and his fangs, then the bear is no longer necessary. Hell become a stuffed animal. Brian D. Taylor, a professor at Syracuse University who studies Putin, said the Russian leader always thinks about Russia as a besieged fortress. If he is doing something with respect to Ukraine, it is not because he is an aggressor but because he has been cornered into lashing out to protect Russias interests, Taylor said. Because if he doesnt, no one else is going to do it. Despite his perceived triumph with Crimea, the separatist proxy war Russia fueled in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions failed to achieve the Kremlins goals. Russia pushed for the conflict to end with an autonomous region loyal to Moscow inserted into the Ukrainian state as a spoiler to its Western ambitions. Instead, the war simmered unresolved, and a peace deal that would have reintegrated the regions went unimplemented. Ukraine, at the same time, continued to drift westward. NATO militaries expanded their cooperation with Ukrainian forces and held exercises near Russia. As the war in the east dragged on, support within Ukraine for joining NATO skyrocketed. Even President Donald Trumps disdain for both Ukraine and NATO and an impeachment scandal centering on demands he made of Kyiv failed to scupper the growing partnership. Putin had come to see Ukraine, one of the largest recipients of U.S. military assistance, as a Western aircraft carrier parked just across from . . . southern Russia, wrote Andrew S. Weiss and Eugene Rumer, Russia analysts at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His need to reverse Ukraines trajectory, they said, had become his legacys most important piece of unfinished business. The pandemic left Putin isolated and surrounded by a group of hard-liners who, like him, fail to comprehend the genuine rise in pro-Western sentiment in Ukraine, said Tatiana Stanovaya, a political analyst at R. Politik. In Putins eyes, she said, Ukrainians are like hostages to foreign interests suffering from Stockholm syndrome, who dont realize their true interests lie with Russia. Its a very dangerous situation in that he is closing in on himself, Stanovaya said, arguing that Putin believes no one recognizes Russias concerns, so he has no choice to opt for the most radical scenario. Putins pandemic isolation was punctuated last July by the release of a sweeping historical treatise on Ukraine, in which he said sovereignty for Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia and described the country as a vassal state being used by Western nations to attack Moscow. We will never allow our historical territories and people close to us living there to be used against Russia, he said. And to those who will undertake such an attempt, I would like to say that this way they will destroy their own country. The threat of war comes as Russia witnesses a level of domestic repression unprecedented in its post-Soviet history. After jailing opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned, Russian authorities set about prosecuting his adherents and running them out of the country. Journalists critical of the Kremlin have faced state pressure from prosecutions and the foreign agents law. The government has also pressured the Committee of Soldiers Mothers of Russia and shut down the human rights group Memorial, attacking two groups that have documented human rights abuses by the Russian military. People say, He wouldnt dare. He is not going to cross this line of a large-scale war in Europe, said Michael Kofman, a Russian military analyst at Virginia-based research group CNA. I would love to agree. But in the last three years I have seen him cross a lot of lines I thought he wouldnt. MOSCOW Belarus announced Sunday that Russian forces would remain in the country after massive military drills ended, in a move that opposition figures said surrendered the countrys independence to Moscow without a shot being fired. Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said it undermined the countrys security and sovereignty, dragging it into a foreign war as an aggressor. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that joint drills would continue after the end of massive joint military exercises with Russia on Sunday, citing the aggravation of the situation in eastern Ukraine. The announcement runs contrary to earlier pledges from Minsk officials that Russian troops would go home when the drills ended. Khrenin said the two countries would fight back if necessary, in a move analysts said showed that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenkos foreign and military policies had been effectively captured by Russia. It is just a sign that the current government of Belarus, Lukashenkos government, is increasingly dependent in its foreign and security policy on Russia and it cannot actually pursue its own autonomous decisions, said Artyom Shraibman, a Belarusian political analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center. As Western leaders warn that Russia could mount an attack on Ukraine in coming days, Tikhanovskaya, who is recognized by Western leaders as the rightful winner of the flawed 2020 presidential election, said Belarus was losing its sovereignty and called for Russian troops to leave immediately. The presence of Russian troops on our territory violates our constitution, international law, and endangers the security of every Belarusian and the whole region. Belarus is dragged into someone elses war and turned into an aggressor country, she said in a statement Sunday. Lukashenko has been beholden to Russian President Vladimir Putin since Belaruss disputed 2020 election, when street protests nearly toppled him from power before Putin promised to send in Russian forces to quell unrest if required. Lukashenko launched a massive crackdown, beating and jailing hundreds of opposition figures and activists, and clung on without Putins help. Putin and Lukashenko met Friday to discuss the crisis between Russia and NATO, after Western countries rejected Moscows demands for sweeping security guarantees including barring Ukraine and other countries from joining NATO and rolling back alliance forces and materiel from Eastern Europe. Lukashenko said after Fridays meeting that he and Putin worked out a joint plan to deter Western aggression. The next day, Putin rewarded him with an invitation to attend drills of Russias nuclear forces as the Russian leader oversaw multiple launches of hypersonic and cruise missiles. A Kremlin photo showed the two sitting at a circular white table in the situation center of Russias Defense Ministry as Putin launched the drills, co-opting the Belarusian leader as he sent a powerful message to Washington and NATO about his determination to reshape Europes security architecture, and his willingness to use military force if necessary. Putin sees Belarus and Ukraine as Russias junior Slavic brothers, part of what he calls the Russian world. He is convinced that Ukraine can only succeed if, like Belarus, it joins Russias sphere of influence. As Western officials warn Putin against an invasion to force Ukraines capitulation, Putin has dominated Belarus without the need for military force, by leveraging Lukashenkos political debt. It is not yet clear whether Putin will demand that Belarusian forces participate directly, should he invade Ukraine, but Russia would use Belarusian airfields, transportation and logistics. When it comes to war, Putin will simply take it for granted that he has Belarus as an extension of his territory, militarily speaking, so it might be like Belarus is an accomplice, a supporting force, but not participating and attacking Kyiv together with Russian soldiers, said Shraibman, the analyst. Even before the exercises began 10 days ago, Western military analysts warned that it could be cover for an attack force to invade Ukraine from the north and potentially encircle the capital Kyiv, part of a large-scale, multipronged invasion from the south, east and north. According to NATO, there are some 30,000 Russian forces in Belarus, as well as substantial military hardware including S-400 missile systems, positioned in the south of the country. Shraibman said that if Lukashenko ordered his forces to participate in an invasion of Ukraine, Belarusian military officials would obey their orders, but probably reluctantly. From my analysis of the public opinion in Belarus, including in law enforcement and the military, there is simply zero appetite for Belarus being dragged into any kind of conflict and let alone the conflict of another country. Lukashenko has floated the idea of hosting Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil several times, including this past week an example of him offering the Kremlin even more than Putin expected, Shraibman said. On Saturday, at Putins side during the nuclear forces exercises, Lukashenko was showing his loyalty at a critical time for Putin, hoping to win economic support and favors, he added. Lukashenko does even more than what is demanded from him, for example his initiative about the nukes being stationed in Belarus. He sometimes wants to overperform to show that he is even more of an ally than everybody could expect. Until we are in a war situation, while it is still mainly lip service, he can afford to do this. Hes happy to do it. Khrenin said the focus of the continued military drills would be the same as the recently completed exercise: to ensure an adequate response and de-escalation of military preparations of ill-wishers near our common borders. Just four days ago, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told The Washington Post: Not a single [Russian] serviceman, not a single piece of military equipment will remain in Belarus after these exercises. The first hint that Russian forces might not leave after the exercises came Saturday, when Belarusian general Alexander Volfovich told journalists that all the tasks of the exercises had been achieved but that, the exercise may continue. When and for how long will be decided by the head of the inspection. MUNICH Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy forcefully demanded stronger actions from world leaders as the threat of full-scale attack by Russia intensifies amid increased shelling in the eastern separatist regions of his country. "The security architecture of our world is brittle, it is obsolete," Zelenskyy said on Saturday during a defiant speech at a security conference in Munich. He accused governments of "egotism," "arrogance" and "irresponsibility" as he urged Western leaders to publicly state their plans for sanctions on Russia, saying that after the war begins would be too late. "Action is needed," he insisted, adding that "this is not about war in Ukraine, this is about war in Europe." Zelenskyy's sharp rebuke of Kyiv's allies comes as the United States is sounding its most dire warnings yet about the likelihood of a resumed Russian invasion of Ukraine, and as fresh shelling prompts new turmoil and finger-pointing in the country's east. Vice President Kamala Harris also made emphatic declarations at the Munich conference, vowing that Russia would see "economic measures that will be swift and severe" if it invades neighboring Ukraine. "There is a playbook of Russian aggression," Harris told the heads of state and government, foreign dignitaries and a large delegation from the United States. "And this playbook is too familiar for us all. Russia will plead ignorance and innocence. It will create a false pretext for invasion. And it will amass troops and firepower in plain sight." The Biden administration has ben warning of imminent attacks for days. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday said Russian forces "are now poised to strike," bolstering President Joe Biden's warning on Friday that Putin had "made the decision" to attack Ukraine. U.S. intelligence that provided Biden with the confidence to make that assertion came from an order given to Russian subordinates to proceed with a full-scale attack, according to several people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. "The president's statement last night reflects the assessments of the intelligence community," a senior administration official said. "As he also made clear, the door to diplomacy will remain open." Asked how he knew Putin's intentions, Biden noted in his remarks Friday that the United States has "a significant intelligence capability." He also said that before making his speech, he had a call with the leaders of NATO allies and the European Union "to bring them up to date on what the United States thinks is the current state of affairs and what's likely to happen in Ukraine in the coming days." However, some high-level European officials said on Saturday that they had not seen any direct intelligence to support the conclusion that Putin had made a decision. One European official told The Washington Post in Munich that "we have no clear evidence ourselves that Putin has made up his mind and we have not seen anything that would suggest otherwise." Another said that although the situation is grave, "at this stage we do not have such clear intelligence" that Putin has decided to invade. Some European allies said they have been told little about the sources and methods used to arrive at the U.S. conclusions, limiting their capacity to make independent decisions about how much weight to give statements from Biden that Putin has made a decision to attack. "It's always the raw material that they do not share," said one senior NATO diplomat who has had extensive conversations with top American policymakers in Brussels. The British have not been among those making such complaints. In fact, U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss sounded similar warnings to the United States in Munich on Saturday, asserting that Ukraine's "worst-case scenario" a Russian invasion "could happen as early as next week." Administration officials, meanwhile, pushed back against the notion that they might be providing less intelligence to some allies than others. "Since we first began seeing signs of Russia's military buildup several months ago, we have regularly shared intelligence and information with our allies and partners, including Ukraine, and have downgraded intelligence to enable that sharing as needed," a senior administration official said. Russia has also increased its saber-rattling, launching hypersonic missiles on Saturday as part of an exercise of nuclear forces overseen by President Vladimir Putin in a show of military strength. The display serves as an overt reminder to Western leaders of Russia's status as a nuclear power and comes as the world grapples with the possibility of a land war in Europe. Ukraine's leader did not directly address the matter of intelligence, but he expressed impatience with predictions such as Biden's nonetheless. "We don't need to be reminded of the dates of plausible intervention," Zelenskyy said during his speech to the Munich conference, adding that "we're going to protect our country" regardless of when Putin attacks. "I don't know what the president of the Russian Federation wants," he later added during an interview onstage at Munich in which he invited Putin to meet with him. He coupled that invitation with a warning, however, that the troops Putin had built up along the border were on the lookout for any exploitable provocation, and that "one shelling, one cannon fire, can lead to war." The Post reported this past week that the United States received intelligence that Russia's announced military pullback from Ukraine's border was a deliberate ruse to mislead the West. Biden and NATO's secretary general warned that they saw no evidence of a pullback. Since then, independent watchers have recorded a sharp uptick in attacks along the border of Kyiv-controlled Ukraine and the regions under the authority of Russian-backed separatists. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe recorded over 1,500 cease-fire violations, "including explosions," in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine on Friday, approximately double what they recorded the day before. The increased attacks have fueled fears that Russia is trying to craft a false pretext for war, by blaming Ukraine for attacks and using that to justify an invasion. Earlier this week, Putin accused Ukraine, without presenting evidence, of fomenting "genocide" against people in separatist-controlled Ukraine, while residents of those regions began evacuating to Russia. On Saturday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Ukraine was committing "crimes against humanity" and accused the West of being "accomplices." Western leaders in Munich denounced such charges as "ridiculous." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking to the Munich conference via video link, did not comment on the buildup of Russian forces Saturday. But he insisted that implementing the Minsk agreement an accord struck in 2015 to settle hostilities in eastern Ukraine was the "only way out" of the current crisis, according to the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Without naming the United States, Wang criticized "certain major countries" of "hyping up issues, creating panic and trumpeting the threat of war." Zelenskyy, too, urged Western leaders to spend less time warning Kyiv about the number of Russian troops on Ukraine's doorstep, and to instead break their "silence" about how their nations planned to respond. Speaking to CNN in Munich, Zelenskyy called on the United States and Europe to articulate what sanctions they would impose upon Russia, to serve as a deterrent. "We don't need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen and after our country will be fired at, or after we will have no borders and after we will have no economy or part of our country will be occupied," Zelenskyy said. "Why would be need those sanctions then?" But the Biden administration has been reluctant to articulate its planned targets with such specificity. The administration has hinted that sanctions would target at least some of Russia's larger state-owned banks; restricting Russian exports also remains a potential tool. Meanwhile, Congress's attempts to articulate the gamut of measures via legislation effectively ran aground this past week over a dispute between the parties about what sanctions ought to be imposed immediately, as opposed to in the event of an invasion. Later on Saturday, Ukraine announced that a shipment of rifles, machine guns and other military equipment had arrived in Lviv. The United States has also sent Ukraine other weapons in recent months. But Zelenskiy asked for greater commitments, daring Western leaders to "be honest" about when they planned to incorporate Ukraine into their alliances and step up to its defense. "If not all the members are willing to see us there [in NATO], or all members don't want to see us there, be honest about it," Zelenskiy said, committing to defend his country with or without help. "Open doors are good, but we need open answers, and not the years and years of closed questions." Mekhennet and Hudson reported from Munich, and Demirjian and Nakashima reported from Washington. The Washington Post's Alex Horton and David L. Stern contributed to this report from Kyiv, Ukraine; Steve Hendrix from Novoluhanske, Ukraine; Robyn Dixon from Moscow; Cleve R. Wootson Jr. from Munich; Lily Kuo from Seoul; and Michael Birnbaum, Claire Parker and Timothy Bella from Washington. (Tribune News Service) A white marble cross marks the grave of Sgt. Verdun Durant Smith of Orangeburg, S.C., one of more than 5,000 Americans who died in World War II and are interred at a cemetery more than 4,000 miles away. Smiths ultimate sacrifice is perpetually commemorated in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium. Dedicated in 1960, the cemetery contains 5,329 American war dead and covers 91 acres. It is very heartwarming The Netherlands-based Fields of Honor Foundation has for more than a decade had a goal to honor the more than 30,000 American soldiers who have either been buried or listed at the Walls of the Missing at the following American WWII cemeteries in Europe: Ardennes, Epinal, Henri-Chapelle, Lorraine, Luxembourg and Margraten. The goal of the nonprofit is to honor American World War II servicemen who fought and died for the freedom of others and who have been buried in overseas American cemeteries. Through a partnership between the South Carolina State Library and the Fields of Honor Foundation, work began to add photographs and other memories to the headstones, including those soldiers from South Carolina such as Smith. Smith was a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Force and served in the 340th Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group. He died on Sept. 13, 1944, after his B-17 plane was shot down over Blechhammer, Germany, and crashed during World War II. Sebastiaan Vonk, chairman of the Fields of Honor Foundation, had collected soldiers photos and records in an online database but soon began to put a framed photo of them next to their headstones. That process started in 2014 in the Netherlands American Cemetery in the town of Margraten, when the Faces of Margraten program was started. The Fields of Honor Foundation is a group of people primarily from the Netherlands and Belgium, but we also have people from the United States who have volunteered their time to further our mission, Vonk said. Our mission is to put a face to each and every soldier either buried in or memorialized at the six cemeteries that our foundation covers. Our key project is the Field of Honor Database, which now has a memorial page for over 30,000 U.S. WWII soldiers. Another project is the Faces of Margraten, a biennial tribute at Netherlands American Cemetery. During this tribute, we put photos of the men and woman buried and memorialized there next to their graves and the Walls of the Missing at the cemetery, he said. Hannah Majewski, a reference librarian at the S.C. State Library, was contacted by a gentleman from the Netherlands in 2020 about finding a photo of a South Carolina soldier whose grave his family had volunteered to look after. The soldiers name was James Wise. ... Once they got the photo, the Faces of Margraten organization reached out to us and wanted to know if we would be interesting in researching the soldiers who are buried over there from South Carolina and try to put a face with a name over there, and we did, Majewski said. It was a project she had a vested interest in. My father served in World War II, and he was a prisoner of war in World War II. So, of course, this was very interesting to me at the time. So I took on the project and was able to find several photos of soldiers and send them over to the cemetery, where they are now able to actually put a face with a soldier who was buried over there, Majewski said. I first started with Margraten. So they said, Would you mind doing some of the other cemeteries? Of course, I was happy to do. Verdun was one of them, she said. I just happened to reach out and did a little bit of research. The research included, first of all, starting to look at newspapers articles. Sometimes back then they would include a picture of a soldier. They would have an article that this person is deceased or died in battle, and they would put a photo. A lot of time, they didnt because maybe the family couldnt afford a photo, Majewski said. It is not unusual for graves or names the Memorial Wall at the Ardennes and Henri-Chapelle cemeteries to be adopted and cared for by a family in Belgium, with the family encouraged to attend ceremonies to honor the soldiers and conduct research on them. While Smiths grave has not yet been adopted, Majewski said reaching out to his and other families has been an amazing project to work on. Exhilarating is not really the right word, but its very heartwarming. It is very heartwarming to me because I am bringing some kind of closure sometimes to these people, or at least letting them know that what their family member sacrificed is not forgotten, she said. Im happy to help with other soldiers as well. As matter of fact, Im also helping research soldiers from both Alabama and Georgia who are buried at the Margraten cemetery. This research is something I enjoy, and it really brings some proud and strong emotions to know Im helping to provide honor and respect to these soldiers who so willingly sacrificed their lives for not only their county, but for the country of others, Majewski said. Its great that they honor them Smith and two of his brothers, Emmett and Blake, moved to Orangeburg from the Horry County town of Conway and worked at Jeffords Machine Shop. Billie Smith married Blakes son, John J. BoBo Smith, and worked with other family members to help Majewski gather photos and other information on Verdun. Durant and Mr. Blake both served in WWII. Mr. Blake passed away a number of years ago, but always said on one of the missions, he saw a plane go down. When they got back to base, he was informed that his brother was killed when they were shot down and thought all the rest of his years that he saw his own brother die, Billie said in an email. She continued, We are so gratified by the honor being paid to these servicemen who gave their lives. I hope one day my husband and I will be able to travel there to visit the grave. Some family members traveled there a number of years ago to visit his gravesite and said it was well cared for. According to its website, the American Battle Monuments Commission administers and maintains 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 32 federal memorials, monuments and markers which are located in 17 foreign counties, the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the British Dependency of Gilbraltar; four of the memorials are located in the United States. There are 207,621 U.S. war dead from World War I and World War II commemorated at ABMC sites; this includes 30,793 interments and 4,456 memorializations for World War I and 92,958 interments and 78,985 memorializations for World War II. Smith had one daughter, Carol Ann Harward. He was the grandfather of three, including Trey Hinson of Davidson, North Carolina. My mom still lives in Charlotte in the same house she bought when I was born. Basically, my moms stepdad would be the gentleman that raised her. ... She never knew her real dad. She basically had given me everything she had on him. I have his Purple Heart. There is some kind of air medal that Im missing, Hinson said. I have some of the letters that he wrote to my grandmother. I have the flag that was presented to my grandmother and a couple of pictures, but thats about it. To me, I think its great that he served his country, he said. We never really talked a lot about him. My mom only knew what my grandmother had told her, and I really dont know how much my grandmother told her, Hinson said, noting that hes pleased that his grandfathers remains are being kept sacred in Belgium. I think its great. I honestly wish that he was here on American soil. Since so many Americans were buried over there, its kind of considered American soil. I think that its great that he is put somewhere with other people, the people that he passed with. I think its great that they honor them, Hinson said. My plan one day is to go over there if I can ever slow down at work and COVID can ever slow down. Vonk said it is important to honor and remember Smith and other soldiers who have given so much of themselves in service to their country. This is why the Fields of Honor Foundation work continues. I think what drives us is that we believe that nobody deserves to be forgotten. Everyone has a story. Everyone played their part during the war. So we try to at least find a photo for every soldier, put a face to their name. Hopefully, we can even reconstruct a part of their life story, he said. Vonk continued, While we primarily do this to honor the soldiers ourselves, it also helps the public both here in Europe and in the United States to connect with them on a very powerful, emotional level. So ultimately, it helps to pass on the stories to others. As foundation chairman, he said his work involves much coordination, but we have over 25 people regularly devoting their time to the foundation. It is probably not a surprise that for most of them, a lot of time is spent on researching including reaching out to the soldiers families and adding the fruits of that research to the database. It is probably a never-ending process. New information continues to become available now more and more archives are being digitized, Vonk said. Moreover, we are revisiting soldiers we have researched years ago to not only see what new information has been put online since, but also to make another attempt to locate the family if we did not succeed before. Many thousands of soldiers have not even been researched yet by us at all, he said. Vonk said the mission is meaningful. I think we all feel that we are able to do something meaningful here, not just for the soldiers themselves, but also for the loved ones they left behind, he said. dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com (c)2022 The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, S.C.) Visit at thetandd.com Weather Eye with John Maunder In a worldwide media release on February 13, CNN reported that " There's no silver bullet to the climate crisis, but nuclear fusion may be the closest thing to it. In the quest for a near-limitless, zero-carbon source of reliable power, scientists have generated fusion energy before, but they have struggled for decades to sustain it for very long. However, scientists working in the United Kingdom announced that they more than doubled the previous record for generating and sustaining nuclear fusion, which is the same process that allows the sun and stars to shine so brightly. Nuclear fusion is, as its name suggests, the fusing of two or more atoms into one larger one, a process that unleashes a tremendous amount of energy as heat. Nuclear power used today is created by a different process, called fission, which relies on splitting, rather than fusing, atoms. But that process creates waste that can remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years. Fusion, on the other hand, is much safer, can produce little waste and requires only small amounts of abundant, naturally-sourced fuel, including elements extracted from seawater. This makes it an attractive option as the world transitions away from the fossil fuels driving climate change. In a giant donut-shaped machine known as a tokamak, scientists working in the English village of Culham, near Oxford, were able to generate a record-breaking 59 megajoules of sustained fusion energy over five seconds on December 21 last year. Five seconds is the limit the machine can sustain the power before its magnets overheat." ************************************************************************ For further Infomation about a wide range of weather/climate matters see my new book "Fifteen shades of climate... the fall of the weather dice and the butterfly effect". The extract below on "Nuclear Fusion" is from pages 360-365 of my book. ********* Nuclear fusion is an attempt to replicate the processes of the Sun on Earth. It differs significantly from nuclear fission, which has been our only way of getting electricity from atoms since the 1950s. The BBC website in a report on Nuclear Energy by Matt McGrath on November 6, 2019 says prospects for developing nuclear fusion as a feasible source of energy have significantly improved. The UK government has recently announced an investment of 200m to deliver electricity from a fusion reactor by 2040. Private companies and governments have told the BBC they aim to have demonstration models working within five years. But huge hurdles remain, say critics. With the price of wind and solar continuing to drop, experts say these existing renewables might offer a more economical and timely method of tackling climate change and generating energy than an unproven technology like fusion. Fission has proven to be hugely expensive. It generates large amounts of radioactive waste and raises serious concerns about safety and the proliferation of weapons. Fusion is the process that drives our Sun. Every single second, millions of tonnes of hydrogen atoms crash together in the tremendous temperatures and pressures of our parent star. This forces them to break their atomic bonds and fuse to make the heavier element, helium. Build the Sun in a box For decades, researchers have been trying to replicate this process on Earth, or build the Sun in a box as one physicist dubbed it. The basic idea is to take a type of hydrogen gas, heat it to more than 100 million C until it forms a thin, fragile cloud called a plasma, and then control it with powerful magnets until the atoms fuse and release energy. Potentially, it can generate power that is low carbon, with much smaller amounts of waste. It also comes without the danger of explosions. To deliver the fusion concept, countries have focused their energies on a major international co-operative effort called ITER. The BBC asks the question is it .. a giant step forward or a white elephant? The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project involves 35 countries and, right now, it is constructing a huge test reactor in southern France. The plan is to have the first plasma generated in 2025. However, getting from this step to producing energy is extremely difficult. ITER has also been beset by long delays and budget overspend which means it is unlikely to have a demonstration fusion power plant working even by 2050. One of the reasons that ITER is late is that it is really, really hard, said Prof Ian Chapman, chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority. What we are doing is fundamentally pushing the barriers of whats known in the technology world. And of course you reach hurdles and you have to overcome them, which we do all the time and ITER will happen, I am completely convinced of it. Until ITER is up and running in 2025, the UK based Joint European Torus (Jet) remains the worlds largest fusion experiment. It has secured EU funding until the end of 2020, but what happens after that, and the participation of the UK in ITER after Brexit remains unclear. To give some sense of certainty, the UK government recently announced 220m for the conceptual design of a fusion power station by 2040. Over the next four years, researchers based at Culham in Oxfordshire will develop designs for a fusion power plant called Step or Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production. The most widely known approach to making fusion happen involves a doughnut shaped vacuum chamber called a Tokamak. Hydrogen gas is heated to 100 million C at which point it becomes a plasma. Powerful magnets are used to confine and steer the plasma until fusion occurs. In the UK, researchers have developed a different form of Tokamak, that more resembles an apple core than a doughnut. Called a Spherical Tokamak, it has the advantage of being more compact, potentially allowing future power plants to be located in towns and cities. If you look at some of the very big units, the big machines that we are looking at, just finding geographically somewhere to put them is difficult, said Nanna Heiberg from the UK Atomic Energy Authority. What you really want to do is put them close to where the energy is required. And so if you can do them in a much smaller footprint, you can put them closer to the users and you can put more of them around the country for example. While governments are wrestling with ITER, many are also driving ahead with their own national plans. China, India, Russia and the US among others are working on developing commercial reactors. As well as the UK government putting cash in, the European Investment Bank is pumping hundreds of millions of euros into an Italian programme to produce fusion energy by 2050. But perhaps the major excitement comes from private companies. They are usually smaller, nimbler, and they develop by making mistakes and learning from them quickly. There are now dozens of them around the world, raising funds and pushing forward often with different approaches to fusion than that seen in ITER and in the UK. Heres a brief sample of some different approaches to fusion: First Light: This company originated in the University of Oxford and was founded specifically to address the urgent need to decarbonise the global energy system. Their idea involves firing a projectile at a target that contains hydrogen atoms. The shockwave from the impact of the projectile creates a shockwave that crushes the fuel and briefly this reaction will produce plasma that is hotter than the sun and denser than lead. Commonwealth Fusion Systems: A private company created by former Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) staff, CFS has raised significant funding of over $100m. It is focusing on developing a Tokamak system but its key innovation is in superconducting magnets. They hope to build powerful enough magnets so they can build smaller and cheaper Tokamaks to contain the plasmas required to generate fusion. TAE Technologies: With backing from Google and other high tech investors, this California-based company is using a different mix of fuel to develop smaller, cheaper reactors. They want to use hydrogen and boron as both elements are readily available and non-radioactive. Their prototype is a cylindrical colliding beam fusion reactor (CBFR) that heats hydrogen gas to form two rings of plasma. These are merged and held together with beams of neutral particles to make it hotter and last longer. US Navy: Worried about how to power their ships in the future, the US Navy has filed a patent for a plasma compression fusion device. The patent says that it would use magnetic fields to create accelerated vibration and/or accelerated spin. The idea would be to make fusion power reactors small enough to be portable. Theres a lot of skepticism that this approach will work. One of the main challengers with ambitions to make fusion work is a company based in British Columbia, Canada called General Fusion. Their approach, which has gathered a lot of attention and backing from the likes of Amazons Jeff Bezos, combines cutting edge physics with off the shelf technology. They call their system magnetised target fusion. Despite the hopes, no one to date has managed to get more energy out of a fusion experiment than they have put in. Most experts are confident the idea will work, but many believe that it is a matter of scale. To make it work, you have to go large. I think fusion needs resources to really make it work, said Prof Ian Chapman from UKAEA. You could do that within a company or a country but you really need to have the requisite scale and resources. When ITER works, and I say when, not if, it will be a step change for fusion and you will see massive investment come into the field. Will renewable energy make fusion redundant? A relevant question is will renewable energy make fusion redundant? In 2018, the IPCC reported that emissions of CO2 need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 to keep the rise in global temperatures under 1.5C. Getting to that point requires a rapid decarbonisation of the energy sector. The UK has committed to Net Zero emissions by 2050 which will require the deployment of wind and solar on a massive scale. Some argue this should be a greater priority for Britain, rather than spending large sums on experimental fusion reactors. The cost of renewables has shot down while the cost of the world fusion project, ITER, has gone up and it now looks very unlikely they will be able to compete without new ideas, said Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, a one time chair of the ITER council and a respected British physicist. I dont think this means we should give up on fusion, there are ways it could become cheaper but it is not going to be there immediately when we need it in the UK at least. Others involved in the fusion industry take a different view. If youre a country like Malaysia, that has a high carbon intensity of its energy system, and youre trying to move away from coal, theres not a lot of options today, said Chris Mowry, General Fusions chief executive. This is the type of application were focused on. And even in countries like Canada, which have a fair amount of renewables, it can never be 100% renewables. And so we need a carbon free source of energy that can complement renewables in the future. The Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Information website says that Nuclear Fusion is a nuclear process, where energy is produced by smashing together light atoms. It is the opposite reaction of fission, where heavy isotopes are split apart. Fusion is the process by which the sun and other stars generate light and heat. Its most easily achieved on Earth by combining two isotopes of hydrogen: deuterium and tritium. Hydrogen is the lightest of all the elements, being made up of a single proton and an electron. Deuterium has an extra neutron in its nucleus; 364 Fifteen Shades of Climate Energy 365 it can replace one of the hydrogen atoms in H2O to make what is called heavy water. Tritium has two extra neutrons, and is therefore three times as heavy as hydrogen. In a fusion cycle, tritium and deuterium are combined and result in the formation of helium, the next heaviest element in the Periodic Table, and the release of a free neutron. Deuterium is found one part per 6,500 in ordinary seawater, and is therefore globally available, eliminating the problem of unequal geographical distribution of fuel resources. This means that there will be fuel for fusion as long as there is water on the planet. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald, Germany, have demonstrated that it is possible to superheat hydrogen atoms to form a plasma of 80 million C using a machine called the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. The plasma forms the basis for nuclear fusion, in which hydrogen atoms collide and their nuclei fuse to form helium atoms a process which lets off energy and is similar to what happens in our sun. What is Fusion Power? Lets take a look at a fusion reaction. As deuterium and tritium fuse together, their component parts are recombined into a helium atom and a free neutron. As the two heavy isotopes are reassembled into a helium atom, you have extra mass leftover which is converted into the kinetic energy of the neutron, according to Einsteins formula: E = mc2 . For a nuclear fusion reaction to occur, it is necessary to bring two nuclei so close that nuclear forces become active and glue the nuclei together. Nuclear forces are small-distance forces and have to act against the electrostatic forces where positively charged nuclei repel each other. This is the reason nuclear fusion reactions occur mostly in high density, high temperature environments. Worlds Largest Nuclear Fusion Experiment Clears Milestone From the website Climatewire and in the E+E News dated July 24, 2019, as reported in the Scientific American, Nathanial Gronewold said that The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is set to launch operations in 2025. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is under construction in southern France. A multinational project to build a fusion reactor cleared a milestone yesterday and is now 6 years away from First Plasma, officials announced. Dignitaries attended a components handover ceremony at the construction site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in southern France. The ITER project is an experiment aimed at reaching the next stage in the evolution of nuclear energy as a means of generating emissions-free electricity. The section recently installedthe cryostat base and lower cylinderpaves the way for the installation of the tokamak, the technology design chosen to house the powerful magnetic field that will encase the ultra-hot plasma fusion core. Manufactured by India, the ITER cryostat is 16,000 cubic metres, ITER officials said in a release. Its diameter and height are both almost 30 metres and it weighs 3,850 tons. Because of its bulk, it is being fabricated in four main sections: the base, lower cylinder, upper cylinder, and top lid. The entire project is now 65% complete, the officials said. The worlds first commercial-scale fusion reactor project is on track to officially launch operations at the end of 2025, said spokeswoman Sabina Griffith, but it will take at least a decade to fully power up the facility. The date for First Plasma is set; we will push the button in December 2025, Griffith said. It will take another 10 years until we reach full deuterium-tritium operations. Thirty-five nations are cooperating on the project to bring fusion power to the masses. A potential answer to climate change Achieving controlled fusion reactions that net more power than they take to generate, and at commercial scale, is seen as a potential answer to climate change. Fusion energy would eliminate the need for fossil fuels and solve the intermittency and reliability concerns inherent with renewable energy sources. The energy would be generated without the dangerous amounts of radiation that raises concerns about fission nuclear energy. Officials say the ITER nuclear fusion reactor is poised to be the most complicated piece of machinery ever built. It will contain the worlds largest superconducting magnets, needed to generate a magnetic field powerful enough to contain a plasma that will reach temperatures of 150 million C , about 10 times hotter than the centre of the sun. We will see the arrival of the first major Tokamak components like the first PF Coil from China (a European contribution), a Vacuum Vessel sector from Korea and first TF coils (from Europe and Japan) in autumn, Griffith said in an email. This will lead us to the official start of assembly in spring next year. Bay of Plenty We are on the hunt for a Welder to join a heavy and light engineering company on a temp/casual basis.. so if you are in between... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The Ministry of Health is reporting 2522 new community cases of Covid-19. There are 100 people in hospital and no cases in ICU or HDU. There have been 17 new cases identified at the border, including four historical cases. Of the 2522 new community cases, 41 are in Northland, 1799 in Auckland, 188 in Waikato, 86 in Bay of Plenty, 11 in Lakes, 24 in Hawkes Bay, 13 in MidCentral, two in Whanganui, nine in Taranaki, 12 in Tairawhiti, 14 in Wairarapa, 54 in Capital and Coast, 25 in Hutt Valley, 53 in Nelson Marlborough, 76 in Canterbury, one in South Canterbury, 111 in Southern, and three in unknown regions. Of the 100 cases in hospital, one is in Northland, ten in North Shore, 30 in Middlemore, 45 in Auckland, one in Rotorua, three in Tauranga, 11 in Waikato, and one in Tairawhiti. The average age of current hospitalisations is 56. Rapid Antigen Testing update From Monday morning, rapid antigen tests will be made available at all Auckland testing sites to those who fit the appropriate clinical criteria. The site will determine which test - PCR or a rapid antigen test - is best for you, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. Access to rapid antigen tests will be expanded further during the coming week. As the outbreak grows more people will have Covid and there will be more close contacts we need to test. As planned we will now increase the use of RATs in phase 2 and phase 3 of our response in order to relieve pressure on the PCR testing and reserve it for those most likely to have Covid. As weve previously said, only those with symptoms or who have been identified as close contacts of a case, or directed by a health professional to get tested should be turning up at testing sites. Some important points for the public to be aware of are: people who are directed to have a rapid antigen test will be given advice on what to do if they have a positive result. At the current time, they will likely be advised that they need to have a PCR test to confirm the positive result Rapid antigen tests are not as accurate as PCR tests at identifying someone early in their illness so if you have a negative rapid antigen test result and symptoms start to develop, you may need to have another test. This is also why it is so important that if you are unwell, you must stay home regardless of the test result, which will also help reduce the spread of other viruses. Rapid antigen tests will initially be available in Auckland, as we continue to widen access in other high-demand centres around New Zealand. We will provide updates on this rollout over the coming week. We have good stocks of RATs (7.3 million) to support the public health response, with a continual supply arriving by airfreight Testing continues to be one of our best defences against Covid-19, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. "Understandably as case numbers grow, so too does demand on Covid-19 testing sites. Thats why its important to reiterate once again that people do not need to get tested, unless they are unwell with cold or flu symptoms, have been identified as a close contact of a case or have been instructed to do so by health officials. As this demand has grown, some Covid-19 test results for Auckland and Waikato are currently taking longer to process at laboratories. The use of rapid antigen testing, alongside PCR testing, will improve this process at a time of exceptional demand in Phase 2, provided the testing centre queues are freely available for those who really need a test. For a full list of testing sites nationwide, visit the Healthpoint website. COVID-19 vaccine The Ministry of Health advises that due to a database reporting issue, data cannot currently be provided around the Covid-19 vaccine. Work is urgently underway to resolve this and the webpage will be updated as soon as possible. Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +) This information is as of 9am Saturday February 19. The Ministry of Health advises that as per the data reporting issue, this information will be updated as soon as possible. Northland DHB: first doses (90%); second doses (88%), booster doses (66%) Auckland Metro DHBs: first doses (97%); second doses (96%), booster doses (62%) Waikato DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%), booster doses (62%) Bay of Plenty DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%), booster doses (64%) Lakes DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (91%), booster doses (65%) MidCentral DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (68%) Tairawhiti DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (90%), booster doses (65%) Whanganui DHB: first doses (92%); second doses (90%), booster doses (70%) Hawkes Bay DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (67%) Taranaki DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (93%), booster doses (63%) Wairarapa DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (71%) Capital and Coast DHB: first doses (99%); second doses (98%), booster doses (71%) Hutt Valley DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (69%) Nelson Marlborough DHB: first doses (97%); second doses (95%), booster doses (73%) West Coast DHB: first doses (93%); second doses (91%), booster doses (70%) Canterbury DHB: first doses (100%); second doses (98%), booster doses (66%) South Canterbury DHB: first doses (95%); second doses (94%), booster doses (71%) Southern DHB: first doses (98%); second doses (96%), booster doses (71%) Hospitalisations Cases in hospital: total number 100: Northland: 1; North Shore: 10; Middlemore: 30; Auckland: 45; Rotorua: 1; Tauranga: 3; Waikato: 11; Tairawhiti: 1 Average age of current hospitalisations: 56 Cases in ICU or HDU: 0 Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (11 cases / 14.4%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (2 cases / 2.7%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (54 cases / 72%); unknown (8 cases / 10.7%). Cases Seven day rolling average of community cases: 1,447 Seven day rolling average of border cases: 17 Number of new community cases: 2,522 Location of new community cases * : Northland (41), Auckland (1,799), Waikato (188), Bay of Plenty (86), Lakes (11), Hawkes Bay (24), MidCentral (13), Whanganui (2), Taranaki (9), Tairawhiti (12), Wairarapa (14), Capital and Coast (54), Hutt Valley (25), Nelson Marlborough (53), Canterbury (76), South Canterbury (1), Southern (111). Unknown (3) Number of new cases identified at the border: 17 (including 4 historical cases) Location of origin of border cases: Full travel history not obtained (14). Number of active community cases (total): 13,785 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered) Confirmed cases (total): 30,694 * 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 There has been a crash involving a large vehicle on State Highway 33. Shortly after 4pm, Police received a report of an incident involving a large vehicle that had gone off the road on State Highway 33, Okere Falls. Police, Fire and Ambulance attended and one person has been assessed on site by Ambulance. It is unknown at this stage where there are any injuries. Traffic control has been in place while the incident has been dealt with. At the scene? Phone 0800 SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz One of a pair of fake diplomats with "extreme views" and a cache of semi-automatic weapons uncovered in a police probe has escaped a jail sentence after citing mental heath concerns. The bizarre saga, in which police were initially duped by roadside claims of diplomatic immunity, involves two defendants who claim New Zealand law has no sway over them, despite allegations of hidden weapon caches and threatening to shoot back at police. Neither of the men, one of whom came to police attention following the Christchurch mosque attack, can be named. One is set to stand trial next year, and the other who was sentenced to nine months supervision at the High Court in Hamilton on Friday, was granted interim name suppression. He was sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to two charges of possession of illegal firearms semi-automatic AR15s four charges of possession of prohibited magazines, two charges of unlawful possession of ammunition and one charge of trespass a charge linked to his arrival at Rotorua police station in 2020. Justice Graham Lang said his name could remain suppressed until March 31 this year, citing progress he had made with mental health treatment. The man also claimed his life would be in danger if he was named due to his work with a foreign countrys intelligence agency, a claim Lang appeared to put little weight on, given the consulate of the country in question declined to make any information available. According to the police summary of facts, both men have extreme views and claim to be sovereign beings over whom New Zealand law has no jurisdiction. One of the men came to the attention of the police following the Christchurch Mosque shootings. However, the summary did not elaborate as to if or how the man was linked to the terror attack. As a pair they came to police attention when one of the men arrived at Rotorua Police Station asking to speak to a specific officer, refusing to leave when told the person was unavailable. After continually refusing to leave he was arrested, and a search warrant executed at his property that uncovered an AR15, illegal magazines and a substantial quantity of ammunition. Later property searches at addresses for both men uncovered two AR15s, illegal ammunition, three starter pistols with the appearance of a Glock pistol and a ballistic body armour vest. When that man later appeared in Rotorua District Court, his associate phoned the court. The defendant started the conversation by saying that he had just had two police officers firing a laser at him and he wanted acknowledgement that shooting back was OK. He also said so if someone shoots at me it must be ok for me to shoot back. . . Its now time to act. That prompted the court manager to place the court into lockdown, with armed police searching the building. The same man also made phone calls to police about his associate, telling them he had the legal right to speak for him and that he was making sure his associate had not been detained given that he had diplomatic immunity. He further told police that the defendant was a travelling diplomat and that if he had been detained as a diplomat that police would now have an international incident to deal with. He arrived at the police station later that evening, where he was arrested. He was found to be wearing a fraudulent identification card recording that he had diplomatic immunity. Once the police began looking into both men, including their online communications, it uncovered conversations about guns, ammunition and a plan to create diplomatic identity cards for the purpose of representing themselves as diplomats and avoiding arrest for what otherwise would be unlawful conduct. The pair also agreed on the text they would include on their diplomatic ID cards, and had researched crests, watermarks, flags, photographs and titles in order to make them appear legitimate. They also agreed on the text they would use: Under international law the bearer of this card shall not be liable to any form of detention or arrest and enjoys immunity from criminal jurisdiction. All appropriate steps shall be taken to prevent any attack on the bearers person, freedom or rights and the bearer shall be treated with due respect at all times. One of the men also created what he claimed was a diplomatic license plate for his car, which, remarkably worked. The plate was spotted by police cameras and the man pulled over. When the defendant was asked for his drivers licence he produced the fraudulent diplomatic immunity card, the summary said. On viewing the document the police officers allowed the defendant to leave in his vehicle in circumstances where they were led to believe he was a diplomat. After his arrest one of the men told police his licence plates were indeed genuine, and asked if police had contacted Wellington. The other man told them it is his right as a natural being to have whatever identification he wanted. He also stated that he has a civil conversation with the Court manager. That man is set to stand trial in 2023. -Stuff/Benn Bathgate. A newly protected cluster of mangroves could see an end to a multi-million dollar project to grow Coromandels aquaculture industry. The Kopu Marine Precinct project, near Thames, is one of two Provincial Growth Fund projects granted to the district in 2018 with an aim of boosting one of New Zealands largest fishing industries. Construction of the massive wharf was meant to begin this year, however, a new Act protecting the native wetlands nearby has now halted the build. An alternative option removing the recreational ramp and docking abilities for mussel barges has now been proposed, causing concern for Thames businesses who would have benefited from the original design. The wharfs fate will now be in front of a panel of commissioners due to make a decision next month. We see Kopu Marine Precinct as a vital piece of infrastructure, Thames Business Association chairman Warren Sly says. Two weeks ago a business association meeting was held to discuss the new option. There was a unanimous vote that without the original design the project would be a complete waste of time, he says. Without the boat ramp there, the community believes it will seriously affect their businesses. The original business case for a commercial wharf consisting of a fixed piled wharf structure 4 metres wide and 82 metres long with a T shaped wharf head and concrete floating pontoon. Once complete, it's estimated to bring economic returns of up to $58.5 million over the next 30 years as well as up to 108 jobs. Since then Thames Coromandel District Council has had to alter the design, removing the recreational ramp, part of the car park and the ability for mussel barges to dock. This is to retain an area of mangroves that has been deemed a natural wetland by the governments national policy statement for freshwater management. According to the panel of experts, the construction of the recreational boat ramp would result in the complete or partial drainage of a portion of a natural wetland, being the area of mangroves. TCDC Chief executive Rob Williams declined to comment. In a statement, TCDC says it's supportive of both options for the Kopu marine precinct that are included in the Councils fast-track consent application that is now before the Environmental Protection Authority. The original application was for a facility that included both commercial and recreational facilities. This was withdrawn because there appeared to be some legal ambiguity with the National Policy Statement as a wetland. The design was altered to accommodate this and the application resubmitted. This new application includes an option with a recreational boat ramp and an option that is for a commercial facility only. This is a complex process, and we are sure the commissioners will do their best to provide the outcomes that the Thames community desires, TCDC says. Submissions from affected businesses of the Kopu development, including Ngati Paoa Iwi Trust and Maritime New Zealand, have been received. There will be no public hearing instead a decision on the matter is likely to be released publicly in March. -Stuff/Sharnae Hope. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Weather Alert ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. * WHERE...Portions of Arkansas and Oklahoma, including the following counties, in Arkansas, Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian and Washington AR. In Oklahoma, Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Pushmataha, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington OK. * WHEN...From Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff will likely result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, especially in areas that have already received heavy rainfall over the past few days. Several main-stem rivers could go into flood. A few locations could see significant flash flooding. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - A slowly moving upper low will move across the area Wednesday into early Thursday. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are likely with the potential for very heavy rainfall. Widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain is expected with locally higher amounts of 5 to 6 inches. The heavier rain will begin to shift east of far southeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas early Thursday afternoon. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. && Seminole, FL (33772) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Thank you for Reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and Purchase a Subscription to continue reading. A hot potato: A day after a damning Wall Street Journal report accused him of hiding multiple rape and harassment allegations from the company board, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick received some good news: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wanted to speak with him about a possible acquisition. On that same day, Xbox lead Phil Spencer penned an email to his staff in which he said that he was "disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions" at Activision Blizzard. He said that he was evaluating "all aspects" of Xbox's relationship with Activision Blizzard. Two months later, Microsoft paid $68.7 billion for the company. It's now managed as part of the Microsoft Gaming division, of which Spencer was appointed the CEO. Kotick, who has remained the CEO of Activision Blizzard, now reports directly to Spencer. It's been reported that Kotick might leave Activision Blizzard when Microsoft assumes administrative control. If so, he can sell his shares in the company to Microsoft for $95 each, in which case he will walk away with $410 million. All these details, and shocking timeline, came to light on Friday when a filing with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) was made public. In the period between when the report was published and when Nadella indicated to Kotick that Microsoft wanted to purchase Activision Blizzard, the latter's shares fell by $10. A week later, Spencer indicated to Kotick that Microsoft was looking to offer $80 a share; that was $20 more than the previous day's close but not much more than shares cost a few weeks before. Microsoft sought to close the deal quickly to secure a low price, but Kotick floated Activision Blizzard on the market. It garnered the attention of at least four other companies. One of them wanted just Blizzard, but the board of directors deemed that too complicated. In the end, Microsoft outmaneuvered its competitors and closed the deal in record time. It remains to be seen if it will force Kotick out and if it will address the "frat boy" culture that continues to land Activision Blizzard in hot water. Artificial intelligence proves that human living can be more comfortable through its application. Although it's useful in some way, experts noted in the recent study that humans can now have a hard time distinguishing computer-generated faces from real ones. Identifying AI-Generated Faces is a Challenge According to a recent report by Fast Company, the researchers have been focused on knowing how humans can accurately identify a synthetic image from AI and a real face. University of California-Berkeley professor Hany Farid noticed the surge of computer-generated images as years went by. As deep learning came into the light, he also observed how GANs or generative adversarial networks affect the creation of realistic photos. Moreover, Farid also highlighted that if people closely look at how GANs and deep fakes improved in the past years, it's faster how CGI progresses. With that, he and his team proposed an argument that will tackle problems in detecting realistic fakes. "Fraudulent online profiles are a good example. Fraudulent passport photos. Still photos have some nefarious usage.But where things are going to get really gnarly is with videos and audio," Farid said. Another researcher who teaches at the University of Lancaster in England accompanied Farid in the study. Sophie Nightingale also wondered how AI deceived humans when spotting the real visage. Related Article: Scientists Use AI to Determine Fakes: How to Spot Deepfake Videos-- Look at Their Eyes! How Experts Conducted the Experiment In the study, they conducted three experiments to see if people could clearly grasp the authenticity of different photos. Nvidia's StyleGAN2 created all the synthetic images in the study. After the participants concluded their choices in determining 800 images, the experts requested them to categorize each of them as fake or true. The average accuracy in detecting the photos was 48.2%. In the second trial, Farid and Nightingale gave the participants some tips on how they could identify computer-generated images from non-AI-based ones. Following this additional step, the accuracy in detecting realistic fakes improved to 59%. Farid noticed that despite giving enough hints to the participants, humans had a hard time choosing the real faces from their fake counterparts. Although the experts did not anticipate the outcome, the challenge in spotting faces did not appear to be a surprise for them. As such, a small but significant difference appeared regarding the trustworthiness of the images. Farid relied on a mathematical model to search for a similar face for every AI-generated structure. Of course, they based it on the ethnicity and facial expression of the subject. At this moment, the uncanny resemblance of AI-generated faces to human faces proves that AI can easily deceive people. Nightingale was aware of its disadvantage, which could harm the users. For instance, dating scams might be rampant because of this. To view the study entitled "AI-synthesized faces are indistinguishable from real faces and more trustworthy," click here. In another report, Toolbox reported the AI trends that could evolve in 2022. To check another story tied to AI, read our latest report about Clearview's plan to collect 100 billion photos from different subjects all over the world. Read Also: Audio Deepfake: This AI Voice from Sonantic Can Flirt With You This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. COVID-19 face masks are still a must since many countries across the globe remain affected by the deadly pandemic. Recently, health experts discovered new more contagious variants than the older strains. These are Deltacron, Omnicron, and Delta. Because of this, officials suggested that people still need to wear face masks when going outside. However, a new study claimed that face coverings could also endanger your health as they are believed to contain titanium oxide particles. COVID-19 Face Mask's Titanium Oxide Particles The Nature journal published a report explaining why titanium oxide particles are harmful to humans when they are inhaled. Also Read: COVID-19 Pandemic: Not Over for Immunocompromised People-But Why? Experts said that TiO2 could be a carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer) when people breathe them in. This just shows that wearing face masks can also lead to some health issues. Previously, another study revealed that 70% of the face masks could contain titanium oxide particles ranging from 100 to 2000 mg. This just shows that TiO2 is available in the textiles used in face coverings. Because of this, experts are now suggesting that officials either regulate the amount of these dangerous particles or phase them out. If you want to see more details about the new study regarding COVID-19 face masks' titanium oxide particles, you can visit this link. Other Harmful Substances That Face Masks Contain Aside from the TiO2, WAVY.Com reported that there are other toxins currently present in various face coverings. Some experts at Swansea University claimed that many face masks contain copper, lead, and antimony. These substances usually come out when the face coverings are exposed to water. After this alarming finding was revealed, various researchers questioned if people should wear face masks regularly. Dr. Sarper Sarp, the leading researcher of Swansea's College of Engineering, said that wearing masks are needed if people want to end the pandemic. However, Sarp explained that face masks must be studied further to know if they are 100% safe to use. "But we also urgently need more research and regulation on mask production, so we can reduce any risks to the environment and human health," he added. In other news, COVID-19 nasal spray is claimed to prevent the novel coronavirus from being inhaled. Meanwhile, pulse oximeters are now being used to detect COVID-19 infection. For more news updates about COVID-19 and other health topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: COVID-19 Swab Tests Raises DNA Privacy Concerns After CDC Admits 10% Goes To Genome Lab! This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A software program allegedly identified the individuals behind the controversial QAnon movement, leading to conspiracies that are hard to believe. This movement began back in 2017, claiming that the U.S. government is "evil." Of course, the majority of Americans did not believe this claim. However, QAnon could attract some followers, which led to various theories and conspiracies about COVID-19 and other sensitive topics. Now, some experts used machine learning tech and discovered that two men are actually behind the QAnon movement. Software Program Identifies QAnon's Authors? According to The New York Times' latest report, Paul Furber, a South African software expert, and another man named Ron Watkins started the QAnon movement. Also Read: Yoga Instructors Slam QAnon After Huge Following Among Ranks-Wellness Sector Calls out Conspiracy Group 'Fake' However, both of them denied this accusation, saying that it is not "Q." On the other hand, a software program that analyzed the Q texts showed some high accuracy percentages that both of these guys are the ones behind the Q movement. Computer experts backed this finding, saying that the writings of Watkins have 99% match writing accuracy. Meanwhile, Furber's writings are 98% similar to the Q writings. Aside from the software program, some French computer experts also used an artificial intelligence tech that works just like the current facial-recognition software models. This tech also showed that Furber and Watkins are the authors of the QAnon movement. If you want to see further details about the other AI that identified the two individuals, you can visit this link. What is QAnon? BBC previously explained that the QAnon movement claims that the former U.S. President Donald Trump is fighting against the bad people in the government, media, and the business sector. Now, this theory led to other conspiracies that don't have strong proof. These include the already debunked conspiracies that were spread by QAnon believers back in 2020, such as "COVID-19 is a Chinese bioweapon." But, officials and other experts have already urged the U.S. residents to avoid spreading the controversial conspiracies since they are proofless. In other news, 7,000 Twitter accounts linked to the QAnon movement were banned in 2020. For more news updates about QAnon and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: QAnon Threat Assessment: FBI Says They May Become More Violent as 'Digital Soldiers,' Warns Congress This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SpaceX's Starlink Sunday launch is now delayed because of bad weather. Because of this, some people are now asking if the issue can impact the whole 2022 flight plan of the company. The giant space agency first scheduled the flight on Sunday, Feb. 20, at exactly 11:13 a.m. EST. However, the company decided to postpone the launch because of not-so-good weather conditions. Due to recovery weather, now targeting Monday, February 21 at 9:44 a.m. EST for launch of Starlink SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 19, 2022 "Due to recovery weather, now targeting Monday, February 21 at 9:44 a.m. EST for the launch of Starlink," said SpaceX via its official Twitter post. SpaceX Sunday Starlink Launch Now Delayed! According to Business Insider's latest report, the delayed SpaceX launch is expected to send 46 Starlink satellites as part of its 2022 flight plant. Also Read: What is the Polaris Program? SpaceX Human Flights for Starship Coming Soon Under Collaborative Effort Now, the spaceflight received a new targeted date, which is Feb. 21 at 9:44 a.m. EST. However, this still depends if the weather condition becomes better. The upcoming spaceflight is very important for the company since it lost 40 cube satellites because of a geomagnetic storm. Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell said that the destroyed Starlink sats are the biggest loss of the giant independent space company. SpaceX plans to recover from this accident by sending more than 40 internet rockets into orbit. Will This Impact SpaceX's 2022 Flight Plan? Right now, it seems like SpaceX is unbothered by the delay. Since the space agency hasn't made any serious announcement regarding the delay, it is safe to say that it will not greatly impact the whole 2022 launch plan of the company. However, some people still ask if there's already a delay, how will the company complete its goal? How will SpaceX get to 3 Starship launches per day if weather keeps scrubbing launches. Scott Griswold (@scottgriz) February 19, 2022 Recently, Tech Times reported that SpaceX plans to have a total of 52 launches before 2022 ends. This means that the company must complete one spaceflight each week. This means that SpaceX needs to put more effort if it wants to achieve this goal. In other news, the first SpaceX Starship orbital flight will soon happen. For more news updates about SpaceX and its upcoming activities, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: SpaceX Is Planning To Launch History's First-Ever Commercial Spacewalk This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Chinese crypto scam is now victimizing Singaporean investors. This malicious blockchain campaign is called the "Pig-Butchering" crypto scam. Right now, Singapore has already lost around $140 million (SGD 190.0 million). This is five times more compared to the crypto revenue loss of the Asian country back in 2019, which is only around $27 million (SGD 36 million). This rising cryptocurrency can hurt your digital currency wallet if you fall into one of its victims. Now, here's why it is called the Pig-Butchering crypto scheme. Chinese Crypto Scam Targets Singaporeans According to Business Standard's latest report, the Pig-Butchering crypto scam is quite tricky. Also Read: Crypto Exchange Lemon Cash Increases BTC Card Rewards in Argentina as Inflation Rate Rises More Than 50% Hackers behind this malicious campaign against cryptocurrency consumers based the scam technique's name on the Chinese term "sha zhu pan." This term means "to fatten a pig before killing it." On the other hand, security experts' explanation matches the Chinese term. They said that the Pig-Butchering crypto scammers would spend months creating a strong relationship with their Singaporean targets. After that, they will urge them to send their digital currencies in fake investment schemes. Pig-Butchering Crypto Scam's Other Details The Pig-Butchering crypto scam first appeared in China back in 2016. After that, the method was then used by other blockchain attackers in other countries, including Singapore. Singaporean victims said that their cryptocurrencies ended up in the banks of China, as well as those in Hong Kong. If this is true, then that means the majority of the scammers are based in China. Since the Pig-Butchering scam is becoming more serious than ever, it is important to know how you can protect yourself. PC Mag provided some tips that you can rely on to avoid getting scammed by malicious actors targeting digital currencies. These include securing your crypto wallet, using multi-factor authentication security features, and always double-checking links. Previously, crypto firm founders claimed that tax could benefit cryptocurrency investors. Meanwhile, some Android crypto-based games are becoming more popular. For more news updates about cryptocurrencies and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Authorities Warn Influencers That Misleading Crypto Promotions May Lead to Jail Time This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tehachapi, CA (93561) Today Clear skies. Low 41F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph, becoming ENE and decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 41F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph, becoming ENE and decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East We can create everything ourselves: a scientist of the Russian Academy of Sciences - about the lunar program of the Russian Federation and international cooperation in space exploration Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Activist takeovers, company results, and a surprising infrastructure deal helped the ASX to a positive close on Monday, despite some volatile price moves. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 ended the day up 11.9 points, 0.2 per cent, at 7233.6 points. The index spent the morning in negative territory, but improved once futures indicated Wall Street would rise when trading resumes after a public holiday. News was dominated by an attempted takeover of AGL Energy, with the prospect of a bidding war pushing shares up 10.6 per cent to a seven-month high of $7.92. Meanwhile, Telstra surprised the market by announcing plans to let a competitor onto its prized regional mobile network with long-time competitor TPG. Chief investment officer at Australian Eagle Asset Management, Sean Sequeira, said his firm bought into Telstra about a year ago when the incumbent bundled up part of its mobile tower assets for sale. Telstra surprised the market with its infrastructure sharing deal. Credit:Glenn Campbell We liked the idea of them separating out the infrastructure assets, he explained. Telstra hit a four-year high of $4.26 in January, but declined in recent weeks. Shares closed 1.5 per cent higher at $3.97 on Monday. TPG shares jumped 3.1 per cent to a two-week high of $5.97. Mr Sequeira said he would wait until the end of the reporting season to adjust his portfolio, but has been surprised by the size of reactions in some stock prices. We have had some winners and losers. Relative to other reporting seasons, we find it has been quite volatile. Five companies moved more than 10 per cent on Monday due to results or corporate activity. The biggest move was a 25.9 per cent fall in Tyro Payments, which reported a larger than expected loss. PointsBet Holdings fell 11.1 per cent After an international peer reported falling customer numbers. Super Retail Group dropped 9.5 per cent after a 36 per cent fall in profit, and Zip Co dropped 7.8 per cent because early results foreshadowed a $108 million loss. Meanwhile, a2 Milk jumped 11.1 per cent to a three-month high of $5.89 after its half-year results, and Woolies drinks spin-off Endeavour Group jumped 10.3 per cent to a three-month high of $7.18, thanks to Australians drinking at home more during the pandemic. Outside of the big swings, the big banks closed higher, while BHP and Rio Tinto made small gains. Property owners also improved, with Centre Group, Dexus, and GPT Group higher. However, the health sector dragged with CSL falling 0.8 per cent and Sonic Healthcare falling 3.6 per cent. Information technology was dragged down with heavyweight Block Inc setting 6.8 per cent to a new low of $133.80. Mike Cannon-Brookes, youll remember, was the bloke who was there at the birth of Australias first big battery at Hornsdale in South Australia. He challenged Elon Musk to see if he could build the biggest battery in the world in 100 days. Musk got it done and within two years the battery paid for itself. Today far bigger batteries are commonly built around the world. Mike Cannon-Brookes, Brookfield launch bid for AGL to accelerate coal exit Credit:Wolter Peeters, Bloomberg On Sunday, it was revealed that Cannon-Brookes is teaming up with the Canadian asset manager Brookfield to launch a takeover bid for AGL in a deal that would see Australias biggest greenhouse gas polluter exit coal as early as 2030, 15 years earlier than it otherwise would. In addition to a purchase of about $5 billion they propose to invest a further $10 billion to get it done. In a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault that US officials warn appears imminent. Russia has rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraines northern border, a move that US leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraines capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace. A Ukrainian service member listens to artillery shots standing in a trench on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote, Ukraine. Credit:AP Russias action adds an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraines neighbour to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraines borders, capable at any moment of sweeping down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday (Friday AEDT) in Europe as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand. As we reported earlier today, the United States has informed the United Nations it has credible information showing that Moscow is compiling lists of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation, according to a letter obtained by The Washington Post. Read the full story here. The Washington Post When Gladys Berejiklian became NSW premier in January 2017, she said improving housing affordability would be one of her governments top priorities. That is the biggest issue people raise with me in Sydney; its the biggest concern people have across the state, she said at the time. But Sydneys property market is hard to tame. Since that commitment the median price of a detached home in the city has risen more than 40 per cent, and opinion polls show the cost of property remains one of the biggest worries for NSW voters. Opinion polls show the cost of housing is one of the biggest worries for NSW voters. Credit:Louie Douvis Berejiklians successor, Dominic Perrottet, has also promised to tackle housing affordability, and last week The Herald revealed a key part of his strategy a shared equity scheme to help aspiring homeowners. Under the plan, first-time buyers would receive a contribution from the state government for their housing deposit in return for equity in the property. This would be repaid in instalments or when the property is sold. Full details are yet to be announced including eligibility requirements, price thresholds and whether there will be a cap on the amount the government will contribute. It was Hollywood heart-throb and column fave Kevin Costner who famously learnt that if you build it, they will come. Locally, it appears its a message that Visy packaging king Anthony Pratt has also learned. A Field of Dreams fan, perhaps? Us too, Anthony! But take this for a moment of relatability for the billionaire set. After all, it was only a week ago that the billionaire erected a no-expenses spared marquee at his familys Raheen estate in Melbournes Kew to celebrate his son, Leon Pratts bar mitzvah, which is a coming-of-age event celebrated by the Jewish faith. But the party infrastructure has already come into use again. On Saturday night, the Pratt family again welcomed Treasurer Josh Frydenberg back to the estate for another all-out bash, this time joined by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. And when we say all out, we mean that the red wine served on the night happened to be Penfolds Grange. Aint no party like a Pratt party, people. The official line? The Prime Minister was invited to the Visy function to honour Australias food and beverage manufacturing industries, a PMO spokesperson said. Sources at the party also revealed Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was in attendance. A Pratt family spokesperson was tight-lipped on the event. But we must say, its good to see the Visy crew doubling down on the party front and getting their fair share of use from the party infrastructure while its up. Ship loads of freight have started arriving in Fremantle Port as part of a major operation to restock supermarket shelves. The supply shortage was caused after the Trans-Australia rail line the sole rail line between the eastern states and WA that delivers 80 per cent of the states supplies was damaged during a once-in-200-year flood on January 21. Conti Stockholm arrived in Fremantle Port on Saturday carrying essential supplies. Woolworths WA state general manager Karl Weber said customers should begin to see stock levels improve each week, but warned it could six weeks before product availability returns to normal. Were pleased to see the arrival of the Conti Stockholm into Fremantle the first of three sea freight loads coming into WA, he said. Liberal senator and head of the Parliaments security and intelligence committee, James Paterson, says both sides of politics should listen to the warnings of the nations domestic spy agency about the dangers of referring to classified information in public. Senator Paterson said he had listened very carefully to ASIO director-general Mike Burgess warning last week and both major parties should take it seriously, but he declined to criticise Defence Minister Peter Duttons comments in attacking the Labor Party. Liberal senator James Paterson says both sides of politics need to listen to the warnings of ASIO boss Mike Burgess. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It came on the same day Mr Dutton said he disagreed with Mr Burgess that both sides of politics were equally targeted by foreign interference activities, saying there was a a big difference between the Coalition and Labor. It comes after a week of fierce political debate over Australia-China relations in which Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused Anthony Albanese of being the Chinese governments pick at this election and questioned the Opposition Leaders national security credentials ahead of the looming election. If Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese are serious about national security and the China challenge, they should have a proper debate. The Prime Ministers attacks on the Labor leader in recent weeks have been widely viewed as a cynical attempt to take advantage of anti-China sentiment in the suburbs, with some of Australias most experienced national security experts raising concern that he is politicising the issue. Opposition leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison are in a pitched battle over national security. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen, digitally altered Morrison has accused Albanese of being the Chinese governments pick at this election. He was this week forced to withdraw a reference to Labors deputy leader Richard Marles being a Manchurian candidate a reference to a Cold War-era novel that more recently has become an insult used to describe someone as a puppet acting on behalf of an enemy power. But instead of calling this out and quickly moving on, Albanese kicked the story along by disclosing three separate conversations he had with the ASIO director-general, and then by the end of the week stooped to the governments deplorable level by throwing the Manchurian candidate accusation back at Morrison. The number of Victorian primary-aged children getting vaccinated has plummeted as experts warn the less harmful Omicron wave may have fuelled parents complacency. Despite a surge in early COVID-19 immunisation bookings for children aged five to 11, fewer than 750 children were vaccinated at state-run hubs on Saturday a decline of about 85 per cent from January 19, the first available day for data, when 5100 received a shot. Experts say very young children are far less likely to be hospitalised with coronavirus if they have been vaccinated. Credit:iStock Experts have attributed the steep decrease to a range of factors, including thousands of children being infected during the Omicron wave and the changing perception of disease severity, with young people more likely to experience mild illness and recover quickly once infected. While some experts are not surprised at the pace at which the vaccination uptake has slowed, given the initial uptake, others say they did not expect the rates to stall so quickly. London: Its trooperish tone, stressing that the Queen expects to continue light duties despite testing positive for COVID-19, tells you everything you need to know about the ever-stalwart monarch. Even at the age of 95, struck down with a virus that poses the most serious threat to those of her generation, the great-grandmother intends to continue to embody the keep calm and carry on spirit that has long been her trademark. Yet despite her admirable stoicism, the Queen like anyone of her advancing years is not invulnerable. The Queen on the eve of Ascension Day, February 5 this year. Credit:Getty We learned that for arguably the first time in her seven-decade reign when she pulled out of the Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph last November after spraining her back. Windsor: News that Britains Queen Elizabeth had tested positive for COVID-19 drew shock, concern and messages of goodwill from across the country on Sunday, with politicians and the public willing the 95-year-old to recover. On a wet and blustery day, a few sightseers gathered at the gates of Windsor Castle where the Queen is receiving medical treatment for mild symptoms. Others went online to express support and message boards in the London Underground urged the monarch to take it easy. A Scottish Guard outside of Buckingham Palace on February 20, 2022 in London, England, as well-wishers for the Queen look on. Credit:Getty Many said they were troubled by the news after the worlds longest reigning monarch pulled out of a number of high-profile events and spent a night in hospital last October, igniting fears about her health. Julie and Rupert Wills, visiting Windsor to the west of London, said they loved the Queen to bits, with Rupert respecting her ability to just quietly get on with things. Sanil Solanki, 43, described her as the nations mother. Washington: At the White House this week, President Joe Biden said the United States had reason to believe that Russia was engaged in a false flag operation to use as an excuse to invade Ukraine. A new report by the European Expert Association, a research group that focuses on security in Ukraine, and the technology watchdog group Reset Tech said that since October, misinformation researchers had observed rumours circulating widely online and in Russian news media that could be groundwork for such an operation, or to help justify a military buildup. Russian soldiers with no insignia on their uniforms in Perevalne, in the Crimea region of Ukraine, in 2014. After the uprising in 2014, Russian troops wearing unmarked uniforms invaded Crimea. Credit:Sergey Ponomarev/The New York Times Many of the rumours first started circulating on anonymous Telegram channels, and were then repeated in televised statements by Russian officials, the report said. Others started with statements from Russian officials and were repeated on Telegram channels until they became talking points among ordinary citizens. The rhetoric of the pro-Kremlin sources lately has become much more aggressive, Maria Avdeeva, research director at the European Expert Association, said. Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low near 35F. SE winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low near 35F. SE winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 52F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Towanda, PA (18848) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. This is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass. News SHIRLEY HAS A HOME: Volunteers help Blount woman move into better surroundings Shirley C. (center) and her daughter (left), along with Diane Manzoni, the one who started the fundraising campaign to help get Shirley a new home, pose together. Contributed photo A smile lights up the face of Shirley C., who now has a safe, warm place to call home thanks to members of this community. Contributed photo This group of Volunteers banded together to help clear the property where Shirley C. resides so a new camper could be brought in. This is where Shirley C. was living. Her camper had folded in on itself and no longer offered any protection from the elements. She had no plumbing or electricity. Contributed photo This 27-foot camper is now home to Shirley C. She was overwhelmed with gratitude. Had Wes Skolits not stopped on the side of a busy highway to offer help to a stranger three years ago, the story of Shirley C. could have ended very badly. Had Skolits mother, Diane Manzoni, not acted on her sons revelation that this Blount County woman he met was merely existing in a camper that could barely be called as such, maybe no one else would have ever noticed or paid any attention. But, Skolits, who was a young college kid at the time, opened his car door for Shirley, and Manzoni opened her heart. Just days ago, Manzoni and 13 of her friends arrived at Shirleys rural property to finally be able to raze that twisted piece of metal that she had called home. They removed the dilapidated camper, cleaned up years worth of piled up aluminum cans and prepped the site for Shirleys new home. Shirley said shes lived basically homeless there for 20 years no electricity and no water. The small camper had fallen in on itself, putting this senior adult to the elements. Blankets piled up near what was once a front door of the camper, were all that was keeping her warm on these frigid East Tennessee nights. On Thursday evening as a monumental storm and high winds tossed tree limbs into the air in many neighborhoods, Shirley was safe in that new, larger, stable camper that will soon have electricity and water, giving Shirley safety, security and peace of mind. It has been a long road, Manzoni said. She began raising money almost three years ago among her friends and a couple of churches. She said she was made aware of a 27-foot camper that could be purchased for $4,500, so Manzoni started fundraising for that. She established a fund on GiveSendGo.com, a Christian organization, Manzoni said. With it, she was able to raise close to $2,000 so far. Many of the donations that have come in have been from people seeing Manzonis posts on Facebook. Now that the camper has been purchased and installed on the property, more donations will be needed to help get the utilities installed. Manzoni said she is so grateful to all who have stepped in to give Shirley the home she deserves. Of course shes a survivor; Shirleys also independent, strong-willed, someone who doesnt ask for help and has been slow to trust strangers. When Skolits offered her money the day he gave her a ride, she refused to take it. When asked if she gets lonely or afraid, Shirley said she doesnt. She grew up on this family property. It is home. Despite her many visits, Manzoni said it took months before Shirley shared much of her story. She doesnt dwell on the past or expect sympathy because of it. This Blount County native has two daughters, one of them deceased, along with a grandson. Shirley worked at the Blount County Courthouse back in the early 1980s. Hardships over the years have taken their toll. Shirley was hopeful just days before the camper came. She was not told it was being delivered. When it did arrive, this senior adult who has to walk everywhere or get rides and who must eat uncooked food straight out of the cans had a look of relief on her face and one of sheer gratitude. I cant wait, she had said days earlier when talking about how her life was about to change for the better. Manzoni said this would not have been possible were it not for a group of people who saw Shirleys needs and leapt into action. That includes people like Robert Rutherford at Choice One Plumbing, Zach Creasey, Jonathan Wilson and Darius Palmer. They have donated equipment and time on the project. The only income Shirley receives is her Social Security. She walks to nearby grocery stores to shop, cares for her seven cats and has maintained the property well despite few resources. What Manzoni notices about her each time she visits to check on Shirley is her smile. Shes rarely without it, even as she struggles, Manzoni said. Behind that smile is hope. Manzoni will sometime bring Shirley a hot breakfast and cups of coffee. She also doesnt mind making deliveries of groceries or cat food. With no phone, Shirley must walk to a business or residence that will allow her to make calls. As Manzoni was about to leave after checking on her, Shirley expressed her thankfulness for all thats being done. I appreciate you, she told Manzoni. The two then prayed before starting their separate days. Once the utilities are installed, Manzoni told Shirley she would work on making some flowerbeds and getting the lawn in shape. I would like that very much, was Shirleys response. Maybe a rocker, too, to set outside when the sun shines. You have suffered enough, Manzoni told her. How events are moving forward on the location of an Amazon facility in Alcoa and a second location in Maryville. Includes stories from The Dai Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Ottawa Trucker Protest: 191 People Arrested, 79 Vehicles Towed as Police Continue Escalated Operation OTTAWAOttawa police said on the Feb. 20 that 191 people have been arrested and 79 vehicles towed as law enforcement continues operations to clear protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates from the nations capital. Many protesters were pushed back by officers in riot gear with batons and pepper spray on Feb. 19, with demonstrators seen trying to wash the spray out of their eyes. The day before, mounted police advanced on protesters, in some cases knocking down some people. Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said on Feb. 20 that the civilian law enforcement agency Special Investigations Unit has launched an investigation into the issue after a 49-year-old woman was reported to have serious injury following the incident. Most trucks and other vehicles at the protest site have been cleared. Some protesters still remain, but many streets have been cleared. Scenes from Ottawa #freedomconvoy22 protest on the morning of Feb. 20, 2022. Video by Epoch Times reporter Limin Zhou pic.twitter.com/9Ge9UVJLzM Epoch Times Canada (@EpochTimesCan) February 20, 2022 The OPS said on Feb. 20 that among the 191 people arrested, 103 have been charged, mostly for mischief and obstruction. 89 of them have been released with conditions that include a boundary they are not allowed to attend, the OPS said in a tweet. The others have been released unconditionally. Police have designated the site of the protest in Ottawas downtown core as a secured area. Checkpoints have been set up to only allow access to those who live or work in the area. Police officers have also set up fences to keep protesters away from areas already cleared by law enforcement, further restricting the protest site. Police began escalating operations against the protesters on Feb. 18, following the federal governments invocation of the Emergencies Act. I have been watching the situation in our nations capital with dismay. It is difficult to watch. There is a deep sadness that things came to this, said Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey on Twitter on Feb. 19. But I am confident calm will follow, Canada will be stronger, and any wounds will heal. Scenes from Ottawa #freedomconvoy22 protest on the morning of Feb. 20, 2022. Video by Epoch Times reporter Limin Zhou pic.twitter.com/47p9OzKZFR Epoch Times Canada (@EpochTimesCan) February 20, 2022 A truck with signs against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. (Limin Zhou/The Epoch Times) Police continue operations to clear out protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates from downtown Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. (Limin Zhou/The Epoch Times) Furey was among the minority of premiers who supported the use of the Emergencies Act to deal with the ongoing protests against COVID-19 mandates. The premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia said there is no need for the measure. The act is currently being debated in the House of Commons, with the NDP backing up the Liberal governments position in invoking the act, and the Conservatives and the Block Quebecois opposed. The act gives the federal government sweeping powers to confront the protesters, including imposing financial sanctions. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said on Feb. 19 that at least 76 bank accounts have been frozen in relation to the ongoing protests. The operationalization of the measures under the Emergencies Act is something that is being undertaken by police in conjunction with financial institutional partners including the banks, Mendicino said at a press conference. Police inspect one of the few remaining protest trucks before having it towed out of the downtown core, in Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Police patrol the streets near Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) The ongoing demonstrations against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions were inspired by a protest originally initiated by truck drivers opposed to the federal governments requirement that truckers crossing the U.S.-Canada border must be vaccinated for COVID-19. As large convoys of trucks and other vehicles drove to Ottawa to protest the vaccine mandate for truckers, more people who are opposed to the various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions joined the movement. Andrew Chen contributed to this report. Rescuers try to reach and rescue a boy trapped for two days down a well in a remote southern Afghan village of Shokak, in Zabul province about 120 kilometers from Kandahar, on Feb. 17, 2022. (JAVED TANVEER/AFP via Getty Images) 5-Year-Old Afghan Boy Dies After Being Trapped in Well for 3 Days A five-year-old boy, who had been stuck for three days in a well in a southern Afghanistan village, was declared dead on Feb. 18 by officials. A rescue operation was launched to pull the child, identified as Haidar, out from the well in Shokak village of Zabul province, where he had been trapped since Feb. 15. According to Zabul police spokesman Zabiullah Jawhar, the boy was still breathing when they pulled him out of the well but he was eventually declared dead. In the first minutes after the rescue operation was completed, he was breathing, and the medical team gave him oxygen, Zabiullah told reporters. When the medical team tried to carry him to the helicopter, he lost his life. Haidars grandfather, Haji Abdul Hadi, told AFP that his grandson fell into the well while attempting to help people dig a new borehole in the parched village. Haidar reportedly slipped to the bottom of the 80-foot (25-meter) shaft before being pulled up by several onlookers with a rope. They managed to pull the boy to about 10 meters (32 feet) from the shafts opening, but the passage was too narrow that Haidar became trapped. Rescuers then launched a drilling operation and dug an open slit trench from the surface to reach Haidar, but were blocked by a large rock at some point. Rescuers were only able to reach Haidar after more than 30 hours, according to a BBC report. Afghan people gather as rescuers try to reach and rescue a boy trapped for two days down a well in a remote southern Afghan village of Shokak, in Zabul province about 120 kilometers from Afghanistans second largest city of Kandahar on Feb. 17, 2022. (JAVED TANVEER/AFP via Getty Images) In video footage of the rescue effort posted on social media, Haidar is seen moving his arms and upper body. His father can be heard saying in the video: Are you okay, my son? Talk to me and dont cry, we are working to get you out. Haidar replied: Okay, Ill keep talking. The boy had stopped communicating a day before being rescued from the well. The incident follows the case of a five-year-old Moroccan boy, Rayan Awram, who was trapped for five days in a well in Ighran village. Rayan was declared dead on Feb. 5, after being pulled out of the well by rescuers. Act of Intimidation: Australian PM Condemns China After Warship Aims Laser at Military Plane Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has criticized Beijing for an act of intimidation after a Chinese warship pointed a laser at a Royal Australian military aircraft. The attack took place on Feb. 17 as an Australian P-8A Poseidon aircraft was monitoring a Chinese Navy vessel sailing through the Arafura Seain international waters but inside Australias exclusive economic zone. The Chinese warship reportedly aimed a military-grade laser at the Australian aircraft, an action the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said could have put the lives of ADF personnel in danger. The incident follows a week of domestic political dispute about national security, as the regime in Beijing escalates its plans to become the dominant force in the Indo-Pacific region. A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) reconnaissance photo of a Peoples Liberation Army-Navy Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer that transited the Arafura Sea on Feb. 17, 2022. (Australian Defence Force) A Headquarters Joint Operations Command storyboard depicting the movements of a PLA-N Luyang-class guided-missile destroyer and a PLA-N Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel, including their passage into the Arafura Sea and through the Torres Strait into the Coral Sea on Feb. 17, 2022. (Australian Defence Force) Unprovoked, Unwarranted Morrison on Feb. 20 described last weeks action as a reckless and irresponsible act by China. I can see it in no other way than an act of intimidation, one that was unprovoked, unwarranted, Morrison told reporters in Melbourne. Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation. He said the act is being raised with Chinese Communist Party leaders through defense and diplomatic channels, and that Beijing must provide an explanation as to why a military vessel in Australias exclusive economic zone would undertake such a dangerous act. I have no doubt that if it had been an Australian vessel, British vessel, American vessel, French vessel, Japanese vessel, or German for that matter, that was going through similar waters in the South China Sea, and it was done to a Chinese surveillance aircraft, then people could guess what the reaction to that would have been. Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks about his management of the pandemic at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 1, 2022. (Rohan Thomson/Getty Images) The laser incident highlights the increasing tension between Beijing and democratic nations that stand for freedom. As a leading voice in safeguarding the liberal-democratic world order, Australias China policy is to be a critical issue in the impending federal election. Morrison has stressed that the Coalition has increased its defense funding in the face of increasing aggression in the Pacific by Beijing, and did not abandon our borders as Labor did. An appeasement path is not something that my government will ever go down, he said. Youve got to take a strong stance on these issues. Its not just about what you say; its about what you do, and what our government has been doing is protecting Australias national interest and protecting us from such threats and intimidation. Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton addresses the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, on Nov. 26, 2021. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) Meanwhile, Defence Minister Peter Dutton told Sky News on Feb. 20 that Australia would work closely with its allies to combat Chinas aggression because Chinas leaders need to understand that there is a price to pay for those acts of aggression. He emphasized that its most important to shine a light on these behaviors, noting that a military-grade laser can result in the blindness of crew members and the damage of equipment. The Chinese government is hoping no one talks about these aggressive and appalling acts, Dutton said. Its completely unacceptable. Labors shadow minister for communications, Michelle Rowland, agreed, saying, This isnt some juvenile aiming a laser at a commercial aircraft; this was a military-grade laser. That is deeply concerning, and Labor will be seeking a briefing from Defence on this matter, she told Sky News. But, unfortunately, it comes at a time when Chinas presence and its actions are continuing to cause concern right across the region and globally as well. After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, Shen Yun Performing Arts played to a full house at the Grand Theatre de Provence, in Aix-en-Provence, on Feb.7, 2022. (Zhang Yue/The Epoch Times) AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FranceShen Yun lit up the Grand Theatre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence Feb. 6 to Feb. 9, 2022. In numbers, thats 5 performances, 1,350 seats in a full house, 5 standing ovations and several encores. But the effect of the New York-based classical Chinese dance phenomenon cannot be quantified. Audiences reflected after the show, stating they were overwhelmed by the beauty and goodness exemplified by Shen Yun and its performers. Frederic and Sandrine Vie at Shen Yun Performing Arts in Aix-en-Provence, France, on Feb. 7, 2022. (NTD) Frederic Vie, a medical doctor, and Sandrine Vie, a guest house manager from a village of the Drome provencale, were part of a full house on Feb. 7. Ms. Vie was captivated by the dancing. I love dancing, Ive done it, and I think the dancers move on stage with an absolute grace Ive never seen a show that enchanted me that much, she said. Everything is harmonious, its magic! She noted and appreciated how the artists reflect beauty, Beauty, everyone needs beauty! I think that no matter peoples tastes, their origin, their education When they are in front of a show like [Shen Yun], they can all, nevertheless, see perfectiona touch of the divine, she said. For Dr. Vie, spirituality, present throughout the history of China, is also at the heart of Shen Yun: It was a great moment of joy, of spirituality, he said. Nelly Papin at the Shen Yun performance at the Grand Theatre de Provence, in Aix-en-Provence, France, on Feb. 7, 2022. (NTD) Nelly Papin drove more than 60 miles from Toulon just to see Shen Yun. The head of a La Crau real estate consulting firm confides that she never comes to Aix-en-Provence. I had to be here, today, to be able to really, fully penetrate my body with this beautiful soul that the company has shown us, said Ms. Papin, visibly moved. Mrs. Papin tried to describe her feeling: I was overwhelmed! I was shaking My solar plexus there is warmth! It is an extremely vibrant energy that takes me, that takes my whole body. The feeling was such that I am overwhelmed by this show, by the colors, by the harmony It is a splendor! I never thought I would have the opportunity to see something so beautiful, so respectful of others, she said. She could feel the togetherness of the performers, whether it was the dancers moving in synch or the live orchestra timely accompaniment. I find the beauty of the people who make the show extraordinary. As I said, there is communion well-being. There is something so good! Beyond the beauty, Ms. Papin was able to feel that the dancers are humble There is something so touching about them. There is a warmth that comes out of this show that is so good. Shen Yun has a unique characteristic: its performers are practitioners of Falun Dafa, an ancient Chinese spiritual way, based in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, that has been banned and brutally persecuted in communist China. For this business leader, the humility of the artists is a value that could be transposed into everyday life: Its a little lesson in relation to what happens in life, and everyone has to reflect on that in relation to good versus evil. Nicole Piazza, at the Shen Yun performance in Aix-en-Provence on Feb. 9, 2022. (NTD) On closing night, former hospital director Nicole Piazza said she was amazed by Shen Yun for two reasons: The first is that the show is superb and the choreography sumptuous, she said. In itself, it is already extraordinary, but all the scenes refer us to what is in danger of being lost now, and thats what really impressed and moved me. There is behind it a culture, a reminder of history, a reference to what is happening in China now and is very important. Its a reminder of a culture that we shouldnt forget, she said, referring to the loss of traditional culture in China today under communist rule. In the last 70 years, Chinas 5,000 years of divinely inspired cultural heritage has been decimated systematically in order to rewrite history. This spirituality is important because it is part of the roots of Chinese culture, it is rooted in history, Ms. Piazza noted. Its important to have been able to showcase it, and to show it in such a spectacular and extraordinary way. Shen Yuns mission is grand and its message sometimes somber, but Shen Yun offers an example of hope. In its storylines, even when a situation seems hopeless, something else can happen behind it, Ms. Piazza noted. After seeing Shen Yun, you feel like youre not alone and that there are people who share with you this desire for resilience, that may be a better time will come for our children. Beyond the beauty of the show, this is what impressed me, Ms. Piazza concluded. Reporting by Zhang Ni and NTD. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Alberta to File Court Challenge Against Ottawas Use of Emergencies Act, Kenney Says Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he will be filing a court challenge against the Liberal governments invocation of the Emergencies Act, saying it is unnecessary, disproportionate, and an intrusion into provincial jurisdiction. In a video posted on Twitter, Kenney said the federal governments decision to invoke the act, which gives authorities additional powers to oust protesters in Ottawa opposing COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, may violate civil liberties and sets a dangerous precedent for the future. The federal governments invocation of the Emergencies Act is an unnecessary and disproportionate measure that can violate civil liberties, invades provincial jurisdiction, and creates a very dangerous precedent for the future, he said. And now I can announce that Alberta will be filing a court challenge to the Government of Canadas invocation of the emergency act. Announced on Feb. 14, the act gives authorities extra powers to deal with the protests, including the ability to compel towing companies to remove trucks encamped in Ottawas downtown core. Several additional financial measures were added to reduce funding for the protests, including the broadening of anti-money laundering mechanisms to crowdfunding platforms and digital currencies. Financial institutions will be able to freeze accounts of individuals or corporations involved in the protests without the need of a court order. On Feb. 19, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed that at least 76 financial accounts have already been frozen, which represents $3.2 million, associated with the ongoing protest in Ottawa. Alberta is filing a Court challenge to the unjustified use of the Emergencies Act. We may also intervene in support of other Court challenges. As Tommy Douglas said about the use of the War Measures Act in 1970, its like using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut. https://t.co/lx53TNcaJb pic.twitter.com/QD98vKgc32 Jason Kenney (@jkenney) February 19, 2022 However, Kenney pointed to Alberta and Ottawas success in resolving the recent demonstrations blockading the Canada-U.S. border crossings without the need of the powers of the act. The blockades were in solidarity with the protests in Ottawa, which initially began to oppose the federal governments vaccine mandate requiring truck drivers crossing back into Canada from the United States to be fully vaccinated if they wish to avoid a 14-day quarantine upon re-entry. The protest soon evolved into a national movement as large convoys of trucks arrived in Ottawa to protest on Jan. 29, with many joining to oppose all COVID-19 mandates. Lets be clear, the rule of law must be applied. Law and order must prevail, regardless of the cause that people stand for. Folks in this country have the right peacefully and lawfully to protest, and I encourage people who feel strongly about vaccine mandates, public health restrictions, to do just that legally and peacefully, Kenney said. So the question then is why does the federal government using the power that is not necessary to seize bank accounts and assets, for example, from peoplearbitrarily, extra-judicially, without court orders, based on their opinions or who theyve donated topowers really designed to interrupt things like terrorist financing? It doesnt make sense. Alberta and several other provincial governments have spoken out against the invocation of the Emergencies Act, and Kenney said they will also consider applying as an intervener to support the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Constitution Foundation, which are also filing legal challenges against Ottawas emergency measure. We need to take action to defend, yes, the law and order, but also civil liberties and our Constitution and Canada. Alberta will be doing just that, Kenney said. On Feb. 18, Kenney wrote a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in which he said invoking the act could do irreparable harm to Canadians and the countrys democracy. Earlier this week, the premier co-signed a letter with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and 16 U.S. governors, requesting Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden to immediately reinstate previous vaccine and quarantine exemptions for cross-border truck drivers. Today, I joined 16 United States Governors and Premier Kenney to call on the Prime Minister and the President of the United States to immediately reinstate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions for truckers. [1/2] pic.twitter.com/0g9v6AflLc Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) February 16, 2022 Actor Alec Baldwin speaks at an event of the United Nations Permanent Forum in New York on April 23, 2019. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images) Alec Baldwin Might Not Have Pulled Trigger in Deadly Shooting: DA Alec Baldwin may have fired the shot that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins without pulling the trigger, said a New Mexico prosecutor last week. Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told Vanity Fair magazine that she was drawn to Baldwins claim during an ABC News interview in December that he didnt pull the trigger. You can pull the hammer back without actually pulling the trigger and without actually locking it, Carmack-Altwies told the news outlet. So you pull it back partway, it doesnt lock, and then if you let it go, the firing pin can hit the primer of the bullet. Carmack-Altwies confirmed that she launched an investigation to test whether Baldwins claims could be duplicated. I didnt know too much about guns, certainly not about 1850s-era revolvers. So when I first heard that, I was like, Oh, thats crazy, she told Vanity Fair, referring to the type of pistol that was apparently used in the shooting. Elaborating, Carmack-Altwies said she had an investigator with her office bring in his old-style revolver to test if a mechanical malfunction could have caused the gun to go off without pulling the trigger. According to her, the test revealed that the hammer could have caused a live round to fire. This aerial photo shows the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., on Oct. 23, 2021. Attorneys for the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was shot and killed on the set of the film Rust say theyre suing Alec Baldwin and the movies producers for wrongful death. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) The FBI is still conducting an analysis of the weapon that was used in the shooting. Its not clear what type of gun was used in Carmack-Altwiess testing. The gun that was used in the Rust incident was identified as an F.lli Pietta long Colt 45 revolver by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza during a press conference last year. During the ABC interview, Baldwin insisted that he never pulled the trigger and instead pulled back the guns hammer before it suddenly fired, striking and killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never, the actor told ABC. But after Baldwins interview, Michigan-based firearms expert Steven Howard appeared to dispute Baldwins claim, telling Reuters on Thursday that it is very, very rare for a gun to misfire, and it would occur if the trigger or hammer suffers breakage or malfunction. The gun can misfire if it is clogged with debris, he noted. He may not remember pulling the trigger. That happens quite regularly with traumatic events, but if he insists that he did not pull the trigger, I find that very hard to believe, Howard told the news agency. If someone puts me in the room with that gun for two minutes, Ill tell if hes a liar or not. A lawsuit that was filed by a Rust script supervisor in November 2021 alleged that Baldwin intentionally fired the gun at Hutchins, which Baldwin has denied via his lawyers. Last week, lawyers for Hutchinss husband and child filed a wrongful-death suit against Baldwin and other Rust producers. Through lawyers, Baldwin and the producers denied wrongdoing. President Joe Biden speaks about Russia and Ukraine in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 15, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Extends US National Emergency Over COVID-19 President Joe Biden said the U.S. national emergency that was declared in early 2020 due to COVID-19 will be extended beyond March 1, citing what he called a risk to the public health and safety. In a letter released on the White House website, Biden told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that there remains a need to continue this national emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public health and safety of the Nation. More than 900,000 people in this Nation have perished from the disease, and it is essential to continue to combat and respond to COVID-19 with the full capacity and capability of the Federal Government, he wrote, adding that his office has determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared almost two years ago. As of late last year, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Johns Hopkins University showed that there were 60,000 more COVID-19 deaths under the Biden administration than under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump had declared a national emergency, which allowed the freeing up of about $50 billion in federal aid. The emergency would have been automatically terminated unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the president sent a notice to Congress stating it would continue beyond the anniversary date. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, and beginning March 1, 2020, must continue in effect beyond March 1, 2022, Biden wrote in another statement, adding that the notice will be published in the Federal Register. His decision to extend the emergency comes as several Democratic governors moved to rescind COVID-19 mandates, including mask rules, in recent days. The governors of New York and Massachusetts announced last week that they would end certain mask mandates in their states, following similar moves by New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon. Meanwhile, federal health officials last week indicated during a White House briefing that they were preparing for the next phase of the pandemic, as Omicron cases have dropped. One of those officials, White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci, told MNSBC on Feb. 15 that he doesnt believe political sentiment is the reason mandates are being dropped nationwide. Some critics have said, however, that Democratic leaders are turning away from COVID-19 rules because they fear losing control in either the House or Senate in the 2022 midterms. A Jan. 31 Monmouth University Poll showed that about 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. William Moody exits a PANDEMIC bus in a YMCA parking lot after receiving his COVID-19 vaccine booster shot on his way to work Feb. 9. (Natasha Holt/The Epoch Times) CDC Grant Program Spends $5,000 Per Shot to Convince Minorities to Get COVID-19 Vaccine GAINESVILLE, Fla.Fleets of specially equipped, federally funded buses are rolling into targeted areas with the mission of convincing people to get the COVID-19 vaccine and giving the jabs on the spot to the newly persuaded. Under a $6 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teams in six states have worked since July to persuade visitors to the buses to take the COVID-19 vaccines. Their efforts have put 1,200 COVID-19 shots in arms, according to Catherine Striley of the University of Florida, who helps oversee the project. For the $6 million investment, each taxpayer-funded vaccination has cost about $5,000. Led by the University of Florida, eight universities share the goal of increasing adult vaccination rates in rural and minority communities as part of the program, Striley said. Targeted are areas identified as places where health care skepticism is common and vaccination rates are low, according to a prepared statement from UF Health, the medical network affiliated with the University of Florida (UF). Linda Cottler, the senior associate dean for research at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, told The Epoch Times in an email after the online publication of this article that the total number of shots administered had gone up to 2,052 and that the program had only begun in October last year. To calculate a per-shot cost from a program that is in its early stages is bad math, at best, and misleading, at worst. The grant covers the first year, so a fair calculation would include a years worth of numbers, and our work in the field only began in October 2021, Cottler said. Beyond that, however, the numbers used in the piece are outdated: Weve now administered 2,052 shots. Plus, weve reached 266,000 people, offering more than just vaccines. The program also provides important health information and needed health screenings. Universities partnering in the initiative are the University of Minnesota, Washington University in St. Louis, Montefiore Medical Center of Albert Einstein College, the University of Kentucky, the University of Missouri, Florida State University, and the University of California, Davis. As part of the program, bus workers also have tested 2,600 people for COVID-19 and have presented educational materials about the illness and vaccines at community events with attendance totalling 260,000 people. At UF in Gainesville, Fla., the new vaccine education and distribution program is called Our Community, Our Health. As part of the program, two mobile clinics set up in buses are used to meet community members where they are, and tackle vaccine skepticism, UF Healths statement said. So-called PANDEMIC buses, funded by the federal government, sit ready Feb. 3 for their next mission to visit areas where vaccine hesitancy is high. The aim of bus workers is to answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, then administer the shot. (Natasha Holt/The Epoch Times) UF Health workers and their newly acquired mobile health vehicles are traveling throughout North Central Florida to reach their target communities with CDC-supplied vaccine education materials. The goal is to boost vaccination rates in areas chosen for having high vaccine-hesitancy rates, UF Healths description of the program states. Funding for the program comes from a grant called PANDEMIC (Program to Alleviate National Disparities in Ethnic and Minority Immunizations in the Community), provided by the CDCs Partnering for Vaccine Equity program. PANDEMIC has set aside $156 million for organizations across the country to help improve adult vaccination access and increase vaccination rates, program materials say. The PANDEMIC grant program is intended to be used to increase vaccine equity, program materials say. UF Health has emphasized that mission of equitya term used to indicate equal amounts distributed by racein the organizations efforts. The aim is to reach groups that may experience immunization disparities in racial and ethnic minorities, materials say. They prioritize reaching residents of rural communities, migrant farmworkers, Native Americans, Hispanics, Blacks, and people identifying as part of the LGBTQ community. The buses visit community events and anywhere else theyre asked to appear, said Striley. The two UF Health buses have visited a wide variety of locations, including YMCA clubs, churches, family events, farmworker events, and state fairs. Organizers want attendees to have the opportunity to walk up without an appointment, get educated about vaccines, and potentially receive their first vaccination or a booster shot, she said. The buses also have visited facilities such as The Arc, a support organization for those with developmental disabilities, she said. Those interested in receiving the vaccine often ask questions about COVID-19 and about the vaccines safety, including whether pregnant women should get the vaccine, Striley said. Which, of course, the short answer is, Absolutely! she added. If people arent sure [that they want the vaccine], then we have educational materials, and our community health workers and the extension agents will talk to them about their particular questions and try to answer their questions and their concerns. And then[we] immediately give them the vaccine, Striley explained. William Moody smiled from behind his mask as he stepped out of the bus Feb. 9 after receiving his third shot. He hadnt planned to receive the vaccination that way, he said. But when he saw the sign for the event outside the YMCA, he pulled in to take advantage of the convenient opportunity on his way to work. And while he had no questions about whether he wanted the vaccine, Moody said he felt the bus and the staff inside made it a great experience. Bus workers try not to turn anyone away. And while the program doesnt specifically aim to give the shots to children, if youngsters express interest in being vaccinated, the PANDEMIC teams try to find a way, Striley said. Were trying to get vaccines into adult arms, she said. That is what the CDC has asked us to do. The team of universities is finishing its first year of work on the project and will soon find out if theyll receive funding renewal for a second year. Everything looks pretty good for that, but theres no guarantee, said Striley. How long will the programs to distribute vaccines continue? Its unclear, she said. Well take it year by year. Cuba Is Intelligence Service Hub for Worldwide Totalitarian Movement: Exiled Cuban Activist Cuba is a major hub for a worldwide totalitarian movement and its intelligence network has spread its influence throughout the Western Hemisphere, said Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, coordinator of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance. The communist Cubans have provided the intelligence structure and the organizational structure for the Chinese regime to expand their power in the Western Hemisphere, Gutierrez-Boronat told EpochTVs Crossroads program. Cuba, with its key strategic location, has been an ideal platform for influencing the United States and Latin America, the activist said. Theyre [a] very considerable foe for the United States and the Western Hemisphere. Gutierrez-Boronat cited Herbert Marcuse, a prominent Marxist scholar of the Frankfurt School associated with Columbia University in New York, who said that the communist revolution in Cuba was essential for the communist revolution in the United States. The Cuban Communist Party is very confident that its gaining ground in Latin America and the United States, the activist said. Communists believe that although [the American] nation is stronger, culturally, its weaker. So they have a very long term view of how to corrode our institutions, how to penetrate them from below in order to weaken the resolve to resist tyranny. The Cuban communists perceive the internal polarization and division in the United States as the right moment for a class struggle, which it disguises as a racial struggle, Gutierrez-Boronat said. All these weaknesses make it easier for totalitarian ideology to prosper. And for many young people, it makes their resolve to resist this totalitarian tyranny far weaker. Although Cuba is a small country, its very influential in the United States because of its history and culture, Gutierrez-Boronat said. Cuban communists developed a long-term presence of Cuban communist intelligence throughout the hemisphere during 63 years of their rule, the activist said. They identified, recruited, and placed in pivotal positions key assets of communism, and this is what they contribute to their relations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Chinese are establishing a very strong presence in Latin America and what the Cubans provide them is very good intelligence about whos who in Latin America. China hasnt just invested in an island structure, theyve invested in an intelligence service thats been operating for many, many years. And that intelligence service is very clear that its foe is the United States and bringing down American culture and American life. The Cuban communist regime has influenced Venezuela, Gutierrez-Boronat said, adding that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was recruited by Cuban communists, trained in Cuba, supported and aided in achieving power by the Cuban regime, and now is indebted to the regime. The regime has also influenced Nicaragua, had a very active role in subverting Colombia and bringing down its economy, and has a very close alliance with the government of Mexico and the president of Honduras, Gutierrez-Boronat said. The government of Argentina is also a sympathizer with that regime. Argentina President Alberto Fernandez signed a deal with the Chinese regime at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 6, political analyst Anders Corr wrote for The Epoch Times. The deal stipulates that Argentina will join Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), recognize Chinas claims over democratic Taiwan, take another $23.7 billion in loans for Chinese infrastructure development, and derecognize Taiwan. In December 2021, Nicaragua seized Taiwans former embassy to give it to Beijing, after the Central American state unilaterally terminated diplomatic relations with the self-governed island in favor of China and declared Taiwan as part of the Chinese territory. New Honduran President Xiomara Castro floated the idea of dropping diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of the Chinese regime during her election campaign. However, after Taiwanese Vice President William Lai attended Castros inauguration at the end of January, the newly elected president decided to maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei. New Phase of Communism In July 2021, ADN Cuba, an independent Cuban news network reporting in Spanish, broke the story about the Peoples Armed Police, the Chinese paramilitary internal security force, training Cuban Black Berets, an elite military group dedicated to the suppression of anti-government protests. Its believed the Peoples Armed Police had been sent by Beijing to suppress protestors of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement in 2019. I believe these totalitarian statesIran, Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuelahave a joint command where they analyze, study, and implement policies to put down popular uprisings. Theres a similar pattern which they repeated in every country from what they learned of how to crush a peoples uprising. Before the early 1990s, communists couldnt stop popular uprisings; now theyve learned how to do it, Gutierrez-Boronat said. This type of asymmetric warfare used by communism includes weaponizing social media, culture, and technology in a coordinated way, Gutierrez-Boronat added. Activists called this the new generation of communism. To deal with this new phase of communism, the same kind of strategy is needed that was used to defeat the Soviet Union, he said. Unless we get on the same level with a coherent strategy, we will be defeated in the long term. The Soviet Union fell as a result of a combination of forces that were coalesced and were channeled in a very effective manner by a proactive strategy implemented by the United States. And this brought together both political defiance, grassroots organization, as it happened in Poland, but also military means. The U.S. did not shirk away from arming and protecting itself. And also, the pressure put on post-Soviet regimes in Afghanistan, in Nicaragua, in Angola was essential for bringing down communism. West Props Up Cuban Communist Regime The West, however, often offers the communist regime of Cuba financial support. Although the sanctions against the Cuban regime implemented by then-President Donald Trump and maintained by President Joe Biden have depleted the money base of the Cuban military, some Western countries such as France, Italy, and Spain entered into cooperation agreements with Cuba, Gutierrez-Boronat said. These agreements poured money into the Cuban armed forces because those forces control the Cuban economy, he added. The Paris Club, an informal group of international creditors, extended a lifeline to the regime in Cuba in the months after July 11, 2021, protest against the communist regime broke out in the country, Gutierrez-Boronat said. In October 2021, the Paris Club, whose role is to assist debtor countries unable to repay their debts, agreed to postpone an annual debt payment of the Cuban debt due in November 2021 until 2022, according to Reuters. In 2015, the Paris Club forgave the Cuban regime $8.5 billion of $11.1 billion in sovereign debt Cuba defaulted on in 1986. Cuba agreed to repay the remainder in annual installments through 2033, but only partially met its obligations in 2019 and defaulted the year after, Reuters reported. The elites in the free world have lost [their] backbone to resist authoritarianism, Gutierrez-Boronat said. Cubas centrally planned economy is tightly controlled by the communist regime. Most of the Cuban enterprises are owned by the state. The state controls wholesale trade, credit, foreign trade, and foreign investment, according to a report by Coface for Trade, a credit insurance company. Cubas income per capita back in the 1950s was one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Today it has one of the lowest, Jorge Salazar-Carrillo, a professor of economics at the Florida International University, wrote for The Conversation. In large part, that is the result of decades of failed policies and promised reforms that never materialized. The professor, who worked in the Cuban government in the early days following the communist revolution, said that Cubas economic crisis isnt the result of U.S. sanctions imposed on Cuban goodsas many analysts, activists, and the Cuban government assertedbut it was caused by the Cuban government that unsustainably runs the countrys economy. Cuba was ruled for more than six decades by brothers Fidel and Raul Castro, who led a 1959 revolution in the Caribbean island nation of 11 million, installing a communist-run country on the doorstep of the United States. In 2021, Raul Castro, as party chief, was succeeded by Miguel Diaz-Canel as a communist party chief, the countrys de facto leader, thus ending the Castro era, although he said he would continue to consult his predecessors on strategic decisions. Frank Fang, Rita Li, and Reuters contributed to this report. Ella Kietlinska Reporter Follow Ella Kietlinska is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. and world politics. Guest Zac Kriegman received his B.A. in economics at the University of Michigan, where Larry Elder went to law school, before going to Harvard to get his J.D. He recently spent six years working at Thomson Reuters, where he was fired for discussing information critical of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) group. The research that Kriegman shared internally at the company, which suggested BLM had caused harm to minority communities, was also censored, and Kriegman was encouraged to retract his criticism, but he refused. Elder and Kriegman discuss the facts. Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Parler: https://parler.com/#/user/EpochTV WASHINGTON, D.C.Dede Laugeson, director at Save the Persecuted Christians and a member of the Committee on the Present Danger: China, found herself deeply moved by the beauty and depth of art presented by Shen Yun Performing Arts, which is currently touring the world presenting China before Communism. What I saw was beauty and energy and light that is missing in communism that is so utilitarian, so gray, so bland, so stripped down to nothingness, Ms. Laugeson said when attending Shen Yun at The Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington D.C. What was here is just a depth of art and expression and history that unfortunately, were not experiencing from [China], as they show themselves to be today through their communist ideologies. Many of the artists performing with New York-based Shen Yun follow the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa, which promotes living by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Ms. Laugeson expressed her happiness to be among artists of such principles. Its such an honor to be here. Its so inspiring to see that many people come together to stand for compassion and peace and harmony and light and love, and thats what I experienced when I come together with the Falun Dafa, she said. Ms. Laugeson could sense that these principles are a unifying factor for Shen Yuns performance. Theres so much unity among the dancers that you dont see in some of the Western performances. You can tell that theres an understanding spiritually amongst the performers that brings a sense of light and unity. Its truly expressed to the audience, and you really are welcomed into that sense of unity. It was beautiful, she remarked. She also expressed her gratitude towards Shen Yun for its efforts in reviving Chinas 5,000 years of civilization. I liked the historical development through the show, she said. The costumes and the dancing and the quality of the art is so beautiful in telling the story of Chinese culture through the years, continuing that history and bringing it to the world so that we can truly understand the nature that has been the Chinese people throughout the ages. Reporting by Terri Wu and Maria Han. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. U.S. Senate candidate Jackson Lahmeyer on NTD's Capitol Report, on Feb. 17, 2022, in a still from video. (NTD/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Democrats Easing COVID-19 Mandates Because of Public Pressure: US Senate Candidate Oklahoma candidate for U.S. Senate Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer said Democrat cities with the countrys harshest mandates and pandemic restrictions are starting to ease these policies because they are seeing people push back. These Democratic leaders, theyre starting to see the American people fight back and were seeing it in Canada. Its a beautiful thing, said Lahmeyer told NTD Capitol Report host Steve Lance in a Feb. 17 interview. Since Sept. 9, I have personally signed over 55,000 COVID-19 religious exemption forms, helping thousands of people keep their jobs without taking the jab. In September 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order mandating vaccination for all federal employees but subject to such exceptions as required by law. However, many in the U.S. military and other federal employees say they have been denied religious exemption status. Citizens all over the world have been protesting vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions. One of the most impactful protests is the trucker Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, Canada, which has been protesting vaccine mandates and travel restrictions. There have been many protests in the United States as well, including the Defeat the Mandate rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23, in which people said they were not anti-vaccine but anti-mandates. They said individuals should have the right to choose their medical procedures. After nearly two years of tight control, Democrat lead states, including New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Connecticut, in recent weeks started lifting vaccine and mask mandates, prompting speculation that public sentiment may have contributed to their decisions. Several Democrat-led cities, including Philadelphia and Washington, also announced the end to their respective vaccine passport mandates for restaurants. U.S. midterm elections will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate in November and many Republicans have said Democrats easing mandates is a political move. However, White House COVID-19 adviser Dr. 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. 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 said during the Feb. 15 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. This is the United States of America. This is not communist China. This is not the old Soviet Union. This is the USA, and were going to have to fight to keep our freedoms, especially when it comes to medical freedom, said Lahmeyer. What were seeing in Canada is a warning of whats going to be coming here to America. You know, Justin Trudeau is showing his true colors, and thats what tyrants do when they get pushed up against the wall. These truckers have said enough is enough, added Lahmeyer. Supporters of the Freedom Convoy protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in front of Parliament of Canada, in Ottawa, Canada, on Jan. 28, 2022. A convoy of truckers started off from Vancouver on Jan. 23, 2022, on its way to protest against the mandate in the capital city of Ottawa. (Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images) We need to recognize that these truckers are doing this for a purpose, and that purpose is theyre standing up for freedom and we need to support them. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Masooma Haq Follow Masooma Haq began reporting for The Epoch Times from Pakistan in 2008. She currently covers a variety of topics including U.S. government, culture, and entertainment. Lima accounted for 70.5% of total exports of these fruits, Lambayeque for 9.9%, Ancash for 9.5%, and Junin for 4.3%, among other regions. Meanwhile, Callao and Ucayali saw the highest increases, 285.6% and 204%, respectively, compared to 2020. #PeruNoSeDetiene???? En el 2021, los envios al exterior de frutas exoticas peruanas acumularon US$ 13.4 millones, monto que represento un crecimiento del 46.2%. Mira el reporte completo del CIEN-ADEX aqui ? https://t.co/8OsZGJSb2f pic.twitter.com/ExsQDqHGnD England to Scrap Mandatory COVID Self-Isolation as Hospitalisations Continue to Drop The UK governments self-isolation rules will be lifted in England by the end of next week, officials have said amid consistent drops in the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions. The change, announced on Saturday, marks the end of all domestic CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus legal restrictions in England. Hospital admissions for COVID-19 were down another 13.1 percent this week following a month of declining patient numbers. Downing Street confirmed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to repeal all pandemic-related regulations that restrict public freedoms in England when he lays out his strategy for living with COVID-19 in Parliament on Monday. COVID will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms, Johnson said in a statement. He said England has built up strong protections against the CCP virus through its vaccine rollouts, tests, new treatments, and the best scientific understanding of what this virus can do. Johnson also touted the governments vaccination programme as the reason England is in a position to scrap the restrictions. Under the UKs devolution system, public health 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. Downing Street said pharmaceutical interventions will continue to be our first line of defence, with the vaccination programme remaining open to anyone who has not yet come forward, but government intervention in peoples lives can now finally end. Ministers have also suggested that free lateral flow tests could also come to an end, with exceptions for the vulnerable and elderly. Armed forces minister James Heappey told Sky News on Thursday that he believes people can change our behaviours and worry less about the need to have ourselves tested, as future CCP virus variants are expected to be as mild or, more probably, milder than Omicron. He said the proposal to scrap free tests was the direction of travel but that Johnson would announce his final decision shortly. However, Downing Street appeared to keep the door open for state-funded infection sampling to remain in place, following reports that CCP virus studies could be withdrawn as part of the plan. Such sampling helps scientists monitor for new variants and emerging strains of concern. Officials have said that Mondays Living with COVID plan, as well as the removal of quarantine impositions, will maintain resilience against future variants with ongoing surveillance capabilities. Responding to Johnsons future blueprint for dealing with COVID-19, the Labour opposition party said people should not be asked to pay for tests or get less sick pay when theyre still being asked to behave responsibly. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting also accused Johnson of attempting to distract from the police knocking at his door, and said that while Labour doesnt want to see restrictions in place any longer than they need to be, the government should publish the evidence behind the decision to end the restrictions, so the public can have faith that it is being made in the national interest. Johnson is currently one of the more than 50 people under police investigation for attending alleged lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and the Cabinet office in 2020 and 2021. Members of the opposition and a number of Conservative MPs have openly called on the prime minister to resign over the so-called Partygate saga. If fined by police, a no-confidence vote could be triggered, potentially ousting Johnson as the prime minister. Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales Earlier this week, Northern Irelands Health Minister Robin Swann rolled back all legal restrictions, replacing some of them with guidance. Theres no change to Northern Irelands recommendation for self-isolation, but the government clarified that its has always been a very strong guidance rather than legally binding. Masks and social distancing rules are still in place in Scotland and Wales, but Wales will partially roll back its mask mandates on Feb. 28, requiring them only in shops, on public transport, and in health and social care settings. The rule may be scrapped altogether in Wales by the end of March, along with the self-isolation rules. NHS COVID Passes are still required in Scotland as a condition of entry to some premises, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will publish a return to normal plan on Feb. 22. PA Media contributed to this report. Famed Alzheimers Researcher John Hardy Is a Knight but Not in Shining Armor The celebrated Alzheimers Disease researcher John Hardy was among the British doctors and medical researchers honored by Queen Elizabeth II with knighthoods at the dawn of the new year. It was just the latest on a long list of prestigious awards Hardy has collected, including the Potamkin Prize for his work identifying genetic aspects of Alzheimers disease, the MetLife Prize, the Thudichum medal, the Robert A. Pritzker Prize, and the Breakthrough Prize. In 2018, Hardy added the Brain Prize to his list of accolades. Awarded by the Danish Lundbeck Foundation, it is regularly referred to as the Nobel of neuroscience. Winners are assumed to be on the short list for the Nobels themselves. Missing among all the flattering kudos and attendant news coverage has been any mention of the geneticists leading role in a conspiracy that held Alzheimers research hostage to fraudulently acquired gene patents. The sordid affair mired efforts to find a cure in tangled, resource-sapping litigation. The last of the courthouse wrangling that began in 2003 wouldnt be resolved for more than a decadea resolution that came with a ringing rebuke from the bench expressing the judges outrage at the scheme, the schemers, and the damage they caused. Yet until now, the full details of the deceptions of Hardy and his accomplices have not been widely reported. Some of them are consigned to scholarly literature and other startling ones are found in overlooked testimony from the prolonged litigation, which documents one of the most celebrated scientists of our time admitting under oath that he lied and committed academic fraud, and confessing that he was ashamed. The storywhich also ensnared one of the worlds most prominent woman scientists, who admitted under oath that she too lied, pressured by Hardyemerges at a time when the credibility of august scientific authorities is being sorely challenged on other fronts, not least during the coronavirus pandemic. John Hardy is credited with discovering genetic mutations that suggested Alzheimers disease may be caused by an excess of a protein called amyloid building up in the brain. His amyloid cascade hypothesis has dominated scientific debate on Alzheimers for 30 years. It made Hardy famous in scientific circles, and paved the way for many of the drugs in clinical trials today, according to the British nonprofit Alzheimers Research UK. Among those potential therapies being tested is the anti-amyloid compound aducanumab, approved in the United States last summer. Hardy consults with the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, which has brought aducanumab to market under the brand name Aduhelm. This screenshot shows a recently published study led by Harvard University that has found that a buildup of amyloid beta, a protein commonly believed to contribute to the onset of Alzheimers disease, could also indicate evidence of past efforts to fight off infections. (AOL Screenshot) In the glow of what initially appeared to be the drugs success, media were hardly restrained about the prospects, with the news magazine The Week speculating that the new drug had brought Hardy significantly closer to a Nobel. Overshadowed is the episode that makes Hardy a problematic ambassador for science: In the 1990s he participated in elaborate machinations to misrepresent the authorship of medical discoveries. He led an effort to defraud universities in Britain and the United States of millions of dollars, a scheme that involved empowering a patent troll to shake down Alzheimers researchers by demanding royalties on bogus gene patents. Hardys dissembling began with a discovery, early in his career, that made his name. In a leap forward in the search for a cause of Alzheimers disease, the New York Times reported enthusiastically in February 1991, researchers have discovered that a pinpoint mutation in a single gene can cause this progressive neurological illness. The Times went so far as to claim a cure could be imminent. The late 80s and early 90s were banner years for genetic research into the brain. Teams from California, Boston, London, and elsewhere were racing against one another, using new gene-mapping techniques to find the genetic mutation(s) believed to be responsible for early-onset Alzheimers. In particular, doctors were searching for the genetic sources of the brain-clogging amyloid plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles found in Alzheimers patients. The publicityand the suggestion a cure might soon be foundbrought pharmaceutical companies to St. Marys Hospital at Imperial College London, looking to turn the Hardy teams findings into therapies. Imperial had an office, Imperial Exploitation Limited (IMPEL), devoted to commercializing faculty discoveries. It operated under the U.K. Patents Act of 1977: In British law, the employer, not the employee, enjoys ownership of any invention created in the normal course of employment duties. IMPEL made a deal with the biotech firm Athena Neurosciences, a bargain Hardy likened to the sort of deal on Antiques Roadshow when a hapless seller lets a Rembrandt go for $20. I was just exasperated, Hardy would later testify, adding that he expressed that exasperation in words that would not be suitable for a courtroom. That exasperation was shared by some of the doctoral students and post-docs working for Hardy in his lab. Their pique turned to anger when Hardy attended an event at which Athena pitched investors. Hardy said the head of the company bragged he had acquired intellectual property from Imperial College at a fraction of its $10 million value. I was very angry that we had made such a terrible agreement only two months earlier, Hardy recounted. Now here was this CEO saying that the stuff was worth a fortune and that he had paid a pittance. Stoking the researchers anger was an American businessman, Ronald Sexton, who befriended the Hardy lab crowd, buying them expensive, fancy hotel meals, commiserating with them about how unfair IMPEL had been to them, providing (and paying for) lawyers to represent them, and suggesting ways they could throw wrenches into the Athena deal. Mr. Sexton encouraged us to refuse to sign inventors paperwork and to create other problems for Imperial College and its agreement with Athena, Hardy said in a sworn statement entered into evidence in a U.S. federal court years later. Mr. Sexton advised us that by creating problems for Imperial College regarding the Athena Agreement, we could also create problems for Athena and thereby force Imperial College and Athena to renegotiate the Agreement. Sexton urged Hardy and researchers Michael Mullan and Alison Goate to keep any new breakthroughs on the QT. Mr. Sexton encouraged us not to disclose to Imperial or Athena any discoveries of additional mutations, Hardy admitted. A litigious businessman based in Kansas City, Sexton invested in many things, including gemstones, residential foreclosures, and corporate jets. He had no background in medical research. But he did have an idea for how to monetize the Hardy teams discoveries: He would set up a company to hold the intellectual property in the form of patents on the mutated genes Hardys group had found. Anyone who wanted to do research involving the DNA would be required to pay royalties to Sexton. Hardy and his team would be paid handsomely. Hardy, Mullan, and Sexton devised a plan to scuttle the Athena deal. Mullan, a young medical doctor pursuing a PhD, had joined the Hardy lab in October 1988. What if Mullan had been responsible for key innovations that contributed to the discovery of the London mutation? And what if he had made those advances on his own before joining Hardys lab? The case could then be made that Imperial College had no rights to the London mutation because the discovery had been independently made by Mullan before he went to work at the university. There was a problem with the origin story crediting Mullan. It was phony. Not only would Hardy and Mullan have to deceive Imperial College, they would have to get other young researchers, such as Alison Goate, to lie as well. Nor would these be trivial fibs. It would mean falsifying in writing when and how data was collected and analyzed, a not insignificant act of fraud. Goate seems a longshot to engage in scientific misconduct. She now chairs the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hospital in Manhattan. She has been awarded the Khalid Iqbal Lifetime Achievement Award for her work on Alzheimers, and she is the founding director of the Loeb Center of Alzheimers Disease at Mount Sinai. But in 1992, she was one of the young researchers working for Hardy (and shared one of his accolades). Goate says he pressured her into making blatant misrepresentations of her own lab research. Goate signed a copy of a letter drafted by Hardy asserting that no work had been done on the London mutation at St. Marys, claiming instead that the discovery was Mullans. Twenty years later that letter was entered into evidence in a federal civil lawsuit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where Sextons intellectual property holding company was trying to enforce patents against Avid Pharmaceuticals and the University of Pennsylvania. Is this letter a true and accurate description of Dr. Mullans role in the discovery of the London Mutation? she was asked under oath. No. Goate conceded. Its revisionist history. It was rewriting and embellishing the events in order to emphasize any role that Dr. Mullan had had while he was not at Imperial College. Did she know at the time that this letter that you signed and sent to your employer in 1992 was in sum and substance false? I did, Goate admitted. I am not proud of what I did. I did so unwillingly. Hardy, Mullan, and Sexton, she testified, pressured her to make the false claims. It was all a lie, Goate said. I felt really uncomfortable about telling lies to my employer. She signed the letter under duress, but nonetheless admitted she participated in a scheme to cheat the Imperial College of London. RealClearInvestigations contacted Goate and asked her for more details. She replied: I dont think my memory of the events that occurred then is strong enough for me to answer your questions beyond the testimony you have. When it was Hardys turn to be questioned in front of the jury, he expressed little of the remorse that characterized Goates testimony. A lawyer pointed him to the key language in a letter he had written to IMPEL: I can assure you and Athena that none of the work reported in the paper was carried out here at St. Marys. Is that a true statement? the lawyer asked. No. How do you know its not true? I know its not true, Hardy said. I mean, its a lie I told. This article was written by Eric Felten for RealClearInvestigations. (L): Ghislaine Maxwell attends a symposium in New York in a 2013 file photograph. (Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images); (R): Jeffrey Epstein in a 2013 mugshot in Florida. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement via Getty Images) Ghislaine Maxwells Family Fears for Her Safety After Alleged Epstein Accomplice Found Dead The family of UK socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted on sex trafficking charges in 2021, has said that theyre fearful for her safety following the death of model agent Jean-Luc Brunel in his French jail cell on Feb. 19. Maxwell allegedly introduced Brunel to Jeffrey Epstein, a disgraced financier and sex offender who was found dead in a New York jail cell in August 2019. While Epsteins death was officially ruled a suicide, questions remain about his cause of deathnamely after an independent forensic pathologist said in 2020 that his death was more indicative of homicide. Now, many are asking questions about Brunels death after reports said no cameras recorded his death. Its really shocking, Ian Maxwell, one of Ghislaines siblings, told the New York Post. Another death by hanging in a high-security prison. My reaction is one of total shock and bewilderment. Maxwell said the family fears for [Ghislaines] safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. She is currently awaiting sentencing. Despite the psychiatrist advising to the contrary, she was deemed a suicide risk and they are continuing to wake her up every 15 minutes in the night. Its a complete violation of prisoner rights and human rights, Ian Maxwell told the paper. Brunel was found dead at about 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 19 in the La Sante Prison in Paris, hanged with bedsheets, according to statements the Paris prosecutors office made to media outlets, It isnt clear if officials ruled whether Brunel killed himself. Brunels attorneys told CNN that his decision was not guided by guilt, but by a sense of injustice. They suggested that he may have killed himself. Jean-Luc Brunel has never stopped claiming his innocence. He has multiplied his efforts to prove it. A judge had released him a few months ago, and then he was reincarcerated in undignified conditions, attorneys Mathias Chichportich, Marianne Abgrall, and Christophe Ingrain said. Brunel was detained at Pariss Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2020 as part of a broad French probe unleashed by U.S. sex-trafficking charges against Epstein. A frequent companion of Epstein, Brunel was considered central to the French investigation into the alleged sexual exploitation of women and girls by Epsteinwho in 2008 pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitutionand his circle. Epstein reportedly often traveled to France and owned apartments in Paris. Multiple women claimed they were victims of Brunel. One of them, Thysia Huisman, said on Feb. 19 that his death makes me angry because Ive been fighting for years. For me, the end of this was to be in court. And now, that whole endingwhich would help form closureis taken away from me, Huisman said. In December 2021, Maxwell was found guilty of helping Epstein abuse female minors. Her sentencing date was tentatively set by a judge for June. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Illegal Immigrants are loaded onto a bus by U.S. Border Patrol agents after being detained when they crossed into the United States from Mexico, in El Paso, Texas, on June 1, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Ghost Flights: The Mystery of the Migrant Kids the Feds Are Spiriting Into the US Interior After months of delay, the Department of Homeland Security replied late last month to a Congressional demand for information about the number of illegal migrants the department has flown from border towns to communities around the country. In 2021, it said, 71,617 were dropped off in nearly 20 cities including locales as far from the Mexican border as Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. Immigration experts critical of the Biden administrations permissive immigration policies believe those numbers are incomplete, especially regarding the most vulnerable migrants, those under 18, whom DHS classifies as unaccompanied children. The agency says some 40,000 of the total transported are such minors, but that number is only a fraction of the 147,000 encounters the agency reports having with unaccompanied migrant children at the southern border between January and October 2021. Paramount among the questions raised by the transports is what happens to the unaccompanied children once they leave the airport? The major cities DHS lists, the experts say, are probably simply way stations rather than final destinations. Everyone wants to know where theyre going, but nobody knows, said Todd Bensman, a national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Well, somebody knows, he adds. The government knows. But they are being as opaque and darkened-windows as they can be about the entire matter. The lack of information raises a host of questions regarding the health and welfare of the children, and more: What security checks are being performedand background checks to ensure these minors are going to safe homes? How can checks be conducted on family members in the U.S. illegally who wind up taking custody of the children (a problem highlighted in a 2019 study)? What processes are in place to ensure that these children have enough to eat, are receiving any necessary medical care, or are enrolled in school? What traumas or crimes have they suffered along the way, at the hands of human traffickers, for example, and how are the cases being handled? (Through a public records request, Judicial Watch last year obtained a list of 33 incidents of alleged sexual abuse in a one-month period in 2021.) What pandemic precautions have been taken, beyond masks seen in some furtively taken images of the transportees, by an administration that professes to be aggressively dedicated to eradicating COVID-19? (Illegal immigrants dispersed on commercial flights in 2021 were not tested for covid, and agencies did not follow preventive procedures, according to preliminary findings of a DHS Inspector Generals report reviewed by RealClearInvestigations.) Who is responsible for making sure the migrants, children in particular, check in with the government and show up for court immigration hearings? The difficulty of getting answers from the Biden administration is frustrating many state and local officials who say that tracking the thousands of illegal immigrants apparently melting into their communities is a maddening endeavor. Border Patrol agents apprehend illegal immigrants after they cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States, in La Joya, Texas, on Jan. 14, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) The Biden administration is running a clandestine, covert, middle-of-the-night, special ops mission using the same tradecraft the military does in operations against foreign enemies, said Larry Keefe, a senior policy adviser to Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. We dont know whats going on because the states are not designed to mount intelligence-gathering operations against our own government. The situation is complicated by the layers of groups involved. After a gumbo of federal agenciesCBP, DHS, DHHS, ICE, ORRthe government largely relies on nonprofit contractors to handle unaccompanied minors. While those groups present a rosy picture on their websites, it is unclear how they can handle what has proved a massive increase. In 2021, DHS shelters near the border and further inland took in 122,000 unaccompanied children, according to its figures, which shattered the previous record of 69,000 in 2019. The unaccompanied children are but a portion of the illegal immigrants who flooded across the southern border in 2021. For the fiscal year ending last October, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 1.6 million encountersan all-time record and four times the figure the previous year. Although the number of encounters does not equal the number of people who crossed, given that some are repeat offenders, the actual figures are even higher, because CBP does not release the number of got-aways it records. Neither Homeland Security nor Health and Human Services nor the Office of Refugee Resettlement would answer questions about the resettlement process from RealClearInvestigations. But the huge increase in numbers means the organizations dealing with them are swamped. In many cases, responsibilities for placing unaccompanied children with families or sponsors are subcontracted through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR. In 2020, the most recent year for which figures were available, under the far more restrictive immigration policies of the Trump administration, taxpayers spent more than $1.5 billion among 42 various non-profit and religious groups that offer help with housing, educational, medical, legal and other services. More than $1 billion of that 2020 total was paid to six groups. The major recipient, Southwest Key Programs, received $400 million and a global nonprofit called BCFS received at least $253.1 million, according to tracking of ORR contracts by Maya Pagni Barak, a professor of criminology and criminal studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. None of the six groups would answer questions from RealClearInvestigations, instead referring them back to federal agencies in the kind of loop that has bedeviled others seeking information. This is all being done under the cover of darkness and no one really knows what is happening, said Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations at NumbersUSA, a group that favors immigration limits. Plus, theres so much confusion over who has custody over which groups. The groups handling unaccompanied children have sites scattered across the U.S., according to their websites. Southwest Key, for example, says it runs such shelters in 18 states, while BCFS lists shelters in a dozen states, from California and New York, to Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and elsewhere. A fact sheet from ICE notes that altogether there are sites for unaccompanied children in 22 states. Regarding shelter conditions, the operators blanket silence beyond rosy website depictions is not a new development. In 2018, when the Trump administrations border policies were under scrutiny, Southwest Key barred Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) from inspecting its Casa Padre facility in a former Walmart in Brownsville, Texas. At that time, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared the system barbaric. President Donald Trump speaks with Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott (R) as they participates in a ceremony commemorating the 200th mile of border wall at the international border with Mexico in San Luis, Arizona, on June 23, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) In an effort to shed some light on the situation in Florida, Gov. DeSantis issued an executive order in September that told state law enforcement and other officials to begin gathering information on the number of illegal immigrants federal agencies were bringing to Florida and where they wind up. DeSantis took that step after accusing President Biden of abandoning any pretense of protecting the southern border. In the face of what Keefe and other Florida officials described as continued intransigence on the part of federal agencies flying and busing illegal immigrants into the Sunshine State, DeSantis has proposed a package of laws now pending before the legislature in Tallahassee that would codify the steps laid out in his executive order. The proposed measures would also prohibit state and local agencies from doing business with any private entities that facilitate the resettlement of illegal aliens in the state of Florida from the southern border. Floridas Department of Children and Families published an emergency rule in December that directly addresses the various non-profits and religious groups that contract with the federal government. The rule prohibits the issuance or renewal of any license to provide services to UAC who seek to be resettled in Florida, unless the state and the federal agencies can craft some cooperative agreement. Keefe said the governors moves will also put a crimp in human smuggling. Because the children lack documentation to board international flights from Central American airports and others, someone is paying to have them brought from their country of origin to the U.S. border. These are often criminal organizations that are most likely paid by family memberswith whom the children may be eventually reunitedor human trafficking syndicates posing as legitimate sponsors that might exploit them for nefarious purposes. We dont have laws in place to investigate the federal government, Keefe said. Were being kept in the dark by our own country on something thats definitely contributing to human smuggling because this is about bringing their kids here. Somebody drops the kids off at the border and then HHS is handing off to taxpayers the cost of flying them to illegal immigrant parents. Pennsylvania lawmakers are facing a similar situation. Keystone state senators remain dissatisfied with answers they have sought on flights packed with immigrants from the southern border that landed in the middle of the night in Scranton and other Pennsylvania airfields. In December, there were at least two so-called ghost flights into the Lehigh Valley, a tiny fraction of the more than 900 such domestic or lateral flights ICEs air arm flew around the U.S. in 2021. Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano and others sought answers from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro, both Democrats. While Wolf said Scranton was simply a transit point, he offered no information on passengers that landed in the early morning darkness in Scranton. In a familiar refrain, the state lawmakers were told to direct their questions to the feds. Mastriano has now filed a series of FOIA requests of DHS and ICE, but he remains perplexed and angered at the reluctance of those involved in the system to provide clear answers. On two flights from El Paso to Scranton there were 120 passengers, many of which were minors, Mastriano said. Imagine that. I dont know who pays for their schooling or the impact on our community, and there is something fishy going on with all of it. The scant information that has been provided is unlikely to offer a complete picture, Mastriano told RCI. I think these findings are just the tip of the iceberg, he said. We need to further examine the total number of illegal immigrants being sent [here] by plane and bus. Its not just minors they are sending to Pennsylvania, its adults, too. This article was written by Richard Bernstein for RealClearInvestigations. Chickens are seen inside an enclosure at a farmer's home in a file photo (China Out AFP/AFP via Getty Images) Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Detected Near New York City, Farmers on Alert A highly pathogenic form of bird flu was detected in a backyard flock of chickens in Suffolk County, New York, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The virus was detected in a small, non-commercial backyard block that was not being used for poultry purposes, the agency said. The USDA said it is now working closely with state animal health officials in New York on a joint incident response, according to the statement. State officials quarantined the affected premises, and birds on the properties will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system. No human cases of avian influenza have been detected in the United States. And recent detections of the virus in other states in February do not present an immediate health concern, the agency said. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F kills bacteria and viruses, the USDA release on Saturday said. As part of existing avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flock. It came after the virus was discovered in flocks of birds in Kentucky, Virginia, and Indiana. According to the USDA, bird flu was found in Fauquier County, Virginia; and in Fulton County, Kentucky, on Feb. 12, in non-poultry birds and commercial broiler chickens, respectively. On Feb. 8, bird influenza was detected in commercial turkeys in Dubois County, Indiana, it found. The broiler chickens in Fulton County, located near the border with Tennessee, were infected with the same H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian flu as the turkeys in Indiana, Kentucky officials told Reuters. They said it is Kentuckys first outbreak of the highly lethal bird flu, which killed more than 50 million U.S. chickens and turkeys in 2015. In a statement released last week, Tyson Foods confirmed that its birds were infected in Fulton County. Tyson Foods chicken products remain safe: the USDA confirms that avian influenza does not pose a food safety risk to consumers in poultry that is properly prepared and cooked, according to a statement from the company. Human infections do occur after close contact with an infected animal, but theyre considered rare, CDC officials have previously said. No Americans are recorded to have contracted highly pathogenic avian flu viruses. Around, 864 people have contracted it since 2003, causing 456 deaths, according to the World Health Organization and the CDC. The first bird flu viruses are believed to have emerged in southern China before leading to large outbreaks in the late 1990s, according to the CDC, before the virus variants spread throughout the world. Reuters contributed to this report. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is greeted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the official welcome at the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 4, 2016. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) How Canada Can Decouple From China Canadas pension funds should exit China This is the first in a series on how Canada can prudently decouple from China. Commentary Canadians dont feel dependent on China. According to an Angus Reid poll last month, 61 percent would like Canada to trade less with China, and an even larger number88 percentbelieve its realistic to do so without negatively affecting Canadas economy. The sentiment for decoupling Canadas economy from Chinas can also be seen in Angus Reids finding that three-quarters want Canada to prioritize human rights, rule of law in dealings with China, such as by boycotts of the Beijing Olympics, despite 58 percent worrying about the economic consequences of doing so. Decoupling is also imaginable because Prime Minister Justin Trudeauwho in 2013 expressed a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dimehas begun to walk back his infatuation, talking a hard line and appointing an anti-China hawk as his national security adviser. The Conservatives have long been hostile to China and are likely to remain so. Both parties are doubtless responding to Canadians growing distaste for communist Chinaonly 16 percent of Canadians now view it favorably, down from 48 percent just five years ago and 58 percent in 2005. A painless and prudent place to start the decoupling is public pension funds, starting with the $520-billion Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), which manages the federal governments Canada Pension Plan and is one of the 10 largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. The CPPIBs $57.5 billion investment in Chinese companiesa sum twice as great as Canadas annual exports to China and four times as much as its investment in Indian companiesrepresents an outsized 12 percent of its entire portfolio and a similarly outsized risk, particularly for a fund whose mandate is to maximize returns without undue risk of loss in safeguarding the pensions of over 20 million contributors and beneficiaries over the long term. No major market is riskier than China. If the Chinese regime attacks Taiwanas it has threatened toa broader war involving Japan and the United States could result, leading to trade embargoes by the West and retaliation by Beijing, all of which would endanger investments in Chinese companies. Even without a major war, uncertainties abound. If Donald Trump or another tough-on-China Republican wins the presidency in 2024, as various polls predict, the value of Chinese stocks and other properties would become volatile and uncertain. Or the West might lose its tolerance for the forced labor of 80,000 Uyghurs in service to Chinese and foreign multinationalscompanies in which the CPPIB has $55 billion in investments leading to boycotts by the West and retaliation by the ever-sensitive Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Beijing might even resume taking Westerners hostage to further its agenda, as it did with Canadas two Michaels and two Australians when it disagreed with their governments. The CPPIB recognizes these geopolitical risks and claims it can manage them. But while betting on geopolitical events may be appropriate for nimble hedge funds and other private investment houses whose high-roller clients willingly take on big risks for the promise of big rewards, it hardly seems appropriate for a public pension plan charged with the protection of the retirement income of more than half of all Canadians. Chinas domestic landscape is likewise fraught with risks. Unlike his pro-market predecessors, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is increasingly suspicious of the power of the private sector, which he fears could threaten the CCP. As reported by Chinas official Xinhua News Agency in January, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection decided to investigate and punish corrupt behaviors behind the disorderly expansion of capital and platform monopolies, and cut off the link between power and capital. According to Bloomberg, last year Chinas regulatory crackdown wiped out more than $1 trillion of market value. Alibabas co-founder Jack Ma (R) applauds with Tencent Holdings CEO Pony Ma during a meeting marking the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up policy at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 18, 2018. Holdings in the two Chinese companies are two of the Canada Pension Plans biggest investments in publicly traded stocks. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Alibaba and its former CEO Jack Maonce a darling of the CPPIBs brain trustare among those in the CCPs crosshairs. CPPIBs US$160-million investment in Alibaba, which initially did well, lost an estimated 60 percent of its value after authorities pulled the plug on an IPO for Mas Ant Group, in which CPPIB had invested US$600 million. The IPOs quashing, many believe, was retribution for Mas public criticism of Chinas regulatory system. Alibaba took another hit earlier this year, as did other technology companies that Xi fears, in what could be the beginning of a trend: Xi has been advocating that Chinas corporate sector be cut back to size through redistribution of its wealth to the population at large. The sooner CPPIB exits from China, the sooner Canadas present and future retirees will be freed of the risks associated with investments in Xis China. That also applies to La Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board, and other Canadian public and private pension funds. Investing in the China fast lane is contrary to the prudence that one should expect from pension funds and contrary to the desires of the great majority of the Canadians to whom they have a fiduciary responsibility, and who dont wish to give succor to one of the most reprehensible regimes in the world. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Patricia Adams Follow Patricia Adams is an economist and the President of the Energy Probe Research Foundation and Probe International, an independent think tank in Canada and around the world. She is the publisher of internet news services Three Gorges Probe and Odious Debts Online and the author or editor of numerous books. Her books and articles have been translated into Chinese, Spanish, Bengali, Japanese, and Bahasa Indonesia. She can be reached at patriciaadams@probeinternational.org. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) speaks to The Epoch Times in an interview in March 2019. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Indiana Officials Unanimously Reject Democrats Effort to Disqualify Rep. Jim Banks From 2022 Election Run The bipartisan Indiana Election Commission has unanimously dismissed a Democratic challengers bid to force an outspoken pro-Trump Republican congressman off the 2022 ballot for contesting the 2020 presidential election results. Aaron A.J. Calkins of Fort Wayne, Indiana, whos running in a three-way Democratic Party primary for the right to face third-term U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) in the November general election, filed a formal challenge on Feb. 10. Calkins claimed in the filing that Banks was guilty of a violation of the 14th Amendment supporting an insurrection. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: No person shall be a Representative 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. This so-called disqualification clause thats part of the 14th Amendment is a post-Civil War measure that, among other things, was aimed at keeping individuals who fought for the defeated Confederacy out of Congress. The amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868, a little more than three years after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia surrendered. The clause was meant for Confederate officers who actually took up arms against the United States, J. Christian Adams, president of the Indianapolis-based Public Interest Legal Foundation, recently told The Epoch Times. The novel theory that someone can be tossed from the ballot for something that falls short of an actual insurrection comes from attorney Marc Elias, who has a long history of successfully challenging election integrity laws in court. He laid out a blueprint for using the 14th Amendment to disqualify Republicans in a Dec. 20, 2021, Twitter post. My prediction for 2022: Before the midterm election, we will have a serious discussion about whether individual Republican House Members are disqualified by Section 3 of the 14th Amendment from serving in Congress, he wrote. We may even see litigation. Elias also is a central figure in the Russiagate conspiracy. He represented the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign in the 2016 presidential election cycle, hiring Fusion GPS in April 2016 to conduct opposition research against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. That research effort culminated in the now-discredited 35-page dossier written by former British spy Christopher Steele that purported to tie Trump to the Russian government. At the Feb. 18 commission hearing in Indianapolis, which was live-streamed over YouTube, Calkins said Banks supported an insurrection against the United States by participating in a lawsuit brought by Texas that questioned the election results in several other states and by voting against certifying Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania during a joint session of Congress Jan. 6 and Jan. 7, 2021. During that joint session, the security of the U.S. Capitol was breached, and the disturbance delayed certification of then-candidate Bidens election victory by several hours. During an oral presentation to the commission, Calkins said Banks was part of a larger Republican conspiracy against democracy. They wanted to steal the election. They wanted to turn off the results and make Trump president, he said. When Banks co-signed into the lawsuit, he wanted to basically disenfranchise 30 million voters from five states, according to Calkins. Representative Banks stated that this was just his personal decision that he didnt believe the electoral system was correct, he said. Calkins appeared to be referring to Texas v. Pennsylvania, the lawsuit Texas attempted to initiate in the U.S. Supreme Court by filing a motion on Dec. 7, 2020, for leave to file a bill of complaint. Banks wasnt actually a party in the legal proceedinghe was one individual in a bloc of 126 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who filed a motion (pdf) seeking permission to file a sympathetic friend-of-the-court brief in the case. When the Supreme Court decided four days later to not allow the case to proceed, the motion brought by Banks was dismissed as moot. Calkins also said Banks violated his oath to uphold the Constitution by participating in an insurrection against the federal government. He defined the word insurrection to mean an organized, usually violent act of revolt or rebellion against an established government, governing authority of states, and other political entity. What happened on Jan. 6, 2021, was an insurrection, people invading the U.S. Capitol, he said. When I saw that happen, I thought this is horrible. This is as bad as burning it down in 1812, Calkins said, seeming to refer to the burning of the U.S. Capitol building by the British on Aug. 24, 1814, during the War of 1812. It wasnt really a coup, but it was an insurrection. There was a violent insurrection by the people who had invaded the Capitol. And then there was a political insurrection, people that were going to try and take it down, just like they did in 1776. One set of elections were turned in, and our congressman decided that he had the right to vote against it. I believe that he was part of an insurrection, and because he supported that, I believe that under the clause that he should not be on the ballot. Paul Mullin, Bankss attorney, said the allegation was baseless. Mullin said Banks took to television the night of Jan. 6, 2021, to denounce the tumultuous conduct of that day and call for its perpetrators to be prosecuted. He said that removing his client from the ballot would deprive his supporters of their preferred representative in the U.S. House. This challenge itself is an attempt to undermine democracy, Mullin said. Before the commission voted to reject the challenge, its chairman, Paul Okeson, said the events of Jan. 6, 2021, were a regrettable mark in history, but he knew of no evidence that Banks was guilty of participating in an insurrection. After the hearing, Banks claimed vindication. Many Democrats in Washington hope to weaponize the 14th Amendment to disenfranchise President Trumps 74 million voters, Banks said in a statement. I hope they watched todays unanimous decision. Isolation During Pandemic Has Ramped Up Online Child Sex Trafficking: Epstein Assault Survivor One of Jeffrey Epsteins assault survivors, Teresa Helm, in her role as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and sex trafficking, educates people about tactics traffickers use to groom victims. She said that, having taken advantage of the pandemic, the internet has become the number one channel predators use to coerce children into the sex trade. It is happening more so online than anywhere, currently, and it has hugely increased since COVID, Helm told host of American Thought Leaders Jan Jekielek in a Feb. 14 interview. Children are spending at minimum 50 percent more time online, which then gives predators even that much more time to be a predator and to target children. 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, she said. According to the U.S. State Departments Trafficking in Persons Report 2021, The U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported a 98.66 percent increase in online enticement reports between January and September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, and reports to their CyberTipline doubled to 1.6 million. Helm, while a massage therapy student, was groomed by Epsteins helpers and later invited to apply for a job as a traveling massage therapistfor Ghislaine Maxwell. For almost two decades, she did not tell anyone about being assaulted by Epstein in his New York home during her interview. This is not a choice for them. Theyre not choosing this. They have been manipulated, coerced, forced into doing this, Helm said of children who are forced to prostitute themselves. Helm works to end sex trafficking, particularly child trafficking, and tries to educate people about the tactics used by predators to groom and trap victims. She said children enjoy using many of the online chat rooms to assuage their loneliness, where predators are waiting to groom them. So, then they target children, they start to ask questions. And its pretty quick, to where if a child engages relatively quickly or easily, then a predator knows that thats a child they can work on, said Helm. 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, continued Helm. Helm said she understands the grooming process because she was groomed by two of Epsteins associates, who did what all predators do: They targeted her at her university, gained her trust, met her needs, isolated her, and then exploited her. 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. 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, said Helm. Teresa Helm at age 21. (Courtesy of Teresa Helm) Helm said traffickers are using the mental health challenges children are facingdue to being isolatedto befriend, manipulate, and extract personal information and photos, all in an effort to control them. 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, and thats where the blackmail starts, saying, If you dont give me more, I know where you live, said Helm. 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, said Helm. According to DHS project iGuardian, there are commons signs that a child may be being groomed by an online predator, including receiving gifts through the mail, making calls to unknown numbers, turning away from friends and family, spending too much time online, and hiding their screens when you come in the room. Helm said children being trafficked from their schools is also of serious concern and needs to be dealt with by enacting stricter laws. 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, its a first-degree felony charge. And thats an incredible win, said Helm. Thats an incredible bill and legislation victory for sure. Thats the standard, thats what it should be, these should be fundamental standards, Helm said, referring to the fact that each of the 50 states has a different standard for prosecuting sex traffickers. Many states treat first-time buying of sex as a misdemeanor. A 2015 Congressional Research Services report states: The exact number of child victims of sex trafficking in the United States is unknown because of challenges in defining the population and varying methodologies used to arrive at estimates. Masooma Haq Follow Masooma Haq began reporting for The Epoch Times from Pakistan in 2008. She currently covers a variety of topics including U.S. government, culture, and entertainment. Mark Ridley-Thomas speaks during a public event at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles on March 31, 2019. (Rachel Luna/Getty Images) Group Files Lawsuit to Reinstate Mark Ridley-Thomas to LA City Council LOS ANGELESThe Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California (SCLC) has filed a lawsuit aimed at getting Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas reinstated to the Los Angeles City Council, from which he was suspended in October 2021 after his indictment in a federal corruption case. Ridley-Thomas was the organizations Greater Los Angeles chapters executive director from 19811991. The move comes just days before the city council is scheduled to vote on appointing former Councilman Herb Wesson as a temporary replacement for Ridley-Thomas. The lawsuit, which was filed on Feb. 18, alleges the decision to suspend [Ridley-Thomas] contravenes the bedrock presumption of innocence guaranteed under California law. It also seeks to prohibit the city council from appointing Wesson or any temporary replacement to represent the 10th District. The motion to appoint Wesson as a temporary replacement was introduced by Council President Nury Martinez and seconded by Councilmen Mitch OFarrell, Paul Koretz, and Gil Cedillo. Martinez did not respond to City News Services request for comment. Pastor William Smart, SCLCs president, told City News Service on Friday afternoon that his position is that Ridley-Thomass suspension was morally wrong, politically indefensible and patently illegal. We will not accept an unelected being imposed on us as a community we operate, as SCLC, in the 10th District and I live in the 10th District. We believe that the councilman was ousted out and we want him to get his position back. Wesson represented the 10th District from 2005 to December 2020. He also served as the president of the council before Martinez, from 2012 to 2020. The lawsuit notes that Wesson is termed out and alleges he cannot lawfully assume the city council seat because he already represented the district for three terms. With over 30 years in public service representing the residents of Council District 10, there is no better choice at this time than former council member Herb Wesson, Council President Nury Martinez said after announcing her motion to appoint Wesson on Wednesday. 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 to represent them within Council Chambers. The appointment must be approved by a majority of the city council, according to Martinezs office. If confirmed, Wesson will hold the position through Dec. 31 unless Ridley-Thomas is acquitted or the charges against him are dropped. On Wednesday, several people called into the city council meeting pushing for Wesson to be appointed to represent the district, noting that residents have not had a voting representative since Ridley-Thomass suspension on Oct. 20. Ridley-Thomass attorney Michael Proctor issued a statement following the lawsuits filing on Friday: Mark Ridley-Thomas has been a lifelong advocate for civil rights. He believes that the right to accountable and elected representation is paramount to our democracy. It seems that that is what the SCLCs lawsuit is about. As he has said from the beginning, he has served and is willing to continue to serve as an accountable, elected representative to the voters of District 10. The 10th District has been overseen by caretaker Karly Katona, who does not have voting authority. The city councils vote to suspend Ridley-Thomas passed with three council members in opposition: Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Councilman Mike Bonin, and Councilman Curren Price. Price said before the vote that his office had been inundated with calls of support for Ridley-Thomas from South Los Angeles residents. The trial for Ridley-Thomas and former dean of the University of Southern California School of Social Work Marilyn Flynn is tentatively set to begin Aug. 9. The defendants are charged in a 20-count indictment alleging a secret deal whereby Ridley-Thomaswhen he was a member of the county Board of Supervisorsagreed to steer county money to the university in return for admitting his son Sebastian Ridley-Thomas into graduate school with a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship. Flynn allegedly arranged to funnel a $100,000 donation from Ridley-Thomass campaign funds through the university to a nonprofit to be operated by his son, a former member of the Assembly. The donation prompted an investigation by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles that remains open, prosecutors said. In exchange, the indictment contends, Ridley-Thomas supported county contracts involving the School of Social Work, including lucrative deals to provide services to the county Department of Children and Family Services and Probation Department, as well as an amendment to a contract with the Department of Mental Health that would bring the school millions of dollars in new revenue. Both defendants have strongly denied any wrongdoing and promised that evidence will clear their names. People can watch the City Council meeting Tuesday at clerk.lacity.org/calendar. " " A fisherman ties a bluefin tuna tail in the water during the end of the Almadraba tuna fishing season near the Barbate coast, in Cadiz province, Spain in 2014. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images "There are plenty of other fish in the sea," goes the old cliche. But are there, really? According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of endangered species, 1,616 species of fish are at risk for extinction; another 989 are endangered and 627 are critically endangered. While habitat loss and pollution are significant factors in the decline of these species, the greatest threat by far is overfishing. So, what if one of these endangered fish ends up on your hook? The best policy is to release it back into the water, but not before making a few observations. When did you encounter the fish? In what location? How many fish did you see and what size were they? Were they adult or juvenile? What activity did you observe (swimming, feeding)? You should provide this information, along with any photographs you might have taken, to local wildlife officials. Advertisement While it's difficult to determine which fish are the most endangered, the following list represents 10 endangered fish commonly harvested for food. Lawyers Concerned About Ottawa Polices Threat of Criminal Prosecution of Those Involved in This Protest A Twitter post by the Ottawa Police Service threatening criminal prosecution for those involved in this protest raises concerns for some lawyers who fear peoples rights will be trampled upon. If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said on Twitter on Feb. 20. Derek From, a lawyer based in Alberta, says he is concerned with the vague and ambiguous threat in the post. What does involved mean? Does that mean that you support the truckers financially? Does that mean that you support them on social media? Does that mean that youve fed them when they passed by or that youve waived a Canadian flag? he said in an interview. If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. #ottawa #ottnews pic.twitter.com/Ic6Q9byfvY Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 20, 2022 This sort of incoherent tweet from the police will have a chilling effect on political speech. It is meant to intimidate Canadians. It is meant to keep them from exercising their right of political speech. From says the OPSs comment shows theres an emphasis being put on enforcing the will of the police and government without consideration for the rights people are entitled to. What is most telling in this tweet is what is conspicuously missing. There is no mention of the charter. No mention of the rights of Canadians regarding police searches. Its dominated by an expression of their overwhelming drive to enforce at all cost. This is precisely why Canadians have charter rights: To protect us from the state, to protect us from the police, From said. To me, a liberty-loving lawyer, it seems as though Canada has fallen into lawlessness, and the lawless party is the state. Darryl Davies, a lecturer in criminology at Carleton University, says OPSs comment is in effect a witch hunt. This is what you expect in communist Russia, he said in an interview. Lisa Bildy, a lawyer based in Ontario, is also concerned with the OPSs comment. Those words are extremely vague and likely intentionally so. They are meant to cast a chill on any support for the movement, regardless of the form it takes, she told The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times asked OPS for comment, but the police force said it will not comment further on the clear directive, referencing comments made by interim police chief Steve Bell at a Feb. 19 press conference. If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges, Bell said. This investigation will go on for months to come. It has many, many different streams both from a federal financial level, from a provincial licensing level, from a Criminal Code level, from a municipal breach of court order, breach of court injunction level. When asked to elaborate further on what is meant by this protest, the OPS said, you can consult the Emergencies Act announced by the federal Government last week. The governments Feb. 15 proclamation declaring the use of the act makes reference to ongoing blockades. Its only reference to protest is to make clear that lawful advocacy, protest or dissent is exempted from actions targeted by the use of the Emergencies Act. Emergencies Act Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 to deal with the ongoing protests against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, initially started by truck drivers opposed to vaccination requirements for cross-border travel. David Anber, a criminal defence lawyer based in Ottawa, says that not only was the use of the Emergencies Act not warranted, its also being misused by law enforcement. The regulations are actually quite well written, I think, but they are disconnected from what the prime minister is saying and from what the police are doing, Anber told The Epoch Times. Protesters demonstrate against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions outside Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 17, 2022. (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times) The Emergencies Act prohibits an assembly that not just interferes, but seriously interferes with the movement of people or goods or trade, or interferes with critical infrastructure, or threats to use or uses violence. And the police are going in there and theyre just arresting anybody, whether or not theyre involved in such a described assembly, which, none of them are actually doing any of those things within the regulations. Anber says he doesnt think the OPSs Twitter post is more bark than bite. They do have the bite because they have the guns and the manpower and the horses, the literal horses, to do what they need to do. Now, when the dust settles, there will be numerous examples of the police exceeding their powers. And its very problematic. Ive seen people being arrested when they werent taking part in an unlawful assembly. Ive seen police officers prohibiting people from attending lawyers offices, including my own. Ive seen them prohibiting media from entering the area. Contrary to what Justin Trudeau said, charter rights are not being respected under the Emergencies Act, he said. When announcing the use of the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14, Trudeau said, Were not suspending fundamental rights or overriding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We are not limiting peoples freedom of speech. We are not limiting freedom of peaceful assembly. We are not preventing people from exercising their right to protest legally. We are reinforcing the principles, values, and institutions that keep all Canadians free. Anber says the Emergencies Act should have never been implemented to deal with the protest in Ottawa. Had the protests at the border continued and had the normal tools available been unsuccessful at clearing them, I think the infrastructure there and the need for international trade might have justified use of the Emergencies Act. I dont think it justifies the use in Ottawa, he said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet ministers take part in a press conference to announce that that the Emergencies Act will be invoked to deal with protests, on Feb. 14, 2022. (Hailey Sani/Public Domain) Bildy also thinks that the situation in Ottawa doesnt warrant the use of the Emergencies Act. In my opinion, the protests in Ottawa do not meet the threshold for the invocation of extraordinary powers under the Emergencies Act, including freezing bank accounts. Millions of Canadians viewed the Freedom Convoy as a peaceful protest and a hopeful demonstration of unity, she said. The fact that other people characterized it as some sort of insurrection or occupation doesnt change the intent and perception of those who donated a few bucks, or went to Parliament Hill to protest mandates and other intrusive government policies. There are still constitutional protections for peaceful assembly and expression in this country. Bank Accounts Frozen At a virtual press conference on Feb. 19, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said 76 Canadian bank accounts have already been frozen in relation to the protests under the powers granted by the Emergencies Act. History will look poorly upon it. Theres a vocal minority of people who are cheering on these abuses. To [their] credit, theres honest people on both the left and the right who believe that both the invocation of the Emergencies Act was not proper and who believe that the police action is not proper either, Anber said. The OPS posted another comment later on Feb. 20, saying, Reminder that the Secured Area remains in effect. You cannot travel into the area unless you have proof of exclusion. Two people have just been arrested. Referencing the OPSs comment, Thornhill, Ont. MP Melissa Lantsman said on Twitter, If you would like to come to Parliament Hill today to protest the Governments unjustified use of the Emergencies Act. You cannot. You will be arrested. When asked for further comment, she told the Epoch Times, The government has given itself the power to freeze assets and finances of people involved in a political protest, people who disagree with the governments COVID policy, without Parliament, without oversight, and with no recourse available to the targetedand its wrong. The Liberal government is defending its use of the Emergencies Act, saying its needed to deal with illegal blockades. The federal government is ready to use more tools at its disposal to get the situation fully under control, Trudeau said on Feb. 14. The use of the act is currently being debated in the House of Commons, with the NDP supporting the governments use of the measure. The Conservatives and the Bloc Quebecois are opposed to the use of the act. Sometimes I think my wife and I are the last middle-class couple in the country who havent hired a maid to clean the house. I know were the last couple in our neighborhood who are maidless. Every week, up and down our block, I see maids pulling up to houses, getting out their vacuums and buckets and other cleaning gear, and spending a couple hours or so making our neighbors houses gleam. Meanwhile, my wife and I run our fingers across dusty tabletops and windowsills and wonder if we should be doing the same. Actually, this past Christmas, I seriously considered hiring a maid service as a gift for my wife. Although, in truth, it would have been a gift to myself, too, because Im the one who straps on the apron once every week or two and dusts and gets down on my hands and knees to scrub the kitchen and bathroom floors. My wife does the vacuuming and cleans the sinks and toilets. Anyway, I finally decided that even though we are in our mid-70s, we could continue with these biweekly household chores. Besides, some of the maids I see in our neighborhood dont look like they need the money. A couple of them drive much nicer cars than we have! But all that got me to thinking about a column I wrote a long time ago about hiring maids and nannies and other household help and how it relates to Social Security. I found it, dusted it off, (get the pun?) and am presenting it here again today. Q: We are going to hire a nanny to help care for our two small children. Weve heard different opinions about whether we will have to deduct Social Security taxes from the wages we will be paying this person. Can you please clarify this? A: Im a retired Social Security guy. I know all about the output side of the program (Social Security benefits), but not much about the input side of the ledger (Social Security taxes). This is actually a question for the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS is responsible for all tax matters, including the payment of Social Security taxes. But I know enough about the issue to get you thinking in the right direction. Whether or not you have to deduct Social Security taxes from your nannys pay depends on several circumstances. Some nannies are self-employed. In other words, they run a business that supplies nanny services. If that is your case, then its the nannys responsibility to pay self-employment Social Security taxes out of the money you give her. But if you have simply hired a woman to serve as your nanny, then you may have some tax obligations. If you will pay her at least $2,100 per year, then you must deduct Social Security and Medicare taxes from her pay. And you must report those tax payments to the federal government. To learn how to do that, you should read an IRS publication called Household Employers Tax Guide. You can find it on their website. Here is a link: IRS.gov/publications/p926/index.html. Q: We have hired some maids to clean our house. They show up once a week and spend about three or four hours vacuuming, dusting, etc. We dont have to withhold taxes from the money we pay them, do we? A: Probably notif by hired some maids you mean youve contracted with one of the many companies that supply maids to households. If so, youre probably paying the company a fee, and then that company, in turn, pays a wage to their employees and deducts taxes from their paychecks. But if you did simply hire some person off the street to come in and clean your home, and assuming that person doesnt run a housecleaning business, i.e., is self-employed, then you must follow the IRS rules outlined in my answer to the first question. Q: Weve hired a nanny, and I know were supposed to deduct taxes from her paycheck. But she has pleaded with us not to do that. She said she would prefer having us just give her that money rather than send it to the government. So far, weve abided by her wishes. But Im wondering if we could get in trouble for this. A: If you were asking this question of someone at the IRS, Im sure they would tell you: Yes, you are breaking the law! But since you asked me, a retired old goat who happens to write a column about Social Security issues, Id say: Well, youre certainly not alone. As I said at the start of this column, my wife and I have never hired any household help of any kind, so I have no direct experience in these matters. But we lived for many years in an exclusive suburb of San Diego, California. (We were the poorest people in a neighborhood of fat cats and yuppiesthink The Beverly Hillbillies!) Anyway, we were surrounded by folks who hired nannies, maids, yard workers, and other people to do for them what my wife and I have always done for ourselves. And I learned from talking to my neighbors and others in the community that almost none of them paid Social Security or other taxes for their hired help. And I never saw any of those folks hauled off to jail. Now, if you were planning to run for political office someday, then Id suggest you immediately get that IRS pamphlet mentioned in the first answer and start doing the right thing and paying those taxes. Every once in a while, you hear a nannygate story about a Supreme Court justice nominee or some other high-powered political aspirant who loses his or her chance at an influential position because he or she failed to pay taxes for a nanny or other hired help. And here is one final message directed at your nanny. Just tell her that you heard from an old Social Security guy who interviewed hundreds of retiring nannies, maids, and other household workers during his career, most of whom rued their shortsighted decision to forgo the payment of Social Security taxes and were stuck facing their senior years with minimal or even no Social Security or Medicare coverage. Its something she should seriously think about. Actress Evangeline Lilly attends the premiere of Disney And Marvel's 'Ant-Man And The Wasp' on June 25, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images) Marvel Actress Evangeline Lilly Asks Trudeau to Sit Down With Truckers Actress Evangeline Lilly, who appeared in several Marvel movies, called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to speak with trucker-led protesters who spend weeks demonstrating against COVID-19 mandates and rules. In a video posted online, Lilly, who is Canadian, said Trudeau has the responsibility to hear the voices of people who you disagree with. Treating them with prejudice, suspicion, and illegal repression is not care, she said in the video. Protesting something that deeply, deeply concerns you in our society is not terrorism. It is the civic duty of every Canadian. Earlier in February, Trudeau involved the countrys Emergencies Act, granting him sweeping powers that included freezing the bank accounts of dozens of individuals connected to the protests. Critics of the move said that such actions on behalf of the government are more akin to a dictatorship rather than a liberal democracy. A majority of Canadian premiers, meanwhile, have voiced their opposition to the decision following the governments decision to invoke the Emergencies Act. Canadian Actress Evangeline Lilly (known for Lost and Antman) shares a heartfelt plea with Trudeau to sit face to face with the truckers and hear their requests. pic.twitter.com/ZtsiQFBVFf Awake Canada (@davidcheyne) February 18, 2022 Lilly added, It is our job as the people to hold our leadership accountable if they are infringing on our inalienable rights, if we suspect that they have become corrupted or compromised in any wayor simply, if we think theyre wrong in monumental decisions they are making on behalf their people. Previously, Lilly was seen attending a large Washington demonstration against COVID-19 mandates and rules last month. To everybody listening, everybody, Lilly added. People who disagree with the mandates and people who agree with them. If you think that the person on the other side of this divide is your enemy, please take time to get to know them. Listen with an open heart to what theyre really saying. And remember that were all humans who get scared and feel pain, and most of us are just trying our best to build the brightest future for the next generation and the happiest, most fulfilling, most peaceful, and healthy today. In Ottawa, where a number of protesters continued to demonstrate, police made more than 170 arrests. Officials said that 22 license plates were seized and 53 vehicles were towed, as footage showed officers with rifles trained on the demonstrators vehicles or smashing their windows. Tamara Lich, one of Freedom Convoys organizers, was arrested on the charge of counseling to commit mischief. Another organizer, Chris Barber, was arrested last week before he was released on $100,000 bond. Muckrakers Needed to Uncover Truth That Those in Power Want Kept Hidden: James OKeefe In a world where independent voices that question authority are canceled and the media relays to people what its told to by those in power, theres a need for a new type of journalistmuckrakers who will make public the information that the powerful want to keep hidden, according to James OKeefe, founder of Project Veritas. Exposing this kind of information requires the use of disguise and undercover techniques that raise ethical questions, OKeefe said on EpochTVs Crossroads program. Beat reporters who need to focus on certain issues become wholly dependent upon their access to those in power, and they dont want to jeopardize their relationships with those people, OKeefe said. As a result, they tend to play stenographer precisely when they should exercise independence, he said. The only way that I found to not be so conflicted is to use hidden cameras and then use disguise, the journalist said. When OKeefe founded Project Veritas, a nonprofit investigative journalism enterprise, his journalists had to infiltrate the organization they were investigating and use pretense to get inside it. For example, OKeefe and his colleagues infiltrated an Antifa-linked group and secretly video-recorded some group members plotting at a meeting how to violently disrupt President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration, according to Project Veritass website. OKeefe took the video to the FBI and other authorities, and as a result, three group members were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit an assault, the website said. Now, we dont really have to do that anymore. People on the inside come out to be whistleblowers. I think the future is whistleblowing, OKeefe said. Although most people might not want to speak the truth out of fear of repercussion, he thinks that a majority of individuals are very good people, including most people inside the Department of Justice. But, of course, they have a pension, and they have their mortgage. Theyre afraid of what would happen to them if they speak the truth unspoken. What It Means to Be Muckraker A muckraker has to operate without fear or favor, OKeefe said. The characteristic of an American muckraker is one who is so passionate about seeing the truth come to be that nothing is going to get in their way and anything that gets in [their] path is just a distraction, whether it be a lawsuit or threat of jail, OKeefe said. A muckraker is passionate, committed, and never gives up, he said. People might not want to speak the truth for fear of losing their Twitter account, or mainstream media doing a hit piece on them and then having an established narrative appear on their Wikipedia page that damages their reputation, the journalist said. Media power to influence people is mostly the power to shame and the power to humiliate, and this power was given to them by Big Tech, OKeefe said. In such situations, there are only two options: You can follow your conscience and give up your livelihood, or you can maintain your livelihood and have to live with yourself for living by lies, OKeefe said, citing Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Soviet dissident and Nobel laureate. The second option sounds like the more pleasurable option, but youll only survive in a superficial bodily sense. And the only way were going to reverse the tide and save society from collapse is by creating a mass movement of these truth-tellers who give up their livelihood for the publics right to know. In a world where now you have American reporters, my colleagues, being put in handcuffs, their home is raided for having been sent a document. In this world we find ourselves in, we have to create a way forward, we have to show people how to do it. OKeefes home and the homes of people linked to Project Veritas were raided by the FBI in November and OKeefe was handcuffed and thrown against a wall during the raid. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger, OKeefe said. When youre attacked the way that we are, and recently with the FBI raidsthats one of the reasons why the source came to us with those Department of Defense documents, because it has engendered trust to those who come to you. And they share that pain with you and that trauma of being gaslit in their own institutions where they see how things are projected is so different than the way things really are. Project Veritas obtained never-before-revealed documents regarding the origins of COVID-19, gain-of-function research, vaccines, potential treatments that have been suppressed, and the governments effort to conceal all of this, according to the organizations website. OKeefe said these documents originated from the Department of Defenses (DoD) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and werent obtained from his sources. Project Veritas, however, has acquired a separate report to the Inspector General of the DoD written by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Murphy, a former DARPA fellow, and reached out to the author for comment. The response was pretty poignant, OKeefe said. Murphy wrote in his response, There are good people striving for the truth working together in and out of government, and they succeed. This statement would indicate to me that there are more documents that would corroborate the allegations, OKeefe said. There are people on the inside who are good people, who are ethical people that took an oath. But a lot of people are struggling because they wrestle with this idea of betraying this institution which has betrayed them, he said. These are the brave heroes, the anonymous everyday people that know whats going on on the inside. [They] give up their livelihood and follow their conscience, because we all suffer in life in one way or another, but might as well do the right thing. The only way people are going to blow the whistle and speak truth is witnessing other people do it and following their lead. OKeefe wrote the book American Muckraker: Rethinking Journalism for the 21st Century, in which he features stories of such people. One of them is Richard Hopkins, a post office worker and brave whistleblower who reached out to Project Veritas after the 2020 election alleging that he overheard his supervisors discussing the backdating of ballots. Another is Cary Poarch, a brave CNN insider who came to Project Veritas and decided to wear a hidden camera to expose anti-Trump bias at the cable giant. OKeefe said a journalism professor criticized his undercover reporting methods as deception. His answer was: Whats more important to you, deceiving your source or deceiving millions of people? If I have to choose between one of those, Id rather deceive my source. These are paradoxes in journalism, OKeefe said. Some ethicists say a failure to deceive your source can sometimes be morally wrong when you know that source is lying to you. Ella Kietlinska Reporter Follow Ella Kietlinska is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. and world politics. Police arrest Zheng Buqiu for attacking information booths held by Falun Gong practitioners, in Flushing, New York, on Feb. 15, 2022. (Provided to The Epoch Times) New Yorker Files Police Report Against Man Who Attacked Falun Gong Booths An Asian man from Flushing who has been charged with hate crimes could face additional charges after a New Yorker filed a police report saying he was punched by the suspect on Feb. 10. That day marked the start of a rampage in the Flushing neighborhood of New York, which is popular among Chinese immigrants, when 32-year-old suspect Zheng Buqiu allegedly began vandalizing public information stands raising awareness of the Chinese Communist Partys long-running persecution against faith group Falun Gong. Zheng was eventually arrested around noon on Feb. 15, but not before he allegedly toppled and kicked tables, punched and tore up posters, and scattered leaflets at the stands on numerous occasions on four separate days since the attacks started on Feb. 10. Police have charged Zheng with a hate crime and criminal mischief in the fourth degree. He was released on bail on Feb. 16. On Feb. 17, Guo Jinfu, 59, one of the volunteers manning the information stands, filed a report at the NYPDs 109th Precinct detailing Zhengs hostile actions against him. I saw a young guy, bare-chested with tattoos all over his arms, sitting on the floor and tearing up Falun Gong materials, Guo said, recalling what happened during his encounter with Zheng on the sidewalk near the intersection of Main and 41st streets. Guo Jinfu speaks to reporters in Flushing, New York, on Feb. 17, 2022. (Linda Lin/The Epoch Times) Guo said he tried to convince Zheng to stop what he was doing, but the suspect didnt listen. After tearing up the printed materials, Zheng picked up a table and threw it on the floor, according to Guo. Guo said Zheng then punched him in the stomach, and the blow forced him back a step. I felt my stomach was hurting. If I were a woman, I would have fallen to the ground [after taking the punch], Guo said. Guo said he initially didnt want to report Zheng to the police but changed his mind after learning that Zheng allegedly continued his aggression repeatedly until he was arrested. He was attempting to undermine the faith of Falun Gong. It was hatred. It was not against someone in particular. I had to step forward, Guo said. Now some of the older [volunteers] manning the stands are a bit terrified. The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating Guos case against Zheng. This is a serious provocation against and violation of freedom of belief in the United States, Guo said. I hope he will be severely punished so that freedom of belief is safeguarded in the United States, and the rights of the people under the [U.S.] Constitution are guaranteed. Zheng Buqiu attacks a Falun Gong information booth in Flushing, New York, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice consisting of meditative exercises and moral teachings based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The groups popularity surged in China in the 1990s, with estimates putting the number of adherents at 70 million to 100 million by the end of the decade. The practices popularity drew the ire of then-Chinese Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin, who launched a nationwide campaign to persecute Falun Gong adherents beginning in July 1999. Since its founding, the Party has demonstrated a history of homicidal persecution of those with religious faiths, in an attempt to force citizens to submit to the Partys Marxist-Leninist-based doctrine of dialectical materialism. Inside China, millions of Falun Gong adherents have been detained inside prisons, labor camps, and other facilities in China, with hundreds of thousands tortured while incarcerated, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. Many of them have become victims of Chinas state-sanctioned practice of forced organ harvesting. Zhengs alleged behavior is not an isolated incident. In 2008, also in Flushing, mobs of Chinese nationals physically assaulted, verbally harassed, and threw rocks at Falun Gong adherents, in sustained violence that lasted several months. Most recently, there have been similar attacks on Falun Gong information booths in Hong Kong in 2020 and 2021. Linda Lin contributed to this report. Not Going to Be a Punching Bag for the Police: Freedom Convoy Spokesman Announces Peaceful Withdrawal From Ottawa OTTAWAAs police in Ottawa escalated operations for the second day in a row against the trucker protest opposed to the governments COVID-19 mandates, a spokesperson for the movement, dubbed the Freedom Convoy, called for a peaceful withdrawal, saying they are not going to be a punching bag for law enforcement. Speaking at a press conference at the Lord Elgin Hotel in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 19, retired Canadian military officer Tom Marazzo said many truckers feel that the best course of action for them and their families is to withdraw in order to avoid further harm. As a movement, we have chosen to peacefully withdraw from the streets of Ottawa. There is nothing to be gained by being brutalized by police, Marazzo said. Police began escalating their operation against the protesters in Ottawa on Feb. 18, announcing mid-morning Feb. 20 that they have thus far made 191 arrests and had 57 vehicles towed away. Mounted police and officers on foot advanced on demonstrators, with horses knocking down protesters in some instances. Some police officers were heavily armed, including with assault rifles and what appeared to be rubber bullet launchers. Some wielded batons and pepper spray, while some smashed truck windows to remove truckers from their vehicles. Police face off with demonstrators in Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2022. (Alex Kent/Getty Images) A police officer smashes a truck window as police deploy to remove protesters from downtown Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2022. (Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images) A police officer approaches a truck as police deploy to remove protesters in Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2022. (Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images) Its a dark day in our history, Marazzo said. Never in life would I believe anyone if they told me that our prime minister would refuse dialogue and choose violence against peaceful protesters. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has continued to refuse to meet with the organizers of the trucker convoy, which arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 28 and 29. The convoy began as a protest by truck drivers opposed to the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for their cross-border travel. It turned into a much larger movement after many Canadians from across the country began joining in or voicing their support for ending the various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. Prior to the convoys arrival in Ottawa, at a press conference on Jan. 26 Trudeau dismissed the protesters as a small fringe minority who are holding unacceptable views. On Feb. 14, Trudeau became the first prime minister in Canada to invoke the Emergencies Act, aiming to use it as a means to quash the protest in Ottawa and similar ones in other parts of the country. The Emergencies Act will be used to strengthen and support law enforcement agencies at all levels across the country. This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting peoples jobs, and restoring confidence in our institutions, Trudeau said at a press conference on Feb. 14. The police will be given more tools to restore order in places where public assemblies can constitute illegal and dangerous activities such as blockades and occupations as seen in Ottawa, Ambassador Bridge, and elsewhere. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Ottawa police called the protest in Ottawa unlawful. Several of the Freedom Convoy organizers have been arrested, including Chris Barber and Tamara Lich on Feb. 17. Daniel Bulford, a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer who was coordinating security for the protest, was arrested on Feb. 18 and later released without charge. Marazzo, who isnt aware whether there is a warrant for his arrest, said the protest in Ottawa has not engaged in any illegal activity. There was no damage. There was a little inconvenient noise. Im sorry, but were here fighting for all the people that actually hate us too, he said. The retired officer criticized what he described as the mainstream media that has portrayed the protesters as being anti-government, noting that the convoy organizers have been trying to establish a dialogue with the federal government but have had no success. I want to be very clear that our intent has always been, and always will be, to talk to the official government of Canada, he said. I have stood at this podium, I have done other media events where I have outlined a plan, and Ive said I would like to talk to you. The response was riot policeno discussion, no dialogue. (L R) Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms lawyer Keith Wilson and Freedom Convoy organizers Chris Barber and Tamara Lich hold a press conference in Ottawa on Feb. 3., 2022. (Gerry Smith/NTD) During a press conference on Feb. 17, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino diverted his reply when a Francophone reporter asked whether the government has received intelligence that weapons were being brought to Ottawa or were already in Ottawa with the convoy, something the minister had been insinuating for days, according to the reporter. I am not saying that there is an intelligence saying there are weapons in Ottawa, Mendicino said. There are public reports showing that there are indications that there [are] extremist ideological positions and there is a link between the blockades. He added that there is a similarity in the rhetoric emerging in social media and elsewhere. At another press conference on Feb. 17, Bruce Pardy, law professor and executive director of Rights Probe, said Mendicinos reply meant that the basis for the governments actions was rhetoric. This is a government that has invoked an emergency statute on its own admission on the basis of something that somebody has said, Pardy said. They have no actual violence occurring. They have no intelligence about threats of violence occurring. Marazzo said the attempt by the federal government to intimidate the Freedom Convoy is futile as it is a grassroots movement, which if removed, others will fill their roles. You could say that we inspired people to actually take action, but we certainly were not giving any direction, he said. These movements are just organic. They pop up where people want to get up and do something because theyre fed up after two years of being treated like this. Marazzo said legal counsel and support for those injured and those being arrested by police is currently being organized. He added that the truckers will be initiating a charter challenge seeking to have the court strike down the unconstitutional vaccine mandates that discriminate against us all. I never thought Id see the day when law enforcement officers would be arresting citizens for the crime of exercising their charter rights and freedoms to free assembly and free speech, he said. Marazzo also confirmed that his bank account has been frozen and credit cards cancelled. His spouses credit score also dropped 109 points on Feb. 18 even though she was not with him in Ottawa, he said. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) At a press conference on Feb. 14, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said that under the Emergencies Act, the government has authorized banks to cut off services to both individuals and business clients who they suspect are aiding the blockades. In a media briefing on Feb. 19, Interim Chief Steve Bell of the Ottawa Police Service said the Ottawa police will pursue the protesters even after the protest is over. If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. Absolutely. This investigation will go on for months to come, he said. Marazzo said the grassroots movement will regroup and plan their next move. This is one battle in a larger war for our freedoms, he said. He added that all members of Parliament at the federal level have failed us. We elected these people to represent our best interest, but not to lord over us like kings and queens, he said. Can you hear democracy, democracys death knell? It rings louder than the truckers horns. Noe Chartier contributed to this report. Isaac Teo Follow Isaac Teo is an Epoch Times reporter based in Toronto. An illustration picture shows vials with COVID-19 Vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of U.S. biotech company Novavax, on Nov. 17, 2020. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) Novavax Vaccine Approved for Use in Singapore Singapore has approved the use of the Nuvaxovid vaccine by Novavax in its National Vaccination Programme for individuals aged 18 years and above for both the primary and booster vaccination shot. This follows the Health Sciences Authoritys (HSA) interim authorization of the vaccine under the Pandemic Special Access route. According to the press release, the first batch of the Nuvaxovid vaccine is expected to arrive in Singapore in the coming months if there are no disruptions to the schedule. New Non-mRNA Vaccine Option Individuals who take the Nuvaxovid vaccine are to receive two doses taken three weeks apart as part of the primary series. One dose of the vaccine is recommended by Singapores Ministry of Health (MOH) to be taken as a booster shot five months after the last dose of the primary series vaccination. With its approval, Nuvaxovid will be a new non-mRNA vaccine offered in Singapore, apart from Sinovac and Sinopharms vaccines. Singapore currently offers two mRNA vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna, and offers three non-mRNA vaccines, Sinovac-Coronavac, Sinopharm, and now Nuvaxovid. According to the HSA, clinical trial studies have shown that two doses of the Nuvaxovid vaccine demonstrated a 90 percent efficacy against symptomatic infection and 100 percent against severe disease with the wildtype SARS-CoV-2 and the Alpha variant. There is no data available on its efficacy against the Delta or Omicron variants. These clinical trial studies were conducted in the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, comprising more than 40,000 clinical trial participants aged between 18 and 95 years. HSA has noted that recipients of the Nuvaxovid vaccine may experience side effects including injection site pain and/or tenderness, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. It also added, As with all vaccines, there will always be a small proportion of susceptible persons who may experience severe allergic reactions upon vaccination, and that those who develop these severe allergic reactions to the first dose of Nuvaxovid should not be given the second dose. The safety and efficacy data in severely immunocompromised individuals and those under the age of 18 is also not available yet, and hence the HSA cannot make a recommendation for the use of Nuvaxovid for these individuals. MOH Recommends Nuvaxovid Over Sinovac-Coronavac MOH also recommends Nuvaxovid over Sinovac-Coronavac for those medically ineligible to take mRNA vaccines in view of the lower efficacy of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine. The ministry also added that the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine should only be used by persons who are medically ineligible for the mRNA vaccines and Nuvaxovid. A local study conducted from October to November 2021 by Singapores National Centre for Infectious Diseases and the Ministry of Healths COVID-19 Data Management and Analytics Team found that people who received two doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine had lower protection than those who received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Moderna mRNA vaccine. The analysis showed that the protection of two doses of the Sinovac vaccine against severe disease was 60 percent, lower than that of Pfizers 90 percent and Modernas 97 percent. Bill Gates speaks during a panel discussion at the 2022 Munich Security Conference in Germany on Feb. 18, 2022. (Alexandra Beier/Getty Images) Omicron Is Type of Vaccine That Gives Cellular Immunity, Spreads Faster Than Vaccines: Bill Gates Says there will be another pandemic while expressing hope for an 'eradication vaccine' Billionaire Bill Gates says the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has spread faster across the world than the COVID-19 vaccines have, and that the variant is a type of vaccine that gives people cellular immunity. He also predicted on Feb. 18 that another pandemic was coming, and shared what he believes should be done next time. At the 2022 Munich Security Conference, attended by security experts, politicians, and people of influence around the world, the Microsoft co-founder was asked: Where would you assess where we are today in beating COVID-19? Well, sadly, the virus itself, particularly the variant called Omicron, is the type of vaccinethat is, it creates both B cell and T cell immunityand its done a better job of getting out to the world population than we have with vaccines, Gates said. B cell and T cell immunity, also referred to as cellular immunity, comprise alternate mechanisms of immunity than antibodies. A study published in Nature suggests that the immune systems T cells may offer protection against COVID-19 by remembering past encounters with other human coronaviruses. Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates (C) speaks with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly (R) and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde during the 58th Munich Security Conference in Munich, on Feb. 18, 2022. (Thomas Kienzle/AFP via Getty Images) Meanwhile, a study published in the medical journal Cell (pdf) said that data suggests SARS-CoV-2 elicits broadly directed and functionally replete memory T cell responses, suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19. Gates told the conference that the risk of severe disease from contracting COVID-19 has been dramatically reduced due to people having been exposed to various variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If you do serosurveys in African countries, you get well over 80 percent of people [who] have been exposed either to the vaccine or to various variants. And so what that does is it means the chance of severe diseasewhich is mainly associated with being elderly and having obesity or diabetesthose risks are now dramatically reduced because of that infection exposure, he said. Read More Natural Immunity Protects Against Omicron Variant: Study The Omicron variant, since its identification in November 2021, has spread rapidly across the world to become the most dominant variant, although it generally triggers much milder symptoms. Gates, who has invested in vaccine research via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, noted in regard to vaccines that it took us two years to be an oversupply. Today, there are more [COVID-19] vaccines than theres demand for vaccines, he said. Its sad we didnt do a great job on therapeutics. Only here, two years in, do we have a good therapeutic. He also said that vaccine development took us a lot longer this time than it should have, and suggested that next time, instead of two years, we should make it more like six months. Certainly, some of the standardized platform approaches, including mRNA, would allow us to do that, Gates said. Well Have Another Pandemic When asked about the potential for another pandemic, he responded, Well, well have another pandemic; it will be a different pathogen next time. Gates said there will also be some rebound with the current pathogen, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, at more typical seasonal flu levels. We dont have a tool to do eradication, he said, noting that current COVID-19 vaccines havent been able to prevent inoculated individuals from getting infected. Gates said that funding should be allotted to developing a vaccine that can get rid of families of respiratory viruses, including the flu family, and the coronavirus family. And I do think in the next decade we can come up with an eradication vaccine, he said. Thats an aspiration, not a guarantee. Theres already a lot of work thats been done on a universal flu vaccine, and the date on that looks very promising. We wont get death levels at the kind of acute level that were still experiencing today as the Omicron wave passes through on a global basis, Gates said. Gatess Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Jan. 19 pledged $300 million to the UKs Wellcome Trust to support the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). The coalition was formed five years ago by the governments of Norway, Germany, Japan, and India, as well as the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the World Economic Forum. It has co-led a global initiative called COVAX to deliver vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. CEPI said its seeking to raise $3.5 billion to develop lifesaving vaccines against any new viral threat (referred to as Disease X)to within 100 days of a pathogen being sequenced. Covid-19 has negatively impacted women who are pregnant, from quarantine to stress from the societal, and personal demands of the pandemic. (Shutterstock) Pandemic Poses Short and LongTerm Risks to Babies, Especially Boys The pandemic has created a hostile environment for pregnant people and their babies. Stress levels among expectant mothers have soared. Pregnant women with covid are five times as likely as uninfected pregnant people to require intensive care and 22 times as likely to die. Infected moms are four times as likely to have a stillborn child. Yet some of the pandemics greatest threats to infants health may not be apparent for years or even decades. Thats because babies of covid-infected moms are 60% more likely to be born very prematurely, which increases the danger of infant mortality and long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy, asthma and hearing loss, as well as a childs risk of adult disease, including depression, anxiety, heart disease and kidney disease. Studies have linked fever and infection during pregnancy to developmental and psychiatric conditions such as autism, depression and schizophrenia. Some of these conditions do not show up until middle childhood or early adult life, but they have their origins in fetal life, said Dr. Evdokia Anagnostou, a child neurologist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and a pediatrics professor at the University of Toronto. For fetuses exposed to covid, the greatest danger is usually not the coronavirus itself, but the mothers immune system. Both severe covid infections and the strain of the pandemic can expose fetuses to harmful inflammation, which can occur when a mothers immune system is fighting a virus or when stress hormones send nonstop alarm signals. Prenatal inflammation changes the way the brain develops and, depending on the timing of the infection, it can change the way the heart or kidneys develop, Anagnostou said. Although health officials have strongly recommended covid vaccines for pregnant people, only 35% are fully vaccinated. At least 150,000 pregnant people have been diagnosed with covid; more than 25,000 of them have been hospitalized, and 249 have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although most babies will be fine, even a small increase in the percentage of children with special medical or educational needs could have a large effect on the population, given the huge number of covid infections, Anagnostou said. If someone has a baby who is doing well, that is what they should focus on, Anagnostou said. But from a public health point of view, we need to follow women who experienced severe covid and their babies to understand the impact. Learning From History Researchers in the United States and other countries are already studying the covid generation to see whether these children have more health issues than those conceived or born before 2020. Previous crises have shown that the challenges fetuses face in the womb such as maternal infections, hunger, stress and hormone-disrupting chemicals can leave a lasting imprint on their health, as well as that of their children and grandchildren, said Dr. Frederick Kaskel, director of pediatric nephrology at the Childrens Hospital at Montefiore. People whose mothers were pregnant during surges in the 1918 influenza pandemic, for example, had poorer health throughout their lives, compared with Americans born at other times, said John McCarthy, who is a medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and co-wrote a recent review in JAMA Pediatrics with Kaskel. Researchers dont know exactly which moms were infected with pandemic flu, McCarthy said. But women who were pregnant during major surges when infection was widespread had children with higher rates of heart disease or diabetes. These children were also less successful in school, less economically productive and more likely to live with a disability. Because organ systems develop during different periods of pregnancy, fetuses exposed during the first trimester may face different risks than those exposed toward the end of pregnancy, McCarthy said. For example, people born in the fall of 1918 were 50% more likely than others to develop kidney disease; that may reflect an exposure to the pandemic in the third trimester, while the kidneys were still developing. Nearly two years into the covid pandemic, researchers have begun to publish preliminary observations of infants exposed to covid infections and stress before birth. Although Anagnostou noted that its too early to reach definitive conclusions, there is evidence that babies born to moms with severe covid infections have changes to their immune system, she said. Its enough to make us worry a little bit. Damaging a Fetal Security System The good news about the coronavirus is that it seldom crosses the placenta, the organ tasked with protecting a developing fetus from infections and providing it with oxygen. So moms with covid rarely give the virus to their children before birth. Thats important, because some viruses that directly infect the fetus such as Zika can cause devastating birth defects, said Dr. Karin Nielsen-Saines, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at UCLAs David Geffen School of Medicine. But studies also suggest that inflammation from a mothers covid infection can injure the placenta, said Dr. Jeffery Goldstein, an assistant professor of pathology at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine. In a study published last year, Goldstein and his co-authors found that placentas from covid-infected moms had more abnormal blood vessels than placentas from patients without covid, making it harder for them to deliver sufficient oxygen to the fetus. Placental damage can also lead to preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy that can cause a mothers blood pressure to spike. Preeclampsia occurs when blood vessels in the placenta dont develop or function properly, forcing the mothers heart to work harder to get blood to the fetus, which may not receive enough oxygen and nutrients. Preeclampsia also predisposes women to heart attacks and strokes later in life. Rewiring the Immune System In some cases, covid also appears to rewire a babys immune response, Nielsen-Saines said. In an October study in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, Nielsen-Saines and her co-authors found that infants born to people with severe covid infections had a different mix of immune cells and proteins than other babies. None of the newborns tested positive for the coronavirus. The immune changes are concerning, Nielsen-Saines said, because this pattern of immune cells and proteins has previously been found in infants with respiratory problems and in some cases poor neurodevelopment. Notably, all the babies in her study appear healthy, said Nielsen-Saines, who plans to follow them for three years to see whether these early signals translate into developmental delays, such as problems talking, walking or interacting with others. How big of a difference does any of this make in the baby? asked Anagnostou. We wont know for a few years. All we can do is try to be as prepared as possible. Increasing the Risk for Boys Boys could face higher risks from covid, even before birth. Males are generally more vulnerable than females as fetuses and newborns; theyre more likely to be born prematurely and to die as infants. Preterm boys also have a higher risk of disability and death. But coronavirus infection poses special dangers, said Sabra Klein, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Thats because boys are disproportionately affected by conditions linked to maternal infections. Boys are four times as likely as girls to be diagnosed with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for example, while men are 75% more likely than women to develop schizophrenia. Scientists dont fully understand why boys appear more fragile in the womb, although testosterone which can dampen immune response may play a role, said Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington. Men generally mount weaker immune responses than women and more often develop severe covid infections. Recent research suggests boys with covid are more likely than girls to become seriously ill or develop a rare inflammatory condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome. New research on covid could help illuminate this vulnerability. In a study published in October, researchers found that the sex of a fetus influences the way its placenta responds to covid, as well as how its mothers immune system responds. Pregnant people infected with covid made fewer antibodies against the coronavirus if they were carrying male fetuses than if they were carrying females. Mothers also transferred fewer antibodies to boys than to girls, said Dr. Andrea Edlow, senior author of the study and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. When examining the placentas of male fetuses after delivery, researchers found changes that could leave boys less protected against damaging inflammation. The sex of a fetus can influence its mothers response to other illnesses, as well. For example, research shows that pregnant women with asthma have worse symptoms if theyre carrying a female. Women carrying males are slightly more likely to develop gestational diabetes. Edlow said her findings raise questions about the cross talk between mother and baby. The moms immune system is sensing there is a male fetus, Edlow said. And the fetus is actively communicating with the moms immune system. Boosting Toxic Stress Rates of depression and stress among pregnant women have increased dramatically during the pandemic. Thats concerning because chronic stress can lead to inflammation, affecting the babies of both infected and uninfected women, Anagnostou said. Studies consistently show that infants born to mothers who experience significant stress during pregnancy have higher rates of short- and long-term health damage including heart defects and obesity than babies born to women with less stress. We know that inflammation directly influences the way a babys brain develops, said Elinor Sullivan, an associate professor in psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University. Lockdowns, travel restrictions and physical distancing left many pregnant women without the support of family and friends. The stress of losing a loved one, a job or a home further heightens the risks to moms and babies, said Sullivan, who is following children born during the pandemic for five years. In research that has not yet been published, Sullivan found that babies of women who were pregnant during the pandemic showed more sadness and negative emotions in the first year of life compared with infants of women who were pregnant before the pandemic. The findings show the importance of helping and protecting pregnant people before and after delivery, said Sullivan, who conducted a separate study that found women who received more social support were less depressed. Italian researchers are also studying the effect of maternal stress on infants behavior, as well as the way their genes are regulated. Although stress-related inflammation doesnt alter the structure of a babys genes, it can influence whether theyre turned on and off, said Livio Provenzi, a psychologist at the C. Mondino National Institute of Neurology Foundation in Pavia, Italy. In Provenzis study of 163 mother-baby pairs, he found differences in how genes that regulate the stress response were activated. Genes that help people respond to stress were more likely to be turned off in babies whose moms reported the most stress during pregnancy. The same moms also reported that their babies cried more and were fussier when they were 3 months old. Researchers usually prefer to make in-person observations of babies as they interact with their mothers, Provenzi said. But because of the pandemic, Provenzi asked mothers to fill out questionnaires about infant behavior. He plans to observe mothers and babies in person when the children are 12 months old. While vaccinating pregnant people is the best way to protect them and their fetuses from the virus, Anagnostou said, society needs to do more to preserve expectant mothers mental health. We cant escape the fact that weve lived through two years of a pandemic, Anagnostou said. But we can think about opportunities for reducing the risk. This story was originally published on the Kaiser Health News Blog. Even if youve explored Everglades National Park in Florida and caught glimpses of crocodiles, manatees, and other wildlife or visited Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where important chapters in the birth of the United States were written, did you know that theyre among 24 places throughout the country honored as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization? UNESCO designates natural destinations and cultural attractions that are of outstanding universal value and meet one or more of 10 criteria. Among these are to exhibit exceptional natural beauty, provide habitats for threatened species, and be associated with events of universal significance. Among diverse places on the list are East Africas Serengeti region, Australias Great Barrier Reef, the pyramids of Egypt, and great castles and cathedrals throughout Europe. UNESCO sites in the United States are equally varied. They range from alluring parks to an ancient pueblo, from architectural treasures to cultural icons. You might like to use them as a wish list of places to visit in the future. Its no surprise that Everglades National Park is included on the UNESCO list. Its the largest tropical wetlands and forest wilderness in the country, the biggest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere, and the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America. Its also home to 36 threatened or protected species. The setting is very different in the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which straddles the Rocky Mountains along the U.S.Canadian border. Its an area of soaring snow-capped mountains, high-altitude lakes, and rushing glacier-fed rivers where cedar hemlock forests and alpine tundra provide habitats for more than 300 species of animals. The park serves as a symbol of goodwill between Canada and the United States. New Mexicos Taos Pueblo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Nena Giannakidou/Dreamstime.com) Bats are the primary residents of another site, which UNESCO recognizes for both its beauty and ongoing geologic activity that scientists can study. Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico include some 100 limestone caves that form an otherworldly underground labyrinth. One massive chamber, almost 4,000 feet long, is called the Big Room. Among names given to other caves are Kings Palace, Papoose Room, and Hall of the White Giant. The hundreds of thousands of bats that live in the caverns emerge around sunset to seek their evening meal. Several very different architectural treasures share space on the UNESCO list. New Mexico also lays claim to the Taos Pueblo, a multistoried reddish-brown adobe structure estimated to have been built between 1000 and 1450 by Tiwa Native Americans. Tribal people still live in the area, some in the simple pueblo where walls were constructed several feet thick for defensive purposes. The impressive northside edifice, the largest multistoried pueblo structure still existing, is one of the most photographed and painted buildings in North America. The vibe is very different in Virginia, where the home and Academical Village designed by Thomas Jefferson are among his many achievements. That says a lot about the man who authored the Declaration of Independence, served as the third president of the United States, and won plaudits as a statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father and in other public-service capacities. Thomas Jeffersons Virginia home, Monticello, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Marcnorman/Dreamstime.com) He also was a talented architect. Design features for his Monticello plantation house and the complex that became the heart of the University of Virginia attest to his success in melding traditions of European architecture with tenets of the self-government experiment that America represented. Jeffersons Academical Core continues to serve as the historic and ceremonial center of his beloved university. Its based on his vision of a holistic learning environment that extends beyond the classrooms to an open lawn lined by trees and enclosed by interconnected buildings. UNESCO explains that both accomplishments serve as tangible evidence of the ideas and ideals of Thomas Jefferson. A much smaller but no less significant architectural treasure greets those who visit Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Completed in 1753 to house Pennsylvanias Colonial Assembly, it is where the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Second Continental Congress met and the Constitutional Convention convened after the American Revolution. Its fitting that at another convention that took place in the building in 1915, a formal announcement was made of the formation of the League to Enforce Peace. That later led to the establishment of the League of Nations and eventually the U.N. In contrast, some UNESCO World Heritage Sites are nothing more than earthen mounds, but what they may lack in architectural splendor they make up for in terms of the story of humankind. The Poverty Point State Historic Site in Louisiana contains earthen ridges and mounds surrounding a central plaza. They were made by indigenous people between 1700 B.C. and 1100 B.C. According to archaeologists, the site may have served as a settlement, trading center, and/or religious ceremonial place. UNESCO notes that the Poverty Point earthworks bear exceptional testimony to a vanished cultural tradition, the Poverty Point Culture. The earthen construction was not surpassed for at least 2,000 years. From earth mounds and a university lawn to an ancient pueblo and more modern buildings that played a leading role in the birth of the United States, UNESCO sites throughout the country have varied and very intriguing stories to tell. When You Go To see a complete list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including those in the United States, visit Unesco.org Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Copyright 2022 Creators.com Russian marines take their position during military drills in Belarus (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service/AP/PA) The Prime Minister has admitted that hard-hitting financial sanctions may not be enough to prevent Russian president Vladimir Putin from signing off an invasion of Ukraine. Boris Johnson warned that a Russian incursion across the border into Ukraine could be the biggest war in Europe since the Second World War, with casualties on both sides. The British leader, in comments made while at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, said it appeared Moscows plan for an offensive had already in some senses begun, pointing to the escalation of violence in Russian-backed separatist-held areas in eastern Ukraine. The UK has pledged support for Kyiv through armed forces training and by sending anti-tank weapons, but Mr Johnson said, given Ukraine is not a Nato member, sanctions would be the main focus in terms of hurting Russia in the event of an invasion. He admitted that even a joint venture by Britain and the US to prevent Russian state-linked firms from trading in pounds and dollars a move he predicted would hit the Kremlin very hard may not be enough on its own. He told the BBCs Sunday Morning programme: We have to accept at the moment that Vladimir Putin is possibly thinking illogically about this and doesnt see the disaster ahead. Western fears about an invasion have become more pronounced in the past week, with US President Joe Biden stating on Friday he is convinced Mr Putin is preparing to order troops into Ukraine within days. Mr Johnson appeared to back that conclusion, telling the BBC that is what the evidence points to. With Ukraine surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment, the Prime Minister predicted a bloody and protracted conflict and called on his Russian counterpart to engage in serious diplomatic conversation to prevent a sheer cost in human life. Concerns about an attack have been fuelled by rising violence in rebel-held areas of the country, with Ukraines military announcing that two soldiers died on Saturday as violence escalated in the east of the country between government forces and separatists a conflict which has been going on since 2014 and seen some 14,000 people killed. Story continues Hundreds of artillery shells have exploded along the contact line between the two sides, and thousands of people evacuated from eastern Ukraine into Russia in a move some commentators believe is designed to paint Kyiv as the aggressor. There is anxiety that Russia, which has been carrying out military exercises across the weekend, including nuclear drills, could use the increase in tension in the separatist-held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as a pretext for an attack. A Ukrainian serviceman walks inside a destroyed house near the frontline village of Krymske, Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine (Vadim Ghirda/PA) (AP) The Prime Minister said: The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun. Thats what our American friends think and youre seeing these provocations now in Donbas these explosions and so on that weve been warning about for a long time. The plan that were seeing is for something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also appeared to raise the stakes as she claimed Mr Putin will not stop at Ukraine, arguing he is looking to piece the Soviet Union back together. Speaking to the Mail On Sunday, the Cabinet minister said the West needs to stop Moscow in its tracks or else the Russian leader will look to turn the clock back by possibly annexing the Baltic states such as Estonia and Latvia and the Western Balkans, which includes Serbia and Albania. It is eight years since Russia annexed Crimea with no regard for international law. Today Ukraine faces another clear and present threat to its sovereignty. Read my statement pic.twitter.com/PqVfJKk5hd Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 20, 2022 One of her department ministers, James Cleverly, said he believed the US had very credible intelligence to suggest as many as five million people could be displaced and pushed into western Europe if Moscow and Kyiv lock horns. The Minister for Europe told Times Radio that Ukrainians are ready to stand and fight, adding: It will inevitably lead to a movement of people through a refugee move across into other parts of Europe, westwards into other parts of Europe. Mr Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarus president and Moscow ally, spent Saturday watching Russian forces flex their military might during massive nuclear drills, which involved multiple practice missile launches. Belarus has since announced that the two countries will extend joint military exercises, which had been due to end on Sunday, in a move that is likely to create further unease. It is feared the displays are a further indication that Russia, which also conducting naval drills off the coast of the Black Sea, is gearing up for an offensive. But a Russian diplomat said our drills on our territory should not worry anyone, and accused the West of creating an artificial crisis in Ukraine. Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, was asked on Sky News Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme whether Mr Putin is enjoying the international spotlight. He replied: I think that enjoying is not the right word that you can use in these circumstances when we can see absolutely the lack of responsibility on behalf of Western leaders right now, and a lot of scaremongering and warmongering. I dont know anybody who is enjoying this situation in Russia. Putin Could Be Planning Biggest War in Europe Since WWII: Boris Johnson Intelligence suggests that Kremlin could be planning the biggest war in Europe since 1945, the UKs Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Feb. 19. In an interview with the BBC in Munich, Johnson said a Russian invasion doesnt just seem imminent, but all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun. But in a separate interview on the same day, he stressed that only Russian President Vladimir Putin knows what his agenda is, and said that theres still time for wiser counsel, still time for common sense to win. Russia has stationed more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine for about a month, but Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that it plans to invade its southern neighbor, claiming that its the troops are carrying out planned exercises while threatening unspecified military-technical measures if Washington continues to ignore its demands for NATO. U.S. officials have said that the number of Russian troops has grown to more than 190,000 in recent days. Sheer Cost in Human Life In a clip of a long interview thats due to air on Monday, Johnson told to the BBC that intelligence suggests that Russia is not planning just an invasion through the east, through the Donbass [region], but also coming down from the north, down from Belarus, and actually encircling Kyiv itself, as [U.S. President] Joe Biden explained to a lot of us last night. Johnson said the plan he saw is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945, just in terms of sheer scale. The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun, he added. I think people need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entailnot just for Ukrainiansbut also for the Russians, Johnson said, in an apparent effort to deter any plans of invasion. In a pooled interview earlier, the prime minister told reporters that the situation in Donbass is exactly the kind of provocation expected to happen, and it could well be the prelude to bigger action. Biden on Friday said that U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia will invade Ukraine in the coming days and will target its capital, Kyiv, while some others envisage the prospect of a protracted standoff. Two Schools of Thought Asked if he believes Putin is playing a longer game, Johnson said only Putin knows the answer. There are two schools of thought, and you will have heard what President Biden has had to say. As I said to you just now, only one person really knows what his agenda is, he said, referring to Putin. If theres still a path for diplomacy, for negotiation, then lets go down it. Johnson said he certainly believed that things are already in motion, but there remains the possibility that Putin will call this operation off. I think that possibility must logically still exist, and therefore I think its absolutely vital that we have a path of dialogue, of reason, he said. You know, you just cannot see how this makes sense for Russia. Imagine the invasion of Ukraine, a country of 45 million people, the second biggest country in Europe geographically apart from Russia itselfan absolutely colossal place. You cant hold it down. There will be a protracted, violent, bloody insurgency with the loss of life for young Russians, as well as for Ukrainians, he said. On whether NATO forces will enter Ukraine to defend it in the event of a Russian invasion, Johnson said such a security guarantee is only guaranteed for NATO members under Article 5 of the alliances treaty, although the United Kingdom stands ready to do everything else it can. Ukraine is not a member of NATO but we certainly believe that Ukraine is a sovereign, free, independent, democratic country. And what we want to do is do everything we canshort of that Article 5 guarantee, because that doesnt existto support the Ukrainians. The measures will include a very, very tough package of economic sanctions, cracking down on Russian money, trying to move away from dependence on Russian hydrocarbons, and fortifying the eastern perimeter of NATO, Johnson said, so that its clear to Putin that if he thinks that by doing this, he can push NATO back, then hes wrong. What hes going to get is not less NATO, its more NATO. Moscow has asked the United States and its allies for a binding commitment that they wont accept Ukraine into NATO. Russia also wants the alliance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe. But Washington and NATO have rejected those demands. NATOs Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that NATOs door remains open to Ukraine and that the alliance strongly believe[s] that all nations have the right to choose their own path. Jack Phillips, Tom Ozimek, and PA contributed to this report. French President Emmanuel Macron (R) speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) before a meeting at the Chancellery on January 19, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Emmanuele Contini/Getty Images) Putin, Macron Agree on Measures to Halt Ukraine Escalation French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday agreed to work on a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, said Macrons office and the Kremlin said in separate statements. In view of the urgency of the situation, the Presidents acknowledged the need to intensify the search for solutions through diplomatic means via the foreign ministries and political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy format, the Kremlin said in a statement, adding that it should facilitate the restoration of the ceasefire regime and ensure progress in the settlement of the conflict in Donbas. The French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days, according to the French statement. Putin, who reportedly spoke with Macron for more than 100 minutes, also said that there are modern weapons and ammunition being sent to Ukraine by NATO member countries and said he believes such actions encourage Kyiv to pursue a military solution to the Donbas problem. The Putin-Macron phone call came as the Belarus defense minister said Russia and Belarus would extend military drills that were supposed to end Sunday. Meanwhile, it comes amid reports of heavy shelling and military activity in the Donbas, as the leaders of two breakaway republics announced the evacuation of civilians into Russia. Both Ukraine and Russia have accused one another of escalating the conflict in the region in recent days. Meanwhile, U.S. and European nations have alleged that Russia currently has about 150,000 troops stationed near its border with Ukraine and is preparing to mount an attack. In another warning, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN Sunday that everything were seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion, referring to Moscow. But until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward, Blinken added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Saturday on Putin to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis and on Sunday appealed for a cease-fire on Twitter. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin had not responded to Zelenskys offer to meet by Sunday, and it was Belarusnot Russiathat announced the extension of the drills. On Sunday, Dmitry Polyanskiy, the Russian deputy ambassador to the United Nations, told Sky News that U.S. and UK intelligence should be treated as inaccurate due to previous errorsnamely, the claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, which led to the 2003 U.S. invasion. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A police line is seen outside a house where four-year-old Cleo Smith was found in Carnarvon, Australia, on Nov. 3, 2021. (Tamati Smith/Getty Images) Queensland Man Dies After Leg Sawn Off in Park A man has been charged with murder after allegedly sawing off another mans leg in a far north Queensland park as part of an arrangement. A 66-year-old man died soon after he was discovered by passers-by at Innisfails Fitzgerald Park early on Saturday morning. Police believe he succumbed to his wounds after his leg was amputated by a 36-year-old man using a circular saw owned by the 66-year-old. Police will allege these two people were known to each other, the extent of that relationship is still forming part of our investigations, Detective Acting Inspector Gary Hunter told reporters. Police also believe there was an arrangement between the two people for the amputation of the leg. We can say this was not an unprovoked attack. Police allege the men drove together to the park before 4am on Saturday and sat under a tree. They said about 20 minutes later the 36-year-old cut off the older mans leg below the knee using what is believed to be a battery-powered saw, helped him return to the car and then departed on foot. The older man was discovered near the car at about 4.30am by two passers-by but died before emergency services arrived. The 36-year-old man was located by police around noon at an Innisfail residence and was charged with one count of murder. He will appear at an Innisfail court on Monday. Det Insp Hunter could not offer any more details on the nature of the alleged arrangement. The specific reasons and the arrangement are subject to inquiries by detectives, he said. He said a police liaison officer was assisting the victims devastated family. During my 34 years as a police officer Ive never experienced a situation as we are presented with here today, Det Insp Hunter said. Police are appealing for information or anyone with dash cam or CCTV footage. Renault Chief Executive Officer Luca de Meo poses after a news conference as part of a visit to present the Re-Factory, a second-hand vehicles' factory, in Flins, France, on Nov. 30, 2021. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters) Renault Production May Get Affected by Supply Chain Issues in Russia French automaker Renault is concerned about the stability of its supply chains in Russia due to rising tensions between the country and Ukraine, which will have repercussions for the manufacturers production abilities if a conflict were to break out. Renaults Russian business AvtoVaz, which makes the Lada brand of cars, sources 20 percent of components necessary for making vehicles from other nations. If the Russia-Ukraine crisis worsens, two AvtoVaz factories will face difficulties in securing components. Sourcing parts from outside the country might turn into an issue as Moscow has come up with a Fortress Russia program that seeks to minimize the nations links to foreign businesses in case its businesses and economy face sanctions. Renault was doing a study to determine alternate sources for its car components, the company CEO Luca de Meo said to the Financial Times. We are looking at this piece by piece, if it comes from China, it is not the same as if it comes from Germany or the US. Almost 90 percent of sales from AvtoVaz plants in Russia is accounted for by domestic demand. AvtoVaz is owned by Lada Auto Holding in which Renault has a 67.61 percent controlling stake. At Renaults Moscow plant, roughly 40 percent of parts are imported. U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, according to recent remarks given during a press briefing. You know, look, we have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming weekin the coming days. We believe that they will target Ukraines capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people, Biden said. Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraines top security official, has also blamed Russia for trying to provoke his countrys military to attack. Renault had recently released its financial report for 2021 in which AvtoVazs revenues were shown to have grown in the past year. AVTOVAZs revenue increased by 10.4 percent to 2,850m ($3225 million), mainly due to strong price increases and a product mix effect of +18.4 points, according to a Feb. 18 press release. The LADA brand maintained its leadership in Russia with a market share of nearly 21 percent. LADA Vesta and LADA Granta sales ranked respectively at the 1st and 2nd place in Russia. The operating margin of AvtoVaz during the period rose by 106 million euros ($119.95 million) to 247 million euros ($279.52 million) as price increases offset the rise in the price of raw materials and negative currency effects. Overall, Renault made 967 million euros ($1.09 billion) in net income for the period compared to a loss of over 8 billion euros ($9.05 billion) in 2020. With these 2021 results, Renault Group reached a further step in its recovery. This performance is due to the early successes of the Group strategy, promoting value over volumes, and its strict financial discipline, said Clotilde Delbos, CFO of Renault Group. For the first half of 2022, Renault expects a production loss of 300,000 vehicles given the semiconductor shortage. Since the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus went global, supply chain disruptions have weighed down on the auto industry, with a shortage of semiconductors delaying production. The mismatch in supply and demand for chips is not expected to go away at least in the first half of 2022, according to a Jan. 5 report published by the U.S. Commerce Department that surveyed 150 companies. Members of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination on ceasefire of the demarcation line, or JCCC, take forensic photos of damage to a house from artillery shell that landed in Vrubivka, Ukraine, on Feb. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda Russia Extends Troop Drills Near Ukraine as Zelensky Calls for Immediate Ceasefire Russia extended military drills near Ukraines northern borders on Feb. 20 as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he supports an immediate ceasefire in the eastern portion of the country. The exercises, originally set to end on Feb. 20, brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to neighboring Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could be used to sweep down on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The extension of the drills was announced by Belarusian Minister of Defense Gen. Viktor Khrenin on social media. The preliminary results of the completed joint operational exercise Allied Resolve-2022, conducted as part of a comprehensive check of the response forces of the Union State, have concluded, he said on Telegram. In connection with the increase in military activity near the external borders of the Union State [Russia and Belarus] and the aggravation of the situation in the Donbas, the Presidents of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation decided to continue checking the response forces of the Union State. Also on Feb. 20, shelling was reported in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. On Feb. 19, Ukraine reported that two soldiers were killed by separatists shelling. However, separatist leaders accused Ukraine of attacking their forces over the weekend. Ukraines military confirmed to The Associated Press on Feb. 20 that it shut a key checkpoint leading to the Donbas area after it came under repeated shelling. In a Twitter post on the morning of Feb. 20, Zelensky called on the eastern rebels and Ukraines forces to observe a ceasefire. We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence, he wrote. A member of Ukrainian Military Forces walks as they keep position on the front line with Russia-backed separatists, near Novolugansk, Ukraine, in the Donetsk region, on Feb. 17, 2022. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainian troops take part in a military drill outside the city of Rivne, Ukraine, on Feb. 16, 2022. (Aris Messinis / AFP) Western officials again sounded the alarm that Moscow is readying for an invasion of Ukraine as more than 150,000 troops are reportedly stationed near the Ukrainian border. Recently, top White House officials said Russia would invade Ukraine within a few daysa prediction that didnt materialize. They have all the capabilities in place, Russia, to launch an attack on Ukraine without any warning at all. No one is denying that Russia has all these forces in place, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CNBC over the weekend. The question is, will they launch an attack? Stoltenberg said there is no certainty about whether Russia will invade. NATO allies and the United States have the same assessment, that its a very high risk for a Russian attack on Ukraine, he said. Zelensky earlier called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. Russia has denied plans to invade, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 19 that Moscow wont attack. Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement, Zelensky said on Feb. 19 at an international security conference in Munich. There was no immediate response from the Kremlin. Putin on Feb. 19 called on Kyiv to sit down at the negotiating table with representatives of the Donbas and agree on political, military, economic, and humanitarian measures to end this conflict, according to Russian media outlets. The sooner this happens, the better, he added. On Feb. 19, the leaders of two breakaway regions in the Donbas ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of civilians and sent some of them to Russia. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Russian marines take position during Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) Russian Diplomat: US Intelligence Assessments Not Accurate Due to Past Mistakes A top Russian diplomat said that intelligence assessments from the United States or the United Kingdom cant be trusted, due to past mistakes. We dont trust the U.S. and British intelligence, they let us down, the whole world, on many occasions enough to remember weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Dmitry Polyanskiy, a deputy ambassador to the United Nations, told Sky News on Feb. 20. Polyanskiy was referring to the claim by Bush administration officials in the early 2000s that then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs, which led to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. American forces found none, although they did find old stockpiles of chemical weapons. He also disputed reports claiming there were more than 150,000 Russian soldiers positioned near the Ukrainian border. Polyanskiy, like other Russian officials, said his country is merely carrying out military drills. However, those military exercises were flagged as concerning by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a CNN interview on Feb. 20. After Russian and Belarussian officials announced they would extend joint military exercises, Blinken said the United States was concerned that it may lead to a possible invasion. Weve seen that over the last few days. Now theyre justifying the continuation of exercisesexercises in quotation marksthat they said would end now, the continuation indefinitely of those quote-unquote exercises, on the situation in eastern Ukraine, a situation that they created by continuing to ramp up tensions, he said. In the interview, Blinken said Russia had increased its troop count to more than 150,000 in recent days, up from fewer than 100,000 several months ago. All of this, along with the false flag operations weve seen unfold over the weekend, tells us that the playbook that we laid out is moving forward, Blinken said. Incidents of shelling across the line dividing Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists in that region, which were sporadic in the past, increased sharply last week and continued on Feb. 20. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, discussed the need to step up the search for diplomatic solutions to the escalating crisis in eastern Ukraine, in a Feb. 20 phone call, the Kremlin said in a statement. In the Sky interview, Polyanskiy claimed Putin wanted to meet with Western leaders in the near future to see what we can do for security and guarantees for Russias absolutely legitimate concerns. Regarding the military exercises, Belarus didnt say how long Russian troops, which are estimated by NATO to number 30,000, might remain in the country, which borders Ukraine to the north. Belarus Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said the focus of the extended exercises was to ensure an adequate response and deescalation of military preparations of ill-wishers near our common borders. Reuters contributed to this report. San Francisco Mayor Says Recalled School Board Members Failed to Do Their Fundamental Job Responding to the recall election in which voters decisively ejected three members from the San Francisco Board of Education, San Francisco Mayor London Breed acknowledged that the school board has failed to do its most basic job, which is to educate children. It was really about the frustration of the board of education doing their fundamental job, and that is to make sure that our children are getting educated, that they get back into the classroom, Breed said on NBC programming. That did not occur. As an example of the school boards misplaced priorities, Breed pointed to a now-stalled plan to find alternative names for 44 schools that werent even open at that time. It wasnt until August 2021 that San Francisco public schools opened for in-person learning, for the first time in 17 months. They were focusing on other things that were clearly a distraction, she told host Chuck Todd. Not to say that those other things around renaming schools and conversations around changes to our school district werent important, but what was most important is the fact that our kids were not in the classroom. We failed our children. Parents were upset. The city as a whole was upset, and the decision to recall school board members was a result of that. None of the three board members who were challenged in the recall won enough support to keep their seats. According to the San Franciscos Department of Elections, Vice President Alison Collins, who faced intense backlash in 2021 because of resurfaced Twitter posts deemed by many to be racist against Asian Americans, was defeated by a margin of more than 50 percent, with roughly 76 percent of voters casting their ballots in favor of recalling her. Board President Gabriela Lopez and Commissioner Faauuga Moliga were voted out with about 72 percent and 69 percent of their respective votes falling in favor of recalling the board members. Following the Feb. 15 recall vote, Lopez accused those who voted in favor of her ouster of being aligned with white supremacists. Breed dismissed her claim as not the right kind of reaction. The fact that were still even listening to any of these recalled school board members is definitely a problem, Breed said. Again, we should be focused on the parents. We should be focused on the school district and the challenges that these kids have faced. When asked what advice she has for Democrats running the nations other big cities, Breed said theres no partisan issue when it comes to parents being upset with the quality of education that their children receive and that those in charge of public education should do their job regardless of political affiliation. This is not a DemocraticRepublican issue. This is an issue about the education of our children, said Breed, whos now tasked to appoint three new board members. Its important that anyone who serves in any capacity, whether its school board or Congress or as mayor, to respond to what your priority is. In this particular case, the board neglected their primary responsibility to focus on other thingsother things that are important, but not as significant as what they were there to do, and that is to educate children. Singapore Saw Over 50 Percent Increase in Scams in 2021 The total number of scams reported in Singapore soared by more than 50 percent last year, with the losses from the top 10 types of scams amounting to more than $370 million, almost tripling the losses in 2020. Scams now account for more than half of overall crimes, according to the Annual Crime Brief released on Feb. 16. Job scams jumped to the top reported type. Growing more than 30-fold, the number of job scams increased from 132 cases in 2020 to 4,554 cases in 2021. Meanwhile, the biggest losses were from investment scams, totaling a whopping $140 million, with the largest amount cheated in a single case $4.7 million. Growing Influence of Social Media Sites Social media platforms are becoming hotbeds for scams. Victims of job scams were often approached by fraudsters through advertisements on social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Dating apps such as Tantan and Facebook Dating were also among the common platforms where scammers target potential victims. Perpetrators have also taken advantage of such online platforms to trick victims into e-commerce, investment, and loan scams. The pandemic fueled the rise in online scams, according to the Singapore Police Force. Scammers have been constantly evolving their tactics and taking advantage of the COVID-19 situation to prey on the publics increase in online activities, and also their heightened sense of vulnerability and uncertainty, police said in the press release. Similar trends have been seen elsewhere in the world. Last year, the UKs Financial Conduct Authority called social media sites effectively a gateway for scammers to gain access to large numbers of people and threatened action if social media firms do not change algorithms to deal with dodgy financial promotions proliferating on their platforms. Online fraud made up around 86 percent of all fraud in the UK, according to the authority. Evolving Tactics More than 90 percent of scams in Singapore originate from overseas. These scammers are syndicated, well-resourced, and technologically sophisticated, Singapore Police said. Last month, 790 customers of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. (OCBC) lost over $10 million to phishing scams impersonating the bank. In one case, victims saw their years of savings wiped out in just 30 minutes. Defying the common notion that the elderly are often falling prey to such scams, individuals in their 20s and 30s working in the e-commerce and finance sectors also became victims. Banking-related phishing scams were the sixth largest scam type in the country. They usually starts with a message impersonating the bank claiming there are issues with the customers accounts or credit cards. To resolve the issue, customers have to click on a link embedded in the message which directs them to a fake bank website to key in their login credentials. In some cases, the scammers even included a phone number for the customer to call to seek help with their suspended bank card, said the police. OCBC is the second largest banking group in Singapore. On Tuesday, the bank announced the roll-out of a kill switch that would allow customers to freeze their accounts in an emergency. Job fraud schemes have also evolved by leveraging mobile apps. In one common case, scammers asked victims to download fake mobile apps to take up jobs. The victims were then told to top up their accounts on the apps by transferring funds to bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets belonging to the scammers. The victims saw the amount of funds in their mobile app accounts increasing after completing a number of tasks, only to realize later that they were not able to withdraw these funds and that they had been cheated. The police have called on the public to stay vigilant as new scams are emerging. All Can Be Susceptible While the number of frauds has risen massively amid the pandemic, there is no consensus yet on why some individuals have fallen victim to scams while others not, according to a study published last year. Evidence on how age contributes to susceptibility to scams remains inconclusive, although a growing number of studies identify middle-aged adults as the group with the highest rate of being swindled, according to researchers from the UKs University of Southampton and Scripps College in the United States. The researchers note that victims of older age tend to suffer larger losses per case, which is why they have received more attention. Some find that higher cognitive ability or emotional intelligence help protect against phishing scams, although the results are not entirely clear cut. Other than personal characteristics, the nature of scams also contributes to how likely individuals may become victims. By looking into more than 580 scams in the UK, a 2013 study found that those seeking to establish trust by referring to authorities, or provoke a sense of urgency and scarcity by calling the offer time-limited, were among the common types. As scammers take advantage of the increased Internet exposure of people during the pandemic, but little is known about how to reduce scam compliance, there is an urgent need to conduct research in this area, said the researchers of the recent study. Doctrine Touting State Legislature Supremacy in Elections Administration Gains Traction in Court Cases A constitutional doctrine resuscitated during legal challenges before the U.S. Supreme Court in the wake of Floridas disputed 2000 election is finding traction in post-2020 election integrity lawsuits. Proponents are espousing Independent State Legislatures Doctrine in legal arguments seeking to cuff state courts from acting like super legislators and assert state legislatures right as necessary parties in election-related lawsuits. It comes back to a very basic textural reading of the Constitution that vests the ability to regulate elections to state legislatures, said Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project (HEP), created in February 2020 by the Federalist Society to spearhead election integrity initiatives. This is a live issuea theory we endorse. The doctrine is rooted in parts of two articles of the U.S. Constitution. Article I declares state legislatures have authority to determine times, places and manners of holding elections for Senators and Representatives. Article II states each state shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors in presidential and vice presidential elections. The doctrine has created a buzz among conservatives since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a Florida Supreme Court ruling that cited suffrage principles in the states Constitution to allow manual recounts in the disputed 2000 election. In throwing out the ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that when the state Legislature enacted the law governing presidential electors, it was not acting solely under the authority given it by the people of the state, but by virtue of a direct grant of authority made under Article II of the United States Constitution. Most legal scholars argue that 130 years of court rulings have made application of that doctrine using an originalist interpretation of the Constitution moot. The founding generations original understanding of Article II did not include special solicitude toward state legislatures. Moreover, the doctrines actual origins in the Civil War Era and its subsequent history reveal it has never been anything but a trifle which politicians and courts call upon to lend legal weight to sentiments otherwise unrecognized by law, wrote attorney Hayward Smith, in an article to be published in legal journals in May. Opponents say the 14th Amendment states each citizens vote must be counted and cite safeguards in the Constitution and in federal law, such as the Electoral Count Acts safe harbor provision, that ensure that the popular vote determines Electoral College electors. Critics say the doctrine gives intellectual cover to a gambit by Republicans to grant state legislatures power to override popular votes. The benefit of technical arguments under the independent state legislature doctrine to subvert election results is that they have an aura of respectability and expertise, University of CaliforniaIrvine School of Law legal scholar Richard Hasen wrote in an October Harvard Law Review Forum article, calling the doctrine a strong vehicle for a bloodless coup. But HEPs Snead and Hans von Spakovsky, Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow and election law reform initiative manager, say much of the criticism is politically motivated hyperventilation over arguments theyre not making. Von Spakovsky said state legislatures are restricted from participating in lawsuits lodged against the state unless a law passed by legislature violates the state Constitution. State election laws are in place because state legislators put them in place, but they cannot defend those laws in court. State legislatures should be a necessary party in any lawsuit filed against one of its election laws, he said. The ability of state courtscourts in generalto intervene in lawsuits over legislation that govern elections, I think, is much more limited than what the courts think. In October 2020, amicus briefs espousing the doctrine were filed before the U.S. Supreme Court in an unsuccessful challenge of the Pennsylvania Supreme Courts ruling upholding an extension of the states absentee ballot deadline, and before the U.S. 8th Circuit in overturning Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simons decree allowing absentee mail-in ballots to be counted after the deadline. In that 8th Circuit ruling, justices affirmed that there is no pandemic exception to the Constitution and changes to election laws not approved by state lawmakers are unlawful and unconstitutional. The doctrine will be presented when the U.S. Supreme Court hears Berger v. North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP on March 21. The Republican-led Legislature is challenging the 4th U.S. Circuits rejection of its petition to intervene, ruling the states attorney general is adequate representation in defending the states voter ID law. An attorney general should not be able to enter into a settlement without the state legislature agreeing, von Spakovsky said. Its no different than in an auto accident. My lawyer cannot enter into a settlement without me agreeing to it. The outcome should conform to the independent state legislature doctrine, Snead said. Weve fought to get it all the way to the Supreme Court. The moment a kookaburra is bombarded by two willie wagtails is a comical show of character. Landing on the branch of a eucalyptus tree in Sydney, Australia, the laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) was not a welcome visitor. He may have just been going about his business looking for a tasty lizard or snake, but for the territorial willie wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys), it was better safe than sorry. Swooping in on the kookaburra, one either side, the far-smaller birds squawked at maximum volume in an attempt to harass the intruder out of their area. But the kookaburrawhich is many times largeris a patient fellow. Australian nature photographer Martin Anderson, 45, who came upon the scene, describes what happened next: To escalate things, the wagtails started swooping in at speed, taking turns flying in faster and closer each time. The kookaburras only reaction was to blink. Becoming frustrated, the wagtails decided to get physical, said Martin. One flew in behind the kookaburra kicking it with both feet right in the middle of its back. Again, in a true display of resilience, the kookaburra remained unfazed by all the attention. The little drama unfolded right in the middle of the Sydney suburb of Winston Hills, within a nature reserve in Martins neighborhood. Captioning the photos as He chose the wrong tree to land in, Martin shared his shots of the day on the Australian Native Birds social media page where they amassed over a thousand likes. Although its a sprawling metropolis, he said, nature clings to natural resources that remain within the confines of the city. Creeks, gullies, and parklands support a surprising amount of wildlife, and were very lucky in Australia to have such a variety of species right on our doorstep. I love to show details that the human eye cant see. Behavioral and action shots, though much harder to execute are an important aspect of my photography, as I am driven by spreading awareness of the incredible wildlife we have at our doorstep in the best way possible. Admired for their gutsy spirit, the pair of willie wagtails kept up their ambush. For every bit the kookaburra is resilient, the wagtail is equally persistent, Martin said. The kicks and swoops continued to intensify as the kookaburras patience began to waver. Sensing his discomfort, the wagtails went to the next level, flying in and grabbing onto the kookaburras tail feathers and hanging upside down from them. By this stage, the kookaburra had enough and started striking out at the wagtails, who were way too fast to be bothered by the retaliation. After 10 intense minutes, the kookaburra flew out of the area with a wagtail escort. Only found in Australia, the laughing kookaburra is the countrys most iconic bird. As opportunists that have been known to take away fledglings from nests, they arouse the intensely territorial nature of the wagtail. Martin, who shares his nature photography work on Instagram, says he seeks to spread awareness about local wildlife and regularly patrols city nature reserves looking for images to share with community groups. Australian nature photographer Martin Anderson. (Courtesy of Martin Anderson) He says kookaburras being robust medium-sized birds with long beaks dont care if they enter other birds territories, as they are not a bird to pick a fight with. The willie wagtail, meanwhile, is a tiny bird weighing in at less than one ounce. In spite of its size, the wagtail will defend its territory from any threat, including dogs, cats, and other birds; even eagles. The wagtail is a very popular bird amongst the Australian people, said Martin, mainly due to its tenacity and lack of fear. The Mark Twain quote Its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog has a strong resonance in Australia, and the willie wagtail epitomizes this. Martin, whose specialty is showcasing the beauty of birds and spiders, advises others to take a look around at what wildlife is close to where one lives, and be surprised at the diversity and beauty one will find. Our world is a very special place filled with many incredible species, including us humans. We all need to look after our own little patch, he said. 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 If you have seen footage of Russian vehicles recently, you may have noticed the letter 'Z' painted on the side a symbol which even has experts confused. In several videos and photos posted on social media, Russian tanks and trucks are seen to be emblazoned with a white 'Z' and it appears to have caught the attention of a few people, including intelligence experts. "Many people ask us about this 'Zorro squad', but I dont know why they draw this giant Z on vehicles," the head of Conflict Intelligence Team, Ruslan Leviev, said on Twitter. Russian military vehicles have been seen to have a huge 'Z' in recent days. Source: TikTok/nikitin.10 The Conflict Intelligence Team is an "independent Russian investigative organisation", according to Al Jazeera. "Some believe that this is a sign for their own aircraft, so that their own would not be bombed. But we see a lot of movement of vehicles every day and this Z is very rare," Leviev said. However Leviev questioned if it was a measure to ensure Russians didn't bomb their own, why wasn't the symbol on all their equipment. The director of training and research at Bellingcat an independent collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists, Aric Toler, retweeted Leviev and said the 'Z' branding had only just started to appear. He added Leviev had been monitoring this kind of thing for eight years. "So, assume the worst, I guess/fear," he added. Another military column in Belgorod with a Msta-B howitzer and "Z" markings. https://t.co/zYryEBPi53 pic.twitter.com/wj6ZX2UsxV Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 19, 2022 Analyst Oliver Alexander offered up another theory, saying the 'Z' could just be for logistics. "The 'Z's could be as simple as NCOs (non-commissioned officers) telling vehicle crews to mark their vehicles after completed ready checks," he wrote on Twitter. Story continues "This is why you have no system or standardisation at all. The truck with the massive Z is 'that guy' and also the reason why there was a smaller Z painted on the door." In another series of earlier tweets, he said: "With all other distinguishable unit markers painted over the Z we are seeing were most probably to identify which vehicles are heading for this specific attack corridor into Ukraine during mobilisation from camps. "With hundred of vehicles at some of the forward camps we have seen, it would have been important to ID which specific vehicles are moving out and where too. With IDs painted over this would be a logistical nightmare. The symbol makes this possible." With all other distinguishable unit markers painted over the we are seeing were most probably to identify which vehicles are heading for this specific attack corridor into Ukraine during mobilization from camps. Many of them are painted too small to be viable as Friend/Foe ID pic.twitter.com/jruA11Hm8n Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) February 19, 2022 Russian troops 'poised to strike', US says The White House has said the US president's national security team has advised him they believe Russia could attack Ukraine "at any time". Foreign ministers from the G7 group have said they have not seen any evidence Russia is reducing its military activity near Ukraine's border. Washington has gone as far as accusing Russian troops massed near the border of advancing and being "poised to strike". Foreign ministers from the G7 group of rich nations said they had seen no evidence Russia is reducing its military activity in the area and remained "gravely concerned" about the situation. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russian forces were beginning to "uncoil and move closer" to the border. "We hope he (Vladimir Putin) steps back from the brink of conflict," Austin told a news conference in Lithuania, saying an invasion of Ukraine was not inevitable. Russia has said Western warnings about the invasion of Ukraine are hysterical and dangerous and Moscow says the military is pulling back. Russia ordered the military build-up while demanding NATO prevent Ukraine from ever joining the alliance. Scott Morrison has warned Russia the world would move together to counteract any violence against Ukraine. Pictured is Vladimir Putin. Source: Getty Images The world against Russia Scott Morrison has warned Russia the world will be moving together to counteract any violence it inflicts on Ukraine. Washington believes Russian troops massed near Ukraine's border are advancing and are "poised to strike". "It is unacceptable because it is unwarranted, it's unprovoked in terms of the threats of terrible violence that Russia is imposing on Ukraine," the prime minister told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday. He said while there has never been any contemplation of Australian troops being deployed to Eastern Europe, the government has been working with its allies to directly support Ukraine, whether it be in cyberspace or things of that nature. "The world will be moving together to seek to counteract what would be a terrible act of violence," Mr Morrison said. "Should they follow through on their acts of violence against Ukraine, we will follow through with sanctions together and in partnership with all of our other allies and partners." Russia is poised to invade the Ukraine any day now, US intelligence says. Source: AP He said Foreign Minister Marise Payne will be meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart on Monday. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese reiterated his call for Russia to "back off". "There is no place for the intimidation and threats that we've seen from Russia against a sovereign government, which should be respected," Mr Albanese told reporters in Darwin. Defence Minister Peter Dutton said while he was hoping for an "11th hour miracle", it was very hard to see how that would be the case and expects there would be an incursion into the Ukraine. "It's regrettable, but I think that's the action that Putin is intent on," Mr Dutton told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program. He said the alliance now between China and Russia was deeply concerning. With Reuters and AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Protesters demonstrate against COVID-19 mandates near the Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey, B.C., on Feb. 19, 2022. (Jeff Sandes/The Epoch Times) Thousands Join Protests Across Canada as Police Quash Protesters in Ottawa As police quash the protest against COVID-19 mandates in Ottawa, thousands held demonstrations in other parts of Canada on Saturday, Feb. 19, to call for an end to the pandemic restrictions. In British Columbia, protesters opposed to the federal COVID-19 mandates forced another shutdown of the Pacific Highway border crossing on Feb. 19, after the RCMP closed off to all traffic the area around the intersection of 8th Avenue and 176 Street in Surrey. This development followed the arrest of 16 people on Feb. 13 and 14 as police took action to clear the previous demonstration at the border crossing to Washington State. Its been a very busy day for our teams on the ground, and those supporting operations from behind the scenes, said Sgt. Elenore Sturko, a media relations officer for the Surrey RCMP, in a statement. Our work here is not done though, and the public can expect a continued police presence in the days and nights ahead. On Feb. 20, the Surrey RCMP said in a Twitter post that protesters have departed and roads have reopened near the Pacific Highway border crossing. Traffic is now moving on 176 Street in all directions and the public can access the border crossing. Vehicle road checks will remain in place, the police said. Protesters demonstrate against COVID-19 mandates at the Pacific Highway Canada-U.S. border crossing in Surrey, B.C., on Feb. 19, 2022. (Jeff Sandes/The Epoch Times) In Calgary, thousands of people joined a United for Freedom rally on Feb. 19, marching through the streets of the city from Central Memorial Park down what the organizers referred to as the Freedom Mile 17th Avenue. This is a peaceful, legal protest, in solidarity with Canadians across the country calling for an immediate end to all government [COVID-19] mandates and the return to freedom in our nation now, according to the Facebook community page Calgary Freedom Central. Protesters in Calgary demonstrate against COVID-19 mandates on Feb. 19, 2022. (Cory Morgan) Protesters in Calgary demonstrate against COVID-19 mandates on Feb. 19, 2022. (Cory Morgan) In Quebec, thousands of protesters also took to the streets on the same day seeking an end to all COVID-19 public health measures. It was the second large demonstration against public health measures in the province in two weeks. Many called for an end to the provincially declared health emergency and mandatory masks for school-aged children. Bernard Gauthier, one of the protest organizers, said that the protest was peaceful and that he hoped the provincial government would return the favour without specifying any demands. Some protesters said they would also like assurance that the vaccine passport system would not return. Following the previous protest in early February, the Quebec government announced the gradual phase-out of its COVID-19 vaccine mandate by March 14. Health Minister Christian Dube, however, said the vaccine passport system would be brought back if needed during a new wave of COVID-19. On Feb. 19, Quebec City police said they had made three arrests near the provincial legislature. The majority of the demonstrators are respecting and honouring their agreement to want to demonstrate peacefully, the police said in a social media post in French. In Toronto, police set up extensive road closures around the citys downtown area as protesters gathered in a rally for the third week to oppose the public health measures. In a Feb. 19 social media post, the Toronto police said the decision to close further roads came after several trucks came into the city to cause disruption on the night of Feb. 18, and they wanted to stop more from coming. These protests that took place Saturday across Canada are in solidarity with the massive demonstration in Ottawa, dubbed Freedom Convoy 2022. The convoy action initially began as a protest by truck drivers opposed to the federal governments vaccine mandate requiring truckers crossing back into Canada from the United States to be fully vaccinated if they wish to avoid a 14-day quarantine upon reentry. It soon evolved into a national movementand then worldwideas large convoys of trucks converged in Ottawa to stage a protest on Jan. 29, with many supporters from around the world joining in to call for an end to all COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. On the morning of Feb. 20, Ottawa police said they have arrested 191 people and had 57 vehicles towed as law enforcement continues operations in the nations capital to clear away protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates. Limin Zhou and The Canadian Press contributed to this report. This undated image released by A&E shows Phil Robertson from the popular series "Duck Dynasty." Robertson was suspended for disparaging comments he made to GQ magazine about gay people but was reinstated by the network on Friday, Dec. 27. In a statement Friday, A&E said it decided to bring Robertson back to the reality series after discussions with the Robertson family and "numerous advocacy groups." (AP Photo/A&E,) To Stop Cancel Culture, Love God and Your Neighbor: Duck Dynastys Phil Robertson In his new book, Uncanceled: Finding Meaning and Peace in a Culture of Accusations, Shame, and Condemnation, Duck Dynastys Phil Robertson reflects on his Christian faith and being canceled. He urges people to look inward and find forgiveness. I dont hate anyone who curses me or tries to cancel me. I dont hate anybody on planet Earth, Robertson told EpochTVs Crossroads program on Feb. 14. So, they tried to cancel me, but thats not the reason I wrote the book. Im just trying to get the human race to think seriously about loving God and loving each other. In 2013, Robertson was criticized in the mainstream media and canceled for making statements against homosexuality. Well it doesnt make any difference what I believe, I just quoted a Bible verse. First Corinthians six, nine, and 10. Dont be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, the idolaters, the adulterous, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanders, the swindlers, they will not inherit the kingdom. Wasnt the question about whether I love them or not, I love them all. We study with them all the time, theyre brothers. So, from that, it hits the news cycle, and for about three weeks, they didnt know that it was a Bible verse I just quoted. So Im sitting there and watching TV and theyre out there scowling me, and I just kind of shook my head. In a statement, The A&E network responded to Robertsons comments. His personal views in no way reflect those of A&E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. Robertson believes forgiveness is a key element in defusing cancel culture, and that no one is free of mistakes. Its pretty well, and not even three strikes and youre out. Its one strike, and youre out. You made a mistake, we got you, and then they try to ruin your life, said Robertson. And if everyone would not retaliate and would forgive anybody, whatever they said or did, we all sin, all of us. So, when you have sinners accusing other sinners? So whats their point? In other words, everybody, when they get old enough to know better, they all break the [Biblical] law. Whatever other commandment there may be, its summed up in one roof, love your neighbor as yourself. And heres the kicker, love does no harm to its neighbor. Cancel culture has been described by some as a new religion because those in mainstream media, academic, and governmental organizations believe they have the truth, and anyone who doesnt share that truth is a bad person and they think they are justified in getting rid of them. Robertson suggests that all great cultures collapsed because they stopped believing in God and caring for each other. They collapsed. I believe its because they ended up not loving God and not loving their neighbor. I think thats why they collapsed. I could be wrong. They didnt think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God. Robertson criticized the riots that plagued American cities in 2020, where some protests against the killing of George Floyd turned violent, with people burning, looting, and assaulting police. A protester throws a US flag into a burning barricade during a demonstration against the death of George Floyd near the White House in Washington on May 31, 2020. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images) Theyre marching in the smoke. Theyre just burning down buildings. Im like, what? Whats happening? Murder strife, malice, deceit. Theyre senseless, faithless, no God, heartless, and ruthless, said Robertson. Robertson thinks if people put their faith in God instead of wealth, reputation, and the government, they would not be so afraid of cancel culture. They slam you just because you dont agree with whatever ideology or whatever flag theyre flying. So, it strikes fear in people. It scares them the death, these people are going to ruin me. But if youve already given it up, and dont care whether you have it or not. If we just did what God said, it would be a wonderful place to live. Unfortunately, we have the evil one, satan, and hes up to no good, said Robertson. I dont mind the curses and all that. It really doesnt bother me at all. I love them, forgive them. Its a good way to roll my man. Masooma Haq Follow Masooma Haq began reporting for The Epoch Times from Pakistan in 2008. She currently covers a variety of topics including U.S. government, culture, and entertainment. The UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Matt Dunham/PA) UKs Johnson Says Sanctions May Not Stop Putin as Russian Official Accuses the West of Warmongering British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that sanctions from the West may not be enough to stop a Russian invasion of Ukraine as he accepts President Vladimir Putin is possibly thinking illogically. But a Russian official dismissed predictions of war, accusing Western leaders of warmongering and Ukraine of shelling peaceful populations in the Donbas region. It comes as Moscow extended military drills near Ukraines northern borders and amid Ukrainian reports that two soldiers were killed by separatists shelling. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Johnson said the UK will impose sanctions that are very damaging and very difficult for Russia, but it may not be enough to deter an irrational actor. We have to accept at the moment that Vladimir Putin is possibly thinking illogically about this and doesnt see the disaster ahead, he said, adding that its vital to communicate what a catastrophe it would be for Russia. The prime minister said he believes what Putin wants to see is that NATO is pushed back from its eastern flank bordering Russia, but hes going to see the exact opposite if an invasion is launched. If he thinks hes going to get less NATO as a result of this, hes totally wrong. Hes going to get more NATO, Johnson said. But he denied that an invasion is inevitable, saying only Putin knows whats going to happen. On Saturday night, Johnson said intelligence suggests that Russia is planning to encircle Kyiv from the east and the north, and the plan he saw is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945, just in terms of sheer scale. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at Admiralty House, in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2022. (Bianca De Marchi/Pool/Getty Images) On the same day, the UKs Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told the Mail on Sunday she believes that Putins ambition will not stop at Ukraine, but instead he wants to turn the clock back to the mid-1990s or even before then, putting the Baltic states at risk. Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, accused the West of warmongering by creating an artificial crisis in Ukraine. He told Sky News Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme that Moscow had the right to be concerned by the placement of NATO infrastructure and troops near our border. When Phillips put to him that Putin is enjoying the international spotlight, Polyanskiy said, I think that enjoying is not the right word that you can use in these circumstances when we can see absolutely the lack of responsibility on behalf of Western leaders right now, and a lot of scaremongering and warmongering. I dont know anybody who is enjoying this situation in Russia, he said, labelling the situation in Ukraine an artificial crisis and accusing Kyiv of shelling peaceful populations in Donbas. Asked how the West should perceive Russia organising nuclear military drills, he replied, I dont think that our drills on our territory should worry anyone. Appeasement Russia has stationed more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine for about a month, but Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that it plans to invade its southern neighbor, claiming that its troops are carrying out planned exercises while threatening unspecified military-technical measures if Washington continues to ignore its demands. One sticking point is Ukraines potential membership of the NATO defence alliance. Moscow has asked the United States and its allies for a binding commitment that they wont accept Ukraine into NATO. Russia also wants the alliance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe. Washington and NATO have rejected those demands, with NATOs Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying the organisations door remains open to Ukraine and that the alliance strongly believe[s] that all nations have the right to choose their own path. But NATO countries have maintained they wont enter Ukraine in the event of an Russian invasion as the security guarantee under Article 5 of the alliances treaty is only afforded to its members, which Ukraine currently isnt. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a statement during the 58th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Ronald Wittek Pool/Getty Images) Although NATO countries pledged sanctions against Russia if it launches an invasion, and other support for Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued the promises are not enough. Youre telling me that its 100 [percent] that the war will start in a couple of days. Then what [are you] waiting for? Zelensky said to world leaders at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday. We dont need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen, and after our country will be fired at, or after we will have no borders, or after we will have no economy, or parts of our country will be occupied. Why would we need those sanctions then? he said. So when youre asking what can be done, well lots of different things can be done. We can even provide you the list. The most important is willingness, he said. The Ukrainian president said the country has the right to demand to move from the appeasement policy to ensuring the guarantees of security. Asked about Zelenskys comments, Johnson said he doesnt think the characterisation is fair. I think that what were trying to do is offer every possible support to Ukraine, and to make sure that we hit Russia with the hardest possible package of economic sanctions, he said. He said the UK has offered a massive package of economic support to Ukraine, which is rising to 100 million ($136 million), and that NATO is fortifying its eastern flank. The UK has also supplied Ukraine with defensive weapons and training support. Tom Ozimek and PA Media contributed to this report. Queen Elizabeth II speaks during an audience where she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, on Feb. 16, 2022. (Steve Parsons/Pool/Reuters) Queen Elizabeth II Tests Positive for COVID-19 The UKs Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 20, two weeks after she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee for 70 years on the throne. The 95-year-old monarch is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms, and shes expected to continue carrying out light duties this week, according to Buckingham Palace. The queen, whos believed to have been vaccinated and boosted, reportedly met with Prince Charles on Feb. 8, two days before he tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19, for the second time. Charles, the queens eldest son and heir to the throne, caught the virus in March 2020, but only had mild symptoms. He also made a speedy full recovery this time. His wife, the 74-year-old Camilla, duchess of Cornwall, also tested positive, with Clarence House confirming on Feb. 14 that the duchess was self-isolating. The Queen has today tested positive for COVID, Buckingham Palace stated on Feb. 20. Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines. The Royal Household has its own physicians, and the queens doctors will be on hand to take care of the head of state, with professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and physician to the queen, expected to be in charge. The queen had previously been ordered by doctors to rest and only carry out light duties after she spent a night in the hospital in October 2021 for preliminary investigations. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson wished the queen a swift recovery from COVID-19 and a rapid return to vibrant good health on Twitter. Also writing on Twitter, the opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer wished the monarch good health and a speedy recovery on behalf of his party. Get well soon, Maam, he wrote. A number of other ministers and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Dame Eleanor Laing also took to Twitter to express their good wishes. Earlier this month, the worlds oldest monarch celebrated the 70th anniversary of her accession to the British throne. Shes the longest-reigning living monarch and the first British monarch in history to reach her Platinum Jubilee. Her reign has stretched from the post-World War II years through a new millennium and into a radically altered 21st century, seeing 14 prime ministers from World War II leader Sir Winston Churchill to Boris Johnson. In her twilight years, she has been setting her affairs in order, using her Jubilee message to endorse her daughter-in-law, the duchess of Cornwall, to be Queen Camilla and crowned at Charless side when he one day becomes king. The queen is the latest monarch from around the world to catch the CCP virus. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, 82, and Spains King Felipe VI, 54, both tested positive for the virus on Feb. 9. PA Media and Reuters contributed to this report. Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Md., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters) US Agencies Quietly Studying Reports of Post-Vaccination Neurological Issues Two U.S. agencies have been quietly studying neurological problems that have appeared in people who have had COVID-19 vaccines, The Epoch Times has found. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been conducting separate research projects into post-vaccination neurological issues, which have manifested with symptoms like facial paralysis and brain fog and have been linked in some cases with the vaccines, according to emails reviewed by The Epoch Times. One attempt to gain understanding of a problem that experts around the world are struggling to understand is being carried out by Dr. Janet Woodcock, who was acting commissioner of the FDA until Feb. 17. Woodcock, now the FDAs principal deputy director, has been personally evaluating neurologic side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines since at least Sept. 13, 2021, according to the emails, many of which have not been reported on previously. FDA epidemiologists are also gathering data to look into the issues, according to messages from Dr. Peter Marks, another top FDA official. A team at the NIHs National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), meanwhile, started seeing patients reporting vaccine injuries for a study in early 2021 after receiving complaints shortly after the vaccines were made available. A portion of the patients was examined in person at the Bethesda, Maryland, facility. None of the reviews or studies appear to have been announced, and health officials have said little about them publicly, despite a growing recognition among experts that at least some issues are likely linked to the vaccines. FDA Woodcock was aware of reports of post-vaccination issues by April 16, 2021, according to the emails. Woodcock said she was sorry for the ordeals people were going through and that she was trying to find ways to examine what was happening. Eventually, she disclosed that she was working on an evaluation of neurologic side effects from the COVID 19 vaccines, according to a Sept. 16, 2021, email reviewed by The Epoch Times. Prodded by people with diagnosed vaccine injuries, Woodcock insisted she was still working on the project. I am awaiting some information from the epidemiologists that I expect to get tomorrow, she wrote on Nov. 16, 2021. We are having difficulty pinning down these nervous system-related events that have been brought to our attention. Ive asked for specific searches of the reports we get both from here and ex-U.S. (as these vaccines have been used in many countries) as well as from trials, where oversight of participants is greater. Woodcock said she was aware that people who suffer issues after getting vaccinated were looking for guidance on treatment but that there was not a lot of certainty about what causes the symptoms. Woodcock confirmed to The Epoch Times in an email that the evaluation is still ongoing and has not been completed. When we know something definitive, we will put out a statement if warranted, she said. The FDA regulates vaccines, medical devices, and cosmetics, in addition to other products. Dr. Janet Woodcock, then-acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, in Washington on July 20, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Marks, who heads the FDAs center in charge of regulating vaccines, wrote in one email in November 2021 that epidemiologists at the FDA are looking into this. I work closely with them, and know that they are very committed to understanding whatever adverse events might be attributable to the vaccines that we regulate, he added. Marks has met with patients reporting vaccine injuries on multiple occasions, according to emails reviewed by The Epoch Times. He has been alerted to both cases and studies regarding potential vaccine injuries. He often writes that the FDA will work through the papers and keep following up. We will continue to carefully evaluate all serious reports of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination and are committed to transparency about any findings, he said in one missive. Marks declined to answer questions, forwarding them to FDA spokespersons. A spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that the systems in place to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines have identified several issues potentially associated with vaccination, including the neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barre syndrome, the combination of blood clotting and low blood platelet levels known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), and several forms of heart inflammation, including myocarditis. The chance of having these events occur is very low, the spokesperson said. To date, the systems for monitoring COVID-19 vaccine safety have not identified additional safety signals for serious neurological outcomes following COVID-19 vaccination. FDA epidemiologists and experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continuously analyze data from the passive reporting system known as the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to identify potential signals that would suggest a need for more in-depth study and consult with NIH experts about the analyses, according to the FDA. Reports to VAERS have spiked since the COVID-19 vaccines became available, and some patients who filed VAERS reports told The Epoch Times that nobody followed up with them. U.S. officials have found that many reports submitted to VAERS dont actually represent side effects due to a vaccine, for reasons such as the diagnosis being incorrect, the condition in question cropping up before vaccination, or the patient having underlying medical conditions that explain the adverse event, the FDA spokesperson said. Studies show the number of reports to VAERS often underrepresents problems following vaccination. As proof that signals of rare adverse events can be detected, the spokesperson pointed to how the government identified six adverse event reports, including three deaths, or of TTS following vaccination with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The CDC lists only one adverse event as likely having a causal relationship with a vaccine. Thats TTS and the Johnson & Johnson shot. Neurological Side Effects Dr. Avindra Nath, clinical director of the NIHs NINDS, headed a team that examined patients who experienced serious neurological issues. Some patients flew to Bethesda, Maryland, for in-person examinations, while others consulted with NIH experts remotely. Nath and Dr. Farinaz Safavi, one of Naths top deputies, have said they believe the issues are linked to the vaccines. We started an effort at NIH to look at neurological side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, Safavi said in an email to one of the patients on March 3, 2021. We believe the symptoms to be real. That is the reason we have been treating patients, Nath said in a different message on July 27, 2021. Patients initially expressed gratitude to the team for helping them. Many had struggled to get care from local physicians when detailing how they got vaccinated before the problems started. Finally at the NIH, I was able to get appropriate diagnoses, Brianne Dressen, a preschool teacher who lives in Utah, told The Epoch Times. After I was able to get those appropriate diagnoses from lead researchers in COVID, my doctors started taking me seriously. Brianne Dressen speaks on EpochTVs American Thought Leaders. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Medical records from Dressens visit shows NIH doctors diagnosed her with persistent neurological symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and post-vaccine neuropathy. SARS-CoV-2 is another name for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19. Neuropathy is nerve damage that can affect patients nervous systems and lead to symptoms including weak limbs, vision loss, and loss of muscle control. Dr. Danice Hertz, a retired gastroenterologist who lives in California, was seen virtually by NIH experts. They did not give her a definitive diagnosis. But Safavi wrote in one message to Hertz, What is clear here [is] that you have developed immediate reaction to the vaccine with some systemic symptoms continued by evolution of neuropathic features. We know as a fact that immune-mediated neurological complications can happen post vaccination and post infection, she added. The examinations were done under a study protocol that started in 2015 called Natural History Study of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases of the Nervous System. Nath told The Epoch Times via email that his team examined about 10 patients, though he gave a different number to Science magazine. Other people who experienced problems after being vaccinated told The Epoch Times that attempts to get help from the NIH or other agencies werent successful. Angelia Desselle of Louisiana, for instance, was told she would be able to travel to NINDS and be seen but stopped hearing from the institute before the visit was finalized. The NIH is a medical research agency that works to examine diseases and reduce health burdens. NINDS focuses on brain and nervous system problems. Disappointment Even among those examined, the excitement of connecting with top researchers and government officials turned to disappointment and frustration when repeated queries yielded few signs of progress on research into post-vaccination problems. Woodcock and Marks would often only provide updates after being prodded, and neither have thrust the conversation happening in private into the public realm. Nath and Safavi also grew distant as 2021 wore on. They eventually stopped examining patients. Nath urged Dressen to stop referring people to him, telling her that we do not have any clinical trial for vaccine related complications. Dressen responded in January that she will always be indebted to you and what you did for me, crediting Nath, alongside her husband, with keeping her alive. However, she added, her heart is shattered. I am more confused now than ever about what my active and willing engagement in the scientific process actually meant, or has led to, she wrote. This will be the last email I send. Looking back on this, I can see how unethical it was even when they were helping us, Dressen told The Epoch Times. Private calls and communication with physicians treating patients for reported vaccine injuries took place, but no broader recommendations were unveiled, and federal officials have continued pushing vaccination for virtually all Americans. Hertz described being shocked about the lack of public acknowledgement of the post-vaccination issues by the FDA, which cleared the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in December 2020 and has since authorized Johnson & Johnsons shot. They refuse to acknowledge whats happening to so many thousands of people, Hertz told The Epoch Times. Weve been completely abandoned. And were despondent over it. Conflicting Messages Patients feel government officials and scientists are delivering one message to the public and another in private. Nath, for instance, told Science magazine recently that hes not sure whether the vaccines led to patients serious health problems. You have to be very careful, Nath told the magazine, because the implications are huge in making the wrong conclusion. Dr. Avindra Nath in an undated photograph. (NIH) When making a virtual presentation in May 2021, Nath seemed to sound a different tune. Showing a slide titled: Can COVID-19 vaccines cause neurological complications, with some of the complications like Bells palsy listed, Nath said that the vaccines are very safe, but we started to see some neurological complications with them. Nath also co-wrote a paper published in July 2021 noting that neurologic complications of these vaccines, including strokes and dysautonomia, a nervous system disorder, were being reported to VAERS. And in an email on Sept. 16, 2021, Nath seemed to let some exasperation show while indicating the vaccines have caused some adverse events. Ordinarily when any drug is released, it is the manufacturers responsibility to investigate and treat the side effects. Where are the vaccine manufacturers in all of this? Have you tried to contacting them? It cannot be the governments responsibility to pick up after them. They are a [for] profit company and they should be the ones taking change [sic]. Dont you think? he wrote. Dressen said she sees different standards when associating conditions with COVID-19 versus linking them with COVID-19 vaccines. Its pretty convenient that those associations can be easily tied to COVID and its also kind of strange because Nath himself told me many times that its an immune mediated process to spike protein, which is part of COVID-19 and the vaccines, she said, adding that shes looking forward to the data being published. Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson didnt respond to requests for comment. Under federal law, vaccine manufacturers are immune from liability lawsuits unless willful misconduct takes place. The government established the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program to compensate people injured by vaccines, but no claims for injuries from vaccines or other countermeasures were approved as of Jan. 1. Four were denied because the standard of proof for causation was not met and/or a covered injury was not sustained, the programs website says. Left Out in the Cold These victims of vaccine injury are left out in the cold and I can imagine how upset they are, Barbara Loe Fisher, president and co-founder of the National Vaccine Information Center, which pushes for transparency surrounding vaccines, told The Epoch Times. NIH and CDC should be making investigation into the reports of brain dysfunction after this COVID vaccine the highest priority, and FDA should immediately release the 450,000 pages of Pfizer clinical trial data on Comirnaty, she added, referring to the FDA slow-walking production documents from Pfizers trial and using the brand name for Pfizers vaccine. Asked whether his team has made progress in identifying why some people suffer neurological issues after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, Nath told The Epoch Times, We do not know what makes some people vulnerable to complications from vaccines in general. This will require large epidemiological studies to determine comparisons between vaccines, he added in response to a question about one of the vaccines being linked to more cases than the others. Nath said his team stopped treating patients because clinical care is best provided by clinicians in the community or other academic institutions. Nath submitted his teams findings as an observational case series to two medical journals in March 2021, but neither accepted the manuscript. No reason was given, a spokesperson for NANDS, Naths agency, told The Epoch Times in an email. They declined to name the journals. The Epoch Times has filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the manuscript and additional missives from Nath and Safavi. The study was still ongoing in mid-2021, and Nath told Science magazine that the team sent a case series of 23 patients to a third journal in January. There is no data showing that the vaccines caused the symptoms in these patients. It is important to note, there is a difference between causation and association. Causation means that the exposure produces the effect and is usually determined by a large epidemiological study. An association is a relationship between two variables, but one variable doesnt necessarily cause the other variable to happen, the agency spokesperson added. That view isnt universal. COVID vaccines cause neurological side effects, Dr. Josef Finsterer, a neurologist at Klinik Landstrasse in Austria, told The Epoch Times in an email. He recently published a review of studies detailing post-vaccination neurological events. Editors Note: Read the companion article here. National Guard troops leave the Armory after ending their mission of providing security to the U.S. Capitol on May 24, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) US Capitol Police Plan Extra Security Ahead of SOTU, Cite Potential Arrival of Truck Convoys The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) say that law enforcement agencies in the nations capital are planning extra security ahead of President Joe Bidens first State of the Union (SOTU) Address scheduled for March 1, citing potential plans of truck-convoy protesters to arrive at roughly the same time. Law enforcement agencies across the National Capital Region are aware of plans for a series of truck convoys arriving in Washington, D.C., around the time of the State of the Union, USCP said in a Feb. 18 statement. As with any demonstration, the USCP will facilitate lawful First Amendment activity. The USCP is closely coordinating with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Park Police, the United States Secret Service, and other allied agencies to include the D.C. National Guard. A joint session of Congress is required to be held when Biden delivers his SOTU address. The USCP noted that it has been working closely together with the U.S. Secret Service to plan for the upcoming State of the Union. The Epoch Times previously reported on Feb. 17 that a trucker convoy, which goes by the name The Peoples Convoy, is set to head to Washington to protest against the federal governments emergency powers that have been declared since March 2020. Truckers have been protesting in Canada for weeks against coronavirus restrictions and vaccine mandates and caused a temporary blockade of the busy Ambassador Bridge border crossing between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit. Biden said on Feb. 18 that hell extend the emergency powers beyond March 1. While announcing the extra security measures, the USCP said it has yet to decide on whether to reinstall a fence around the U.S. Capitol in the lead-up to Bidens speech. The temporary inner-perimeter fence is part of those ongoing discussions and remains an option, however at this time, no decision has been made, USCP said in a Feb. 18 update to its initial statement. The additional statement was issued to address numerous inquiries we have received this evening, according to USCP. Army Maj. Aaron Thacker, a National Guard Bureau spokesman, told Breitbart News on Feb. 19 that the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) had issued a request for assistance, and the request is awaiting approval by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. We have a request from the D.C. Metro Police for support, and that support is contingent on approval from the secretary of defense, so were waiting on that. Were waiting for approval from the secretary of defense, Thacker said. The MPD told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the department is aware of potential First Amendment activities that may take place in the National Capital Region, including Washington, D.C. At this time, a permit application has not been submitted to MPD, the email reads. As with all First Amendment demonstrations, MPD will be monitoring, assessing, and planning accordingly with our local, state, and federal partners. We have increased available resources, including the activation of our Civil Disturbance Units, in preparation for these activities. The District of Columbia National Guard didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. Read More US Department of Homeland Security Confirms Its Monitoring Reports of Potential Truck Convoy Protests Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to The Epoch Times that it was tracking potential truck convoys in the United States. We have not observed specific calls for violence within the United States associated with this convoy and are working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to continuously assess the threat environment and keep our communities safe, an agency spokesperson told The Epoch Times. DHS will continue to share timely and actionable information with the public. Over the past year, DHS has increased timely and actionable intelligence and information sharing and strengthened operational coordination with partners across every level of government and the private sector. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. US House Representative to Introduce Bill Offering Asylum to Canadian Truckers Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) said she is introducing a bill that would grant temporary asylum to individuals involved in the Canadian trucker protests. Just as we provide asylum for political prisoners, we should do the same for truckers who have been subjected to violence, had their property confiscated, and their bank accounts frozen by a government that is quickly becoming the embarrassment of the free world, Herrell said in a statement on Twitter on Saturday. Close to 200 protesters have been arrested in Ottawa since Feb. 18, according to police. However, there have been concerns, especially from Canadas Conservative Party, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government is flirting with tyranny in how the protests are being dealt with. I am introducing legislation that would temporarily grant asylum to innocent Canadian protesters who are being persecuted by their own government. We cannot be silent as our neighbors to the north are treated so badly, Herrell added. Last week, Trudeau became the first Canadian prime minister to invoke the Emergencies Act, giving the government additional powers to curb protesting and blockades. In a Twitter post, Trudeau claimed the truckers were carrying out illegal blockades and occupations, which are a threat to jobs and communities, and they cannot continue. Police face off with demonstrators in Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2022. (Alex Kent/Getty Images) A police officer smashes a truck window as police deploy to remove protesters in Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2022. (Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images) Starting on Feb. 18, in Ottawa, police were seen advancing on protesters, knocking down some people. Some police officers were heavily armed, including with assault rifles. Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of the Freedom Convoy, was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 19 after being arrested on the charge of counseling to commit mischief. Fellow Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber, who was also arrested, appeared before a court in Ottawa on Feb. 18. The presiding judge released Barber on a $100,000 bond and on condition that he leave Ontario and not publicly endorse the Freedom Convoy or have contact with the other major protest organizers. Inside the United States, some officials said they are concerned that similar protests might occur in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Capitol Police said that they were aware of plans for truck convoys to arrive in D.C. on the week that President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union Address. Law enforcement agencies across the National Capital Region are aware of plans for a series of truck convoys arriving in Washington, DC around the time of the State of the Union. As with any demonstration, the USCP will facilitate lawful First Amendment activity, Capitol Police said in a statement. Limin Zhou contributed to this report. A nurse administers a monoclonal antibody treatment to a COVID-19 patient at the Children's Hospital of Georgia in Augusta, Ga., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Hannah Beier/Reuters) Wisconsin Child Dies From Rare Syndrome Linked to COVID-19: Officials A child in southeastern Wisconsin died from a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), said the Wisconsin Department of Health Services in a statement. The agency said it is the first reported death from multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19, the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, in the state of Wisconsin. About 183 cases of the condition, described as rare but serious, have been found in the state so far. The child who died was not identified. They were said to have been under the age of 10 and lived in southeastern Wisconsin, according to the health agency. We are saddened to report that a child has passed away from MIS-C, State Health Officer Paula Tran said in a statement. Although COVID-19 cases are declining throughout the state, we are still seeing very high levels of disease transmission in all 72 counties. As COVID-19 continues to cause illness, hospitalizations, and death in our communities, we urge all Wisconsinites to take steps to protect themselves against COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MIS-C causes parts of the body to become inflamed, affecting vital areas such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, and other organs. Above 60 percent of our cases actually need to be admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit. Many of the children are suffering from cardiology problems, or gastrointestinal problems, Tom Haupt, a state respiratory disease epidemiologist, said in a statement. The agency said that most MIS-C cases occur in children between the ages of 3 and 12 years old who were exposed to the CCP virus. If your child is showing any emergency warning signs of MIS-C, such as lingering fever, trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that does not go away, confusion, inability to wake up or stay awake, bluish lips or face, or severe abdominal pain, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately, said the department. Meanwhile, MIS-C has been reported among children and individuals who received COVID-19 vaccines. Last September, the European Medicines Agencys safety panel said it would investigate reports of the rare condition. The condition is rare and its incidence rate before the COVID-19 pandemic estimated from five European countries was around 2 to 6 cases per 100,000 per year in children and adolescents below 20 years of age and below 2 cases per 100,000 per year in adults aged 20 years or more, said the regulator in a statement at the time. At this stage, there is no change to the current EU recommendations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Jayden Fleuriot has interests similar to other 9-year-old boys he loves fire and rescue trucks, listening to stories and eating food. But how he expresses his joy for these things can be a challenge for Jayden, who was diagnosed as an infant with the rare disorder Angelman syndrome. Last Tuesday, Jayden and his family helped to raise awareness on International Angelman Syndrome Awareness Day about the rare neurogenetic disorder that occurs in 1 in 15,000 births or 500,000 people worldwide, according to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. To mark the day, students and staff at Rowayton Elementary School, where Jayden is a student, wore blue to show their support. The students in his class colored paper ribbons blue and tie-dyed shirts blue. Hes really a brilliant kid, said Rachel Smolensky, the head teacher for the special education classroom for students in third through fifth grades. He can read sentences, understand what youre saying. Hes the nicest, loving person. I love having him in my class. Being non-verbal, Jayden uses a speech tablet that allows him to press icons on the screen to communicate what he wants or needs. Smolensky noticed quickly that Jayden could read and comprehend when she had him come up to the classrooms interactive board and he would tap the correct answer even before she read the question on the screen. Hes very good at reading emotions, knowing when someone is upset and giving them a hug, Smolensky said. Doctors diagnosed Jayden with Angelman syndrome shortly before he turned 2 years old, but his mother knew immediately after birth that something seemed different about her young son compared to how her older kids had developed. I had a feeling that something wasnt right, Sabrina Fleuriot said. The syndrome is commonly misdiagnosed because it shares symptoms and characteristics with other disorders such as autism, cerebral palsy and Prader-Willi syndrome, according to the foundation. Over the first few months of his life, Jaydens parents raised concerns with his pediatrician, but they couldnt find anything wrong. At six months, Jayden started seeing other specialists at the insistence of his mother. Jayden underwent numerous tests and had to see a gastrointestinal physician because he couldnt keep down his feedings and he wasnt meeting any of his development milestones. That was a big red flag that something was not right, said Sabrina Fleuriot, who is a nurse at Norwalk Hospital. The Connecticut Birth to Three System got involved when Jayden was 6 months old and confirmed something was off with his development. They started providing Jayden intervention at home, which his mother believes made a difference in his progress. At age 3, his therapies continued through the school system. At that time, I was a nurse for many years already and I had never heard of Angelman syndrome, Sabrina Fleuriot said. I was surprised how many people didnt know, people in health care. His mother also took him to a developmental specialist who suggested genetic testing. They had the test done and discovered Jayden had Angelman syndrome, which is caused by a loss of function of the UBE3A gene in the 15th chromosome derived from the mother, according to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. It was heartbreaking, but I think it was great we found out about it. At least it prepared us for what we would be dealing with, Sabrina Fleuriot said. Jayden has dealt with all of the common symptoms of the syndrome, including mobility issues, gastrointestinal issues, difficulty sleeping, seizures, and little to no speech. He has been seizure-free for two years, his mother said. Jayden is assisted at home by his mother and father, Guy, his older brother Josh, 15, who is a student at Brien McMahon, and Sabrinas niece Katelyn. His older sister Arianna, 22, also helps when shes home from college. Smolensky said his supportive home life as well as her team in the classroom helps tremendously. You can tell the difference. The love that surrounds him, it builds his character. He has a big personality, Smolensky said. Sabrina Fleuriot praises the special education staff at Rowayton and others at the school who have helped support her son over the years. During the pandemic, Jaydens former teacher brought the family dinner and took Jayden out for ice cream to give his family a break. Many of the staff also attended the ASF Walk at Calf Pasture Beach last year to help raise $2,500 for the foundation. The fear for me is what his future will hold once hes out of the school system because this is our comfort that he can come to school for eight hours and we know hes safe and loved and cared for, his mother said. Overall, people with Angelman syndrome have a happy and excitable demeanor and live a normal life expectancy, according to the foundation. Sabrina Fleuriot hopes a cure can be found in her sons lifetime. emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com Instant unlimited access to all of our content on thenewsguard.com. The News Guard E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) The end of the running battle between cocoa estate landlords of Etung local government area of Cross River and the government of Cross River State and her agents seem not to be near. There has been various measures deployed by the government and her agents to subdue and subjugate the people of Etung local government who are the legitimate owners of cocoa estates spanning hundreds of hectres. Recall that in August last year, truck-loads of mobile police officers were deployed to the same Camp 3 Cocoa estate by Mr Oscar Ofuka (Special Adviser to Gov. Ben Ayade on Cocoa Development and Control) to surpress, subdue, crack down and intimidate the innocent people of the area. Their offence is because they have doggedly resisted the exploitation of their collective wealth (cocoa estates). The mobile police officers illegally deployed to the area shamefully and dishonourably left the cocoa estate after their failed mission. The youths of the area resisted the occupying force of Mr Oscar Ofuka and his co-conspirators. Below is a video of their shameful exit from Camp 3 Cocoa estate last year. https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/301730/how-a-civilianosca-ofukaledover-200mobile-police-office.html Few days ago the Cross River Commissioner of Police dispatched about thirty mobile police personnel and a detachment of three teams of Operation Puff Adar to join 25 others on ground at Camp 3 cocoa estate . An additional 20 army personnel joined the Police to the area. It is an open secret known to the people of the local government that Camp 3 Cocoa Estate is where the Cross River Commissioner of Police, the Deputy Commissioner Operation, the Cross River State Attorney General, AIG Njom (Rtd.), Oscar Ofuu, Mbek Tangban and other top government officials were illegally allocated blocks of Cocoa estates meant for the youths of the area. No wonder the Camp 3 cocoa estate attracts such protection by armed security agents. It is a general perception of the people of the local government that there is a visible connivance and conspiracy between Mr Oscar Ofuka, the State Commisioner of Police and other top government officials to deprive the youths of the area of their legitimate benefit. This has precipitated youths restiveness in the area. Meanwhile, it is believed that the czar of the Etung cocoa estate, Mr Oscar Ofuka, influences the Police authority in Cross River State who periodically at his request and vague, pretentious petition of Ambazonians invading the cocoa forests, deploys such outfits as anti-cultism, anti-kidnapping, Anti-narcotics etc to the same area for the purposes of general intimidation and extortion from the people. Over thirty persons have so far been arrested and some released after parting with amount ranging between N200,000 to N300,000. The traditional rulers are crying out against what they described as total abuse of power and total submission of the State Commissioner of Police to the whims and caprices of Governor Ben Ayade, his Aides and agents. Tension is building up. The local government traditional rulers are again calling on the Chairman of Police Service Commission, IGP Alhaji Musiliu Smith (Rtd.) to review the conduct of the State Commissioner of Police, his DCP and ACP. The Commission must as a matter of urgency intervene before there is a complete loss of respect, dignity and goodwill, especially among the inhabitants of Etung local government area of Cross River State against officers of the Nigeria Police. Meanwhile, the Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Asuquo, who is the Commander of Mopol 75 has deployed about sixty mobile police officers in and around Camp 3 cocoa estate. As the nation comes to grip with the unfolding abuse of authority as police officer, typified by DCP Abba Kyari, it is pertinent that the Nigeria Police authorities begin to investigates their officers in Cross River State. A stitch in time they say, saves nine because to be before warned is to be before harmed. The battle for the recovery of N12M and N400M cocoa royalties for Etung Cocoa Landlords after the consent judgement of October 2019 has continued to receive oppressive resistance from the state Government using security Agencies. Out of the N1.5 B realized from a fraudulent allocation exercise in Nov 2019, the Government of Ayade has resisted honouring the content of the consent judgement. Kenyas High Commissioner to Nigeria, Wilfred Gisuka Machage, has reportedly died after slumping in his residence. The ambassador was 65. According to reports, the deceased envoys twin brother, Sospeter Magita, who is also a former Kenya Ambassador to Russia, revealed on phone that Gisuka died after taking lunch. Magita said his brother Gisuka had enjoyed relatively good health, but lamented that: It is a very sad moment that I have today lost my best friend and confidant. He further revealed that his brother died while in the company of his wife, whom he had been living together with in Nigeria. Machage, a former Senator was appointed as ambassador by President Uhuru Kenyatta in January 2018. He was also a former legislator, first elected into Parliament in 2002, representing Kuria constituency. He was re-elected in 2007 on a Democratic party ticket. Machage also served as Migori County Senator from 2013-2017. He had previously held the East African Community Affairs docket as Cabinet minister and assistant minister of Home Affairs in the office of the Vice President. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the 36 state governors to immediately redirect public funds budgeted to pay ex-governors undeserved pensions and other retirement benefits, and for security votes, and to use some of the savings to pay the counterpart funds that would allow poor children to enjoy access to quality basic education in your state. SERAP said: Several of the 36 states have reportedly failed to pay the counterpart funds to access over N51bn matching grants earmarked by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for basic education in the country, as at July 2019. In the letter dated 19 February 2022 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: The report by UBEC that several states have failed to access N51.6bn of matching grants suggests that these states are doing very little for poor children. It also explains why the number of out-of-school children in the country has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2 million. According to SERAP, A violation of the right to education will occur when there is insufficient expenditure or misallocation of public resources, which results in the non-enjoyment of the right to quality education by poor children within the states. SERAP said that, States dereliction in paying counterpart funds is antithetical to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, and the countrys international human rights obligations. The letter, sent to each of the 36 governors, read in part, We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your state to comply with our request in the public interest. The enjoyment of the right to education for millions of poor children remains a distant goal. In several states, this goal is becoming increasingly remote. The persistent failure to pay counterpart funds has hugely contributed to denying poor Nigerian children access to quality basic education, opportunities and development. State governors are clearly in a position to invest more toward the progressive realization of the right to quality education for poor children within their states. Rather than spending public funds to pay ex-governors undeserved pensions and other retirement benefits and apparently using security votes for patronage and political purposes, governors should prioritise investment in education by immediately paying up any outstanding counterpart funds to UBEC. Redirecting public funds budgeted for life pensions and security votes, and cutting the cost of governance to pay the counterpart funds would be entirely consistent with your constitutional oath of office, and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution, as it would promote efficient, honest, and legal spending of public money. Continuing to spend scarce public funds on these expenses would deny poor Nigerian children access to quality, compulsory and free basic education in your state, and burden the next generation. Redirecting the funds as recommended would also ensure access to quality education for poor children, who have no opportunity to attend private schools. It would contribute to addressing poverty, inequality, marginalization, and insecurity across several states. SERAP is separately seeking information from UBEC about the details of counterpart funds that have been between 2019 and 2022. In the meantime, SERAP urges you to clarify if your state has paid any counterpart fund between July 2019 and 2022. SERAP urges you to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of any accessed matching grants from UBEC. States should prioritise paying their counterpart funds over and above spending on life pensions and other misallocations of scarce resources. Immediately paying your counterpart funds for basic education in your state would be a major step forward for childrens rights, and show your commitment to ensure the rights and well-being of all children, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. According to the Universal Basic Education Commission, Kwara state has failed and/or refused to pay the counterpart funds that would allow the state to access the matching grant of N6,245,355,130.05. This is the cumulative amount that Kwara state has failed to access as at July 2019. Notably, Kwara has failed to access the following matching grants: N952,297,297.30 for 2011-2012; N1,918,783,783.78 for 2015-2016; N1,286,343,183.55 for 2017; N1,473,832,845.21 for 2018, and N614,097,018.83 for 2019. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 1 in 3 children do not complete primary school in several states. 27.2 percent of children between 6 and 11 years do not attend school. Only 35.6% of children aged 35 months attend pre-school. As revealed by a 2018 report by Transparency International (TI), most of the funds appropriated as security votes are spent on political activities, mismanaged or simply stolen. It is estimated that security votes add up to over N241.2 billion every year. On top of appropriated security votes, state governments also receive millions of dollars yearly as international security assistance. According to the UBEC, Abia state has failed and/or refused to pay the counterpart funds that would allow the state to access the matching grant of N2,988,805,613.14. This is the cumulative amount that Abia state has failed to access as at July 2019. Notably, Abia has failed to access the following matching grants: N26,430,893.96 for 2011-2012; N874,444,853.76 for 2017; N1,473,832,845.21 for 2018, and N614,097,018.83 for 2019. According to our information, basic education in several states has continued to experience a steady decline. The quality of education offered is low and standards have continued to drop. The learning environment does not promote effective learning. School facilities are in a state of extreme disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation. Basic teaching and learning resources are generally not available, leaving many teachers profoundly demoralized. This situation is patently contrary to Section 18 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 [as amended]; and the Sections 2(1) and 11(2) of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act. Education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realizing other human rights. As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities. States are required to progressively implement socio-economic rights including the right to quality education commensurate with the level of resources available. Gross misallocation of resources to the detriment of the enjoyment of the right to quality education can constitute a human rights violation. Kolawole Oluwadare SERAP Deputy Director 20/2/2022 Lagos, Nigeria Emails: [email protected] ; [email protected] Twitter: @SERAPNigeria Website: www.serap-nigeria.org For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202 President Yoweri Museveni is mistreating the people of Uganda. He has subjected them to poverty for three decades and now he is openly using the police prisons to brutally torture those who come out to say that there is a problem in Uganda. Dear President Museveni, you have outlived your usefulness in Africas politics. Give the youths of Uganda a chance to breath. The opening harsh tone in this article is caused by a sad eventuality that by the time of writing this article, the freshly released political detainee Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, a Ugandan youth , a lawyer and also a promising writer of The Greedy Barbarian and the Banana Republic: Where Writing is Treasonous, who was also named the PEN 2021 Pinter International Writer of Courage Award, has just fled Uganda in search of exile. Where he will go is not yet known. Some months ago, Rukirabashaija won and received the Pinter International Award for his maverick stature in literary writing and intellectual audacity. He is among a few Ugandan youths that have at least tried to speak out against the politics of police brutality in Uganda, to speak some naked truth to power in Uganda . This was why he earned this prestigious and internationally respected literature and writers prize that was given to him by Tsitsi Dangarembga in October 2021. Precedents that led to his arrest are that, in December 2021 , Rukirabashaija used the social media platforms, just like any other oppressed youth of today, to express his dissenting opinion about President Yoweri Museveni and his overtly observable narcissistic plan to have his son General Muhozi to succeed him as the President of Uganda . This kind of social media outbreak is expected and still must be expected as obvious psychological breakdown to be experienced by any educated citizen living a country buckling under social-economic brutality perpetrated by government like that one currently seen in the case of Muhozi and his father Yoweri Museeni. However, the reaction of the Uganda administration was so panicky, the state machinery in charge of using fear to silence Ugandans into voiceless subjugation quickly arrested Rukirabashaija only to torture him in police prison before releasing him on January 26 in 2022. The Al Jazeera made efforts to reach Rukirabashaija and it held in an interview with him during which Rukirabashaija confirmed that he had been tortured intermittently when he was in Police custody. However, what beats social logic is the reason for arrest and torture. It is so saddening to learn that the offence that made Rukirabashaija to be arrested was sham, lewd and ignorable under normal circumstance in any given space of political maturity. The Al Jaazeera revealed that Rukirabashaija was arrested through abduction by the Army, during the time of arrest the Army forced Rukirabashaija dance as they barbarically flogged him unconscious for writing on Twitter that Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the presidents son and commander of the land forces, was obese and a curmudgeon. But when Rukirabashaija came out of prison, he showed to the public the scaring wounds he got from being tortured in the police custody. For now, Rukirabashaija has been robbed his mental freedom to live in his country, Uganda, he has fled to Malawi with a plan look for better medical treatment somewhere else like Germany . Rukirabashaijas escape into exile follows very many other sorriest escapes like that of the South African writer Athol Williams in November 2021 and that of Dr. Stella Nyanzi in the last year . These are only but a few among a hundred of others that have fled Uganda due to fear of police brutality, torture in police custody and very many other violations of basic human rights that a citizen of any modern state is entitled to . Perhaps, the world is also supposed to know that currently in the year 2022, there are over five million Ugandan youths living in Kenya as economic refugees. Most of these Ugandan youths in Kenya live as ambiguous citizens posing as Kenyans for fear of being arrested for being in Kenya without legal documents. These youths are exploited in Nairobi as cheap farm laborers, sex workers, barber-shop keepers, saloon keeps, domestic baby sitters, dish-washers, hotel stewards and motorbike taxi riders. Yoweri Museveni has robbed these youths their right to productive life in Uganda through his politics of ethnic exclusion and police brutality. This is why the African Union and other inter-governmental organizations should come out and tell President Museveni to give the people of Uganda a chance to breath, when Ugandans breath freely in a political sense, then all of us in Africa will be breathing. By-Alexander Opicho writes from Lodwar, Kenya The Indians have a proverb that literally means "Your future does not depend on the lines of your hands, because people who do not have hands also have a future". Often people ask me why I write on certain topics and issues all the time, like bashing governments at all levels and the band of confusionists that run them, my take on the education, health and power sector, insecurity, the lack of or non-existent governance, arguments on ethnicity and the indigene question amongst others. My answer is that I do because I believe that such subjects are important for Nigeria and Nigerians as they are for other nations, but when it appears to me that Nigerians and our leaders particularly do not react to these topics the way they should, I repeat them in new essays to remind old readers and recruit new ones to participate in the continuing dialogue. Between 1999 and today the police strength has grown from 112,000 to somewhere around 371,800 officers, a very poor figure, compared to our population, even if you recruit 10 million men into the police and with almost 100 million Nigerians hungry, unemployed, frustrated, crime would still be high, and if you add to the fact that many of the Policemen and few women out there are examples of everything bad and ugly about Nigeria need I rest my case, because in a system where a Police Recruit would earn barely N9,019.42 and N302,970.47 for a full Commissioner, there would be different versions of Abba Kyari. Sadly the police itself is one of the worst culprits of poor remuneration and motivation, have you seen what the police barracks look like across the nation? Despite the poor and degrading nature of our prisons, most police barracks are not different from rehabilitation homes for juveniles. The police have been reduced to an agency of ridicule and hatred amongst the populace. The only robbers they shoot are ordinary citizens who refuse to give them the N20 toll. When they conclude an investigation successfully, it must have been that of a landlord and tenant or two- fighting at a bus stop. Right from the days of Anini the great robber, the police rather than be the combatants of crime, has been partners in progress to armed robbers, robberies and all manners of social vices. It is that bad, if you have an encounter with robbers, you have a 70% survival chance, but the same encounter with a policeman in possession of a pistol, you will have less than 30% chance of survival. A security outfit without equipment, funding, without logistics, no communication facilities resorts to the very crimes they are supposed to protect us from. Divisional Police Offices are now banks; the Divisional Police Officers are branch managers waiting for daily returns (bribe) from marketing executhiefs (Junior ranks). When robbers and assassins attack with assault rifles and police come with Dane guns, it is obvious that a lot is wrong. The edifice called the police is a case of epilepsy, from the change of uniform, to increased recruitment of illiterates that can barely spell their names. The problem is not necessarily just that of the Nigerian police but that of a nation whose leaders have thrown their responsibilities to the gutters. So Abba Kyari, is part of the bigger problem, he and the war of words between the Police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA is like a Police crime scene unit; the story has holes everywhere, like the Nigeria Police has a settlement scene unit in every divisional police office.. The entire scene is devoid of care and details that go into investigation. The same Nigeria Police without a Behavioral Unit, arresting you for having dreadlocks or beards, or carrying a laptop...you can understand why there is no collective in what Kyari has done wrong, or right and who he represents and what he truly is, in the bigger picture. Have you ever seen a Nigerian policeman wear a protective glove at a crime scene? The closest has been at wedding ceremonies or ceremonial occasions. I was at a local police station recently and watched as different activities went on, from the radio message alerting another station that Adam was about to eat the apple, to the old Olympia typewriter that brought back memories of my late uncle Atiku who was a teacher in the Congo. I noticed the state of the uniforms of the rank, the frustration on the face of officers. I saw how men of the force collected N100 to buy plain sheets, file and biro for a complainant to put down his grouse. Officers that are more often than not dirty and unkemptoh I hear it's about being covert. Talking about the police, it is interesting to look at the police from what it should be. Police are agents or agencies empowered to enforce the law and to affect public and social order through the legitimate use of force. The term is most commonly associated with police departments of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. The word comes via French from the Latin politia (civil administration), which itself derives from the Ancient Greek , for polis ("city"). In our experience the police have contributed negatively to an increasingly disjointed social order in the nation. The Nigeria Police has failed the nation in its primary function of providing safety, ensuring public order, enforcing criminal law, traffic regulations, crowd control, criminal investigation etc. Once upon a time, a mad man was assumed to be admiring the police parade at a nearby police post, the Divisional Police Officer walked to him and asked if he wanted to join the police and the mad man retorted, 'I dey mad?!'. Like the teaching profession, these days people join the force as a last resort, so naturally they vent all the frustrations of life on the job. Bail is free on paper but in practice the price you pay all depends on the offense, your negotiation skills and the officer in charge. I once narrated the tale of an officer who stopped the police commissioner in his state and asked for a bribe of N20 or else he was going to arrest him for driving at night alone when the roads were dangerous.. How many times have we seen policemen disappear on occasion of an armed robbery, everyone wants to get to heaven, but none wants to die? A visit to a police barracks tells you the story, poor welfare, houses without common sanitary facilities, falling buildings, electricity disconnected, breeding grounds for miscreants and even worse. The frustration sips into the policeman's wife, every nine months another baby, and the thick line of abject poverty, social deprivation moves and finds habitation in the vicious cycle. It is in these situations that officers also wreck havoc, from the pay office, all sorts of fraud occur, the usual illegal deductions, to the ghost officers. With our police everything is wrong, nothing is right. The new uniforms are only for the Ogas, the material is in the open market and anybody can buy and wear and get a salute. There is a public apathy against the police so much that even if they wore white they would discrete the color. Abba Kyari is not just about the police but equally an examination of our society, one that questions our core values. The fact being that we should be asking how we got here? Who created Kyari? The Nigeria Police are not entirely bad, there are good ones amongst them, infact let me state categorically that there are gentlemen officers and women in the police, but they are sadly negligible...We are having the likes of Abba because our police lack 21st century policing skills that thrive more on intelligence gathering, tactical operations, which should bring about clinical execution of their assignments, in manners that are beyond stain and societally transparent. We lack security operatives that adopt modern techniques in fighting crimes. The Force is devoid of values like the larger Nigerian society, the reason some criminals are also celebrating Abba Kyari's fall. Between an endless hope and a hopeless end, let us see hope in the horizon, though this is difficult to see. The situation is bad, let it not be said that we did not talk, write, and even beg the government to do something. When will address the Kyaris, when will we face policemen that interrogate, arrest, and detain goats, hens and crates of beer as witnesses, accused and complainantsOnly time will tell. The Auburn school district has formed a committee that will review the book that some community members want removed from the high school library. In January, the Auburn Enlarged City School District received written complaints on the book "All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto," by journalist and activist George M. Johnson. The formal challenges prompted the district to launch an official review process under district policy, which includes the formation of a review committee. That body will recommend if the book should stay or be removed, and the Auburn school board will make the final decision. The book recounts Johnson's life growing up as a queer Black person. Detractors say it has pages with material too sexually explicit to be in a high school, comparing it with child pornography. Schools in some states have banned it. Supporters of the book, including librarians and intellectual freedom advocates, argue removing it from age-appropriate libraries would be censorship and that Johnson's work, including the passages in question and its overall context, reflect issues young people may be contending with. Concerns about "All Boys Aren't Blue" first came up locally at an Auburn board of education meeting in December, with some complaints brought up to board members at a meeting on Jan. 11 as well. Several written challenges regarding the book were sent to Auburn Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo later that month, triggering the start of the district's review process. At a different school board meeting Jan. 25, several community members addressed the book's presence at the school and the debate around it, with most expressing support for keeping it at the library. These concerns came up as similar debates about book banning have raged on across the country. Pirozzolo said in an interview with The Citizen Friday that the review committee met for the first time Feb. 14. Extra copies of the book were ordered by the district, and committee members are set to read the book over the district's February break from Monday, Feb. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 27. The committee's next meeting is Feb. 28 at the high school. The meeting is open to the public, but district committee meetings don't have public comment periods. Pirozzolo said people talking during or interrupting the meeting will be asked to leave. Amy Mahunik, the district's assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, and Brian Morgan, the high school's principal, are leading the committee. The district's policy on materials being objected to requires that the building principal and librarian be on the committee. The high school's librarian is Beth Cuddy, who spoke at the Jan. 25 meeting in favor of keeping the book at the library. Other members of the committee include Matteo Bartolotta, the school board member who is the designated liaison between the board and the high school, and Kieralyn Mathis, the school board's student representative for the 2021-22 school year. Faculty and staff members David Fisselbrand, Caitlin LaManna and Erin Shurant are also in the group. Lisa Carr, the director of Seymour Library in Auburn, and Isabelle Wellauer, who ran for a school board seat in May and previously expressed concerns about the book at the Jan. 11 meeting, are also on the committee. Pirozzolo said the Feb. 28 committee meeting is when the group is expected to review the district's policy to see if the book conforms with it. It is possible that the committee could make a recommendation decision at the meeting, but the group could also decide more discussion and information is needed before sending its decision to the school board. Pirozzolo previously noted the committee's recommendation is not meant to be made based on individual committee members' personal opinions, but by adhering to the established policy. That discussion is meant to be based on the district's "Selection of Library and Audiovisual Materials" policy. Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 4 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of one Joshua Adeyinka Kayode, a 22-year-old defendant who is standing trial for allegedly defrauding over 170 investors of N10.7 billion through a sham investment scheme. The Nigeria Police Force had last August arraigned Kayode before Justice Tijjani Ringim of the Federal High Court. The defendant was arraigned alongside his company, Quintessential Investment Company Limited on a 170-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence. However, when the matter came up last Friday before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, the defendant was absent. This led the jusde to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant. The matter was adjourned to March 25, 2022. It is recalled that Justice Oweibo had admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N2 billion with two sureties in the like sum. The sureties must be a landed property owners within the court's jurisdiction and were to depose to affidavit of means. Justice Oweibo also ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport with the Court's Registrar while the sureties and the defendant were ordered to deposit their 2 passport photographs. The court ordered the prosecutor, Mr. Tijani Williams to verify the bail conditions. Mr. Williams had told the court that the defendant and others now at large committed the offences between July 2020 and March 2021. He also told the court that the defendant defrauded the victims under the pretence of bogus returns on investment. Williams stated that the offences committed by the defendant are contrary to and punishable under section 8(a) and 1(1) (a) and (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. The defendant however pleaded Not guilty to all counts of the charge. Tijani then urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending when his bail application would be heard and determined. Counsel to the defendant, Mr. Emeka Okpoko (SAN) did not oppose to the prosecutors application for remand of the defendant. Instead, he asked the court for a short date to enable him file the bail application. After listening to the submissions of the parties, Justice Ringim, adjourned the matter to August 11 for hearing of the defendants bail application. He also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services pending the hearing and determination of his bail application. Kayode was earlier arrested by operatives from the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) following a complaint by one of the investors but allegedly absconded upon release on administrative bail. He was however re-arrested by a crack team from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos. COUNT 1: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020 March 2021 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: Obtaining Money by False Pretence and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 2: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020-March 2021 at Lagos,, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of One Billion and Eight Million Naira (#1, 800,000,000.00) from one Oladapo Abiola m (Voltal Golbal Capital Investment Company) under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 3: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020-March 2021 at Lagos,, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of Seventy Million Naira (N70, 000, 000. 00) from one Akande Solomon Odafe m under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 4: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020 March 2021 at Lagos,, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to fraudulently obtained the sum of Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000.00) from one Umara Ibrahim Adubi m* under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 8: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020March 2021 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud. fraudulently obtained the sum of Four Hundred and Ninety One Million Naira (N491,000,000.00) from one Olarinde Tolulope f under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section I(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 6: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020March 2021 at Lagos.. within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court. did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of Eleven Million Naira (N11,000,000.00) from one Uchechukwu gbunonu m7 under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 7: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020March 2021 at Lagos,, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of Four Million Naira (N4,000,000.00) from one Daniel Eshiet m under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 8: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July 2020-March 2021, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court. did with intent to defraud. fraudulently obtained the sum of Seven Million Naira (N7,000,000.00) from one Ifabiyi Tobi Emmanuel m under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 164: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020-March 2021 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of One Hundred and Thirty Four Million, Five Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand Naira (N134, 576, 000.00) from one Nnamdi Emmanuel munder the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section I(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 167: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020-March 2021 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of Six Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty Six Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Two Naira (N6, 726, 562.00) from one Onyiga Damilola f under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 168: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020-March 2021 at Lagos,, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000.00) from one Okwuazu Anwulika munder the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 200. COUNT 169: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020-March 2021 at Lagos,, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) from one Florence Adebayo f under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. COUNT 170: That you Joshua Adeyinka Kayode M, Quintessential Investment Company Limited and others now large between July, 2020-March 2021 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of Four Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira (N430,000.00) from one Esther Eshiet f under the pretence of investing same a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. Last-ditch push to head off Russian attack on Ukraine WORLD: Last-ditch diplomatic efforts were underway today (Feb 20) to prevent what Western powers warn could be the imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine and a catastrophic European war. RussianpoliticsviolenceUkraine By AFP Sunday 20 February 2022, 05:30PM Reservists take part in tactical training and individual combat skills conducted by the Territorial Defense of the Capital in Kyiv, Ukraine, yesterday (Feb 19). Photo: AFP French President Emmanuel Macron was to call his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as ceasefire monitors and Ukrainian commanders reported intense shelling in eastern Ukraine. Macron met Putin on Feb 7 and has since, along with fellow Western leaders like Germanys Chancellor Olaf Scholz, been urging his Russian counterpart to pull back from the brink of war. Todays call, Macrons office said, represented the last possible and necessary effort to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine. More bombardments were heard overnight close to the frontline between government forces and the Moscow-backed rebels who hold parts of the districts of Lugansk and Donetsk. Occupied enclave Every indication indicates that Russia is planning a full-fledged attack against Ukraine, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said, echoing US President Joe Biden, who believes the invasion is imminent. The Moscow-backed separatists have accused Ukraine of planning an offensive into their enclave, despite the huge Russian military build-up on the frontier. Kyiv and Western capitals ridicule this idea, and accuse Moscow of attempting to provoke Ukraine and of plotting to fabricate incidents to provide a pretext for a Russian intervention. Russian military personnel and special services are planning to commit acts of terror in temporarily-occupied Donetsk and Lugansk, killing civilians, alleged Ukraines top general Valeriy Zaluzhniy. Our enemy wants to use this as an excuse to blame Ukraine and moving in regular soldiers of the Russian armed forces, under the guise of peacekeepers, the military chief of staff said. The rebel regions have made similar claims about Ukraines forces and have ordered a general mobilisation, while staging an evacuation of civilians into neighbouring Russian territory. Officials with the Lugansk rebels claimed today they had repulsed an attack by Ukrainian forces that had left two civilians dead, but the Ukrainian interior ministry immediately denounced the claim as an absolute fake. Russian investigators said they had opened a probe into the alleged incident. Russia, according to Western leaders, has more than 150,000 troops along with missile batteries and warships massed around Ukraine, poised to strike. Some 30,000 of these troops are in Belarus, ostensibly for an exercise alongside Putin ally Alexander Lukashenkos forces, but also close to the Ukraine frontier and the road to the capital Kyiv. All eyes were on this force today, the day when the exercises are scheduled to end. If Putin fails to withdraw them to Russia as promised, this will be seen as a further escalation of the threat. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Macron yesterday he would not respond to Russias provocations, according to the Elysee. But in his speech to the Munich Security Conference, he also condemned a policy of appeasement towards Moscow. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world, he said. He called for clear, feasible timeframes for Ukraine to join the US-led NATO military alliance - something Moscow has said it would never accept, as it tries to roll back Western influence. Western officials in Munich warned of enormous sanctions if Russia attacks, with US Vice President Kamala Harris saying this would only see NATO reinforce its eastern flank. Nuclear drills Yesterday, from the Kremlin situation room, Putin and Lukashenko watched the launch of Russias latest hypersonic, cruise and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Putin has also stepped up his rhetoric, reiterating demands for written guarantees that NATO roll back deployments in eastern Europe to positions from decades ago. The big question remains: does the Kremlin want dialogue? European Council President Charles Michel asked at the Munich Security Conference. We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops. The volatile front line between Ukraines army and Russian-backed separatists has seen a dramatic increase in ceasefire violations, monitors from the OSCE European security body have said. Hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks were reported in recent days, in a conflict that has rumbled on for eight years and claimed more than 14,000 lives. The OSCE said there had been 1,500 ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Lugansk on Friday alone, and AFP reporters in the area have heard heavy shelling since. On Saturday, a dozen mortar shells fell within a few hundred metres (yards) of Ukraines Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy as he inspected a frontline position with journalists in tow. Viewed of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate R IDGEFIELD A historic clock on Main Street that tells the correct time twice a day may soon start ticking again. The Rotary Club of Ridgefield expressed interest in restoring the clock prior to the new year, and also proposed relocating it to a more prominent location after discussions with First Selectman Rudy Marconi. But the Board of Selectmen agreed this week that the clock should remain in its original place and form. The clock is located on the west side of Main Street just south of Deborah Anns Sweet Shoppe. It was erected there on Dec. 8, 1958, and donated by members of the American Womens Voluntary Services. This group was active during World War II and provided taxi rides to various people who helped with the war effort, including military personnel, blood donors and canning drive workers. The Ridgefield units headquarters was formerly located on Catoonah Street. The women raised money to cover their costs through a variety of fundraisers. Some years after it disbanded, the group found a sizable amount of money left over in a bank account. The remaining members decided to use the funds to donate a town clock to Ridgefield as a commemoration of their wartime services. The clock has stood on Main Street for more than 60 years but hasnt worked for the past 10, according to Bill Wyman, the Rotarys communications chair. He and fellow Rotarian Dennis Bishop approached the selectmen last year after the organization voted to purchase a new clock, he said. We look for opportunities to make an impact in the town, Wyman told Hearst Connecticut Media. The current location of the clock is surrounded by wires and utility poles, and it just doesnt look good compared to how it was installed originally. The Rotarians proposed installing a new two-faced or four-faced clock in a more prominent location. Marconi suggested the new clock be placed in front of Town Hall or near the Scott House on Sunset Lane, Wyman said. But the Board of Selectmen want to keep the clock where it is and see if it can be repaired, Wyman said. Board members expressed their intent on maintaining the clocks current location. There are a lot of people who feel very attached to that clock where it is, Selectwoman Barbara Manners said. Continuing to have it on Main Street where it has historically been and restoring (what) we have now would be the ideal combination. What Ive heard is the general sentiment would be to leave the two-sided clock, restore the original, Selectman Bob Hebert said. That is a part of our history its a part of the fabric of the community. Wyman said it would cost approximately $22,000 to restore the clock in its current setting with new, atomic wiring. The technology would ensure the clock would display the correct time without altering its face or exterior design, he said. But if the clock is to remain in its original location, Wyman said its pedestal needs to be assessed. Following winter storms, snow is often plowed up to the foot of the clock, potentially affecting its structural integrity. The next step is to get an evaluation on the pedestal and vote on if we should repair the current one, Wyman said. If we put in the new atomic clock, is it worth doing on a pedestal that may have damage? We dont know. The Rotary will consider fronting the costs to repair the clocks internal wiring and get an evaluation on the pedestal at its next meeting on March 7. CORRECTION: This article was corrected to reflect that First Selectman Rudy Marconi suggested the new clock be moved in front of Town Hall or near the Scott House on Sunset Lane. alyssa.seidman@hearstmedia ct.com Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Rain likely. Low 19C. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 11C. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. POTSDAM A music education student at the State University of New York in Potsdam campus died from gunshot wounds in what was described as an isolated incident, authorities said Saturday. New York State Police say Potsdam Police were responding to a report of an unconscious woman shortly before 6 p.m. Friday when they found 21-year-old Elizabeth Howell of Patterson, N.Y., lying with gunshot wounds on the side of College Park Road in the village. She was pronounced dead about an hour later after she was taken to Canton Potsdam Hospital, authorities said. In a news release Saturday, SUNY Potsdam said it was deeply saddened to share that the victim of the shooting was a student at the school's Crane School of Music who was in the Class of 2022. The school's website calls the music school one of the best public music programs in the country. We mourn Beth's loss as one campus community, and hold her family, friends, and loved ones in our hearts at this difficult time, it said. The school said it was canceling Monday classes as we work to support each other through this tragedy. It advised students that the College Counseling Center would offer drop-in support all weekend as it also posted crisis and suicide hotline numbers. Earlier Saturday, the school had warned people in St. Lawrence County and neighboring Franklin County to be vigilant, as there may still be an active threat to the community. Lock your doors, and report any suspicious activity. But a later news release copied language from the State Police report, saying the preliminary investigation has determined that this appears to be an isolated incident. SUNY Potsdam, founded in 1816, was one of the country's first 50 colleges. With fewer than 3,000 undergraduate students. Nearly half of its students pursue studies in the sciences, social sciences or mathematics. The Village of Potsdam is located in the Town of Potsdam in the Adirondack foothills in St. Lawrence County, about 30 miles from the Canadian border. State police said they were asked to lead the investigation, which did not immediately result in any arrests. The investigation was being assisted by the St. Lawrence County Sheriffs Office, the St. Lawrence County District Attorneys Office, the University Police Department at SUNY Potsdam, and federal Homeland Security Investigations. Anyone with information was asked to call Potsdam police at 315-265-2121. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 0 Westerly, RI (02891) Today Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. A mining executive sacked by Rio Tinto over an alleged bribery scandal is plotting a dramatic stock market return with a 700million float on London's Alternative Investment Market this year. Alan Davies was dismissed by the Anglo-Australian miner in 2016 over a project in Guinea, West Africa. He was head of the energy and minerals division of Rio, and is alleged to have been involved in a 7.5million payment to a friend of the president of Guinea. Rio self-reported the payment in 2016 and Davies was cleared of wrongdoing by Australia's securities watchdog last year, which cited insufficient evidence. A probe into the payment by Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is ongoing. Digging deep: Rio Tinto self-reported the payment in 2016 and Alan Davies was cleared of wrongdoing by Australia's securities watchdog last year He has since become chief executive of miner Moxico Resources. The Mail on Sunday understands that Africa-focused Moxico is ramping up plans to float and has hired advisers Hannam & Partners and Tamesis to help. A date has yet to be set for the public offering, though sources say it could take place before the summer. But the float risks being overshadowed by Davies's dismissal from Rio. Davies was involved in the FTSE 100 miner's effort to develop a high profile iron ore project in Guinea. He was dismissed after being linked to a 2011 payment made to Francois Polge de Combret, a former French diplomat who was a university contemporary of Alpha Conde, then Guinea's president. In emails used in a court case that Rio brought against Brazilian giant Vale and BSG, run by Israeli tycoon Beny Steinmetz, it emerged Davies had asked his bosses to authorise the payment to the Frenchman. According to the emails the payment was for de Combret's help in securing the right to exploit Simandou, one of the world's largest untapped deposits of iron ore. Davies has accused Rio of failing to provide 'evidence of the reasons' for terminating his employment, maintaining there were no grounds. But the events were a blow for Davies who was highly regarded and had been tipped as a potential chief executive of Rio Tinto. He held a number of senior roles at the mining giant, including chief executive of its diamonds and minerals arm. He was also on the board of British engineer Rolls-Royce. Davies joined Moxico in 2017. The London-based firm was founded in 2013 and mines copper in Zambia. In May last year it raised 55million from investors to help fund construction of its flagship Mimbula project in Zambia's copper belt. The float is likely to crystallise a payday for Moxico's directors, who include Davies and chairman Peter Wynter Bee, a former lawyer at accountancy group KPMG. Investment bank Hannam & Partners was founded by buccaneering dealmaker Ian Hannam, who was labelled the 'king of mining' while at banking giant JPMorgan, where he worked on the 56billion tie-up of Glencore and Xstrata. A string of mining firms have already listed in London over the past 12 months, including US coal miner Bens Creek and South Africa's Thungela Resources. They have been listed amid a boom in commodity prices, which have soared as economies around the globe recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Copper prices have leapt in the past 18 months, raising Moxico's prospects. Once in full production, Mimbula should produce 30,000 tons of copper a year. The project is 85 per cent owned by Moxico and 15 per cent by Zambian partners. Davies declined to comment. The SFO refused to confirm whether it is investigating Davies specifically, but said a probe into 'Rio Tinto, its employees and others associated with it' is ongoing. SPARKS [mdash] Mrs. Mattie L. Clements Martin, 93, of Sparks, Georgia, passed away at her granddaughter's home on April 25, 2022. Mrs. Martin was born on January 17, 1929 in Colquitt County to the late Ivey Lane Hart and Ola Gay Hart. She lived most of her life in Cook County and was of the Instant unlimited access to all of our content on tillamookheadlightherald.com. The Headlight Herald E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) EV giant Tesla is facing a review by Germany regulators over an Autopilot feature as regulatory scrutiny into the carmakers driver-assistance technology intensifies. The country's federal motor vehicle office KBA is investigating the carmaker's automated lane-change function and whether it is approved for use in Europe, Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported. The KBA is also in touch with the Netherlands vehicle agency, which is responsible for approving Tesla cars in Europe, the report stated. The increased scrutiny of Tesla's Autopilot system is posing a risk to the carmaker's commercialization of automated-vehicle technology. (Also read | Tesla makes one-millionth 4680 series EV battery cell, will be used in Model Y) Last week, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened its second probe into a possible Autopilot defect in Tesla vehicles. The electric-car maker has been increasingly drawing criticism over issues including how it branded the autonomous system of the vehicle and whether it does enough to safeguard against inattentiveness and misuse of the feature. The latest probe by German regulators simply adds to the regulatory hurdles being faced by the electric carmaker. Progress at Tesla's first European factory, in a site near Berlin, has been slower than expected amid a backlash from environmental groups showing concerns over water use and wildlife issues. (Also read | Watch: Tesla in Autopilot mode crashes as driver watches movie) In a separate development, Tesla is also facing the heat in South Korea where the country's antitrust regulator have launched an investigation into reports that the carmaker may have exaggerated range claims on its products in advertisements. Citing an official from Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), Reuters had reported that the Tesla may have been guilty of stretching the mileage claims on some of the electric vehicle models it offers in the country. Tesla has claims that its Model 3 can cover a distance of around 528 kms per charge. If the Tesla mileage claims in its advertisements are found to be an exaggeration, it would be a violation of the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising. (with inputs from Bloomberg) First Published Date: remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Bridging Time features photos by Calvin Sneed. This month, he marks Black History Month with the first of a two-part series. During Black History Month, I visited two bridges unknown to most people bridges with African-American links that tell a story in the history of our country. This weeks featured bridge, Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge, is the only one still standing designed by a Black bridge contractor from the 19th century. The other, also still standing, is a memorial to the heinous hate crime thought to have been committed on it. You can read more about that next week. Until then, heres a closer look at this weeks featured bridge. Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge Meriwether County, Georgia Horace King (1807-1885), a prominent African-American bridge builder, is described by the New Georgia Encyclopedia as the most respected bridge builder in west Georgia, Alabama and northeast Mississippi from the 1830s until the 1880s. The last known bridge designed by King is the only one still standing. It was built in the 1840s across Red Oak Creek, a tributary of the nearby Flint River in Meriwether County, Georgia. It is the longest and oldest wooden, through-truss covered bridge in the state of Georgia. The encyclopedia notes King was born a slave in 1807 and eventually developed intuitive genius as a builder. His enslaver, who worked alongside him, allowed King the freedom to develop his abilities to construct bridges, warehouses, churches and individual homes. King was eventually freed by the enslaver in the mid-1840s. King's specialty was wooden covered bridges with the Town lattice layout of planks at 45- to 60-degree angles (designed by architect and civil engineer Ithiel Town), with wood slats crossing diagonally. King's first Town lattice covered bridge was built across the Chattahoochee River in 1833 in Columbus, Georgia, and his last documented crossing was also in Columbus in 1865, for a total of 15 bridges. The records at the National Register of Historic Places note that the one-lane main wooden span of the Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge is 116 feet long over the creek, with an uncovered approach span of 296 feet on the east end built over the creek's floodplain. It is built from heart pine and is held together with more than 2,500 pegs. Although the bridge was rehabilitated in 1980, the most recent inspection records (2018) list it in poor condition. Horace King was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame at the University of Alabama in 1989. Women may be nominated by an organization, business or community group for the prestigious YW Tribute to Women award in one of three categories: Nurture, Empower and Transform. The deadline is March 14. Kingsport, TN (37660) Today Thunderstorms likely. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy presents the Citizen Service Medal to Brandon Keller last week for helping a missing elderly couple he spotted on the side of Highway 36 on Jan. 27. In January, Cassidy gave Keller and his father the Citizen Lifesaving Award for their efforts in pulling a man from a burning car on Christmas Day. NISKAYUNA When Ibrahima Ndiaye wakes up at 5:30 in the morning, his mind almost immediately runs off thinking about what he has planned for the day. Will he be meeting with customers? Maybe hell be going to Mississippi to test out a new-age transformer he helped build. Or perhaps hell spend the day signing time sheets, running calculations and simulating the power of a three-story wind turbine in a small lab without blowing the roof off the place. All these things are part of a day in the life of an electric systems technology manager at General Electric. But theres some irony to all of this. Just nine years ago, when a former colleague suggested Ndiaye interview with GE for a position in his engineering specialty, he was a tad confused. GE who? he questioned. Withstanding hesitation to move from Canada, the Senegal native figured it couldnt hurt his prospects and seized the opportunity. When it came time to interview in person, Ndiaye missed his evening flight the night before and no other planes were heading out that way. It was about 5 p.m. and his interview was at 8 a.m. He contemplated going back home and just calling the company to see what could be done. Mid-debate, he decided to pick up his car keys and just drive. Nine hours later around 2 a.m., an exhausted Ndiaye arrived at his hotel. His interview presentation was incomplete and he had just a few hours to finish it. He closed his eyes a couple of hours later, then hustled to meet his future employers. While having dinner with a hiring manager later that evening, he learned his efforts werent for nothing. In a rare moment (because GE doesnt typically make same-day offers), the hiring manager presented him with an offer on the spot, he said. Ndiaye told them he would think about it, although on the inside he already knew he would accept it. Now nine years later, he is a senior engineer leading a team of innovative brains toward reshaping the future of the power grid. Todays power grid isnt flexible, Ndiaye explained. Transformers machines that process electricity so it can reach buildings and homes are limited in their capacities, life span and adaptation. If one transformer fails, you need to quickly replace it with the exact same model. Otherwise, the entire grid is endangered, according to Ndiaye. And the replacement can take anywhere from 18 to 36 months in many cases. With a country like the US, almost 100 percent based on electrical energy, losing power of the grid is very critical, he said. We cannot afford (to be) losing many lines. To solve the problem, Ndiaye and his team spent the last six years building a malleable transformer that can conform to grid conditions as they change. They are working on this with the U.S. Department of Energy. They've run a series of tests, analyses and simulations until they could prove their ideas made sense. From there, they physically built a prototype and scaled it to size. On days when Ndiaye felt stuck, he would head into their wire-filled lab to toy with parts until something clicked. He and his team are finally at the projects tail-end. The transformer successfully passed a critical field validation test this month and should be moving to commercialization come March. Jim LeBlanc, GE's technology director for electrical systems, acknowledged six years seems like a long time for one project but that's what it takes going through the GE lifecycle and to bring a theory to life for the sake of making a "difference in the world," which his team believes this transformer can do. Bringing such innovations to fruition hasn't been a walk in the park either; oftentimes the team hit roadblocks. Some days mother nature didn't want to cooperate and they had to deal with the laws of physics. Other days, it was tough to find the right partners and resources to advance the project, LeBlanc explained. In the case of the transformer, finding a utility partner to test out their prototype was a challenge. That too, they overcame and Nidiaye was essential to finding or inspiring solutions. "It's just very genuine in how he approaches that role leading by example," LeBlanc said. "I just point to his (Ndiaye's) ability to both understand the big picture and how some of these pieces fit together to make an impact, as well as being well involved with the details and inventing very nuanced but critical parts of the technology as as he moves through the programs and projects that he's involved in," he added. Going forward, Ndiaye says his team, in its Edison-like fashion, rather than move onto another project, will try to tackle another obstacle impacting grid power: transformers life span. Transformers have a shelf life of about 40 years. They want to extend transformers lives to 80 years or longer. Innovation doesn't work if it is not solving a problem. It's kind of applying what Edison mirrored, he said. Your success is not what you believe is good or great. Your success is what the other thing is if the customer thinks this is great. I'm considering what people need and proceed to invent it, he emphasized. Countless businesses and offices shut their doors when the COVID-19 pandemic first struck Coconino County in early 2020. The Coconino County Superior Court never did. Things never stopped moving behind the doors of the brick courthouse, and the prosecutors, court staff and attorneys never stopped working -- and it's been that way for nearly two years now. Instead, they pivoted. The COVID-19 pandemic dragged Arizona's court system in the 21st century seemingly by force, leaving court officials with no choice but to move many proceedings to a virtual setting to avoid a complete standstill. Video appearances became the norm, with in-custody inmates in quarantine in the Coconino County Detention Facility, judges in an empty courtroom alongside a court reporter, and both prosecutors and defense attorneys safely in their offices. The pandemic drastically slowed the already overwhelmed court system, forcing numerous cases to a near glacial pace or a complete stop. Jury trials were postponed for nearly a year as it was just too difficult and dangerous to bring in hundreds of potential jurors safely into the already tight courthouse. The trying of cases slowed, as did the charging of cases in the Coconino County Attorney's Office and court appearances as COVID made its way through the community again and again. Defendants languish in jail while victims wait for a resolution in cases that just seem to drag on. Others are set free while they await official charges to be filed. Their lives may have changed, but they just can't shake the looming charges The repercussions continue to ripple throughout the county's justice system nearly two years after it was first paralyzed by the pandemic. It was already backlogged and COVID only made matters worse. At least one major jury trial is set to take place every month this year and new trials are already scheduled well into 2023. It will likely take until at least 2024 for Coconino's courts to return to some level of normalcy, according to presiding Coconino County Judge Dan Slayton. The court is pressed on both sides, Slayton said. We have the Constitution on one side and we have the virus on the other, and sometimes the judges would just go in and see who would win that day. 'Delay of justice' Delays are nothing new for the court system, but certainly not to this extent, and it's impacting nearly every part of the system. The Coconino County Attorney's Office currently has a backlog of more than 600 cases to be reviewed for possible charges, compared to the historical average of about 400, Coconino County Attorney Bill Ring said. The criminal justice system could not handle everything normally and the pandemic only aggravated those existing issues. He compared dealing with the current backlog as trying to jam a size 10 foot into a size six shoe. "The appearance of any backlog is a self-inflicted consequence of a decadeslong failure to invest in the criminal justice infrastructure," Ring said. "Due to the lack of existing infrastructure, we were not able to respond to a challenge like COVID with resilience. We had no elasticity in the system to absorb this event." "We're in a backlog not because of the pandemic, but because we were destined to backlog anyway even without a pandemic," he added. Ring said that it can also be attributed to an insufficient amount of personnel in the criminal justice system, resulting in delays in disclosure, case processing and setting trials. The courthouse itself is too small to accommodate the needs of the growing county. COVID did not provide an unexpected Band-Aid for that, though. Virtual hearings slightly alleviated capacity issues and Coconino County is attempting to tackle the problem head-on by temporarily adding a new court division and judge, increasing the number of divisions to eight between criminal, civil and juvenile courts. The size of the courthouse does place some limitations on that, though. Court administrators are currently working to figure out how many trials can run concurrently given the current setup while still following Center for Disease Control recommendations. "It's been years since we've invested in the infrastructure we need to meet the demands," Ring said. There were attempts to stop the flow of new cases in the first place. The number of new cases has decreased, according to Clerk of the Superior Court Valerie Wyant, yet they are now taking longer to close. The number of ongoing criminal cases decreased by nearly half from 1,312 in fiscal year 2019 to 713 during the same period in 2021. The difficulty is in getting trial dates. Criminal trials can't be conducted remotely, as defendants have the constitutional right to face their accusers. The court can only try so many cases at one time between coordinating schedules, jurors and staffing. Ring was quick to point out that criminal cases don't get better with age. Memories can fade, people can move and other factors can get in the way as time passes. "The delay of justice can sometimes hurt the quality of the case and that goes for both parties," Ring said. 'How is this possible?' Defense attorneys have also felt the impact of delayed criminal cases. Ryan Stevens, an attorney with Griffen & Stevens Law Firm, described an overwhelming caseload. His office already has major felony trials scheduled out for every month through 2023, with dozens of smaller trials interspersed in-between. This is completely unprecedented for us, too," he said. "Sometimes we look at our caseload and wonder, 'How is this possible?'" He pointed out that many defendants are sitting in jail, missing opportunities to rebuild their lives. Stevens listed multiple clients that have been in custody for the entire duration of the pandemic. For others out of custody, their efforts to move forward in life as they await a summons can be completely destroyed when it finally comes. Slayton emphasized that they're prioritizing proceedings for those in custody. But then there are the cases that do go to trial and are derailed again by the continuing pandemic. Stevens saw multiple ongoing jury trials delayed due to possible exposures and confirmed cases. He can't help but wonder how those delays may impact a jury's ability to weigh a case. Every day presents a new challenge as court administrators work to determine the best way to move forward safely. The pandemic has been overwhelming for the courthouse's small staff. Currently, a team of 25 covers six court divisions, and that number will increase slightly to 31 with the addition of the new division, Wyant said. Once jury trials resumed in mid-2021, they started pre-screening jurors with an extended questionnaire that could be completed at home to cut down the number of people coming into the courthouse. Wyant and her team have been especially innovative in keeping things flowing both smoothly and safely by balancing working from home with in-person as much as possible to keep court staff safe while still managing the seemingly non-stop influx of criminal and civil cases on top of daily proceedings. "We never closed our doors," Wyant said. Reporter Bree Burkitt can be reached at 928-556-2250 or bburkitt@azdailysun.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. POTSDAM A Massena man has been charged with second-degree murder after a SUNY Potsdam cellist was found shot just behind the college's music school Friday afternoon. State Police charged a 31-year-old Massena man with the killing of Elizabeth Howell, 21, of Patterson, Putnam County. Howell, a member of the Class of 2022, was set to graduate in a few months. SUNY Potsdam said the man, Michael J. Snow, "has no affiliation with the college, either as a student, employee or graduate." Potsdam village police were initially called with a report of an unconscious woman on College Park Road around 5:51 p.m. Friday, State Police said. The road borders the campus near the Crane School of Music. Officers found she was "lying on the side of the road with gunshot wounds," State Police said. She was rushed to Canton-Potsdam Hospital, but died a short time later from her injuries. Because little was known immediately about the case, the college put in a shelter-in-place order Friday night. On Saturday SUNY Potsdam lifted the order. "The investigation is ongoing, but the preliminary investigation has determined that this appears to be an isolated incident," the college said in a statement. It's still unclear the circumstances around the shooting. Snow was sent to the St. Lawrence County jail with no bail set. The killing has rocked the small college community. SUNY Potsdam said it will plan a vigil and memorial concert in honor of Howell, who was known as Beth. Her Facebook page said before attending Potsdam she graduated from Brewster High School and lived in Putnam Lake. A number of scheduled campus activities were canceled for Monday or rescheduled. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. "Beth was a cellist who performed with the Crane Symphony Orchestra, and she was an aspiring educator with a bright future ahead of her," SUNY Potsdam said in a statement. "No words can express the sadness we share as a campus community following this tragic loss." At the request of the Potsdam Police Department, the State Police is leading the investigation. Police are asking anyone who may have information about the case to call Potsdam police at 315-265-2121. State Police and Potsdam police are being assisted by the St. Lawrence County Sheriffs Office, the St. Lawrence County District Attorneys Office, the University Police Department at SUNY Potsdam, and federal Homeland Security Investigations. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WATERVLIET In lifting choral voices under a shimmering golden dome, they prayed for an aversion of conflict. Well pray for peace so that those who have dark and evil desires escalating war can change their mind, said Rev. Mikhail Myshchuk of the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Watervliet. Parishioners gathered at a service on Sunday to promote a peaceful resolution as invasion fears mounted in Ukraine. They prayed first in Ukrainian, then in English as Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion, reported the Associated Press on Sunday. Clergy clad in golden robes appealed for peace and said spiritual unity would be the only way out of widespread conflict. This prayer may be our last best hope, Myshchuk said. Myshchuk avoided directly discussing the mounting conflict in his sermon, instead using a fairy tale allegory with good and evil characters to draw a parallel. Dark forces are selfish, greedy and careless, he said. Many stories do teach us to stand against darkness, Myshchuk said. Stories also tell us that good is strong although it can appear weak. Today were facing darkness in our world once again. Roughly 120 people attended the noon service, many wearing colorful vyshyvanka, or traditional embroidered garb. Religious leaders from other local congregations also attended, including St Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Troy and St. Peter Armenian Church in Watervliet. They were joined through Zoom by St. Andrews Church in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. Father Andrew Kaychak observed, flanked by solemn-looking parishioners in surgical masks. Were living in very prophetic times. Your faith is going to be truly tested, said Deacon Thomas Gutch, who appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin show mercy to those around him in order to avert violent conflict, which younger generations have not been exposed to. This is what war looks like, said Gutch, who spoke of a prophecy of a burning Russia. Total destruction. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to Putin on Saturday to choose a place where leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis and appealed for a cease-fire on Twitter on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. Russia has denied plans to invade. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Andrij Baran, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of North American Capital Region, said hes spoken with Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, on a possible U.S. response and hopes to have a similar meeting with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville. Tonko, who attended the event and later addressed parishioners, said U.S. sanctions against Russia are possible and said it was important for the nation to financially support Ukraine. If (Putin) is going to threaten the security, the stability and the peace of Ukraine, Putin needs to know that sanctions will be levied on him, Tonko said. Father Vasyl Dovgan of St. Nicholas Ukranian Orthodox Church in Troy said the mood of Ukrainians in the Capital Region is one of prayer and resilience. Overall, people are overshadowing fear, Dovgan said. This fear is uniting them all. Theyre praying together and praying for peace, unity also and love. Viktor Holovashchenko emigrated to the U.S. from Lviv, Ukraine over two decades ago. His brother is still in the western city, as well as other relatives. Many Ukrainians believe Russia is utilizing scare tactics as leverage to extract concessions from the country, he said. People are calm and people are ready, Holovashchenko said. The Ukrainian Army has become quite strong in the past six years. All indications are things are getting worse, but overall, people are still getting on with their lives, Holovashchenko said Lets get right to the question: What if, simultaneously, Russia invades Ukraine and China invades Taiwan? Unlikely probably, but not improbable. China and Russia today are ruled by risk takers who have demonstrated a capacity and willingness to commit military aggression against neighbors. Not since the 1930s and 1940s have two major military powers posed a major military threat to U.S. interests and global peace. A simultaneous attack by China and Russia would be a League of Nations moment the end of the United Nations as a meaningful multilateral organization. Global economic organizations (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization) would likewise survive, but be substantially damaged. Human psychology makes it difficult to contemplate something that has not before happened; the failure to think Pearl Harbor or the World Trade Center were cases in point. Lets dig deeper. China in recent years has acted outside its historic pattern of behavior, which has been limited to its sovereign territory. It has built islands in the South China Sea, militarized them, and then claimed the surrounding waters as territorial, despite a U.N. tribunals ruling in 2016 that it had no legal basis for such claims. China has grossly violated the 1984 treaty with the United Kingdom that guaranteed Hong Kongs rights and freedoms after the city was returned. Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, Crimea in February 2014 with troops disguised without insignias, and eastern Ukraine the following month with Russian-backed separatists. It currently has deployed more than 100,000 regular troops along Ukraines border. It has waged continuous cyberattacks against Ukraines infrastructure. Numerous bilateral and multilateral talks with Russia have demonstrated unanimous western support for Ukraine, but have failed to produce any meaningful Russian withdrawal much less an unambiguous moderation in its unwarranted demands. So, too, an unprecedented release of U.S. intelligence about Russian disinformation plots and military plans has failed to curb Russian President Vladimir Putins aggressiveness. Putins control of Russias domestic discourse is a return to Stalinism. His domestic propaganda glorifies Russias military prowess and increasingly seeks to legitimize the idea that Ukraine is an aggressive western outpost and Russia might consequently be forced to initiate defensive military action. It is classic gangster logic. Chinese and Russian jets have increased the frequency and the menacing nature of patrols along the respective borders of Taiwan and Ukraine. Moreover, both Russia and China observe our grossly divisive domestic politics and undoubtedly consider us politically weakened. Xi and Putin probably read correctly that the American public has no appetite for yet another military intervention. And in their last two meetings, Xi and Putin have expressed in exalting language mutual support on issues concerning the others core interests. What to do? The U.S. continues to provide military assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total to about $3 billion since 2014. On December 12, 2021, the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and U.S.) stated that a Russian attack on Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe costs in response. While this message has been constantly reaffirmed by the U.S. and our European allies, all have explicitly said this means economic and political consequences, not a direct military intervention. This is inadequate. If the U.S. wants to maximize the prospects of deterring Russia, then it must specify, preferably with its allies, what these consequences will be. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. While Russia has impressively accumulated more than a half-trillion dollar reserve, the fact is Russia is a one industry country: oil and gas. At a minimum, Russia needs to know that the U.S. is working with its allies on plans to curb, if not eliminate, purchase of its oil and gas if Ukraine is invaded, and to otherwise provide Europe with energy security. The new German government has said, albeit reluctantly, it will not purchase Russian gas from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which ordinarily would soon become operational, if Ukraine is invaded. The U.S. needs to work with Germany and its other gas and oil suppliers the Netherlands, Norway and the U.K. and with other potential sources to find substitute supplies so that purchases from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline can be reduced, if not terminated. Reminiscent of the Berlin Airlift when the U.S. and its allies in 1948-49 supplied fuel and food to a Russian blockaded Berlin, the U.S. and its allies need to plan a German sealift to supply it with gas and oil. In short, Russia needs to know it will be isolated from the west politically and its banks financially if it invades Ukraine. Unlike Russia, Chinas economic strength makes it largely immune to international political and economic deterrence. The U.S. has deliberately articulated an ambiguous policy toward the defense of Taiwan. To date, ambiguity has been satisfactory but no longer. The U.S. needs to adopt a policy of maximum deterrence, making it clear it will come to the defense of Taiwan if it is attacked. The failure to do so would blot our self-esteem as well as shatter our alliance relationships with Japan, South Korea, Australia and others. It would likely make North Koreas Kim Jong-un even more aggressive toward South Korea. To leave no doubt for China about U.S. policy, the U.S. should, preferably with its Asian allies, deploy an enhanced naval presence in the South China Sea but not in the Taiwan Strait, which would be unnecessarily provocative. Nuance is necessary. It is a small dangerous world. Failure to deter China and Russia would make it more so. David Lenefsky lives in Ulster County and practices law in Manhattan. He was project director for arms control at The United Nations Association-USA. Here's a quick campaign blast that deserves consideration and begins one of the most interesting battles we of the upcoming election season. A former Marine isn't kidding around about her election challenge. Here's a recent blast from her side . . . Megan Marshall will campaign to unseat Tony Miller on Jackson County Legislature Megan Marshall, Vice President of the Lees Summit Board of Education, will officially launch her campaign for Jackson County Legislature, 3rd District At-Large, during a 10 a.m. press conference Monday morning at Martin Luther King Jr. Square Park in Kansas City, MO. Marshall seeks to unseat two-term incumbent Tony Miller in the Democratic primary election on August 2, 2022. If elected, per Missouri statute, Marshall is allowed to serve on the school board and county legislature. Marshall released a brief transcript to the media of her prepared remarks for Mondays press conference: There comes a time when continuing to wait for change rather than stepping forward to be that change becomes an act of cowardice. Violent crime in Jackson County continues to destroy far too many lives. Last year in the KC Metro alone, 48 teenagers and young adults were murdered. Hundreds more were maimed and scarred from gun violence in our largest cities. Domestic violence against women is increasing. Missouri is top five in the nation for the number of women killed by men. Most of these crimes are committed with guns. The plague of substance abuse permeates every corner of our county. From urban enclaves and suburban cul-de-sacs to the rural backwoods. Fentanyl overdoses are a nightly news story. As another parent finds their child unresponsive in their bedroom. We must redouble our efforts to rescue our children. Our public schools have become the battlefield for political warfare. Adults protest critical race theory and face masks while our children fall further behind academically and deeper into the abyss of anxiety and despair. Its time to refocus our attention on what matters. The obstacles we face are many, and all are too dire and too urgent to continue settling for leadership that is just out of touch. We dont need any more politicians content in their Ivory Towers - dismissive and indifferent to the needs of working people. Those who refuse to put service before self. Our communities deserve engaged and responsive leaders. Not those who believe getting your vote is the end of their service. The public should have confidence their representatives are working hard, not dozing off on the taxpayers dime while property taxes rob working people of the little savings they have. The county legislature has promised a new detention center for over a decade, yet the current one continues to crumble. Im not too young to remember a time when it seemed like whenever I blinked a new jail appeared. When people who look like me received mandatory life sentences for having the same marijuana thats legal today. Communities in Jackson County that suffered for decades through mass incarceration now cant depend on their government to build one jail to keep violent criminals from terrorizing our neighborhoods. Theres something wrong with that. Those who shoot innocent people should not be allowed right back on the streets to murder more of our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. All because self-serving politicians are more concerned with re-election than public safety. This is the type of political hypocrisy that makes people cynical about their government. Our houseless population in Jackson County is increasing. Encampments dot the landscape from Independence to Grandview. Too many fellow Veterans, after bravely serving our country, are forced to call the crevices underneath bridges home. I can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch the demands of the vulnerable be ignored. While the powerful and well-connected reap the rewards of their suffering. As the daughter of a Baptist minister, I was taught the strong should bear the burdens of the weak. The people of Jackson County deserve more, much more. Its time to elect public servants who will lead with humility, serve with integrity, and remain accountable to those who elected them. ############################ Developing . . . In this post we round-up a bevy of misdeeds from across the metro accompanied by photos from the po-po and brief descriptions of ALLEGED misdeeds. Notice that there's an uptick in crime from our suburban friends as times get tougher and just a bit more violent across the nation. And, as always, we attempt to finish the roundup with a bit of hope . . . Check TKC news gathering . . . KC-area woman allegedly stole more than $100k from elderly OLATHE, Kan. - A woman charged with stealing from elderly residents allegedly rerouted more than $100,000 from their bank accounts into her personal account. Patricia Ann Myler, 39, is charged with seven counts of mistreating an elderly person, identity theft, and computer crimes. According to an affidavit, Myler worked as an accounts receivable manager at Villa St. Prairie Village police looking for suspects in Saturday morning armed carjacking PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS (KCTV) -- Prairie Village police are investigating an armed carjacking that happened at a gas station early Saturday morning. According to police, they received an emergency call about an armed carjacking at the Phillips 66 gas station in the 9400 block of Mission Road. Howard Jansen III pleads guilty in death of 3-year-old daughter KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV/AP) - A Kansas City, Kansas, man will be sentenced March 25 after pleading guilty to killing his 3-year-old daughter. Howard Jansen III pleaded guilty last week to second-degree murder and five other charges. Police found the body of his daughter, Olivia Jansen, in July 2020 in a wooded area in Kansas City, Kansas, hours after Jansen reported her missing. Man charged in attempted rape of patient inside KC hospital KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Jackson County Prosecution's Office has charged a man with attempted rape of a patient inside Kansas City Hospital. Elisha Beraiah, 31, is facing first-degree attempted rape and first-degree sodomy. According to court records filed late Friday, Kansas City Police Department responded on Feb. Mother of KCK teen killed in double homicide says family moved to Kansas to avoid violence KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Two teens shot and killed early Friday morning have been identified by the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. The police department said Samuel Guess and Antonio Johnson, both 14 years old, were pronounced dead inside an apartment on the 2200 block of Birch Drive. Car slams into stalled vehicle while police officer assists driver stuck in the snow The Bonner Springs Police Department shared a wild video Friday of a car sliding into a stalled car and police vehicle. The crash was just one of many, as drivers struggle to cope with one of the area's biggest snowfalls in recent years. Independence officer received nearly 2 months of vacation pay in addition to OT pay in 2021 A master police officer, who became the highest-paid Independence city employee last year, received nearly two months of vacation pay in 2021. History of domestic violence led to Shawnee fire that killed infant, DA says SHAWNEE, Kan. - More details have come out about a Johnson County, Kansas, man accused of setting a fire that killed his little boy. The district attorney's office charged 28-year-old Nicholas Ecker with first-degree murder and aggravated arson in connection to that fire in Shawnee. 2 teens shot, killed in KCK were both 14 years old Seven teens in Kansas City, Kansas public schools have died from gun violence this school year.The latest two were shot and killed late Thursday. Both victims were 14 years old.Police say Samuel Guess and Antonio Johnson were not relatives but were friends. KC police, owners still searching for 2 classic cars stolen from storage garage KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After nearly a dozen classic cars were stolen in Kansas City, several vehicles have been located. But a couple of owners are still searching. There's also a reward for the vehicles' safe return. The owners say it's not about the money. It's personal. Uncle of 6-year-old boy killed in Kansas City says it feels like a bad dream KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The family of 6-year-old Karvell Stevens is speaking out. The young boy was found dead in his home at 73rd and Indiana in Kansas City. Police arrested his mother and Jackson County prosecutors have charged her with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. The family of Stevens is devastated. New Peer Support Dog Joins KCPD KCPD has a new peer support dog, Rowdy, courtesy of the Kansas City, Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #99. Hes a 3-year-old Dutch Shepard rescue who will comfort officers whove experienced traumatic events, boost morale within the department, and support any KCPD employee who could use some. Developing . . . A weekend request earned a surprising bit of traction for Mayor Q. As we approach campaign season we remind readers of the Mayor's campaign strategy over the past few election cycles . . . He is extremely nice, gains confidence and then, inevitably, BACKSTABS or engages in shameless double talk. The punchline: It works. Two quick examples . . . Behind the scenes candidate Quinton Lucas befriended at least three colleagues and convinced them they where real life buddies only later to join the litany of "activists" in calling them out them malevolent racists . . . Heck, he even sent one of them to "bias" training. Another story that's on the record and we enjoy because it miffs everybody . . . Mayor Quinton Lucas tricked the Kansas City police and their leadership into not just an endorsement but ENTHUSIASTIC support. Their recent posturing shouldn't fool voters. They were out there marching in the streets for Mayor Q despite their current litany of complaints. And so, we remind readers that participating in politics requires a cruel world view and the ability to parse pleasantries from strategy. Or . . . It's just safe to assume that EVERYBODY is lying and simply enjoy the show. Accordingly, here's the word from Mayor Q . . . The FB ask earned plenty of pushback and some support that kinda offers a hint that KC isn't so "nice" after all. You decide . . . Just a bit of concern for the queen inspires this quick update on the topic of pop culture, community news and top headlines . . . Check TKC news gathering . . . Sacrilege Almost Restored Eight of 10 classic cars recovered following theft from Kansas City parking garage KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) --- Police are still searching for two vehicles stolen during a brazen heist of 10 classic and collector cars from a storage garage. Ten classic cars were stolen from a parking garage in the Westport area. Eight of them have been recovered. Tragedy Hits Council KC councilwoman receives devastating news about the death of a personal contact in Afghanistan Kansas City councilwoman Teresa Loar said Friday she was devastated by the news that one three young sisters from Afghanistan that she kept in contact with has died.Loar worked in Kabul for two years while on assignment for the U.S. State Department. While there, she grew especially close to the three young sisters. Local Middle-Class For Good Cause KC businesses offer discounts for Waldo Week, partner with HappyBottoms for donations KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City is celebrating Waldo Week through Feb. 25. Participating shops, restaurants and service companies are offering discounts to neighbors and visitors. Emilie Jackson, owner of Emilie's French Teas , says community events like this give customers the opportunity to expand their horizons as well as owners the chance to give back. QUEEN OF ENGLAND PLAGUED BY COVID!!! Queen Elizabeth Tests Positive for COVID-19, has 'Mild Cold-Like' Symptoms Queen Elizabeth has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced. A short statement, released at 11.45am, U.K. time on Sunday, said, "Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for covid. "Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week." Prez Meets Amid Impending War Biden to convene National Security Council meeting on Ukraine will be convening a National Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Sunday, White House press secretary said in a statement on Saturday. "President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in Ukraine, and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team. Meet The News Bosses Bond Between China and Russia Alarms U.S. and Europe Amid Ukraine Crisis The Biden administration plans to build up global coalitions to counter a pact between Vladimir V. Putin and Xi Jinping, portending a new type of Cold War. WASHINGTON - When Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, called on Saturday for talks to resolve the crisis in Europe, he said Ukraine's sovereignty should be "respected and safeguarded" - but also sided with Russia in saying that NATO enlargement was destabilizing the continent. US Out Of Sorts . . . Americans are fleeing to places where political views match their own There's a private Facebook group with nearly 8,000 members called Conservatives Moving to Texas . Three of them are sitting at a dinner table - munching on barbecue weenies and brownies - in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. None are vaxxed. And they love it here. Tech Spreads The Wealth Race and ethnicity debate complicates tech antitrust fight Supporters of the legislation are unmoved. "In a last-ditch attempt to preserve their corrosive powers, big tech is now circulating arguments that antitrust legislation will harm Black communities," Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), a co-sponsor of House tech antitrust legislation and formerwhip of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in an email. Another Poke Coming Soon A fourth Covid-19 shot might be recommended this fall, as officials 'continually' look at emerging data As the world approaches the second anniversary of the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization, on March 11, more nations are rolling out -- or are discussing the possibility of -- fourth doses of coronavirus vaccine for their most vulnerable. Golden Ghetto Resource For Parents Johnson County's Central library set to debut drive-thru, areas for kids 'to burn off some steam' Johnson County's Central Resource Library in Overland Park is set to re-open Tuesday after being partially closed for a year. When the library closed for renovations last February, the staff walled off a small portion of the building and called it Little Central to keep patrons safe from construction. Sunflower State Tastes Fair Trade In De Soto, Kansas, Cause Coffee serves ethically sourced coffee and more for good Every detail of Cause Coffee in De Soto, Kansas, is carefully considered by founder and head barista Tara Stucky. From syrups to bitters and coffee beans to microgreens, all the ingredients and products on the menu are ethically sourced and organic. This Week According To Katie A warm patch before another cold and cloudy week Hide Transcript Show Transcript THROUGH 10:00. HOPE FOLKS CAN GET OUT AND ENJOY THE WEATHER. IT MIG FHTEEL LEIK SPRING BUT WINTER IS NOT OVER. KATIE: IT GIVES US A LITTLE TEASE AND HERE WE GO AGAIN. RIGHT NOW WE'RE MILDND A BREEZY WILL BE OUR FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON. The Monkees - "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. The Biden administration and state officials are bracing for a great unwinding: millions of people losing their Medicaid benefits when the pandemic health emergency ends. Some might sign up for different insurance. Many others are bound to get lost in the transition. State Medicaid agencies for months have been preparing for the end of a federal mandate that anyone enrolled in Medicaid cannot lose coverage during the pandemic. Before the public health crisis, states regularly reviewed whether people still qualified for the safety-net program, based on their income or perhaps their age or disability status. While those routines have been suspended for the past two years, enrollment climbed to record highs. As of July, 76.7 million people, or nearly one in four Americans, were enrolled, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. When the public health emergency ends, state Medicaid officials face a huge job of reevaluating each persons eligibility and connecting with people whose jobs, income, and housing might have been upended in the pandemic. People could lose their coverage if they earn too much or dont provide the information their state needs to verify their income or residency. Medicaid provides coverage to a vast population, including seniors, the disabled, pregnant women, children, and adults who are not disabled. However, income limits vary by state and eligibility group. For example, in 2021 a single adult without children in Virginia, a state that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, had to earn less than $1,482 a month to qualify. In Texas, which has not expanded its program, adults without children dont qualify for Medicaid. State Medicaid agencies often send renewal documents by mail, and in the best of times letters go unreturned or end up at the wrong address. As this tsunami of work approaches, many state and local offices are short-staffed. The Biden administration is giving states a year to go through the process, but officials say financial pressures will push them to go faster. Congress gave states billions of dollars to support the coverage requirement. But the money will dry up soon after the end of the public emergency and much faster than officials can review the eligibility of millions of people, state Medicaid officials say. In Colorado, officials expect theyll need to review the eligibility of more than 500,000 people, with 30% of them at risk of losing benefits because they havent responded to requests for information and 40% not qualifying based on income. In Medicaid, typically, theres always been some amount of folks who lose coverage for administrative reasons for some period of time, said Daniel Tsai, director of the CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. We want to do everything possible to minimize that. In January the eligibility of roughly 120,000 people in Utah, including 60,000 children, was in question, according to Jeff Nelson, who oversees eligibility at the Utah Department of Health. He said that 80% to 90% of those people were at risk because of incomplete renewals. More often than not, its those that just simply have not returned information to us, he said. Whether they didnt receive a renewal or theyve moved, we dont know what those reasons are. Arizona Medicaid director Jami Snyder said 500,000 people are at risk of losing Medicaid for the same reasons. She said that processing all the eligibility redeterminations takes at least nine months and that the end of the federal funding bump will add pressure to move faster. However, she said, were not going to compromise peoples access to care for that reason. Still, officials and groups who work with people living in poverty worry that many low-income adults and children typically at higher risk for health problems will fall through the cracks and become uninsured. Most might qualify for insurance through government programs, the ACA insurance marketplaces, or their employers but the transition into other coverage isnt automatic. Even short-term disruptions can really upend a family, said Jessie Mandle, deputy director of Voices for Utah Children, an advocacy group. More Marginalized People Low-income people could still be in crisis when the public health emergency ends, said Stephanie Burdick, a Medicaid enrollee in Utah who advocates on behalf of patients with traumatic brain injuries. In general, being uninsured can limit access to medical care. Covid vaccination rates among Medicaid enrollees are lower than those of the general population in multiple states. That puts them at higher risk for severe disease if they get infected and for exorbitant medical bills if they lose their insurance. Theyre more marginalized people, Burdick said. She said she worries that theyre going to fall off and that theyre going to be more excluded from the health care system in general and just be less likely to get care. Burdick knows this firsthand as someone who experienced traumatic brain injury. Before covid-19, she would periodically lose her Medicaid benefits because of byzantine rules requiring her to requalify every month. The gaps in coverage kept her from seeing certain specialists and obtaining necessary medicines. I really do remember being at the pharmacy not being able to afford my medication and just sobbing because I didnt know what to do about it, she said. It was horrible. The covid Medicaid continuous coverage requirement was enacted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which gave states an increase of 6.2 percentage points in federal funds if they agreed to maintain eligibility levels in place at the time. The boost meant tens of billions of additional dollars would flow to states, estimates from KFF show. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can extend the public health emergency in 90-day increments; it is currently set to end April 16. Groups that advocate for the needs of low-income Americans say the renewal tidal wave will require outreach rivaling that of almost a decade ago, when the ACA expanded Medicaid and created new private insurance options for millions of people. Independent research published in September by the Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank based in Washington, D.C., estimated that 15 million people younger than 65 could lose their Medicaid benefits once the public health emergency ends. Nearly all of them would be eligible for other insurance options, including heavily subsidized plans on the ACA marketplaces. Tsai said the 15 million estimate provides a helpful grounding point to motivate everybody but declined to say whether the Biden administration has its own estimates of how many people could lose benefits. I dont think anyone knows exactly what will happen, he said. Tsai and state officials said they have worked hand in hand for months to prevent unnecessary coverage loss. Theyve tried to ensure enrollees contact information is up to date, monitored rates of unreturned mail, worked with insurers covering Medicaid enrollees, and conducted shadow checks to get a sense of who doesnt qualify, even if they cant disenroll people. Some enrollees could be renewed automatically if states verify they qualify by using data from other sources, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. For others, though, the first step entails finding those at risk of losing their coverage so they can enroll in other health benefits. Its a big question mark how many of those would actually be enrolled, said Matthew Buettgens, a senior fellow in Urbans Health Policy Center and author of the September report. One factor is cost; ACA or job-based insurance could bring higher out-of-pocket expenses for the former Medicaid enrollees. I am particularly worried about non-English speakers, said Sara Cariano, a policy specialist with the Virginia Poverty Law Center. Those vulnerable populations I think are at even higher risk of falling out improperly. The law center is planning enrollment events once the unwinding begins, said Deepak Madala, its director of the Center for Healthy Communities and Enroll Virginia. Missouri, already sluggish in enrolling eligible people into the states newly expanded Medicaid program, had 72,697 pending Medicaid applications as of Jan. 28. Enrollment groups worry the state wont be able to efficiently handle renewals for nearly all its enrollees when the time comes. By December, the Medicaid rolls in the state had swelled to almost 1.2 million people, the highest level since at least 2004. The state one of several with histories of removing from the program people who were still eligible did not say how many people could lose their benefits. I want to make sure that everybody that is entitled to and is eligible for MO HealthNet is getting the coverage that they need all the way from babies to older individuals to individuals on disability, said Iva Eggert-Shepherd of the Missouri Primary Care Association, which represents community health centers. No End in Sight Some people argue the current protections have been in place long enough. Theres no end in sight. For two years, its still a quote-unquote emergency, said Stewart Whitson, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Government Accountability. The conservative think tank has argued that states can legally begin trimming people from Medicaid rolls without jeopardizing their funding. This is the kind of problem that just grows worse every day, he said of not removing ineligible people. At the beginning of the pandemic, people were in a different position than they are now. And so responsible legislators and government officials in each state have to look at the facts as they are now. Tsai said its quite clear to us that for states to be eligible for the covid relief bills enhanced Medicaid funding, they must keep people enrolled through the emergency. Those two things are interlinked, he said. Meanwhile, states still have no idea when the renewal process will begin. HHS has said that it would give states 60 days notice before ending the emergency period. The additional Medicaid funds would last until the end of the quarter when the emergency expires if it ended in April, for example, the money would last until June 30. Its hard to do a communication plan when you say, Youve got 60 days, here you go, Nelson of Utahs Department of Health said. Colorado officials had debated sending letters to enrollees when the public health emergency was nearing its scheduled end on Jan. 16 but held off, expecting that it would be extended. HHS announced a 90-day extension only two days before it was set to expire. Those kinds of things are really confusing to members, Medicaid Director Tracy Johnson said. OK, your coverage is going to end. Oh, just kidding. No, its not. KHN senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk and Midwest correspondent Bram Sable-Smith contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 6 Kansas City 1st responders work tirelessly into the night. Here's on example out of many . . . The fire was reported around 9:10 p.m. in the area of Gladstone Boulevard and E. 6th Street. A spokesperson for the Kansas City Fire Department confirms a party was rescued from the second-story of a vacant home. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . . Kansas City fire crews rescue individual from second floor during response to house fire KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) --- Fire crews in Kansas City rescued an individual from a burning home late Saturday night. The fire was reported around 9:10 p.m. in the area of Gladstone Boulevard and E. 6 th Street. A spokesperson for the Kansas City Fire Department confirms a party was rescued from the second-story of a vacant home. Kansas City firefighters pull victim from burning house Kansas City, Missouri firefighters rescued a person from a burning house Saturday night. Crews say someone was upstairs in a vacant home on E. 6th Street near Gladstone Boulevard when the fire started after 9 p.m. Firefighters pulled that person from a window. No update yet on their condition. KCFD fighting fire in 3000 block of East 6th Street KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department is fighting a fire in the 3000 block of East 6th Street. The call came in around 9:10 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters were alerted that someone was sheltering in place on the second floor, according to KCFD spokesperson Jason Spreitzer. Developing . . . Here's a open secret that deserves just a bit of attention to keep our readers from falling into dangerous corporate groupthink trends . . . Not even police support police all the time. As always we advise people to think critically in EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE and to throw off the shackles of partisan talking points that are only crafted to rule over low-IQ plebs. And so . . . We enthusiastically share this worthwhile view of a conservative, working-class town advocating for political change after the tragic killing of a young woman . . . A new, 16-minute documentary from Independent Lens chronicles Fizers story and her familys grief. It also shows a small town in central Missouri upset with the injustice dealt to one of its own. Months after Fizer was shot and killed, the county voted in a new sheriff, ending the 16-year run of the Pettis County sheriff who defended the shooting. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . 'Pulled Over: The Hannah Fizer Case' Tells the Story of a Sedalia Shooting SEDALIA, Missouri - Hannah Fizer, a 25-year-old Sedalia resident, was pulled over on her way to work in June of 2020. What should have been a ticket for a traffic violation ended with five shots fired into Fizer's car. The Pettis County deputy believed Fizer had a gun, though no firearm was ever found in the vehicle. Check the clip . . . You decide . . . Johnstown, PA (15901) Today Rain, heavy at times early. Low 59F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch.. Tonight Rain, heavy at times early. Low 59F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch. Tullahoma, TN (37388) Today Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. The World Health Organization reports that 5% of adults worldwide live with depression, but approximately 75% of people with depression do not get the treatment they need. Experts in the field say that depression is a global health crisis. Maria Espinola, PsyD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, told Healthline that depression is not simply feeling unhappy at times. "Depression, on the other hand, is a serious mental health disorder that interferes with your daily functioning by affecting how you think, feel, and act, she explained. Espinola said depression was a major issue prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has worsened the problem. She said to address the problem, it will be important to address areas including stigma, social determinants of health, trauma, income inequality, gender inequities and all forms of discrimination. Read the Healthline article. Featured photo courtesy of Unsplash. A vehicle of the Proliska humanitarian aid mission has come under artillery fire from Russian-backed forces near the village of Novoivanivka in Ukraine's Donbas region. Evgeny Kaplin, the head of the Proliska humanitarian aid mission, announced this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform. "Today, at 14:09, a car of the Zolote office of the Proliska humanitarian aid mission, returning from Vrubivka to Zolote, came under shellfire from 122mm artillery systems on the Horske-Popasna road near the settlement of Novoivanivka (close to Persyianivka)," Kaplin wrote. According to him, this section of the road is located about 11 kilometers from the contact line. "Thanks to the coordinated actions of colleagues, they were evacuated from the scene. There are no casualties," Kaplin said. Earlier, he said that a team of the Proliska humanitarian aid mission visited the village of Trudivske in the Volnovakha district, where six houses were damaged during artillery shelling on February 18, and provided residents of the damaged houses with construction materials for emergency repairs from UNHCR Ukraine, a UN refugee agency in Ukraine. On February 20, in the Donetsk region, enemy shelling blacked out the town of Krasnohorivka and destroyed five houses in the village of Pobeda and the town of Zalizne. op A years-long struggle to assure health coverage for some 3.5 million combat veterans exposed to military burn pits since 9/11 has taken a big step forward as the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the measure last week. The bill, known as the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, had been introduced just 15 days earlier by Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, and Ranking Member Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican. Friday, Tester said it was likely every combat veteran since 2001 had been exposed to potentially toxic substances emitted from trash pits in Iraq and Afghanistan post-9/11. The Department of Defense also recognizes the problem in veterans who served in Southwest Asia during the 1990s, where burning garbage was the norm. The legislation that passed Feb. 16, was the product of earlier bills by several Senate Veterans Affairs members that received hearings in 2021. When we did a hearing on the bills that are in this bill nine months ago, there were people who had needed a double lung transplant for Gods sake because of this, Tester said. One guy was in pretty tough shape, to be honest. We had to move the meeting to be able to meet his health care requirements. Its estimated by the Department of Defense that 3.5 million combat veterans were exposed to toxic trash fires and other sources of toxic emissions. Of those combat vets, roughly a third dont have coverage for exposure. For most veterans the window for health care eligibility is five years after discharge. The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act would create a 10-year, post-discharge enrollment period for all veterans. It would also create an open enrollment period of one year, during which veterans experiencing symptoms from as far back as 2001 could register, no mater how long it has been since they were discharged. Many of these veterans could be living with undiagnosed illness linked to military toxic exposures, or they're already experiencing the illness due to that exposure, Moran said during a Feb. 1 press conference concerning Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act. The cost of the expanding health care participation for veterans has been a deal breaker for the some in the Senate, where more than a simple majority vote is required to advance the funding. In the House, where a simple majority vote is sufficient for passing bills, toxic exposure bills have not only been passed more easily but have also been broad in scale. Attempts to secure the coverage date back to at least 2019 and had attracted national attention, in part because comedian Jon Stewart and leaders of the movement to secure health coverage for emergency responders to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center took up the cause for burn pit coverage for veterans. We are a country that loves its veterans, at least we purport to. And we support the troops, and we put on our flag pins, and we stand, Stewart told the House Veterans Affairs Committee during a livestreamed hearing last month. And they get discounts at Dennys. But the true support of having their backs is when they need it, and when they are sick and dying due to the service they gave to this country, and they come back and are put under scrutiny and made to be defendants in cases about their own heath care. It is unacceptable. Tester said the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act is just one of three bills that needs passage to deliver for veterans. The next bill will establish a process for Veterans Affairs to be able to address toxic exposures, which VA hasnt been able to do yet. The second bill is likely to pass the Senate easily, but the third phase of the bill series will be challenging, Tester said. The third phase is a phase where we're going to find out, Tester said. It'll sort the men from the boys pretty quick because this is the one that delivers VA benefits. Not only to burn victims, but there's a couple hypertension and MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, a blood condition) that still haven't been dealt with from the Vietnam War. And this deals with them too. Combined, the three bills contain what Tester originally introduced in May 2021 as a Compensation and Overdue Support for Troops (COST) of War Act. The COST of War Act was a sweeping expansion of health benefits for veterans, allocating $430 billion in spending over 10 years, including $180 billion for direct health care and $250 billion in other benefits. Tester indicated then that the COST of War Act wouldnt advance unless the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member agreed to do so. In the end, there wasnt unanimous support. The new three-bill approach is an attempt to get the Cost of War Act provisions passed unanimously in smaller bites. "I don't know that it's going to be that easy in the House. But we'll see. We'll see what happens," Tester said. "But keep in mind, this time, this is just the first step of three. And this is an important step. And it's a big damn deal. Make no mistake about it." Love 14 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Netherlands has temporarily relocated its embassy in Ukraine from Kyiv to Lviv for security reasons. That's according to the website of the Dutch Foreign Ministry, Ukrinform reports. Such a decision was made on Sunday, February 20. According to the report, "the Dutch embassy has temporarily relocated all of its operations from the capital Kyiv to Lviv for security reasons." The Dutch Foreign Ministry said it was very concerned about the situation in Ukraine. Earlier, a number of Western countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, also relocated their diplomats to Lviv. On February 18, the Netherlands decided to supply military goods to Ukraine due to the threat of a new Russian invasion. In particular, the issue concerns sniper rifles, helmets, body armor, radars and metal detectors. op Elyor Nemat/UNHCR Dushanbe, 18 February 2022 UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Tajikistan received 20 tons of humanitarian cargo provided by the European Union and the Government of Japan that arrived in Tajikistan through the Termez Cargo Center in Uzbekistan. The delivery is part of the joint UNHCRs and donors efforts to assist the Government of Tajikistan in preparation for the possible refugee influx from Afghanistan. The first shipment of humanitarian supplies includes 104 Refugee Housing Units, which is a part of a consignment to Tajikistan, that also includes sleeping mats, kitchen sets, plastic sheets and other core relief items. Delivered to Termez by air and land in November-December 2021, these goods have now been trucked to Tajikistan to stockpile life-saving assistance that enables UNHCR and its state counterparts to rapidly respond and provide humanitarian assistance when it is needed the most. In Tajikistan, the humanitarian community, under the coordination of UNHCR, is supporting the government to enhance emergency preparedness and response. This first humanitarian cargo sent to Tajikistan from UNHCR hub in Termez is one example. UNHCR is committed to providing further assistance to the government through the Refugee Coordination Model, which brings together more than 30 national and international humanitarian and development agencies. UNHCR greatly appreciates the continued support of donors, particularly the Government of Japan and European Union, said UNHCR Representative in Tajikistan, Mulugeta Zewdie. The emergency preparedness and humanitarian assistance were made possible thanks to the generous contribution of the Government of Japan in the amount of 700,000 USD and the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, which allocated 500,000 Euros. The consignment was sent from UNHCRs humanitarian hub established in October 2021 in the Termez Cargo Centre with the support of the Government of Uzbekistan. The Termez Cargo Centre is a logistics and emergency response hub to enhance pre-positioning and rapid delivery of Core Relief Items to Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asian region affected by the Afghanistan situation. The hub increases UNHCRs agility to respond, enabling rapid replenishment of local supplies, while reducing costs and risks associated with carrying large inventory in each operation. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on. Get started! A Lame Deer man pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge Thursday, admitting to fatally stabbing a man at a Crow Agency convenience store in 2020. James Posey Fisher Sr., 35, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors earlier this month. He was indicted in U.S. District Court in 2021 and charged with stabbing 34-year-old Dane Fisher, who later died of a single wound to his chest. On June 28, 2020, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, both James and Dane Fisher were traveling together in a car that James Fisher drove to the Teepee Station in Crow Agency. The two started an argument that led to an exchange of blows after they got out of the car. Witnesses said during the melee Dane Fisher backed away and ran until falling to the ground. He was visibly bleeding. James Fisher got back into the car and drove away. Dane Fisher died before first responders could get him to a hospital, according to the DOJ. The FBI, tasked with responding to all major crimes like murder and violent assault reported in Indian Country, led the investigation into case. Prosecutors indicted James Fisher on voluntary manslaughter in March 2021. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over Thursdays hearing in which he pleaded guilty to the charges, and his sentencing is scheduled for July 8. Fisher, who has pleaded guilty to a federal assault charge in the past and is currently awaiting sentencing for an assault charge in Yellowstone County District Court, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. In November 2014, Fisher admitted to using a chainsaw to assault a man while delivering firewood throughout the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The man suffered lacerations to his face and scalp, as well as a damaged tendon to his right thumb, according to court documents. Substance abuse, particularly alcohol, fueled the outburst of violence, according to a sentencing memorandum filed in February 2015. Judge Watters sentenced Fisher to 41 months in the Bureau of Prisons for the assault, plus three years of federal supervised release. Fisher began his term of supervised release in November 2017, and the court granted his early release from federal supervision in December 2019. About six months later, he was charged with deliberated homicide as one of several suspects arrested after the shooting death 24-year-old Brett Ness in Billings. Fisher reached a plea agreement with county attorneys in March 2021 in which he pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a weapon, a felony. His sentencing in Yellowstone County District Court is set for April 13. Fisher remains in federal custody, and is currently incarcerated at Yellowstone County Detention Facility. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 15 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A new 3 million social housing project, built by the Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company (FAGCC), has officially opened with support from Royal Bank of Scotland. The development in Fort Augustus, near Loch Ness, opened in late October and comprises of 12 new homes for local families. Each home has been designed with the latest green energy technology including air source heating and longer-lasting materials such as locally-sourced stone from an adjacent borrow pit. The development also includes cycle stands to encourage active travel among the local community, and the grounds have been landscaped with over 500 trees and shrubs including fruit trees and soft fruit bushes. Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a report detailing 20 different, billion-dollar climate and weather related disasters in 2021. This makes 2021 the most expensive year for climate related events in our nations history. Here in Montana, we've experienced 12 extreme weather events costing us upward of $5 billion over the last decade. Sometimes, politicians argue that we can't afford the solutions needed to tackle climate change. With these increasingly eye-popping price tags, its time to ask a different question: how can we afford not to? Right now President Joe Bidens Build Back Better (BBB) Act awaits action. I realize that BBB isn't perfect, but it moves America forward in profound ways. BBB will help put the U.S. on a course to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and creates a program that will save the average family $500. All of these efforts will have real and lasting impacts for every Montanan. BBB will be the most decisive action our country has ever taken to confront the climate crisis. Sen. Jon Tester has been working behind the scenes to build consensus on practical solutions that make sense for Montana. We need our elected leaders to follow his lead, pass BBB and get it to the presidents desk for his signature. Otherwise, you and I will continue to sign massive checks to cover the cost of preventable climate-related disasters for decades to come. Shelby Fisher Missoula Love 4 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 (UroToday.com) The Poster Session C on the third day of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancer Symposium 2022 focused on Renal Cell Cancer; Adrenal, Penile, Urethral, and Testicular Cancers. In this session, Dr. Strambi presented a real-world experience from Sweden examining the outcomes of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with second-line axitinib. Axitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1-3 that was approved in 2012 for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) after the failure of prior treatment with sunitinib or a cytokine. While clinical trials are critical for registration, Dr. Strambi highlighted that it is important to describe the clinical outcomes of more heterogeneous, real-world populations. Thus, in this analysis, the authors described the time-to-treatment discontinuation (TTD) and overall survival (OS) among patients receiving second-line axitinib in a real-world setting using a nationwide Swedish mRCC cohort. The authors used the Swedish Health Data Registers, covering the entire Swedish population to perform retrospective analysis. The authors identified adult patients (aged 18 years) with mRCC who had 1 filled prescription of axitinib in the second-line setting, after an anti-angiogenic targeted therapy, from marketing approval until December 2019. This analysis relied on data relating to dispensed pack size, strength, and dosing as recommended by the product label. A grace period of 90 days was allowed between filled prescriptions including medication accumulated from overlapping prescriptions. The Kaplan-Meier technique was used to describe TTD and OS. The authors identified 110 patients who received second-line axitinib in Sweden during the study period. Patients were predominantly male (n = 84, 76.4%) with a mean (SD) age of 60.9 (9.6) years at diagnosis and 65.5 (9.9) years at the initiation of second-line therapy. The median time to TTD was 5.2 (95% CI 3.7-6.1) months, with 6 (5.5%) patients still receiving treatment at the time of analysis. The median OS was 12.2 (95% CI 7.7 -14.2) months with 25.5% (n = 28) of patients censored at the time of analysis. Thus, the authors conclude that this real-world analysis of the Swedish population demonstrated the results with second-line axitinib in mRCC was generally consistent with published randomized controlled trials. Presented by: Angela Strambi, Ph.D., Medical Affairs, Pfizer AB, Stockholm, Sweden Valdosta, GA (31601) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. High around 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Zambias President Hakainde Hichilema tells Vatican News he was pleasantly surprised to find that Pope Francis has a profound understanding of development issues in Africa, and Zambia in particular. Paul Samasumo Vatican City. Zambian President Mr Hakainde Hichilema was received by Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday morning. Following the audience with the Holy Father, President Hichilema met with the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Monsignor Mirosaw Wachowski, the Undersecretary for Relations with States. Gratitude to the Holy See I am glad to be here, and I am grateful to the Vatican and the establishment for giving us this opportunity to meet the Pope early in our presidency -we are still less than six months into office. We are really grateful, said Mr Hichilema. He ascended to office in an August 2021 landslide vote that catapulted his UPND political party into government for the first time ever. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Vatican News on the sidelines of his visit to the Vatican, Mr Hichilema, a devout Adventist, spoke highly of his encounter with Pope Francis. He said he informed the Holy Father that his government respects the freedom of worship for all Churches and prioritises unity among Zambia. We as a government will embrace all religious organisations in our country. They all have space, and they all have the right to basically promote their evangelical work, said the Zambian President. 'I am a beneficiary of free education' Mr Hichilema said he was impressed that Pope Francis is aware and well informed about the development policies that his government has embarked upon. He praised Pope Francis for his progressive views on development in Africa. The Pope is aware of our educational policies of offering education to all, including those that are disadvantaged. I told the Pope that I am a beneficiary of free education. Born in a village and education made the difference, Mr Hichilema explained. Education will be fundamental to changing Zambian society, he said. While encouraging private education for those who can afford it, the Zambian President is keen that his country should also care for disadvantaged school children. Read also 19/02/2022 Pope Francis meets with President of Zambia Pope Francis receives Hakainde Hichilema, the president of Zambia, in audience at the Vatican on Saturday. Education for all is priority For now, the UPND government that Mr Hichilema leads has abolished all school fees from primary to secondary school. The overall aim, in future, is to also provide free tertiary education at college and university level. Asked why the strong emphasis, Mr Hichilema replied: A society without education skills -how can you develop it? How can you produce food more efficiently without agricultural knowledge? An inclusive cabinet sends a message of unity Regarding unity in Zambia, Hichilema told Vatican News that his government values and is pushing unity in diversity among all Zambians because it is the decent thing to do. The government, he said, must be a reflection of that diversity. For this reason, he continued, his government is composed of ministers from all ten provinces of Zambia. Zambia has 72 tribes and many more dialects -the result of a complex history in patterns of Bantu migrations. Hichilema further pledged to distribute the countrys resources equally among the countrys regions. We want to unite the people of Zambia through equity, fair treatment of all regions. It is through this platform that we want to continue binding and bonding ourselves as one Zambia, one nation and one people, he reiterated. Corruption takes away resources from the poor Hakainde Hichilema, a Zambian businessman, farmer and politician, says he has hit the ground running. His concluding remarks were on corruption across the world but particularly in Zambia. Corruption is something we must abhor. Corruption takes away resources from those who need them the most: Young people, the sick, the aged. We must restore integrity in our country. We must know that public office is not for self-aggrandisement. It is for service to the people, said Zambias sixth president since the country gained independence from Britain in 1964. Following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis expresses his closeness to victims of natural disasters, especially in Madagascar and Brazil. He also prays for healthcare workers as Italy observes a National Day for Healthcare Personnel. By Vatican News staff reporter Pope Francis prayed on Sunday for those who have died recently in natural disasters, for consolation for their families, and for support for those who assist them. In remarks following the Angelus prayer in St Peters Square, the Holy Father looked especially to Madagascar, which has been struck by a series of cyclones; and to the Petropolis area of Brazil, which has been devastated by floods and landslides. Cyclones in Madagascar At least 14 people were killed in Madagascar this week by tropical storm Dumako, the state disaster relief agency said, as the island braces for another cyclone due to hit on Tuesday. Some 4,323 were displaced when Dumako made landfall in the east of the country on Tuesday, the disaster relief agency said late on Friday. They were being housed in 12 sites. The Indian Ocean island nation is going through its storm season. A total of 124 people were killed earlier this month when tropical cyclone Batsirai slammed the southeastern coast of the island. Another cyclone, Emnati, is forecast to hit close to the same area affected by Batsirai, said Nomenjanahary Mamy Andriamirado, a weather forecaster with the national meteorological service. Brazil flooding The death toll from mudslides and floods in Brazil's colonial-era city of Petropolis has risen to more than 120 people and is expected to increase further as the region reels from the heaviest rains in almost a century. Heavy downpours in the afternoon Thursday, when the city recorded some 6 cm (2.36 inches) of rain, caused even more soil instability and disrupted efforts to find survivors and clean up the debris. Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has pledged federal assistance to help the area recover, after surveying the damage on Friday. The heroism of health care workers Pope Francis also noted the observance on Sunday of National Health Personnel Day in Italy, saying we must remember the many doctors, nurses, volunteers, and others who stand beside the sick, treating them, making them feel better, and assisting them in so many ways. Recalling that nobody is saved alone, the Pope said, in sickness we need someone to save us, to help us. The Holy Father recognized the heroism shown by health care workers during the Covid emergency while emphasizing that their heroism remains every day. He then led the crowds in a round of applause, and a big Thank you! for health care workers. Music Time in Africa is VOAs longest running English language program. Since 1965, this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Ethnomusicologist and Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on whats happening in African music with exclusive interviews, cultural information, and of course, great music -- including rare recordings from the Leo Sarkisian Library of African Music. Presidents Day, the third Monday of February, is popularly recognized as honoring the birth month of two of the country's most prominent presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Washington and Lincoln, who led America through some of the toughest times, have long been deeply admired by many people. Mondays holiday is now a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents. Presidents Day is usually marked by public ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country. While many government offices will be closed, many businesses offer special holiday sales. History The origin of Presidents Day lies in the 1880s, when the birthday of Washington the first president of the United States and commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution was first celebrated as a federal holiday. At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history. Many events such as the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved several federal holidays to Mondays. The change was intended to schedule certain holidays so that employees would have long weekends throughout the year, but it has been opposed by those who believe that those holidays should be celebrated on the dates they commemorate. During debate on the bill, it was suggested that the Washington's Birthday holiday be renamed Presidents Day to honor the birthdays of both Washington (February 22) and Lincoln (February 12). Although Lincoln's birthday was celebrated in many states, it was never an official federal holiday. Following much discussion, Congress rejected the name change. After the bill went into effect in 1971, however, Presidents Day became the commonly acknowledged name, due in part to retailers' use of that name to promote sales and the holiday's proximity to Lincoln's birthday. U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with the National Security Council on Sunday, the White House announced Saturday as it reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. Psaki said Biden was briefed Saturday on Vice President Kamala Harris meetings at the Munich Security Conference. Harris met Saturday with Western leaders, among them NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over military drills Saturday as shelling escalated in eastern Ukraine. Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported more than 1,500 cease-fire violations in east Ukraine on Saturday, the highest single-day number this year. Russias defense ministry said Saturdays exercises, which the Kremlin says were previously planned to check readiness, involved practice submarine launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, with Putin and the president of Belarus looking on. Poised to strike Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the more than 150,000 Russian troops that have massed at Ukraines border are now poised to strike, as he spoke with reporters in Lithuania, where Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for an increased U.S. troop presence. At the Munich Security Conference, Harris warned that Russias plan was already unfolding. There is a playbook of Russian aggression, and this playbook is too familiar to us all. Russia will plead ignorance and innocence. It will create false pretext for invasion, and it will amass troops and fire power in plain sight, said Harris, who added a Russian invasion would trigger sanctions that include far-reaching financial sanctions and export controls. She also said the U.S. would bolster NATOs eastern flank as another deterrent to a Russian military invasion. Speaking at the conference earlier Saturday, Stoltenberg said Russia, in threatening Ukraine, will get more NATO instead of the smaller NATO footprint Putin says he is seeking. Stoltenberg also said he has sent a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling for a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council to avert a conflict in Ukraine. Stoltenberg told the Munich Security Conference that there is no evidence that Russia has withdrawn any of its troops from Ukraines borders and there is a real risk of conflict. "We are extremely concerned because we see that they continue to build up, they continue to prepare. And we have never in Europe seen since the end of the Cold War, such a large concentration of combat-ready troops," Stoltenberg said. Ukraines Zelenskiy met on the sidelines with Harris, as he sought to rally more military and financial support from Western allies. As he addressed the audience of high-level officials and security experts from around the world, Zelenskiy pushed back against U.S. predictions of an imminent Russian invasion, declaring We do not think we need to panic, Agence France-Presse reported. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, however, told the BBC that evidence points to Russia planning "the biggest war in Europe since 1945. Fresh attacks Ukraines military accused separatists in two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics of carrying out a new wave of attacks Saturday. The separatists, who also accused Ukraines military of carrying out new attacks Saturday, signed mass military mobilization decrees. The head of one of the territories urged all able-bodied men to take up arms against what he claimed is Kyivs aggression. The regions have also begun evacuating some civilians from border areas. Biden said the move was a result of Russian misinformation, saying that it defies basic logic that people in Ukraine would choose this moment to engage in combat with more than 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraines borders. Ukraines military said two of its soldiers were killed Saturday in shelling from pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, according to AFP, after initially reporting one fatality. Should Moscow invade Ukraine, it will be critical for the United States to convince the world that Russia is the aggressor and that it did so unprovoked, Max Bergmann, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, told VOA. This was a master class from the Biden administration in how to win an information war with Russia, Bergmann said. The Biden administration has read the Kremlin playbook and they are exposing Russian disinformation as they come across it. However, Biden is still offering Putin a de-escalation off-ramp, saying that diplomacy is always a possibility. He said, based on the significant intelligence capability of the U.S., he has reason to believe Putin will still consider the diplomatic option. Diplomatic channels U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet in person with Lavrov, Russias foreign minister, on Feb. 24. In the event of an invasion, Western allies must resolve differences over the timing and severity of sanctions against Moscow. For example, the initial package likely will not include banning Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, system used by 200 countries for international financial transfers. We have other severe measures we can take that our allies and partners are ready to take in lockstep with us, and that dont have the same spillover effects, said Daleep Singh, the deputy national security adviser for international economics, who spoke to reporters during Fridays White House briefing. But we always will monitor these options and well revise our judgments as time goes on. Singh said U.S. measures are not designed to reduce Russia's ability to supply energy to the world but that it would be a strategic mistake for Putin to retaliate against Western sanctions by cutting back energy supplies to Europe. Two-thirds of Russia's exports and half of its budget revenues come from oil and gas, and if Putin were to weaponize his energy supply, it will only accelerate the diversification of the world away from Russian energy consumption, he said. Singh added Moscow would be unable to replace technology imports from other countries, including China, if Washington also were to impose tough export controls that it has threatened. Russian officials have denied they plan to invade Ukraine, but diplomatic talks with Western officials have led to a standoff. Russia has demanded that the U.S. and its allies reject Ukraine's bid for membership in NATO. The West has rejected that as a nonstarter but has said it is willing to negotiate with Moscow over missile deployment and troop exercises in Eastern European countries closest to Russia. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. A controversial hydroelectric dam built on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia will officially begin generating power Sunday as the construction project reaches 80% completion. Ethiopias national broadcaster reported Saturday that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which the country has been constructing on the Blue Nile River, will officially begin generating electricity Sunday for the first time. The project has been under construction for 10 years. Initially, Ethiopia planned to finish the dam in five years, but the controversy it attracted from downstream countries, plus internal issues, slowed things. Its completion may take another two to three years, said Kifle Horo, project manager for the dam. This project is totally run and funded by Ethiopians and the government of Ethiopia, he said, urging all to continue to take part in financing the project until it is completed. Horo said downstream countries opposing construction because theyre afraid theyll lose water from the Nile wont be affected. Ethiopia has been filling the dams reservoir for the past two consecutive rainy seasons; the second one was in July 2021. As construction of the dam continues, it could take years to fill the reservoir to the top. But downstream nations, Egypt and Sudan, are concerned. In July 2021, Egypt appealed to the U.N. Security Council to review filling the reservoir. Ethiopia objected to the appeal and insisted the African Union oversee ongoing negotiations among the three nations. State-run media reported Saturday one of 13 turbine units is now generating electricity. The dam is expected to generate upward of 5,000 megawatts of electricity when complete. Still, Egypt and Sudan oppose construction, saying the lives of their citizens would be affected due to water sharing concern. Ethiopia insists it needs the power from the dam for its development. The nation of more than 110 million also says nearly 60% of its population has no access to electricity and the dam will improve availability to many households. When relatives of American oil executives jailed in Venezuela met virtually with a senior Justice Department official this month, it didn't take long for their frustrations to surface. They pressed the official on the prospects of a prisoner exchange that could get their loved ones home but were told that was ultimately a White House decision and not something the U.S. government was generally inclined to do anyway. And they vented about the extradition to the U.S. of an associate of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an action that inflamed tensions with Caracas and resulted in the American captives being returned to jail from house arrest that day. The meeting, not previously reported and described by a person who participated in it, ended without firm commitments. But it underscored the simmering frustrations directed by some hostage and detainee families toward the Justice Department, an agency they see as unwilling to think creatively about ways to bring their relatives home from abroad and stubbornly resistant to the possibility of exchanging prisoners. "The question remains of how to get the Department of Justice to fully engage in the process of recovering hostages and wrongful detainees," said Everett Rutherford, whose nephew, Matthew Heath, is being held in Venezuela on what the Tennessee man's family says are bogus weapons charges. "And there hasn't yet been an answer given to that yet except for the fact that we've been told that the president himself can direct them to do so." The Justice Department isn't typically thought of as a lead agency in hostage matters. The State Department, after all, has diplomatic tools at its disposal and is home to the government's chief hostage negotiator, while the Pentagon has authority to launch military raids to free hostages from captivity. The three agencies' interests aren't always necessarily in sync on hostage issues, which can be overshadowed by broader national security or diplomatic concerns or, in the case of the Justice Department, what the government thinks is best for holding criminals accountable. The Justice Department said in a statement that it "recognizes that families are put in an extraordinarily difficult circumstance, with unimaginable pain" when Americans are wrongfully detained and that it works with other federal agencies to bring them home in a manner consistent with the government's "no-concessions" policy in hostage matters. From the U.S. government's perspective, a prisoner swap risks creating a false equivalency between a wrongfully detained American and a justly convicted felon, and could also encourage additional captures by foreign countries. Mickey Bergman, who as vice president of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement has worked on hostage cases, said he's heard that argument but thinks "the framing is wrong." "Because it's not about the guilty people that get released, it's about the innocent Americans that come back home," Bergman said. "And so I reverse the question and say: Is leaving ... innocent Americans to rot in prisons around the world worth the insistence of us having criminals, foreign criminals, serve their full time in the American system?" The issue is newly relevant as several countries or groups holding Americans, including Russia and the Taliban, have floated the names of prisoners in the U.S. they want released. The families' frustration is less with current political leadership of the Justice Department than with the nature of the institution itself, an agency that across administrations has prioritized its independence and its prerogative to make prosecutorial decisions and sentencing recommendations free from political considerations. The instinct is crucial for democracy, but it can also result in actions that hostage families see as dismissive of their interests. The October extradition to Miami of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, presented by U.S. officials as a close Maduro associate, agitated relatives of six Citgo executives who've been jailed for years in Venezuela over a never-executed plan to refinance billions in the oil company's bonds. It was a tension point in this month's Justice Department call and in a December meeting between hostage families and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, though the situation may be complicated by the revelation this week that Saab was signed up by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a source in 2018. The reticence to swaps predates the Biden administration, and some of the deals the families seek didn't gain traction under former President Donald Trump, either. Even so, there is a precedent for arrangements that serve a diplomatic purpose. The Trump administration, seen as more willing to flout convention in hostage affairs, brought home Navy veteran Michael White in 2020 in an agreement that spared an American-Iranian doctor prosecuted by the Justice Department any more time behind bars and that permitted him to return to Iran. Even before then, the Obama administration pardoned or dropped charges against seven Iranians in a prisoner exchange tied to the nuclear deal with Tehran. Three jailed Cubans were sent home in 2014 as Havana released American Alan Gross after five years' imprisonment. There are roughly 60 Americans known to be held hostage or wrongfully detained, a definition that covers Americans believed innocent or jailed for the purpose of exacting concessions from the U.S. Families of at least some see fresh opportunities to cut deals. The Taliban, whose Haqqani network is believed to be holding hostage Navy veteran Mark Frerichs of Illinois, has told the U.S. it seeks the release of imprisoned drug lord Bashir Noorzai. Russia has locked up Marine veteran Trevor Reed, sentenced to nine years on charges he assaulted police officers in Moscow, and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, imprisoned on espionage charges. Officials there have floated at various times the names of citizens it would like home, including international arms dealer Viktor Bout and drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko, both imprisoned in the U.S. The U.S. considers Whelan and Reed to be wrongfully detained. Nine Americans, including Heath and the so-called Citgo 6, are detained in Venezuela at a time when the U.S. is holding two nephews of Venezuela's first lady on drug charges. Some hostage and detainee families say they're heartened by the access they've had to senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sullivan. But the resistance to a trade has remained constant. Charlene Cakora, Frerichs' sister, met with White House and Justice Department officials last August and says she was told that Noorzai, a convicted Afghan drug lord, was a "bad guy." She said in an interview that if the government won't "trade for my brother, then I want to know what other ideas are out there." Paula Reed and Joey Reed, Trevor's parents, say U.S. officials have told them that they'd seek the same outcome if they were their shoes. But though the Granbury, Texas, couple has urged Justice Department officials during meetings to seek a deal now, the officials have said only that they're "considering everything," said Paula Reed. "They didn't say: 'Oh, we agree with you, that's a great deal. That's a good point.' They didn't say anything like that. They just said: 'We hear you. Thank you very much,"' she said. "They didn't give us indication one way or the other." Elizabeth Whelan, Paul's sister, said she's been grateful for the U.S. government's attention. She said she's not entirely sure what Russia wants for her brother and said demands by it and other countries seem "stupid" and "over the top." "But," she added, "I feel my brother is worth whatever Russia is asking for." SpaceCast Weekly is a NASA Television broadcast from the Johnson Space Center in Houston featuring stories about NASA's work in human spaceflight. This includes the International Space Station and its crews and scientific research activities, and the development of Orion and the Space Launch System, the next generation American spacecraft being built to take humans farther into space than they've ever gone before. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Greek emergency workers rescued a Belarussian truck driver Sunday from a burning ferry off the island of Corfu and found the body of another man as they combed the wreckage for missing passengers. The discoveries left 10 people still unaccounted for. The truck driver, in his 20s, was able to make his way up to the left rear deck on his own, and told rescue workers he heard other voices below. There were no further details identifying the victim, the first body recovered from the ship. "The fact that this man succeeded, despite adverse conditions, to exit into the deck and alert the coast guard ... gives us hope that there may be other [survivors]," coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state broadcaster ERT. The Italian-owned Euroferry Olympia, which was carrying more than 290 passengers and crew as well as 153 trucks and 32 cars, caught fire Friday, three hours after it left the northwestern Greek port of Igoumenitsa bound for the Italian city of Brindisi. The Greek coast guard and other boats evacuated about 280 people to the nearby island of Corfu. The ferry has been towed to the port of Kassiopi, in northeastern Corfu. Firefighters were still battling the blaze in spots Sunday and a thick smoke still blanketed the ship. Alexiou said his understanding was that the truck driver hadn't heard any voices just before making his way onto the deck but added "the situation is evolving." The survivor was taken to a hospital for a medical exam. The extreme temperatures in some parts of the ship have impeded the Greek fire service's Disaster Management Unit and a team of private rescuers from searching the whole ship. The ferry is slightly listing from the tons of water poured into it to douse the fire but authorities say it's not in danger of capsizing. Two passengers were rescued Saturday. One wasn't on the ship's manifest and was presumably a migrant. The other person, a 65-year-old Bulgarian truck driver, had respiratory problems and is on a ventilator in a Corfu hospital's intensive care unit. A Greek prosecutor on Corfu has ordered an investigation into the cause of the fire. The Italy-based company that operates the ferry said the fire started in a hold where vehicles were parked. The ship's captain and two engineers were arrested Friday but were released the same day, authorities said. Passengers described the initial evacuation as dramatic. "We heard the alarm. We thought it was some kind of drill. But we saw through the portholes that people were running," truck driver Dimitris Karaolanidis told The Associated Press. "You can't think something at the time [other than] your family ... When I hit the deck, I saw smoke and children. Fortunately, they [the crew] acted quickly." Americas national bird is more beleaguered than previously believed, with nearly half of bald eagles tested across the U.S. showing signs of chronic lead exposure, according to a study published Thursday. While the bald eagle population has rebounded from the brink of extinction since the U.S. banned the pesticide DDT in 1972, harmful levels of toxic lead were found in the bones of 46% of bald eagles sampled in 38 states from California to Florida, researchers reported in the journal Science. Similar rates of lead exposure were found in golden eagles, which scientists say means the raptors likely consumed carrion or prey contaminated by lead from ammunition or fishing tackle. The blood, bones, feathers and liver tissue of 1,210 eagles sampled from 2010 to 2018 were examined to assess chronic and acute lead exposure. "This is the first time for any wildlife species that weve been able to evaluate lead exposure and population level consequences at a continental scale," said study co-author Todd Katzner, a wildlife biologist at U.S. Geological Survey in Boise, Idaho. "Its sort of stunning that nearly 50% of them are getting repeatedly exposed to lead." Lead is a neurotoxin that even in low doses impairs an eagles balance and stamina, reducing its ability to fly, hunt and reproduce. In high doses, lead causes seizures, breathing difficulty and death. The study estimated that lead exposure reduced the annual population growth of bald eagles by 4% and golden eagles by 1%. Bald eagles are one of Americas most celebrated conservation success stories, and the birds were removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in 2007. But scientists say that high lead levels are still a concern. Besides suppressing eagle population growth, lead exposure reduces their resilience in facing future challenges, such as climate change or infectious diseases. "When we talk about recovery, its not really the end of the story there are still threats to bald eagles," said Krysten Schuler, a wildlife disease ecologist at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, who was not involved in the study. Previous studies have shown high lead exposure in specific regions, but not across the country. The blood samples from live eagles in the new study were taken from birds trapped and studied for other reasons; the bone, feather and liver samples came from eagles killed by collisions with vehicles or powerlines, or other misfortunes. "Lead is present on the landscape and available to these birds more than we previously thought," said co-author Vince Slabe, a research wildlife biologist at the nonprofit Conservation Science Global. "A lead fragment the size of the end of a pin is large enough to cause mortality in an eagle. " The researchers also found elevated levels of lead exposure in fall and winter, coinciding with hunting season in many states. During these months, eagles scavenge on carcasses and gut piles left by hunters, which are often riddled with shards of lead shot or bullet fragments. Slabe said the upshot of the research was not to disparage hunters. "Hunters are one of the best conservation groups in this country," he said, noting that fees and taxes paid by hunters help fund state wildlife agencies, and that he also hunted deer and elk in Montana. However, Slabe said he hopes the findings provide an opportunity to "talk to hunters about this issue in a clear manner" and that more hunters will voluntarily switch to non-lead ammunition such as copper bullets. Lead ammunition for waterfowl hunting was banned in 1991, due to concerns about contamination of waterways, and wildlife authorities encouraged the use of nontoxic steel shot. However, lead ammunition is still common for upland bird hunting and big game hunting. The amount of lead exposure varies regionally, with highest levels found in the Central Flyway, the new study found. At the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center, veterinarian and executive director Victoria Hall said that "85 to 90% of the eagles that come into our hospital have some level of lead in their blood," and X-rays often show fragments of lead bullets in their stomachs. Eagles with relatively low levels can be treated, she said, but those with high exposure can't be saved. Laura Hale, board president at nonprofit Badger Run Wildlife Rehab in Klamath County, Oregon, said she'll never forget the first eagle she encountered with acute lead poisoning, in 2018. She had answered a resident's call about an eagle that seemed immobile in underbrush and brought it to the clinic. The young bald eagle was wrapped in a blanket, unable to breathe properly, let alone stand or fly. "There is something hideous when you watch an eagle struggling to breathe because of lead poisoning it's really, really harsh," she said, her voice shaking. That eagle went into convulsions, and died within 48 hours. Lead on the landscape affects not only eagles, but also many other birds including hawks, vultures, ravens, swans and geese, said Jennifer Cedarleaf, avian director at Alaska Raptor Center, a nonprofit wildlife rescue in Sitka, Alaska. Because eagles are very sensitive to lead, are so well-studied and attract so much public interest, "bald eagles are like the canary in the coal mine," she said. "They are the species that tells us: We have a bit of problem." A Nigerian military airstrike targeting bandits has killed seven children and injured five others in the southern part of neighboring Niger. A local governor of the Maradi region near Nigeria, Chaibou Aboubacar, confirmed the incident to the French news agency on Sunday. Aboubacar said the strike occurred on Friday in the village of Nachade and that four of the children died instantly while three others died on their way to the hospital. He said, "There was a mistake with the Nigeria strikes on the border that resulted in victims in our territory." Aboubacar visited the children's graves on Saturday and said the Nigerian military planes were combing the area for bandits, local criminal gangs operating in northwest Nigeria, who kill people or kidnap them for ransom. Nigeria's director of defense information, Jimmy Akpor, says an investigation is under way. He said, "As a matter of policy, the Nigerian Air Force does not make any incursions into areas outside Nigeria's territorial boundaries." Criminal gang activity has unleashed terror in the region since late 2020. Nigerian authorities have been cracking down. Bandits fleeing military raids in Nigeria often migrate north toward Niger. The Maradi region in Niger is one of the most affected by the violence created by bandits in neighboring Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara in Nigeria. The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has tried to create a joint task force to prevent fleeing criminals from taking refuge elsewhere in the region. In 2018, Niger ramped up security around its border with Nigeria to prevent gangs from gaining entry. North Korea released several thousands of prisoners as part of a celebration for a major holiday, a move that prompted joyful family reunions but also alarm about the abuse many former inmates appear to have suffered while in captivity, sources in the country told RFA. The holiday on Wednesday marked what would have been former leader Kim Jong Ils 80th birthday. After his death in 2011, his son and successor, Kim Jong Un, declared his fathers birthday to be a national holiday called the Day of the Shining Star, elevating it to the same level as the Day of the Sun, the birth anniversary of the progenitor of the Kim dynasty, national founder Kim Il Sung. The North Korean prison system is well known to be incredibly brutal. Former inmates who have escaped the country have said prisoners are poorly fed, live in crowded cells, and are subjected to torture, backbreaking labor and sexual abuse. Being released from a North Korean prison is reason to celebrate for the inmate and his or her family. But a resident of the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFAs Korean Service that many of the prisoners released ahead of the Day of the Shining Star had suffered so badly that they appeared to be near death. Everyone was shocked when those who were released by the amnesty were severely malnourished and barely able to walk, said the source, who requested anonymity to speak freely. Some prisoners were unable to move, so their families had to bring them home on stretchers. The amnesty did not include political dissidents or criminals convicted of drug offenses or violent crimes such as robbery and murder, according to the source. It had been rumored for several months, and families eagerly anticipated the return of their imprisoned relatives. They had high hopes, they expected a five-year sentence reduction, but only a three-year reduction was announced, so, many prisoners who have more than three years remaining will have to complete the remainder of their sentences before they are released, said the source. One thousand prisoners were released from Hamhung prison, out of a total prison population of 6,000, he said. Prisoners headed home from all the countrys major prisons, including in the cities of Hamhung, Sariwon and Kaechon, and Chungsan county in South Pyongan province, west of the capital, Pyongyang, a resident of North Hwanghae province, south of the capital, told RFA. An 18-year-old prisoner became big news when she said after her release from Sariwon prison that her time in jail was the first time in her whole life that she had eaten three meals per day. They gave her three meals of steamed corn, the second source told RFA. She had lost her parents at a young age and was imprisoned for theft after living as a homeless street beggar, the second source said. Many people are concerned now that the woman has been released to a situation where she is homeless and jobless, the second source said. She has no home or family, so the head of the local government office and a local party secretary took her in. I am worried about how she will live in the future. She never went to school and does not know how to write or read because she was a street beggar, she said. This years amnesty was done on a fairly large scale, with the government touting it as a tremendous show of mercy from the Marshal, the second source said, referring to Kim Jong Un. According to the source, of the 1,000 prisoners in Sariwon prison, 300 were released and 600 had their sentences reduced by three years. Even with the February 16th amnesty, no one was released from Susong prison in the city of Chongjin, where serious criminals are held, such as those imprisoned for anti-state crimes, murder, robbery and drug offenses, the source said. Mobilization for celebration North Korea forced residents to prepare elaborate celebrations for the Day of the Shining Star. The activities included lectures on Kim Jong Ils greatness, including research into his efforts and achievements and commentaries on his famous sayings, a resident of Chongjin told RFA. The events were organized through civic organizations, state-run enterprises and neighborhood watch units. Residents participating in performances by organizations and enterprises have had to gather in one place after work every day since the end of January and practice singing until late at night, the source said. The party committee chief officials came directly to the singing practice and monitored them so the staff of each organization and enterprise could not even think of leaving and had to practice until late at night for more than two weeks, said the source. From Jan. 14-17, North Korean authorities ordered civic organizations and state-run enterprises to observe a special security period, an official from North Pyongan province told RFA. During this period, organizations and enterprises should set up a special security team to guard the statues and historic sites of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at night, the official said. It is prohibited to gather to drink or eat, and chief officials should check the situation frequently to prevent any problems that harm the atmosphere of the event. Tensions are rising as it warns that those who cause problems during the three-day special security period will be punished. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday the U.K. will use the toughest possible economic sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine. Johnson told the BBC the sanctions would not only target Russian President Vladimir Putin and his associates, but also all companies and organizations with strategic importance to Russia. The British leader said, We are going to stop Russian companies raising money on U.K. markets, and we are even with our American friends going to stop them trading in pounds and dollars. French President Emmanuel Macron and Putin had a telephone conversation Sunday morning that the Elysee described as "the final possible and necessary efforts to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine." The conversation came two weeks after the French leader went to Moscow to dissuade Putin from invading Ukraine. "We need to stop Putin because he will not stop at Ukraine, Liz Truss, Britains foreign secretary, said in an interview Sunday in The Daily Mail about Putins apparently imminent invasion of Ukraine. Putin has said all this publicly, that he wants to create the Greater Russia, that he wants to go back to the situation as it was before where Russia had control over huge swathes of Eastern Europe. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Unions Executive Commission, said, The Kremlins dangerous thinking, which comes straight out of a dark past, may cost Russia a prosperous future. She said if Russia invades Ukraine, Russia would have limited access to financial markets and tech goods, according to a sanctions package that is being prepared. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Saturday that he wants to meet with Putin to negotiate a solution to the crisis that has seen thousands of Russian military troops deployed along Ukraines borders. I dont know what the president of the Russian Federation wants, so I am proposing a meeting, Zelenskiy said at the Munich Security Conference. Meanwhile, Austria, France and Germany are the latest nations to urge their citizens to leave Ukraine, in anticipation of an imminent invasion. Lufthansa, the German airline, has also canceled flights to Kyiv and Odessa, a Ukrainian Black Sea port. U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with the National Security Council Sunday, the White House announced Saturday as it reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. Putin presided over military drills Saturday as shelling escalated in eastern Ukraine. Russias defense ministry said Saturdays exercises, which the Kremlin says were previously planned to check readiness, involved practice submarine launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, with Putin and the president of Belarus looking on. Poised to strike' Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the more than 150,000 Russian troops that have massed at Ukraines border are now poised to strike, as he spoke with reporters in Lithuania, where Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for an increased U.S. troop presence. At the Munich Security Conference Saturday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris warned that Russias plan was already unfolding. There is a playbook of Russian aggression, and this playbook is too familiar to us all. Russia will plead ignorance and innocence. It will create false pretext for invasion, and it will amass troops and fire power in plain sight, said Harris, who added a Russian invasion would trigger sanctions that include far-reaching financial sanctions and export controls. Speaking at the same conference earlier Saturday, Stoltenberg said Russia, in threatening Ukraine, will get more NATO instead of the smaller NATO footprint Putin says he is seeking. Stoltenberg also said he has sent a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling for a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council to avert a conflict in Ukraine. Stoltenberg told the Munich Security Conference that there is no evidence that Russia has withdrawn any of its troops from Ukraines borders and there is a real risk of conflict. But as Ukraines Zelenskyy addressed the audience of high-level officials and security experts from around the world, Zelenskyy pushed back against predictions of an imminent Russian invasion, declaring We do not think we need to panic, Agence France-Presse reported. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, however, told the BBC that evidence points to Russia planning "the biggest war in Europe since 1945. New attacks Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported more than 1,500 cease-fire violations in east Ukraine on Saturday, the highest single-day number this year. Ukraines military accused separatists in two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics of carrying out a new wave of attacks Saturday. The separatists, who also accused Ukraines military of carrying out new attacks Saturday, signed mass military mobilization decrees. The head of one of the territories urged all able-bodied men to take up arms against what he claimed is Kyivs aggression. The regions have also begun evacuating some civilians from border areas. Biden said the move was a result of Russian misinformation, saying that it defies basic logic that people in Ukraine would choose this moment to engage in combat with more than 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraines borders. Should Moscow invade Ukraine, it will be critical for the United States to convince the world that Russia is the aggressor and that it did so unprovoked, Max Bergmann, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, told VOA. This was a master class from the Biden administration in how to win an information war with Russia, Bergmann said. The Biden administration has read the Kremlin playbook and they are exposing Russian disinformation as they come across it. However, Biden is still offering Putin a de-escalation off-ramp, saying that diplomacy is always a possibility. He said, based on the significant intelligence capability of the U.S., he has reason to believe Putin will still consider the diplomatic option. Diplomatic channels U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Lavrov February 24. In the event of an invasion, Western allies must resolve differences over the timing and severity of sanctions against Moscow. For example, the initial package likely will not include banning Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, system used by 200 countries for international financial transfers. Russian officials have denied they plan to invade Ukraine, but diplomatic talks with Western officials have led to a standoff. Russia has demanded that the U.S. and its allies reject Ukraine's bid for membership in NATO. The West has rejected that as a nonstarter but has said it is willing to negotiate with Moscow over missile deployment and troop exercises in Eastern European countries closest to Russia. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Many buildings in the town of Novoluganske, in eastern Ukraine, have been abandoned for years. The wooden boards on the doors and windows are rotted by weather, and nearby factories are rusted and shuttered. You would never know that violent incidents in the region have increased by more than 1,000% in the past three days. But we werent there long on Saturday before heavy fire crashed into town and the soldiers hosting our tour of the war zone swiftly herded our group of more than a dozen journalists back onto a bus. Some colleagues in another part of town ducked into the inner rooms of a military warehouse while our bus sped away. Just outside of town, Mariana Bezugla, a Ministry of Defense staffer and member of parliament, said it was artillery fire, a type forbidden by international agreements. We want diplomacy, she said from the front passenger seat. Ukraine wants a diplomatic solution. After some time, we parked the bus behind a wall. Soldiers told us to stay inside even though we were wearing heavy security gear. The bombing continued but further away. The trip we were on with the Ukrainian military had been planned only the night before, but it was clear from behind the wall that this part of the journey was coming to a halt. It was also clear why the authorities took such pains to bring us to the region. They wanted to show the swelling population of international journalists in Ukraine what was happening on the ground and make sure we all knew how they felt about it. Ukraine is ready to fight until the last soldiers, said David Arakhamia, a leader of the party of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Our intention is only to protect our army and our civilians in our country, of course. Contact line As we trudged across the tarmac later that evening to board a military flight out of the war zone, a journalist repeatedly asked a slightly confused soldier to tell us how close we were to the contact line in Novoluganske. Eventually, we understood why he was confused by the question. That village is on the contact line, he said. The contact line separates land controlled by the Ukrainian government and land technically in Ukraine that is controlled by groups usually referred to as Russian-backed separatists. These separatists are the forces who have openly and directly engaged in combat with Ukraine since 2014, not Russia. The separatists refer to themselves as defenders of independent, if unrecognized, countries, and they are often also called rebels by supporters and terrorists by their enemies. In the past three days, there have been attacks along all of the roughly 400-kilometer contact line, according to Ukrainian Joint Forces Commander Oleksandr Pavliuk, with 98 incidents of cease-fire violations on Saturday alone that left two dead, many injured and homes, water systems and other infrastructure damaged. But, Pavliuk insisted, Ukraine has maintained its territorial integrity and its will to fight. The armed forces of Ukraine are in full control of (the) situation, he said. And we will defend the independence of our country until the very end. NATO in the news This uptick in violence may come as no surprise to the average news reader, who has been seeing warnings of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine for months, including the buildup of Russian troops and military equipment along its border with Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly demanded a guarantee that Ukraine would never be permitted to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance originally designed to foil Soviet expansion. NATO has repeatedly denied this demand, while at the same time refusing Ukraines entrance into the alliance. As Russian troops moved to the border over the past few months, diplomats have tried and, so far, failed to untangle this mess. Russia says it has removed some of what the U.S. says are 150,000 troops from the border and will continue to do so, but many other leaders, including Pavliuk, say this is not true. As of today, he said, about an hour before we headed back to the relative safety of Kyiv, the overall number of Russian troops surrounding the Ukrainian border has not changed. Russia on Sunday extended its military drills in Belarus, along Ukraines northern border, after two days of sustained shelling in eastern Ukraine between Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. The exercises with Belarusian forces had been scheduled to end Sunday. They were extended amid Russian President Vladimir Putins show of force along the Ukrainian border with the massing of about 150,000 troops, accompanied by naval exercises in the Black Sea to the south of Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden, who said Friday he is convinced Putin plans to invade, met Sunday with his National Security Council to discuss the latest developments. White House officials released no immediate details of their two-hour discussion. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNNs State of the Union show that the sharp increase in Russian troop deployments in recent weeks, cyberattacks on the Ukrainian defense ministry and major banks last week and now the new outbreak in fighting in eastern Ukraine that killed two Ukrainian soldiers, signal that Moscow is following its playbook ahead of large-scale warfare. Everything leading up to the invasion is already taking place, Blinken said. The separatists in eastern Ukraine have claimed that Kyivs forces are planning an attack there, which Ukraine denies. At the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy questioned why the United States and its Western allies, who have vowed to impose swift and tough economic sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, are not already doing so. Blinken said, As soon as you impose them, you lose the deterrence to try to prevent an invasion, and if the West were to announce specific sanctions it would impose, Russia could plan against them. The top U.S. diplomat said, however, Until the tanks are moving and missiles launched, Western leaders will try to do everything to reverse Putins mind, to get him off the course hes decided. Asked whether Putin might be bluffing an invasion with his military buildup, Blinken said, Theres always a chance. But Blinken added, Hes following the script to the letter on the brink of an invasion. Still, Blinken said he would meet with his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Europe on Thursday for more negotiations, on condition that Moscow has not launched an invasion before then. Late Sunday, Biden and Putin agreed, in principle, to hold a summit over the crisis in Ukraine, as long as Russia does not invade Ukraine, the White House said. In a statement released by the White House late Sunday, press secretary Jen Psaki said, We are always ready for diplomacy. But she added, We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. The meeting was pitched by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had spoken with both Biden and Putin on Sunday. The summit "substance will have to be prepared by (U.S.) Secretary Blinken and (Russian Foreign) Minister Lavrov during their meeting on Thursday 24 February," the Elysee palace said. On CBS News Face the Nation show, Russias ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, said, There [are] no such plans for an invasion He said Russia has our legitimate right to have our troops where we want on Russian territory." Antonov said Russia has withdrawn some troops from near Ukraine and nobody even said to us, thank you. The West says its monitoring of the terrain near Ukraine shows that Russia has not begun to send its troops back to their bases. The U.S. and its NATO allies fear that the Russian forces in Belarus could be deployed in an attack southward on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, while tens of thousands more troops could invade from the east and south. Despite their belief that Putin has his mind made up to invade, Biden and other Western leaders are holding out hope for a settlement to the crisis, 11th hour diplomacy to avert the first massive warfare in Europe since the end of World War II. Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said Sunday, The big question remains: Does the Kremlin want dialogue?" "We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops," Michel said at the Munich Security Conference. "One thing is certain: if there is further military aggression, we will react with massive (economic) sanctions. Some of the Western allies, including the U.S., have shipped arms to Ukraine, but none of its leaders is planning to deploy troops to fight alongside Ukrainian forces in the event of an invasion. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday the United Kingdom will use the toughest possible economic sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine. Johnson told the BBC the sanctions would not only target Putin and his associates, but also all companies and organizations with strategic importance to Russia. The British leader said, We are going to stop Russian companies raising money on U.K. markets, and we are even with our American friends going to stop them trading in pounds and dollars. French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation with Putin Sunday, with Macrons office saying afterward that the two leaders agreed on the need to find a diplomatic solution. The two countries foreign ministers will meet in the coming days to work on a possible summit involving Russia, Ukraine and allies to establish a new security order in Europe. Western allies say they are willing to discuss their missile positioning and military exercises in Europe but have balked at Putins demand to rule out possible NATO membership for Ukraine and other former Soviet states. We need to stop Putin because he will not stop at Ukraine, Liz Truss, Britains foreign secretary, said in an interview Sunday in The Daily Mail about Putins apparently imminent invasion. Putin has said all this publicly, that he wants to create the Greater Russia, that he wants to go back to the situation as it was before where Russia had control over huge swaths of eastern Europe. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Unions executive commission, said, The Kremlins dangerous thinking, which comes straight out of a dark past, may cost Russia a prosperous future. She said if Russia were to invade Ukraine, Moscow would have limited access to financial markets and tech goods, according to the sanctions package being prepared. Also Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow released a statement, urging Americans in Russia to have an evacuation plan. "There have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine," the embassy said. Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance." Sudanese security forces on Sunday fired tear gas at protesters demonstrating against last year's military coup, an AFP correspondent said, as a United Nations human rights expert arrived in the country. Thousands rallied in the capital Khartoum, carrying the Sudanese flags and posters of people killed during anti-coup demonstrations in recent months. Security forces fired tear gas and wounded several protesters who were heading toward the presidential palace in central Khartoum, the correspondent said. "We are ready to protest all year," said one demonstrator, 24-year-old Thoyaba Ahmed. Regular protests have rocked the northeast African country since army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan led a military takeover in October, sparking international condemnation. The move derailed a transition painstakingly negotiated between military and civilian leaders following the 2019 ouster of president Omar al-Bashir. "We want to rectify our country's situation to have a good future," demonstrator Wadah Khaled told AFP. At least 81 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a violent crackdown on the protests, according to an independent medics group. "We need to make sacrifices to resolve the country's issues," 25-year-old demonstrator Arij Salah said. U.N. human rights expert Adama Dieng, meanwhile, is visiting Sudan until Thursday, on a trip initially planned for last month but postponed at the request of Sudanese authorities. "Dieng will meet with senior Sudanese government officials, representatives of civil society organizations, human rights defenders, heads of U.N. entities, and diplomats," the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement this week. Separately Sunday, dozens rallied outside a court complex in Khartoum to protest against the trial of several Bashir-era figures, an AFP correspondent said. Among those on trial is former foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour, who faces charges over plotting a coup in 2020. Ghandour's family said last month that he had begun a hunger strike in prison, along with several ex-regime officials. Sparked by global warming and other forms of climate change, tropical butterflies are starting to arrive in Hong Kong and Taiwan in greater numbers, while temperate-zone species like the monarch appear to be dwindling in the region, conservationists told RFA. "Seven new butterfly species were discovered in Hong Kong in 2021, including swallowtails, gray butterflies, and nymphs; most of them were tropical species," Gary Chan, project officer at Hong Kong's Fengyuan Butterfly Reserve, told RFA. "Breeding records were found in Hong Kong for several of these species, which indicates that these weren't just strays arriving in Hong Kong with horticultural imports or the monsoon," Chan said. According to Chan, Neptis cartica and Ancema blanka were both found in Hong Kong for the first time in 2021, along with Zeltus amasa, which is usually native to Malaysia, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Borneo and other points south of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, tropical migrants are also being spotted in Taiwan, according to Hsu Yu-feng, a butterfly expert at Taiwan National Normal University. Between 1985 and 2008, at least seven new species of tropical butterfly were found to have settled on the island, including Appias olfern peducaea, which traveled north from the Philippines to settle in the southern port city of Kaohsiung in 2000. Even butterflies once found only in southern Taiwan are now found across the island, Hsu told RFA. "When I was an undergraduate student in the 1980s, I went to Kenting [on the southern coast] to see Graphium agamemnon," Hsu recalled. "Then, I saw it for the first time on this university college campus last year, and it was breeding here." Southeast Asia warming faster Troides aeacus kaguya is another example of a butterfly that once only lived in southern Taiwan, and can now be found all over the island, he said. The changes come as temperatures in East and Southeast Asia have risen more rapidly than the global average in recent decades, Chan said. "There are many more places where tropical butterflies and other insects can breed, so that's why we're seeing this northward migration, or dispersal behavior," he said. Hsu said the butterflies didn't actually migrate, however; rather, their habitats are expanding due to rising temperatures. "Once upon a time, the more northerly areas were colder, and not suitable for them to settle in, but they are suitable now, because temperatures have risen," Hsu said. "The north is warming at a higher rate than the south, meaning the difference in temperatures between north and south has been reduced," he said. "That's why southern butterflies are now living in the north." But the changes are forcing out butterflies that need a temperate climate to breed in, experts said. Few monarchs now The Siu Lang Shui conservation site in Hong Kong's Tuen Mun district once saw tens of thousands of monarch butterflies spending the winter, as recently as 2013 and 2014, Chan said. But numbers have fallen sharply in recent years, he said. In Taiwan, the purple variegated butterflies that once overwintered in their millions in the Maolin valley outside Kaohsiung have also been dwindling in recent years, preferring to move north to seek out colder temperatures earlier in the year. The warming environment is also becoming more hostile to temperate tree species some butterflies call home, Hsu told RFA. "The Taiwan-endemic butterfly Sibataniozephyrus kuafui uses the Taiwan beech as a host plant ... so in contrast to the expansion of tropical butterflies, temperate species are being threatened," he said. The changes in East Asia come after a study published in the journal Science in 2021 found that populations of most butterfly species in western North America have declined by nearly 50% over the past 40 years. "California is the place with the most endemic species of butterflies in western North America," Hsu said. "California butterflies are most vulnerable to drought, because this is a Mediterranean climate zone, with dry summers and rainy winters." "If climate change causes droughts in winter, plants will grow poorly, and the larvae of butterflies will have nothing to eat," he said. UNICEF announced Sunday an emergency cash support effort for all public education teachers in Afghanistan for January and February, saying the move will allow continued access to education for all school-age girls and boys. The European Union-funded payment, amounting to the equivalent of $100 a month per teacher, will benefit an estimated 194,000 male and female teachers across the country who have not been paid for six months. UNICEF said in a statement that the agency and partners have taken the initiative in recognition of the crucial role these teachers in Afghanistan are playing in the education of around 8.8 million enrolled in public schools. Following months of uncertainty and hardship for many teachers, we are pleased to extend emergency support to public school teachers in Afghanistan who have spared no effort to keep children learning, said Mohamed Ayoya, UNICEFs country representative Ayoya said UNICEF would need an additional $250 million to be able to continue supporting public school teachers and called on donors to help the agency fund the initiative. Since militarily taking over the country in mid-August, the Taliban have allowed women to resume work in health and education, and opened private and public universities to female education, while secondary school girls are also back in school in about a dozen of the 34 Afghan provinces. The new Islamist rulers have pledged to allow all girls to return to school by late March, blaming delays on financial constraints and the time it takes to ensure that female students resume classes in accordance with Islamic Sharia law. Relief agencies say humanitarian needs have skyrocketed in war-torn Afghanistan since the Taliban took power last year and U.S.-led international forces withdrew from the country. The United States and other Western nations have halted nonhumanitarian funding to Afghanistan, amounting to 40% of the countrys gross domestic product, and blocked the Talibans access to billions of dollars in Afghan central bank reserves, mostly held in the United States. The restrictions have pushed the fragile Afghan economy to the brink of collapse, worsening the humanitarian crisis stemming from years of war and natural calamities. The United Nations is warning that nearly 23 million people about 55% of the poverty-stricken country's population face extreme hunger, with nearly 9 million a step away from famine. Tomas West, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, while speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, said Washington was also playing its role in ensuring Afghan girls return to schools next month. We have before the World Bank a proposal to extend roughly $180 million in support of teacher stipends and in support of books and in support of refurbishment of buildings and so forth, he said. But what do we need to see from the Taliban? We need to see them deliver on stated commitments to open and enroll women and girls in education countrywide after Nowruz [the first day of Afghan new year] on March 20th, West stressed. No country has yet recognized the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. Before considering the legitimacy issue, the global community wants the Islamist group to install an inclusive government in Kabul representing all Afghan ethnic groups, ensure womens rights to education and work, and prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan soil for attacks against other countries Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Sunday held a rally in one of the poorest suburbs under strict conditions that police set. Police maintained a heavy presence in and around the area where the rally was held. These are members of the Zimbabwe Citizens Coalition for Change welcoming leader Nelson Chamisa at a rally in Harare. Citizens Coalition for Change is the new name for the main opposition party which split last year. At the rally, Chamisa promised to deal with corruption if elected president in 2023. He also denounced the governments threat to dismiss teachers who have been on strike since the beginning of the month, seeking higher pay. He said, All teachers want is to revert to the $540 a month they were getting during the late President Robert Mugabes reign. People have a right to ask for food when they are hungry. Isnt it? Fight for your rights until we get power and we give you back your original salary. Police gave the go-ahead late for the rally only under strict conditions. Among other things, the opposition was not supposed to have protest marches, singing or slogans. Additionally, the organizers were told to stick to the time set by police for the rally or risk having authorities quash the event. Lovemore Chinoputsa, from the Citizens Coalition for Change, commented on the conditions. The conditions were not achievable. They were meant to curtail people and to make it difficult for everyone to come," Chinoputsa said. "But we are happy that people of Zimbabwe know what we are pursuing and people of Zimbabwe are clear in terms of who should be their leadership. Rashid Mahiya, from non-governmental organization Heal Zimbabwe, said the country needs electoral reforms to ensure a level ground for political players. The conditions that were set are not conditions that should be set in a democratic society," Mahiya said. "We expect the police to be non-partisan and respect the constitutional responsibilities and duties of the citizens, like right to assemble clearly set in the constitution. When (ruling) ZANU-PF are holding their rallies, those conditions are not set. We want an even playing ground. We want these freedoms to be extended to all citizens. About 100 kilometers east of Harare, the ruling ZANU-PF held a campaign rally for by-elections set for next month. No conditions were set for them. The home affairs minister, Kazembe Kazembe, who is in charge of police, refused to comment on the issue. Thousands of people attended an election campaign rally on Sunday at Zimbabwe Grounds in Harare convened by the countrys new political outfit, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa, ahead of the forthcoming council and parliamentary by-elections. In his first address since forming CCC, Chamisa scoffed at alleged attempts by President Emmerson Mnangagwas government and Douglas Mwonzoras Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) formation to destroy him and his followers. They took everything from me but I dont care We are starting afresh and we are starting from zero. This is a brand new party, he said amid applause from his followers, wearing yellow t-shirts and hats and waving colorful flags. Chamisa claimed that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission wants to rig the forthcoming by-elections. He said, They want to rig the elections. We wont allow that to happen. ZEC on Friday dismissed claims that they rig elections in favor of the ruling Zanu PF. Mnangagwas government has also attacked the opposition for claiming that it is attempting to destroy Chamisa and others ahead of the 2023 harmonized elections. Mnangagwa beat Chamisa in the disputed 2018 presidential election. The Electoral Court declared Mnangagwa the winner but Chamisa strongly believes that he won the poll. About 130 council and parliamentary seats are up for grabs on March 26. WASHINGTON Russia on Sunday extended its military drills in Belarus, along Ukraines northern border, after two days of sustained shelling in eastern Ukraine between Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. The Russian exercises with Belarusian forces had been scheduled to end Sunday. They were extended amid Russian President Vladimir Putins show of force along the Ukrainian border with the massing of some 150,000 troops, accompanied by naval exercises in the Black Sea to the south of Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNNs State of the Union show that the sharp increase in Russian troop deployments in recent weeks, cyberattacks on the Ukrainian defense ministry and major banks last week and now the new outbreak in fighting in eastern Ukraine that killed two Ukrainian soldiers, signal that Moscow is following its playbook ahead of large-scale warfare. Everything leading up to the invasion is already taking place, Blinken said. The separatists in eastern Ukraine have claimed that Kyivs forces are planning an attack there, which Ukraine denies. At the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy questioned why the United States and its Western allies, who have vowed to impose swift and tough economic sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, are not already doing so. Blinken said, As soon as you impose them, you lose the deterrence to try to prevent an invasion, and if the West were to announce specific sanctions it would impose, Russia could plan against them. The top U.S. diplomat said, however, Until the tanks are moving and missiles launched, Western leaders will try to do everything to reverse Putins mind, to get him off the course hes decided. Asked whether Putin might be bluffing an invasion with his military buildup, Blinken said, Theres always a chance. But Blinken added, Hes following the script to the letter on the brink of an invasion. Still, Blinken said he would meet with his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Europe on Thursday for more negotiations, on condition that Moscow has not launched an invasion before then. On CBS News Face the Nation show, Russias ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, said, There [are] no such plans for an invasion. He said Russia has our legitimate right to have our troops where we want on Russian territory." Antonov said Russia has withdrawn some troops from near Ukraine and nobody even said to us, thank you. The West says its monitoring of the terrain near Ukraine shows that Russia has not begun to send its troops back to their bases. U.S. President Joe Biden, who said Friday he is convinced Putin plans to invade, is meeting Sunday with his National Security Council to discuss the latest developments. The U.S. and its NATO allies fear that the Russian forces in Belarus could be deployed in an attack southward on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, while tens of thousands more troops could invade from the east and south into Ukraine. Despite their belief that Putin has his mind made up to invade, Biden and other Western leaders are holding out hope for a settlement to the crisis, 11th hour diplomacy to avert the first massive warfare in Europe since the end of World War II. Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said Sunday, The big question remains: Does the Kremlin want dialogue?" "We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops," Michel said at the Munich Security Conference. "One thing is certain: if there is further military aggression, we will react with massive (economic) sanctions. Some of the Western allies, including the U.S., have shipped arms to Ukraine, but none of its leaders is planning to deploy troops to fight alongside Ukrainian forces in the event of an invasion. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday the United Kingdom will use the toughest possible economic sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine. Johnson told the BBC the sanctions would not only target Putin and his associates, but also all companies and organizations with strategic importance to Russia. The British leader said, We are going to stop Russian companies raising money on U.K. markets, and we are even with our American friends going to stop them trading in pounds and dollars. Ukraine. SEE ALSO: Johnson told the BBC the sanctions would not only target Putin and his associates, but also all companies and organizations with strategic importance to Russia. The British leader said, We are going to stop Russian companies raising money on U.K. markets, and we are even with our American friends going to stop them trading in pounds and dollars. French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation with Putin Sunday, with Macrons office saying afterward that the two leaders agreed on the need to find a diplomatic solution. The two countries foreign ministers will meet in the coming days to work on a possible summit involving Russia, Ukraine and allies to establish a new security order in Europe. Western allies say they are willing to discuss their missile positioning and military exercises in Europe but have balked at Putins demand to rule out possible NATO membership for Ukraine and other former Soviet states. We need to stop Putin because he will not stop at Ukraine, Liz Truss, Britains foreign secretary, said in an interview Sunday in The Daily Mail about Putins apparently imminent invasion of Ukraine. Putin has said all this publicly, that he wants to create the Greater Russia, that he wants to go back to the situation as it was before where Russia had control over huge swaths of eastern Europe. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Unions executive commission, said, The Kremlins dangerous thinking, which comes straight out of a dark past, may cost Russia a prosperous future. She said if Russia invades Ukraine, Moscow would have limited access to financial markets and tech goods, according to the sanctions package being prepared. Morristown, VT (05661) Today Rain likely. Low 47F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 47F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Rome subways to close early for maintenance works. Rome's Metro B will close at 21.00 every night from April to June, with the city's Metro A line closing at the same early time for 18 months, starting from June. The closures are to allow for "important maintenance and safety works" to be carried out on the two subway lines, Rome transport councillor Eugenio Patane told newspaper Corriere della Sera on Saturday. "We will spend all the famous 425 million allocated by the then minister Graziano Delrio" - Patane told the Corriere - "But this sum is only a quarter of what is needed in total, that is: 1.2 billion for the overall maintenance of the existing lines." Patane also said that the troubled number 8 tram - which links Piazza Venezia to Casaletto - will have to close from July for about six months to "completely redo" the line's infrastructure. Photo credit: Phuong D. Nguyen / Shutterstock.com. Placeholder while article actions load Its not very often that an event in the West Bank village of Jililya garners the attention of members of the U.S. Congress from Wisconsin. But the killing of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American from Milwaukee by soldiers of Israels ultra-Orthodox battalion has embarrassed Jerusalem, infuriated the U.S. State Department and placed a new stumbling block on the already rocky road of Israeli-Palestinian conciliation. Over a month later, the country is still coming to terms with what happened. On the night of Jan. 12th, one of the coldest of the year, Omar Abdel Majeed Asad was detained by Israeli troops near the West Bank town of Jililya as he was driving home from a social event. The soldiers stopped his car and took him to an empty lot, where he was handcuffed, gagged, blindfolded and laid on the ground. The time was 3:20 a.m. Forty minutes later, one of the soldiers noticed that the captive had turned blue in the face and he wasnt moving. He was taken to a nearby clinic and pronounced dead. An autopsy conducted by Palestinian doctors found that he died of heart failure. Advertisement In the nighttime skirmishes between Israeli troops and suspected terrorists in the West Bank, there are sometimes casualties. But Omar Abdel Majeed Asad was a unique case. Nearly an octogenarian, he did not exactly fit the profile of a terrorist. Then it turned out he was also an American citizen, formerly of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Within hours, the Israeli military spokesman, issued a statement admitting that the incident showed a clear lapse of moral judgment on the part of the troops and reflected a failure, to protect the sanctity of a human life. If the Israeli Defense Forces thought this was the end of the matter, it was mistaken. Two members of the House of Representatives contacted Secretary of State Antony Blinken and demanded to know what he was planning to do about the killing of a former constituent. Advertisement The IDF mea culpa did not impress the U.S. State Department, which called for a criminal investigation and full accountability of the incident. An army review concluded that the soldiers had made a moral mistake. The brigade commander was discharged and two junior officers had their promotions frozen for two years. IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. General Aviv Kohavi was dispatched to meet with the newly arrived American ambassador, Tom Nides and explained that the killing was a grave moral error contrary to the ethics of the Israel Defense Forces. Three days later, Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the issue, calling it an ethical failure that should serve as a warning light for us all. Now the question is what Israel plans to do differently. The soldiers who were responsible for the death belong to the infamous Netzach Yehuda battalion, a unit made up of members of the ultra-Orthodox community. The battalion, which is segregated from other IDF forces, hostile to outsiders and inspired by the preaching of fanatical rabbis, serves entirely in the West Bank. Advertisement Netzach Yehuda exists because of political cowardice. The Haredi leadership refuses to allow the IDF to draft its sons and daughters. The courts have repeatedly ruled that this discriminates against Israelis who comply with mandatory conscription. Back in 1999, the Israeli government made a Faustian bargain: In effect, it was send us a few hundred of your misfits and dropouts each year, and we will let the rest of the community off the hook. Militarily the battalion is useless; no other command in the army wants it. Usually, their failures and depredations are covered up by the ultra-Orthodox politicos for whom they are a fig leaf. But on that night in January, the boys of Netzach Yehuda picked the wrong victim in an Arab with an American passport. Certainly, Israel needs to compensate the family of Omar Abdel Majeed Asad. The check should be delivered personally, along with a sincere apology, by President Herzog. And the hoodlums who caused the death of an innocent man should spend their next winters in a military prison. Advertisement But the Israeli government, unencumbered for the moment by ultra-Orthodox coalition partners, should now muster the courage to disband the rogue battalion. Decent officers and soldiers from the unit can be reassigned to other units. As IDF Chief of Staff Avi Kohavi told a group of graduating pilots Sunday, You dont need a law to tell you not to leave an 80-year-old man in the cold during operational activity. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Worried that rising prices will hurt their chances in Novembers midterm elections, moderate Senate Democrats are considering a gas tax holiday. Economists, predictably, are panning the idea as a political gimmick that wont actually do much to curb inflation. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The economists are right, of course. At the same time, the Democratic senators are right. Bringing prices down at the gas pump wouldnt necessarily affect the broader rate of inflation what consumers save on gas theyll probably spend on other stuff but it would still be popular. Which brings up a larger issue: Democrats are enamored of this idea right now because voters are mad about high gas prices. But Democrats might want to consider the notion that supporting policies to keep gasoline cheap is also a good long-term political strategy and is not inconsistent with their goal of reducing carbon emissions to address climate change. Advertisement By now its clear that the solution to the pollution problems associated with burning gasoline isnt more conservation, its more electric vehicles. And the EV market is genuinely booming in no small part thanks to past and current policies Democrats have championed to subsidize EV purchases, build out a charging network and invest in battery technology. For now, though, the EV market share remains relatively small. Most people still have gasoline-powered cars. So the goal should not be to make gas expensive so much as to keep boosting EVs, investing in mass transit and intercity rail, and generally doing everything possible to speed the extinction of the internal combustion engine. As it happens, thats just the kind of innovation-focused climate policy that is consistent with last years bipartisan infrastructure bill, the bipartisan energy bill that passed the year before that, and with the climate-focused tax credits that are the centerpiece of the legislation formerly known as Build Back Better. Its also very much in line with the initiative to spur decarbonization in the industrial sector that White House rolled out last week. Advertisement It is not consistent, however, with President Joe Bidens campaign promise to ban fracking on federal land or to halt oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. For Democrats in the 2020 campaign, those kind of promises were par for the course. Biden, one of the most moderate candidates, faced considerable criticism for not embracing a total ban on fracking. Its simply taken for granted that any halfway progressive government would try to kneecap fossil-fuel production, with Biden for example resuming Obama-era efforts to block the Keystone XL pipeline. At the same time, when Republicans blame Bidens policies for scarce fuel supplies, the White House will note that it has actually approved many leases. And then, when environmentalists criticize it for approving so many leases, the White House will point out that court rulings have tied the administrations hands. Further confusing the situation is a federal ruling last month annulling the latest leases in the Gulf of Mexico. Advertisement Its safe to say that the administration itself is divided on what it wants to see happen. Some officials are true-believing environmentalists who want to keep as much fossil fuel in the ground as possible, while others are more pragmatic and want the economic benefits of more drilling. For the sake of keeping everyone on the same page, they seem to have agreed on a solution: Try to block new drilling, then accept rulings from conservative judges that allow it to continue. Americans are used to thinking of Democrats as a fairly moderate center-left party, especially when compared to its counterparts in countries that have universal health care. But on this issue, Democrats are the global outliers. After last falls parliamentary elections, three left-of-center Norwegian parties controlled a majority of seats. Labor Party leader Jonas Gahr Stre hoped to form a coalition with the Center Party and the Socialist Left Party. But the Socialist Left, which won just 7.6% of the vote, insisted on a coalition agreement that would curb oil and gas production. Stre refused, and now leads a minority coalition with the Center. Advertisement In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, seen by many American liberals as a kindred spirit, has long championed the Keystone pipeline. Just as Stre lost out on his dreams of a majority coalition over the issue, Trudeaus soft line on fossil-fuel extraction helps explain why his Liberal Party suffers defections to Canadas small Green Party. For both leaders, the calculus is clear: Losing some votes on the left is worth the gains in the center. Of course, Democrats could just say they are against both the production and consumption of fossil fuels, full stop, and pursue policies that made them more difficult. But the party does not seem to be willing to go that far. Biden has repeatedly urged OPEC to increase production for the sake of the global economy, only to be rebuffed by Saudi Arabia. Then there was the funny business with the lease litigation. And now there is the flirtation with the gas tax holiday. Advertisement The result is that they are in a bizarre dead zone. Democrats have successfully branded themselves as the party that wants to halt fossil-fuel production and reduce dirty energy, even though this image is unpopular. Meanwhile, environmentalists are aware that Biden has not come remotely close to fulfilling his promises on squelching fossil-fuel production. The president, for his part because he doesnt actually want oil and gas to be expensive is asking Saudi Arabia for help and flirting with weird tax gimmicks. A much better approach would be to own up to the fact that Democrats policy is basically the same as Stres or Trudeaus. To wit: We strongly support investment in the green technologies of the future, but we also want to pump whatevers in the ground now as long as fossil fuels remain integral to the global economy. That would cause a bitter internecine fight. But if mainstream progressive politicians from fractious multiparty systems abroad can wage it, so can Democrats. Advertisement Related at Bloomberg Opinion: A Gas-Tax Holiday Is a Terrible Idea: The Editors America to Democrats: We Wont Pay Your Carbon Taxes: Ramesh Ponnuru Dont Increase the Gas Tax, Replace It: Karl Smith Popularism on Climate Wont Help Biden or the Planet: Liam Denning This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Matthew Yglesias is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and writes the Slow Boring blog and newsletter. A co-founder and former columnist for Vox, he is also the author, most recently, of One Billion Americans. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Prospective buyers at an open house in Star, Idaho, in June 2021. (Kyle Green for The Post) As the Fed raises interest rates, experts say there are some signs the market is responding. But theres a long way to go. Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by The Dr. Oz Show veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker , founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton . Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets Mikkel Becker . Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker. Tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has teamed up with international fund manager Brookfield to launch an audacious takeover bid for Australian energy giant AGL with the intention of setting stronger emissions-reduction targets and forcing the early closures of its remaining coal-fired power stations. AGL is the nations largest and oldest energy utility and its power stations are Australias largest source of planet-heating greenhouses gases, accounting for about 8 per cent of national emissions. AGLs power plants account for an estimated 8 per cent of Australias greenhouse gas emissions. Credit:Paul Jones If successful, Brookfield and Mr Cannon-Brookes, Australias third-richest person, would spend $10 billion above the purchase price of AGL to get coal out of its operations by as early as 2030, 15 years earlier than its current forecasts. WWFs Australia energy transition manager, Nicky Ison, described the proposal as potentially game-changing for the Australian energy transition. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Model turned author Alison Brahe-Daddo and actor husband Cameron Daddo talk about the highs and lows of 30 years of matrimony, and why they turned to a marriage counsellor to save theirs. Alison, how would you describe your three decades of marriage? The marriage has gone through so many evolvements. We went from being incredibly young and naive when we met to evolving into a couple who relocated to America and built a new life in LA. That then led to us seeing a marriage counsellor [due to Camerons infidelity] and doing therapy together. Id say thats where our marriage evolved the most. We had to understand why we were so attracted to each other, what were our downfalls, and ways we could work to stay together. We returned to Sydney in 2016 and are in a new phase of the marriage now. Our three children have grown up, so our responsibility for parenting is a lot less. For us its working out what we can do as a couple again. We started our podcast [Separate Bathrooms] in 2019, and we both want to learn Italian. Did seeing a counsellor help? It is so important to find the right therapist for you. The one we found was our second choice, as the first one was a terrible experience. Find someone you are both comfortable with; you cant feel the therapist is siding with one person. You need to feel supported and in a loving environment and both be on board with the process of change. You cant push shit uphill, especially if your partner isnt into it and youre at a crossroads in the relationship. We both wanted the relationship to work, so that was a good starting point. POL top, $300, and skirt, $275. Country Road belt, $60. Aristides Fine Jewels Adora diamond necklace, $2400, and pink sapphire necklace, $800. Petite Grand earrings, $140, and bracelets, $180 and $170 (all jewellery worn throughout). Alias Mae Sommer sandals, $200. Credit:Damian Bennett Is your book, Queen Menopause, inspired by your own journey? I hit the perimenopause stage at 45 and wondered what was happening to me. No one had shared their experiences or feelings about it and I have a Mum around, and older sisters. I had some tough symptoms. I wasnt well with adrenal fatigue and that caused all sorts of hormonal issues. Advertisement If Id had someone to talk me through it and tell me its all right because you get to the end, Id have been better prepared. I spoke to various women about their menopause journey for the book. There is a post-menopausal best that is like a second lease on life: things start to happen in an emotional and mental way, more than a physical way. Loading What made you want to write about menopause? I had written articles for publications in the UK and always loved writing. I had my heart set on childrens books, but it was the words menopausal mother of three in my Instagram profile that caught the attention of my publisher, who approached me a month later to ask if I wanted to do this book. I nearly fell of my chair and couldnt believe the stars had aligned. You started modelling at 16, appearing on the covers of Dolly, Cosmopolitan and Cleo. What would you tell your younger self if you could step back in time? Im a believer of, It is what it is. I think I was too young to get into modelling. I dropped out in year 11 and wish Id finished school and had more time to find out about myself before the modelling world swept me off my feet. It became a place of deep insecurity for me and I was already that sort of girl but it really came to a head when I stopped modelling. I was like, Will anyone take me seriously after spending 10 years looking pretty? Alison and Cameron in 1995. Credit:Fairfax Media Your time in LA was focused on raising your family. At what point did you realise you wanted to study again? I was so happy to be the stay-at-home mum and raise kids while Cameron worked. His work was so random, you didnt know when or how long hed be away. Once my third child got to a certain age, I went back into the workforce. My dreams of becoming a teacher also came true. I got an early childhood teaching degree from UCLA. It was agonising to say goodbye to all of that when we returned to Australia, but Im glad we came back to experience our country pre-pandemic. We got out of the US before the Trump years, too. Advertisement Cam and I really grew up as individuals in America: the 25 years I spent there is half of my life! Wed only been married eight months when we moved there and I had my 23rd birthday in Los Angeles. Ive been on a life journey from the 20s to my 40s. Zara shirt, $80, and pants, $80. Alias Mae Polly sandals, $200. Credit:Damian Bennett Did you feel much pressure to maintain your body shape after you stopped modelling? I am aware of the privilege of being a model. Im aware there were girls who wished they had a body like mine when they were 16, which makes me cringe. Meanwhile, I was wishing I had a body like Elle Macphersons. As a 52-year-old who is a size 14 with a muffin top and cellulite from neck to knee, I feel more pressure back in Australia than I did in America. Nobody in the US could compare me to my younger self. But here, I still get that all the time. That is where it is tricky for me. People must look at me and think, Holy crap, what happened to you? Im gentler on myself nowadays and remind myself its okay to be as I am. But its definitely an issue. Im aware there were girls who wished they had a body like mine when they were 16, which makes me cringe. Meanwhile, I was wishing I had a body like Elle Macphersons. Cameron, what prompted your decision to join Dancing with the Stars, and what was Alisons reaction? I felt I hadnt been challenged much over the two years of the pandemic, so DWTS seemed a natural progression to getting myself out there again. I like to surf and maintain fitness, but ballroom dancing is a whole new thing. I am grateful for the experience. Alison has always been supportive of what Ive wanted to do. Id actually like us to take up ballroom dancing as a couple. Alison wears Unikspace kimono, T-shirt and pants, Aristides necklaces, Petite Grand earrings and bracelets, Alias Mae sandals. Cameron wears Saba shirt. Credit:Damian Bennett How do you reflect on your marriage and its longevity? With all relationships, the first few years are easy. But once you get past the superficial and into the nitty-gritty, you get deeper into understanding why youre together. For us its been a deep soul-growth experience. A marriage is like a dance: you have to allow your partner space, and it takes two. Weve grown as individuals and yet remain committed to one another. Advertisement That band had rocketed Palmieri and Glass into international fame, through sucker-punch music and her macabre St Trinians-meets-Wednesday Addams beauty. In 2017, Glass made a startling public claim on her website, alleging years of emotional and sexual abuse by her ex-bandmate Claudio Palmieri (known as Ethan Kath) while part of the gothic, industrial electro Crystal Castles. [This album is] for people like me who have gone through something terrible, but they dont necessarily have a Hollywood ending, or things dont wrap up and make sense because it never will. Alice Glass hasnt been broken. She is not shattered. In titling her first full-length solo album PREY//IV, she is expunging her demons. Its a catharsis and a call to unity for all survivors. She quit Crystal Castles in 2014, at the time citing reasons both personal and professional. After she went public with her accusations against Kath which he vehemently denied he sued for defamation. That suit was dismissed in 2018, when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that Glass was protected by her constitutional right to free speech, and Kaths lawyer had failed to provide admissable evidence to the court. Despite Glasss court victory including legal costs against Kath, life did not return to normal. She faced the painful silence of bands, artists and managers she had previously considered friends. It is afternoon for her; she is in her rented house in the desert just outside of Los Angeles, which she shares with her partner and collaborator Jupiter Keyes, her pitbull rescue Jacob, and cats Fuzzy, Mr Peanut and Bean. Shes been there since mid-2020, drawn to the near-isolation of the abandoned holiday destination and the cemeteries where she walks alone in the evenings. She is in her element writing songs, but shes still trying to find the words to talk about what has happened to her and her current state of mind. While my situation is unique, its also not, she explains: she has done her research on the statistics of abuse. Shimon Hayut pictured on a private jet. Credit:Instagram/Supplied The way the human processing system works, we tend to assume that positive qualities go together, says Forgas. If somebodys really wealthy, we are probably more inclined to believe they are also going to be more trustworthy or reliable or wise, or worth listening to. Its called the halo effect, in behavioural psychology. And its one of hundreds of default mental shortcuts that help keep our brains from becoming overwhelmed by decision-making, says Dr Meg Elkins, a behavioural and cultural economist at RMITs Behavioural Business Lab. [Because] weve got 10,000 decisions to make in one day. And the halo effect is in part what helped Sydney writer Stephanie Wood to fall in love with a con artist she calls Joe, even amid early signs that threatened to turn her off. They included a broken top tooth and the time he asked her, You must be well-connected? Pretentious nong, she thought of the man she met through an online dating site who claimed to live in a house on Sydney Harbour and farm sheep on a property in the NSW southern highlands. Two strikes, youre out. Anna Sorokin before she was unmasked as a fraudster, when she went by the name Anna Delvey. Credit:Sergio Corvacho There were other moments that gave her pause. For a farmer, she noticed, he had very soft hands. Nothing made sense; his stories shifted and contradicted themselves, she wrote in a Good Weekend feature about the experience and later turned into the book, Fake about the rural property Joe said hed made an offer on, boasting a mansion, olive orchard and vineyard. But she was persuaded to think he was a decent, remarkable package, in part because of his illustrious background. He came from a well-known, distinguished family his grandfather a prominent businessman that was, she was led to believe, politically progressive (something she values greatly). I had this information about his background and I attributed other qualities to him because of that, she says of the man who also wooed her with weekends away and love declarations. I attributed kindness, sincerity, gentleness, and those things really matter to me, [and] honesty. And while she says shes not someone who enjoys flashy things and cant think of anything worse than a designer handbag, she admits: It wouldnt be honest of me to say that [his wealth] wasnt on some level appealing It was attractive on the level that he was someone who I could perhaps lean on a little bit after so many years of doing it myself. All of us, says Elkins, are primed by evolutionary biology to be lured in by success. We have these implicit markings on us, or actions, from birth, for the way we respond to people who are successful and leaders. We cant help but have that [positive] bias, she says. But why do some people end up being duped by fraudsters who present themselves as being wealthy, while others dont? No one knows for sure. But it isnt a matter of lacking intelligence. After Wood published her story, she says she was contacted by hundreds of women whod been duped by con artists, many of whom presented as being wealthy. She has since interviewed about 50 of these women. I have spoken to a magistrate who fell for a guy like this, multiple lawyers, academics, doctors, teachers; we are not talking about stupid women, says Wood, whose experience will be the focus of an episode of ABCs Australian Story on March 7. Stephanie Wood wrote the book Fake after falling for a con artist. Credit:Nic Walker Forgas thinks that people whove studied analytical science and sceptical thinking often have an extra defence against being duped. You do need to have training in sceptical thinking, essentially scientific thinking, he says. The question of How do we know that something is true? What are the criteria?. Still, Shimon Hayut and Anna Sorokin went to elaborate lengths to trick their victims into thinking they were fabulously wealthy. Hayut took women on private jets and sent doctored photos of his bodyguard, bleeding, to convince them he was in danger. Sorokin wore the right labels (Balenciaga, Celine), footed the bill for expensive meals she hosted for celebrities, athletes and CEOs and, as one acquaintance put it, someone mentioned that she flew in on a private jet. Loading Their pretend lives were convincing partly because of social proof, says Elkins. The powerful social and psychological phenomenon explains how we often look to how others are behaving and take our cues from them. Theres this lovely quote by [playwright] George Bernard Shaw, The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not the way she behaves, but how shes treated, says Elkins. So with Anna, shell give you clues that this [other] person has accepted her, and then we go, Oh, OK, shes got the blue influencer tick. But however naturally vulnerable all of us are to being gullible in the face of deception, so, too, can our gut instincts sometimes steer us, eventually, from danger. I never gave Joe the keys to my apartment, says Wood, of the man she dated for 15 months, and who she eventually discovered was not only in a long-term relationship with another woman but was an undischarged bankrupt with a criminal record. Enough is enough. Women are sick of gendered attacks, sick of misogynistic slurs, sick of being treated as the chattels of men, sick of being gaslit and undermined. Sick of being blamed for the abuse which is levelled against them because, the apologists say, they brought it upon themselves with their political beliefs. All of these things have happened to women in the past few weeks and all of them have happened to conservative women, aided, abetted and sometimes administered by women who identify with the progressive side of politics. If a woman on the conservative side of politics expresses her view on, well, pretty much anything, the suggestion has been that she is doing the bidding of a man. They have been accused in these pages by columnist Jenna Price of being human shields. By participating in a TV show to Meet the Morrisons the Prime Ministers wife, Jenny Morrison, was apparently delivering a personal sacrifice to shore up his moral reputation. What a demeaning suggestion after 30 years of marriage. Were almost there. Not to the eradication of Covid-19 (spoiler alert: the virus isnt going away), nor to a return of 2019-style normalcy, which is likely gone for good. But we are close to the end of the Omicron variants surge through New York. That storm of December and January has become a drizzle now. But be sure of this: Spend enough time in it, and you can still get soaked. In a crowded bar or restaurant today, theres still a chance that the Covid cloud is much denser, said Dr. Thomas Russo, chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalos Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. As of today, Western New York is still an area of high transmission. But thats changing fast. Within a month, there might be a whiff of virus, as opposed to a boatload of virus, Russo said. In this installment of Pandemic Lessons, we dive into what it will take to push through these last few weeks of winter. Where does Western New York stand today in terms of Covid-19 transmission? Great, compared to last month. But if you compare our numbers today to those from one year ago, we look only decent. Consider: Western New York had an average of 266 Covid-19 cases on Feb. 17, down from 3,500-plus in early January. The regions average number of cases per 100,000 people dropped from 21 to 19 over a three-day period last week. That same number one month ago was above 200 cases per day. One year ago at this time, Western New York averaged just under 400 cases per day. Western New Yorks positive-test result rate dipped just below 5% last week. Thats good, relatively speaking, but still among the higher rates in the state. The numbers are considerably lower in New York City (1.5%, as of Feb. 17) and Long Island (2.7%), where most of the state's population is concentrated. The regions with a higher rate are Central New York (6.4%) and the sparsely populated North Country (7.5%). All of this is reason to feel optimistic. Our numbers are declining steeply, but the graph hasnt bottomed out yet, and for the moment, Western New York is still considered a high-transmission region. When Gov. Kathy Hochul ended the statewide mask mandate for public places earlier this month, she noted that numbers are coming down, and its time to adapt. But, she added, that businesses can still choose to require masks, and people can and likely would still opt to wear one. Russo, who, as an infectious diseases physician, is cautious by nature, is encouraging that kind of behavior. If were patient and we wait another four weeks and now the community burden of disease is in those low to moderate levels, he said, thats when we can feel the most comfortable taking off masks. Once the Omicron wave bottoms out, and the weather starts warming and we spend more time outside, should we still keep masks around? Keep a box of masks on hand, and a stash of them in your work bag, backpack, desk or wherever else you store necessities. Right now, if you enter a school, health care setting or any variety of places that require masks by regulation or choice, you should be putting one on. You might also choose to wear one if you find yourself walking into an especially crowded place. Medical-grade masks like N-95s and KN-94s and KN-95s are highly effective, and surgical masks can do a decent job filtering out germs, too. Remember, medical professionals were using these long before the rest of us. Weve known this not just from Covid-19, said University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy Prins, speaking late last year about the effectiveness of masks. Weve known this from SARS. Weve known it from influenza. Weve known it to be true from tuberculosis as well. Some kind of barrier helps prevent other people from getting infected. The smart use of masks can help us get through the next month. But beyond that, are we finally done with them? Or more importantly, done with Covid-19? Likely not. One of the few widely agreed-upon points during this pandemic is Covid-19 is not going away. Theres no doubt were going to see more variants, said Dr. John Sellick, an epidemiologist with Kaleida Health, Veterans Affairs and the University at Buffalo. With relatively low vaccination rates in many countries, theres not enough immunity in the world to stop Covid-19 from spreading. Thats how variants develop, particularly if spread is uncontrolled among a population, or happening in the body of an immunosuppressed patient whose body cannot stop it. If its replicating, Sellick said, its mutating. Not all of those mutations will produce variants as problematic as Omicron. But some might, and if it happens, youll want and need masks. What can we do to bolster our immune system and give ourselves the best chance to fend off viruses? Be healthy, and remember that immunity is an invisible shield: It fits each person differently, and if yours is imperfect if there are holes in the armor, so to speak you wont necessarily know it unless an infection slips through. Vaccination remains the safest way of building Covid-19 immunity, and while the effectiveness wanes over time, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have largely kept people out of the hospital. Staying up to date on the initial shots and boosters gives you some control over what has otherwise been a largely uncontrollable situation. If youve had Covid-19 and are relying on post-infection immunity, here are some rules to remember: A symptomatic infection is likely more protective than one that was asymptomatic. The immunity derived from natural infection is likely better and more robust if you had a recent case, rather than one a year or two ago. Chief among the reasons: The more recent the case, the more updated your immune system is in its ability to fend off current versions of SARS-Cov-2, like the Omicron variant. Post-infection immunity combined with vaccination is unquestionably the best immunity in the world, Russo said. As we move out of Omicron and closer to an endemic phase, thinking beyond Covid-19 immunity is important, too. Losing weight, lowering blood pressure, eating nutrient-rich foods, getting enough vitamins (including C and D), getting enough sleep and exercising regularly can help you optimize your bodys ability to fight intruders. Taking care of chronic medical conditions that may also stress the immune system such as diabetes and keeping that under control might be helpful in boosting the immune system, said Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, a Cornell University medical epidemiologist. The most mindful approach is also to limit how much you test your immune system, at least for the next few weeks until the spread dissipates. Even if youve got a pretty solid immune response, if you see a billion viral particles, that might overwhelm your existing immune status, Russo said. Whereas if you only see a hundred, itll be ready cleared. The viral storm is clearing, finally. It may come again but we do know how to be prepared. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says political parties must hear the concerns of anti-vaccine and anti-mandate protesters even if they dont agree with them and vowed to differentiate the Nationals from their Liberal coalition partners. Months of protests across the country about COVID-19 health measures culminated in a crowd of more than 10,000 protesters converging on Canberra last weekend, one of the largest protests in the capital in years. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce in the House of Representatives. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen A host of right-leaning parties including Pauline Hansons One Nation, Clive Palmers United Australia Party and the Liberal Democrats are looking to capitalise on that disaffection, and are eyeing off winning Senate seats in the coming poll, particularly in Queensland and NSW. Mr Joyce, whose at-times fractious relationship with Prime Minister Scott Morrison was revealed by The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age two weeks ago, said politicians and much of the media had made a mistake by focusing on the more extreme fringes of the protest movement. A Chinese Navy vessel aimed a military-grade laser at an RAAF P8 Poseidon aircraft while sailing through Australias Exclusive Economic Zone, potentially risking the lives of up to 10 defence force members, according to the Defence Department. The extraordinary action was taken by a Luyang-class guided missile destroyer at 12.35am last Thursday as it sailed through the Arafura Sea, which is between the Northern Territory and Papua. A PLA-N Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel transits the Torres Strait on February 18, 2022. Credit:Defence Department The guided missile destroyer, which is armed with surface-to-air missiles, guns and anti-submarine torpedoes, was accompanied by a Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock. Both are believed to contain extensive surveillance capabilities. A military-grade laser can be used to blind a pilot as well as disrupt or damage equipment and instruments on board an aircraft. An image of the moment the laser was aimed at the airplane was captured by HMAS Arunta, a long-range Anzac Class frigate, which can conduct air defence, surface and undersea warfare and surveillance. A couple of years later you have trans and gender identity issues put in the lap of feminism, she says. They are, for me, the biggest departures from what had gone before. While Second Wave feminists of the 60s and 70s were stereotyped as bra-burning man-haters, younger generations, loosely grouped as Third Wave feminists, have reacted against the rigidity of their elders when it comes to rejecting gender roles, care for personal appearance, and the inter-personal politics of sex. Recent splits between Millennial and Gen Z feminists have led some to ask whether we have arrived at a Fourth Wave of feminism, powered by social media, changing ideas about gender, and a form of identity politics that doesnt automatically centre female oppression. Tilly Lawless, a 29-year-old author and sex worker, believes the Fourth Wave has arrived. The third wave was about empowerment at the individual level, it was obsessed with representation: We need Hillary Clinton in the White House because shes a woman, Lawless believes. Fourth wave feminism is a little more critical of supporting people just because of their gender. Its looking at things more systemically rather than just looking at individuals. Young women such as Tame and Brittany Higgins, who is 26, have recently shot to prominence as the nations most visible young feminists. Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins at the National Press Club in Canberra last week. Credit:James Brickwood Both have largely delighted older feminists with their frank and unapologetic confrontation of structural power. But other older people (including the Prime Ministers wife Jenny Morrison) were dismayed by what they perceived as Tames lack of politeness when she met the Prime Minister at an Australian of the Year function last month, generating news photographs that went viral. Women have been angry for a really long time, says Rosewarne. The difference is the visibility of that anger. Unlike previous generations, todays young feminists dont need the mainstream media to notice them or amplify their cause. Grace Tame with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Jenny Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen They can launch critiques of powerful figures (notably the Prime Minister Scott Morrison) from wherever they happen to be with their smartphone. These young women are digital natives who have come of age with the internet, and they can control their narrative, says Rosewarne. Young women can raise their voices via social media, but they can also be educated through it. There are young people who have learned their feminism from [social media website] Tumblr, says Rosewarne. These young women are digital natives who have come of age with the internet, and they can control their narrative, says Rosewarne. Credit:Justin McManus But the central role of social media in contemporary feminism attracts its own critique. Should the complexities of the womens movement be condensed into a bite-sized TikTok video? Can they be? Lawless, who has 50,000 Instagram followers, says that unfortunately, we are having complex, nuanced things reduced to soundbites. Things that have multiple books written about them are reduced to an infographic stuck up on someones [Instagram] story, she says. If social media serves as a gateway to knowledge, thats fine. I would love if the feminism-lite or Feminism 101 people access via TikToks, led people to further engage and think about feminism, Lawless says. But as she is the first to admit, TikTok and Instagram are also visual mediums that reward aesthetically pleasing content, not to mention female nudity. If I want something important to be read, I have to post a semi-nude photo, she says. Social media does force you to think about aesthetic. And some things that are important dont have an aesthetic. Social media has also led to the rise of influencer feminism and others who make money on the internet under the banner of feminism, but with a loose connection to it. So you will have Kim Kardashian posting a photo of herself naked on International Womens Day with the hashtag #empowerment, explains Rosewarne. You see this picked up by advertising, this idea that any individual decision is empowering, that youre doing this for you, and not for the male gaze. But to Rosewarne, thats not feminism. How does that advance female equality? Its not issues-based feminism, its a justification for personal choice. Probably the most controversial point of difference between older and younger generations of feminists is over trans people. Younger feminists are more likely to believe that trans women are women and welcome trans people to the movement. This is confronting to some older feminists who believe biological sex, and the experience of living in a biologically female body, is central to the cause. Prominent older feminists including Germaine Greer and JK Rowling have challenged the idea that trans women are women, earning themselves the charge of being TERFs (trans exclusionary radical feminists). TERF is an insult freely thrown by Millennial and Gen Z feminists, although TERFs prefer to call themselves gender critical feminists. Second wave feminism is obviously full of TERFS and SWERFs, says Lawless (a SWERF is a sex-worker exclusionary radical feminist). They think that sex workers and trans women and trans men are traitors working undercover for the patriarchy. Young feminists are also more likely to emphasise intersectionality - the idea that womens overlapping identities, such as their race, class, and sexual orientation, will impact the way they experience oppression. Yasmin Poole, 23, is one such feminist. She is a youth advocate and a national ambassador for girls charity Plan International Australia, and she defines her intersectional feminism as including diverse women and non-binary people. Yasmin Poole is a youth advocate and a national ambassador for Plan International Australia. Credit:Martin Ollman If we want to create a free world, we also have to have conversations about race and class, she says. Young women view it as structural. There is less about the individual onus and girlboss feminism, more about questioning why certain structures have historically kept us out. Girlboss feminism is a reference to the Millennial feminist trend which updated the sisters doing it for themselves ethos of the 1980s. Girlboss feminism emphasised individual choice, leaning in in the corporate sphere, and put forward the idea that all womens choices were inherently feminist because a woman made them. We are sceptical of that, says Poole. It isnt just about women having a position of power, its about what you do with it. You have to do more than that to create an equal world. The arguments and occasional tensions within the feminist movement are the best testament to its ongoing relevance, and its vitality. Rosewarne says that there has always been gatekeeping in feminism, and refers back to her PhD supervisor. Farmers and foresters will receive up to $86 million in seed capital under the federal governments plan to grow the plantation timber industry and get its commitment to plant 1 billion trees before 2030 back on track. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be in Tasmania on Monday to announce the program, which the government hopes will spur the planting of 150 million trees by 2027. The Prime Minister is launching a new fund to grow the timber industry. Credit:John Woudstra Australia has 1.77 million hectares of plantations and we want that to grow further. Thats why were making the largest investment of any Australian government in this space for more than 30 years, Mr Morrison said. The Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 torched tens of thousands of hectares of plantations and the construction industry is battling a shortage of softwood timber, used to build houses. Paris: A modelling agent who was close to disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead in his French jail cell, where he was being held in an investigation into the rape and sex trafficking of minors, according to the Paris prosecutors office. Paris police are investigating Jean-Luc Brunels death at the historic La Sante prison in Paris, the prosecutors office said. French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, pictured in Paris on July 5, 2019. Victims of his alleged abuse described shock and dismay that the 75-year-old, a well-known model scout in the 1980s and 1990s who ran different agencies in Paris and New York, will never face trial. They called his death as a double blow after Epstein killed himself in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting sex-trafficking charges. Brunels lawyers suggested on Saturday that he, too, killed himself. In a statement, they described his distress at his incarceration and his repeated requests for a provisional release from the prison. Salisbury, MD (21801) Today Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 53F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 53F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Wilmington, DE (19810) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 51F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 51F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. The owner of the Southern Tier casino cited by the state inspector general last week for minority and woman-owned business fraud said he had no knowledge of the "pass-through" schemes uncovered by state investigators. New York real estate magnate Jeffrey Gural told The Buffalo News on Sunday that he had "no idea" state investigators were looking into fraud allegations by contractors he hired six years ago. State Inspector General cites minority business fraud on Southern Tier casino project Contractors evaded state rules requiring minority or women-owned businesses be hired for portions of the $44 million Tioga Downs casino job, the State Inspector Generals Office said in documents made public today. "It took me four days to even find out anything about it," Gural said. "No one still works for me who had anything to do with that." He did not deny potential fraud took place on the $44 million project, which converted his harness racing track into a full-fledged casino in 2016. The News last week provided Gural with copies of letters sent by the inspector general to two state agencies outlining the allegations. "Integrity is very important to me, so Im very disappointed," Gural said. On paper, some minority-owned companies were paid to provide the casino with electrical products and food supplies, Inspector General Lucy Lang said. But the supplies were actually provided to the casino by companies owned by white people. The minority companies did little more than submit invoices, according to the inspector general. Buffalo-based LPCiminelli, whose CEO Louis P. Ciminelli was convicted of fraud as part of the unrelated Buffalo Billion investigation, was the project manager on the Tioga Downs casino project. But the inspector general did not cite LPCiminelli for wrongdoing as part of its MWBE fraud probe. Gural said he was in the process of obtaining documentation regarding the electrical work on the project. As for the alleged "pass-through" scheme regarding food distribution, the inspector general said Tioga Downs improperly claimed approximately $3 million in M/WBE utilization credit by hiring Mil-Ray Food Co., a New Jersey company that is certified as a minority- and woman-owned business in New York State. The state said Mil-Ray which it described as a business without a functioning website that is operated by an individual working out of her New Jersey home acted as a pass-through on food service contracts when much of the food actually was provided by two companies that were not minority- and women-owned businesses. Inspector general officials said a review of emails revealed that all were aware of this improper arrangement. Gural said he was not aware of the alleged scheme and he said the manager who handled the project has since left his company. But Gural had a theory as to why corners may have been cut. "Im not happy about it, but my guess is its impossible to find someone who would qualify as a (minority-owned) food distributor," Gural said. "Food distributors are big companies theyre not mom and pops. Usually you can find mom and pops to do a lot of this stuff." Gural said he is not well liked in Albany because he accused former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of running a "criminal operation" when it came to awarding casino licenses. Asked whether he thought politics may have played a role in state investigators looking into the casino project, he said, "I have no idea. But it doesnt matter. If you cant find a contractor, you should say, I cant find anybody and see what they say, rather than make it look like you found somebody. So Im not happy about how that was handled." The Tioga Downs MWBE investigation comes on the heels of the Inspector Generals Office also finding evidence of MWBE requirements being skirted on three major Buffalo-area projects. None of these inspector general investigations has resulted in criminal charges. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WESTPORT Town officials have concluded TEAM Westports membership does not violate the town charter or state law, but the First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker has changed some requirements to town committees makeup overall. Tooker said she will now require committee members to be a Westport resident and will also only allow a maximum of 50 percent of its members to belong to the same political party. I am fully committed to maintaining and preserving the original mission of TEAM Westport. It is crucial, Tooker said. I am confident we have the knowledge and expertise among our residents here in Westport to fulfill the slightly amended membership requirements, and that TEAM Westport will continue to serve our community in its advisory role in creating a more welcoming, multicultural Westport. The changes come in response to a letter from Vincent Marino, an attorney representing two Westport residents, Zack Alcyone and Camilo Riano. The letter said TEAM Westport violated the law since there were several members that exceeded term lengths and did not live in Westport. It also said that according to the charter and state law, the number of members appointed to the committee from one political party cannot exceed two-thirds. The current membership has 14 members, 11 of whom are Democrats, Marino wrote. Marino did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Going forward, prospective members of all town committees will be asked to submit an application indicating their political party and explain how their skills assist the town, Tooker said. TEAM Westport Chairman Harold Bailey Jr. has said while political representation, electors living in town and term limits are absolutely required for boards and commissions, committees are different. Town Attorney Ira Bloom ultimately sided with Bailey suggesting that the membership of TEAM Westport is not in violation of the of the charter in relation to term limits or with a member no longer being a Westport voter. This legal response is based on the fact that committees are advisory in nature, Tooker said. Committees are formed with the intention to utilize the most qualified volunteers to offer guidance and advice, and thus are not subject to the same charter provisions as boards and commissions. However, Bloom admitted that based on a review of the Connecticut General Statutes, the minority representation rule should be applied. We serve at the pleasure of the first selectwoman, Bailey said. I dont think this is going to affect what were doing moving forward. Bailey said when TEAM Westport was originally chartered in 2005, the original text read TEAM Westport and Weston. He said the committee served both towns for the first eight to 10 years, however, the focus has now narrowed to Westport over the last 10 years. There is no huge change and clearly no one is violating the law, he added. Tooker said TEAM Westport is essential for the future of the community to ensure everyone feels welcome. The Town of Westport thrives on the volunteer efforts of numerous people, including members of TEAM Westport, who generously give of their talent and time, Tooker said. I am so grateful for our appointed board, commission and committee members who help make Westport the best place to live, work and play. serenity.bishop@hearstmediact.com Mickey Mouse has turned Leftist Lousedue to circumstances beyond his control, and the long love affair that Disney has enjoyed with almost every American family appears headed for the rocks. The company has chosen to go woke, and that decision could conceivably leave the entertainment gia The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. WASHINGTON The two federal employees who pushed for a safe redesign of the intersection near Western New York's new veterans cemetery are now in what one supporter described as "professional purgatory." The cemetery director, James R. Metcalfe II, was not only reprimanded for pushing those safety changes, but also barred from the cemetery's dedication. And the program manager bringing the sprawling cemetery to fruition, Peter C. Rizzo, was transferred away from the project nearly two years ago, meaning the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' local planning guru no longer has any role in the agency's largest local construction project. 'It could have been avoided': VA Cemetery planners' warnings went unheeded before crash killed two vets "I think that my dad would most definitely happily give up his life to bring light to a dangerous situation and save somebody else's life," the daughter of one of the accident victims said. The two men see themselves as victims of retaliation, according to complaints filed long ago with internal VA investigators, the agency created to protect wronged federal employees and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer but those complaints linger in the shadow of tragedy. On Sept. 22, two veterans from Lockport, Christopher Rowell and Arnold Herdendorf, were killed at the intersection that Metcalfe and Rizzo were trying to get fixed. The VA won't comment on what happened to Metcalfe and Rizzo, saying the agency won't discuss personnel matters. But advocates for veterans and federal employees, as well as New York's two U.S. senators, see Metcalfe and Rizzo as lesser victims of the same larger tragedy that claimed the lives of those two vets in the fall: that the VA ignored safety concerns at an intersection that vets are still driving through every day. "I think both of these guys have been unjustly punished," said Marlene Roll, the national and state legislative chairperson for Veterans of Foreign Wars. "They were proven right, unfortunately. There shouldn't have been loss of life if what they said had been heeded." Metcalfe: Silenced Metcalfe, a Western New York native and member of the Seneca Nation of Indians who returned home to manage the new Western New York National Cemetery, started pressing for safety improvements at the intersection of Route 77 and Indian Falls Road in March 2020. Cars and trucks rushed down Route 77 at 55 mph or more, meaning it would be difficult for vets leaving the cemetery to cross or turn onto the highway, Metcalfe told a number of public officials who largely agreed with his assessment. But on June 19, 2020, Metcalfe got a call from Willie Clyde Marsh, executive director of the National Cemetery Administration's North Atlantic District. Reiterating what he told Metcalfe in that phone call in a July 20, 2020 memo, Marsh reprimanded Metcalfe for "inappropriate routing of email" and left him with some orders. "You are directed not to engage with County Officials or DOT about changing traffic patterns or stop signs or speed limits without approval of NAD (North Atlantic District) leadership," the memo said. In addition, "you are not to discuss budget issues or potential contract scope changes" with contractors, congressional representatives or others without approval from above, Marsh wrote. VA officials in Washington have barred Metcalfe from speaking publicly about what happened, but his wife, Darcy, has had plenty to say. "In subsequent events, James was reprimanded for responding directly to a reporter (even though he did not); received repeated verbal and written admonishments for actions beyond his control; and was unfairly assigned an annual performance rating two points lower than the score he had earned every year for the previous 14 years," she said in a Jan. 23 email to Veterans Secretary Denis R. McDonough. "All of this took place at the hands of Mr. Marsh." Later, in a written statement to The Buffalo News, Darcy Metcalfe said: "Imagine Jamies embarrassment in November 2020 when he was told by his executive leadership that he could not attend the dedication ceremony" for the cemetery. "Every new national cemetery director is front-and-center at their facilitys dedication ceremony, but not Jamie." Metcalfe showed up at the ceremony anyway and sat in the back, said sources who attended. "A day does not go by that Jamie doesnt visualize the horrific scene outside the cemetery on September 22nd, a scene that could have and should have been prevented," she told The News. Darcy Metcalfe also spelled out her concerns in a Jan. 26 email to 75 congressional offices. "Is there anything you can do to urge VA to pursue needed safety improvements at the intersection ... and hold VA and Mr. Marsh accountable for their wrongdoing?" she asked. Rizzo: Transferred Amid his work to get the cemetery built, Rizzo received a shocking email on June 22, 2020. "Thank you for your efforts and professionalism while serving on detail at WNY National Cemetery. You have served this project well from the start of construction in September 2019," wrote Ann Marie Sweet-Abshire, a construction director at VA headquarters. "Regrettably, for reasons beyond my control, your detail is terminated effective immediately." Rizzo responded that he was "heartbroken," and then asked Sweet-Abshire why he was being transferred. She said a VA official named Ed Gully had asked her to remove Rizzo upon instructions from Michael Brennan, executive director of the VA Office of Construction and Facilities Management. "When I asked Ed why Dr. Brennan had requested your removal, he did not appear to know himself," Sweet-Abshire replied. "However, he did ask me if I thought you had been the person who leaked information to Sen. Schumers office, based on a recent letter being very detailed in its inquiries." Rizzo's removal came only three days after Sweet-Abshire received an email from Alan V. Trow, director of quality assurance service at VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management, praising Rizzo's performance and offering to extend his work at the cemetery through its opening in late 2020. "The overall mission of VA has been and will continue to be best served by his continuing onsite role at WNY Cemetery," Trow wrote in a note that also included compliments for Rizzo from Metcalfe and an engineer on the cemetery project. Hearing praise from all around, Rizzo felt especially stung by his sudden transfer. "This retaliation has affected me personally by causing injury to my reputation, public humiliation and mental anguish," Rizzo wrote on July 10, 2020, in a complaint filed with the Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency entrusted with protecting federal employees from wrongdoing, and shared with Schumer's office. Schumer who acknowledged that Rizzo had been in touch with his office before Rizzo was removed from the cemetery wasn't happy, either. "It would be outrageous for Mr. Rizzo to be removed for making protected disclosures to Congress and would violate the longstanding legal protections prohibiting retaliation against federal employees who come forward to expose evidence of waste, fraud or abuse," Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote to the Office of Special Counsel on July 17, 2020. Rizzo's burden grew far heavier, though, after the crash that claimed the lives of Rowell and Herdendorf. "Words cannot describe how troubled I am over this deadly car crash, especially because I know it very likely would not have occurred if Mr. Metcalfe and I had been able to continue our work" on safety issues at the cemetery, Rizzo wrote in a follow-up complaint to the Office of Special Counsel last fall. VA, DOT to do new traffic study of intersection where vets died The commitment to a new safety investigation came amid a growing sense of rage over a Buffalo News story detailing how federal bureaucrats quashed an effort to improve the intersection of Route 77 and Indian Falls Road The reaction Both Metcalfe and Rizzo detailed their allegations in complaints to the Office of Special Counsel and the VA inspector general. And separately, Metcalfe filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, while Rizzo took up his case with Schumer. Asked about Metcalfe and Rizzo and their allegations of retaliation, National Cemetery Administration spokesman Les' Melnyk said: "VA protects the privacy of its employees and respects the administrative processes in place to address employee concerns by not commenting on personnel matters." But veterans advocates, a defender of wronged federal employees and New York's two U.S. senators had plenty to say. Roll, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said Metcalfe and Rizzo had been "shunted aside" for doing the right thing. "Both of these guys are are in professional purgatory, basically," said Roll, whose organization has called on McDonough, the VA secretary, to investigate the traffic safety issue at the cemetery. Worse yet, the VA's treatment of the two men violates the law, said Jeff Ruch, a lawyer for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, who is representing the two men. A century-old federal law, the Lloyd-La Follette Act, gives federal employees the right to communicate with members of Congress and their staffs. Ruch said the VA broke that law by punishing Rizzo for his contacts with Schumer's staff and by barring Metcalfe from communicating with lawmakers. The trouble is, that federal law includes no enforcement mechanism, leaving Metcalfe and Rizzo to fight bureaucratic battles for both highway safety and their own reputations, Ruch said. "They're certainly not being driven by the idea of career advancement," Ruch said. "I mean, they're conscience-stricken. They're horrified that their actions to prevent this sort of thing didn't bear fruit and almost are morally compelled to come forward at the cost of their career." Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, also a New York Democrat, and Schumer are horrified, too. "The fact that Rizzo was transferred away from the project, the fact that Metcalfe's efforts were denied and pushed aside, is deeply, deeply disturbing," Gillibrand said. Schumer, meanwhile, has written three letters to federal authorities on behalf of Metcalfe and Rizzo. "It is important to the highest standards of good government that the VA accept responsibility for the totality of any and all retaliation injuries suffered by Mr. Rizzo and Mr. Metcalfe by reversing the adverse personnel actions taken against them, accounting for inflicted reputational harm and by holding accountable those who are found to have violated the law," Schumer said in a letter to the VA secretary last year. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Williamson, WV (25661) Today Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. Low 64F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. Low 64F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Franklin, TN (37064) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Deadline Hollywood Post Malone honored an educator in a sweet tribute message. TMZ reports Phil Carollo, who served as principal of Staten Island's P.S. 56, The Louis Desario School, died suddenly at age 49. Carollo was a big fan of the "Circles" singer, who in turn consoled his tearful students in a video message, where he told them, "I hope everybody continues to spread love and I'm so happy and blessed I could make an impact on somebody's life." Selena Gomez poked fun at her single status in a new TikTok video, saying "I'm fine. I'm totally fine being single. It's a real thing. It's fine." The camera then pans to her friends, who are all coupled up and snuggling on the couch. The camera then slowly pans back to Selena, who is giving them a jealous death stare. Dove Cameron performed her queer anthem "Boyfriend" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday. This marked the first time the Emmy-winner performed the song on daytime TV. She used a smokescreen and dressed in a dramatic white dress and cloak for her seductive performance. The Weeknd is a big fan of Ariana Grande's work ethic. The "Blinding Lights" singer declared on Twitter, "ive seen Ariana work in real time. That woman is a BEAST." Ariana and The Weeknd collaborated on several songs, including "Save Your Tears," "love me harder" and "off the table." Olivia Rodrigo and Vanessa Hudgens had the cutest High School Musical moment at the Met Gala Monday. The two both play Gabriella Montez in their own versions of HSM, which Vanessa says makes her feel they have "such a connection." Olivia sweetly replied, "I know! We're soul sisters!" Olivia played the role Vanessa originated in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Copyright 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read more This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Yale New Haven Health announced this month it plans to buy three more hospitals operated by Prospect Health. In addition to Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital and Westerly Hospital, the system will add Waterbury Hospital (357 beds), Manchester Memorial Hospital (249 beds) and Rockville General Hospital (102 beds). The purchase continues an ongoing trend toward health care consolidation on small and large scales. Health systems like Yale or Hartford HealthCare continue to take over or merge with other hospital chains, and smaller medical practices selling out to larger groups. In the year 2000, there were roughly, I think, 32 or 34 independent nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut, said Lynne Ide, director of program and policy at the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. Fast forward 20 years later, and there are only four independent nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut. Every other hospital in the state has been taken up by a larger health system. What we're seeing is consolidation of health care services, she said. Chris OConnor, CEO of Yale New Haven Health, has been at the forefront of hospital consolidations in Connecticut. He got his start at St. Raphaels as an emergency room tech during his undergrad years. His mother was a nurse at St. Raphaels for 40 years. That was my mom's hospital, he said. After he completed school, OConnor returned to St. Raphaels and eventually became CEO and brokered the deal that brought the hospital into the Yale New Haven Health system. OConnor said there is no single reason why a smaller hospital system decides to sell to a larger one. In St. Raphaels case, the viability of it as an independent agency was waning, though most aren't in that situation, he said. The external agencies, in our case, it was the bond insurers that said that 'you need to find an alternative solution,' he said. That being said, OConnor agreed there is a trend toward consolidation, both of hospital systems and smaller medical practices. I think times have changed and the pressure on health care entities is extreme, he said about the trend. From a marginal cost perspective, the ability to aggregate the back-office functions and have more systemic structure around those more deployable costs, supply chain, information technology, legal, all of those have greater value when you're looking at larger scale, he said. Vertical consolidation The National Council on Compensation Insurance, a research and advocacy group, referred to hospital mergers as horizontal consolidation in a 2018 report. When doctors sell private practices to larger groups, thats vertical consolidation, and its been driven, at least in part, by the Affordable Care Act, the organization says. The ACA increased incentives to move patient care from an inpatient to an outpatient setting, motivating hospital systems to acquire physician practices in order to capitalize on increased outpatient revenues and secure referrals for hospital-based services, NCCI wrote. There are also administrative reasons. There are more back-office responsibilities now, doctors say, in large part driven by insurance companies. Focusing on some of those back-office functions is not why many doctors went into medicine, OConnor said. They went in to serve patients. So, relieving themselves of some of that back office rigor, I think, has appeal to many physicians not all, but many. David Emmel is the legislative chairman of the Connecticut State Medical Society and the Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians. Hes also a practicing ophthalmologist in Wethersfield. His colleague, Bob Russo, is executive director of the medical society and a retired radiologist. Both doctors previously had small, private practices. Emmels only employee was his wife. Russo inherited the practice from his father, and his aunt and her friend did all the billing. The doctors sold their practices to larger health systems. Emmel likened it to what he called a hardware store model. The old-fashioned hardware store where you'd walk in and someone would greet you and say, What are you looking for, and they find everything you want and you never had to take a step, he said. Now you go to a Home Depot and you wander around and hope you find what you need. Russo said the system manipulates doctors into selling their practices. I think it's an effort to manipulate the system to the advantage of people that believe they're practicing medicine, like the insurance companies, sometimes the pharmacies, definitely the legislature, where they come in with rules and regulations, and just kind of pound at you to kind of bend you into what they want you to do, he said. The method of manipulation, according to Russo and Emmel, is increasing administrative costs. When Emmel started in private practice, his wife did all the billing. By the time I was forced to go into a group practice, I needed six full-time employees just to manage the business aspects, he said. It's not like there was one thing that broke the camel's back, it just was the administrative burden that's growing and growing and growing for all physicians in the face of remuneration that has grown either not at all or, in some cases, is actually going down. Emmel is an ophthalmologist, and he said, insurance companies now require a prior authorization for every cataract operation. That means my surgical coordinator has to be on the phone, often for hours for every given patient, trying to obtain prior authorization and to maintain a schedule that has some semblance of reasonableness, he said. It's frustrating to patients, and we spend time calming patients down who think they have a date for surgery and then find out they have to wait. Competition When asked if there is a concern that health care monopolies may form, limiting a patients choice to a single megacorporation, OConnor said, I bristle at that word, because I don't think it exists. There's pretty brisk competition, he said. I don't think we're going to that extreme, personally. You have three very broad health systems four if you count Trinity, but they're a little bit smaller between Nuvance, Hartford and Yale New Haven that, I think, are going to be around for a while. So, I don't see a monopoly as the outcome, personally. However, a class action lawsuit filed this month alleges that Hartford HealthCare has created a health care monopoly that limits patient choice and drives up prices. HHC has used unlawful and anti-competitive methods to restrain trade, to acquire a monopoly on acute inpatient hospital services in many key regions in the state, and to abuse that monopoly by using it to extract higher prices from insurers, employers, and patients throughout the areas it does business, the complaint alleges. In a statement, Hartford HealthCare said, the complaint is without merit. The allegations misrepresent the many ways Hartford HealthCare is working to transform health care, building a system of care that is more accessible, has lower-cost options, is a champion for equity, and both attracts and delivers excellence, the statement said. John Brady, a former emergency room nurse and executive vice president at AFT Connecticut, a union that represents many nurses in the state, said it would be concerning if HHC and Yale ever merged. If those two big dogs ever merged, then you could argue that there is a monopoly in Connecticut, he said, suggesting that consolidation will continue. I think were going to be down to a couple of big chains, Hartford and Yale, and maybe a few other ones, he said. We are starting to get to the point where theres not a lot of other small ones to go. Pride in independence Nuvance Health was formed through consolidation, when Western Connecticut Health Network merged with Health Quest. Nuvance chief operating officer, Kerry Eaton, said consolidation allows communities and patients greater choice and enhanced access to highly skilled specialists and the latest treatments with an accessible medical record across a broader geography, particularly during the pandemic. The pandemic clearly highlighted the benefits of a larger health system where talent, supplies and clinical knowledge were shared as COVID-19 repeatedly surged, Eaton said in a statement. Our hospitals worked together to accommodate patient overflow, while also sharing ideas, equipment and PPE. In addition to being the newly named CEO of Yale New Haven Health, OConnor is also chair of the Connecticut Hospital Association, which he said brings together every entity, regardless of whether you're a system or an independent hospital. OConnor said he believes there is a role for independent hospitals in the state in the coming decades. He said theres great sensitivity to the fact that we have to provide a venue that does whatever it can to help support those independent hospitals. Places like Griffin Hospital and Middlesex they believe adamantly in their independence, and great for them. They're wonderful colleagues, OConnor said. Other independent, nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut include Day Kimball Healthcare in Putnam and Stamford Health, where Asha Shah is head of infection prevention. We pride ourselves on being independent, she said. Independence helps us maintain a focus on providing expert, compassionate care, said Kathleen Silard, president and CEO of Stamford Health. It is not easy for a health system to remain independent in todays environment, but we believe it is in our communities best interest, she said. National trend Silard said consolidations have long been a trend nationally. That trend toward health care consolidation is not new, and is not unique to Connecticut as advocacy group the NCCI explained in 2018. The reason for that consolidation, according to NCCI, is cost savings. Hospital mergers can lead to operating cost reductions for acquired hospitals of 15 to 30 percent, NCCI wrote. But that cost savings does not necessarily flow downstream. Reductions in hospital operating costs do not translate into price decreases, the organization wrote. Research to date shows that hospital mergers increase the average price of hospital services by 6 to 18 percent. Another advocacy group, the Health Care Cost Institute, examined consolidation across the nation, and ranked metro areas by how consolidated they are by using a metric called Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI). A higher HHI value signifies a more highly concentrated market that is, within a market, a smaller number of hospital systems account for a larger share of hospital admissions, the group wrote. The scale goes from zero to 10,000. On the high end is Johnson City, Tenn., with an HHI of 9,046. Urban metro areas tend to be less consolidated and New York City is second from the bottom with an HHI of 667, ahead of Riverside, Calif. In Connecticut, the group compares three metro areas (with much of Fairfield County considered the New York City metro area and the corners or the state not populated enough to consider). The Hartford metro area was given an HHI of 3,181 in 2019, considered highly concentrated. Health care in New Haven is also considered highly concentrated, with an HHI of 3,059. With an HHI of 2,260, health care in the Bridgeport metro area is considered moderately concentrated. Patient care Before he retired, Charles Motes was most recently health director at the Bristol-Burlington Health District, but over the course of his career, he was director of health and social services in East Hartford, the first full-time director of health in Southington and the first director of health of the Plainville-Southington Health District. Motes said cost, for both hospitals and patients, is only one measure to consider. We must factor in improvements in patient care as a bottom line item, he said. It does me no good if the cost of my care is less, if there is no improvement in the care I receive. Ide believes patient care concerns are often lost as hospital chains become larger. The result, she said, is the services provided, like maternity care, are shuffled from one location to another. Especially if you're a smaller hospital that has been gobbled up, they often will take certain functions and move them to another hospital in their system, she said. Very rarely are consumer interests patient interests put front and center in those negotiations. Brady said hospitals are different from other necessary public service agencies like police or fire departments. Compare hospitals to school systems. School systems are governed by elected boards of education, he said. Hospitals are governed in theory by boards of directors who are not elected by the public. The people sitting on the board elect their replacements. In a nonprofit hospital they don't even answer to shareholders" despite being funded with public funds, he said. "Theyre funded with Medicare, Medicaid and insurance premiums. So, when it comes to consolidation, Brady argues the decision should be based on a statewide strategy and, at least to some degree, left to the public. Brady said he does not believe hospitals have the interest of the public at hand. Hospitals have to remember that they serve a purpose, he said, and that purpose is to serve the public good. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Day Kimball Healthcare is also an independent, nonprofit hospital in Connecticut. The past two years have been hard for all of us and they have been especially difficult for Fairfield Countys nonprofit community. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our nonprofits face an ongoing strain amid spiking demand for services. The constant disruptions in everyday routines are taxing those who serve on the front lines throughout our community. On Feb. 24, you can help these local heroes and provide critical support to your neighbors in need by contributing to your favorite cause on Fairfield Countys Giving Day, powered by Fairfield Countys Community Foundation. As our regions largest annual philanthropic event, Giving Day encourages individuals and families to support local causes during a 24-hour online giving event. For as little as $10, community members can support Fairfield County nonprofits. In fact, most individuals Giving Day contributions are less than $100. The beauty of Giving Day is that its about community. And when a community comes together around a common cause, each contribution becomes more powerful. Now, in its ninth year, Fairfield Countys Giving Day has raised $11.5 million since its inception a figure that shows the collective power of this event. In 2021, nearly 400 Fairfield County nonprofits raised more than $2.25 million through contributions from 15,000 individuals and families. Even better, the impact of this event goes beyond dollars raised. When you donate to a charity of your choice on Feb.24, youll not only be supporting a local nonprofit, but you may also serve as a catalyst for family, friends, and those throughout our community to develop a habit of charitable giving. Philanthropy is inspiring. Seeing others give makes an individual more likely to donate themselves and gentle encouragement from an influential person in someones life can also motivate a charitable act. Fairfield Countys Giving Day offers the optimal opportunity to accelerate our communitys participation in charitable giving. You can amplify your impact when you make a donation and let others know about it via social media or conversations, too. For parents, grandparents, and caregivers, Giving Day offers a great way to engage your family and teach children the value and importance of giving and prove that we all have the power to make a difference in our community. By experiencing that power and feeling the satisfaction of helping others, individuals may be more inclined to donate regularly. That type of movement is a game-changer for our community at a time in which joining together to help others has never been more important. Every nonprofit adds value to our community. They support such pressing issues such as social justice, civic engagement, education, poverty, homelessness, and hunger. Their impact also reaches organizations that add meaning and joy to our lives through the arts, music, and preservation of our environment. Many of these organizations have been operating in crisis mode for nearly two years. Navigating the ongoing pandemic has left them little time to focus on critical fundraising for survival, stability, and growth. Giving Day helps relieve that burden. Through its Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Fairfield Countys Community Foundation provides participating nonprofits with a full range of fundraising support. The assistance provided includes training on marketing and fundraising, best practices, organizing, promoting their efforts through an efficient online portal, and, ultimately, distributing the funds to the charities of each donors choice. Fairfield Countys business community also plays a significant role in Giving Days considerable success. Since day one, Bank of America, Giving Days Champion Sponsor, has been committed to building vibrant communities where individuals and families can thrive and succeed. In addition, more than a dozen local brands representing businesses and organizations large and small have already committed to sponsoring Giving Day. Along with Champion Sponsor Bank of America, sponsors include Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Moffly Media, The Jeniam Foundation, Optimum, KeyBank, TargetonStar, Fairfield Countys Center for Housing Opportunity, Webster Private Bank, Band Central, Connoisseur Media brands 95.9 The Fox, Star 99.9, WEBE108, and WICC, The Two Oh Three, and the following funds housed at Fairfield Countys Community Foundation: Back to You Fund, Immigrant Success Fund, and Fund for Women & Girls. Fairfield Countys Giving Day is a rare moment for all of us to come together; thats why we hope youll join us on Feb. 24 at FCGives.org to support this event and help us spread the word to your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Together, we can create one habit that isnt meant to be broken: The habit of charitable giving. Juanita T. James is president and CEO of Fairfield Countys Community Foundation. William Tommins is president of Bank of America Southern Connecticut. OTTAWA - Silence and calm reigned on the streets of Ottawa for the first time in more than three weeks on Sunday as police continued their efforts to put a final end to anti-government demonstrations that immobilized the national capital. Residents surround a couple in a pick up truck as a police officer tries to negotiate their release from a counter protest on Riverside Drive, after residents prevented vehicles from driving in a convoy to Parliament Hill, on the 17th day of a protest against COVID-19 measures that has grown into a broader anti-government protest, in Ottawa, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - Silence and calm reigned on the streets of Ottawa for the first time in more than three weeks on Sunday as police continued their efforts to put a final end to anti-government demonstrations that immobilized the national capital. Roadways once choked with trucks and protesters opposed to COVID-19 public health measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government were largely clear, though debris and other signs of the blockade dubbed an illegal occupation by its critics were still in evidence. Ottawa Police, working in tandem with forces from across the country, said they'd arrested 191 people and laid 391 charges related to the demonstrations, though Ottawa Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said the mammoth law enforcement operation was far from over. "There is another phase that will identify how we maintain the streets, how we eventually demobilize, once we've identified that there is no threat of further protests coming to our city," Bell said at a news conference. "We aren't there yet." Bell said charges laid to date include obstructing police, disobeying a court order, assault, mischief, possessing a weapon and assaulting a police officer. Law enforcement is "with every hour" getting closer to delivering on its promise to clear streets and give them back to residents, he added. Chris Harkins, deputy commissioner with the Ontario Provincial Police, said commercial and private vehicle driver's licenses have been suspended, while 76 vehicles have been seized and towed in Ottawa. But the massive enforcement blitz also drew attention from Ontario's police watchdog on Sunday. The Special Investigations Unit announced it was probing two police-involved incidents related to the weekend effort to clear protesters, including one where a woman was injured when mounted police from Toronto charged at the crowd. The quiet that filled the streets around Parliament Hill on Sunday morning held throughout the day, though a heavy police presence remained and small groups of protesters were still gathered at fences erected to block off the long-standing heart of the demonstrations. Police watched them closely from a distance, but did not move to force them to leave. About 100 police checkpoints remain to monitor and limit who can access the downtown core, and the parliamentary district is now largely fenced off with almost no access whatsoever. On Bank Street a few blocks south of Parliament Hill, Centretown resident Mary Werre and a friend were loading trash into black garbage bags. Werre said some locals had made plans to help clean up and take down any remaining hateful signs. As Werre was speaking with The Canadian Press, a man and a woman passed by and then returned to complain about a man sitting in a wheelchair on the opposite street corner. The man went on to refer to those experiencing homelessness as "bums" and suggested the presence of trucks in recent weeks had curbed local crime. "So this is the type of people that residents have been having to deal with on a regular basis," Werre said as the man walked off. Werre said it was nice to wake up to relative silence on Sunday and realize there were no livestreams showing action unfolding in her neighbourhood. "It was like, wait, is it over? Is it finally (over)?" Alexis Shotwell, a Centretown resident and Carleton University professor, said she was glad things appeared to be ending but was not comfortable with the huge numbers of police still on the streets. "I'm not loving having this many checkpoints and this many police in the neighbourhood. It doesn't actually make our neighbourhood feel safer," she said. "It's obviously been a horrific time for anyone who actually lives here." Jaya Dutta, who lives just off Parliament Hill, was so thankful for the more peaceful atmosphere that she went up to an officer at one checkpoint to thank him. "Just to be able to walk around without being yelled at," she said. Dutta said she works just a few blocks from her home but had a friend drive her to work instead of walking for the last couple of weeks. Tow trucks were removing vehicles left behind throughout the downtown core, and residents on three streets were warned to move their cars or they too would be towed. On Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, the epicentre of the convoy's party was entirely dismantled. The street, once packed three lanes deep with big rigs and RVs and cars, was deserted on Sunday save for a row of OPP SUVs and a lone plow clearing a recent snowfall from city sidewalks. The profanity-laced signs and anti-vaccine posters that previously plastered the fences along the street are gone. Only a few Canada flag pennants still flapped in the wind. Piles of garbage were collected on street corners broken tents, empty gas cans, propane tanks and in at least one spot, a metal bucket full of empty beer cans and liquor bottles. Metropolitain Brasserie Restaurant owner Sarah Chown said she was relieved to see police clear the intersection where her business is located. She said she understands the need for barricades and fences to prevent demonstrators from reentering the area, but has reservations too. "We're now sort of stuck in this holding pattern," she said. "Where do we go from here, and when are we going to be able to operate again?" Robin Seguin, owner of Victoria Barber Shop located steps away from West Block, shared Chown's views. While Seguin said she is relieved to see demonstrators removed from downtown streets, she has questions about the next steps before she can make a full return to work and clients can feel comfortable coming to sit in her chair. "How long are the barricades going to be up? How long is it going to be before things get back to normal?" she said. Four convoy organizers have been charged and named publicly by police, including the original Go Fund Me fundraising organizer Tamara Lich, trucking company operator Chris Barber, and Patrick King, whose Facebook Live videos before the convoy began said violence and bullets were the only way to end the COVID-19 restrictions. Tyson George Billings, known as "Freedom George" among convoy members, was arrested Saturday evening. The High Prairie, Alta., resident was shooting a Facebook Live video bragging about sneaking "past the roadblocks in his truck" and still being out of jail. "I don't know if they're actually looking for me," he said while others in the car yelled "freedom" repeatedly. Seconds later, red and blue lights lit up behind his truck. "Looks like they might have got me," he said, pulling over. He was arrested when he got out of the car, and police seized a six-inch blade he told them was his "legal knife." Onlookers can be heard shouting "shame." Billings faces five charges including mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, and obstructing police. Meanwhile, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit said in a release Sunday it is probing an interaction between the Toronto Police Service mounted unit and a 49-year-old woman. Police on horses were brought in to help with crowd control on Friday evening. At one point officers charged at the crowd and a woman with a walker fell. The SIU said the woman reported a serious injury, and family on social media have varyingly said she broke her clavicle or dislocated her shoulder. 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. The Ottawa Police said in a tweet Friday evening that nobody was killed or seriously injured after a slew of social media reports that someone had died. The SIU is also investigating the use of Anti-Riot Weapon Enfields by officers from the Vancouver Police Department on Saturday evening. The weapon is described as firing "less lethal" munitions including direct impact batons, chemical irritant delivery munitions and smoke delivery munitions. The SIU said no injuries had been reported so far but is asking anyone who was struck to contact them. In the House of Commons, meanwhile, debate on the government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act stretched into another day. A final vote on the measure is expected to proceed on Monday evening. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2022. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misstated the number of people arrested as 107. The correct figure is, in fact, 191. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) A gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, was sold for $143,750 at auction in Alaska on Sunday. In this photo provided by Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals is an opal specimen they say is one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence in Anchorage, Alaska, on Dec. 20, 2021. The item is set for auction on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. (Dana Fuentes/Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals via AP) JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) A gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, was sold for $143,750 at auction in Alaska on Sunday. The opal, dubbed the Americus Australis, weighs more than 11,800 carats, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals. It also has a long history. This photo provided by Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals shows an opal specimen, Dec. 20, 2021. One of the largest opals in the world was sold for $125,000 at auction in Alaska on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. The opal, dubbed the Americus Australis, weighs more than 11,800 carats and is one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals. (Dana Fuentes/Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals via AP) Most recently, it was kept in a linen closet in a home in Big Lake, north of Anchorage, by Fred von Brandt, who mines for gold in Alaska and whose family has deep roots in the gem and rock business. The opal is larger than a brick and is broken into two pieces, which von Brandt said was a practice used decades ago to prove gem quality. Von Brandt said the stone has been in his family since the late 1950s, when his grandfather bought it from an Australian opal dealer named John Altmann. Von Brandt said the opal for decades was in the care of his father, Guy von Brandt, who decided it had been locked up long enough, that its time to put it back out in the world and see what interest it can generate. He entrusted me to figure out which direction we wanted to go to part with the stone, von Brandt told The Associated Press. In this photo provided by Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals is an opal specimen they say is one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence in Anchorage, Alaska, on Dec. 20, 2021. The item is set for auction on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. (Dana Fuentes/Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals via AP) The family, with roots in California, exhibited the stone at gem shows for years, until the early 1980s, he said. His father then branched out into furniture and displayed it at his shop. Guy von Brandt eventually moved to Oregon and kept the stone kind of tucked away for many years, von Brandt said. Von Brandt said he brought it with him to Alaska over a year ago as he weighed the best approach to a possible sale. He said he went with Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals because he thought it would get more attention from the newer company than a larger auction house. The sale is set for Sunday. Nick Cline, a partner and appraisal specialist with Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals, said the family has documentation surrounding the provenance of the opal. As part of his research, he contacted Fiona Altmann, granddaughter of John Altmann and general manager of Altmann + Cherny in Sydney, Australia. Altmann said her grandfather, in his business dealings, made regular trips to Europe and the U.S. This photo provided by Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals shows an opal specimen, Dec. 20, 2021. One of the largest opals in the world was sold for $125,000 at auction in Alaska on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. The opal, dubbed the Americus Australis, weighs more than 11,800 carats and is one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals. (Dana Fuentes/Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals via AP) Altmann said when Cline emailed her, she was skeptical; the name of the stone, in particular, threw her. But she said she started digging and discovered something with my grandfathers handwriting with the picture of the opal with the word Americus Australis. I with 100% certainty know that their provenance information is 100% accurate because it lines up with information she has, she said. The auction house said the stone was discovered in the same field in Australia as the opal known as the Olympic Australis, which weighs 17,000 carats and is on permanent display in Altmanns shop. The Olympic had been among the stones that John Altmann and partner Rudi Cherny acquired in 1956, according to Altmanns company. The auction company sought a minimum bid of $125,000 during Sundays auction. Cline said it was a calculated risk, with the company going with what it sees as a conservative approach in hopes of garnering the most attention. 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. We were honored to conduct the auction of this unique, one-of-a-kind specimen, Cline said after the auction. The sale includes a smaller piece of the opal that von Brandt said his father cut off to be worn or displayed. ___ This story has been updated to correct that the opal sold for $143,750 based on an updated figure from the auction house to include the buyers premium. ___ Associated Press journalist Michelle A. Monroe contributed to this report from Phoenix. POMPEII, Italy (AP) In a few horrible hours, Pompeii was turned from a vibrant city into an ash-embalmed wasteland, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in A.D. 79. A fresco is seen inside the kitchen of a house at the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) POMPEII, Italy (AP) In a few horrible hours, Pompeii was turned from a vibrant city into an ash-embalmed wasteland, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in A.D. 79. Then in this century, the excavated Roman city appeared alarmingly close to a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scant systematic maintenance of the heavily visited ruins. The 2010 collapse of a hall where gladiators trained nearly cost Pompeii its coveted UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. But these days, Pompeii is experiencing the makings of a rebirth. A fresco depicting a poet is seen in the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Excavations undertaken as part of engineering stabilization strategies to prevent new collapses are yielding a raft of revelations about the everyday lives of Pompeiis residents, as the lens of social class analysis is increasingly applied to new discoveries. Under the archaeological park's new director, innovative technology is helping restore some of Pompeii's nearly obliterated glories and limit the effects of a new threat: climate change. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, an archaeologist who was appointed director general 10 months ago, likens Pompeii's rapid deterioration, starting in the 1970s, to an airplane going down to the ground and really risking breaking apart. The Great Pompeii Project, an infusion of about 105 million euros ($120 million) in European Union funds on condition it be spent promptly and effectively by 2016 helped spare the ruins from further degradation. A damaged mosaic is seen inside the 'House of the library' at the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) It was all spent and spent well, Zuchtriegel said in an interview on a terrace with Pompeii's open-air Great Theater as a backdrop. But with future conservation problems inevitable for building remains first excavated 250 years ago, new technology is crucial in this "battle against time," the 41-year-old told The Associated Press. Climate extremes, including increasingly intense rainfall and spells of baking heat, could threaten Pompeii. Some conditions are changing and we can already measure this, said Zuchtriegel. A plastic bag contains tiles from a floor mosaic inside the 'House of the library' at the Pompeii archaeological site, southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Relying on human eyes to discern signs of climate-caused deterioration on mosaic floors and frescoed walls in about 10,000 excavated rooms of villas, workshops and humble homes would be impossible. So artificial intelligence and drones will provide data and images in real time. Experts will be alerted to "take a closer look and eventually intervene before things happen, before we get back to this situation where buildings are collapsing, Zuchtriegel said. Since last year, AI and robots are tackling what otherwise would be impossible tasks reassembling frescoes that have crumbled into the tiniest of fragments. Among the goals is reconstructing the frescoed ceiling of the House of the Painters at Work, shattered by Allied bombing during World War II. Robots will also help repair fresco damage in the Schola Armaturarum the gladiators' barracks once symbolizing Pompeii's modern-day deterioration and now celebrated as evidence of its revival. The weight of tons of unexcavated sections of the city pressing against excavated ruins, combined with rainfall accumulation and poor drainage, prompted the structure's collapse. Tourists walk inside the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Seventeen of Pompeii's 66 hectares (42 of 163 acres) remain unexcavated, buried deep under lava stone. A long-running debate revolves on whether they should stay there. At the start of the 19th century, the approach was let's ... excavate all of Pompeii, Zuchtriegel said. But in the decades before the Great Pompeii Project, there was something like a moratorium because we have so many problems we won't excavate any more, Zuchtriegel said. And it was almost like, psychologically speaking, a depression. His predecessor, Massimo Osanna, took a different approach: targeted digs during stabilization measures aimed at preventing further collapses. Tourists walk past a thermopolium, a commercial establishment where it was possible to purchase ready-to-eat food, inside the Pompeii archaeological site, southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) But it was a different kind of excavation. It was part of a larger approach where we have the combination of protection, research and accessibility, Zuchtriegel said. After the gladiator hall's collapse, engineers and landscapers created gradual slopes out of the land fronting excavated ruins with netting, keeping the newly-shaped hillsides from crumbling. Near the end of Via del Vesuvio, one of Pompeii's stone-paved streets, work in 2018 revealed an upscale domus, or home, with a bedroom wall decorated with a small, sensual fresco depicting the Roman god Jupiter disguised as a swan and impregnating Leda, the mythical queen of Sparta and mother of Helen of Troy. But if visitors stand on tiptoe to look past the marvelous fresco over the home's jagged walls, they'll see how the back rooms remain embedded under the newly stabilized unexcavated edge of Pompeii. The director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Pompeii archaeological site, in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Nearby is the most crowd-pleasing discovery to emerge from the shoring-up project a corner thermopolium" with a countertop setup similar to current salad-and-soup bar arrangements. This fast-food locale is the only one discovered with frescoes in vivid hues of mustard-yellow and the omnipresent Pompeii red decorating the counter's base apparently advertising the chef's specialties and including a bawdy graffito. Judging by the organic remains found in containers, the menu featured concoctions with ingredients like fish, snails and goat meat. Quick street meals were likely a mainstay of the vast majority of Pompeiians not affluent enough to have kitchens. Archaeologists have been increasingly using social-class and gender analyses to help interpret the past. When they explored an ancient villa on Pompeii's outskirts, a 16-square-meter (172-square-foot) room emerged. It had doubled as the villa's storeroom and the sleeping quarters for a family of enslaved people. Crammed into the room were three beds, fashioned from cord and wood. Judging by the dimensions, a shorter bed was for a child. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. When the discovery was announced last year, Zuchtriegel described it as a window on the precarious reality of people who rarely appeared in historical sources about Pompeii. This winter, an afternoon guided tour is offered at sites not otherwise open to the public. One such offering is the House of the Little Pig. On a wall of a tiny kitchen is a whimsical painted design of a pig's head with a prominent snout. The park's ambitions stretch further: Nearby Naples and its sprawling suburbs ringing Vesuvius suffer from organized crime and high youth unemployment, which drives many young people to emigrate. So the archaeological park is bringing together students from the area's more elite institutions and from working class neighborhoods who attend trade schools to perform a classical Greek play at the Great Theater. We ... can try to contribute to a change, Zuchtriegel said. There are also plans to create public strolling grounds in an unexcavated section of ancient Pompeii which, until recently, had been used as an illegal dump and even a marijuana farm. LONDON (AP) People with COVID-19 won't be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the U.K. government has announced, as part of a plan for living with COVID that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back. FILE - Shoppers walk down Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, in London, Dec. 23, 2021. The British government confirmed Saturday Feb. 19, 2022, that people with the coronavirus will not be legally required to self-isolate starting next week, as part of a plan for living with COVID that is also likely to see testing for the virus scaled back. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) LONDON (AP) People with COVID-19 won't be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the U.K. government has announced, as part of a plan for living with COVID that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ending all of the legal restrictions brought in to curb the spread of the virus will let people in the U.K. protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms. He is expected to lay out details of the plan in Parliament on Monday. Im not saying that we should throw caution to the winds, but now is the moment for everybody to get their confidence back," Johnson told the BBC in an interview broadcast Sunday. Weve reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favor of encouraging personal responsibility. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson briefs the media during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool) But some of the governments scientific advisers said it was a risky move that could bring a surge in infections and weaken the countrys defenses against more virulent future strains. Wes Streeting, health spokesman for the main opposition Labour Party, accused Johnson of declaring victory before the war is over. A reminder that the coronavirus remains widespread came with the news that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms. Johnsons Conservative government lifted most virus restrictions in January, scrapping vaccine passports for venues and ending mask mandates in most settings apart from hospitals in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, also have opened up, although more slowly. A combination of high vaccination rates in the U.K. and the milder omicron variant means easing restrictions didn't lead to a surge in hospitalizations and deaths. Both are falling, though the U.K. still has Europes highest coronavirus toll after Russia, with more than 160,000 recorded deaths. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson rubbing his hair to get ready for a interview during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool) In Britain, 85% of people age 12 and up have had two vaccine doses and almost two-thirds have had a third booster shot. Now the Conservative government says it will remove all remaining domestic COVID regulations that restrict public freedoms as part of a move away from government intervention to personal responsibility. The legal requirement to isolate for at least five days after a positive COVID-19 test will be replaced with advisory measures, and the coronavirus will be treated more like the flu as it becomes endemic. The new plan foresees vaccines and treatments keeping the virus in check, though the government said surveillance systems and contingency measures will be retained" if needed. COVID will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms, Johnson said. The announcement will please many Conservative Party lawmakers, who argue that the restrictions were inefficient and disproportionate. It could also shore up Johnsons position among party lawmakers, who have been mulling an attempt to oust him over scandals including lockdown-breaching government parties during the pandemic. But scientists stressed that much remains unknown about the virus, and future variants that may be more severe than the currently dominant omicron strain. The New and Emerging Virus Threats Advisory Group, which advises the government, said last week that the idea viruses become progressively milder is a common misconception. It said the milder illness associated with omicron is likely a chance event and future variants could be more severe or evade current vaccines. 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. Epidemic modelers who advise the government also warned that a sudden change, such as an end to testing and isolation, has the scope to lead to a return to rapid epidemic growth if people throw caution to the wind. Scientists also cautioned against scrapping free rapid coronavirus tests, which have been distributed by the millions during the pandemic. Health officials say the mass testing has played an important role in slowing the spread of the virus. Scientists are also concerned the government might end the Infection Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics, which is considered invaluable because it tests people whether or not they have symptoms. This is not the time to take risks, said Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, an umbrella group for state-funded health authorities in Britain. We need to operate in an evidence-based and incremental way. ___ Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic The people in these photos are of interest and may be able to provide police with information about these offences. These images are released for identification purposes only. The subjects may or may not be responsible for the crimes indicated. If you are able to identify someone pictured, contact Winnipeg Crime Stoppers at 786-TIPS (786-8477), text @ TIP170 & (your message) to CRIMES (274637) or leave a secure tip on line @ www.winnipegcrimestoppers.com KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraine's capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walks into the Bayerischer Hof Hotel after meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris during the Munich Security Conference, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Munich. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraine's capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace. Russia's action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraine's borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel. The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that Russia could send those troops to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away. In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault that U.S. officials warn appears increasingly more likely. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand. A woman waves from a train carriage to be evacuated to Russia, at the railway station in Debaltseve, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. On Friday, separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine announced a mass evacuation of women, children and older adults to neighboring Russia. The moves have have fueled Western fears that Moscow could use the latest violence in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for an invasion. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov) We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war," Psaki said in statement. "And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon. In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for many on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack. Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capital's St. Michael's monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared. A Ukrainian serviceman stands in a shelter on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing a sharp spike in violence in and around territory held by Russia-backed rebels and increasingly dire warnings that Russia plans to invade, has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him and seek a resolution to the crisis. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life," Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. Thats why I think everything will be fine. Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing," said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh. A U.S. official said Sunday that Bidens assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence. A Ukrainian serviceman is reflected in a mirror as he smokes a cigarette on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing a sharp spike in violence in and around territory held by Russia-backed rebels and increasingly dire warnings that Russia plans to invade, has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him and seek a resolution to the crisis. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russia's orbit and is now trying to create pretexts to invade. Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does. U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more. Ukrainian servicemen stand by a destroyed house near the frontline village of Krymske, Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing a sharp spike in violence in and around territory held by Russia-backed rebels and increasingly dire warnings that Russia plans to invade, on Saturday called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him and seek resolution to the crisis. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesnt exist anymore as a deterrent," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washington's sanctions threat. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea. The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraines soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict. People walk to a train station to be evacuated to Russia, in Debaltseve, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. On Friday, separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine announced a mass evacuation of women, children and older adults to neighboring Russia. The moves have have fueled Western fears that Moscow could use the latest violence in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for an invasion. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov) Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russias military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion. "Were talking about the potential for war in Europe, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security. Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyy's offer Saturday to meet with Putin. An elderly woman cries as she waits for a train at the railway station to be evacuated to Russia, in Debaltseve, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. On Friday, separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine announced a mass evacuation of women, children and older adults to neighboring Russia. The moves have have fueled Western fears that Moscow could use the latest violence in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for an invasion. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov) After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine incorrectly, according to observers there for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelenskyy, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden. Blinken intentionally raised the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit in interviews with U.S. television networks on Sunday, in a bid to keep diplomacy alive, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. reasoning. Customers drink wine inside a restaurant as demonstrators march along the street in Odessa, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Thousands of people in Odessa marched through the streets of the city in a show of unity on Sunday, marking the date on which, eight years ago, more than a hundred people were killed during Ukraine's Maidan revolution. Waving national flags and placards with slogans such as, 'No Putin, No Cry', people said they had come out to demonstrate against a potential Russian invasion, and said that they were prepared to defend their city if needed. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Blinken said that Biden was prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war and the U.S. official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin conditioned on Russia not invading in his phone calls with the Russian leader. Tensions mounted further, however. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance, it warned. Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. An instructor, right, shows a grenade during a training of members of a Ukrainian far-right group train, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russa-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraines military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday. When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. People from Donetsk, the territory controlled by a pro-Russia separatist government in eastern Ukraine, gather to fill in documents after evacuating in the Rostov-on-Don region, near the border with Ukraine, Russia, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Russia is extending military drills near Ukraines northern borders after two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The exercises in Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, originally were set to end on Sunday. (AP Photo) On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. Right now, we dont respond to their fire because ..." the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. "Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post. ___ Heintz reported from Moscow and Miller from Washington. Mstyslav Chernov in Zolote, Ukraine, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Aamer Madhani in Munich, Ellen Knickmeyer, Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv contributed to this story. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine A 20-year-old Winona State University student from Stevens Point, Wis., Hannah Goman, has died as the result of injuries that occurred in a car crash Saturday morning in Winona. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a 2015 Chevy Silverado was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Highway 61 at 12:45 a.m. Saturday when it collided with a 2010 Camry Toyota at the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 43. Adam Samuel Anderson, 35, of Winona, was driving the Chevy, according to the report. Trena Lynn Anderson, 35, also of Winona, was a passenger in the Silverado. Neither of the Andersons experienced any injuries due to the crash. Goman was a passenger in the Toyota, which was driven by Nicholas Robert Lemmerond, 21, of Oshkosh, Wis. Natalie Lynne Carlson, 22, of Oshkosh, was also a passenger in the Toyota. All three individuals in the Toyota were transported to Winona Health. Lemmeronds and Carlsons injuries were not life threatening, while Goman was being treated for her life-threatening injuries before succumbing to them. All individuals in the crash were wearing seatbelts, according to the State Patrol. The road conditions were reported as dry at the time. The report stated that alcohol was involved in the incident. As of Sunday morning, Adam Samuel Andersen was in Winona County jail for charges of fourth-degree driving while impaired and criminal vehicle operation causing bodily harm, the report said. Outside agencies who assisted with the crash were the Winona County Sheriffs Office, the Winona Police Department and the Winona Fire Department. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 11 Angry 6 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Baraboo High School Cafeteria was full of people Saturday morning to help raise funds for the Baraboo Fire Department and farmers in Kentucky at Flapjacks for Farmers. This event is to shine a light on the farmers in our community, Kristi Puntney said. We are raising awareness for agriculture in Baraboo. Puntney is a Baraboo Ag teacher and FFA Advisor said the event had a great turnout as people continue to come in throughout the morning. Puntney said all proceeds from the fundraising event will be split in half going to the Baraboo Fire Department and farmers in Kentucky affected by storms last year. The Baraboo Fire Department will use the funds to help train with their new grain bin rescue equipment, Puntney said. Connor Dix and his father Aaron enjoyed their breakfast adding they were both happy to support the FFA. We really want to show farmers and other in agricultures that theyre appreciated by Baraboo FFA, the alumni and other community members, Puntney said. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NEW YORK The Politics Column has been covering governors of New York for longer than we care to remember these days, and a lack of confidence has never plagued any of them. So it is no surprise that Gov. Kathy Hochul was more than optimistic late Thursday when she sat down with The Buffalo News and the Associated Press just minutes after her triumphant acceptance speech at the Democratic State Convention in Manhattan. Like her predecessors, Hochul was beaming with confidence. Shes exuded that same attitude since her days on the Hamburg Town Board. But the overwhelming endorsement she had just received from Democrats across New York gave her every reason to feel good about what lies ahead, even as she ventures nowhere near overconfident territory. Im a Buffalo Bills fan run like an underdog, she said. Run like youre down 50 points. Thats the only way to win. But Hochuls confidence in this years campaign for a full term as governor stems not just from her personality. Hochul hopes the future hinges on her past. Thats because as Andrew Cuomos lieutenant governor, Hochul rose very early on many mornings for long car trips to far-flung points across the state the towns Cuomo or any sitting governor didnt have time for. Along the way, she helped her new friends, recalling races for town boards in places like the North Country. Hochul made the best of those assignments by making friends. Now she plans to ask them for help. People didnt see this because they did not know I had this statewide operation of people who are ready to step up for me, she said. I have people in all five boroughs supporting me, and no one could have seen that ever. Thats a shock to a lot of people. Shock, indeed. Thats because none of this was supposed to happen. New Yorks political script long ago called for Cuomo to receive all the adulation at this weeks Democratic convention, go on to win the fourth term his father (the late Gov. Mario Cuomo) never achieved. And from there who knows? But it didnt work out that way. And for sure, the script never called for an upstate woman who had been shunted to the sidelines and away from the center of power during her days as lieutenant governor. An upstate governor? That had not happened since Nathan L. Miller of Syracuse in 1920 (we all remember Nate, right?). Someone from Buffalo? Not since Grover Cleveland in 1882 (though he did all right). A woman? (Well, that just had never happened). The governor still faces tough days ahead. Rep. Tom Suozzi of Nassau County has long proven a statewide figure, also making friends everywhere as in helping Mayor Byron Browns troubled re-election effort last fall. But Brown ended up supporting Hochul. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has also gained statewide status, winning a citywide post in New York and joining with his left-leaning allies across the state. He entered the Buffalo mayoral fray last year too with help for India Walton, the Democratic primary winner who eventually lost to Brown. Williams, however, came no where near gaining the 25% of convention support he needed to qualify for the ballot. And, oh yes, Republicans. They promise their own tough and well-financed campaign, and are ready to tell the world when they convene in Garden City on Long Island on Feb. 28. But Hochul seems to recognize that the path she has already trod is also the path ahead. She will seek help from all those in Malone, or Owego, or Chestertown or Astoria or Montauk whom she has befriended. Of course, she must still persuade statewide voters whom polls say still dont know her that well. But she says she knows the voters. I know more than most how to speak to people in every corner of the state, she told The News Thursday. Every part of the state has been well represented by me and I understand them. That is the weapon against the Republicans theyll never be able to counter. I dont say it with arrogance, she added. I say it with the knowledge that no one will ever outwork me. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Columbus Area Historical Society 1972 Mosinee Paper Corporation announced that it would discontinue the rotogravure printing at its Converted Products Division plant in Columbus. Mosinee Converted Products Division was created in 1966 at its location in Columbus. Ralph Cole, hunting with the Hampden Fox Hunting Club killed a brush wolf near Otsego. A wolf taken in this area is considered quite a rarity. 1982 Tradition was broken Friday night when Scott Cooper was crowned Senior Sweetheart at the annual sweetheart dance. Cooper is the first male to receive this honor, as well as the first male to ever run for the position. Columbus School officials were the target of a $125,000 lawsuit for the use of a small ticket booth at Dickason School as an In- school Suspension Room. The suit was brought by the parents of a 12-year-old who was placed in the room on two occasions. 1992 Richard Rasmussen, 44, of rural Columbus, received his Purple Heart Medal for injuries sustained in the Vietnam War 24 years earlier. Rasmussen served in Vietnam from January 1968 to September 1969, as a Marine sergeant. Officers for the Columbus FFA Chapter for the 1991-1992 school year were Charlotte Damm, Mike Trapp, Greg Kirchberg, Roger Weissmann, Paul Wolfe and Mike Roche. 2002 At the Columbus Senior Centers annual Valentines Party, Columbus Main Street coordinator Judy Goodson, and WBEV personality Pat Sullivan manned a kissing booth with funds raised for the purchase of portable defibrillators for Columbus police cars. The Columbus School District made no decision on a report from its long-range steering committee that recommends building a $15 million new high school. The board was concerned if it had the ability to pass a referendum at that cost. Follow us on Facebook at Columbus, WI Area Historical Society, or email museumcahs@gmail.com. Top image: At Sequoia National Park in California, a hiker enjoys a bit of solitude -- a sometimes rare commodity at popular national parks in peak season. (Maygutyak/Adobe Stock) Click for the latest, full-access Enid News & Eagle headlines | Text Alerts | app downloads McKendrick is police and court reporter for the Enid News & Eagle. Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for Kelci? Send an email to kelcim@enidnews.com Gov. Kathy Hochul insists there is no magic number to dictate when the mask mandate for schools in New York State can be lifted. School administrators, teachers and parents crave certainty, something that has been in short supply during the coronavirus pandemic. Hochul, her health department and other advisers are weighing several factors, including child vaccination rates, infection rates and pediatric hospitalizations. Thats a valid approach, and one that gives students and parents incentive to be careful as the midwinter break begins in many schools. The health of children as they return to school after break is among the factors Hochul plans to weigh. That should also provide incentive for more parents to vaccinate their children. New Yorkers are still dying every day from Covid-19, but the downward arc in infections and hospitalizations suggests that the time to make school masking optional is fast approaching. Attention must be paid to factors that dont show up in the Covid statistics because they cant easily be quantified. The Covid-19 era has taken a toll on the mental health of children and young adults. When remote learning was necessary, students missed valuable social interactions with their peers at school. Since returning to school buildings, some students continue to associate mask-wearing with their anxiety over catching or spreading Covid. Some find their stress increased when exposed to adults fights over mask and vaccine mandates. While social isolation, fears of disease and academic worries have likely taken a greater toll on student mental health than covering their faces, masking still has drawbacks for certain student populations. For young children, masking can be a barrier to speech recognition, hearing and communication in general. Students with cognitive delays, speech and hearing difficulties or with autism may find learning hindered by masks. Barriers to communicating in class are of special concern for students who do not speak English at home. CDC, WHO split on mask policies The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization differ in their guidance. The CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students, staff and teachers in grades K-12, regardless of vaccination status. Following announcements by officials in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, California and Oregon that they plan to lift indoor school mask mandates, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky this month said Covid cases are still high across the nation and now is not the moment to drop mask mandates in schools. Walensky this week said the agency would soon issue new guidelines that were relevant to current conditions. The WHO discourages mask use for children 5 and younger. For ages 6-11, the organization suggests a risk-based approach, considering intensity of Covid transmission in the area and the childs capacity to comply with the correct use of masks and potential impact of mask wearing on learning and development. The WHO notes that so far, data suggests that children under the age of 18 years represent about 8.5% of reported cases, with relatively few deaths compared to other age groups and usually mild disease. Anyone wishing to debate the effectiveness of school masking requirements can find studies supporting their position, whether for or against. The CDC in September 2021 released an analysis of 520 U.S. counties that concluded, Counties without school mask requirements experienced larger increases in pediatric Covid-19 case rates after the start of school compared with counties that had school mask requirements. Three doctors wrote an opinion piece for The Atlantic in January that criticized several CDC studies on the topic, saying they did not sufficiently control for pediatric vaccination rates among counties, and other variables. Some mask studies, say the authors, show that Covid rates were affected by whether teachers wore masks, but not by if students did. Political pressure dialed up Republicans in the State Senate tried to attach an amendment to an education bill last Monday that would have repealed the mask mandate for schools. No Democrats supported the amendment, which failed, but concern about ending school masking does not come only from the minority party. When 51 Western New York school superintendents signed recent letters calling on Hochul to provide clear guidance on how and when the mask mandate will end, Assemblywoman Monica P. Wallace, D-Cheektowaga, echoed their sentiments. We need public health guidance that balances the risk of infection with the need to maintain the mental health and well-being of our children, Wallace wrote in letters to Hochul and Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. Indeed, childrens mental health has become a national emergency, according to a declaration issued in October 2021 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Childrens Hospital Association. The organizations statement said the pandemic exacerbated trends that were notable before 2020. Michael Cornell, superintendent of Hamburg schools, said his district has hired two extra psychiatrists this year to handle increased demand for mental health services. Cornell believes that relaxing the mask mandates would give kids a sign that normalcy will return to their lives. Cornell said educators want to give kids a sense of hope that ... were going to be in a circumstance where youre not going to miss out on prom, or other normal milestones. Theres cause for optimism on ending mandated student masking, but with lives potentially on the line, no one should think this is a slam-dunk decision. Hochul has said her priority in extending the mandate was to ensure kids could safely stay in school, which is a top priority for their mental and emotional health. With the Omicron variant in rapid descent, it may soon be time to give kids a morale boost by letting them put away the masks. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. A split-screen moment for the Ukraine crisis, with hard and soft power on display Staff and students in Wrexham show support for refugee campaigns with exhibition This article is old - Published: Sunday, Feb 20th, 2022 Kind-hearted college staff and students in Wrexham have shown their support for refugee campaigns. Coleg Cambria marked Holocaust Memorial Day with a display and period of remembrance for those who have lost their lives fleeing danger. Held at the Yale campus library in Wrexham, 27 candles were lit to pay tribute to the 27 migrants who sadly lost their lives last November when their inflatable dinghy capsized in the English Channel. Inclusion Assistant Jackie Kightly said the Together with Refugees event brought learners and lecturers together in support of their plight and that of so many others. It comes as the Together with Refugees national organisation asks schools and colleges to join their Show Your Heart appeal, which began on Monday. Jackie says the college will continue to champion the right of those who need its support and bring people together to aid positive causes. The response from the learners to the display was heartening, with many keen to find out more about how they can help with these national and global issues, she added. Cambria is all about inclusivity, compassion and unity, not just among students and staff but also within the community and wider afield. Im glad we had the opportunity to shine a light on what is a worldwide and tragic problem and thank those who visited the exhibition for their support and for joining us in remembrance of refugees worldwide fleeing dangerous situations and wanting to rebuild their lives in peace. Wrexham is a Town of Sanctuary part of the national City of Sanctuary movement with supporting bodies including Cambria, AVOW, Voices Network and Family Friends. For more information, visit the website. Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria. Storm Franklin to bring strong winds and heavy rain over next 48 hours This article is old - Published: Sunday, Feb 20th, 2022 A yellow weather warning has been issued for very strong winds on Sunday and Monday. Named Storm Franklin by the Met Office, winds speeds locally could be higher than those brought by Storm Eunice on Friday. The warning becomes active at lunchtime today through to 1pm tomorrow (Monday). Forecasts show gusts of wind in Flintshire during the active yellow alert period could reach speeds in excess of those seen during the Storm Eunice amber alert on Friday. Locally Storm Franklin will peak between 3am and 7am on Monday with wind gusts forecast over 60 MPH. During Storm Eunice on Friday the highest wind speed recorded at the Hawarden airport weather station as used by the Met Office to gather data and one of the closest to Wrexham officially reached 54mph. The Met Office has named #StormFranklin The storm is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK on Sunday and Monday The strongest winds will be in Northern Ireland where an Amber weather warning has been issued Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/gOektUciFQ Met Office (@metoffice) February 20, 2022 The Met Office weather warning states: Further periods of very strong winds on Sunday and Monday, with possible disruption. What to expect Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen, along with trees/branches being brought down Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible Some roads and bridges may close Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties The Met Office says: Winds are likely to strengthen across England and Wales on Sunday, as an increasingly squally band of rain moves southeastwards. Gusts of 55-60 mph are expected widely around south and west facing coasts, but possibly also briefly inland.# There is a chance that a few exposed places could see gusts near 70 mph. Strong gusts associated with blustery wintry showers will follow from the north. A swathe of very strong winds will reach Northern Ireland later Sunday evening in association with Storm Franklin. These very strong winds will spread to many other western, central and southern areas of the UK overnight and early Monday, with gusts widely 50-60 mph, whilst west facing coastal districts will see gusts of 65-75 mph and perhaps 80 mph briefly near north coast of Northern Ireland. In the south these strong winds may hamper, or slow, ongoing recovery efforts in the wake of Storm Eunice. Winds will ease steadily from the northwest during the remainder of Monday. Wrexham Glyndwr University become signatories of the Research Development Concordat This article is old - Published: Sunday, Feb 20th, 2022 Wrexham Glyndwr has signed an agreement to support the career development of researchers at the University. The Concordat to support the Career Development of Researchers, which has been signed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Maria Hinfelaar. It is an agreement that researchers should be recognised and valued for their contributions in research and beyond. Researchers at Wrexham Glyndwr will continue to be supported in their professional and career development, and equipped and empowered to succeed in their chosen careers. The three principles are: Environment and culture Excellent research requires a supportive and inclusive research culture Employment Researchers are recruited, employed and managed under conditions that recognise and value their contributions Professional and career development Professional and career development are integral to enabling researchers to develop their full potential Vice-Chancellor Maria Hinfelaar said: At Glyndwr University we place the development of our staff at the heart of our University values, with a vision that centres around inspiring, transforming, enabling, and sustaining for our students, staff, and partnerships. As a University we recognise the importance of creating a positive research culture which champions the concordats principles and creates an environment focussed on the wellbeing and inclusivity of our researchers. Welcoming the signing of the concordat, Alison Bloomfield, the Universitys Organisational Development and Diversity Manager said: We are delighted that the University has become a signatory. We recognise the value of the principles of the concordat and the impact that having staff who feel supported and valued can make, enabling them to fully engage with their research and outputs in an environment where they are able to thrive and succeed. Frances Thomason, Head of Research Services at Wrexham Glyndwr, added: As a University who have held the HR Excellence in Research award for eight years, were at an exciting stage to further our commitment to the principles of the concordat by becoming signatories. As a team were looking forward to putting our plans into action and working with our researchers at all levels of their career and development to create a positive research culture at Glyndwr. The chair of the Universitys Research Development Concordat Working Group will be Professor Mandy Robbins will Chair the Universitys Research Development Concordat Working Group, and will be inviting members of staff across the University to become concordat champions to achieve the actions mapped out in the Universitys 2021-2023 Action Plan. The Action Plan can be found here. For more information about our Research at Wrexham Glyndwr University please visit the website. The Concordat website can be found here. By Trend Measures of social support in Azerbaijan will be continued, Prime Minister Ali Asadov said at the regular meeting of the Azerbaijani Economic Council, held on February 17-18, Trend reports. Asadov emphasized measures to maintain real incomes and purchasing power of the population in the face of rising prices, as well as to increase wages, social payments and social support measures in accordance with the decrees and orders of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. According to the prime minister, the above package of social reforms covers 3.4 million people, and 2.1 billion manat ($1.2 billion) were additionally allocated for these purposes. At the meeting, discussions were held and relevant instructions were given on the continuation of social support measures, the further implementation of the self-employment program and paid public works, as well as on other topical issues. The Met Gala has returned to the first Monday in May after years of pandemic upheaval with a celebration of American design and a theme of gil Ron Johnson speaks on Russia-Ukraine tensions, says he doesn't think Russia will invade BATON ROUGE, La. UW-Platteville Chancellor Dennis Shields has been named the new president of the Southern University System in Baton Rouge and its second president-chancellor. Shields will replace President-Chancellor Ray Belton, who announced last year that he would be retiring this fall. Shields, 66, spoke briefly after being selected Friday by the Southern University Board of Supervisors about his time spent on campus in early February and his excitement in taking the new role, The Advocate reported. It was a remarkable and inspiring experience to spend a couple of hours with the (students) and to observe the leadership of this Board of Supervisors and really take in how much you care about this institution, Shields said. I take it as a great responsibility to help with you to continue the rise of the Southern University System. Gov. John Bel Edwards congratulated Shields on the appointment as system president and chancellor of Southern University. I look forward to working with you and have no doubt that our students and faculty will continue to succeed under your leadership, Edwards said in a statement. An Iowa native, Shields obtained a bachelors degree in business administration at Graceland College before earning a law degree from the University of Iowa in May 1982. Immediately upon graduating, Shields became assistant director of admissions for the University of Iowa, where he helped double the diversity of candidates for admission. Shields took the same positions at the University of Michigan in 1991 and at Duke University in 1998. After over 20 years in admissions work, Shields became dean and a law professor at the Phoenix School of Law in 2005, its first year of operation. According to UW-Platteville, Shields oversaw a first-time bar-passing rate of over 90% in the schools first graduating class. Shields was hired as chancellor of UW-Platteville in 2010, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion leading the way as core tenets of his leadership ideology. During Shields tenure, the university said it has doubled the number of students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds over the course of the past 10 years. Shields said during his interview at Southern that his highest priority in his new role would be to improve student outcomes at the end of their college studies. I will tell you that they probably need to be better and we ought to really be committing to doing better that way, Shields said this month. So thats the first thing that I would do. Its not a change, its identifying a challenge and saying, OK, whats in place to deal with this now and how do we change that dynamic? Shields plans to schedule another visit to the Southern campus and begin contract negotiations with the Board. I am humbled and honored by your confidence in me to take on this role in this wonderful institute of higher education, Shields told the board in a video call following the vote. I couldnt be more happy. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Delagha*, 50: I cannot afford to get separate heaters for my daughters and sons. This is only one heater, and we all surround it. (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Photographer Jim Huylebroek joined up with Save the Children to travel across Afghanistan from the drought-ravaged plains of the north to the freezing streets of Kabul capturing the stories of children whose lives have been devastated by the humanitarian crisis in a series titled Children on the Edge of Life. The images tell the stories of their fight for survival. Families making impossible decisions about which child they can afford to feed, and which will go hungry; mothers giving birth alone on dirt floors because they cannot afford to travel to hospital, and children forced to work on the streets to put food on the table. In the north of Afghanistan, Laalah*, 12, lives with her mother and four siblings in a tent, built with tarpaulin sheets in the basement of a half-constructed building. Her father, Maalek*, 40, struggles to find work as a labourer, and sometimes has no choice but to send his sons to find rubbish to sell or burn to keep their home warm. Laalah* 12, sits with her siblings Faakhir*, 1, Aabhas*, 10, Aabid* 7, Cachi*, 5, outside their home in Balkh province (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Aabhas*, 10, fled the conflict in Faryab with their father Maalek* and the rest of their family (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Laalah*, aged 12, walks up the stairs with her baby brother Faakhir* 1, in her home (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Whenever kids are free from school they go out and collect rubbish. They go onto the streets and collect and sell cans so they can afford their school expenses or food, Maalek said. My dream is to find somewhere, to build a place for them. To be able to build a house to live in so that they can stop being homeless like this. Nearly 5 million children stand on the brink of starvation as the country faces its worst food crisis since records began. The impacts of drought, conflict and economic collapse have pushed many families into dangerous territory. They sell what little they have to buy food, send their children to work or get by on bread alone. I hope there are schools in the future, Laalah said. I want to go to school, to be either a teacher or doctor. I want our living to be good, to eat good food. Mohammad* and his wife Gulalai*, 25, (not pictured) have six children aged between 1 day and 6 years old. The family survive on just bread alone most days (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Gulalais daughter, Harija*, 6 outside their home (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Mohammad* and his wife Gulalais* one-year-old son, Ninangyali*, who is suffering from severe acute malnutrition (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) The withdrawal of aid and the freezing of financial assets has pushed Afghanistans public services to the brink of collapse. Hospitals across the country have been forced to close as wages for healthcare workers have dried up. Desperately sick children are being turned away as there are no medicines to treat them, and, where they are available, soaring prices mean they are unaffordable for many. Story continues In Kabul, Arzoo*, 12, the oldest of seven children in her family, hasnt been to school all winter because they are closed. Her father hasnt been able to work for months, and most days they just eat bread because they cant afford anything else. Arzoos parents and 18-month-old brother are ill, but the family cant afford to go to the doctor. She said: Now there is no job for my father to do and bring food home. One day we have food and the next day we dont. Arzoo* 12, with her siblings at home (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Most days Arzoos* family just eat bread because they cannot afford anything else (Jim Huylebroek / Save The Children) Arzoos* siblings. Kamal* 5 , Aziz* 4 , Damsa* 3, Hadyah* 6 (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Arzoos mother, Ferisha*, 36, said: There is absolutely no work. People are desperate for food; there is nothing. When asked about the future for her children she said: My hope is that they study and make progress; one can only have this hope. 3-year-old Samira* and her grandfather. Samira was previously given treatment for malnutrition and pneumonia by Save the Children, and has fully recovered (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Afzal*, 13: Streets in Kabul (Jim Huylebroek/Save The Children) Save the Children is distributing cash, winter clothes and fuel to families in some of the hardest-hit areas to help them stay warm and fed through the bitter winter. Cash assistance helps to prevent families from resorting to desperate measures that adversely affect children such as child labour, early marriage and reduced meals. You can find more information about Save the Childrens Afghanistan crisis appeal here The sister of the disgraced late financier Bernie Madoff was found dead from a suspected murder-suicide in south Florida, authorities said Sunday. Sondra Wiener, 87, was found dead in her Boynton Beach home on Thursday afternoon, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office said. She had a gunshot wound. Authorities declined to fully identify the name of the man found dead with her, citing a request from his family, though his first name Marvin and age matches that of her husband. The deceased man was also said to be a resident in the home. Several news outlets reported that he was, in fact, her husband, 90-year-old Marvin Wiener. The sheriffs office said that the victims family has invoked Marsys Law, which allows crime victims to bar certain personal information from being disclosed. The couples cause of death remains under investigation by the medical examiner. A woman who identified herself as Marvin Wieners daughter-in-law, who is married to his son David, declined to comment when reached by a reporter for The Associated Press. She asked for privacy at this time of grief. Bernie Madoff died last year at the age of 82 while serving out a 150-year prison term for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. His sister was reportedly one of his victims, with the New York Post reporting in 2009 that she was forced to sell her home after losing millions from his financial scam. Madoffs two sons, Andrew and Mark, died in the years after their fathers 2008 arrest. Mark died by suicide in 2010 at the age of 46, exactly two years after his fathers arrest. Andrew died in 2014 at 48 from lymphoma. Madoffs younger brother, Peter, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to falsifying documents and lying to regulators as part of the Ponzi scheme. He was released in 2020 after serving about nine years. Madoffs widow, Ruth, was last year reported to be living in Connecticut with the family of a former daughter-in-law. She was never charged in the Ponzi scheme and in the years after her husbands arrest she publicly blamed him for what happened. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Meet the Press host Chuck Todd got a lesson in foreign affairs Sunday from former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, after Todd suggested Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is just as aggravated with president Joe Biden as he is with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. You have a lot of insight into the Ukrainian government, Todd began, turning his attention to Taylor. Zelenskyy, this is one fired-up leader of his country, frustrated. And he seems to be as frustrated with the West as he is with anybody right now. Uh, no Chuck, Taylor said. Hes clearly frustrated with Putin. [Zelenskyys] got allies. He was there addressing those allies in Munich yesterday exactly what you say. Hes got complaints about more support, you know, he would like to have, but the real villain of the case lets be clear is sitting in the Kremlin. [Watch the interview in its entirety above.] Todd made his comments as Russia sits poised to invade its neighbor at any moment. The Associated Press reported Sunday that Ukraine is surrounded on three sides by at least 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Just as soon as Todd offered his take on the conflict, the NBC hosts name quickly started to trend on Twitter, with users criticizing everything from what he said to his journalistic choice whether it be who he has on as guests, his lack of follow-up questions that usually beg to be answered, or his perceived gradual lean to the right of center. I love Ambassador Taylors quick & tactful shutting down of Chuck Todds nonsense, Colby College political scientist Laura Seay tweeted. It is not a both sides issue, wrote another Twitter user. Putin is trying to invade Ukraine, and the West is trying to stop him. The issue is about as clear as any in foreign relations can be, but to Chuck Todd, even hostile aggression against Western democracy is an opportunity to blame both sides. Story continues Another person wrote: Chuck Todd, the ignorant knob, wont stop pulling up FOX & GOP talking points to try and muddy the waters about important news so he can try and score cheap points in the discussions that follow. Tim Russert is weeping at the massive stupidity Chuck brings to Sunday mornings. Chuck Todd has made a whole career out of playing the Devils dumbest advocate, added The Gilded Edge author, Dr. Catherine Prendergast. And OGNurseRatchet summed up her thoughts succinctly: Chuck Todd is a #Secularist for Putin. On the flip side, another Twitter user called it like he saw it and he definitely made a solid point: Chuck Todd is the Host of Meet the Press b/c Republicans will go on the show with him as the host. If Maddow was the host Republicans wouldnt come on. NBC doesnt care if Dems dont show up and Dems are too dumb to boycott the show. Criticism of Todd is nothing new. In February 2020, he came under fire for reading aloud a column that compared supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders to Nazi brownshirts, causing #FireChuckTodd to trend on Twitter. A few days later, Showtimes Our Cartoon President released a short clip lampooning the New Hampshire primary results, taking care to include Todd in the satire. The results are in from the New Hampshire primary and Bernie Sanders is the winner. I said it. Now you Bernie Bros can stop Photoshopping me in the shower with the Devil, the animated Todd said. Then in June 2021, critics really expressed their disdain for what Chuck saw as good old-fashioned bipartisanship by booking election deniers, which, basically, enabled the spread of misinformation. Chuck Todd is a dangerous fing imbecile, one Twitter user said. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The next generation of shoe designers arent wasting any time jumpstarting their careers, thanks to entrepreneurs Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, who are bringing their creative expertise to Southern California high schools through a partnership with Adidas and Pensole. More from Variety Last fall, the Beats co-founders organized a series of Wood U workshops through the Iovine and Young Academy an educational startup that the pair started at University of Southern California in 2013 where students from Inglewood were able to design their own sneakers all the way up through production. Through the six-week long course, other creatives such as the West Coast rapper D Smoke dropped in to offer their support and guidance. Read More: Beyonces Ivy Park Valentines Day Collection Is Finally Here The final products, which launched at select Adidas stores on Feb. 7, were showcased at an outdoor pep rally at Audobon Middle School last weekend, where Pensole founder Dr. DWayne Edwards took the stage to explain the creative process and his own mission to empower young kids to pursue a career in design. Courtesy of Adidas When you have less than 5% African Americans in the entire field of design, thats disgraceful, considering the economic power we have as a consumer, Edwards tells Variety. And for us not to be in the corporations designing the product that we want to buy, its hypocritical because our industry promotes black folks in ads telling these kids that they can be successful but only if they have a ball or a microphone in their hands. These kids grew up thinking that thats the only way that they can be successful, so I think being able to show them that there are other options is the most critical part. Story continues Catering to Inglewood students in particular was no accident. Edwards attended Inglewood High School himself before going on to become a trailblazing designer for brands such as Nike and Jordan, and, of course, ultimately founding his own footwear design academy with Pensole. Its also one reason why D Smoke, who stars in the Wood U campaign video and performed at the pep rally, became involved. While on stage, the Grammy-nominated rapper spoke of his mother who attended Audobon Middle School and whose experiences shed light on the importance of creating opportunities for disenfranchised communities in South L.A. Courtesy of Adidas The workshops are only the beginning of a long-term plan that Iovine and Dr. Dre have dreamt up, though. The power duo is launching a new high school with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in Sept., 2022, which will be located on the same campus as Audobon Middle School and will have 120 open slots for ninth and tenth graders interested in design, business and technology. Much like the Iovine and Young Academy, students will be able to gain hands-on experience through an innovative curriculum centered around the creative industries theyll encounter in the real world. But this time around, Iovine and Dr. Dre are preparing budding entrepreneurs as early as high school, with tentative plans to extend the program to middle schoolers in the future. These kids dont know what their potential is until someone creates that path for them to see it, Edwards says, And in some cases, you might have to hold their hand, you have to trick them into learning. So Im bringing my effort to the table, but I put it on my students to not settle for anything less than great. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, and Jean-Luc Brunel on Epstein's private plane. US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York Jeffrey Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel was found dead in his French jail cell Saturday. Ghislaine Maxwell's brother told the New York Post he was shocked and concerned for her. Epstein was found hanged in a Manhattan jail in 2019, prompting a flurry of conspiracy theories. Ghislaine Maxwell's family expressed concern after an associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in France on Saturday. Jean-Luc Brunel, a former modeling agent, was found hanged in a Paris prison where he was detained while facing multiple counts of rape and sexual assault related to a sex-trafficking investigation. In a statement provided to CNN on Saturday, Brunel's lawyers said his "decision was not guided by guilt, but by a sense of injustice," adding he "never stopped claiming his innocence." Maxwell, an Epstein associate and British socialite, is currently in jail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being found guilty of sex-trafficking in December. Her brother told The New York Post Saturday their family now "fears for her safety." "It's really shocking," Ian Maxwell told The Post in an interview from his home in London. "Another death by hanging in a high-security prison. My reaction is one of total shock and bewilderment." Epstein was found dead by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death caused a flurry of conspiracy theories that eventually prompted an investigation by the Department of Justice. The results of that investigation are expected to be released very soon, Insider's Jacob Shamsian reported. Maxwell requested a new trial after jurors in her case told media outlets they shared their personal experiences with sexual assault during deliberations. The jurors said they may have helped sway the jury towards a conviction. Legal experts previously told Insider it was "very likely" Maxwell's guilty verdict would get tossed and that she'd get a new trial, especially if the jurors did not disclose their personal experiences with sexual assault on the jury selection questionnaire. Read the original article on Insider Columbus Public Schools new Kramer Education Center is just one of several big projects slated to open in spring 2023. CPS Superintendent Troy Loeffelholz said the construction of the current Columbus High School building which was a $49.9 million bond issue approved by voters in 2014 appears to have kick started development in Columbus. Things have continued growing since then. This community made a decision about 9, 10 years ago to be progressive. And I think we're seeing the fruits of that progressive attitude with some of the things that we're seeing now, Loeffelholz said. The school districts latest project, the Kramer Education Center, will eventually feature a preschool, day care also known as the child development center and administrative offices. Part of the structure will be the old Kramer High School, which is being renovated, and an addition that is about the same square footage. Once completed, the new facility will be roughly 70,000 square feet in total. The first phase of the project the preschool center and exterior walls for the day care and district offices is currently on track for substantial completion this December. Initially, it had been slated for completion in January 2022 but the COVID-19 pandemic has caused material shortages and construction delays. Leonard Kwapnioski, director of technology and operations at CPS, noted on Feb. 1, that the roof decking over the preschool was expected to be completed that day and about 95% of the framing was completed. Once the roofing is in place, he added, the awning for the preschool will be installed and then the rest of the building completed. Right now we have all steel on site, we have all our roofing materials, Kwapnioski said. Those were the two big things that we've been kind of lacking for a while. There will be three parking lots at the facility one on the east side of the building for the preschool, one on the south side for the day care and a bigger parking lot on the west side for the administrative offices, Kwapnioski said. There will be two separate playgrounds as well one for the preschool and one for the day care, he added, due to state law not allowing the two to intermingle. According to Kwapnioski, access to the building will be controlled and a long, centralized hallway will connect all three parts of the new facility. Preschool Currently, there are five preschool classrooms at CPS elementary schools two at Centennial and one at each West Park, Emerson and Lost Creek elementary schools; North Park does not have one. The establishment of the Kramer Education Center will allow CPS to expand its preschool program from five classrooms to, at a minimum, nine, Loeffelholz said. We're also going to have what we call a junior kindergarten, just some of those 4-year-olds who just turned 5 who just might not be ready for kindergarten, Loeffelholz said. It allows them to work on their development just a little bit longer. Parents whose kids will attend preschool starting next school year will see their young ones transferred to the new facility at the start of 2023. Over Christmas break, we'll be transitioning our preschool classrooms from whatever elementary school they're in, to that central facility, Loeffelholz said, adding the preschool program will fully open in fall 2023. The day care side if we get that open at the same time, great. If not, then they just may be a few months behind. CPS is also developing a partnership with Central Community College to offer dual credit early childhood classes. The partnership will be a chance for the school district to help develop more child care workers in Columbus and its an opportunity for CPS own students to pursue a path in that field. The Kramer Education Center will be utilized for this purpose. In between every two classrooms, we are going to have an observation room that will have windows looking into both of those rooms, Kwapnioski said. They'll be able to enter in from the hallway. They won't have access to the kids within that area, but they can see what is going on. Child care has always been a need in the Columbus community, Loeffelholz said, and the new facility is expected to help with that, in terms of both the preschool and day care. Day care The day care will be operated as a business through the Columbus Public Schools Foundation. Open to the whole Columbus community, there will be an estimated 122 spots, according to CPS Foundation Executive Director Nicole Anderson. The City of Columbus population has been rapidly expanding. According to the 2020 census, Columbus has a population of 24,028, which is a 1,917 difference from the 2010 census. As noted during a town hall CPS held in December, the school population has exceeded projected growth from a study conducted a few years prior. The current school population is estimated at 4,100 and CPS is expected to exceed that number in 2024, according to a December 2021 Columbus Telegram article. In all of our town hall meetings that we had, as we were developing this idea and moving forward, one of the things that we heard from current providers is, we really need you to offer infant care as well. We've taken that to heart and we'll have three infant rooms available, Anderson said. Anderson stressed that the new facility is meant to add an option for the community, not take business away from current day care providers. We're very cognizant of that, that we don't want to overbuild the community and then take away from businesses that are already here and doing well and doing great things, Anderson said. Most likely, she said, children ages 12 weeks to about 4 or 5 years will be accepted at the day care, but that will depend upon the need in the community. Other details, including the cost of attendance, are still being ironed out. But, Anderson noted that officials plan for the day care to accept subsidy thats another need seen in Columbus. A feature in the facility will be a community room where other local day care providers will be able to utilize different toys, sensory items and lesson ideas that may be pricey or otherwise difficult for a small provider to obtain. If we can help support the other facilities and the other in-home care providers as well with some of those things, I think we can be a great partner, Anderson said. District offices The administration portion of the Kramer Education Center is expected to have a training center, which CPS currently doesnt have. The school district must rent another facility for training, like a hotel. The Educational Service Unit 7 building is often being utilized for other programs, Loeffelholz added. Having district staff in one location instead of spread throughout different buildings would be beneficial, and the current district office which is located near the middle school could be utilized for another purpose, he said. However, the preschool and day care programs are the priorities. The district offices of the Kramer Education Center will be developed as funding becomes available, Loeffelholz said. Columbus is the fastest growing non-urban city in Nebraska, Loeffelholz noted, and the school districts focus is meeting needs in the community. We're in the kid business and we want to make sure we have the right programs in place for our community's children. We want to make sure we have the facilities to meet their needs, he said. Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PHOTOS: Intense snow squalls spread whiteouts over southern Ontario A clipper system moving across the Great Lakes brought intense snow squalls to southern Ontario on Saturday morning. The sudden whiteouts forced travel to a halt on many roads across the province, with snow-covered highways and accidents shutting down roads west of the Greater Toronto Area. GET THE LATEST: Roads closed, collisions stem from whiteout conditions in southern Ontario Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued widespread warnings ahead of the snow squalls to advise residents of the impending hazard. Blizzard warnings went up for communities near the shores of Lake Huron. The agency issued a rare snow squall warning for Toronto proper as the burst of heavy snow and high winds pushed through the GTA. The heavy snow and sudden whiteout conditions led to major travel disruptions across southern Ontario. The Ontario Provincial Police reported on Twitter that its officers responded to approximately 175 accidents across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area during and after the snow on Saturday. Multiple road closures continued Saturday afternoon across southwestern Ontario, according to Ontario 511. As of mid-afternoon, the closures included a portion of Highway 9 in Kincardine and sections of Highway 6 near Guelph, Highway 7 near Kitchener, and Highway 8 near Stratford. Bands of heavy snow and low visibility will continue for some areas through Saturday afternoon. Even outside of these squalls, strong winds will lead to blowing and drifting of the dry, fluffy snow thats already on the ground. The clippers intense snow squalls didnt just spread whiteout conditions over Ontario. The systems high winds and heavy burst of snow affected the southern Prairies and the United States from the Midwest to New England, as well, with snow squall warnings stretching into the New York City metro area by the middle of Saturday afternoon. Heres a look at some of the imagery that came in during and after the snow squalls that swept across southern Ontario. Donald Trumps social media app Truth Social may be ready to launch as soon as Monday, marking the former presidents return to a social networking platform 13 months after his ban from Twitter. According to Reuters, posts from the verified account for Truth Socials chief product officer informed beta users that the app is currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday Feb. 21. Reuters report comes after a New York Times report on Friday saying that the Truth Social launch could be pushed back to next month. In an interview with Fox News Maria Bartiromo, former Republican congressman Devin Nunes, who is now CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, said that his company would begin to roll out Truth Social on Apple this coming week. Our goal is, I think were going to hit it, I think by the by the end of March were going to be fully operational at least within the United States, he added. The messages come roughly a week after Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr., teased the apps launch on his Twitter page. Time for some Truth!!! pic.twitter.com/jvyteDb5gW Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 15, 2022 In December 2021, Rep. Devin Nunes announced that he was leaving Congress to become the CEO of former Trumps new Trump Media & Technology Group. Shortly thereafter, the company announced it had raised $1 billion in funding from an undisclosed group of investors to launch a multifaceted media company including a social media network called Truth. Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) was attempting to go public via a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) called Digital World Acquisition. The $1 billion investment is part of a so-called PIPE (private investment in public equity) investment. It is highly unusual for a company to not disclose investors for a transaction of this size. Trump said at the time, $1 billion sends an important message to Big Tech that censorship and political discrimination must end. America is ready for TRUTH Social, a platform that will not discriminate on the basis of political ideology. As our balance sheet expands, TMTG will be in a stronger position to fight back against the tyranny of Big Tech. Trump was banned from Twitter shortly after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots after he was accused of posting tweets inciting violence that in part led House Democrats to vote to impeach him for a second time. Since Trumps ban and his exit from the White House, a series of social media apps have risen promising an alternative to Twitter, YouTube and Facebook for conservatives who feel their free speech is being suppressed, including Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble. Health officials in Europe are expanding vaccine guidelines to include more at-risk populations, including the elderly and those with underlying conditions, to be eligible for a fourth COVID-19 booster shot. In the U.S., federal health groups have already approved a fourth vaccine dose for immunocompromised Americans and may consider other subsets of the population sooner than expected. New research indicates that current vaccines and booster schedules may not provide optimal protection against COVID-19 infection, but top infectious disease experts say that severe side effects, hospitalization and death are still largely prevented. Recent public statements made by Pfizer and Moderna executives indicate that a fourth dose may be made available to the general public later this year, in the fall. Health officials in the United States are preparing to release updated COVID-19 guidelines as contagious Omicron rates continue to fall, according to Reuters' reports and Americans may be wondering if news about a fourth vaccine is soon to follow. Public health agents in Sweden made official recommendations earlier this month for residents over 80 years old to receive a second booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a fourth dose overall, as more evidence suggests those particularly at high-risk for complications may need it sooner. Shortly after, top public health official Anthony Fauci, M.D., highlighted new data generated by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which suggested top-tier protection provided by a third-dose booster may start to decline after just four months. If youre 18 years & older, you can choose which #COVID19 booster you get. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) are preferred although the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine may be considered in some situations. See which booster is right for you: https://t.co/77CTFuJFcO pic.twitter.com/K0Q4wUYdsU CDC (@CDCgov) February 16, 2022 "There may be the need for yet again another boost in this case, a fourth-dose boost for an individual receiving the mRNA [vaccine] that could be based on age, as well as underlying conditions," Dr. Fauci told the media in early February. The need for a fourth vaccine dose before the winter is out could be debated by diseased experts, however, as data still shows current vaccine timelines are largely effective against serious illness. CDC data indicated that while third doses were effective 91% of the time against COVID-19 hospitalizations within the first two months, efficacy slipped slightly to 78% by the end of month four. The study also did not account for age ranges or pay special care to exclude immunocompromised Americans when considering conclusions, two groups that are directly indicated in high-risk categories. Story continues And others are worried that another booster shot in a similar frequency may end up leading to an underwhelming weakened immune response, a complex topic known to scientists as original antigenic sin, according to Shira Doron, M.D., an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist at Boston's Tufts Medical Center. It's unclear if booster timing will truly end up being an issue for COVID-19 vaccines at this stage, but a press briefing held overseas by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) touched upon the potential downside of having COVID-19 booster doses administered too closely together. If anything is clear, it's that more nations are considering updating vaccine guidelines to include additional doses for at-risk populations, as highlighted by the New York Times. Current CDC guidelines encourage a certain subset of Americans to seek out a fourth dose now based on their medical history, and more subsets of at-risk people may be considered in the future. If you're curious about when it may be time for another COVID-19 vaccine, we've polled infectious disease experts like Dr. Doron to answer questions about a potential timeline for additional doses as federal officials prepare for the next stage of the pandemic. As more information about the coronavirus pandemic develops, some of the information in this story may have changed since it was last updated. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department. When can I get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine? As of now, nearly all health authorities agree it is too soon to determine when a fourth dose may be recommended to a broader proportion of the American public. If you have a rather straightforward health history (not considered at elevated risk for serious complications from a COVID-19 infection), you shouldn't be concerned about seeking out another booster shot anytime soon due to vaccines' current efficacy against severe COVID-19 infection. Dr. Doron explains that current goals set forth by CDC officials and officers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may shift to focus exclusively on preventing severe disease and hospitalization due to COVID-19 as opposed to infection overall as more variants like Omicron present themselves in the future. "If the goal is to prevent severe disease, then many Americans may not need another dose for years we will have to see," she adds. Pei-Yong Shi, M.D., a molecular biology professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch currently leading clinical COVID-19 vaccine research, says that more data will be needed to suggest a fourth dose for the entire general population. "We still don't know the durability of the neutralization after the third dose," Dr. Shi adds. "Studies are ongoing to monitor the durability of the neutralization and real-world vaccine effectiveness in the clinics." Vaccination and boosters are essential in preventing hospitalizations from #COVID19. The percent of people who are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 are disproportionately unvaccinated and disproportionately not boosted. Get vaccinated + boosted. https://t.co/4gIUGZmVOW Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) February 2, 2022 It's more likely that elderly Americans and those with pre-existing conditions that impact immunity may potentially see an update to vaccine guidance in the near future. Dr. Doron says that if health officials decide to solely target severe disease rates versus total infection rates, "then a fourth dose is not likely to be necessary or recommended for all Americans, but would be more likely to be indicated for those who are older, or otherwise at higher risk for hospitalization and death." Another shift in vaccine guidance isn't entirely out of the question, though, as CDC officials have previously demonstrated this when updating recommendations to allow third-dose Pfizer boosters at the five-month interval instead of six. But experts are also continually overhauling COVID-19 vaccine production in response to variants like a new 'stealth' Omicron, and the focus could be on tweaking current vaccines for even more resilient immunity in the future. New options like the high-profile nasally administered COVID-19 vaccine may not be too far off. "It's crucial that there be continued research and development on new vaccine technology. We could benefit greatly from vaccines with greater durability, and that are more variant proof," Dr. Doron explains. "In the meantime, for those who are unvaccinated, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is considering changing the interval between the first and second dose of mRNA vaccine, which we now know increases both safety and efficacy." Do I need a fourth COVID-19 vaccine? It's important to remember that while vaccine efficacy against infection may degrade as time goes on, all health experts have noted that vaccines are still crucial for preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death. "Vaccines and boosters have proven incredibly effective, and offer the highest level of protection," Dr. Fauci said in the same press briefing in early February. "250 million Americans have stepped up to protect themselves, their families, and their communities by getting at least one shot and we have saved more than one million American lives as a result." #Omicron is the dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for nearly all #COVID19 cases. Severe outcomes from Omicron appear lower than during previous periods of high COVID-19 spread, due, in part, to #COVID19 vaccination and boosters. More: https://t.co/F4bAyObDp1. pic.twitter.com/xWz7FxvXOw CDC (@CDCgov) February 12, 2022 The focus for health officials remains on encouraging unvaccinated Americans to seek out their initial COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Fauci took time to clarify that it's almost entirely likely that fourth doses will first be considered for those who "have a diminished protection against the important parameters, such as hospitalization." Practicing best habits when it comes to COVID-19 prevention wearing a mask in crowded public spaces, choosing well-ventilated areas to meet with family or friends and ensuring you are up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccination will likely keep you healthy this winter. While it's still up in the air, according to experts, most signs point to a fourth dose becoming a reality later this fall. Trials at Pfizer and Moderna are well underway to create COVID-19 vaccines that specifically target Omicron, per U.S. News & World Report. And a public appearance by Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel indicated early plans that the company has for these vaccines. "We are discussing with public health leaders around the world to decide what we think is the best strategy for the potential booster for the fall of 2022," he told CNBC. "We believe it will contain Omicron." Those who are considered at very high-risk, the immunocompromised population, have been eligible to receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for several months and may need a subsequent fifth shot in the future. Who is considered immunocompromised for a fourth dose? If you're considered immunocompromised due to an underlying health condition or current treatment, your healthcare provider has likely already updated you to a shift in vaccine guidelines set forth by the CDC. Back in August 2021, an initial booster dose was authorized for immunocompromised individuals but soon made it clear that this third dose would be considered part of the primary vaccination series due to these individuals' impaired immune response to the first two-shot series. In October, CDC officials authorized a fourth booster dose for immunocompromised Americans to stem COVID-19 infection risk, as long as it had been at least six months since their last shot. That guidance changed when the Omicron wave proved to be highly infectious over the holiday season and in January, as it continues to be the dominant variant in COVID-19 spread currently. Recently, CDC officials shortened that interval to five months, meaning those who received their third Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dose back in August are now eligible to get a fourth shot this winter. #COVID19 vaccine protection lessens over time. Get your COVID-19 booster to increase your protection from COVID-19, including the #Omicron variant. Find your booster: https://t.co/xbvNiaVJKV. pic.twitter.com/7HOSPKMHYr CDC (@CDCgov) January 19, 2022 "People who are severely immunocompromised may not mount an adequate response, or any response at all, to two doses, but studies show that a third dose elicits an antibody response in a subset of those patients which is why the primary series of mRNA vaccines for them is three doses," Dr. Doron explains. "Like everyone else, they are then eligible for a booster when immunity wanes." As many as 3% (or 7 million) adults in the U.S. are considered immunocompromised by health officials. Previously, FDA officials have shared the kinds of conditions that would qualify someone for additional COVID-19 shots, with cancer patients and organ transplant recipients at the forefront of this category. There are more than 200 specific immune deficiency diseases that can lead to a clinical immunocompromised status, per the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Some common conditions for immunocompromised individuals include: Blood disorders, such as leukemia and lymphoma Cancer patients in treatment currently HIV/AIDS Inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis Lupus Multiple sclerosis Rheumatoid arthritis Type 1 diabetes It's crucial for immunocompromised individuals to inquire about boosters with their healthcare providers, as data suggests a singular COVID-19 vaccine as well as an infection don't produce enough antibodies to prevent future sickness. And COVID-19 illnesses are much more intense and severe for these individuals, with death rates in this subset currently over 50%, according to the Times. You Might Also Like President Joe Biden. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Biden said on Friday he was "convinced" Russia was likely to invade Ukraine in the coming days. On Saturday, the White House reaffirmed that an attack could happen at any time. Biden is convening the National Security Council to meet on Sunday. President Joe Biden is holding a meeting on Sunday with the National Security Council to discuss the situation in Ukraine, the White House said Saturday. "President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in Ukraine, and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. "They reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time." The statement also said Biden has been briefed on meetings attended by Vice President Kamala Harris with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and leaders of other European countries. Biden had said on Friday he was "convinced" that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was likely to happen in the coming days. "We're calling out Russia's plans loudly, repeatedly, not because we want a conflict, but because we're doing everything in our power to remove any reason that Russia may give to justify invading Ukraine and prevent them from moving," Biden said. Read the original article on Business Insider President Joe Biden may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week, following a meeting of their foreign ministers, if an attack on Ukraine has not occurred by then, the White House announced late Sunday. The high-stakes talks between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart will take place Thursday in Europe. Biden has accepted "in principle" a meeting with Putin "if an invasion hasn't happened," press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, noting that while the U.S. is "always ready for diplomacy," Russia rigth now "appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon." Blinken said on "Meet the Press" that his meeting with Lavrov, should it go forward is aimed at doing "everything I can to try diplomatically to prevent a war." NATO officials are scrambling to find a diplomatic solution as a buildup of Russian troops and military exercises on Ukraine's northern border raise fears of an imminent invasion. About 150,000 Russian troops have massed on three sides of Ukraine, and Moscow extended military drills that were due to end Sunday in neighboring Belarus. Russian commanders were ordered to go forward with an invasion of Ukraine, according to ABC News and CBS News, which cited anonymous U.S. intelligence sources Sunday. Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a visit to the Munich Security Conference, where she met on the sidelines with NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told "Fox News Sunday" any invasion before Blinken's meeting would mean that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack with "diplomatic options left on the table." "They won't have an excuse that merits any sort of credibility about why they went forward when there was a diplomatic path forward," he said. "They will choose this war." Story continues Despite the last-ditch efforts, Blinken said U.S. intelligence indicates Russia is trying to provoke an invasion. "All of this seems to be following the script that I laid out at the United Nations Security Council, that President Biden talked about to the nation just the other day," he said. Cyberattack effects: A Russian invasion could reach farther than Ukraine. How a cyberattack could affect you. No sanctions before attack , US officials say U.S. officials pushed back on Zelenskyy's criticism of Western leaders for withholding sanctions on Russia if all signs point to a potential invasion of Ukraine. Kirby told Fox News sanctions are meant to be a deterrent. "If you punish somebody for something they haven't done yet, then they might as well just go ahead and do it. So we're holding that in advance, and we're hoping that could affect the calculus of Mr. Putin," he said. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Blinken emphasized there's still an option for Putin to pull back from any plans to invade. "Until the tanks are rolling and the planes are in the air, we're going to try everything we possibly can to get President Putin to reverse the decision we believe he's made," he said. "We're trying to prevent a war. As soon as you trigger the sanctions, of course, any deterrent effect they may have is gone." Zelesnkyy aired his frustrations to Western leaders at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, urging allies to impose sanctions. "You're telling me that it's 100% that the war will start in a couple of days. Then what (are you) waiting for?" he asked. Blinken and Kirby underscored that allies are prepared to impose punishing sanctions as part of a unified NATO response, an unintended consequence of Putin's gamble on Ukraine.. Russia delays exit of troops from Belarus Russia extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders Sunday, increasing fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion. The exercises, originally set to end Sunday, brought a sizable contingent of Russian forces to neighboring Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north. The presence of the Russian troops raised concern that they could sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Belorussian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that Belarus and Russia would "continue testing the response forces." Harris acknowledges potential war Were talking about the potential for war in Europe. I mean, lets really take a moment to understand the significance of what were talking about, Harris said Sunday in Germany before her return to Washington. Europe, she said, might be at its most perilous moment since the end of World War II. In a burst of diplomacy at the annual Munich Security Conference, Harris tried to make the case to American allies that rapidly escalating tensions on the Ukraine-Russia border meant European security was under direct threat and there should be unified support for economic penalties if the Kremlin invades its neighbor. Where are the Russians? Is Russia going to invade Ukraine? Satellite images show the latest Russian troop movements Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said, "The big question remains: Does the Kremlin want dialogue?" "We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops," Michel said at the conference. "One thing is certain: If there is further military aggression, we will react with massive sanctions." A Ukrainian serviceman points to the direction of the incoming shelling next to a building which was hit by a large caliber mortar shell in the frontline village of Krymske, Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 19, 2022. Missiles, military drills and NATO: How diplomacy could defuse a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine Finnish president: Putin 'wants to be very decisive' Finlands president warned that Putin is using a two steps forward, one back strategy in deploying troops near Ukraine, increasing tensions and risking war. So far, I would say that he has behaved in a way that is very difficult to predict but that might be also intentional, President Sauli Niinisto said Sunday during an interview on CNNs State of the Union. Finland, which borders Russia, is not a member of NATO and has had its own complicated and tense relationship with Moscow for more than a century. Niinisto has led the Nordic country and European Union member for a decade, during which he has been one of the world leaders in most frequent communication with Putin. He wants to be very decisive, Niinisto said, noting that during a phone call, the Russian leader was more official in his recognition of Finnish assertions of sovereignty than hed been in the past. It was a change from his past behavior, Niinisto said. Niinisto cautioned that the world is almost in a colder situation than during the Cold War because then we had at least some agreements between the U.S. and Soviet Union limiting arms and so forth. Now we do not have, actually, anything." He warned that the lack of communication between Russia and the West leaves the world more vulnerable. Zelenskyy calls for meeting with Putin Ukraine's president called on Putin to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. There was no immediate response from the Kremlin. Saturday at the Munich conference, Zelenskyy defiantly vowed to protect his country from a Russian invasion and chastised Europe for not doing more to safeguard its military and economic security. In his native tongue, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared "to protect our beautiful land on our borders whether we have 150,000 or 1 million soldiers of any army." Zelenskyy said he appreciated the military supplies the West provided, but Europe must do more to recognize and reward Ukraine's role in European stability. Vice President Kamala Harris boards her plane to Washington from the Munich International Airport on Feb. 20, 2022, after attending the Munich Security Conference. A life on the world stage, but scant biographical details: What we know of the life of Vladimir Putin Tension in Ukraine Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilization Saturday and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are endangered might be used as justification for military action. Officials in the separatist territories claimed that Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed in an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine. German air carrier Lufthansa canceled flights to the capital, Kyiv, and Odesa, a Black Sea port that could be a target in an invasion. NATO's liaison office in Kyiv said it was relocating staff to Brussels and to the western Ukraine city of Lviv. Biden said late Friday that based on the latest American intelligence, he was "convinced" that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital. U.S. troops load equipment onto vehicles in Rzeszow, Poland, on Feb. 19. The United States sent nearly 5,000 troops, in addition to 4,000 stationed in Poland. The aim is to reassure a nervous NATO ally amid fears that Russia could attack Ukraine. A U.S. military official said 40% to 50% of Russian ground forces have moved into attack positions closer to the border. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. assessments, said the change has been underway for about a week and does not necessarily mean Putin has settled on an invasion. Lines of communication between Moscow and the West remain open: The American and Russian defense chiefs spoke Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Putin on Sunday for nearly two hours before a call with the Ukrainian president. In eastern Ukraine, government forces have been fighting pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed about 14,000 people. Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia said Saturday that at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed that claim as "a fake statement." A Ukrainian serviceman stands in a shelter on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote, Ukraine, on Feb. 19, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing a sharp spike in violence in and around territory held by Russia-backed rebels and increasingly dire warnings that Russia plans to invade, has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him and seek a resolution to the crisis. On the front lines in Ukraine Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the nearly eight-year separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. The officials fled to a bomb shelter before hustling from the area, according to an Associated Press journalist on the tour. The military closed a checkpoint leading to the separatist region after it came under repeated shelling. Elsewhere on the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. "Right now, we don't respond to their fire because ..." the soldier started to explain before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. "Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post." Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine: Biden, Putin may meet this week if Russia hasn't invaded Many aspire to crack open a cold one at the Gates of Hell. Its a sentiment often passed between old friends, a nod to a life well-lived. But if youre Dylan Thuras co-founder of media and travel company Atlas Obscura its also meant in the literal sense. Hes not talking about the entrance to Dantes Inferno (though the resemblance is admittedly uncanny). Rather, these Gates of Hell refer to a fiery crater measuring roughly 230 feet wide and 100 feet deep thats been burning in the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan since 1971. Known officially as the Darvaza gas crater, this little-known destination came to be when a group of well-intentioned Soviets struck a massive underground natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse and a drilling rig to plummet into the gaping maw it left behind. When toxic fumes began leaking, the Soviets lit the hole on fire in an effort to neutralize the potential for environmental damage. They assumed the fire would, like all other fires, burn out in time. They assumed wrong. More than 50 years later, the fire in the Karakum Desert still burns, its glow reportedly visible for miles. Its exactly the kind of oddity that inspired Thuras and co-founder Josh Foer to launch Atlas Obscura in the first place. We wrote it up before we even launched the site because we had heard about this thing and we were kind of like, This is the epitome of what were talking about. How can this thing exist, and no one knows about it? Thats madness, Thuras says. It was almost like the poster child for the whole idea behind Atlas Obscura, which is that there could be these incredible places that people didnt know were out there. We would always say to each other, Hey, if this thing really works out, well go have a beer at the edge of The Gates of Hell, he adds. Getty Thuras and Foer planned to run the first trip to Turkmenistan in March of 2020. It sold out in 24 hours, but, needless to say, that trip never happened. At the onset of the pandemic, Turkmenistan shut its borders and hasnt issued a single visa since. Story continues Fast forward to 2022, and theyre faced with a secondary obstacle, which is that not for the first time President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has ordered the government of Turkmenistan to begin researching how to put the fire out. Citing negative effects on health of people living nearby; wasting of valuable natural gas resources; and environmental damage, per a report from CNN, Berdymukhamedov has instructed the deputy prime minister to gather a team of scientists who will be tasked with extinguishing the famous flames. According to Thuras, its not necessarily a surprise the Turkmenistanis relationship to the crater is a fickle one. One day theyre condemning it, and saying theyre going to close it, he says. [But] then the next day, Head of the Foreign Ministry, is like, The Gates of Hell is one of our great treasures. Others still dont know it exists at all. But it remains their biggest tourist attraction, with the potential to, ahem, fuel an otherwise nonexistent industry (a fact which is not lost on the government, as evidenced by the recent installation of nearby bathrooms and a perimeter fence). In a day in age where theres so much scrutiny surrounding the ethics of tourism, it makes for an interesting juxtaposition. On the one hand, there are a number of destinations e.g., the Great Barrier Reef that are ephemeral because of human inference. On the other, there are destinations like The Root Bridges in Cherrapunji that would likely have disappeared without human interference. Tourism is powerful. It spreads attention and it spreads money, and it can do it in ways that are really positive or ways that are really negative, Thuras says. So its more just about calibrating your own travel around how to do it in the maximally positive way. I think tourism is a powerful force for good when it is. The Darvaza gas crater is a particularly interesting case study, since extinguishing the fire would also extinguish one of the most important features of a struggling tourist industry. But since there is no way of knowing how long the fire will burn on its own, its also a precarious economic lifeline. The consequences of human interference in either direction are difficult to predict. When asked whether or not he thinks Turkmenistan will actually go through with plans to put it out, Thuras errs on the side of skepticism, if for no other reason than its not as easy as filling a pit with sand. The proposed solution may very well wind up causing more damage to the environment. I think they would probably just fill it with gas, Thuras posits. Then instead of burning the methane into CO 2 which is actually a slightly better greenhouse gas than methane it would actually probably just leak methane again. And so youd have this thing that was both not interesting and still an environmental hazard, which just seems like the worst of all worlds. He also maintains that, regardless of what happens with The Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan is worthy of a trip. I hope they dont put it out, but if they do, there are still a lot of other incredible things in Turkmenistan. Its obviously flashy, its got a great story although how much of its creation story is myth versus truth, we may actually never know and it really catches your eye, he says. When you tell people about it, their jaw drops. And so [the crater] is this wonderful way to invite people to a place they might not otherwise go. But even if they close it, there are still incredible, incredible things to see in Turkmenistan. That said, hes still eager to knock Darvaza off his own personal bucket list. Theres definitely a sense of, if Josh and I are ever going to have that beer, we better do it soon or well just go down as one of these almost-but-nevers. More Like This For more travel news, tips and inspo, sign up for InsideHook's weekly travel newsletter, The Journey. The post Why Turkmenistans Gates of Hell Could Soon Be Closing Forever appeared first on InsideHook. The article Why Turkmenistans Gates of Hell Could Soon Be Closing Forever by Lindsay Rogers was originally published on InsideHook. Note: This post contains mentions of sexual assault, rape, drug use, abuse, and domestic violence. Most, if not all, women have experienced unwanted attention from older men in their lives. However, it's more difficult for young girls from their preteens to their early twenties to discern when this attention is predatory, especially as society conditions them to perceive male attention as a marker of their value. Consequently, society has normalized "relationships" between older men and teenage girls. While the age gaps in such relationships typically attract scrutiny, they lend themselves to a more insidious byproduct: An exploitative power dynamic that often leaves one partner the younger girl with little sense of control or choice. Fatcamera / Getty Images Because it's so important to stop normalizing predatory relationships, we asked women of the BuzzFeed Community who've "dated" older men as teenagers and later realized they were predators to share their experiences. Here are some of the more than 300 stories they responded with: 1. "When I was 14, I got my first job at a fast-food restaurant. The men that I worked with were in their twenties to thirties. They'd always comment on how my body looked and that there was no way I wasn't 18. I thought it was cool to be getting all this make attention. One of my managers was 21, and he also couldnt believe that I wasn't 18. We started dating, and he always told me not to tell anyone that this had to be a secret. I thought it was love when, in reality, he was in a position of power and using that to cloud my judgment." "Looking back now, I cant imagine what sick 21-year-old would want to date a 14-year-old?!" Anonymous, Texas Mediaproduction / Getty Images 2. "At 18, I was in a dark place mentally. My mother's friend's son, 21, started messaging me on Facebook. We started as friends, and we'd talk for hours. He then wanted to pursue a long-distance relationship. I agreed because I didn't date in high school. Guys were never that interested in me, so this was new and exciting. I was sexually assaulted by a friend's relative when I was 15, so I'd never felt at peace with my body and not had a physical relationship up to that point. Then, he started pressuring me for nudes and wanted to sext all the time. I was uncomfortable, but I did it because it was nice having someone to talk to. When I was 20, I started to build a real sisterhood with a couple of my friends, and he started getting possessive but I wanted it to be loved so badly and wanted to feel wanted, so I stayed. Having my friends really changed it for me. They wanted me there, alive and happy, and it brought a new perspective to my life." Story continues "I had their platonic love, and it felt better than whatever love I thought I had. In the beginning, when we'd talk on Facebook, I felt like he understood what I was going through. We were trying to build a future together. I was going to move 20 hours away from my family to be with him, wore his class ring on a necklace, and had a wedding Pinterest board with his mom. As I got closer to my friends, he tried to control me because he didn't like me going out with them and manipulated me by threatening suicide a few times. After three years, I started to break it off, and he said what he knew would hurt me. The relationship was done." swamp_witch96 3. "I was 18, he was 25, and we met in a chat room. He lived about an hour away from me. A few days after meeting, we met for coffee in person, and it quickly spiraled into a full-on relationship. He regularly sexually abused me while coercing me into sex and having sex while I was asleep. Being only 18, I didn't realize it was coercion. He tried to disrupt my exams, and, once they were over, I moved in with him for the summer before university. He promised me a job with a local company, however, there was no job. So to get by, I racked up debt and took out credit cards. He tried to stop me from going to university, but I was stubborn and went anyway. I managed to leave the relationship, but only after losing over 10 grand, friends, and family." "He then slept with my housemates behind my back. He also slept with my best friend of the time while still having sex with me. When we first met, he told me that he had recently lost a baby to cot death but didn't tell me the exact date. When my birthday came around the following year, suddenly it was the anniversary of the death, and he was miserable all day. I have doubts that the child existed. On Valentine's Day, he told me he had to babysit for his sister. I since found out that he had plans with another girl. He later told me, after we broke up, that his sister had a stillborn baby, and he just needed to talk about it. I found out from his sister that the baby was alive and thriving." Anonymous, United Kingdom Os Tartarouchos / Getty Images 4. "I met him at a church gathering he was 28, and I was 16 a 12-year age difference! He started to message me on Facebook. At first, it was, 'How's your day going?' and he'd send poems he'd written. To be polite, I'd reply. One day, he was messaging me nonstop. I was homeschooled, so I was doing homework and had Facebook open. I started to feel uncomfy when he said I understood him, I was such a great friend, and how it was so amazing to talk to me. I replied, 'Hey, you're working, right? Why dont you focus on that and not waste your time with my 16-year-old self?' I hoped my age would remind him that I was a minor. Well, this guy replied quickly, 'Aw, I'm never wasting my time when I talk to you ;)' When he sent that, alarm bells went off." "A WINKY FACE. I knew this wasn't right. I told him I had a test to do and logged out only to log back in and block him! I didn't fall for his trap, but looking back, I am mortified at what he was trying to do!" Anonymous, Florida Drewmauck / Getty Images / iStockphoto 5. "I was 15, and he was 25. I lost my virginity to him. His mother tried to stop it. I hated her guts and felt like she was so manipulative. I realize now how far I'd go to make sure my son doesn't date a child. Later, when I was 17, I dated a 27-year-old for 1.5 years. The real kicker: At a barbecue a few years ago, my high school crush, a boy my age who to this day is my one that got away told me that he loved me all throughout high school, but I was always talking about how I dated older guys. We're both married with children now, but that gutted me. I could have been with him." "He's even better looking now, too, with his silver foxness. Now, I remember what I was doing as a 15- and 17-year-old. I thought I was cool. What the fuck were those 25- and 27-year-olds doing?!" rainaf4e29d925f 6. "I was 18 and thought I knew what I was doing, but he was 27 with a four-year-old child. On our first date a nice dinner at a steak restaurant he said I would make a great mom to his son. I explained I was planning on going back to college (about 400 miles away) when the summer was over. He acted fine, so we went on a few more dates, and I broke it off with him before leaving for school. He then drove to my school, showed up at my dorm, and asked for one more date. I felt bad that he had made such an effort and agreed to go with him. He drove me to a truck stop an hour away for dinner, then told me he was too tired to drive me back and got us a cheap hotel room. I tried not to fall asleep but dozed off, and I woke up because he was trying to anally rape me. He tried to say he deserved it after all he had done for me?! Luckily, he gave up trying that night and drove me back to school the next day." "He showed up at my dorm two other times, but my roommate and other friends would always hide me and tell him I wasnt there." Anonymous, Wisconsin Avgust174 / Getty Images / iStockphoto 7. "I was 16. He claimed to be 26, but he looked 42. I believed him. We dated for a year and never did anything more than kiss. We met at work. At first, I thought he was creepy and gross. He would tease me all of the time. I don't remember how it started, but I do remember him asking me questions about my sexuality, and I didn't understand them. This was 20 years ago, so we mainly talked on the phone and chatted on instant messaging apps. Thankfully, I never went to his house or was alone with him often. After a few months of 'dating,' he asked me to marry him I think in an instant message and we were engaged. At the time, I was 17 and in a really bad family situation, so I think a part of me was convinced he was my way of moving on. We dated until a few weeks into my first semester of college." "I ended up kissing another guy who I thought was just a friend. I never heard from or saw the '26-year-old' after that, but looking back on that year, I could definitely see I was being groomed by him." Anonymous, Ohio Andipantz / Getty Images 8. "I was 14 and grew up in a very 'rock n roll' household, so it wasnt uncommon for me to go out to small rock concerts alone. I was a smart kid. My parents trusted me not to do drugs. It was all good. However, at one concert, I began talking with a man I was standing by. He had tattoo sleeves on both arms and a nose piercing, so I was immediately in love. He was 19 not old enough that I had thought it was weird, but, in looking back, still too old to be dating a 14-year-old. He essentially groomed me for two years while I was dating him to be this overly sexual, skimpy-clothes-wearing girl. I made up this wild story to my friends that I was dating a celebrity. They were so focused on my 'lying problem,' they didnt notice I was acting weirdly and sneaking out to see my boyfriend. I lost my virginity to him, and he sexually assaulted me on multiple occasions. My final straw was when he asked me to drop out of school and be his live-in 'slave.'" "I definitely have long-lasting psychological problems from those two years." Anonymous, Minnesota Nd3000 / Getty Images / iStockphoto 9. "I was 14, a freshman, and met a guy at a party. He sweet-talked me, told me how pretty I was, etc. He also told me he was 17. I dont remember how he found out I wasn't a virgin, but eventually, he got me upstairs, and we had sex in some random persons bedroom. I had only been kissed one other time when I lost my virginity, and then this. It was my second kiss and second time having sex. I look back now and realize how awful the sex was. Anyway, he and his friend would hang out at our high school once school was out for the day. Somehow, I found out that he was at least 21 or 22 maybe even older. And every day, he and his buddy hung out next to the gym. He pretty much ignored me, and I got over it." "A few years later in my junior year a girl in my class goes, 'I heard you had sex with my boyfriend.' 'Huh?' was my initial answer. (I just have to add that I only had sex twice in high school, so I wasnt someone who slept around.) After talking more, I figured out it was this guy. I think we were 16, maybe 17, so he had to be at least 25 by then. The guy was still scamming on high school girls." Anonymous, California 10. "I was 18, just out of high school, when I met him. He was 31 and divorced with four kids. My mom got remarried, and I quickly had to find a new place to live. He convinced me that he loved me and to move in with him and his youngest son while their mom wasnt able to care for them. He became verbally abusive almost immediately. It quickly progressed into physical abuse. I was SO naive and desperate for love that I didnt see the red flags screaming at me. He proposed, and I reluctantly agreed. He isolated me from my friends and family and moved us up to the Bay Area. We lived there for just under a year when I told him I wanted a future with someone who hadnt been married or had kids. He told me it wasnt realistic, and it turned into a huge fight. I ended up cornered on the floor of our bathroom, and he drop-kicked me in the face. When I turned 20, I realized that I needed to leave or I would die by either my own hand or his." "I called my mom I had to hide MY OWN cell phone in my cleavage so he wouldnt take it and she took the first flight up the next morning. She took a cab from the airport, rented a U-haul, and helped me back up my stuff before he came home from work for his lunch break. We were literally driving away as he told me he was almost home and that I had better not have left. He thought I was going to take his car and threatened to have me arrested. The only thing of mine he found was my 'engagement ring' and the key to the apartment. To say I made it out by the skin of my teeth is no joke. He proudly called himself a master manipulator, capable of getting anyone to do anything he wanted, and once gave me a concussion when he punched me in the face. Im 35 now, have been with my AMAZING husband for 11 years, married for 9, have two beautiful children, and am incredibly happy. Dont settle for cheap versions of 'love' when you can definitely find the real thing." Anonymous, California Piriya Photography / Getty Images 11. "I was 13 and on the tail end of my parents' divorce and a family member's mental breakdown. He was a married friend of my dad's and in his late fifties. We never actually dated, but he regularly picked me up to spend several hours at his house when his wife was at work. One time, my dad and I ran into him at a grocery store, and he convinced my dad to send me off with him on what was supposed to be a family day. He regularly made comments about my body and sexual jokes. I told him I was uncomfortable with them, but he never stopped. At 17, I ended things when he started trying to convince me to go with him to a city in another state wherein I knew no one." "It took me years to realize that I'd been taken advantage of. I immediately told my dad when I did, because I trusted him. It took a lot to convince Dad not to drive to his house to have a 'stern talk' with him right away. (Military parents, y'know?)" p1nkl3m0n4d3 12. "I had just turned 18 and was babysitting my married neighbor's kids. I always thought he was hot and cool, but I didn't think anything of it until we slowly started to get closer. He eventually gave me his secret Snapchat. We kissed for the first time, and I ended up sleeping with him. It went on for many months. Eventually, he admitted he loved me and was willing to run away a big red flag but I felt bad so I told him we couldn't do that, but we could stay together. Then, I started noticing him guilting me to stay. I knew his wife was an absolute bitch, and she made his life miserable for 10 years, but he used that to make me want to stay with him along with telling me he never wanted any other girl and that he would never like anyone else. He kept getting mad that I didn't want to take risks with him, like kissing or touching in front of our houses, and it got to the point where it was just him sexually harassing me while I laughed it off." "No, it's not happening anymore. Yes, I still see him when I go home." Anonymous, Florida Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images 13. "I was 12 when he started sending me love notes on the bus and continued for a year. I was 13, and he was 19, a second- or third-year senior. He'd stayed back a few years. They'd start out with, 'Hey, cutie,' never my name. They'd tell me about his day and, eventually, the things he wanted to do with me. My very best friend told me how weird it was, but I didnt listen. He'd pick me up for sleepovers in his friend's camper. I told my parents my friend's older brother was picking me up. The first time he tried things, I freaked out, and he stopped. Then one morning, he didn't take no for an answer. I convinced myself he loved me, and we'd be together, even though he had a girlfriend two years older than me. When he took me away from a school dance, my best friend told her mother who I was with. Every cop in my small town drove around looking for us until we were found. He never said a word to me again and moved to Florida." "Ive been in pretty bad shape ever since, with super low self-esteem leading to promiscuity, drugs, and alcohol abuse. I got sober seven years ago and have been working on my mental health ever since. I got married four years ago to the man of my dreams and still have a hard time accepting his love fully. It's hard work every day. I wonder what I would tell someone if they found themselves in my position. I just hope parents are more aware of what their children are doing. Mine didn't talk to me much, and I spent a lot of time alone, feeling alone. I also think consent needs to be taught both ways not just how to ask for consent but how to give it. My feeble 'please no' was ignored, and I've finally accepted that he groomed and raped me. A 13-year-old can't give consent. My therapist told me to talk to my young self to help me get over it. I would tell that 13-year-old girl that she has so much value that can only be unlocked by herself, pleasing a man has nothing to do with self-worth. It's all inside and only you can give yourself value no one else can. Sorry, it's so long and rambling, I had to respond so hopefully girls like me can heal, and girls in that situation will know how to react." Anonymous, Connecticut Milanklusacek / Getty Images 14. "I was 17 and in a work program for school. He was 19 years older than me. He asked me out to dinner within months. By the time I graduated, I was living with him. By September, I was pregnant. He actually told me he wanted me to get pregnant so I would be his forever." "Funnily enough, he was an Orthodox Jew. He had to go home to Brooklyn every weekend and ate kosher, but he didnt think anything was wrong with our situation. I eventually moved back home with my four-year-old child." Anonymous, New Jersey 15. "I met him at a park with my friend at 14. He and his friend were 18. They were really attractive, and we thought we were so cool because they wanted our numbers. He called me a day later and picked me up down the street from my house. My mom was a single working mom so I had no problem sneaking out. He started taking me to the movies or to hang out with his friends. He had a girlfriend his age and said he left her for me. We eventually had sex, and he started me out drinking and doing occasional cocaine. When I turned 18, I began pulling away, and he turned abusive. Once, he locked me in a room with him for two days to hide my bruises at his uncle's. The last straw was when I got pregnant at 19 with his baby. By then, he had three daughters by various women. I panicked as it hit me I'd never get away from him now. I went with my BFF to get an abortion. When he found out, he punched and kicked me, saying I had killed his baby and it could've been a son." "Even before I pulled away, he'd disappear for weeks. I'd find out he'd moved in with girlfriends who were his age, but he always made it seem like he couldn't leave me alone because we were in love. I believed it. After I pulled away and he turned abusive, he would do coke and accuse me of sleeping around. I don't know why I didn't scream or ask for help from his family when he locked me in that room. Later, I found out the first girlfriend he'd allegedly left for me had been pregnant and left him because he was an abusive high school dropout. After that day he found out about the abortion, I moved in with my dad, transferred stores for my job, and dodged him. He eventually got into heroin, and that's the last I've heard about him. Now, I'm 36, and my family still doesn't know the details only that he had upset me enough to leave." Anonymous, Ohio Benz190 / Getty Images 16. "When I was 16, I got my first job at a supermarket. I got attention from a couple of male employees who were in their late twenties. Like most girls in the '00s, I grew up with media and films confirming that attention from men is always flattering. Unfortunately, I didn't know any better and thought it was great to be pursued and flirted with especially if they were older as I must be 'so grown up.' I went on a few 'dates' with one 27-year-old AKA trips in his car to random places, where we would stay in the car, chat, and kiss. I now know we didn't go to places because of how odd it would have looked. He eventually stopped working at the store, but we did carry on seeing each other and ended up sleeping together. Around the same time, I was starting to meet boys at college who were my own age, and I started to realize how strange that relationship was, so things just kind of ended. I'm now 30 and see it was totally messed up." "I completely regret this interaction. I didnt know any better at that age, but now I know he definitely did! He was a 27-year-old who actively pursued a barely legal teen." Anonymous, United Kingdom Fotofrog / Getty Images 17. "I was 18, he was 30. I thought it was cool to have an older guy interested in me. We dated for a couple of years, but he was garbage. He got two DUIs, tried hooking up with my friends, and bullied me when I gained weight. He literally asked me if I was going to get fat like my mom. Hindsight is 20/20, and I realize that he was some type of man-child that never grew up and was only trying to date young girls to reinforce his mindset." "Plus, I doubt anyone his age would have been interested in a 30-year-old that couldnt drive and always lived with his sister or his parents." Anonymous, Minnesota 18. "I was 16, it was my first job, and he was my thirty-three-year-old supervisor (my bosss boss). I was not popular in school. I was shy, and I always wore ribbons in my hair. Every time he'd visit our store, he'd compliment my ribbons, and we would make small talk. Then he started coming to the store just to train me. I was getting to do classes and seminars that I was handpicked for to further my development. I liked the attention. Then, when I was on the verge of 18, he invited me to the Christmas party that was only meant for upper management. I thought I was just doing a great job, and thats why I was invited. He ended up making a pass at me, and I went with it because I was so manipulated. Now I see he groomed me into thinking he was a 'nice guy who cared about my development.' I continued a relationship with him until I was 24 and finally left that company." "Looking back, it was so clearly obvious that he was predatory and grooming me." Anonymous, Alabama .shock / Getty Images / iStockphoto If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search your local center here. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSAs National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here. Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday. Britains longest-serving monarch is experiencing mild cold like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week, the palace said in a statement. The 95-year-old queen, who has received three doses of the coronavirus vaccine, will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines, the palace statement continued. U.K. residents who test positive for COVID are required to self-isolate for at least five days, though the British government plans to lift that requirement for England this week. The 95-year-old queen recently met with her son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who both tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month. On Feb. 6, the queen celebrated her 70th year on the throne with the anniversary of the 1952 death of her father, King George VI. She has a busy public schedule over the next few months, including planned in-person appearances like a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on March 2 and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14, according to the Associated Press. Last October, the queen spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests and she subsequently canceled several public appearances in October after doctors ordered her to rest. Insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump breach the Capitol in Washington on January 6. AP Photo/John Minchillo A Kentucky woman was arrested on Capitol riot charges on Wednesday. Prosecutors say Shelly Stallings pepper-sprayed police officers outside the Capitol on January 6. She faces six charges related to the insurrection. A Kentucky woman accused of pepper spraying a line of police officers outside the Capitol building on January 6 was arrested on Wednesday more than a year after the deadly insurrection. Shelly Stallings, 42, faces six charges related to the attack, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and civil disorder. Stallings along with a second individual, Markus Maly, 47, of Virginia, were named as additional defendants in a superseding indictment for a case that already included two other defendants, including Stallings' husband, Peter Schwartz, and Jeffrey Brown of California, according to the Department of Justice. Schwartz was arrested in February 2021, while Brown was detained in August of the same year. Maly was arrested last month and initially charged in a criminal complaint, prosecutors said. All three previously pleaded not guilty to the charges. The four defendants named in the indictment are all accused of deploying pepper spray against a line of police officers who were attempting to secure an area outside the Capitol building, according to the Justice Department. Stallings' husband, Schwartz, was arrested last year after an anonymous tipster told the FBI that he was supposed to be at a rehabilitation center in Kentucky on the day of the attack, according to court documents. Instead, the tipster saw Schwartz in photos on the steps of the Capitol that day. The anonymous source identified Schwartz as a traveling welder and a convicted felon who was released from prison due to COVID-19, court records say. Prosecutors say they received several additional tips regarding Schwartz from people who recognized him from his Kentucky booking photo. His Capitol riot-related case is currently pending in federal court. Story continues Stallings made her first initial court appearance Wednesday in the Western District of Kentucky, according to the Justice Department. Her case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. An attorney for Stallings was not listed as of Wednesday. Insider reached out to contacts appearing to belong to Stallings for comment. More than 770 people have been arrested in connection with the attack and 212 rioters have pleaded guilty. Read the original article on Business Insider MIAMI (AP) A court in Venezuela has upheld long prison sentences for six American oil executives detained in the South American country on corruption charges for more than four years. Venezuela's supreme court announced the ruling late Friday, disappointing family members who had hoped the surprise decision last fall to hear the appeal, and a recent jailhouse visit by a top State Department official, signified President Nicolas Maduro's government was looking to release the men as part of a gesture to engage the Biden administration in talks over U.S. sanctions. The court didnt provide any information on its decision, and the order itself was not immediately available. Venezuelas judicial system is stacked with pro-Maduro officials who routinely issue decrees in accordance with the presidents viewpoints. The men known as the Citgo 6 for the Houston oil company where they worked were lured to Caracas around Thanksgiving in 2017 to attend a meeting at the headquarters of Citgos parent, state-run oil giant PDVSA. Once there, heavily armed masked security officers stormed the conference room where they were gathered and hauled them away. Later they were charged with corruption in connection to a never-executed plan to refinance billions in bonds. The executives appeared in November before a three-judge appeals panel in the same week as the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention took up the case of Tomeu Vadell, one of the six detainees. Five of the men are dual Venezuelan-American nationals who had lived in the U.S. for many years, while one, former Citgo president Jose Pereira, is a permanent U.S. resident. The men are being held at Caracas' Helicoide jail alongside some of Maduro's top opponents. The U.S. has repeatedly called for their release and harshly criticized their detention and conviction as lacking all semblance of due process. Seen by many as political pawns in hostilities between the U.S. and Venezuela, the men have twice before been granted house arrest. But they were thrown back into jail hours after then President Donald Trump welcomed opposition leader Juan Guaido to the White House in February 2020. They were granted house arrest again last April, but that arrangement ended Oct. 16, the same day that a close ally of Maduro was extradited by the African nation of Cape Verde to the U.S. to face money laundering charges. With Columbus being mostly industry and manufacturing based, skilled trades workers are in high demand. Those seeking skilled trades programs need not look further than Central Community College-Columbus. The colleges North Education Center is a bustle of activity these days. Of the programs it houses, it includes three major ones: advanced manufacturing, welding and mechatronics. Mechatronics The last of those programs, mechatronics, has seen an explosion in popularity the last several years, according to industrial technology instructor Brent Konwinski. In simple terms, mechatronics involves a combination of electricity, mechanical systems and computer programming. At the Columbus campus, students can get an associate degree in mechatronics in about two years. CCC has a partnership with Wayne State College that allows students to easily transfer to Wayne and get their bachelors degree, Konwinski said. The programs popularity can be seen in the number of courses available which are double the number this year. Konwinski said the college now offers two sections of each class. We have approximately 24 students going through a given section of classes so we're full, he added. Theres also a wide variety of jobs one can do with a mechatronics degree. You could be the guy that going on the floor changing out gearboxes, you could be the guy programming a PLC (programmable logic controller) or take on the manager role if you want to move up, you can understand what's going on in the business because you understand the technical side of it, Konwinski said. Its fairly easy for mechatronics students to find work in the field after graduation. Konwinski noted the demand and options available for those going into mechatronics. There's a lot of good companies in our area that are doing tuition reimbursement for students as well, he said, adding that students are recruited while in high school and work part time on flexible hours while in college. When they graduate, they're guaranteed a job. They have full time jobs, they work for two years and then their tuition is paid for. Starting this school year some high school students had the chance to jump start their mechatronics education through CCC dual credit courses. Through the Independent Mechatronics Education Center Curriculum 2.0 project (iMec 2.0), six area high schools, including Columbus own Lakeview, offer four courses that are worth three college credits each, The Columbus Telegram previously reported. When you have 100 students in multiple schools that are taking college courses with hands-on activities the first time, there's a lot of things you learned from doing it the first time but it's been I think it's been well received and students are liking it, said Dan Davidchik, a process instrumentation and control instructor at CCC. Ever-changing technology can present challenges to the mechatronics field. You buy a new product and in a couple years, it's obsolete. It's always something new to learn, Konwinski said. Partnering with local industries and supplies helps the colleges mechatronics program keep up with these changes. We try to tailor everything that we teach in here to what a majority of the industry is using, Konwinski said. It's very important to have close ties with industry so that we can get feedback on our students, what they're seeing in our students, and we can kind of tailor to what industry demands. Welding CCCs Columbus campus offers three welding technology certificates production, advanced welding and manual welding. Welding instructor Bryce Standley said students can get a diploma in one year and an associate degree in two years. The welding department has a total of about 35 to 40 students, including the part timers. Like mechatronics, welders are in high demand everywhere, Standley noted. Its great for our students because they can come here, get their degree or certificate or whatever they want to get. And we can find them jobs instantly or even before they're out of school, he said. New this year is a scholarship for welding students from a local manufacturing company, Standley said, adding that welding instructors also visit high schools in hopes of attracting future students. If they're willing to put the time into work and come to school, it's a really good opportunity for them, he said. CCCs program provides future welders a good base but there are tricks of the trade they need to learn out in the field. We give them everything we can while they're here, Standley said. As long as they put in what they want to get out here, then they'll be very successful in the field. Advanced manufacturing The colleges Columbus campus has a variety of offerings in the field, including a diploma and certificates in CNC manufacturing, general manufacturing and plastic mold maker. When you leave here, you'll be able to run a CNC (computer numerical control machine) and you'll be able to manual machine, you'll be able to run a blueprint, said Darin Skipton, a CCC advanced manufacturing instructor. You'll be able to have some safety training and you'll be able to use precision equipment. That's a certificate program and you can get that in one years time. An associate degree is available for advanced manufacturing. Skipton noted that locals can receive the first part of that education at Columbus and then finish the degree at the Hastings campus. Our goal long term is to get is to get where we can where we can offer the diploma and degree, he added. The majority of the machines in the advanced manufacturing classroom are available on consignment through businesses and organizations, said Craig Potthast, an advanced manufacturing plastics trainer/coordinator. A machine with a robotic adapter will be added this spring. We can start working with the folks in mechatronics on incorporation of the robotics with the plastic injection molding, Potthast said. A National Science Foundation grant also supports the lab, he added. Potthast said future students are recruited through visiting high schools, and high schoolers also visit the advanced manufacturing lab. Skipton noted hes limited at eight students per semester due to machinery and space constraints. But, he added, the manufacturing sector is one that will always be in demand. You will always, always, always need to have machinists, you will need to have tool makers, you will need to have people that make this stuff, Skipton said, noting molds are needed for electronics such as cell phone cases and cameras. Like the other skilled trades programs, students in advanced manufacturing do not have a hard time finding work. I've had a couple of employers call me and say, if you've even got a student or two that hasn't graduated yet, I'd like them to work part time for me until they get their certificate, he said. Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Hundreds of Canadian police swept through the country's capital Saturday, arresting protesters and clearing out vehicles in an attempt to bring an end to a three-week protest against COVID-19 restrictions. At least 170 people were arrested Friday and Saturday, after police began the crackdown of the so-called Freedom Convoy on Friday morning. Officers, some in riot gear, approached the protest zone and scuffles broke out in some areas as police, including some officers on horses, pushed the crowd back. Protesters were gone from the street in front of Parliament Hill by Saturday morning. Police said on Twitter that protesters were "aggressive and assaultive" throughout their attempts to clear the area, and pepper spray was used to disperse them. They also said children had been brought to the front of the police line. Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said at a press conference Saturday that 47 additional people were arrested Saturday. The operation to clear the protesters is "not over," Bell said. "Go home. If you don't go home, we will remove you from the streets," Bell told remaining protesters during the press conference. The demonstrations in the capital are the last stronghold of a movement that for weeks disrupted trade between the U.S. and Canada by shutting down the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor. The border crossing reopened earlier this week. Police detain a demonstrator participating in a protest organized by truck drivers opposing vaccine mandates on Feb. 19, 2022, in Ottawa, Ontario. The drivers have used vehicles to form a blockade that has blocked several streets near Parliament Hill. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invoked the Emergencies Act in an attempt to try to put an end to the demonstration that has nearly paralyzed a portion of downtown Ottawa for three weeks. Meanwhile across the country in Vancouver, police on Saturday closed the Pacific Highway Border Crossing, advising all pedestrians and motorists to use alternate border crossings. The closure was taken as a preventative measure and "to help ensure public and officer safety," according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In the U.S., Capitol Police officials are considering reinstalling a fence around the Capitol ahead of a planned trucker protest against COVID-19 restrictions next month in Washington, D.C. Story continues Also in the news: Los Angeles County Unified School District is ending its outdoor masking requirement starting next week, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted Friday. Masks will be optional on all Indiana University campuses starting March 4, officials announced Friday. The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported Friday that the number of patients in intensive care with COVID-19 fell below 150 patients for the first time since August 2021. Country artist Willie Nelson has canceled eight concerts in Nashville, New Orleans, Fort Worth and San Antonio in March and April because of COVID-19 concerns, but some upcoming Austin-area appearances are still on. The Navajo Nation is maintaining a mask mandate to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, even as the last of the states that surround the reservation dropped the requirement. Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 78.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 933,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 421.2 million cases and over 5.8 million deaths. More than 214 million Americans 64.6% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What we're reading: How bad is it to be in ICU with COVID-19? It's far more miserable than people can imagine, experts tell USA TODAY. Read the full story. Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's free Coronavirus Watch newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and join our Facebook group. US surgeon general, family test positive for COVID despite vaccines U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and his family have all tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, he announced Friday, saying the experience was "disappointing." Murthy was not present at the White House coronavirus briefing Wednesday, and he has not had any recent contact with the president, according to the White House. Murthy, his wife, Dr. Alice Chen, their 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter all tested positive. All have been fully vaccinated, except the youngest child who is not eligible to receive a vaccine, Murthy said. Their daughter tested positive first and is feeling a little better after having had a fever, cough and congestion. Their son has been congested and had a low-grade fever, Murthy said in tweets Friday. He and his wife have "mild symptoms," he said, including headache and chills. "Our breathing is fine, thankfully," he said. "We've tried to be safe, but its tough when your kids are sick. You want to comfort them when they're unwell. That often requires being close physically. We'd make that choice again, but I feel for those who struggle to balance protecting themselves with caring for family," he said in his tweet. The surgeon general urged others not to feel ashamed if they get COVID despite taking all precautions, adding that nothing can completely eliminate risk. It can be "frustrating and disappointing" to get COVID even with precautions, Murthy said, and people should not judge others as "careless" if they get sick. Though vaccination is still considered the best defense against serious illness and hospitalization, according to health and government officials, the latest wave of infections with the omicron variant has seen many test positive who were already vaccinated. Murthy said being vaccinated has given him "peace of mind" and the ability to continue to care for his children even while sick. Bill honoring doctor who died by suicide amid pandemic passes Senate President Joe Biden will receive a bill passed by Congress honoring Dr. Lorna Breen, who died by suicide amid the stress of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Breen, 49, was an emergency room doctor in Manhattan and was treating COVID patients on the frontlines early on in the coronavirus pandemic. Her family has been advocating for bolstered federal resources to go toward fighting mental health concerns among health care workers. "Personal Protective Equipment can reduce the likelihood of being infected, but what they cannot protect heroes like Dr. Lorna Breen, or our first responders, against is the emotional and mental devastation caused by this disease," Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said at the time of her death. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act "establishes grants and requires other activities to improve mental and behavioral health among health care providers." Port Canaveral commissioner says CDC controls over cruising 'sounds a lot like communism' Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray was detailing the latest twists in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19-related guidelines for the cruise industry to the Canaveral Port Authority, when Port Commissioner Micah Loyd apparently had heard enough. "I can't speak for my fellow commissioners up here, but I think it sounds a lot like communism to me, personally, if you want to know my personal view about it," said Loyd, who is the owner of Loyd Contracting Inc. in Titusville. "Why they would put this extra layer on top of it to try to control commerce is beyond my comprehension of American values. It's hindering our operations, in my opinion." Loyd was reacting to new CDC voluntary guidelines announced on Feb. 9 that establish a new status classification for cruise ships called "vaccination standard of excellence." Under that standard, not only would at least 95% of passengers be vaccinated as they would be in a ship classified as "highly vaccinated" but they also would need to have a booster shot, if eligible. Murray also noted a positive for the cruise industry: The CDC lowered its warning on cruise ship travel, from the highest alert level a "Level 4" to "Level 3," citing a drop in the number of COVID-19 cases reported on vessels. Dave Berman, Florida Today Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Freedom Convoy arrests continue in Canada; Vivek Murthy tests positive LANCASTER Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape said elder abuse is not a major problem in the county, but that it does happen. "It's somewhat of a difficult issue because a lot of the complaints that come from different family members, we don't see so much anymore," he said. "But at one time they came from like assisted living facilities and things like that. A lot of times what we end up finding out it's client-on-client type assault in some cases. In other cases it may very well be a substantiating case of elder abuse." Whatever the case, Lape said his office will investigate and prosecute elder abuse cases. Fairfield County Job and Family Services' Adult Protective Services Supervisor Kate Varga said she thinks a lot of elder abuse cases go unreported. She said there were 235 confirmed reports of elder abuse last year in the county. Elder abuse can take several forms, including emotional maltreatment, neglect and physical abuse. Elder abuse can include financial abuse. That's what Maryland resident Bonnie Hoyas said happened to her mother. A daughter worries Hoyas' mother also lived in Maryland and used to live in Florida. But through a religious group she met a woman from Lancaster and moved here. "She had these friends from Florida that she prayed with and whatever for years, supposedly," Hoyas said. "My brother and I did not know these people. I had met the woman that took her to Ohio one time for like 10 or 15 minutes. And then I met the other woman from Virginia a handful of times. That's the only knowledge we had of these people." As the victim in this case, the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette is not naming Hoyas' mother. Hoyas said the group of women took her mom and brought her here on Aug. 20, 2020, from her residence where she lived alone in Maryland. The victim was 86 at the time is still alive today. Hoyas said a man her mother prayed for wanted information from her, including her Social Security information. He said he was going to invest some money for her overseas and promised she'd get hundreds of thousands of dollars in return. Story continues "I was like, 'Mom, don't do that. That's a scam," Hoyas said. "I don't know this guy. I said that doesn't sound right. Nobody's going to do that for anybody. So she did it anyway." Around that time, Hoyas' mom started suffering from Alzheimer's disease. "When they took her to Ohio my mother took $10,000 with her," Hoyas said. "My mother only had $22,000 total. That's all my mother had in the world. She took $10,000 with her because they told her they were taking her on a trip." Your support helps keep the lights on at the Eagle Gazette. Stay connected with our daily stories, in-depth reporting and more by clicking Subscribe Subscribe A couple of years before she came here, the victim's friends were sending her gifts and putting money into her bank account. Once in Lancaster, Hoyas said her mom's friends shut her phone off and denied her access to her family. During the midst of it all, Hoyas was having a brain tumor removed. "I was not really in my right mind to know what was going on," she said. "They were coming through me and they weren't really going through my brother. So he wasn't really privy to what was going on. I would tell him once in a while that something's weird about this woman from Ohio." Finally, Hoyas spoke on Facebook to the Lancaster woman who said she had the victim. Later, Hoyas said she tried to speak to her mother on the phone and it sounded like someone grabbed the victim's phone and hung up. "After that they turned the phone off," Hoyas said. "Then this woman started sending us nasty texts. All this nasty...you neglected her. You did this. All of this. She would never let us talk to our mother." So the family called local law enforcement after about a week. Hoyas said she and her brother knew where their mother was at, but were told they would be arrested if they came to that house. That's because her mother had said she was on vacation and had not been kidnapped. "That's not right," Hoyas said. "I talked to my mother four times a day (normally). And after these people took her I didn't talk to her for six months." Hoyas and her brother contacted adult protective services here to help. But each time a case worker would see their mom, she would say she didn't want anything to do with her family. Varga said she couldn't talk about the case, but did confirm its validity. She also said there were no arrests that stemmed from the case. Lape also said he was familiar with it. "So I believe they brainwashed her, for a better word," Hoyas said. "I don't know what else to believe, because she had this Alzheimer's, I think that they got into her head for the six months that I was down (from brain surgery). It was like they were grooming my mother to hate her children." Bringing her mother back Hoyas said her mother finally ran away from the people here in January 2021 and asked a nearby resident to call the police. She then was taken to the hospital. "We talked to my mother for the first time since August (2020)," she said. "She said she had to run away because they were trying to kill her. Now remember, she's got Alzheimer's, so we don't know. But she did say they were smacking her around and stuff. They took all her money and they took over her Social Security." In the end, Hoyas said she spent tens of thousands of dollars to return her mother safely back to Maryland on April 2, 2021, after a court order allowed her to do so. She had attorneys in Lancaster and Maryland on the case. Hoyas said a local attorney helped get her mother back to the family. "Once I got her back here she was so traumatized and so distraught I had to call the crisis center and put her in a psychiatric hospital for like five weeks, six weeks," Hoyas said. "When my mother left she was driving, living alone, getting her own medications. She was very vibrant and active. Singing and dancing. We get her back she's none of that." Hoyas said her mother doesn't remember being in Lancaster. Hoyas said the family doesn't know why she was taken to Ohio. She said authorities in Maryland classified it as an abduction. "My mother came back with $27 in her purse," Hoyas said. "That's all she had." She said the woman in Lancaster called her last year and asked how her mother was doing. Varga said when her office gets an elder abuse complaint it goes through several steps to resolve it. "When we have a report of concern it goes through our screening department," Varga said. "We have guidelines through the state and federal government as to what level rises to assessment. We then decide whether the concerns rise to that level." Her department looks at cases involving those 60 and over. "We assess the allegations through interviewing the client, collateral contacts and we also talk to the alleged abuser," Varga said. "We examine any evidence we're given, such as medical or bank records in exploitation cases. If need be we can continue planning for ongoing services. And we monitor and reevaluate that every three months as needed." The county's adult protective agency is not a law enforcement agency, but it does work with those agencies and other entities. Varga said those who may suspect an elder is being abused should call 740-652-7887 during business hours. During non-business hours they can call the sheriff's office at 740-652-7900. jbarron@gannett.com 740-304-9296 Twitter: @JeffDBarron This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Elder abuse takes many forms, like financial, physical, mental abuse Bounty hunter Fabian Herrera was caught on video just before he broke down the front door of David Spann's Palm Springs home. Inside, Herrera shot and killed Spann. California lets unknown numbers of armed, unregulated bounty hunters search for and arrest people accused of violating their bail. And legislators have repeatedly ignored or rejected calls for reform. Because of their callous inaction, David Spann of Palm Springs is dead. The state requires licenses for cosmetologists, smog check technicians and furniture upholsterers, among scores of other professions. But not for bounty hunters, people with quasi-official authority to hunt down and arrest criminal suspects on behalf of bail agents. That appalling failure needs to be addressed before someone else dies. There are some rules for bounty hunters, in theory. They are supposed to take classes on arrest and bail work. But in essence, anyone over 18 without a felony record can do the job. Shockingly, the state even lets lets people with felony records do the job if they get a bail agent license. As Spanns shooting made clear, the lack of enforcement means people with felony records (and no bail agent license) are working as bounty hunters, with zero oversight. The bounty hunter who sledgehammered Spanns door down and shot him, Fabian Hector Herrera, had been convicted of violent felonies in Riverside and Los Angeles counties, as reported in a detailed investigative article last week by The Desert Suns Christopher Damien. And he had no bail agent license. Herrera has been charged with murder, and other crimes. Without a licensing process, theres no way for California regulators to know how many bounty hunters are taking the required training, nor how many of them are felons. Indeed, the state doesnt even know how many bounty hunters there are, period. The California insurance commissioner admitted this in a 2018 report. It all helps explain why nothing stopped Herrera from being tasked with finding Spann in the spring of 2021. Jose Navarro, the bail agent who hired Herrera for the job, testified he didnt know about the mans criminal record. Story continues That record, of course, would have come up in a background check for a state license. California (over)regulates so much its long been a national punch-line. But efforts to fix the bounty hunter problem have for years failed or run out of steam, despite pleas from some lawmakers and even people in the bail industry themselves. A 1999 law required bounty hunters to take the same course as security guards, which meant a background check and screening for felony records. But that law expired in 2010. In 2017, the top investigator for the agency that licenses bail agents, the state Department of Insurance, said publicly that bounty hunters remain unregulated in California. Her department has acknowledged its a problem and supported new rules. Legislators did nothing. The breathtaking lack of knowledge and oversight extends to the local level. After Herrera and his mother you read that right broke into Spanns home, they held him at gunpoint and called police for help. The Palm Springs police officers who came later told a sheriffs investigator they first thought Herrera was another officer. That made sense: Like a kid playing dress-up, the bounty hunter was wearing a badge and vest that said agent. And at least one officer wasnt entirely sure what bounty hunters do. I didnt know they could just enter like that, Officer Emmi Kramer told a colleague shortly after the shooting, as captured on their body cameras. They were talking about the fact Herrera had forced in the door. In fact, bounty hunters cant just enter like that. Riverside County prosecutors say Herrera had no legal right to break into the house. Now Spanns family is suing Palm Springs and its police department, saying they failed to have a policy for dealing with bounty hunters. The city attorney said the lawsuit is without merit. But a court will decide that and the city could be facing an expensive settlement or judgment. Even if police bear some blame, so do the lawmakers who've continually failed to enact reforms. The state does license bail agents, the people who hire bounty hunters. But its not clear how well thats working, either. Navarro has a felony record, too, for drug charges, but was granted a bail agent license in 2013 by the Department of Insurance. Thats legal in California, if the insurance commissioner gives written permission. At the time he was killed, Spann was facing only a misdemeanor charge, violating a restraining order, and he had not fled or failed to show up in court. There was no warrant for his arrest, but the bail agency hed used to stay out of jail said he had deactivated a required tracking device. The chain of failures that brought Herrera into Spanns home doesnt stop with bounty hunters, bail agents and the lawmakers who ignore the problems. The reason bounty hunters exist in the first place is the antiquated notion of cash bail. There are growing calls to do away with it, instead having courts determine which defendants need to be jailed before trial because of public safety or flight risks. Thanks to $10 million in lobbying by the bail industry and a flawed plan to replace it, California voters rejected a proposal in 2020 to end cash bail. Lawmakers are still pushing for an overhaul, and it might come eventually. But first, the Legislature needs to repair what we have. If bounty hunters are going to work in California, they must be licensed, trained and screened for their background and psychological suitability for the job. And oversight should be by a law-enforcement agency, probably the state Department of Justice. Currently, to the extent bounty hunters are regulated at all, its by the state Department of Insurance. Thats because bail contracts are financial arrangements backed by insurance policies. But an insurance commissioner is not the right person to rein in bounty hunters some of whom operate like armed vigilantes. A bill introduced last week by Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, requires bounty hunters (officially bail fugitive recovery persons) to get licenses and first take training on the bail system and arrests. AB 2043 deserves quick hearings and serious consideration. Change to this broken system must come now. May David Spann be its last victim. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Failure to rein in bounty hunters left a Palm Springs man dead Texas Tech Universitys Office of Risk Intervention & Safety Education (RISE) will host various events with campus partners during Feed Your Body and Soul Week, Feb. 2225, to provide knowledge and activities that will increase physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Texas Tech Universitys Office of Risk Intervention & Safety Education. Supported by the Student Counseling Center, Student Health Services, Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities, University Student Housing, Center for Campus Life, University Recreation, The Elisa Project and Womens & Gender Studies, FYBS is held in conjunction with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, commonly referred to as NEDA. NEDA reports that 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder at some point in their life, with eating disorders among some of the deadliest mental illnesses, second to only opioid overdose. A study conducted with 3,500 undergraduate students at Texas Tech by graduate student, Kristin Goodheart (supervised by Jim Clopton, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychological Sciences), found that approximately 1 in every 7 women and 1 in every 20 men at Texas Tech experience clinically suggestive symptoms of eating disorders. RISE will host seven FYBS events throughout the week: RISE Peer Educator Tabling RISE peer educators will be handing out information on eating disorder prevention and overall campus support resources. Students can participate in a letter to my body. Monday, Feb. 21 from noon-2 p.m. (SUB west plaza) Thursday, Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (SUB ballroom) Friday, Feb 25 from noon-2 p.m. (SUB west plaza) Feed Your Body and Soul Resource Fair A wellness fair where campus and community partners will provide support resources for those struggling with eating disorders, body image or mental health challenges. Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (SUB indoor courtyard) Celebration of Recovery An open forum where everyone can speak freely without judgment and celebrate the recovery of people who have suffered from eating disorders. Story continues Thursday, Feb. 24 from 7-8 p.m. (CCRC serenity room) Real Talk with RISE A virtual Instagram live discussion about mindful eating and the benefits of maintaining a healthy body image. Follow @TTURISE for access to the live feed. Wednesday, Feb. 23 from 3-3:30 p.m. (Instagram live) Body Project Training An eating disorder prevention program to improve personal body image. E-mail alexandria.shrode@ttu.edu to register. Monday, Feb. 21 and Thursday, Feb. 24 from 2-5 p.m. (CCRC serenity room) Candlelight Yoga A candlelit yoga flow class with the theme of loving, cherishing and fueling your body. Thursday, Feb. 24 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (URec, room 121) Celebrate YOU Dance An all-levels dance class encouraging body positivity and the celebration of differences. Wednesday, Feb. 23 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (URec, room 114) Campus resources RISE: Drane Hall, room 247, (806) 742-2110 Student Counseling Center: Student Wellness Center, room 201, (806) 742-3674 Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities: (806) 742-2891, alexandria.shrode@ttu.edu, eating disorder support Office of LGBTQIA Education & Engagement: Student Union Building, room 201, (806) 742-5433 , campuslife.lgbtqia@ttu.edu Women & Gender Studies: Drane Hall, room 260, (806) 742-4335, womens.studies@ttu.edu TTU Crisis Helpline: (806) 742-5555 This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Feed your body and soul with RISE The book cover of "Kyler Treks to Ghana," by Stephanie Claytor After becoming a mother June 2020, Stephanie Claytor saw a need for more childrens books with Black characters. After I had my son, I realized that theres a lack of childrens books with Black characters. Its better than when I was a child but there still could be many more. Theres a lack of stories about Black people and our history and our culture. Kyler Treks to Ghana, based on her solo trip to Ghana in 2018, was released this month. Her son is the main character. . Ive always wanted to go back to the motherland and learn about where my ancestors came from cause Im African American, said Claytor. They talk about slavery and thats where our people come from but thats not where the story begins. I always wanted to find out what did they leave behind, she added. Claytor picked Ghana because many enslaved Africans came from that country. She learned about the Ashanti Kingdom, visited the slave dungeons and had a naming experience. It was a profound experience, she said. Claytor is an Ohio native who had a career in TV news for nearly a decade that brought her to Polk County in 2016. I feel that when I was in school, we werent taught lessons about Africa, Kente cloths and Ashanti Kingdom. We were taught about ancient Europe and European civilizations. The Ashanti have been around for centuries and are known for their gold and the other resources they have over there, said Claytor. But those stories are not being told in our schools and theyre not being told to our children. Its a shame that I had to learn about it at 30 years old, she added. Stephanie Claytor, 33, released a children's book on Feb. 1 about traveling to Ghana. Claytor decided to be part of the solution to the problem she saw. I decided why not be the change. I decided to write the story so that our children and future generations will learn about this history and Black children would learn about their ancestors beyond slavery, she said. Claytor started a travel blog, Black Trekking, in 2018. She also has a travel memoir, Black Trekking: My journey living in Latin America ,which talks about her time living in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Story continues I wanted to start a travel blog because I love traveling. Before I had my son I was traveling all over the world while working for Bay News 9, the author said. Thus far Claytor has traveled to 14 countries, three territories and lived abroad in two countries. She says her love for traveling was fueled by her mother who planned family trips around the United States every summer. Ive always loved meeting new people and seeing new places. Having traveled with my family every summer fueled that joy, Claytor said. Stephanie Claytor, right, with her husband, Corey, and son Kyler. Kyler inspired the main character in Claytor's "Kyler Treks to Ghana." Claytor and her husband, Corey, have been married for four years. She currently enjoys being a freelance writer while staying home with Kyler. The Kyler Treks to Ghana can be purchased on Amazon and autographed copies can be purchased at www.blacktrekking.com/book/kylertrekstoghana. Breanna A. Rittman writes news features for The Ledger. Send your feature ideas to BRittman@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Stephanie Claytor releases children's book about traveling to Ghana What transpires with Ukraine will be a defining moment in world history. The state of education in this country would lead me to believe that at least two generations have no knowledge of a moment in history just 60 years ago that changed the world for decades and has parallels to today. President Biden lived through that period in American history and still made the same mistakes. During the Kennedy administration in 1961 a military operation called the Bay of Pigs invasion occurred in Cuba. It was an attempt to eliminate a communist government 90 miles off the coast of the United States. The plan was to have Cubans living in exile in the United States attempt a military coup ending the Castro regime. The troops were deployed with CIA assistance as planned but the military air support was held after the operation was underway by President Kennedy. The invasion was crushed without the presence of air power. It was a defining moment in American history. President Kennedy was perceived as indecisive and weak. The result was an agreement between Soviet Premier Khrushchev and Fidel Castro to place intermediate range nuclear ballistic missiles in Cuba. Castro likely concluded that missiles would prevent another attempted invasion of Cuba supported by the United States. Premier Khrushchev likely viewed this as an opportunity to place these devices as close to the United States as our missiles were in Turkey and Italy to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union started building missile silos in Cuba and the CIA was aware. However, midterm elections were coming up and The White House did not wish for this knowledge to be disseminated. The White Houses response was to ignore the presss inquires in an era when the press more consistently asked probing questions. It became as clear as a picture from a U2 Reconnaissance plane the presence of nuclear silos and possibly already installed nuclear missiles. The United States responded with a naval quarantine of Cuba. From Oct. 1629, 1962 the world held its breath as to whether a confrontation at sea or in the air between the Soviet Union and the United States would lead to a nuclear war. Throughout the United States during those nights in October parents, including mine, kept us young children in their beds to have us close should war erupt. For the next 30 years we endured the Cold War. Flash forward to Aug. 30, 2021. The United States withdraws from Afghanistan in an inept, incompetent and humiliating manner. The United States abandons a country which we have held with a small number of U.S. troops supporting a government that honors womens rights and gives us a major military base on Chinas border. Story continues The best estimate is $70 billion in military equipment including cutting edge technology was lost. ISIS and other terrorist groups have rebounded to become major threats to this country. Ukrainian disappointment in the U.S. and NATO must be profound. After all there were 1,900 nuclear missiles/devices in the Ukraine at the fall of the Soviet Union. To prevent the spread of those weapons around the world Ukraine surrendered them when the Budapest Memorandum was agreed upon. This document committed Washington, Moscow, and London to respect the independence and sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine and to refrain from the threat or use of force against the country. There are consequences to Bidens weakness and incompetence. Kennedy had missiles on the Soviet Union's border to negotiate away thanks to President Eisenhower. Failures on this scale embolden Vladimir Putin. Will Poland be next? Will China attempt to take Taiwan? Will our allies stay strong and together with us? Germany has not been willing thus far to publicly announce an end to the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline bringing natural gas to Europe if Ukraine is invaded. Executive orders on energy policy have consequences beyond the environment. Biden may be old enough to have lived through history but that doesnt mean he has learned from the past how to better chart Americas path into the future. Hopefully Biden is capable of introspection that will lead to a search for those with the skill to better advise him. Richard T. Leshner lives in Newtown. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: President Biden lived through Cuba, yet made the same mistakes A Hinds County election commissioner charged with multiple counts of fraud, embezzlement and bribery for allegedly misusing taxpayer and grant money has been awarded a $100,000 bond. District 2 Commissioner Toni Johnson and Clinton businessman Cedric Cornelius were arrested Friday morning, according to the Mississippi State Auditor's Office. Their demand letters show they collectively owe about $250,000 to Hinds County taxpayers. Read more: This Hinds County election commissioner faces numerous charges The money is part of $1.9 million in grants a nonprofit, the Center for Tech and Civic Life, awarded to Hinds County. During the 2020 election, it gave over $350 million to election offices across the nation. Johnson's indictment details the misuse of county money, alleging she bought and kept for herself two 85-inch televisions and personal protective equipment. The indictment also said Johnson used her elected position to award contracts that were never fulfilled. A demand letter showed Johnson owes about $26,000 to taxpayers the cost of the property the commission purchased, property and investigative costs and interest. She faces 26 counts, among them bribery, conspiracy and fraud. One of those contracts is alleged to be Cornelius' company, Apogee Group II. Johnson's indictment said she accepted a $6,000 bribe, in return awarding more contracts to his company. According to the auditor's office, Cornelius used Apogee Group II to work with Johnson to perform cleaning services, coronavirus testing and voting machine audits for the county. However, the auditor's office said he did not perform the services. Cornelius' demand letter says he owes about $216,000 to taxpayers, according to the auditor's office. Court documents show Cornelius faces 24 counts, including charges of fraud, embezzlement and accepting bribes. No bond has been set for Cornelius, according to court records. Johnson's indictment also named Sudie Jones-Teague as a co-defendant. She is the registered agent of the salon New Beginnings Hair & Fashion. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: 100K bond set for Hinds County election commissioner facing 26 counts Photo credit: Netflix "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below." When their parents Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) told them they were moving to the Ozarks in Missouri, Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) began an unexpected chapter of their lives together. Now, five years in to the Byrde family's money laundering scheme, which only seems to grow bigger and more dangerous, Netflix's hit crime drama Ozark is coming to an end with its fourth and final season. But as the curtains close on the series, fans have one more question to ask: Are Jonah and Charlotte related in real life? Since Ozark first premiered in 2017, fans have watched Charlotte and Jonah grow up as individuals and witnessed their sibling bond evolve. Many might agree that every aspect of the show feels raw and authentic, including their sister-brother relationship. So much so, that it would only make sense if the two were also siblings off-screen. Photo credit: Netflix In Ozark's season 4 part 1, there is palpable tension between the Byrdes. While Jonah desires to pull away from his parent's life of white-collar crime, Charlotte has changed her mind and now fully backs them up. In short, Charlotte's support of her parents grows as Jonah's disdain does. Even though Charlotte has begun to mirror Wendy's behavior, her heartstrings are still easily pulled when it comes to her younger brother and she doesn't hesitate to be there for him. However, even though Charlotte and Jonah's sibling bond feels real to viewers, actors Sofia Hublitz and Skylar Gaertner aren't related in any way. According to reports, Sofia was born on June 1, 1999 in Richmond, Virginia to Keiran Lawrence Gaugan and Sosie Hublitz. Sofia first appeared in front of the camera when she was 12 years old for the first season of Fox's cooking competition show MasterChef Junior. After finishing in seventh place, Sofia said that she was inspired by her mother's accomplishments as a chef and restaurant owner but her real dream was to act in Hollywood. Story continues Photo credit: Netflix The next year, in 2014, Sofia got her start with a guest role in the FX comedy drama Louie. After starring in just one other small part, she landed a spot in the Ozark main cast as Charlotte. Meanwhile, Skylar was born on May 13, 2004 to Brennan and Dawn Gaertner in New York City. His acting career started at the age of 3 with commercials and guest roles on primetime TV. Most notably, he was handpicked by director Steven Spielberg for the TV pilot for the horror-thriller Locke & Key. Apart from Ozark, Skylar also starred in Netflix's Marvel Comics drama Daredevil. You Might Also Like Peoria police arrested a massage therapist Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of touching clients inappropriately. The man, identified as 50-year-old Chu Bingquan, faces charges of sexual assault and sexual abuse. He was booked into a Maricopa County jail, police said. Multiple people reported that Bingquan, an employee at Wellness Foot Spa located near Cactus Road and 75th Avenue in Peoria, touched them inappropriately while giving them massages. The Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy, which regulates massage therapists, could not find any record that he is licensed in Arizona. The Arizona Republic tried to contact the spa but received no response. The Republic built a database of massage therapists accused of sexual misconduct by looking at complaints filed against licensed massage therapists with the state licensing board since 2014. The Republic also consulted criminal records, civil court cases and police reports where applicable to the licensing cases. Bingquan was scheduled to appear in court Friday. Peoria police encouraged people with information about the case to contact them in one of the following ways: P3 App: Download from Apple App Store or Google Play Tip Phone Line: 623-773-7045 E-mail Tips: PDTips@peoriaaz.gov (Note: E-mail is not anonymous) ONLINE FORM: https://p3tips.com/927 Contacting Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377) Contacting Detective Wright at 623-773-8076 Republic reporter Anne Ryman contributed to this article. Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Peoria police arrest massage therapist accused of inappropriate touching Family selfies, nature photos, an unanswered text and several calls that were never connected detail the final hours of a California couple and their child before they died on a hiking trail near Yosemite last August. Jonathan Gerrish, Ellen Chung and their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, died from hyperthermia, the condition of having a high body temperature, with possible dehydration due to environmental exposure. After several months of investigating with the FBI, Mariposa County Sheriff's Office pulled data from Gerrish's cell phone, allowing it to retrace the family's last steps. Authorities were able to pull a text message from Gerrish's phone at 11:56 a.m. asking for help. It was never received due to lack of cell service in the area. "Can you help us," the text read. "On savage lundy trail heading back to Hites cove trail. No water or ver (over) heating with baby." About 13 minutes following the unsuccessful text, Gerrish's phone showed that he tried calling multiple numbers, not including 911, but again, due to lack of service, the calls never connected, authorities said. The first call was made at 12:09 p.m. following four subsequent calls at 12:35 p.m. within one minute of each other. In addition to texts and phone calls, authorities chronicled almost 16 photos from Gerrish's camera roll. The first photo was a picture taken just a few yards from the trail head around 7:44 the morning of the family's hike, followed by 16 other photos including family selfies, photos of the river and creek, and concluding with a screen shot of their location from a trail app at 12:25 p.m. The family set out on a hike on Sunday, August 15, after Gerrish, a frequent hiker, plotted the route for the Hite Cove hike, about 8 miles from Yosemite National Park, the night before, according to the sherrif's office. Around 7:45 a.m., a witness walking in the area saw the family truck heading in the direction of the Hite Cove Trail Head, authorities said. At 8 a.m., the witness saw the truck parked at the trailhead and no family around. The approximate temperature was 74 to 76 degrees, at elevation 3,880 feet. The family was reported missing the following day, after the family babysitter arrived for her normal shift but was unable to locate Gerrish, Chung or their daughter, authorities said. On August 17, search-and-rescue teams found the family dead 1.6 miles from their car on the Savage Lundy Trail. An empty 85-ounce water pack was with them. At the Savage Lundy Trail intersection, the elevation is approximately 1,800 feet, and the temperature throughout the trail ranged between 107 and 109 degrees, cooling slightly in the evening. That section of the trail is a south/southeast facing slope, so it's exposed to constant sunlight. The family dog, Oski, was also with them and authorities believe it suffered from heat-related issues, too. "The cell phone data results were the last thing both the family and detectives were waiting on," Sheriff Jeremy Briese wrote in a Facebook post. "The extracted information confirms our initial findings." *** CNN's Sarah Moon contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 After suburbanites including primary opponent Tom Suozzi screamed bloody murder, essentially dooming their chances of surviving in the final package, Gov. Hochul yanked from her budget two proposals designed to increase the states supply of affordable housing. This cant be the end of a push to spark the production of housing developments near suburban bus and train stations and in basement and backyard accessory-dwelling units (ADUs). New York City is as starved as ever for affordable housing. And rather than its surrounding areas acting as a release valve, prices there are typically prohibitive too, owing in no small part to the fact that restrictive zoning in Long Island and Westchester and elsewhere chokes off new housing production. Hochul pointed two arrows at the target. One very good proposal wouldve required towns and cities within a 60-mile radius of New York City to allow a bit denser development in the immediate vicinity of commuter rail or bus stops. (No, it wouldnt have forced these apartments to be built; that wouldve been up to developers, responding or not to demand.) A second idea, less well thought out, wouldve required all municipalities statewide to allow homeowners to create ADUs on their property. ADUs the low-hanging fruit of affordable housing production, an easy way to open up relatively homogenous communities to people at different life stages, including senior citizens, young professionals and families living on a budget. Unfortunately, too many localities saw Hochuls legislative language as running roughshod over all rights to regulate a phenomenon that some view as a nuisance. She should now look for other ways to accomplish the same goal; perhaps try a few carrots before a heavy stick. Fortunately, the executive budget still attempts to legalize many ADUs within the five boroughs, and to give the city the freedom to increase residential density, rather than limiting it under state statute. Good and good. New York State needs more places to live in order to become more affordable. It needs to become more affordable to grow and thrive. Unlock more housing, and they will come. Douglas Irwin told a Yakima County Superior Court jury Thursday that Randy Shea Gardner killed Julian Wabinga in front of him, and then forced him to help bury the body in 2018 in Gleed. The Summitview Avenue entrance to the Living Care campus in Yakima is seen on Wednesday, Feb. 16. You are the owner of this article. The Senate votes in a mostly empty chamber during the final day of the legislative session at the state Capitol in Olympia in 2021. Submit An Obituary Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. It always seems impossible until its done. Nelson Mandella There they were the elderly white couple with gray hair. They stood out from the crowd of mostly young people of all races from every corner of the world. But still, they joined the youngsters as they walked out in protest from the auditorium where they had been witnessing the proceedings at Glasgows November 2021, COP26 global climate conference. By staging their walkout in COP26s final hours, the Civil Society Representatives of farmers and NGOs (AKA powerless observers) to the summit were protesting what they saw with considerable justification as the conferences failure to protect the planet and its people. They were calling out the official delegates for failing to reach binding agreements to control global temperature rise and failing to adequately support developing countries, which are fated to bear the brunt of climate-change destruction in the coming decades. Upon leaving the building, they joined thousands of other protesters assembled in the nearby streets. The protesters stated their own positions clearly positions in direct opposition to the hem-and-haw compromises the official delegations had painstakingly (or, grudgingly?) reached and were now touting as significant achievements. COP26 is a performance one Indigenous activist from Canada, quoted in the Guardian, told the representatives before the walkout. Its an illusion constructed to save the capitalist economy rooted in resource extraction and colonialism. And the antidote? What do we want? someone in the group leaving the conference shouted. Climate Justice! the crowd responded. When do we want it? Now! These young people had come to Glasgow, mostly at their own expense, to try to twist some metaphorical arms at COP26. They wanted to confront the delegates with a straightforward message: You are not doing enough to stop the climate crisis. You must do more, much more. Now. Before its too late. The message was mostly ignored, especially by the representatives of countries where fossil fuels dominate the economy or development and strongly influence national policy. The final emissions-reduction pledges were so watered down that, even if they are met, they wont prevent dangerous global warming in the very near future well within the lifetimes of the young protesters. The commitments to finance climate mitigation and resilience in developing countries, even if they are kept, will meet just around 10% of the needs. Tellingly, India and China pulled a last-minute stunt to undermine the delegations agreement on phasing out coal. The anger in the street was palpable. This summit is becoming a joke, one protester who had attended several previous COP conferences said. And theres a real need for them to listen to people like these, he continued, pointing to the stream of Civil Society Representatives exiting the conference. Unconscionably, theyre not listening. But heres the thing. Social and political movements invariably grow from small kernels, beginning as the complaint or vision of a tiny minority of people. If their idea has merit, it gains traction, gains adherents slowly at first, but then exponentially. And eventually it breaks through the business-as-usual barriers. Historical examples, such at the abolitionist movement and the suffragettes, abound. A few years ago, there was no discernable youth climate movement. Then, in 2018, Greta Thunberg staged her first, solo climate strike, and within a year there were more than a million school strikers in 125 countries. Two years later, 100,000 protesters showed up in Glasgow. What will it take for the climate movement to break through, to take control global climate policy? Remember that gray-haired couple walking out of COP26 with the Civil Society people? When their generation is ready to join up with the youngsters, therell be a sea change in global climate policy at our ecological house. Philip S. Wenz writes about the environment and related topics. Visit his blog at firebirdjournal.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Singapore recently relaxed its air travel border restrictions. Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced that the country has eased its entry and testing requirements for Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) travellers and the flights will be operated from February 22. However, passengers departing from India and entering Singapore on VTL flights are still required to furnish a negative PCR or professionally administered ART test within two days of flight departure. According to Singapore Airlines (SIA), fully vaccinated passengers travelling to Singapore from February 22 on VTL flights from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai will have their travel history requirement reduced from 14 to 7 days. Read also: Watch: Air India pilots skillfully land planes amid storm Eunice! Netizens praise the bravehearts "From 22 February 2022 (Singapore time), fully vaccinated passengers travelling to Singapore on VTL flights from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai can adhere to the new relaxations. Travel history requirements will be reduced from 14 to 7 days. If the traveller has been in Singapore within those last 7 days, his/her stay in Singapore can be counted towards fulfilling this 7-day travel history requirement," SIA said in a statement. The second change will be that long-term Pass Holders will no longer have to apply for a vaccinated travel pass (VTP) to travel to Singapore on a VTL flight. However, a VTP is still required for short-term visitors and work permit holders. "From February 22, VTL travellers need not take an on-arrival Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test at Changi Airport. Instead, they will be required to take a supervised self-swab Antigen Rapid Test (ART) at any test centre located across Singapore within 24 hours of arrival," it said. A testing notice with a web link to book tests will be issued to travellers upon their entry into Singapore. If the above ART is negative, no further ART/PCR tests are required throughout ones stay in Singapore. The new changes to Singapores VTL entry and testing requirements follow the government's announcement last month exempting VTL travellers from all testing requirements if they had recently recovered from Covid-19 (within 7 to 90 days of their last infection before departure to Singapore) and can provide appropriate documentary proof of their recovery. At present, Singapore Airlines operates 52 flights to Singapore from eight cities in India, which includes daily, quarantine-free VTL services from Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai. With inputs from ANI Live TV #mute Biplab Kumar Deb, chief minister of Tripura, announced flights will connect Agartala with Dhaka and Chittagong in Bangladesh within six months. An official with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said the ministry would shortly invite private airlines to express interest in operating along the routes. Finally, MBB Airport in Agartala is now set to have international flight service with Dhaka & Chittagong. My heartfelt thanks to Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji & Civil Aviation Minister Shri @JM_Scindia ji for this initiative to fulfill the dream of the people of Tripura. https://t.co/h3riysSGtF Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) February 19, 2022 Biplab Kumar Deb tweeted, "Finally, MBB Airport in Agartala is now set to have international flight service with Dhaka & Chittagong. My heartfelt thanks to Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji & Civil Aviation Minister Shri @JM_Scindia ji for this initiative to fulfill the dream of the people of Tripura." In another Twitter post, Deb wrote, "The proposed international flight service with Bangladesh will surely boost Tripura tourism & take the state to a new height in terms of air connectivity. It will also benefit the people of Bangladesh in various ways and strengthen the relationship between the two countries." Sanjoy Mishra, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the chief minister, said that the MoCA has included the proposed international routes under the UDAN scheme. "The MoCA will now float tenders inviting expressions of interest from private airlines who wish to run their services along the two international routes," he said. MoCA has already identified two routes from Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport (MBB) for international flights to begin within the next six months, he added. Read also: Vistara partners with Allianz to offer optional insurance to flyers Rajiv Kapoor, the director of the Mumbai airport, told TOI that the chief minister has raised the issue with Jyotiraditya Scindia about the commencement of international flights as soon as possible. "Right now, I cannot say when the international flight services will kick-start from the airport but we are ready for it." The new terminal building, which was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 4, has all facilities, from customs to immigration and separate zones for arrival and departure, for handling international passengers," he said. With inputs from PTI Live TV #mute Two Air India pilots on February 18 showed their expertise and skill as they safely landed their Boeing Dreamliner aircraft at Londons Heathrow despite the storm Eunice. Hundreds of flights were either delayed, diverted, or cancelled due to Eunice. Air India Flight lands safely in London in the middle of ongoing Storm Eunice . High praise for the skilled AI pilot. @airindiain pic.twitter.com/yyBgvky1Y6 Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) February 19, 2022 The safety landing took place at runway 27L. The captains Achint Bhardwaj and Aditya Rao were at the controls of AI-147 and AI-145 respectively. Kiran Bedi tweeted about the incident and praised the pilot for their skillful move. Air India flight lands safely in London in the middle of ongoing storm Eunice. High praise for the skilled AI pilot, read the tweet. A YouTube channel, Big Jet TV, with more than 2 lakh subscribers live-streamed the landings of the two aircraft. The YouTube channel appreciated the Indian pilots in the video and can be heard saying Very skilled Indian pilots there. Air India further praised the pilots too. Our skilled pilots landed in London when many other airlines couldnt, said an Air India official. As per sources, many flights had to abort their landings or circle around the airport (known as go-around) due to Eunice. Also read: International flights from Agartala to Dhaka and Chittagong soon: CM Biplab Kumar Deb Storm Eunice was one of the most powerful storms in Europe since the Great Storm hit Britain and northern France in 1987. Eunice gave the red weather warning for London disrupting flights, trains, and ferries across Western Europe. As per sources, Eunice is affecting northwest Europe in every possible way. With at least 16 fatalities due to the falling of trees and flying debris caused by strong winds, the nations are also facing power cuts and displacement. The United Kingdom cancelled and delayed numerous flights at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Schiphol in Amsterdam. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Deepika Padukone, on Sunday, shared a hilarious bloopers video from her latest flick 'Gehraiyaan' and it's a must-watch! The funny clip features all the goofy moments on the film sets and shows the beautiful friendship that the cast members and director Shakun Batra shared. In the video, Deepika was seen sewing her own pants after she tore and all the cast members praised her skills. Another video showed Dhairya Karwa getting confused between the words 'Jump' and 'Cut' which caused him to jump into the swimming pool at the wrong time while shooting one of the scenes. Siddhant recalled that he had to then decided on a new word to replace 'jump' that didn't sound like 'cut' so Deepika suggested they use 'orange'. Ananya Panday was seen laughing along with Deepika and Siddhant as she messed up her lines. During the scene where she as Tia finds anti-anxiety pills with Zain which actually belonged to Alisha, she suddenly broke out into a British accent while Siddhant spoke to her in a completely different accent. The two burst into laughter after that. There were many more fun moments on the sets which Deepika shared with fans. Watch the video here: With 'Gehraiyaan' Ananya, Deepika, Siddhant and Dhairya put forward their great potential to portray such deep layered characters and they've done absolute justice with it. It's a treat for the audience as well to see them playing the character with such ease. The film Gehraiyaan is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. New Delhi: Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) on Sunday said its UK arm has bagged a contract worth Rs 2,100 crore to provide critical customer support to UK citizens for an initial period of two years. HGS UK Ltd bagged the contract from UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is responsible for NHS Test & Trace, and the contract will assist with future contact tracing needs for COVID-19 and other health security risks such as a large flu outbreak or new pandemic. "The partnership is already underway having launched earlier last week, and the contract could be worth up to 211 million British pound (Rs 2,100 crore) across the term of the contract, employing over 2,000 Work at Home positions across the UK," HGS said in a statement. The advertised cost of the contract is the maximum that can be spent, and the total could be less, it added. HGS Europe CEO Adam Foster said,"Winning this opportunity is a credit to the past 10 years of expansion of the UK business, and the public sector expertise we've developed and have become recognised for." According to HGS executive director and group CEO Partha DeSarkar, revenues of HGS UK were approximately 67 million pound at the end of 2020-21 and the company has more than doubled its revenues to 87 million pound in the nine months to December 2021. Live TV #mute By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. You can find out more by clicking this link New Delhi: Taiwan`s Foxconn said on Monday it had partnered with Indian conglomerate Vedanta Ltd to make semiconductors in the South Asian country, as the electronics giant looks to diversify its business amid a global chip shortage. Foxconn, the world`s largest contract electronics manufacturer and a major Apple supplier, has expanded into areas including electric vehicles (EVs) and semiconductors in recent years. In a statement, Foxconn said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with oil-to-metals group Vedanta to make semiconductors, calling it "a significant boost to domestic manufacturing of electronics in India." Foxconn said it would invest $118.7 million to set up a joint venture company with Vedanta, which would be the majority shareholder of the new venture. Foxconn would hold 40% of the venture`s shares, it added. "This first-of-its-kind joint venture between the two companies will support Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s vision to create an ecosystem for semiconductor manufacturing in India," the statement said. The Taiwan company has in recent years counted semiconductors among its core businesses and last year formed a partnership with Yageo Corp to make semiconductor chips, following a global chip shortage that has rattled producers of goods from cars to electronics. Also Read: Heres why people can trade an arm for Apple iPhone, explains billionaire The company has also in recent years announced plans to become a major player in the global EV market, and has said it was in talks with "related foundries" on possible collaboration to make chips for EVs. Also Read: Federal Bank's subsidiary FedFina files IPO papers with Sebi Live TV #mute New Delhi: In a post-budget discussion, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will meet stakeholders from Maharashtra during her two-day visit to Mumbai, which begins tomorrow (February 21). Ms Sitharaman will be in Mumbai between February 21 and 22, according to a tweet from the finance ministry. She will meet with representatives from industry and trade, wealthy taxpayers, and select experts. The Union Finance Minister, @nsitharaman, will be in Mumbai from February 21 to 22. FM will hold a post-Budget2022 interaction with Maharashtra stakeholders from business and commerce, as well as significant tax payers and chosen experts. On February 14, the finance minister addressed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) board of governors in New Delhi, outlining the budget's philosophy and the government's aims. The budget for this year, which was unveiled on February 1, forecasts a nominal GDP increase of 11.1%. The government anticipates this expansion to be fueled by a huge capital spending programme proposed in the Budget, with the goal of attracting private investment by reviving economic activity and boosting demand. Ms Sitharaman has increased capex by 35.4 percent to 7.5 lakh crore for 2022-23 in order to maintain the pandemic-wounded economy's public investment-led recovery. This year's capex is estimated to be around 5.5 lakh crore. Live TV #mute Lucknow: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday (February 20) slammed the Samajwadi Party saying that all criminals, goons and rioters have links with the party. His latest attack on the party comes a day after he had questioned its chief Akhilesh Yadav on the alleged involvement of his party`s leader in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case. "All criminals, goons and rioters have their links to the Samajwadi Party," said Thakur to ANI. He called out chief Yadav for his silence on the alleged connection of his party`s leader with 2008 Ahmedabad blasts, saying that `Aantankiyo ka abbujaan, Samajvadiyo ka bhaijaan, isliye band hai zubaan` (father of terrorists, brother of socialists, that is why tongue is silent). A special court in Gujarat on Friday pronounced the death sentence to 38 out of 49 convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blast case. The terror attack had led to the death of 56 people who were killed at various places in the city due to the bomb blasts and over 200 people were also injured. The Islamic terror group, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, had claimed responsibility for the attacks.Notably, in a press conference on Saturday, Thakur claimed that the Samajwadi Party (SP) has links with the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blast case and also gives protection to terrorists.Thakur has asked the Samajwadi Party chief to respond to his allegations. "I would like to tell you that Ahmedabad`s serial blast is linked to the Samajwadi Party and the 49 people who have been convicted, one of the masterminds is Mohammed Saif, the son of Shahbaad Ahmed who is a Samajwadi Party leader. Who is this Samajwadi Party leader? Why is Akhilesh Ji quiet on this?" Thakur said. Meanwhile, the third phase of elections is ongoing in Uttar Pradesh. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. Live TV TUESDAY Academy for Lifelong Learning, 9:30 a.m., online. Kim Bernard, oceanographer at Oregon State University, presents Small but Mighty: Krill, the Kingpins of Our Oceans, sharing results of her teams krill research in the Antarctic, the Northern California Current and the Eastern Bering Sea. Registration: 541-737-9405 or admin@academyforlifelonglearning.org. Academy for Lifelong Learning, 1:30 p.m., online. Retired teacher Louise Marquering presents The Great River Road Adventure. In September 2019, Louise and Denis Marquering drove the Great River Road, all 3,000 miles of it, from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Registration: 541-737-9405. WEDNESDAY Academy for Lifelong Learning, 9:30 a.m., online. Christopher McKnight Nichols, director of the Oregon State University Center for the Humanities, presents Rethinking American Grand Strategy: The Past, Present and Future of U.S. Foreign Policy. He will discuss a tour of U.S. foreign policy history from his new book. Registration: 541-737-9405. Soundbox5: Interstitial Spaces Collaborations and Creative Catalysts, Wednesday and Thursday, online. A mini-festival of makers in music, technology, poetry, art, engineering, science and more. Hosted by Oregon State University. Speakers: Andrew Lorish, Art and Arts, Media and Technology Program;" Paul Catanese, The Responsibility of Breath: A Conversation and VR Excursion; Claudia OSteen: The Art of Fieldwork; and Victor Villegas: Using the Arts for Cultural-Based STEM Education. Registration: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/soundbox5. American Strings: An Evening with Allison Russell, 5 p.m., online. The Oregon State University College of Liberal Arts presents a conversation with and performance by Allison Russell, hosted by Bob Santelli. Russell is an artist, activist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is nominated for three 2022 Grammy awards. Registration: erin.sneller@oregonstate.edu. Oregon State Wind Symphony Winter Concert, 7:30 p.m., LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis. The symphony, directed by Olin Hannum, will feature OSU Wind Ensemble concerto contest winner Elijah Durbin, clarinetist. Admission: free. Attendees must show OSU ID, or proof of COVID vaccination or a negative test from within 72 hours, plus ID. Livestreamed at https://youtu.be/AhC5lcYoqZU. THURSDAY Academy for Lifelong Learning, 9:30 a.m., online. William Wickes and Lara Wickes will present Musicians and the Pandemic: Coming Out of the Abyss. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected professional concert and studio musicians, who have seen their ensembles and audiences shut down. Registration: 541-737-9405. Black Lives Matter in Academic Spaces: Three Lessons in Critical Literacy, noon, online. Scholar/performer Vershawn Ashanti Young describes ways teachers and the public in Canada and the U.S. have misappropriated the linguistic concept of code-switching. Registration: erin.sneller@oregonstate.edu. FRIDAY Music a la Carte, noon, https://youtu.be/r_em_rc8SYo. Trio Adrato debut in the series. Hosted by the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University. The trio comprises Victoria Racz, oboe, oboe damore, English horn; Dale Tolliver, cello; and Colleen Adent, piano. Repertoire from baroque to contemporary. Free. 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. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Another day of voting comes to an end. Sunday saw Punjab and third phase of Uttar Pradesh going to polls. Till 5 pm, Punjab saw an average voter turnout of 63.44 per cent, while in the same time, Uttar Pradesh, in its third phase of the Assembly elections, witnessed an average voter turnout of 57.43 per cent. Punjab Polls 2022: Colourful day as Punjab casts its vote In Punjab, the highest voter turnout was in the Mansa constituency with 73.45 per cent, followed by Malerkotla (72.84 per cent) and Sari Muktsar Sahib (72.01 per cent), according to the Election Commission of India. The average voter turnout was the lowest in Sahibjada Ajit Singh Nagar with 53.10 per cent. The polling ended at 6 pm and the final voting figure is yet to be out. The voting had started at 8 am. A total of 700 companies of the central armed police force besides the state police personnel have been deployed for peaceful polling. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray. According to the Punjab chief electoral office, an average voter turnout of 63.44 per cent was recorded till 5 pm. The day saw several interesting incidents. At a polling booth in Amritsar, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia came face to face and exchanged brief pleasantries. Both leaders are contesting against each other from Amritsar East. AAP's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann met his mother at his native place. Amritsar-based famous conjoined twins Sohan Singh and Mohan Singh, fondly known as Sohna-Mohna, cast their separate votes. Sohna-Mohna had recently been handed over two separate electoral photo identity cards by Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju. Both had turned 18 last year and voted for the first time. The conjoined twins said they are extremely happy as both were able to exercise their voting rights. Meanwhile, the Election Commission had restrained actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood from visiting polling booths in Moga following complaints that he was trying to influence voters. His vehicle has also been impounded by police, said officials. However, Sood, who has denied the charges, alleged that other candidates were trying to buy votes. Sood's sister Malvika Sood Sachar is a Congress candidate from Moga. Dressed in her bridal wear, a young woman first went to cast her vote at a village in Zirakpur on the outskirts of Chandigarh, before performing marriage rituals. At the women-managed pink polling booths in the state, enthusiasm was seen among voters, especially those voting for the first time. There are 196 pink polling stations for women while 70 polling stations are being managed by persons with disabilities (PwD). AAP's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann exercised his franchise in Mohali. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also cast their votes. Sukhbir Badal himself drove a vehicle and brought the family to cast their votes in Muktsar. AAP leader Raghav Chadha in his tweets alleged that at a polling booth in Guruharsahai, a sarpanch tried to influence voters. He claimed that some EVMs malfunctioned at Sanaour, Attari and Majitha. Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal appealed to voters to exercise their right to franchise. In the morning, Charanjit Singh Channi paid obeisance at religious places at his home constituency Chamkaur Sahib. He claimed that Congress will get two-thirds majority in the polls. UP Polls 2022: Third phase ends as leaders exchange barbs In the third phase of the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Lalitpur recorded 67.37 per cent of voter turnout, followed by Etah (63.55 per cent) and Mohaba (62.01 per cent).The lowest voter turnout till 5 pm was 50.88 per cent in Uttar Pradesh`s Kanpur Nagar. Polling in 59 constituencies for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections is underway. In the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls, 59 assembly seats across 16 districts are going to the polls on Sunday. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray. Among the key constituencies where polling took place today, there was Karhal from where former chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav contested his maiden Assembly election. Akhilesh's uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) supremo Shivpal Singh Yadav contested from Jaswantnagar seat. Subsequent phases are taking place on February 23, 27, and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will be done on March 10. While the third phase of polls took place, leaders traded barbs with Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Shivraj Singh Chouhan coming down heavily on Akhilesh. Chouhan even likened Akhilesh to Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (February 20, 2022) urged the people of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to vote in large numbers, particularly the youth as well as first-time voters. As the voting for Assembly elections in Punjab and third phase polling in Uttar Pradesh began today, PM Modi took it to Twitter and said, "The Punjab elections and the third phase of the UP elections are being held today. I call upon all those voting today to do so in large numbers, particularly the youth as well as first-time voters." The Punjab elections and the third phase of the UP elections are being held today. I call upon all those voting today to do so in large numbers, particularly the youth as well as first time voters. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 20, 2022 Union Home Minister Amit Shah also urged the people of both the states to vote in the third phase of the UP assembly polls and single-phase election in Punjab. "I appeal to the voters of the third phase of Uttar Pradesh that each and every vote of yours is very important to elect the government which will accelerate development by keeping the state free from dynasty, casteism and appeasement. So vote in maximum numbers," Shah tweeted in Hindi. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 20, 2022 "Punjab has a golden and glorious history, which every Indian is proud of. I appeal to the people of Punjab to vote for the government which keeps the state safe and keeps the cultural heritage and rich tradition of gurus ahead to keep Punjab and the country united," he said in another tweet. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 20, 2022 In Uttar Pradesh, polling is currently underway in 59 constituencies as a part of the third phase of assembly elections. 59 assembly seats across 16 districts are going to the polls on Sunday. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray. Over 2.16 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 25,794 polling places and 15,557 polling stations in the third phase of Assembly elections. Meanwhile, the battle for Punjab began today with polling in 117 Assembly constituencies spread across 23 districts in the state. After weeks of high voltage poll campaigning for Punjab Assembly elections, over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1304 candidates today. The voting started at 8 am and is being held according to the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Election Commission (EC). It is taking place at 24,689 polling stations spread over 14, 684 locations and will be concluded at 6 pm. The counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab will take place on March 10. Live TV New Delhi: Voting for Punjab's 117 Assembly seats begins from 8 am till 6 pm while the third phase of voting for 59 seats in Uttar Pradesh starts at 7 am to 6 pm. In Uttar Pradesh, over 2.15 crore voters will decide the fate of as many as 627 candidates in the fray in this phase. The districts where votes will be cast are Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba. On the other hand, in Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1304 candidates today. The polling will take place in 117 Assembly constituencies spread across 23 districts in the state. The Election Commission has announced various protocols for voters and election officials. EC directed the officials to make sure measures like sanitizers, thermal scanner, soap, masks, face shields and gloves etc are available at the polling stations. Other SOPs such as social distancing, token system to avoid queues and optional Postal Ballot facility will also be implemented at the polling booths. EC has also extended voting time by an hour and electors will have to wear face masks, gloves and sanitize their hands. Check Covid-19 guidelines for assembly elections here: 1. Voters with Covid-19 related symptoms will exercise their franchise in the last hour of polling today. 2. Voters with Covid-related symptoms will be provided PPE kits for their safety. 3. After voting on EVM-VVPAT, the voters will need to dispose of the used glove in a dustbin and sanitize their hands before exiting from the polling station 4. If the temperature of a Covid negative voter is above the set norms, they will be given a token to come and vote at the last hour of polling. 5. No gadgets will be allowed inside polling booth. 6. Voters will have to stand in queue maintaining a 6-feet physical distance. Live TV New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday (February 19, 2022) hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for his 'Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi de bhaiye' remark and expressed that being a 'Bihari Babu', it has not just upset him but hurt many people from other states too. With Priyanka Gandhi Vadra by his side, while campaigning for Congress in Punjab's Rupnagar recently, Channi had said, "Priyanka Gandhi is the daughter-in-law of Punjab. Will not let the 'Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi de bhaiye', who have come here to rule, enter the state." The video of the same was circulated widely on social media and Channi's remark was met with criticism by several political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party. , , ? ? pic.twitter.com/h6TtmvqgZQ Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 16, 2022 After backlash, the Punjab chief minister clarified that his comment was 'twisted' and that it was directed at a few individuals causing disruption in the state. My statement was only directed at few individuals causing disruption in the State, but it was twisted. My brothers & sisters from UP & Bihar have contributed towards building Punjab. We have been together for generations & I love & respect all of them like my own family members. pic.twitter.com/CLzpzLqkVr Charanjit S Channi (@CHARANJITCHANNI) February 17, 2022 Referring to the remarks, Sinha, who had joined Congress in 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, said, "Though, CM, Punjab has already clarified and Priyanka Gandhi has already supported the clarification. But, still being a public figure, our friend Channi, presently the CM, must know how to conduct himself. Public figures must watch their choice of words & language." "Being a Bihari Babu, it hasn't just upset me but hurt many people from other States, UP, Bihar & Delhi too. Jai Hind!" Sinha tweeted. Though, CM, Punjab @CHARANJITCHANNI has already clarified and @priyankagandhi has already supported the clarification. But, still being a public figure, our friend Channi, presently the CM, must know how to conduct himself. Public figures must watch their choice of words & Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 19, 2022 The statement came a day ahead of polling across 117 seats in Punjab. Live TV New Delhi: Families of Indian Embassy officials in Ukraine have been asked to return to India as the situation remains precarious in the Soviet nation with the threat of a Russian invasion looming large. The development shows that New Delhi is worried about the situation on the ground. While Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for an immediate ceasefire, concerns are increasing with deteriorating situation in the Eastern part of the country bordering Russia. India has around 20,000 nationals in the country, most of them students pursuing medicine. The Indian mission in the capital Kyiv has issued a number of advisories for its nationals, the latest one just on Sunday. "In view of the continued high level of tensions and uncertainties with respect of the situation in Ukraine", a Sunday advisory said, "all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students, are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily". New Delhi has several times said that the "well-being" of its nationals is a priority. Last week, while speaking at the United Nations Security Council meeting on the issue, the Indian envoy to United Nations, TS Tirumurti, called for an "immediate de-escalation of tensions" that takes into "account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond." At the meeting, India backed the implementation of the Minsk pact and talks under the Normandy format. The Indian envoy had said, "We believe that the Minsk Agreements provide a basis for a negotiated and peaceful settlement of the situation in Eastern Ukraine," and he urged all "parties to continue to engage through all possible diplomatic channels and keep working towards the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements." Minsk pact which includes Russia, Ukraine, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a 2014-2015 agreement that calls for a ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and others among other things. The Normandy format of talks includes Germany, France and members of the Minsk pact and basically focuses on the pact's implementation. Live TV New Delhi: Punjab Lok Congress supremo Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday (February 20) pummeled his ex-colleagues Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi and claimed Congress will be wiped out from Punjab in the ongoing Assembly elections. The former Punjab CM, who is contesting from Patiala, said he is confident of winning from his home turf. "I am certain of winning Patiala. I think we will win the elections...They (Congress) live in a different world & will be wiped out in Punjab, Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. Further, he said, Over 30% voter turnout has been recorded till 1pm, this is a good sign. We will see a very good win in Patiala and nearby seats. If BJP-PLC and Dhindhsa's party is getting a good response, then what else do we need. Captain also predicted that his former party will bag only 20-30 seats in the 117-member Assembly. They (Congress) are concerned about what I am able to achieve in Punjab which is going against them. I can predict that Congress will not get more than 20-30 seats, he claimed. What is Charanjit Channi? Is he a magician that in 3 months he can perform miracles in Punjab?. Giving all the credit to try to make him a hero before the elections....I think both (Channi and Navjot S Sidhu) are useless: Capt Amarinder Singh on #PunjabElections2022 ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 Attacking Sidhu and incumbent Punjab CM Channi, Amarinder Singh termed them useless. What is Charanjit Channi? Is he a magician that in 3 months he can perform miracles in Punjab?. Giving all the credit to try to make him a hero before the elections....I think both (Channi and Navjot S Sidhu) are useless, the Punjab Lok Congress founder said. Voting for all the 117 seats is underway with over 34 per cent polling reported till 1 PM in Punjab. CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Sidhu, Sukhbir Badal, Bhagwant Mann and Capt Amarinder Singh are among the prominent faces in the fray. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Congress co-in charge in Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday (February 20) reminded the voters of the state about the struggles of her party for getting justice for the underprivileged and wronged victims of the state. The leader added that Congress party workers, including her, went to jails and were harassed while trying to get justice for farmers, women and backward people in Uttar Pradesh. Congress's 19,000 workers went to jail in the last 1.5yrs, for you (public). Congress will waive off farmers' loans as in Chhattisgarh, half electricity bills, empower women; we gave tickets to 40% women, doesn't matter if they win/lose, at least they're fighting, said Gandhi in an election rally in Raebareli. Targeting the ruling BJP government on the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi recalled the heinous Hathras Gang rape case and said that her workers were stopped by the police but o security was provided to the victim or her family. The whole police force was there to stop us from meeting the family of the Dalit woman who was raped in Hathras. Where were they when she was getting raped? The family told us that they didn't get any help, & were instead getting patrolled, said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Congress general secretary also said that the BJP has forgotten its 'raj dharma' of serving the common people and is only working for big businesses. Addressing the rally, Gandhi also hit out at the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh, accusing it of stoking religious sentiments to divert people's attention from issues such as unemployment and those related to farmers. The Congress leader also trained her guns at the Samajwadi Party (SP), saying Akhilesh Yadav, who was nowhere to be seen, has now come out to seek votes. Uttar Pradesh, a state with 403 constituencies is undergoing polling in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. Live TV New Delhi: Almost every election season, pictures and videos of newly-wed couples rushing to polling stations to cast their votes go viral on social media platforms. Sunday (February 20, 2022) was no different when a just-married couple made all heads turn as they arrived at a polling booth in the Firozabad assembly constituency. A newly-wed bride, Julie cast her vote in the Firozabad district in full bridal avatar before leaving for her in-laws' house. She got married last night and was leaving for her in-laws' house this morning, reported ANI. A newly-wed bride, Julie cast her vote at polling booth no.305 in Firozabad assembly constituency before leaving for her in-laws' house. She got married last night and was leaving for her in-laws' house this morning. #UttarPradeshElection2022 pic.twitter.com/YtRxthyNik ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 As many as 59 assembly constituencies spanning 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh are currently voting. Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm across Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba. So far, an average of 8.15 per cent of the 2.15 crore votes have been polled across all seats in the third phase of assembly polls, according to UP election officials. As per the data shared by the Election Commission, the average polling percentage till 9 am was 7.62 per cent in Hathras, 9.85 per cent in Firozabad, 9.53 per cent in Kasganj, 10.16 per cent in Etah, 11.02 per cent in Mainpuri, 5.88 per cent in Farrukhabad, 10.11 per cent in Kannauj, 6.83 per cent in Etawah, 7.74 per cent in Auraiya, 6.18 per cent in Kanpur Dehat, 5.66 per cent in Kanpur Nagar, 9.53 per cent in Jalaun, 7.69 per cent in Jhansi, 9.36 per cent in Lalitpur, 9.58 per cent in Hamirpur and 8.00 per cent in Mahoba. Earlier in the 2017 Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 49 of these 59 seats while the Samajwadi Party (SP) had bagged nine. Congress had settled with one seat and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was unable to open its account. Live TV New Delhi: India recorded 19,968 new Covid-19 cases, 673 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total death toll to 5,11,903, according to the data released by the Ministry of Health on Sunday (February 20, 2022). The active cases stand at 2,24,187. India reports 19,968 fresh #COVID19 cases, 48,847 recoveries, and 673 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active case: 2,24,187 (0.52%) Daily positivity rate: 1.68% Total recoveries: 4,20,86,383 Death toll: 5,11,903 Total vaccination: 1,75,37,22,697 pic.twitter.com/nCNysxuGOL ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 A decrease of 29,552 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The country also recorded 48,847 recoveries today, taking the total number of recoveries to 4,20,86,383. The national Covid-19 recovery rate stands at 98.28 per cent. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.68 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.27 per cent, according to the ministry. Additionally, the cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive have exceeded 175.37 crore. As many as 11,87,766 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours to detect the presence of the virus. Meanwhile, Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog on Friday said that the government has invited other vaccine manufacturers to collaborate with scientists and develop vaccines in the country. Dr VK Paul also advised all the citizens not to lower the guard against the Covid-19 pandemic as the current surge has settled. "We can see that the surge has settled, but we must also know that there are cases at a significant number. Hopefully, it will be sustained but we cannot lower our guards. There should be a complete watch that we are ready for any eventuality," Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog told ANI. "We invited other vaccine manufacturers to collaborate with our scientists and develop vaccines on our soil. Later, they manufactured vaccines and offered us to buy them demanding sovereign immunity waiver, but this was not acceptable to the government," he added. Live TV New Delhi: 21 February of each year is commemorated as International Mother Language Day. The day is celebrated to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism around the world. Language is just not a means of communication; it also represents vast cultural and intellectual heritage as well. The theme of the year 2022 is Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities. The focus is on the potential role of technology to advance multilingual education and support the development of quality teaching and learning for all. The United Nations mentions that we are losing a language every two weeks and at least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are in danger. There are 121 languages in India. 22 of them are specified in the Eighth Schedule to the constitution of India mentioned in part A, while the rest 99 are specified in part B. In addition to that India has 270 mother languages as well. As per census 2011, the most popular language of India is Hindi which is the mother language of more than 52 cr, while Sanskrit is the language of 24,821 people only. English comes under the category of non-scheduled languages i.e not specified in the eighth schedule. There are some mother tongues that are used by millions but do not enjoy the status of language, such as Bhojpuri (5 cr), Rajasthani (2.5 cr), Chhattisgarhi (1.6cr) and Magahi or Magadhi (1.27 cr). The genesis of the day belongs to 21 February 1952, when Pakistani forces fired on Bangla-speaking people, which led to many deaths and finally the birth of Bangladesh. Later in 1998, two non-resident Bangladeshis from Canada, Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam has written to Kofi Annan then secretary of United Nations. They requested the UN to take steps to save the endangered languages of the world by declaring an International Mother Language Day on 21 February. The proposal was accepted by UNESCO in 1999. That is why the day is a national holiday in Bangladesh. (Inputs from Abhishek Sankhyayan) Live TV Harris, Blinken navigate Munich Security Conference as Europe holds its breath Salwan Georges/The Washington Post Ukrainians gather at Maidan in Kyiv to mark a day of unity on Feb. 16. MUNICH As Vice President Kamala Harris met Friday with the heads of Baltic nations at a high-stakes security conference here centered on Russias aggression toward Ukraine, she made a vow that was equal parts American might and personal promise. We stand with you I am here personally to say that, she told the presidents of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, who had just recounted how the Russian threat triggered traumatic memories of Soviet occupation. We stand with you on this and many other issues, in the spirit of our alliance and our mutual interest and priorities. Nearby, at Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Secretary of State Antony Blinken found it hard to navigate the narrow corridors as foreign ministers, prime ministers and other longtime acquaintances intercepted his path with handshakes, hugs or an oft-repeated Hey, Tony! The split screen brought into sharp relief the complex dynamic at the conference as Harris, the senior official and head of the U.S. delegation, shares a double billing with Blinken, who has known many of the foreign officials here for decades. The White House says their roles are complementary, that Harris is in Munich to provide leadership and inspiration while Blinken handles the private talks and diplomatic minutiae. But some U.S. diplomats say its not that simple. The vice president and Secretary Blinken have talked to each other here, but theyre pursuing separate schedules and their teams are not closely coordinated, said one American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. You could argue its a divide-and-conquer strategy, but thats far-fetched. The Harris stop is about burnishing her political credentials as a leader in the middle of a crisis. While this is Harriss first visit to the annual Munich conference, Blinken has attended it several times, and his familiarity with the players was evident. He warmly greeted Germanys new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, as my friend. He held a meeting with Qatars foreign minister and discussed how the Persian Gulf state could help in boosting Europes energy supply should a Russian invasion of Ukraine lead to a shortage. He hashed out technical issues in meetings with counterparts from Austria, Britain, Germany and France. Harris, in contrast, took center stage Saturday to deliver a keynote speech rallying U.S. allies for a united front against a Russian invasion with forceful rhetoric. Not since the end of the Cold War has this forum convened under such dire circumstances, Harris said. Citing the NATO principle that an attack on one is an attack on all, she added, Let me be clear: Americas commitment to Article 5 is ironclad. This commitment is sacrosanct to me, to President Biden, and to our entire nation. Harris also is taking marquee meetings with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. As a groundbreaking leader and a figure of great interest overseas, her picture frequently adorns the conferences Twitter feed. Harris and Blinken have seldom been in the same building, let alone the same room, and except for a private confab Friday morning, their schedules have rarely overlapped. Biden officials say thats by design. Behind the scenes, a senior White House official said, Harris and Blinken spoke several times on Friday, a consultation that will continue through the weekend. Their discussions were about coordinating their message as the continent responds to the Russian threat, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Russia is massing more than 150,000 troops at the Ukrainian border and sending conflicting signals about whether it will accept diplomatic overtures or accelerate toward an invasion of Ukraine. The actions have consumed the continent and the Munich conference, and drawn the United States and its allies into a trans-Atlantic game of chicken. Few diplomats have missed the fact that while Harris was long scheduled to attend the conference, Blinkens attendance was confirmed at the last minute. The White House rejected the suggestion that he was being dispatched to shore up the less-seasoned Harris. I dont think theres any plans to limit or reduce the vice presidents role at the Munich Security Conference or ... on the global stage, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. For Harris a politician widely believed to be a potential heir to Biden but who is relatively inexperienced in international affairs being front-and-center at Munich offers an opportunity to excel on the international stage, show global leadership and display presidential stature. Her supporters reject the notion that Harriss expertise ends at the border. As a senator, she was a member of the chambers intelligence committee, and she made several international trips during her tenure as Californias attorney general. Her trip to Munich is the fifth international trip of her vice presidency and the second in less than a month. At some point, her supporters say, the idea that she lacks foreign policy credentials will have to fade away. Still, Blinken has held senior foreign policy positions in two presidential administrations over the past 20 years. He was staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while Biden was chairman. As secretary of state, he has been managing Americas web of alliances since the Russian crisis erupted, trying to harmonize European countries differing priorities and project a united front. Equally important, Blinken has known and advised Biden for decades, while Harris entered his orbit two years ago when she became his running mate. Bidens decision to send Harris to the Munich Security Conference during a potentially volatile crisis shows his trust in her, administration officials say. The conference is a longtime annual event that brings together ministers, legislators and foreign policy wonks from both sides of the Atlantic. The vice president will face an array of pressures from Americas allies over the next two days. The Baltic leaders she spoke with on Friday, deeply mistrustful of the Russian behemoth on their border, want the United States to beef up its military presence in their countries. Countries like France and Germany hope Harris emphasizes diplomatic efforts to defuse the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. And through it all, Harris has to navigate an international chess match between the world and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier this week, Russian leaders signaled that they were drawing down their forces in Ukraine. But later, U.S. officials said their claims of a withdrawal were false and that Russia had actually added troops at the border, a ruse intended to mislead the international community. Blinken warned this week that Russia could carry out a fake even a real attack using chemical weapons as a pretext for attacking Ukraine. Earlier this week three U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft experienced unprofessional intercepts by Russian planes, the Pentagon said. In one case, a Russian jet came within 5 feet of an American one, putting the world a twitch away from an international incident. The situation on the ground changes hourly, Harris said during a meeting with Stoltenberg. We remain, of course, open to and desirous of diplomacy, as it relates to the dialogue and the discussions we have had with Russia, she said. But we are also committed, if Russia takes aggressive action, to ensure there will be severe consequence in terms of the sanctions we have discussed. Harris reiterated that sentiment on Saturday at her keynote. Although the 2022 conference is a slimmed-down affair compared to years when there was no pandemic, on Saturday Harris spoke to more than 30 heads of state, 100 ministers, and the heads of many of the most important international organizations. And both she and Blinken have been trying to stress that the U.S. aims to defend Ukraine, not harm the Russian people, a senior administration official said. We want the Russian people to know this is not against the Russian people, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe diplomatic goals. Were trying to defend Ukraine against invasion and have no ill will toward the Russian people. Thats why we prefer diplomacy. Paris (France): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday began his three-day visit to France during which he will attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid Chinese assertiveness in the region. During his visit, Jaishankar will hold a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. Jaishankar will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council. EAM will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from EU and other Indo-Pacific countries on the sidelines of the Forum. He will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). "EAM Jaishankar begins his 3-day visit to France, a key strategic partner; he will attend the EU Ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, hold bilateral meetings with @JY_LeDrian and @florence_parly, interact with think tanks and chair India Heads of Missions in EU Conference," India in France wrote in a tweet. Meanwhile, China has formed 3,200 acres of artificial land in the South China Sea, raised an airstrip with the capacity to land fighter jets and large commercial planes, built 72 fighter-jet hangers, and commissioned 10-12 large aircraft on Fiery Cross, Subi, and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly Islands. It has made military installations in the Woody Island of the Paracel Islands. The construction of these artificial islands is in clear violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, of which China is also a signatory. This visit comes after Jaishankar participated in Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 in Germany and held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. The External Affairs Minister had also expressed his happiness on meeting the Indian community in Munich on Sunday morning and said that their feelings for the country were so "heartwarming".The Foreign Minister also shared the "confident national mood" with the community members and underlined the strong momentum of India-Germany relations."Wonderful to see the community turnout on a cold Sunday Munich morning. Their feelings for India were so heartwarming. Shared with them the confident national mood. And underlined the strong momentum of India-Germany relations," Jaishankar had tweeted earlier in the day. Live TV New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is believed to be preparing a united front to fight the BJP at the national level, on Sunday said that the Modi government needs to change its approach of misusing the central agencies for their agendas. Central agencies are being misused in a very bad manner, we condemn it. The central govt should change their policy, they'll suffer if they don't. The country has seen many such things, said KCR in a joint press conference with his Maharashtra counterpart. The statements came after a closed-door meeting with Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. The meet is seen as part of efforts by KCR to bring together various like-minded parties against the BJP at the national level. Talking about the meeting, KCR said, You will get to see a good result of our meeting very soon. I invite Uddhav Ji to come to Telangana. We've done an elaborate discussion on improving and expediting developmental issues and bringing structural and policy changes in the country. We've agreed on all the issues, the southern state leader added. KCR also spoke about the bond he shares with Maharashtra and said, Both of us are brothers because our states share 1,000 Kms of the border. With the cooperation of the Maha government, we built the Kaleshwaram project which has benefited Telangana. We look forward to working together with Maharashtra Following an invitation from Thackeray, Rao arrived at 'Varsha', the official residence of Maharashtra CM. Thackeray, who is also president of the Shiv Sena, recently spoke to Rao over the phone and invited him to Mumbai. Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday said the meeting will expedite the process of political unity at the national level against the BJP. Shiv Sena MP and the party's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut has lso attended the meeting. Later in the day, Rao is also scheduled to meet NCP president Sharad Pawar, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra. Thackeray had earlier announced "complete support" to Rao's fight against the BJP's alleged anti-people policies and to uphold the federal spirit. The Telangana CM, who has been critical of the BJP and the Centre on a number of issues, had said he will hold meetings with his Maharashtra and West Bengal counterparts as part of efforts to unite various political parties against the BJP and the NDA government. Live TV Chennai: Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan on Sunday demanded cancellation of the just concluded urban civic polls in Tamil Nadu and sought repolling as 'false votes' were cast and 'cash and gifts' distributed to voters. Haasan said that it would be fair only to cancel urban local polls and conduct repolling. While urban civic polls were held across Tamil Nadu on Saturday and counting of votes is scheduled on February 22, Haasan blamed both the DMK, which held 'power' and main opposition AIADMK with the strength of 'money' for making a 'mockery' of electoral democracy. In all the wards, cash and gifts were distributed and candidates were 'intimidated.' During the campaign, they were beaten up and driven away, he alleged. False votes were cast, the 'peak of injustice', and poll officials could not stop such acts that buried democracy, he alleged. The MNM chief in a series of tweets made all such allegations. A complaint with proof has been lodged with the TN State Election Commission, he said. "It will only be fair to cancel urban civic polls and conduct repolling," he added. MNM party cadres covering their eyes with a black cloth staged a protest demonstration before the TNSEC office here. They submitted a complaint on such allegations to the state election commission and sought action. Live TV New Delhi: Veteran Uttar Pradesh leader and Samajwadi Party founder-patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday (February 20) cast his vote in Etawah during the third phase of the assembly election. In a video, released by news agency ANI, the SP leader can be seen arriving at the polling booth in a wheelchair owing to his poor health. Yadav was accompanied by his security team. #WATCH | Etawah | Samajwadi Party (SP) founder-patron Mulayam Singh Yadav arrives at a polling booth in Jaswantnagar, Saifai to cast his vote for the third phase of #UttarPradeshElections2022 pic.twitter.com/k59H8zsnEC ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 Mulayam Singh Yadav, father of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is the constituent of Saifais Yashwant Nagar. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is also the partys chief ministerial candidate cast his vote in the Yashwantnagar polling booth. SP chief and party's candidate from Karhal, Akhilesh Yadav cast his vote at a polling booth in Jaswantnagar.#UttarPradeshElections2022 pic.twitter.com/6D3QgrRdHO ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 Akhilesh Yadav is contesting the assembly elections for the first time from the Karhal constituency. After casting his vote Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday slammed the BJP government over the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. The SP chief, citing the incident where a woman constable was kidnapped and found dead in the drain, alleged that women were most unsafe in Uttar Pradesh. "A businessman`s son was kidnapped in Agra and killed days later. Was the UP CM sleeping? Will he be able to fix responsibility and punish the culprit? He could not even join the expressway in Gorakhpur. Baba CM does not want to do or see any good," said Akhilesh, targetting Yogi Adityanath. Yadav further slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for sharing fake pictures for showing development in the state. "The strictest action should be taken against any terrorist. Live TV Moscow: Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov on Sunday announced Imran Khan`s maiden visit to Russia on February 23-24, the first such trip by a Pakistani prime minister in 23 years. Imran Khan will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit. "Yes," Peskov said, when asked about Khan`s two-day visit to Russia and the meeting with Putin, Sputnik reported. This is the first time a Pakistani prime minister will be visiting Russia since 1999. In March 1999, then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was the country`s last premier to visit Russia. This comes after reports emerged last month that Moscow and Islamabad are in talks to finalise a plan for Russian President Vladimir Putin`s visit this year. Imran Khan has already extended a formal invitation to Putin, The Express Tribune newspaper had said in its report, adding that Pakistan PM reiterated the invitation to him during his telephonic conversation last month. The Pakistani newspaper had said Putin`s visit was under discussion for the last two years but could not materialise because of several reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic. Moscow also wants that there must be "big-ticket projects" or other initiatives that the Russian president would announce when he finally undertakes the trip to Pakistan, according to the report. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (February 20) said that the parivarvaadis did not let him work for the development of Uttar Pradesh before his party came into power in 2017, even when he was in power in the centre. I am sad that from 2014 to 2017 these 'parivarvadis' did not support me. I am an MP from UP, but till 2017 they (then govt) didn't let me work for the people of UP. If you bring them again, will they let me work for you? Should such people be re-elected?, said Modi while campaigning for his party in Hardoi. These 'parivarvadis' are now spreading venom in the name of caste. Such people fight with their own family for chair. The double engine govt you voted for doesn't belong to any family, nor the govt at Centre belongs to any family. Our govt is for the poor,farmer & youth: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/bYuk0XWB7u ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 The leader also accused the opposition of playing caste politics in Uttar Pradesh and not doing anything for the upliftment of farmers and the poor during their regime. These 'parivarvadis' are now spreading venom in the name of caste. Such people fight with their own families for chairs. The double engine govt you voted for doesn't belong to any family, nor the govt at Centre belongs to any family. Our govt is for the poor, farmer and youth, ANI quoted Modi as saying. Addressing the BJP rally PM Modi also reminded said the people of how the Samajwadi Party when in government gave a free hand to those using 'katta' (country-made pistols) and its cadres. "People of Hardoi have seen those days when these people had given a free hand to those using 'Katta' and those in 'Satta' (power)," he said. PM Modi recalled the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts which claimed 56 lives and left over 200 injured and said some parties are sympathetic to such terrorists. The erstwhile Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh even sought to withdraw cases against several terrorists, he charged. Polling is underway in 59 out of 403 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. This marks the third phase of UP Assembly Elections 2022. The result will be out on March 10. Live TV Amritsar: Amid voting for the Assembly elections, Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Amritsar East constituency, Bikram Singh Majithia, on Sunday hit out at his opponent and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and said that people will reject his hate politics and arrogance, adding that he will defeat the Congress leader. Speaking to ANI, Majithia said that Sidhu has challenged him and the people of Punjab will reject the arrogance of Navjot Singh Sidhu and his hate politics."Sidhu has challenged me. Now the people will win and the arrogance and politics of hatred of Navjot Singh Sidhu will be rejected," he said. Claiming that the Amritsar East has become "backwards" under Sidhu, the SAD leader said that he will win the constituency as well as the hearts of the people. Notably, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channis government had slapped a case in December last year against Majithia under the provisions of the NDPS Act in connection with an alleged Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) case after which he was granted protection from arrest from the Supreme Court till February 23. Hitting out at Channi, the SAD leader said that he talks about his work in the 111 days at the office but does not talk about his tenure as a minister for the rest of more than four years. "Channi remained the minister for more than four years. He did not say anything about his government then. He is talking about 111 days of his government. Who would talk about the rest of the days? Congress government has not stood on the expectations of the people for the entire five years. The condition of unemployment and industry is pathetic," he said. "Nobody is more corrupt than Channi. He wears a watch worth Rs 15 lakh and owns more than Rs 100 crore. If this is being poor, then may all the people of Punjab become poor like him. Why did he not do this?" Majithia added. Asked about the Aam Aadmi Party's announcement to wipe off corruption with the "broom" once the party is elected to power, he said, 'Jhadu' to chal jayega unpe (They would be wiped off with a broom). The Punjabis would not come under anybody`s control and would decide for themselves. Punjabis love their nation and believes in brotherhood. The failed model of Delhi will not work in Punjab," he said. The SAD leader also hit out at AAP candidate Bhagwant Mann and said that the one who does not keep his family happy cannot work for the welfare of the Punjabis. "Who will run the government from the Aam Aadmi Party? The people of Punjab will not vote for Bhagwant Mann who does not keep his family happy. He cannot do anything for the welfare of the Punjabis," he said. Voting for 117 constituencies for Punjab Assembly elections began at 8 am on Sunday amid tight security. In Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,304 candidates who are in the fray from 117 constituencies. (ANI) Live TV New Delhi: Voting for single-phase Punjab Assembly election for 117 seats was held on Sunday (February 20). In Punjabs multi-cornered fight, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), SAD-BSP alliance, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) are the main players in the fray. If we go by some reports, it seems Punjab voters are keen to give Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a chance this time. Sources say that many Punjab voters feel that they have given a chance to both Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, however, their problems have remained unresolved. So why not AAP for once, they ask. From Chowk crossroad to the polling booth, the wave seemed in favour of the AAP, as per sources. After analysing voters moods, two scenarios seem likely when the results for Punjab polls get announced on March 10. First, it's possible that AAP will form a government with a majority. Second, it might be a hung assembly, requiring a coalition. But even then, sources say, AAP is likely to emerge as the single largest party. As far as Congress is concerned, it is expected the grand old party will become the second largest party. It is also being predicted that incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will lose one of the two seats Chamkaur Sahib (SC) and Bhadaur he was fielded from, while there is uncertainty about Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu's performance. Sidhu contested from Amritsar East Assembly constituency. It is also believed, say sources, that if election was held under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh, then Congress would have fared worse. It seems Channi managed to revive Congress in a short time of over 100 days. Meanwhile, even though allegations about Arvind Kejriwals links with Khalistan have hurt the AAP, the party in all probability had weathered the storm this time. In the 2017 election, the reports of Bhatinda blast and Kejriwal's stay at a separatists house emerged around 20 days before the polling, leading to the opposition parties getting more time to campaign against him. In 2022 polls, the impact of this issue has been less visible. AAP is however also likely to suffer a loss due to Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims appeal to electors to cast votes in favor of BJP and Akali. Area-wise projection Punjab is divided into three regions Malwa has 69 seats, Manjha 25 and 23 Assembly seats fall in the Doaba region. In 2017 polls, AAP had bagged 20 seats from the Malwa region. If the Aam Aadmi Party is successful in winning a good number of seats in the Manjha and Doaba regions, then it will comfortably form the next government in Punjab; otherwise, the state will witness a hung assembly, say experts. Punjab voters are against a hung assembly as many people have expressed disappointment with the Modi government due to the year-long farmers' agitation. They do not want the Centres rule in Punjab through President's rule at any cost. Notably, Punjab has always had a majority government, except post the 1967 and 1969 elections. Caste-wise distribution of votes Punjab has about 35 per cent Dalit voters. As Charanjit Channi is a Dalit, Congress is likely to get the lion's share when it comes to Dalit vote back. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwals party has also claimed to have come to power with the help of the Dalit voter base. Among Dalit voters, 60% are expected to vote for Congress and 40% for AAP. The 20% Jat-Sikh electors will vote for AAP, Akali Dal, or Congress according to different areas and candidates, say experts. It is believed that Jat-Sikh voters first choice is the AAP because of its CM candidate Bhagwant Mann. Akali is likely to be the second choice among the Jat-Sikhs, followed by Congress. The Hindu votes are largely expected to be in BJP's favour. While AAP has also been making a dent in the Hindu voter base, however, the allegations of Kejriwals relations with separatist forces seems to have adversely affected the mood of the Hindu voters. After analysing the voter's pulse in Punjab today, experts say that it can be said that either the AAP will form the next government or Punjab will see a hung Assembly. The chances of Congress making a comeback seems very less. Live TV New Delhi: Voting for 117 Assembly seats in Punjab began on Sunday (February 20, 2022) morning amid tight security arrangements. Polling started at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm. As many as 2,14,99,804 voters, including 1,02,00,996 women are eligible to cast votes at about 24,740 polling stations in the single-phase elections. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray for the high-stake electoral contest. Meanwhile, pictures and videos have started surfacing on social media platforms of people exercising their franchise. One such picture of conjoined twins voting at a polling booth is now going viral. Sohna and Mohna cast their votes in the Manwal area of the Amritsar district and both of them will be counted as separate voters. Returning Officer (RO) also provided them with goggles so that the secrecy of their vote is maintained. "It is a very unique case. They are icons of Persons with Disabilities voters," an official told ANI. It is a very unique case. EC told us to do proper videography. They're icons of PWD voters. They're conjoined but two separate voters. Arrangements were made by the RO of giving them goggles so that secrecy of voting is maintained: Gaurav Kumar, PRO#PunjabElections pic.twitter.com/8G8onA9RKE ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 Sohan Singh and Mohan Singh, fondly known as Sohna-Mohna, turned 18 in 2021. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju had handed over two separate electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) to both of them to mark the 12th National Voters` Day on January 25. Born on June 13, 2003, in Delhi, they were reportedly abandoned by their parents and adopted by an orphanage in Amritsar. Punjab is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former chief minister Amarinder Singh`s Punjab Lok Congress party as key players. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. Live TV New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann on Sunday (February 20) said that Punjab will vote for the truth to elect his party with a full majority. Mann, who is contesting from Punjabs Dhuri seat, appeared confident of his partys victory in the state which is undergoing polling in a single phase on Sunday. Today, the people of Punjab are voting for truth. We will get a majority in this election, said Mann. Today, the people of Punjab are voting for truth. We will get a majority in this election: Bhagwant Mann, AAP CM candidate in #PunjabElections2022 pic.twitter.com/klcwy3taMu ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 The leader made the statements after casting his vote in Mohali. He later offered prayers at Gurdwara Sacha Dhan in Mohali. Earlier today he had said that Congress and BJP have joined together to levelling allegations against AAP but the people of the state know everything. "It is a big day for Punjab today. Congress and BJP have come together to put allegations on my party and me, but the people of Punjab know everything," said AAP leader. Voting for 117 constituencies for Punjab Assembly elections began at 8 am on Sunday amid tight security. In Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1304 candidates who are in the fray from 117 constituencies. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats Meanwhile, AAP, which is emerging to be a strong contender in Punjab, reported some discrepancies during the voting in Punjab. Partys Punjab affairs co-in-charge Raghav Chadha took to Twitter to report glitches in EVMs and disruptions at polling centres and urged the election commission to take necessary actions. Live TV New Delhi: As fear of a Russian invasion looms large, the Indian embassy in Kyiv on Sunday (February 20) urged Indian nationals whose stay is not essential and all Indian students to leave Ukraine temporarily. It also asked Indian students to get in touch with respective student contractors for updates on charter flights. In view of continued tensions in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily, the advisory read. In view of continued tensions in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily. Indian students are advised to also get in touch with respective student contractors for updates on charter flights pic.twitter.com/2rHZ5lX0QA ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 Available commercial flights, and charter flights may be availed for travel, for orderly and timely departure, the embassy said adding that students should continue to follow Embassy Facebook, website and Twitter for any update. Earlier on February 15, India had asked its nationals to 'avoid all non-essential travel' to and within Ukraine. It had also asked its nationals in Ukraine, particularly students whose stay is not essential, to 'consider leaving temporarily'. Besides India, Germany and Austria have also told their citizens to leave Ukraine. Moreover, intensifying pressure on Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are extending military drills that were concluding on Sunday. This comes as the West has warned of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment, PTI reported. In another development that stoked the tension, hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists on Sunday and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine. On Saturday, separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine had ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia. The United States and many European countries have been claiming for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to choose a place to meet in order to try to resolve the crisis. Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement, Zelenskyy said Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. However, there was no immediate response from the Kremlin. (With agency inputs) Live TV Colombo: Sri Lanka is moving away from China while getting close to India over the failure of Colombo to pay back Chinese loans worth USD 4.5 billion, amidst fears of a "debt trap". Sri Lanka`s credit rating has been downgraded by Fitch Ratings and Moody`s Investors Service due to delays in obtaining new funds, which are necessary to satisfy loan commitments. The country is on the verge of defaulting. On January 17, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that "it would be a great relief to the country if attention could be paid to restructuring the debt repayments as a solution to the economic crisis that has arisen in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic." However, China rejected the request with Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin remarking, "Sri Lanka will surely overcome the temporary difficulties as soon as possible." Over the past few weeks, the country has struggled to pay off its fuel import bills. Recently, India also provided financial assistance of 2.4 billion USD to Sri Lanka following a two-day official visit of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, GL Peiris to India from February 6 to 8. GL Peiris said that Colombo was committed to special relations with New Delhi. Last week on Tuesday, the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka handed over 40,000 MT fuel consignment by Indian Oil Corp Ltd to Sri Lankan Energy Minister, Udaya Gammanpila. "#India - a committed partner and a true friend of #SriLanka. High Commissioner handed over 40,000 MT fuel consignment by @IndianOilcl to Hon`ble Energy Minister @UPGammanpila today. India and Sri Lanka partnership continues to work towards energy security of #lka," the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka tweeted. #India - a committed partner and a true friend of #SriLanka. High Commissioner handed over 40,000 MT fuel consignment by @IndianOilcl to Hon'ble Energy Minister @UPGammanpila today. partnership continues to work towards energy security of #lka. pic.twitter.com/BwPoTq7eAo India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) February 15, 2022 In October last year, the Department of Agriculture in Colombo detected the highly contaminated organic fertilizer sent by China and cancelled the fertilizer and requested India to export nano nitrogen liquid fertilizer. Fears have also been rife in Colombo regarding Chinese loans, as the country has previously been forced to hand over strategic projects like Hambantota port to the Chinese on lease over non-repayment of loans. Live TV New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Sunday (February 20) while attacking his rivals for communal politics endorsed his government's triple talaq abolish move and said even Islamic countries dont have laws for the upliftment of Muslim women. Targeting the previous regime for not doing anything against the unjust practise of Triple Talaq, Nadda said, Those appeasing Muslims don't know that there's no triple talaq in Afghanistan or Pakistan or Bangladesh or Iran or Iraq or Indonesia. These Muslim nations didnt triple talaq but our secular nation had it. Those appeasing Muslims don't know that there's no triple talaq in Afghanistan or Pakistan or Bangladesh or Iran or Iraq or Indonesia.These Muslim nations didn't have triple talaq but our secular nation had it. PM Modi gave freedom to crores of Muslim women:BJP chief in Shravasti pic.twitter.com/DvHzD2m41E ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 PM Modi gave freedom to crores of Muslim women, said BJP chief in Shravast while campaigning for his party as Uttar Pradesh undergo polling in the third phase. Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul & Priyanka Gandhi, who were born with silver spoons, used to mock Jan Dhan accounts. Now they understood the meaning of it. It meant that Rs 2000 each will be transferred to accounts of 10.50 crore farmers every 3 months: BJP chief JP Nadda in Shravasti, UP pic.twitter.com/1Rj89OaT5E ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 The BJP leader, whose party often targets the opposition on dynastical politics further added, Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, who were born with silver spoons, used to mock Jan Dhan accounts. Now they understood the meaning of it. It meant that Rs 2000 each will be transferred to accounts of 10.50 crore farmers every 3 months. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president also urged the people of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to cast their vote to maintain the development and prosperity in the states. The third phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls is underway while Punjab is voting in a single-phase election. Live TV Hardoi (UP): As Uttar Pradesh went into the third phase of the polls on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a scathing attack targeting rival parties at an election rally in the state. Addressing the BJP rally in Hardoi, PM Modi said the people here have seen how the Samajwadi Party when in government gave a free hand to those using 'katta' (country-made pistols) and its cadres. The PM recalled the Ahmedabad bomb blasts and said some parties are sympathetic to such terrorists and accused the erstwhile Samajwadi Party government of seeking withdrawal of cases against those involved in terror attacks in the state. "People of Hardoi have seen those days when these people had given a free hand to those using 'katta' and those in 'satta' (power)," he said. PM Modi recalled the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts which claimed 56 lives and left over 200 injured, and said some parties are sympathetic to such terrorists. The erstwhile Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh even sought to withdraw cases against several terrorists, he charged. The Prime Minister alleged that in 2006 there was a bomb blast in Kashi. There was also a blast in the Sankat Mochan temple. The Cantt railway station there was also attacked. When the Samajwadi Party government came to power again in 2013, they decided to withdraw the cases against the accused. The court, however, did not allow the conspiracy of the Samajwadi Party government, he said. The Prime Minister said that in 2007 there were bomb blasts in the court premises of Lucknow, Ayodhya. In 2013, the Samajwadi government withdrew the case against a terrorist. But even in this case, the court did not allow the conspiracy of the socialist government to work and sentenced that terrorist to life imprisonment. "You all know that when there is a terrorist attack, terrorism increases, then the poor, the middle class have to bear the maximum loss. When a terrorist attack happens, the life of ordinary human beings gets affected, business gets affected, tourism comes to a standstill. These people were exploding bombs and the Samajwadi Party government was not even allowing these terrorists to be prosecuted," he said. He said that the attitude of the leaders of Samajwadi Party and Congress, has been even more dangerous. These people call a terrorist like Osama as 'Ji". These people shed tears on the elimination of terrorists in Batla House encounter. |On February 18, a special court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat had sentenced to death 38 members of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) in the serial blasts case. The court also sentenced 11 other convicts to life imprisonment. The prime minister also targeted the rival parties over the politics of appeasement. "Those who used to stop our festivals owing to their politics of appeasement, they will get an answer from the people of Uttar Pradesh on March 10," he said. Urging the people of Hardoi to support the BJP, the PM said, "People of Hardoi, of UP have made preparations to play Holi twice. First Holi will be played with BJP's bumper victory on 10th March. But if you want to play Holi on 10th March, you will have to make arrangements at polling booths." Results of the seven-phase assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be announced on March 10. Later the PM travelled to Unnao and further slammed the Samajwadi Party leaders. "Even after getting defeated in the first two phases, whenever these people (Samajwadi Party leaders) sleep, they watch dreams of coming into power. They were defeated in 2017, they will be defeated in 2022. People in UP will bring Yogi back," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Unnao. (With Agency inputs) New Delhi: While over 65% of the eligible voters in Punjab showed up to exercise their franchise in the single-phased assembly polling, however, one village of the state decided to boycott the voting owing to its disappointment with the system. Voters of Basiala village in the Garhshankar Assembly segment boycotted the polling on Sunday in protest against the closing of a railroad crossing. What is the issue? Voters of Basiala village demanded that first the railroad on the Jalandhar-SBS Nagar-Jaijon rail track near their village be reopened. Basiala village sarpanch Hardev Singh said the crossing was closed three years ago for the reasons best known to the railway authorities. He said it caused difficulties to the inhabitants of Basiala, Bakapur Guru, Rasoolpur, Chauhra, Denowal Kalan and Dogarpur villages falling under Anandpur Lok Sabha constituency. Due to the closing of the gates, commuters have been forced to travel a distance of about 2 km to reach the village. There are so many sharp turns on this alternative narrow route and it is very difficult to move tractor-trailers and school buses, he said. The sarpanch said they had made a number of representations to MP Manish Tewari, Union Railway Ministry, Ferozepur Railway Division authorities and the district administration in this regard but nothing has been done so far. What is being done to resolve the issue? Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Apneet Riyait said joint efforts by the administration and police are being made to persuade voters to take part in the polling. They had also sent a proposal to the railway authorities that the salary to the railway guard and other expenses for the opening of the railroad crossing will be met by panchayats of the affected villages, he said. He himself visited the village on Sunday and appealed to people to vote, however, they refused to vote despite efforts by the administration To pressure the government on the reopening of the railroad crossing, residents of Basiala, Rasoolpur, Chahera and Bakarpur villages have been protesting for the past 15 days. On February 13, they had blocked traffic at Basiala village on the Nawanshahar-Garhshankar road. Live TV New Delhi: Attacking the former governments of Samajwadi Party and BSP in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday (February 20) said as these parties built the walls of kabristan (graveyards), they should seek votes there. Addressing a rally in Mohammadi assembly constituency of Lakhimpur Kheri, Adityanath as quoted by ANI said, SP and BSP got boundary walls of kabristan (cemetery) constructed, so they should better ask for votes from kabristan. SP and BSP got boundary walls of Kabristan (cemetry) constructed, so they should better ask for votes from Kabristan: UP CM Yogi Adityanath at a rally in Mohammadi in Lakhimpur Kheri#UttarPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/PTESqInuc0 ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 In a bid to woo the elderly women voters, the UP CM vowed to provide free travel in state buses. If our double engine government comes to power again then all the women older than 60 years of age will be given free access to travel in state corporation buses, he said. The BJP leader added, Samajwadi Party shut the pension scheme for elderly and older people but our government is giving Rs 12,000 pension to the elderly. In a rally at a public meeting in Lakhimpur Kheri's Nighasan and Dhaurhara assembly constituencies, Adityanath slammed SP and accused them of playing with the security of the country and "giving shelter to terrorists". The UP CM said, "Ahmedabad court has sentenced 38 terrorists in the blast case. In this, those who have been punished, one of the persons convicted is a person of the Samajwadi Party. I want to ask Akhilesh Yadav why Akhilesh has not given his explanation on this. They are giving shelter to terrorists. They are playing with the security of the country. Will people vote for those who support terrorism?" ALSO READ: 'Parivaarwadis' didn't let me work for Uttar Pradesh before 2017: PM Modi in Hardoi Further, the CM claimed, "Within Lakhimpur Kheri, our government has waived the loans of 1,45,600 farmers worth Rs 904 crore." Urging people to make BJP win with a massive majority, Adityanath said, "Today the third phase of polling is going on. BJP has worked for fear-free, poor, farmers, women, and labourers. I appeal that where the election is going on 59 seats, the maximum number of people should go to vote and make BJP win with a massive majority." Voting is underway in 59 constituencies for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections. The voting will also be held on February 23, 27, and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will be done on March 10. (With agency inputs) Live TV CTET 2022 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. As per reports, the results are likely to be announced in the coming week. It is to be noted that the 15th edition of CTET was held in a Computer Based Test (CBT) mode between December 16 last year and 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 released, 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, candidates need to visit the official website of CTET (https://ctet.nic.in). On the homepage, candidates need to click on the " CTET December 2021 Result " link option. " link option. Candidates will be redirected to a new page where they need to enter their Roll Numbers. Candidates' CTET December 2021 Results will be displayed on their screens. Candidates are advised to keep checking the official website of CTET at https://ctet.nic.in for the latest updates. Live TV Sarkari Naukri 2022: The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced several vacancies and has invited applications from interested candidates. According to a notification released on SBI's official website at sbi.co.in, applications have been invited from candidates for the recruitment of 'specialist cadre officers'. SBI Recruitment 2022: Vacancy details Assistant Manager (Network Security Specialist): 15 (Gen 8, SC 2, ST 1, OBC 3, EWS 1) 15 (Gen 8, SC 2, ST 1, OBC 3, EWS 1) Assistant Manager (Routing & Switching): 33 (Gen 15, SC 5, ST 2, OBC 8, EWS 3) State Bank of India Recruitment 2022: Age limit Assistant Manager (Network Security Specialist): Maximum age should be 40 years (as on August 31, 2021). Maximum age should be 40 years (as on August 31, 2021). Assistant Manager (Routing & Switching): Maximum age should be 40 years (as on August 31, 2021). State Bank of India Recruitment 2022: How to apply Candidates need to apply ONLINE as no other mode is accepted. Candidates are needed to register themselves online through SBI's official website at https://bank.sbi/careers. SBI Recruitment 2022: Important dates The last date to apply ONLINE is February 25, 2022. is February 25, 2022. The tentative date of the Online Test is March 20, 2022. Candidates are advised to keep visiting SBI's websites (https://bank.sbi/careers or https://www.sbi.co.in/careers) for the latest updates. Live TV Chikkaballapura: A trekker who fell at least 200 feet into a gorge at Nandi Hill, about 60 km from Bengaluru, was on Sunday rescued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the national and State disaster response forces, a police official said. The 19-year-old victim from Delhi studying in an engineering college in Bengaluru fell into the gorge and got trapped, Superintendent of Police of Chikkaballapura G K Mithun Kumar told PTI. "Nishank had come alone for trekking and fell into the gorge. After slipping, he fortunately got stuck. Had he slipped from there, he would have fallen into a cliff of about 300 feet below," Kumar said. #WATCH Karnataka | Indian Air Force and Chikkaballapur Police rescued a 19-year-old student who fell 300 ft from a steep cliff onto a rocky ledge at Nandi Hills this evening pic.twitter.com/KaMN7zBKAJ ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 He said the youth messaged the police control room and shared his location. Soon, a police team, along with the SDRF and NDRF, went to the rescue but none could help. "Then, we contacted the IAF which rushed to the rescue," the police officer added. A statement from the defence said the Deputy Commissioner of Chikkaballapura contacted the Air Force Station, Yelahanka, with a 'Save Our Souls' (SOS) message about a young trekker stuck in Bramhagiri Rocks in Nandi Hills after slipping and falling 200 feet below. A Mi17 helicopter was sent. After a search and guidance of the local police, the IAF was able to locate the stranded, immobile victim, the statement said. The terrain being treacherous for a landing, the flight gunner of the Mi17 was lowered by a winch close to the trekker. The flight gunner helped him harness and lifted him up. The onboard air force medical assistant attended to the survivor while the helicopter flew him to Yelahanka from where he was taken to the nearest civil hospital, the statement said. Police say usually people from various places, especially from Bengaluru, go for trekking on weekends. Similary, early this month, a person got trapped between rocks in Palakkad, Kerala, and the help of the defence forces and the NDRF was sought. Live TV Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the passing away of Cabinet Minister Sadhan Pande on Sunday in Mumbai. "Our senior colleague, party leader and Cabinet Minister Sadhan Pande has passed away today morning at Mumbai. Had a wonderful relation for long. Deeply pained at this loss. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, followers," Mamata tweeted. Governor of West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar also expressed condolences to the minister and said that he shared "wonderful relationship" with him beyond politics. Sad news- Deeply pained at passing away of Senior Cabinet Minister Sadhan Pande today morning at Mumbai. Shared wonderful relationship and personal rapport with him beyond politics. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and followers. RIP!" tweeted the Governor. Pande was admitted to Kolkata`s private hospital with critical ailments and lung infection. He was shifted to Mumbai`s Kokilaben Hospital last year in the month of September. He continued to remain on ventilator support in the ICU. Pande was the sitting Minister for Consumer Affairs and Self Help Group and Self-Employment in the Mamata Banerjee government. He was an MLA from the Maniktala constituency in Kolkata. Live TV By Trend Azerbaijani Minister of Education Emin Amrullayev paid an official visit to Georgia on February 20, Trend reports. The purpose of the visit is to further expand and develop cooperation between the two countries in the field of science and education. During the visit, Amrullayev will visit the monuments to great leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev in Tbilisi and Rustavi, will meet with Georgian Minister of Education and Science Mikheil Chkhenkeli. A cooperation agreement will be signed between the ministries of education of the two countries. Amrullayev will also visit several universities in Georgia during the visit. The Azerbaijani minister will also meet with directors and teachers of the Georgian schools, at which education is conducted in the Azerbaijani language. The Azerbaijani minister also plans to meet with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. The visit will end on February 23. Mumbai: An FIR was filed against IRS officer and former zonal director of Mumbai NCB Sameer Wankhede for forgery in Mumbai`s Thane for allegedly obtaining a licence for a hotel by willful misrepresentation of his age. According to the Kopri police, the FIR was filed on Saturday night on the complaint of State Excise Department official Shankar Gogavale who alleged that Wankhede was below 18 years of age in 1996-97 while obtaining a license for Sadguru Bar in the city. Thane collector has issued an order to cancel the licence of the bar. As per the FIR, the former zonal NCB director was not eligible to do these agreements but he claimed to be a major on a Stamp paper in his agreement deed for Sadguru Hotel of Thane. Maharashtra cabinet minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik had in November last year claimed that Wankhede owned a permit room and bar at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, the licence for which was obtained in 1997 when he was a minor, and that this was illegal. Malik had also said that despite being in a government job, Wankhede held a licence to operate the permit room which was against service rules. Wankhede had then denied the minister's claims. The state Excise department had subsequently issued a notice to Wankhede in connection with the bar licence obtained by him. Following his response and examination of the matter, the district collector concluded that Wankhede had obtained the licence on October 27, 1997, when he was less than 18 years old, as against the permissible age of 21, an official said. Section 54 of the Prohibition Act has been invoked for the cancellation of the licence, as per the order. Malik had levelled a series of allegations against Wankhede after the latter led a raid on a cruise ship in October last year and claimed to have seized drugs onboard. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and some others were accused in the drugs-on-cruise case. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV New Delhi: In the recent past few weeks, the stock market has turned bearish. However, several stocks have provided fantastic returns in recent years. One such stock, Aarti Industries, has provided a return of more than 6,500 per cent to investors in a time span of 10 years. This means that investors who had invested in the companys stock 10 years back now must be enjoying fantastic returns. The stock of Aarti Industries has jumped from 14.70 on February 9, 2012, to Rs 979.80 on February 8, 2022. So, if you had invested Rs 10,000 in the stock 10 years ago, your invested amount would have turned to more than Rs 6.5 lakh. The stock has outperformed most of the benchmark indices. HDFC Securities has remained bullish on Aarti Industries. According to the brokerage firm, the toluene segment is mainly untapped and catered to through imports in the country, and thats the reason why it remains bullish on the company. HDFC Securities has set a price target of Rs 1,380 for the companys stock. However, despite already providing fantastic returns to investors in the past decade, market experts are still bullish on the stock. The reason behind the bullishness of Dalal Street analysts is the companys focus on research and development, which will help them to remain competitive. According to a report by Business Today, the companys net profit increased to about 357 per cent year-on-year to Rs 772.49 crore for the third quarter of the ongoing financial year. Also Read: PAN Card Fraud: Heres how to check if someone else has taken loan on your PAN The company had posted Rs 165.27 crore profit in Q3 FY22. On the other hand, the companys revenue from operation jumped 101 per cent to Rs 2,636.16 crore during the third quarter of the financial year. Also Read: Provident Fund investors alert! EPFO urges subscribers to protect accounts from online frauds Live TV #mute NEW DELHI: Ali Fazal, who is basking high after the success of his recently released film Death on the Nile has now shared a new goofy video with his actor-girlfriend Richa Chadha while they head for dinner with the cast of the film. Taking the video on his Instagram handle, Ali wrote, On our way to the special dinner at the British Museum, with the cast . #deathonthenile #promotions #London #2022 @sinbadphgura thanks for this little interlude! @therichachadha DEATH ON THE NILE continues its ride this weekend successfully worldwide. Go check it out!!.. In the video, Richa can be seen all decked up in a beige and golden gown and was standing at the staircase, waiting for Ali to join her. While the actor came down and went ahead without noticing her. Richa can be extremely disappointed with his behaviour and still stretches her hand towards him in order to make him realise his mistake and later both of them breaks out in laughter as they pre-planned it for their fans. For the unversed, Death on the Nile consists of multi-starrer film including Gal Gadot, Kenneth Branagh, Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman, Letitia Wright, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Emma Mackey, and Rose Leslie in important roles. It released worldwide on February 11. Helmed by Kenneth Branagh, the film is a murder mystery and has been garnering a lot of appreciations among all. New Delhi: Actor Vicky Kaushal once said in an interview that he is petrified of palaces that have turned into hotels. Alas, this was before his wedding to actress Katrina Kaif on December 9 at Six Senses Fort, Barwara, Sawai Madhopur - a 14th century fort turned into a heritage hotel. As the old video of Vicky surfaced online, fans cannot stop roasting the actor for changing his mind. Many also credit his now wife Katrina for influencing him. In a hilarious Reddit post on the subreddit Bolly Blinds n Gossip, Vickys old interview video talking about his fear of heritage hotels is shared. It is juxtaposed with Vicky and Katrina's wedding pics at the 14th century palace. In the interview Vicky said, I am very, actually, petrified of hotels that are like palaces turned into hotels, heritage hotels, where you can sense some kind of history over there. Fans poked fun at Vicky and dropped comments on the video. Things love makes you do, wrote one with a laughing emoji. Another claimed it was Katrina who likes heritage hotels and commented, He is scared of big hotels that looks like palace, and then he ended up getting married in the Six Senses Fort Barwara which is like a palace of a hotel. I remember seeing a Katrina interview that she always wanted to go there, so that was more on her side. A third wrote, Everything Vicky said before the TapeCast interview is no longer relevant to him lol, referring to the Film Companion interview in which Katrina and Vicky met for the first time. On the work front, Vicky will next be seen in Megha Gulzars Sam Bahadur. He also recently finished shooting Laxman Utekars untitled film with Sara Ali Khan. Katrina on the other hand will star in Phone Bhoot along with Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi. She also has YRFs Tiger 3 opposite Salman Khan. New Delhi: In India, Aadhaar Card has become one of the most important documents for residents. An Aadhaar Card is accepted as official identity proof by many government and private agencies. Indian residents are required to submit Aadhaar card details to get various benefits under many government-sponsored schemes. The authorities require beneficiaries of several social schemes to share their Aadhaar card for receiving such benefits. On their part, residents are required to keep their Aadhaar card details updated to ensure they don't face any troubles in receiving services. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Aadhaar-issuing body, allows cardholders to make changes easily to their Aadhaar cards. Cardholders can easily change details such as phone number, address, name, and more, using UIDAI's official portal or by visiting a nearby Aadhaar Enrollment Centre. So, if you shifted home, you can easily change the address on your Aadhaar Card. Here's how to change the address on your Aadhaar card: Step 1: Go to UIDAIs official website at http://uidai.gov.in/. Step 2: Select the 'My Aadhaar' option from the drop-down menu on the home screen. Step 3: Now, select the 'Update Demographics Data Online' option. Step 4: Select the 'Proceed to Update Aadhaar' button and share the asked details. Step 5: Click on the Send OTP button. An OTP will arrive on the Aadhaar registered mobile number. Step 6: Enter the six-digit OTP to verify your details. Step 7: Visit the demographics data area and enter the asked details. Step 8: Select the Proceed option. Step 9: You will now have to upload scanned colour copies of verification documents to change the address on your Aadhaar Card. Click submit. Also Read: 5G spectrum auction expected in May 2022: Report Step 10: Check the preview of the Aadhaar card update. You will receive a URN that can be used to check the status of the address update request. Also Read: iPhone 13 gets a massive discount on Flipkart: Here's how to avail it Live TV #mute New Delhi: For Indians, the Aadhaar card has become vital. It is an all-in-one identifying number for Indian nationals. The Unique Identifying Authority of India issues the Aadhar number, which is a 12-digit identification number (UIDAI). Biometric information, a photo, and an address are all included in the number. Cardholders can change their information either online or offline. If someone wants to update their iris or finger print, they must go to a nearby Aadhaar Enrollment Centre. The procedure is straightforward, and the service costs Rs 100 (plus GST). The UIDAI website also allows you to monitor the status of the process at any moment. The Aadhaar portal takes 90 days to update the information. After the user's information has been updated, he or she can download the new copy from the portal and have it printed. The steps listed below can be used to update the photo. Go to https://uidai.gov.in/my-aadhaar/update-aadhaar.html to update your Aadhaar. Fill in the relevant information on the Aadhaar Enrollment Form. Fill out the form and drop it off at the nearest Aadhaar Enrollment Center. The executive in charge of the centre will double-check the information and take a new photograph. A charge of Rs 100 plus GST will be required of you. Collect the acknowledgement slip with the Update Request Number after payment (URN) In 90 days, the information will be updated. You can check the status of your Aadhaar card update on the UIDAI website by entering your URN. You will not be able to update your photo via the Self Service Update Portal. New Delhi: Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) is all set to kick off its big-ticket initial public offering (IPO), which is pegged to be the largest ever IPO in the history of Indian markets. According to media reports, LIC IPO will open for subscriptions on March 11 for anchor investors. For other types of investors, including retail investors, LIC IPO will open in the next few days. LIC has previously pointed out that policyholders are required to link their PAN cards to become eligible for subscribing to LIC IPO. 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 the expiry of two weeks from the date of the filing of this Draft Red Herring Prospectus with SEBI (i.e., by February 28, 2022) shall not be considered as an Eligible Policyholder, LIC said in its statement. LIC has filed the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) last week. The DRHP is filed ahead of the IPO and it outlines the companys details and growth expectations. The state-owned insurer is planning to sell a five per cent equity stake owned by the Indian government with the upcoming IPO, according to the DRHP document. Employees working LIC will receive IPO shares at a discounted price. How to link PAN card with LIC policy Step 1: Go to the official LIC website, www.licindia.in Step 2: Select the Online PAN Registration option on the homepage. Step 3: Click on the Proceed option. Step 4: Enter e-mail ID, PAN number, mobile phone number and policy number Step 5: Complete Captcha verification and click on the Get OTP button. Step 6: Enter OTP received on the mobile number in the box given on the screen. Step 7: Select the Submit option. Also Read: LIC`s $8 billion IPO could launch on March 11: All you need to know Step 8: You will see a message for the success of the PAN linking process. Also Read: LIC IPO opening on THIS day? 10 important things to know Live TV #mute New Delhi: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has urged subscribers to remain beware of the increasing online fraud, as the number of cases has been on the rise. The state-owned organisation, on social media platforms, alerted its subscribers regarding the risk of internet fraud. EPFO has also pointed out measures for subscribers to protect provident fund accounts from online frauds. It has also investors to remain vigilant about the fraudulent schemes. On Twitter, EPFO alerted subscribers against sharing important information with anyone that acts as a representative of the organisation and asks for personal details. The organisation has clarified that its employees dont ask for details such as Aadhaar Card, PAN, UAN, bank account or OTP. The organisation said that its employees dont ask for such details. In a tweet, EPFO said, #EPFO never asks its members to provide their personal details like Aadhaar, PAN, UAN, Bank Account or OTP over phone or on social media. The organisation has also urged its subscribers not to answer calls and messages that ask them to share details such as Aadhaar Card, PAN, UAN, Bank Account or OTP. It has also warned subscribers not to send money in the guise of EPFO officials. In case, youre continuously receiving calls or messages that are asking you to share such details, you should immediately inform EPFO about them. Subscribers can reach out to EPFO on its official website at www.epfindia.gov. How to secure an EPFO account: - Subscribers can sign up for DigiLocker to secure their details. They can sign up with either their mobile phone number or Aadhaar number. Your mobile number must be linked to the Aadhaar Card to secure your EPFO account. - If you use Aadhaar Card, the details will be verified via OTP. - You will have to set a security PIN for two-factor authentication. Also Read: Heres why people can trade an arm for Apple iPhone, explains billionaire - Once the account is created, click on the Upload Documents option to upload the documents. Also Read: iPhone maker Foxconn to make semiconductors in India with Vedanta Live TV #mute NEW DELHI: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday urged the voters of his state to vote carefully as its a fight between drugs and mafias and those who want a change in Punjab. Sidhu also urged people will vote in large numbers to bring change if they love Punjab. On one side is the mafia system of Badal family and Capt Amarinder Singh. On the other side are those who love Punjab. We lost one generation to terrorism, the second to drugs, so, today we've to vote carefully. People will vote in large numbers to bring change, Sidhu said. On one side is the mafia system of Badal family & Capt Amarinder Singh. On the other side are those who love Punjab. We lost one generation to terrorism, the second to drugs, so, today we've to vote carefully. People will vote in large numbers to bring change: Navjot S Sidhu,Cong pic.twitter.com/A7nKBMz0Zg ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 Voting for 117 Assembly seats of Punjab is currently underway amid tight security arrangements. Polling started at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm. An average voter turnout of 4.80 per cent was recorded till 9 am in Punjab on Sunday. A total of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders, are in the fray for the high-stake electoral contest. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. Among many places, Amritsar recorded a voter turnout of 4.14 per cent till 9 am, Barnala 6.70 per cent, Fatehgarh Sahib 6.94 percent, Fazilka 6.61 per cent, Malerkotla 8.01 per cent and Muktsar 6.21 per cent. Queues of voters could be seen at the polling stations in the morning. Many youngsters were exercising their franchise for the first time. Among those who voted in the morning included state ministers Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manpreet Singh Badal, Pargat Singh and Vijay Inder Singla, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa and Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma. AAP's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann exercised his franchise in Mohali. Mann appealed to people to come out in large numbers to cast their votes. Former Congress chief Sunil Jakhar could be seen standing in a queue to cast his vote at a polling station in Abohar. People were given masks, gloves and their hands were sanitised at the polling booths. In the morning, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi paid obeisance at religious places at his home constituency Chamkaur Sahib. There are 2,14,99,804 voters, including 1,02,00,996 women. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said there are 24,740 polling stations, of which 2,013 have been identified as critical and 2,952 as vulnerable. The state is witnessing a multi-cornered contest among the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political front of various farmer bodies. The Shiromani Akali Dal is contesting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The BJP is fighting the elections in alliance with Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt). The SSM is contesting the polls with Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni-led Sanyukt Sangharsh Party. Prominent faces in the fray include Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, former CMs Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma and former Union minister Vijay Sampla are also in the contest. A total of 700 companies of the central armed police force besides the state police personnel have been deployed for the peaceful conduct of the polls. There are 196 pink polling stations for women while 70 polling stations are being managed by persons with disabilities (PwD). Live TV Chandigarh: After weeks of high voltage poll campaigning for Punjab Assembly elections, over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1304 candidates in the fray from 117 constituencies on Sunday. Polling will begin across 117 seats in the state from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Punjab is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former chief minister Amarinder Singh`s Punjab Lok Congress party as key players. The Congress party is seeking another term under Charanjit Singh Channi`s leadership while the SAD which has formed an alliance with Mayawati`s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is hoping for a comeback after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which emerged as the second-largest party in the 2017 elections has highlighted its government`s works in Delhi to urge voters for a chance in Punjab under Bhagwant Mann. CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who is the Congress`s chief ministerial face, is contesting from two seats Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur. Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is facing SAD`s Bikram Singh Majithia, AAP`s Jeevanjyot Kaur and BJP`s Jagmohan Singh Raju in Amritsar (East). AAP Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur and party`s CM face Bhagwant Mann is contesting from Dhuri seat. Punjab Lok Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh is seeking re-election from the Patiala constituency. Five-time Chief Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal is in the fray from the Lambi seat while SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal is in the electoral contest from Jalalabad. The BJP has pitted its Punjab unit chief Ashwani Kumar Sharma from the Pathankot constituency. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju informed there are 2,14,99,804 voters in Punjab who are eligible to exercise their franchise on Sunday. He said that there are 1304 candidates--1209 male, 93 women and two transgenders are in the fray in 117 constituencies. A total of 1,304 candidates-- 231 are from national parties, 250 from state parties, 362 from unrecognised Parties, and 461 are Independent candidates. He said that as many as 315 contesting candidates are with Criminal Antecedents. Dr Raju said that 24689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been established at 14684 polling station locations of which 2013 are identified as critical, while 2952 are vulnerable pockets. He informed that there would be 1196 Model Polling Stations, 196 Women Managed Polling Stations and 70 PwD managed polling stations. As many as 28,328 ballot units and 24,740 EVM-VVPATs are being used in this election, the CEO informed. Divulging more information, the CEO said that apart from three Special State Observers, ECI has appointed 65 General Observers, 50 Expenditure Observers and 29 Police Observers, who are keeping close vigil. As many as 2083 sector officers have been deployed to assist polling parties, he added. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats. TV NEW DELHI: Aam Admi Partys (AAP) chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann has refuted allegations made by the Congress and BJP about his partys alleged links with the Khalistani terrorists and corruption, saying the ''voters of Punjab know everything.'' Bhagwant Mann, who offered prayers at Gurdwara Sacha Dhan in Mohali before casting his vote, said, It is a big day for Punjab today. Congress and BJP have come together to put allegations on my party and me, but the people of Punjab know everything. Mohali | It is a big day for #Punjab today. Congress & BJP have come together to put allegations on my party and me, but the people of Punjab know everything: Aam Aadmi Party's CM candidate Bhagwant Mann Mann is contesting from Dhuri, Sangrur pic.twitter.com/nhOHUPxuNj ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022 Mann is contesting from Dhuri, Sangrur. Polling across 117 Assembly constituencies began on Sunday morning in Punjab that is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with more than 2.14 crore voters exercising their franchise to decide the fate of 1,304 candidates, including 93 women and two transgenders. The polling will be conducted till 6 pm and the counting of ballots will take place on March 10. The main contest is among the ruling Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is contesting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party after breaking two-decade old ties with the BJP in 2020 over the farm laws. The BJP-Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) alliance is also in the fray, besides the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, comprising Punjab farmer bodies that had taken part in the agitation against the Centre`s now repealed agricultural laws. All the parties are banking on freebies to woo the electorates. AAP has promised Rs 1,000 for all women, while the Congress has assured Rs 1,100 per month for needy women. The SAD-BSP alliance has promised Rs 2,000 per month to all women heads of BPL families. The youngest in the political landscape is controversial and crowd-puller candidate Sidhu Moosewala, while the eldest one is Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 94, whose feet were touched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi owing to humility after filing his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju told the media on Saturday of 1,304 candidates -- 231 are from national parties, 250 from state, 362 from unrecognised parties, and 461 independent candidates. A total of 315 contesting candidates are with criminal antecedents. He said 24,689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been established at 14,684 polling station locations of which 2,013 are identified as critical and 2,952 vulnerable pockets. There would be 1,196 model polling stations and 196 women-managed stations. There will be webcasting of all stations. Raju said the total electorates comprised 444,721 of the age of 80 years or more, 138,116 voters with disabilities and 162 Covid-19 patients. A total of 348,836 electors of 18-19 years of age would exercise their right of franchise for the first time, while 1608 are NRI voters. The hot seats include Amritsar (East) from where Congress state unit chief Navjot Sidhu is in the race to retain it; Patiala (Urban), the `royal` bastion of Congress rebel Capt Amarinder Singh, whose fledgling PLC is contesting the polls in alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt); and Dhuri from where AAP`s chief ministerial face Bhagwant Mann is trying his luck for the first time. The other hot seat to look out for is Chief Minister Charanjit Channi`s Chamkaur Sahib, a reserved seat that he has won three consecutive times. It is currently in the news for illegal sand mining. Channi, the chief ministerial face who was elevated after Capt Amarinder Singh`s resignation on September 18 last year, is the first Scheduled Caste Chief Minister of a state that is home to 32 per cent Scheduled Caste population, the highest in the country. He is contesting from Bhadaur in Barnala district, a second seat, apart from Chamkaur Sahib. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. The AAP had emerged as the second-largest party, winning 20 seats. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won 15 seats, while the BJP, which had a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, secured three seats. Live TV NEW DELHI: Citing date issues, actor Kamal Haasan has excused himself from hosting the remaining episodes of the popular reality show 'Bigg Boss Ultimate'. In a statement, Kamal said, " The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions rightly imposed by the government has created disarray and has constrained us to reschedule the production and the post production of our forthcoming film 'Vikram'. "We had so far meticulously planned to ensure that the production schedule of 'Vikram' does not affect my commitments to Bigg Boss, a show that is very close to my heart. So much so, I did not let any personal discomfort I might have had after I was personally down with Covid," he said. The actor further said, "The reschedule of the production activities for Vikram that were forced on account of lockdowns and restrictions imposed have unavoidably resulted in overlap of dates required to be allotted for Bigg Boss Ultimate. "Considering the fact that some more days of the shoot are left to complete the scenes which have the combination of some of the most prominent stars and technicians of the film industry, it has become practically impossible to manage both 'Vikram ' and 'Bigg Boss' together. It would be unfair to make such eminent stars and technicians wait for me ,considering their schedules and other commitments. Consequently, I am now constrained to opt out of this season of Bigg Boss Ultimate after February 20." The actor said, " I had a free and fair discussion with the management of Vijay TV and as always, the management has been most supportive and cooperative. I am overwhelmed and touched by their understanding on the constraints resulting out of this pandemic and consequent restrictions forcing me to exit from the remaining episodes of Bigg Boss Ultimate. Till I meet you again in Season 6 of Bigg Boss, my best wishes to you all." New Delhi: Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and a millionaire philanthropist, has warned that another pandemic is all but imminent. Gates told CNBC that the future pandemic will be caused by a separate infection, not a member of the coronavirus family. As vaccines become more widely available, he says, the danger of serious infections from COVID-19 has "dramatically decreased." Gates had already warned against the Omicron wave in December, and his 'Gates Notes' blog routinely discusses climate change and the global health issue. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which he co-founded with his former wife, is noted for its efforts in healthcare and decreasing severe poverty in underdeveloped countries. "We'll have another pandemic," Gates said during the interactive session. The pathogen will be different next time." "The risk of serious disease, which is primarily related with being elderly and having obesity or diabetes, is now drastically lowered as a result of that infection exposure," he added. He also stated that the WHO's aim of vaccination 70% of the world's population by mid-2022 is "too late," but he remained optimistic about the disease's lessened severity. At this time, around 61 percent of the global population has gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination. Gates also stated that technology would aid in the improvement of the healthcare industry, citing messenger RNA (mRNA) technology as an example. "The cost of being prepared for the next epidemic is not that high," he said. It's not like global warming. Yes, if we're logical, we'll catch it early the next time." Gates praised India's immunisation drive in October 2021, when the country reached a milestone of 100 crores (1 billion) vaccines. In a tweet, he thanked India's "efforts" and stated that the country "remains a faithful partner" in the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. Live TV #mute Hyderabad: Days after giving a call to Opposition parties to unite against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will visit Mumbai on Sunday where he is scheduled to meet his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. According to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray invited the Telangana Chief Minister and his team to dinner. National political issues will be discussed during these meetings, the party informed. KCR will leave for Mumbai on Sunday morning and will return to Hyderabad by evening. K Chandrashekar Rao had earlier hit out at the BJP and said that it should be "expelled" from the country or else the country will be "ruined". He also called for political forces coming together to "oust" the BJP from power. As part of efforts to bring various opposition parties together against the BJP, KCR is also planning to meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee. Earlier, former Prime Minister HD Devegowda extended support to KCR for the initiative. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had also said that chief ministers of non-NDA-ruled states would soon hold a convention in Delhi. TV New Delhi: Shark Tank India has been all the rave on the internet ever since it aired in December last year and concluded on February 4. The show's judges have become national idols and their iconic dialogues have been turned into hilarious memes that have been circulating on social media. Mamaerarth co-founder Ghazal Alagh and her husband and business partner Varun Alagh recently featured on a YouTube talk show Figuring Out hosted by Raj Shamani. In the interview, Ghazal spoke about various topics from being approached for the show, finding out she had ended up investing in a few bad products on the show and the worst part about shooting the business reality show. She told Raj in the interview, "There have been deals where you have loved their products, but then you went home and checked those products on Amazon, you go like, Oh my God! What do you do now? but you cant then go back, right? Because the data that they shared was correct, now products dont have a good rating, then it is your problem. So stuff like that has also happened." She also opened up about the parts of the show she didn't enjoy very much. Speaking on the same, she said, "The worst part is when they shoot your stills. You dont have to use your brains at all, and you just have to pose." On the other hand, she added, "Otherwise it is a very interesting show, I loved being there thought I was there for a very short period of time, of course because of being pregnant, but I gave them, in total, around eight days (eight episodes), but overall experience was very good. It was fun, especially the banter between the sharks, we had a lot of fun backstage." For the unversed, the show features Emcure Pharmaceuticals CEO Namita Thapar, Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, SUGAR Cosmetics founder Vineeta Singh, BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover, Lenskart co-founder Peyush Bansal, boAt founder Aman Gupta and MamaEarth co-founder Ghazal Alagh as the judges. Shark Tank India was launched last year in December and is an adaptation of the popular US reality show Shark Tank. The show wrapped up on Feb 4 after airing 35 episodes. Shark Tank presents a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to a panel of market leaders, who invest in their company and mentor them in return for equity stakes in their company. New Delhi: Shark Tank India has been all the rave on the internet ever since it aired in December last year and concluded on February 4. The show's judges have become national idols and their iconic dialogues have been turned into hilarious memes that have been circulating on social media. One of the Sharks (investors) among them, which is Bharat Pe founder Ashneer Grover recently appeared on The Kapil Sharma show along with his wife Madhuri Jain. Well, Ashneer spilled the beans about his life and also showed his hilarious side, his appearance on the show was extremely loved by everyone except one of the contestants who appeared on his show and was rejected with a lot of humiliation. But seems like now it was her turn to hit back with a bang as she accused him of hypocrisy or doglapan, a word that he frequently uses on the show. This all happened because on the Kapil Sharma show, Ashneers wife was seen wearing a dress of her brand Twee In One to which Grover had also said that no one will ever want to wear it. Ashneer who became famous for his straight-forwardness on the show has now responded to allegations revolving around the incident. Speaking about the incident, Ashneer said that the entrepreneur usually designs clothes for models, but the samples she had shown on the show were not the best. He went on sharing, So I told her that I would make a mop out of it because it was so bad. So many of the entrepreneurs leave behind clothes for the sharks to try, and she left one for my wifeand I dont know what my wife liked, she wore it to The Kapil Sharma Show, and a behind-the-scenes photo went viral, and the girl said that I had attacked her designs, but my wife was wearing them. Clearly, my wife has a mind of her own, and she doesnt listen to me. For the unversed, the show features Emcure Pharmaceuticals CEO Namita Thapar, Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, SUGAR Cosmetics founder Vineeta Singh, BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover, Lenskart co-founder Peyush Bansal, boAt founder Aman Gupta and MamaEarth co-founder Ghazal Alagh as the judges. Shark Tank India was launched last year in December and is an adaptation of the popular US reality show Shark Tank. The show wrapped up on Feb 4 after airing 35 episodes. Shark Tank presents a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to a panel of market leaders, who invest in their company and mentor them in return for equity stakes in their company. NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party (SP) president and its chief ministerial candidate Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said that the ruling BJP will be eliminated in the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to reporters in Jaswant Nagar, Akhilesh Yadav said, BJP is going to be eliminated. Farmers of UP won't forgive them. We've hit a century in first 2 phases & even in this phase, the SP-led alliance would be ahead of everyone else. BJP going to be eliminated. Farmers of UP won't forgive them. We've hit century in first 2 phases & even in this phase SP & alliance would be ahead of everyone else: SP chief & party's candidate from Karhal, Akhilesh Yadav after voting in Jaswantnagar#UttarPradeshElections2022 pic.twitter.com/xDS7FVmwB0 ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 Akhilesh is a registered voter in Jaswant Nagar in Etawah district, from where his uncle Shivpal Yadav is contesting the polls. He had come here to cast his vote. SP chief and party's candidate from Karhal, Akhilesh Yadav cast his vote at a polling booth in Jaswantnagar.#UttarPradeshElections2022 pic.twitter.com/6D3QgrRdHO ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2022 Akhilesh also slammed the BJP government over the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. The SP chief, citing an incident where a woman constable was kidnapped and found dead in the drain, alleged that women were most unsafe in Uttar Pradesh. "A businessman`s son was kidnapped in Agra and killed days later. Was the UP CM sleeping? Will he be able to fix responsibility and punish the culprit? He could not even join the expressway in Gorakhpur. Baba CM does not want to do or see any good," said Akhilesh, targetting Yogi Adityanath. Yadav further slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for sharing fake pictures for showing development in the state. Earlier, his uncle Shivpal Yadav said that their party was sure to win the Uttar Pradesh elections with a thumping majority. He jokingly said that the only real fight between him and his nephew, the CM-face Akhilesh Yadav, was about who wins with a maximum margin. After casting his vote in Saifai, Shivpal said that he has won the Jaswant Nagar seat five times consecutively with a huge margin, but this time he has a competition with his nephew Akhilesh Yadav on who will be winning with a higher margin. Akhilesh is contesting from the neighbouring Karhal seat and both the leaders are hoping to win their respective constituencies with huge margins. Shivpal said that the Samajwadi Party will win Jaswant Nagar and Karhal seats by a margin of over one lakh votes. He also said that he has urged the voters of Karhal to give Akhilesh Yadav a record winning margin. Reacting to the BJP`s comment that he did not get a seat in Akhilesh`s campaign bus, Shivpal Yadav said, "Our whole family is united and when Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) got me seated beside him... that has been bothering the BJP a lot." Claiming that the saffron party will be defeated in Uttar Pradesh, Shivpal also said that the Yadav-led alliance will win in over 300 seats and Akhilesh is going to be the Chief Minister. Polling on 59 seats of Assembly seats was underway in Uttar Pradesh. In the earlier two phases held February 10 and 14, polling was held on 58 and 55 seats respectively. Live TV Washington: US President Joe Biden will hold a meeting of the National Security Council on the situation in Ukraine on Sunday (February 20, 2022), White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says. "President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in Ukraine and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team. They reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time," Psaki said in a Saturday statement. According to the White House, Biden has already received an update on the meetings held at the Munich Security Conference, including those with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Tomorrow, the President will convene a meeting of the National Security Council on the situation in Ukraine," Psaki said. Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO`s military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO`s military presence further eastward in Europe. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kiev`s sabotage of the Minsk agreements. The self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People`s Republics (LPR and DPR) in Ukraine`s southeast (Donbas) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia`s Rostov Region on Friday over the escalation of tensions on the contact line. DPR and LPR have been reporting ongoing shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces since Thursday. Live TV New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday (February 20) talked to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin who agreed to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, Macrons office said on Sunday. As per the official statement, the two countries foreign ministers will meet in the coming days and will work on a possible summit at the highest level with Russia, Ukraine and allies to establish a new security order in Europe, the Elysee palace said. The peace call comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the same day called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces began and intensified in recent days. The Ukraine leader also made it clear that his country supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, where Ukraine participates along with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE). "We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence," Zelenskiy said on Twitter. Meanwhile, the United States maintains its stand that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine soon. The recent update came from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who said all the signs that are being observed suggest that Moscow is planning an attack. Speaking on broadcaster CNN`S State of the Union show, Blinken, however, added that the United States was committed until the last minute to using every opportunity to see if diplomacy can dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from going ahead with an invasion. (With inputs from Reuters) Live TV Berlin: The German government on Saturday urged its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, while Lufthansa plans to partially suspend flights to and from Ukraine from Monday. "A military conflict is possible at any time... Leave the country in good time," The German Federal Foreign Office said in its security instructions on its official website, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Lufthansa, the flag carrier and largest airline of Germany, announced that it will suspend its regular flights to Kiev and Odessa until the end of February. Certain flights will still operate Saturday and Sunday, in order to offer travel options to those who have already booked. Those affected by the cancellations will be informed and rebooked on alternative flights, the company added. However, Lufthansa said that flights to Lviv in western Ukraine will continue on a regular basis. Live TV OTTAWA: Canadian police on Saturday used pepper spray and stun grenades, and made dozens of arrests as they cleared demonstrators from the street in front of parliament, where they have been camping for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions. A total of 170 arrests have been made in two days, Ottawa`s interim police chief, Steve Bell, told reporters. Police by afternoon had dispersed the main portion of the blockade in front of parliament and the prime minister`s office. After nightfall, police sent a message on Twitter to demonstrators saying: "Get out of the cold and cease further unlawful activity" or risk arrest. City crews were now engaged in cleaning up and towing away remaining vehicles, Bell told a news conference. But other pockets around the city had yet to be cleared, and there was a risk that demonstrators might change location, he said. "We are aware of protesters leaving the parliamentary precinct moving to surrounding neighborhoods. We are not going anywhere until you have your streets back," Bell said, addressing Ottawa citizens. Using bullhorns, police warned the crowd to disperse or face arrest. For a second day, police also urged protesters to remove young children from the area. "This is dangerous and is putting young children at risk," Bell said. Protest organizers for the so-called Freedom Convoy said they had asked trucks to withdraw because of what they called heavy-handed police tactics, and many trucks did exit the downtown core on Saturday. Fifty-three vehicles have been towed, police said. Officers smashed vehicle windows to arrest people locked inside. Some of those arrested on Saturday wore body armor and had smoke grenades and other fireworks in their bags and vehicles, police said. Police confirmed the use of stun grenades and pepper spray. Protesters threw smoke canisters, but no tear gas has been used, police said. As part of the ongoing protests, several border blockades had been put in place in recent weeks, but all had reopened until Saturday, when demonstrators again closed the Pacific Coast Highway border crossing south of Vancouver. Many of the main organizers in Ottawa have been taken into custody, and some have reportedly left. On Saturday, organizers said on Twitter they were "shocked at the abuses of power by the law enforcement in Ottawa" and so had "asked our truckers to move from Parliament Hill to avoid further brutality." The protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers, but the blockade has gradually turned into a demonstration against the government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau on Monday invoked emergency powers to give his government wider authority to stop the protests. He authorized banks and financial institutions to temporarily freeze the accounts of those suspected of supporting the blockades, without obtaining a court order. Live TV Moscow: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing a sharp spike in violence in and around territory held by Russia-backed rebels and increasingly dire warnings that Russia plans to invade, on Saturday called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him and seek resolution to the crisis. I don't know what the president of the Russian Federation wants, so I am proposing a meeting, Zelenskyy said at the Munich Security Conference, where he also met with US Vice President Kamala Harris. Zelenskyy said Russia could pick the location for the talks. "Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement. There was no immediate response from the Kremlin. Zelenskyy spoke hours after separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilisation on Saturday while Western leaders made increasingly dire warnings that a Russian invasion of its neighbour appeared imminent. In new signs of fear that a war could start within days, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine. German air carrier Lufthansa canceled flights to the capital, Kyiv, and to Odessa, a Black Sea port that could be a key target in an invasion. NATO's liaison office in Kyiv said it was relocating staff to Brussels and to the western Ukraine city of Lviv. Meanwhile, top Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the nearly eight-year separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. The officials fled to a bomb shelter before hustling from the area, according to an Associated Press journalist who was on the tour. Violence in eastern Ukraine has spiked in recent days as Ukraine and the two regions held by the rebels each accused the other of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed that claim as a fake statement. Sporadic violence has broken out for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from the Russia-backed rebels, but the recent shelling and bombing spike could set off a full-scale war. The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia, which has moved about 150,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, is trying to create pretexts to invade. Earlier Saturday, Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government in Ukraine's Donetsk region, cited an immediate threat of aggression from Ukrainian forces in his announcement. Ukrainian officials vehemently denied having plans to take rebel-controlled areas by force. A similar statement followed from his counterpart in the Luhansk region. On Friday, the rebels began evacuating civilians to Russia with an announcement that appeared to be part of their and Moscow's efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the evacuation orders could be a tactic to provide the spark for a broader attack. US President Joe Biden said late Friday that based on the latest American intelligence, he was now convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine and assault the capital. Biden was briefed on Harris' meetings in Munich and has been getting regular updates on the Ukraine situation, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Saturday. Biden will discuss Ukraine during a meeting with his National Security Council on Sunday, she said. Meanwhile, Russia conducted massive nuclear drills on Saturday. The Kremlin said Putin, who pledged to protect Russia's national interests against what it sees as encroaching Western threats, was watching the drills together with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko from the situation room. Notably, the planned exercise involves the Crimea-based Black Sea Fleet. Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula after seizing it from Ukraine in 2014. Underscoring the West's concerns of an imminent invasion, a US Defense official said an estimated 40% to 50% of the ground forces deployed in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border have moved into attack positions closer to the border. The shift has been underway for about a week, other officials have said and do not necessarily mean Putin has decided to begin an invasion. The defence official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal US Military assessments. The official also said the number of Russian ground units known as battalion tactical groups in the border area had grown to as many as 125, up from 83 two weeks ago. Each group has 750 to 1,000 soldiers. Lines of communication between Moscow and the West remain open: the American and Russian defence chiefs spoke Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron scheduled a phone call with Putin on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to meet next week. Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Violations of a 2015 ceasefire agreement, including shelling and shooting along the line of contact, have been common. A car bomb exploded in the center of the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk on Friday. Adding to the tensions, two explosions shook the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk early Saturday. No injuries were reported in the incidents. Ukraine's military said two of its soldiers died in firing from the rebel side on Saturday. By Saturday morning, the separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, which form Ukraine's industrial heartland known as the Donbas, said that thousands of residents of the rebel-controlled areas had been evacuated to Russia. Russia has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. Live TV Though the pandemic-induced shutdowns slowed revenue streams for many local governments, those shortfalls were less severe than initially feared. Now, city, county, and state governments are awash with cash as the economy continues a strong comeback. In 2020, the inaugural COVID-19 pandemic year, the City of Dothan estimated over $6 million in revenue losses in a report to the U.S. Treasury Department based on the Treasurys formula. Nationally, state and local governments reported more than $117 billion of revenue losses, according to an Associated Press analysis of Treasury data. More than two-thirds of those reporting their revenues showed at least some losses. Though revenue figures were left blank by nearly one-quarter of the roughly 3,700 governments that filed reports, the data nonetheless provides the most comprehensive picture yet of the financial strain that faced governments during the pandemics first year. However, the toll to Dothan was not as brutal as city officials and business leaders imagined. In fact, the following fiscal year gave the city its best tax revenue year on record with its revenue from local sales, use, and lodging taxes coming in over $10 million more than the year before. While Dothans economic growth slowed during the pandemic, its diverse economy recaptured the momentum as uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 fears waned after the beginning of 2021. All but three states Alaska, Nevada and Wyoming took in more general fund revenue than originally projected for their 2021 fiscal years, according to a report from the National Association of State Budget Officers. The revenue rebound has exceeded even pre-pandemic levels. Total state tax revenues from last April through November rose 20% compared to the same period in 2019, according to an Urban Institute report. Part of the quick pace of Dothans return to normal, like much of the nation, lies in federal dollars meant to lessen COVID-19s toll on individuals and local and state governments. In addition to stimulus checks, paycheck protection loans, and an expanded Child Tax Credit, hefty amounts of dollars were sent to governments last year in order to help the economy rebound a little quicker. The American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden last March included $350 billion in aid to states and local governments. States, counties and larger cities were required to file reports last year detailing their initial plans for the money. Allocations were based on several criteria, including a modified Community Block Grant formula and population. While many governments, such as Birmingham, may use a bulk of stimulus money to rectify budget deficits as a result of government-induced business shutdowns, other cities have freer rein on how to spend their federal dollars. The City of Dothan received the first half of its $12 million allocation last year and reported that $827,000 was initially appropriated to clean water projects. After huge pandemic losses, governments now awash in money State and local governments lost at least $117 billion of expected revenue early in the pandemic, but many are now awash in record amounts of money, boosted partly by federal aid. Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba later said that most of the money would likely go toward a slate of upcoming sewer and clean water projects, approved expenditures under the federal governments guidance. Using the money that way would free up more local monies that dont have as many strings attached. Houston County saw similar increases in tax revenue and leaders recently discussed how to spend the first half of its one-time $20.6 million allocation. Those priorities include $5 million for a water tank and water lines down U.S. 231 South all the way to the countys distribution park and another $1 million to purchase property for future industrial development. Other potential priority projects include $4.5 million for window replacement at the Houston County Administrative Building; $1 million to construct a building to store the sheriff departments Homeland Security equipment; $1 million for a downtown green space project; $1.75 million for sewer projects in Taylor, Kinsey, Rehobeth, and Cowarts; $500,000 for HVAC upgrades at the existing Sheriffs Office building; and $500,000 for a county well and tank in the southeast corner of the county to provide water to volunteer fire departments. Other Wiregrass counties are getting significant dollars as well: Barbour County, $4.79 million; Coffee County, $10.15 million; Covington County, $7.19 million; Dale County, $9.54 million; Geneva County, $5.1 million; Henry County, $3.34 million; and Pike County, $6.42 million. All towns and municipalities will be receiving a cut of direct aid as well; those in the Wiregrass, in addition to Dothan, that will receive over $1 million include: Andalusia, $1.61 million; Opp, $1.18 million; Ozark, $2.65 million; Troy, $3.51 million; and Enterprise, $5.26 million. Although cash flow is up, elected officials warn that its not sustainable, and governments would be wise to spend money carefully and build up reserves as Alabama and other states continue to deal with challenges in labor shortages, supply chain issues, and skyrocketing inflation. Sable Riley is a Dothan Eagle staff writer and can be reached at sriley@dothaneagle.com or 334.712.7915. Support her work and that of other Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com . Rumors abound implying that the Confederacy came up short in the War of Northern Aggression. While it may have appeared that way in 1865, some things take time to fully evolve. Looking over the past 150 years or so it is now apparent the south won that dust-up and the evidence is ubiquitous. The migration from the frozen tundra of New York, New Jersey and the mid-western states plus the relocation of countless businesses to the more friendly environs south of the Mason-Dixon Line are the obvious examples. However, there are more subtle signs of massive surrender to the sneaky domination of the south. Norm, you ask, Of what are you speaking of? a phrase only a southerner could use. Well, did you know you can get grits in Vermont? I wont comment on the quality but the availability speaks volumes. Furthermore, the sweet nectar of the maple tree is being phased out. Large tracts of maples are being cleared and replaced by the lush greenery of Karo trees. Yes, in much of the northeast maple syrup is being usurped by Karo syrup. Is there anything more southern than Karo syrup? All of these indicators point to the fact that the so-called Civil War is finally being resolved with the south the clear winner. The final nail in the norths coffin lid is the adoption of the one word that personifies all things southern. Yes, as you already know, that word is yall. Imagine my surprise, nay, shock, when a friend from Connecticut said to me, I hope Yall will stay well down there. She had accepted the fact that Yankees are bowing to the superiority of us rebels. Despite her subliminal surrender there was a translation problem. She pronounced yall something like youll. So I heard, Hope youll will stay well down there. I have tried several times to teach non-southerners the correct pronunciation and to a person they have struggled. Its simple really. You say oil and then put a y in front of it. For example, There are lots of awl wells in Texas, or Time to change the awl in my car. For some reason they just cant grab the essence. Still, the fact that she dropped a yall on me indicated movement toward southern domination. There are still pockets of resistance, the most obvious being Yankee iced tea. Theirs ranges from distasteful to undrinkable. Evidently they cant understand that the concept of acceptable tea is based on sugar. As we all know, you put a couple of inches of sugar in the glass and then add tea until it pours fairly easily. For some reason Yankees refuse to conform...and, oh, the humanity, some even use instant tea. Although I do enjoy the New Hampshire diners and lobster, a crawdad on steroids, the conquest is nearly complete. The north is realizing the reality without ever verbally admitting it. We will be spending millions to re-write all the history books to reflect the Holocene Era. Onward. As a candidate for State Senate District 31, I would have to agree with letter writer Stan Grett's Jan. 23 assessment that, to paraphrase, the Republican Candidates have a cookie cutter platform. As a Republican drawn to Liberty, I have been faced with the choice of going cookie cutter, or running an out-of-the-box campaign. I chose not to spend tens of thousands of dollars of somebodys money to be handled by consultants who would tell me what to say to get people to vote for me so I can vote for the PAC (special interest) money they represent. Here's how the cookie cutter works... 1) You announce as a candidate 2) You make the rounds speaking to the big money people with the implication that you won't bite the hands that feed and endorse you. 3) You hire a consultant that polls the public and packages you in the image of the public perception as they see it 4) You go to Montgomery and take on the cloak of invisibility except to the lobbyists who, UNLIKE you the voters, have your cell phone number and tell you how to vote. Then we wonder why our former governor and Speaker of the House, and current Secretary of State get caught with their pants down around their ankles, literally and figuratively. Power and money corrupt, which is a good reason for term limits. Currently there is no willpower to legislate term limits, so the only way to term-limit professional politicians such as the two candidates I am running against with over 11 years in their respective positions is at the ballot box on May 24. I am pledging that if elected I will serve no more than two terms since I am just as subject to human nature as the next person and I don't want to be corrupted. I have been told that I will regret publishing my cell number (334-545-6676), but since I want to know the needs of this state directly from real people, that is a chance I will take. Let's leave the I should be putting my picture on the front page of my website to the cookie-cutter consultants instead of asking people if they were heard after they sent their elected official to the statehouse. Maybe I am old-fashioned by running on our constitution and core values of Life-Liberty-Pursuitof Happiness for everyone, and thinking that if I don't fight for your Liberty, even if I don't agree with it, then my Liberty is the next to be taken. You need to look no further than my trucker brethren in Canada to understand why. But as Mr. Grett stated, I too hope there are more Alabamians out there who are honest and can see the truth and are ready to make a change. Stormin Norman Horton Echo The export of goods through border gates in the northern province of Lang Son has remained sluggish with many trucks having to turn around because of long customs clearance time after China tightened regulations over what it says are Covid-19 concerns. With China being a major buyer, the current situation has caused seafood prices in Vietnam to fall sharply. Bui Chi Lam, a crab-raising household in the southern province of Ca Mau, said that the selling price of top-tier crabs at the farm was just VND600,000 ($26.28) per kg , down 50 percent compared to the Lunar New Year season early this month. He has noticed a drastic fall in the number of traders looking to buy seafood. "Normally, when supply decreases, prices will increase. But the impact of border gate closures has caused crab prices to plummet," Lam said, adding that crab farmers are forced to rely exclusively on domestic consumption. The price of regular crab meat at the farm is just VND300,000 per kg. Thanh, another crab farmer in Ca Mau, said prices of the crustacean will drop further if domestic consumption was low. Apart from crab meat, shrimp prices have also fallen to around VND150,000-200,000 per kg, depending on the variety. Hoa, a seafood trader in the southern region, said that prices have decreased by 10-45 percent compared to the Lunar New Year period, but purchasing power remains low. "I have temporarily stopped exporting and am only selling to domestic traders," Hoa said. A VnExpress survey of several seafood stores and markets in HCMC found that the price of grade 1 crab at stores was VND800,000 per kg and that of regular crab around half that. As for shrimp, though supply was lower compared to the same period last year, prices have also dropped by VND50,000 per kilo in the past two days to VND200,000 per kg (about 30 shrimps per kg). Hoa said both difficulties at the China border and lower purchasing power back home were major factors in the sharp drop in prices. Over the past week, more than 2,000 trucks of goods have been stuck at Lang Son border gates because of slow customs clearance. The delay in clearing container trucks at the border has been happening since the end of last year. During the Lunar New Year holiday from Jan. 19-Feb. 6, the issue was partly resolved thanks to intervention from senior officials, but it has resurfaced since. China was Vietnam's second-largest export market for agricultural, forestry and fishery produce behind the U.S., with a turnover of $8.4 billion in the first 11 months of last year, accounting for 19.2 percent of Vietnams total agricultural exports. On February 17, China suspended trade through the Kim Thanh Border Gate in Vietnams Lao Cai Province after discovering Covid-19 cases on its side, leaving 350 container trucks stranded. With Chinese authorities placing the Hekou Yao Autonomous County under a lockdown, it is unclear when the trucks can cross the border. Four other border gates in the province: Huu Nghi International, Dong Dang, Tan Thanh and Chi Ma International Railway Stations have begun clearing goods again. However, China is continuing to strengthen pandemic prevention and quality control measures, so it takes 40-50 minutes to clear a truck. With a clearance capacity of 5-69 vehicles per day, the border trade congestion look set to continue. In Lai Chau Province, frost started dusting the O Quy Ho Heaven Gate in Son Binh Commune, Tam Duong District around 1 a.m. Sunday. The temperature dropped to 0 degrees Celsius and the mountain area experienced heavy rain and strong winds. Nguyen Thanh Cong and his wife from central coastal town of Nha Trang flew into Hanoi on Feb. 17 when they heard that the north would receive the strongest cold spell. They were able to witness frost for the first time. "I really enjoy the view though I am chilled to the bone up here," said Congs wife. "Since I am a tourist, I am glad to see ice and frost. But I feel sorry for the locals since the bitter cold will make their lives miserable, especially for those raising cattle and growing vegetables," Cong said. ELKO Interstate 80s eastbound lanes between Elko and Wells were closed Saturday afternoon when a suspect being chased committed suicide while driving on the freeway. The Elko County Sheriffs Office was involved in a brief pursuit with a suspect from a domestic violence incident. During the pursuit the suspect held a firearm out the window of the vehicle, then apparently took his own life while still driving the vehicle, stated the sheriffs office. No one else was in the vehicle when it crashed. There was no exchange of gunfire during the incident and no deputies were injured. Eastbound lanes were closed mid-afternoon about 15 miles east of Elko. This was the second incident involving firearms on Elko County highways in recent weeks. A Colorado truck driver was arrested in December on I-80 after allegedly pointing a gun at a motorist on U.S. Highway 93. That suspect was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, driving under the influence, and open container of alcohol in vehicle. In July, Nevada Highway Patrol investigated an incident on I-80 near Reno after gunshots were reportedly fired at a vehicle following a crash. Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 4 Sad 22 Angry 0 By Trend Leaders of the EU, NATO and the US had a phone call Friday evening, during which they called for an immediate de-escalation around Ukraine "amid the alarming reports," European Council President Charles Michel said, Trend reports citing TASS. "In the call with US and transatlantic leaders discussed the latest on Russia and Ukraine. Called for immediate de-escalation amidst alarming reports. The EU is committed to diplomacy and united in supporting Ukraine," Michel tweeted. The phone call was simultaneously announced by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "Good call with @POTUS & transatlantic leaders on the ongoing security crisis in & around #Ukraine," the NATO head tweeted. ELKO Gusty winds on Sunday were preceding a cold front that will send temperatures 20 degrees lower in the week ahead. The warm and dry weather will end tonight and Monday as winter-like conditions return to northern and central Nevada, said a special statement from the National Weather Service. A band of valley rain and mountain snow showers will push into northern Elko and Humboldt counties this afternoon and evening, spreading south and east overnight into Monday morning. As the colder air filters in behind the cold front, valley rain should switch over to snow tonight into Monday. The forecast for Elko calls for a 30% chance of rain late Sunday afternoon and evening, increasing to a 50% chance of rain or snow Sunday night into Monday. The heaviest snow is forecast to fall across central Nevada Monday morning where up to 2 inches is expected in the valleys with higher amounts across Great Basin National Park, where 5-7 inches are possible along the highest ranges through Monday night. The chance of snow showers will be continue through mid-week, but only light amounts are expected. Highs that were running 10 degrees above normal on Saturday will be 10 degrees or more below normal by Wednesday. The extended forecast calls for dry and sunny weather by the weekend with highs rebounding into the 40s. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ukraine-Russia crisis: headlines - Biden agrees to meet Putin in principle but may be smokescreen - Netherlands moves Ukraine embassy staff to Lviv - Russian diplomat says: US and British spies can't be trusted on Ukraine - Johnson fears "biggest war in Europe since 1945" - Russia launches exercises by strategic nuclear missile forces on Saturday close to Ukrainian border - US President Biden "convinced" Russian President Putin has "made decision" to invade Ukraine - US defence secretary: Russia "poised to strike" Ukraine - Stoltenberg: Russia "will only get more NATO" - US VP Harris warns Russia faces "unprecedented" economic sanctions if its invades Ukraine - As tensions increase, Russian and European energy dependence pose challenges for possible EU sanctions. What you need to know about the conflict - What is a false flag operation? Has one ever started a war? - Why did Russia expel US diplomats? - US urges American citizens to leave Ukraine - How many time zones are there in Russia? Related news articles: This year Presidents Day will be celebrated on Monday, 22 February and many private businesses and public institutions will be taking the day off to mark the occasion. Presidents Day is one of 11 federal holidays to be held during 2022 but not everyone knows the origin of the celebration and the reason for its constantly changing date. Heres everything you need to know What are the origins of Presidents Day? The origins of Presidents Day can be found more than two centuries ago and begins with the death of President George Washington in 1799. In the 19th century Washington was celebrated as the most important character in American history and his birthdate, 22 February, became a day of remembrance. In 1832, for example, the centennial of his birthday was a major occasion and his legend was further venerated in 1848 with the start of the construction of the Washington Monument. However it was not until the late 1870s that there was a real push for Washingtons birthday to become a federal holiday. That idea was first proposed by Sen. Stephen Wallace Dorsey and in 1879 then-President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law. For the initial few years the holiday was restricted to the District of Columbia but in 1885 it was expanded to become a national holiday. It was only the fifth holiday to enjoy such garlanded status, following Christmas Day, New Years Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Presidents Day was the first federal holiday to celebrate the life and achievements of a single American. To this day only George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. enjoy that status. Why does the date of Presidents Day change every year? Although the holiday is integrally connected to Washington the tradition has since been broadened to include the achievements of all presidents. Washingtons birthday was originally chosen for the holiday but a legislative change in 1968 meant that the exact date now varies each year. The Uniform Monday Holidays Bill was passed by Congress in 1968 and it ensured that certain holidays would fall on a Monday. The logic behind this move was sound; Congress wanted to reward American workers with more long weekends, understanding that a Monday holiday was of greater value than a midweek break. While Congress debated the Uniform Monday Holidays Bill it was actually suggested that the Washingtons Birthday holiday be renamed as Presidents Day, to honour both Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. This suggestion was initially rejected but soon after the bill went into effect in 1971, Presidents Day became the commonly accepted name. Arab Parliament Speaker said participants expressed categorical rejection of all forms of foreign interference in Libya's internal affairs, calling for getting all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libyan territories The Arab Parliament welcomed on Thursday the outcome of the meeting that grouped Libya neighbors, stressing that the security and stability of Libya are a necessity to the stability of the entire region. Foreign ministers of Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Niger, Chad in addition to Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit and other senior officials took part in the meeting that took place in the Algerian capital on Tuesday. In a statement, Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Al-Asoumi said participants at the meeting expressed categorical rejection of all forms of foreign interference in Libya's internal affairs, calling for getting all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libyan territories. They underlined the importance of building confidence among parties concerned with the Libyan crisis to provide an appropriate atmosphere for coming elections. The two-day meeting also urged Libyan parties to stick to a political road map that ended hostilities last year and set parliamentary and presidential elections in December. The Arab Parliament expressed support for all Arab, regional and international efforts aiming at finding a lasting solution to the Libyan crisis. Search Keywords: Short link: Somalia's president and premier have declared null and void a deal signed by their energy minister with a US company to explore for oil and gas off the coast of the troubled Horn of Africa nation. Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed and Coastline Exploration Ltd had announced on late Saturday seven production sharing agreements (PSAs) covering deep water offshore blocks. Ahmed hailed it as a "huge moment" for Somalia, one of the poorest countries in the world, which is in the grip of a political crisis over long-delayed elections and also battling a jihadist insurgency. "Recently completed seismic programmes indicate that Somalia has the potential to become a significant oil and gas producing country," he said in a statement. The PSAs "will have an immediate positive effect on the country", he said, and are expected to generate tens of millions of dollars for federal and state coffers. But both Somalia's president and prime minister -- who are often at loggerheads -- swiftly denounced the deal late Saturday. The office of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known by his nickname Farmajo, said it flouted a decree that bans the signing of any agreements with foreign governments or entities during the election period. "Therefore the agreement which the minister signed is null and void," it said in a statement. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble also dismissed the agreement as "illegal, unacceptable" in a post on Twitter, saying he would "take all appropriate measures to protect our national resources". Somalia is plodding through an election process that is more than a year overdue and has been marred by violence, including an attack Saturday in the central town of Beledweyne that killed 14 people on the eve of a round of voting for parliamentary seats there. Coastline, which is based in Houston, Texas, had hailed the deal as a "defining moment" for Somalia, which has so far not produced oil or gas although exploration started in the 1950s before being derailed by the civil war. "Somalia contains the largest remaining unexplored set of basins situated in warm waters in the world," Coastline chief executive W. Richard Anderson said in a statement. There was no immediate response from Coastline to requests for comment about the Somali leaders' reaction to the deal. Search Keywords: Short link: The United Arab Emirates warned Sunday of the rising threat of drone attacks, such as those launched against it by Yemen's Huthi rebels, at a defence industry conference on unmanned systems. "We have to unite to prevent the use of drones from threatening civilian safety and destroying economic institutions," said Mohammed bin Ahmad al-Bawardi, UAE's minister of state for defence affairs. The Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX) kicked off in Abu Dhabi, with regional and Western military and industry representatives, including from the United States, Britain and France. While the event will showcase the latest in high-tech drone technology, the host country warned that such weapons are becoming cheaper and more widespread. They are now part of the arsenals of "terrorist groups that use the systems to terrorise civilians or to impact the global system in a negative way," said the UAE's minister of state for artificial intelligence, Omar bin Sultan al-Olama. "That is a challenge that requires us to... work together to ensure that we can create a shield against the use of these systems." The UAE is part of a Saudi-led military coalition that has been fighting in Yemen since 2015 to support the government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels. While the Emirates announced it withdrew its troops from the country in 2019, it remains an influential player, backing fighters there. The UAE has been on heightened alert since a Huthi drone and missile attack killed three oil workers in Abu Dhabi on January 17. Authorities have since thwarted three similar attacks, including one claimed by a little-known militant group believed to have ties with pro-Iran armed factions in Iraq. The UAE's staunch ally the United States has deployed a warship and fighter planes to help protect the Middle East financial and leisure hub, usually a safe haven in the volatile region. Meanwhile, France said it would bolster its defence cooperation with the UAE, mostly in securing its air space. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend German Foreign Ministry recommends citizens to leave Ukraine, stated in the list of recommendations of the German Foreign Ministry, which was updated on Saturday, Trend reports with reference to TASS. "A warning against trips to Ukraine. An urgent call to leave the country," the message says. "Military clashes are possible at any moment," the Foreign Ministry notes. Egypt said on Sunday that Ethiopia's announcement of the "unilateral" beginning of power generation from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a violation of the Declaration of Principles (DoP) signed between Addis Ababa, Cairo and Khartoum in 2015. An official statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the step was announced "unilaterally" as was the case in the first and the second filling of the multi-billion-dollar dam in 2020 and 2021. Earlier in the day, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed congratulated Ethiopians as the GERD's first turbine began generating power during a ceremony. The DoP, signed in March 2015 by the three countries in Khartoum to settle the GERD crisis, granted Ethiopia the consent of the two downstream countries of Egypt and Sudan to the construction of the dam in return for a pledge from Ethiopia not to inflict any harm on the downstream countries. The 10-principle DoP obliges the three countries to take all the necessary procedures to avoid causing significant damage among them while using the Blue Nile. A state whose use of the Blue Nile causes significant harm to any of the other two countries, in the absence of an agreement, should take all appropriate measures in consultations with the affected state to eliminate or mitigate such harm, according to the DoP. Egypt and Sudan, who do not oppose the construction of the dam, have been negotiating with Ethiopia for 10 years now to reach a legally binding agreement on the rules of filling and operating the GERD, but Addis Ababa has repeatedly refused to sign any such deal. Egypt, which relies mainly on the Nile for its water needs, fears that the unilateral and quick filling and operation of the GERD would have a negative impact on the country's water supply. Meanwhile, Sudan is concerned about regulating water flows to safeguard its own dams. The latest rounds of African Union (AU)-sponsored talks in Kinshasa to resolve the decade-long dispute collapsed in April, with Egypt and Sudan having always blamed the failure of this and previous rounds of talks on Ethiopia's intransigence. Ethiopia, which says the project essential for producing electricity and economic development, has repeatedly downplayed the concerns of Cairo and Khartoum. Addis Ababa unilaterally completed the dam's first filling in 2020 and the second filling in 2021 in the absence of a legally binding deal with Cairo and Khartoum. During Sunday's event, Abiy Ahmed said "From now on, there will be nothing that will stop Ethiopia," according to AP. The now-operating first turbine generates 375 megawatts, while the second turbine is also in preparation, the Ethiopian News Agency reported, adding that when the construction of the dam is complete, it will generate 5,250 megawatt of electricity. The GERDs project manager Kifle Horo said, according to AP, that the dam just started generating power, but that doesn't mean the project is completed. It will take from two and half to three years to complete it [the GERD], Horo said. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt ranked first among African countries for fixed broadband internet speed in January 2022s report by Ooklas Speedtest Global Index with an average speed of 35.67 Mbps, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat announced on Sunday. This comes after Egypt had been in the 40th spot out of 43 countries previously, the minister added while reviewing the report in a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. According to Speedtest Global Index, Egypt is currently ranked 86th worldwide. Speedtests Global Index is the ranking system made by Ookla a global leader in internet testing, data, and analysis that compares internet speed data from users around the world on a monthly basis. This achievement, Talaat said, comes in light of the continuous polices taken by the ministry to improve the internet speed in Egypt in addition to Telecom Egypts (TE) the countrys primary telecom operator plans to develop their services and improve customer satisfaction. The minister added that TE has implemented an integrated workplan to develop infrastructure across the country by developing and expanding the international and main network as well as the multi-network IM. Furthermore, TE is expanding the deployment of intelligent assembly units relying on fiber-optic cables in conjunction with MSAN and a backbone network, the minister explained. In November, Talaat announced on his Facebook page that Egypt invested about EGP 60 billion to develop its communications infrastructure. The minister explained that the investment is part of a plan to pave the way for digitising Egypt, an approach deemed necessary, especially under the conditions imposed by the pandemic. Egypts internet users have significantly hiked recently, reaching 74.9 million users in November 2021, according to a report issued in December by the ministry. The number of internet users in Egypt through mobile phones alone reached 63.2 million in November 2021, up from November 2020s 51.1 million users, according to a report. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's House of Representatives the lower chamber of parliament initially approved Sunday new government-drafted amendments to the capital market law (Law 95/1992), allowing the issuance of securitisation bonds for future cash flows to help finance public utility projects. Parliament's deputy speaker Ahmed Saadeddin said the amended law will be up for a final vote in a later session. Ahmed Samir, chairman of the House's Economic Affairs Committee, said the amendments were proposed by the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), with the objective of streamlining the performance of Egypt's capital market in line with international rules and criterion and making use of Egypt's current economic growth in all sectors at the same time. "The law seeks to create new non-banking funding tools which can be used to contribute to fund projects aimed to improve the performance of public utilities and services," said Samir, adding that "one of the main strategic objectives of Egypt's economic growth is to develop the capital market, regulate its performance in a more competitive and transparent way, and diversify the investment tools and this, in general, will be of great benefit to the Egyptian economy." "In brief, this law aims to provide the funding necessary to achieve greater economic growth and comprehensive development," said Samir, explaining that "projects under implementation will be allowed by this law to issue bonds on the capital market, the proceeds of which will be used to fund their operations, streamline performance and provide sustainable services." The amendments encompassed six articles of the capital market law, the most important of which is Article 10 which was amended to state that companies whose shares are traded on the capital market will be forced to use electronic systems necessary to help owners of shares to attend general assembly meetings and vote on decisions taken online (article 10). Those who violate this article will pay a fine of no less than EGP 20,000 and no more than EGP 100,000. The amended article 41 also states that securitization companies will be allowed to issue bonds, the proceeds of which will be allocated to give funding to public and private entities after getting FRA's approval. Soliman Wahdan, the parliamentary spokesperson of the liberal Wafd party, said the above amendments go in line with Article 27 of the constitution which states that Egypt's economic system is aimed to achieve prosperity through sustainable development. "The amendments of the capital market law clearly serve the objective of raising the living standard of citizens and achieving prosperity," said Wahdan. Amr Darwish, MP affiliated with the parliamentary majority party of Mostaqbal Watan, said the amendments help create an economic climate more favourable to investors and businesses. "The amendments open new fields for private investors and national projects to tap the capital market to get finance and serve the Egyptian economy," said Darwish. Hani Abaza, a Wafdist MP, said "the amendments make the capital market a more attractive source for spending on national projects which serve poor citizens and improve public utilities." Meanwhile, the House also approved two foreign agreements. The first is an Egyptian-Swedish Cooperation Agreement, which offers a 10 million Swedish krone grant to improve the performance of Egypt's electricity grid. The second is an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, aiming to increase the sum of a financial grant by 210,000 euros, or from 555,343 euros to 765,343 Euros, to help the Egyptian National Railway Authority's purchase of 100 new train locomotives. Search Keywords: Short link: The percentage of public sector employees abusing drugs in Egypt has dropped from 8 percent in 2019 to 1 percent over the first week of the Anti-Drug Law going into effect, which allows the dismissal of employees who test positive for drugs. Law No. 73 for 2021 was enforced in December after the end of a six-month grace period given to employees to confidentially report their addiction and receive free of charge treatment. The law was ratified by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in June after many road and train accidents were believed to be largely caused by mistakes related to drivers drug abuse. Since 2019, authorities have been carrying out random drug tests for employees as well as drivers, including school bus drivers, as part of the states efforts to fight drug abuse. In March 2021, 20 people were killed when two trains collided in Upper Egypt. The Public Prosecution then revealed that one of the two trains drivers assistants tested positive for drugs. Over the first week of implementing the law, 25 out of 2,877 employees in the states administrative apparatus tested positive for drug abuse, Egypts Fund for Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction (FDCTA) said in a statement on Sunday. Over the past three years, around 500,000 employees in the apparatus underwent drug tests, the FDCTA said, noting that the percentage of drug abuse has dropped from 8 percent in 2019 to 1.7 percent in 2021 then to 1 percent over the first week of implementing the law. Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Qabbaj has renewed the call for employees abusing drugs to request free treatment voluntarily and confidentially by calling 16023, the statement read. Treatment of employees abusing drugs will be carried out in complete secrecy and no punishment will be doled out to those asking for treatment voluntarily before a testing campaign kicks off in their workplace, El-Qabbaj added. Since the law was enforced, the 16023-hotline received 1,000 phone calls from employees in the states administrative apparatus, Amr Othman, the assistant minister of social solidarity said. Those who refuse to undergo the test or deliberately attempt to flee the testing will be treated as drug abusers and their employment will be terminated, Othman said. The goal of the law is to protect the lives of citizens and also reduce the accidents caused by the human element due to the abuse of narcotic substances, Othman added. According to the law, state employees and civil servants will be subjected to annual random drug testing and those who test positive will be dismissed immediately without the need for judicial measures. Any state employee who tests positive for drugs will be suspended for more than three months or until the result of the second confirmatory analysis is provided. As per the law, the employee will receive half of their salary till the results of the second confirmatory analysis are received. If the second sample is also positive, the employees service is terminated. The law gives state employees who test positive for drugs the right to appeal the dismissal decision by going to forensic medicine to give a final say on whether they really take drugs or not. The law stipulates that those who are seeking jobs in state authorities, state administrative units, public sector companies, public utility management companies, rehabilitation centres, kindergartens, schools, and hospitals must also test negative for drugs. Search Keywords: Short link: Heads of Arab councils and parliaments participating in the fourth conference of the Arab Parliament in Cairo hailed Egypt's pioneering efforts to cement cooperation with Arab countries and protect their national security. Their remarks came as they met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in the presence of Speaker of the Arab Parliament Adel bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asumi on Sunday, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. The fourth conference of the Arab Parliament was concluded on Saturday after approving a joint document on the necessity of stopping foreign interference in the Arab countries' affairs as well as their vision towards crises in Arab states, including Yemen, Libya and Lebanon. The document also addressed countering terrorism and extremism as well as women and youth empowerment and intercultural dialogue. During the meeting with El-Sisi, Al-Asumi praised Egypt's efforts to enhance cooperation between Arab states and defend their national security. Al-Asumi also hailed the support provided by Egyptian institutions to host the Arab Parliament in Cairo, affirming their keenness to formulate a unified parliamentary vision to face the current challenges facing Arab states. El-Sisi held an open dialogue with the Arab speakers, affirming the need to consolidate communication between Arab nations' parliaments in the future to exchange expertise and enhance Arab solidarity. Holding the fourth conference of the Arab Parliament under the slogan the role of parliamentarians in achieving security and stability in the Arab world" embodies the huge national responsibility that the parliamentarians shoulder in such critical moment of the Arab history, the president told the attendees. This comes especially as parliamentarian diplomacy has become one of the vital arms of any effective Arab action on the regional and international levels and an integral part of official diplomacy regarding serving the interests of the Arab peoples and defending their just causes, El-Sisi added. El-Sisi also held a meeting with Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanim, affirming Egypt's keenness to develop firm cooperation between the two countries and their parliaments at all levels. Al-Ghanim conveyed the greetings of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber to El-Sisi and expressed Kuwait's appreciation of the firm historic relations gathering the two countries. He also stressed Kuwait's keenness to enhance consultations with Egypt on various issues in light of the pivotal role played by Egypt in the region as a main pillar for security and stability in the Arab world. Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Hanafy El-Gebaly also attended the meeting. Search Keywords: Short link: An Israeli minister arrived in Morocco on Sunday for a visit aimed at developing economic and trade ties, in the latest sign of expanding cooperation after the countries normalized relations in 2020. Economy Minister Orna Barbivai is due to sign "a historic cooperation agreement" aiming to establish "the economic foundations of trade relations between Morocco and Israel", her ministry said in a statement. She is scheduled to visit Rabat, economic capital Casablanca and tourist hub Marrakesh, to tour Israeli textile and agricultural companies and to meet ministers and business representatives on the four-day trip. "Morocco has great importance for Israel diplomatically, economically and culturally," she said before the visit, on which she is accompanied by her Moroccan-born husband. Bilateral trade amounted to about $130 million last year. The trip comes less than three months after Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz made an unprecedented visit in November, signing a security pact that angered Morocco's neighbour and rival Algeria, and the Palestinians. After his visit, Israeli and Moroccan media reported Rabat's purchase of Israeli defence technology. Israel and Morocco had initially established relations in the 1990s, but Rabat broke them off at the start of the second Palestinian intifada (uprising) in 2000. Cooperation has expanded swiftly since ties were re-established as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords in late 2020. National carrier Royal Air Maroc is expected to start direct flights between Casablanca and Tel Aviv on March 13. Morocco reopened its borders earlier this month after shutting them in November due to the coronavirus and is hoping for a large influx of Israeli tourists. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian security forces arrested a pharmacist on Saturday over charges of possessing and promoting herbs and medications of unknown origins in the neighborhood of Sheikh Zayed in Giza governorate, according to a statement. Ahmed Abul-Nasr, known as the curcumin doctor, was dealing in medicines of unknown origins that are not approved by medical authorities, and was advertising them on several satellite channels, with the aim of achieving financial profits. According to the statement, the forces tracked Abul-Nasrs movements and arrested him on way to his home in Sheikh Zayed. The forces seized large quantities of herbs with fake trademarks from the suspects home and a number of curcumin products from his car, the statement said. He was referred to the prosecution for investigation. Search Keywords: Short link: Ethiopia will start generating electricity from its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) built on the River Nile on Sunday, Ethiopian government officials told AFP on condition of anonymity. The GERD, set to be the largest hydroelectric project in Africa, has been at the centre of a regional dispute between Egypt, Sudan, on the one hand, and Ethiopia, on the other, ever since Addis Ababa started building the dam in 2011. "Tomorrow will be the first energy generation of the dam," an Ethiopian government official told AFP on Saturday. A second official confirmed the information to AFP. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the milestone dam, which is projected to produce 6,450 MW in electricity, has not been officially announced. Egypt and Sudan, who do not oppose the construction of the dam, have been negotiating with Ethiopia for 10 years now on the rules of filling and operating the GERD, but Addis Ababa has repeatdly refused to sign any such deal. Egypt, which relies mainly on the Nile for its water needs, fears that the unilateral filling and operation of the GERD would have a negative impact on the country's water supply. Meanwhile, Sudan is concerned about regulating water flows to safeguard its own dams. Ethiopia, which deems the multi-billion-dollar project essential for producing electricity and economic development, has repeatedly downplayed the concerns of Cairo and Khartoum. Addis Ababa completed the dam's first filling in summer 2020 and the second filling in July 2021 in the absence of a legally binding deal with Cairo and Khartoum. The latest rounds of African Union (AU)-sponsored talks in Kinshasa to resolve the decade-long dispute collapsed in April, with Egypt and Sudan have always blaming the failure of this and previous rounds of talks on Ethiopia's intransigence. In September 2021, the UN Security Council (UNSC) called on the three nations to resume negotiations under the auspices of the AU to reach an agreement. Since, various attempts to revive the talks, whether through the African Union or the US envoy to the African Horn, have failed, but the three countries have expressed their willingness to resume the talks under the AU. However, talks have not resumed yet. Last week, 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 and they expect the green light to put their resources into use." Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has said on numerous occasions that Cairo supports Ethiopia's efforts towards economic development, but not at the expense of Egypt's water security. Search Keywords: Short link: The Arab Parliament selected on Saturday Egypt's New Administrative Capital as the best Arab sustainable development project in 2021. This came during the fourth conference of the parliament held at the headquarters of the League of the Arab States in Cairo. House Speaker Hanafy El-Gebaly received the award during the conference, as the Arab Parliament described Egypt's new capital as "the largest smart city in the Middle East". The UAE's Mars Mission (Hope Probe) and Saudi Arabia's NEOM got similar awards, while Riyadh's (Middle East Green) was chosen as the best Arab initiative for sustainable development in 2021. Located between the Cairo-Suez and Cairo-Ain Sokhna roads, the new capital, which is under construction, will house 6.5 million people when completed. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said the new capital, built over 170,000 feddans, will embody the values of modern Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed congratulated all Ethiopians on Sunday as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dams (GERD) first turbine has begun generating power, Ethiopias Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. Today, Africa's largest power plant, the GERDs first turbine began generating power. This is good news for our continent as well as the downstream countries with whom we aspire to work together, Ahmed was quoted as saying by the ministry during a ceremony before the dam. From now on, there will be nothing that will stop Ethiopia, AP quoted the Ethiopian premier as saying during Sundays event that was officiated by him. The GERDs project manager Kifle Horo said, according to AP, that the dam just started generating power, but that doesn't mean the project is completed. It will take from two and a half to three years to complete it [the GERD], Horo said. The Ethiopian News Agency said Sunday that, according to the information from the office of the GERD, the now-operating first turbine generates 375 megawatts, while the second turbine is also in preparation. When the construction of the dam is complete, it will generate 5,250 megawatt of electricity, the news agency said. It is estimated that Ethiopia will be able to earn up to $580 million a year by selling about 2 thousand megawatts to neighbouring countries from GERD, which is planned to be the largest electric power-generating dam in Africa, the agency noted. The GERD has been at the centre of a regional dispute between Egypt and Sudan on the one hand, and Ethiopia, on the other. Egypt and Sudan, who do not oppose the construction of the dam, have been negotiating with Ethiopia for 10 years now on the rules of filling and operating the GERD, but Addis Ababa has repeatedly refused to sign any such deal. Egypt, which relies mainly on the Nile for its water needs, fears that the unilateral and quick filling and operation of the GERD would have a negative impact on the country's water supply. Meanwhile, Sudan is concerned about regulating water flows to safeguard its own dams. Ethiopia, which deems the multi-billion-dollar project essential for producing electricity and economic development, has repeatedly downplayed the concerns of Cairo and Khartoum. Addis Ababa unilaterally completed the dam's first filling in 2020 and the second filling in 2021 in the absence of a legally binding deal with Cairo and Khartoum. The latest rounds of African Union (AU)-sponsored talks in Kinshasa to resolve the decade-long dispute collapsed in April, with Egypt and Sudan have always blaming the failure of this and previous rounds of talks on Ethiopia's intransigence. Search Keywords: Short link: Hong Kong: Local primary industries subsidies set The Government will provide financial relief to wholesalers operating in the fresh food wholesale markets and local primary producers under the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund, with applications starting tomorrow. The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department said today a subsidy of $100,000 will be provided to each marine fish wholesaler in Fish Marketing Organization markets. It will also provide $20,000 to each of the other kind of fresh food wholesalers operating in public or private wholesale markets, but the total subsidy is capped at $100,000 for wholesale traders that operate multiple stores under the same registration. A subsidy of $20,000 will be provided to the owners of each fishing vessel or fish collector vessel with Mainland deckhands and $10,000 to each local primary producer. The applications for subsidies will start from tomorrow. The department expected about 11,000 fresh food wholesalers and local primary producers would benefit. The deadline for applications for fresh food wholesalers and local primary producers is April 4 while that for owners of fishing vessels or fish collector vessels is May 20. In addition, the Government will provide a one-off interest-free loan repayment deferral for a period of one year to loan borrowers under the Fisheries Development Loan Fund. The department will issue a letter together with a confirmation slip to all borrowers. The loan borrowers must send the acceptance confirmation slip back by April 25. This story has been published on: 2022-02-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Trend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his speech at the Munich Security Conference has proposed to convey a summit of permanent members of the UN Security Council in the coming weeks with the participation of Ukraine, Germany and Turkey, Trend reports. The head of state said that Ukraine would start consultations with the guarantor states of the Budapest Memorandum. "Since 2014, Ukraine has tried three times to convene consultations of the guarantor states of the Budapest Memorandum, but failed in all three. Today, Ukraine is doing it for the fourth time, and I am doing it for the first time as president. But this is the last time both Ukraine and I are doing it. I am initiating consultations within the framework of the Budapest Memorandum. This issue has been assigned to the Foreign Minister", Zelensky said. Egypt offered its condolences to Brazil for victims of floods and landslides in the southeastern city of Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro state. Heavy rains that battered the city on Tuesday triggered flash floods and landslides, raising the death toll to 152, AFP cited authorities as saying on Sunday. Related Brazil storm death toll rises to 152 Police said 165 people remain missing and authorities said it was unlikely that anyone would be found alive under the wreckage. President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday that the damage caused in the city looked like "scenes of war." In a statement on Sunday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended condolences to the families of the victims and expressed solidarity with the government and people of Brazil. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Jordanian counterpart, Bisher Al-Khasawneh, will chair the 30th joint higher committee meeting on Monday, the Egyptian cabinet said. Al-Khasawneh is leading a ministerial delegation on an official visit to Egypt, accompanied by the Jordanian ministers of transport, energy, finance, social development, trade and industry. Madbouly received Al-Khasawneh on Sunday, where they discussed bilateral cooperation and regional issues of mutual concern. During the joint higher committee meeting on Monday, the premiers will witness the signing of a number of cooperation programs and protocols in the fields of higher education, scientific research, agricultural quarantine, logistics and youth affairs, the cabinet said. In October last year, Madbouly met received Al-Khasawneh in the first visit by a foreign official to the new cabinet headquarters in the New Administrative Capital (NAC). During the meeting, Al-Khasawneh said Jordan seeks to benefit from the Egyptian mega infrastructure projects, especially the construction of the new big roads and axes leading to the NAC. In press remarks during his October visit, Al-Khasawneh said Jordan and Egypt share priorities in development and economic coordination. The two countries also have strategic interests in cooperation with Iraq through trilateral summits which started in Cairo. Since March 2019, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq have held four trilateral summits - the latest in June in Baghdad - to promote cooperation mechanisms and reinforce political consultation on regional issues. On cooperation in the oil field, the Jordanian premier said some strategic projects have already been determined, including an oil pipeline which will stretch from Iraq to Jordan and then to Egypt, as well as an industrial zone that will be established on the Jordan-Iraq border soon, which will also have benefits for Egypt. Coordination also includes contracting projects, the reconstruction of Iraq, and achieving benefits for the Arab countries and their peoples, he said. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Ministry of Health and Population reported 2,025 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak began in February 2020 to 467,448. The ministry also recorded 62 coronavirus-related fatalities, bringing the total tally of deaths to 23,694, according to the ministrys daily report. The report added that the total number of recoveries increased to 398,761 after 1,543 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide in the past 24 hours. Egypt is currently witnessing a drop in cases and deaths in comparison to the past six weeks, Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, the acting health minister, said on Wednesday, citing the results of COVID-19 tests performed including those conducted for travel purposes at public and private laboratories. On Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the general director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), announced in an event hosted in Brussels during the European Union African Union Summit that the first African countries to receive technology from an European hub to produce their own mRNA vaccine would be Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia. Tedros said the transfer would be carried out with help from the EU, Germany, Canada, France, Norway, and Belgium. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who attended the event, stressed that the mRNA technology transfer hub is in line with the countrys existing efforts to produce vaccines and develop a medical infrastructure capable of ensuring the continuing availability of vaccines in Egypt and across Africa. Egypt has been producing the Chinese Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine since summer 2021 at its VACSERA factory for domestic use as well as for export to Africa and neighbouring countries. The Egyptian private sector company Minapharm also signed an agreement in 2021 with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to locally produce Russias Sputnik V vaccine. In November 2021, Egypt started clinical trials for its own home-made vaccine, COVI-VAX, which is expected to run from six to nine months. Search Keywords: Short link: The Palestinian Authority received on Sunday an Egyptian-Chinese gift of 500,000 doses from the Egyptian-made Sinovac/VACSERA COVID-19 vaccine for the Gaza Strip, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population said. In a ceremony held on Sunday at the headquarters of the Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines S.A.E (VACSERA) in Dokki, Palestinian Consul Nidaa Al-Barghouthy received the gift on behalf of the Palestinian side in the presence of Egypts Acting Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and Chinese Ambassador to Cairo Liao Liqiang, Al-Barghouthy expressed her gratitude to the Egyptian and the Chinese authorities for helping the Palestinian people, praising the two countries cooperation in the health sector to produce the vaccine. She also applauded VACSERAs progress and expediency in producing the WHO-approved Sinovac vaccine. Egypt has been locally producing the Sinovac/VACSERA COVID-19 vaccine since June 2021 at VACSERAs factories upon an agreement signed in April of the same year with Chinas Sinovac biopharmaceutical company. According to the agreement, Sinovac provides VACSERA with the technical assistance to manufacture the vaccine and the necessary training for VACSERA employees. The vaccine was granted an emergency use license by the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) in August 2021. The local production of vaccines in Egypt comes as a part of the countrys plan to become a hub for producing and exporting vaccines in the region. Yesterday, Abdel-Ghaffar met with the Chinese ambassador to Egypt to discuss ways to bolster cooperation between the two sides in the health sector. Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the health ministry, indicated that the minister discussed with Liqiang the Chinese governments plan to send 60 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to support the Egyptian government in its vaccination campaign, according to a statement on Saturday. Search Keywords: Short link: Cairo received on Sunday a shipment comprising over 2,158,650 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine from the government of the United States, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population announced. The shipment was obtained via COVAX, an international initiative that seeks to ensure equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines, in cooperation with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Late in January, the US embassy in Cairo said Egypt had received more than 21 million doses of high-quality vaccines from the US. Egypt, which has imported over 140 million coronavirus vaccine doses as of 10 February, has administered more than 39 million vaccine shots through Saturday. More than 29.4 million citizens are fully vaccinated to date, the health ministry announced on Sunday. Acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar also discussed with Chinese Ambassador in Cairo Liao Liqiang a Chinese government plan to send 60 million doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Egypt soon. Egypt suffered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases over the past month before the cases stabilised over the recent week. Search Keywords: Short link: Turkey ``has much to gain'' if it works with the European Union to stem migrant arrivals from its airports and shores to the ethnically divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus, a top EU official said Sunday. European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said he's hopeful Turkish authorities will show the same degree of cooperation on curbing migrant arrivals to Cyprus as they did on helping the EU deal with a Belarussian ``hybrid attack'' of pushing migrants across its border into Poland. ``Look, Turkey, like all other of our neighbors, must understand a very simple thing: that on the migration issue, they have much to gain if they work with Europe instead of working against Europe,'' Schinas said. Schinas will travel to Turkey next month for talks to assess ways in which migrants reach Cyprus' breakaway north, either through flights from Istanbul or by boat from the country's southern coast. Some 85% of migrants who reach the north slip across a United Nations-controlled buffer zone that severs the island along ethnic lines. The EU official spoke after touring several frequently-used migrant crossing routes along the buffer zone. The island's division came in 1974 when Turkey invaded in the wake of a coup aiming at union with Greece. Cypriot officials have accused Turkey of deliberately channeling migrants to the island's north. The buffer zone isn't recognized as an EU external border and authorities have refrained from building any walls. But officials say they will employ ``high-tech measures`` to curb buffer zone crossings. ``What I see here today along the Green Line is shocking, it's a completely different perception of the problem than seeing it from a distance,'' said Schinas, adding that Cyprus with its limited resources has to shoulder an ``extremely large, disproportionate'' burden. Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said Cyprus has in recent years received more migrants per capita than any other EU country. Schinas said the EU is working with Cypriot authorities to thwart migrant crossings. He also said Cyprus should receive significant financial assistance to cope with migrant arrivals and ramp up repatriations of those whose asylum cases have been rejected. ``As far as migration goes, we in Europe have to stop working as firefighters rushing from crisis to crisis and work as architects of a new, overall, cohesive European framework on handling the migration and asylum issues,'' Schinas said. Nouris said Cyprus will ask the EU border agency Frontex to monitor the waters between Turkey and Cyprus and send a representative to Istanbul airport and to the island's breakaway north to check for migrants. Search Keywords: Short link: Israeli cabinet approved on Sunday the appointment of the former general Gaby Portnoy as the country's head of cyber at the National Cyber Directorate. A statement issued by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said the ministers voted in favor of the appointment. Portnoy, a 52-year-old former brigadier general in the Israel Defense Forces, was handpicked as the chief of cyber security by Bennett. He currently serves as the chief operating officer of the Israel-based high-tech firm EnVizon Medical. Portnoy will replace Yigal Unna, who stepped down in January. The National Cyber Directorate is the main body in charge of defending Israel's cyberspace and building its cyber strength, according to a separate statement issued by the prime minister's office. The directorate works to increase the protection of Israeli citizens and organizations by dealing with numerous daily cyber-attacks and in preparing for emergencies, according to the office. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt is warming up for applying the Advanced Cargo Information (ACI) system in its airports following the successful implementation of the system in the sea ports, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait announced on Sunday. Maait also revealed that the ACI system will be fully implemented in all Egypts ports by end of June for the sake of turning Egypt into an advanced global logistic zone that utilises the cutting-edge technologies, which paves the way for facilitating trade flow and stimulating investments. The date of launching the pilot operation of the system in the airports as well as the compulsory execution will be announced soon. The system has main objectives; including reducing customs clearance time, decreasing the cost of importing and exporting, boosting Egypts exports, streamlining the procedures, particularly what regards to production supplies as well as the strategic goods and services, Maait noted. In 2021, Egypt recorded its all-high-time exports in terms of their values to post $45.2 billion for oil and non-oil commodities. As a part of Egypts digital transformation strategy, the government launched the National Single Window for Foreign Trade Facilitation (Nafeza) system on 1 April 2021 through the Egyptian Customs Authority (ECA) for the sake of modernising and automating the countrys customs administration, simplifying procedures, and reducing clearance times. ACI system, which came into effect as of 1 October 2021, is one of the services that Nafeza provides for importers and exporters. Nafeza covers Egypts all imports and exports. Since October 2021, 27,000 importers have registered in Nafeza, according to the Ministry of Finance. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend On February 19, a Ukrainian intelligence officer, Captain Andrey Sidorov, was killed as a result of shelling, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his speech at the Munich Security Conference, Trend reports. "Ukrainian intelligence officer, Captain Anton Sidorov, died as a result of shelling from artillery weapons, which is prohibited by the Minsk agreements", Zelensky said. He noted that he did not know what Sidorov thought about at the last moment of his life, and specified that the intelligence officer did not understand exactly what agenda is needed for a meeting in order to end the war in the east of our state. "Eternal memory to him. Eternal memory to all those who died today and during the years of war in the East of our state", Zelensky said. The Japanese Embassy in Cairo and the UNICEF inked on Sunday an agreement and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement a project to expand the scope of vaccination against COVID-19 in Egypt. The project will also ensure safe storage and effective delivery of vaccines with a total Japanese fund worth $3.5 million. Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and Acting Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar witnessed the signing. The project aims to address gaps in the logistics performance and storage capacity of Egypts health system amid the scale-up of COVID-19 vaccinations, in addition to establishing effective cold chain systems at 500 vaccination sites, securing vaccines during storage and transportation, as well as training at least 2,000 medical staff, according to the Ministry of International Cooperation. As per Egypts vaccination campaign, which aims to vaccinate 70 million people by the end of 2022 including refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, and foreign residents the project is expected to launch a social mobilisation campaign to ensure the acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccination through RapidPro SMS messaging and a social media campaign that is projected to reach around five million people on social media, according to the ministry. Furthermore, Al-Mashat highlighted Egypts country-led multi-stakeholder engagement framework to step up collaboration with ministries and development partners and strengthen technical cooperation on health objectives to promote mutual learning between countries and partners. The project falls under the strategic partnership framework between Egypt and the United Nations for 2018-22, and a new strategic partnership framework for 2023-27 is currently being developed for path-breaking achievements in sustainable development, according to Al-Mashat. For his part, Japans Ambassador to Cairo Oka Hiroshi reaffirmed the fruitful and long term partnership between the Japanese and Egyptian governments, expressing Japans keenness to strengthen technical cooperation with Egypt amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is worth noting that development cooperation agreements that were signed in 2021 for the health sector in Egypt totalled $600 million secured from development partners, including the French Development Agency, the US, and the EU. The portfolio of cooperation between Egypt and Japan, which began in 1954, amounts to about $2.8 billion across 14 projects in diverse sectors, including health, electricity, transportation, navigation, education, higher education, and irrigation. Search Keywords: Short link: KYODO NEWS - Feb 20, 2022 - 11:11 | All, Japan, World The Japanese government had the International Monetary Fund delete a sentence on the country's apparent pledge to phase out support for overseas coal projects in a staff report released last month, government sources said. The deletion was made at the request of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which places an emphasis on exports of coal-fired power plants. The report, which details conclusions made by IMF staff at the end of an official visit to Japan, was released on Jan. 27 following online discussions between the international financial institution and the Japanese government. The document contains analysis on recent economic developments and policies in Japan amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, as well as the outlook and risks for future recovery. Under a section titled "Shifting to a Low-carbon Economy," an initial draft obtained by Kyodo News included a passage that said the Japanese government, based on an agreement reached at the Group of Seven summit last June, had pledged to end new financing for coal-fired projects that lack measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "While the Japanese government pledged to end new unabated coal financing, ending exceptions from the pledge and phasing out of existing commitments to support coal projects abroad would further contribute to the global efforts on climate policy," the draft said. In the document that was actually released, however, there was no mention of ending support for coal. One government source said the deletion was the result of a government request to the IMF as the industry ministry felt "many concessions had already been made during last year's international negotiations" and it did not want any references to coal in the report. Reuters reported on Feb. 2 that "a sentence critical of Japan's continued financing of high-emissions coal projects" had been deleted from the IMF staff mission statement. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference the following day that the government was not in a position to comment on how the report had been prepared. Gerry Rice, director of communications at the IMF, also declined to comment, telling Kyodo News that "we don't comment on leaks of draft documents." KYODO NEWS - Feb 20, 2022 - 15:06 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan's top coronavirus adviser Shigeru Omi said Sunday it is time to start considering further shortening the quarantine period for people who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients. Omi suggested the time for isolation, currently seven days for ordinary people and five days for essential workers, could be cut as the Omicron variant of the virus is known to have a shorter incubation period. "I think it's time to start a discussion to make it more flexible," Omi said during an NHK television program. For more than a month, Japan has been struggling to tackle another wave of COVID-19 infections driven by the rapid spread of Omicron. But the Japanese government has relaxed restrictions step by step in light of scientific evidence on the variant and its desire to strike a balance between curbing infections and maintaining functions in society. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that Japan will ease COVID-19 border controls in March by raising the daily limit on entrants and reducing the quarantine period to three days from seven days for both Japanese and foreign nationals. Japan's entry ban on nonresident foreigners, effective from late November, has triggered a barrage of criticism from business leaders and students for being too tough and not based on science. Starting next month, Japan's ceiling for new entrants will be set at 5,000 per day, up from the current 3,500. Within the daily cap, foreign nationals will also be able to enter the country for purposes other than tourism. Kishida's announcement came after he decided in late January to further shorten the quarantine period for close contacts of COVID-19 cases to seven days. Before that in mid-January, the government reduced the period from 14 days to 10 days, but the business community among others was calling for it to be cut further by taking into account Omicron's characteristics. However, the daily number of deaths from COVID-19 topped 200 for the fifth day in a row Saturday, staying near a record high, while the country reported 81,621 new infection cases. The government has recently extended quasi-state of emergency measures until March 6 in 17 prefectures, including Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka, as the infection numbers remain at high levels and hospital beds are increasingly filled with patients in many areas. The extension means that 31 of Japan's 47 prefectures will remain under the emergency steps, which include allowing governors to request that restaurants and bars close early and stop serving alcohol. During the same TV program on Sunday, Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, also warned against optimism. He said it is highly likely that community infections caused by a subvariant of Omicron known as BA.2, which is said to be more transmissible than the original strain, are increasing. "It may be that (the number of infected people) will start to increase rather than gradually decrease," Nakagawa said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the 58th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2022. Scholz said on Saturday that diplomatic channels are still the means to solve the Ukrainian problem but warned against "being naive." (Xinhua/Lu Yang) MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that diplomatic channels are still the means to solve the Ukrainian problem but warned against "being naive." He made the remarks in his first speech at the 58th Munich Security Conference (MSC), which will last through Monday. The conflict in Ukraine shows no sign of easing, and "there is a danger of another war in Europe," he said. Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has been a major concern for Russia, is not on the agenda either now or in the near future, he noted. Regarding Germany's decision not to supply weapons to Ukraine, Scholz said that his country had strict regulations on arms exports, and that Berlin had provided financial support to Ukraine instead. Scholz stressed the importance of the transatlantic partnership, noting that Germany will ensure compliance with the Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the collective defense clause. Russia has repeatedly urged NATO to halt its eastward expansion as the intergovernmental military alliance led by the United States has further enlarged even after the Cold War. At a press conference held with Scholz in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that postponing Ukraine's possible accession to NATO will resolve nothing for Russia and that Moscow wants its security concerns to be addressed seriously. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (on screens and left on the podium) speaks during the 58th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2022. Scholz said on Saturday that diplomatic channels are still the means to solve the Ukrainian problem but warned against "being naive." (Xinhua/Lu Yang) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) greets Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger before delivering a speech during the 58th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2022. Scholz said on Saturday that diplomatic channels are still the means to solve the Ukrainian problem but warned against "being naive." (Xinhua/Lu Yang) Photo taken on Dec. 9, 2021 shows a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria. (EU Delegation in Vienna/Handout via Xinhua) TEHRAN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian parliament members said in a statement on Sunday that the government should not strike a nuclear deal with the Western countries unless they guarantee not to pull out of it, official news agency IRNA reported. The statement, signed by 250 lawmakers, addressed to President Ebrahim Raisi and read out in an open session of the parliament, called on the Iranian president and negotiating team to take people's interests as the red line in the Vienna talks and refrain from committing themselves to any agreement with Western "oath breakers" without receiving guarantees. The statement said Iran's negotiations on the removal of the sanctions have reached a critical and sensitive stage, hailing the active diplomacy pursued by Raisi and the country's negotiating team to the Vienna talks. Over the past eight years, the United States, France, Britain, and Germany have proved that they do not fulfill any of their commitments and would use any possible means to deal blows to the Iranian people's interests despite all international regulations, it added. An Iranian flag is pictured at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Jan. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) "We are required to learn our lessons from the past experience," the statement noted. The lawmakers said the West must guarantee that they will not pull out of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in the future and will not resort to triggering the so-called snapback mechanism to reimpose Iran sanctions. The West must also give a commitment to lift the sanctions imposed against Iran, they added. Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear program. Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal. JERUSALEM, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Oded Forer had to cancel his planned trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after he was tested positive for COVID-19, the official announced in a tweet. He was scheduled to attend events held during the food, agriculture and livelihoods Week, which was launched Friday at the Dubai Expo 2020 and featured a three-day Israeli conference starting Sunday. The minister was to sign a wide range of agreements at the UAE, alongside holding meetings with other agriculture ministers, according to the Israeli conference's website. In his tweet, Oded Forer said the event would be held without him, and he would be on quarantine. The ministry's Director General Naama Kaufman Fass will take his place at the events. The conference, which will be participated by scientists, industry representatives and policy makers from Israel and around the world, includes meetings and discussions on new technologies, innovation and knowledge, according to its website. On Saturday, Israel's Ministry of Health reported 12,568 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily figure since Jan. 3, bringing the country's caseload to 3,535,062. The number of death cases from the virus in Israel rose to 9,842, with eight new fatalities, while the number of patients in serious condition decreased from 832 to 822. The number of active cases declined to 142,486, the lowest number since Jan. 8. NICOSIA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus' Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Saturday that his country's policies towards Turkey have shifted in recent weeks away from confrontation towards confidence-building measures. Kasoulides said the Cypriot government has moved away from pushing for EU sanctions on Turkey for actions violating the sovereign rights of Cyprus on land and in the eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus was divided in 1974 after a Turkish military operation in reaction to a coup by Greek army officers serving in Cyprus. Its northern part is controlled by Turkish troops and run by a so-called Turkish Cypriot administration, which was condemned by the United Nations as illegal and is only recognized by Turkey. In recent weeks, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has been promoting a new confidence-building policy between the two countries, in meetings with other EU leaders. This follows moves by authorities in the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus to re-open Varosha, an area in the Cypriot city of Famagusta which has been fenced off since 1974. The Cypriot government has been proposing that customs at the port of Famagusta should be operated by the EU, so as to facilitate trade with the outside world. It is also proposing a UN-operated airport in the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus, for direct flights to other countries. It says this will satisfy Turkish Cypriots' desire to end their isolation from the EU and the rest of the world. Kasoulides said that the measures being proposed could become reality provided that Turkey hands Varosha to the UN, as provided by UN Security Council resolutions. The proposal was dismissed by the right-wing nationalist leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community, but supported by left-wing Turkish Cypriot parties, which said that it would put an end to the isolation of their community. LAGOS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed in a fire accident at an internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno on Saturday, an official said. At least 3,000 shelters were destroyed, while dozens of households in the camp were displaced, said Yabawa Kolo, the director-general of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, during an impact assessment visit to the Muna El-Badawy IDPs camp in Maiduguri, the state capital. The fire, which began in a tent, gutted other shelters because there was no immediate fire service response in the camp when the accident happened, according to the official. Kolo said fires in camps and communities where IDPs had been resettled became more and more common. The agency was conducting an assessment to ascertain the level of damage, noting the victims were in critical need for food, shelter and other items, she said. Photo taken on Nov. 29, 2021 shows a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria. (EU Delegation Vienna/Handout via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister said on Sunday that Iran may soon sign a new nuclear agreement with world powers but the new deal is "weaker" than the previous one. Referring to the negotiations in Vienna between Iran and world powers, Bennett told his weekly cabinet meeting that "the talks are advancing quickly ... We may see an agreement shortly." But "the new apparent agreement is shorter and weaker than the previous one," he said. The Israeli leader warned that the lift of sanctions against Iran will provide the country with more money to build weapons. Israel is prepared to protect its citizens' security, on its own, in any scenario, the prime minister noted. Also on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in Germany addressed the Munich Security Conference and urged the international community to use the emerging deal to tighten the oversight over Iran's nuclear program. 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) "Action must be taken to ensure that Iran does not continue enrichment in additional facilities, and oversight must be increased," he told the conference. Israel has been a staunch opponent of the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which offered Iran sanction relief in return for restrictions and oversight over its nuclear program. Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear program. Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal. ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- A total of five people were killed and 15 others injured as a result of a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia against Yemen's oil-rich province of Shabwa on Saturday, a security official told Xinhua. "The Houthi-fired ballistic missile landed on a mosque in Jardan district of Shabwa, causing a huge explosion in the area controlled by the government forces," the local security source said on condition of anonymity. The mosque was partially destroyed by the attack, according to the official. "The attack occurred when scores of newly-recruited pro-government soldiers were gathering to perform Maghrib prayers inside the mosque in Jardan," he said. The mosque belongs to the pro-government forces stationed near a large oil field in Shabwa province, the official noted. In January, a large-scale military operation was carried out by the southern Giants Brigades against the Houthis in Shabwa. The military campaign allowed the pro-government forces to fully capture the oil-rich province after days of intense battles. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014. By Trend Turkeys Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has urged people to get Turkovac shots, the locally developed vaccine against COVID-19, saying that it is already available in all 81 provinces of the county, Trend reports citing Hurriyet Daily News. The vaccine has started to be distributed to all districts and two weeks later the family health centers will also receive the shots, Koca said in a statement released after a meeting of the Health Ministrys Science Board, which advises the government on the pandemic. Getting the local vaccine is highly recommended to all our citizens, the minister said. Koca also noted that Turkey has already started to use the antiviral medication with the active ingredient Molnupiravir in the treatment of COVID-19 patients who are aged 65 and above as well as those that are immunosuppressed. The use of the antiviral drug and booster shots will significantly reduce the deaths from the virus, the minister said. Koca reiterated that the number of cases triggered by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been on the decline. Infections in Istanbul, where most of the Omicron-related cases were seen, have dropped 62 percent in the past 10 days. Other cities see a similar trend. Significant declines in cases are expected in the next two weeks, the minister said. Passengers walk with their luggage as they arrive at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Feb. 13, 2022. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel announced Sunday starting from March 1 it will open borders to all tourists, including the unvaccinated. All tourists would be required to undergo two PCR tests, one prior to departure and the other after landing, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said in a joint statement. For Israeli nationals, the requirement to take an antigen test before boarding the plane was canceled. Instead, only a PCR test upon arrival will be mandatory. People wait at the departure hall at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Nov. 28, 2021. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) The unvaccinated Israelis will need no quarantine if with a negative result of a PCR test at the airport. "We are seeing a steady decline in the morbidity data," Bennett said in the statement. "At the moment, the situation in Israel is good," he noted, adding that this was "the result of correct and dynamic management." Currently, only vaccinated tourists are allowed to enter the country. Israel restricted the entry of foreign visitors in March 2020 and later eased the restrictions. As cases of the highly infectious Omicron variant were detected in late 2021, the country virtually closed its skies to foreign tourists. DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,500 people from African and foreign countries are expected to attend the 16th Nile Day 2022 commemorations in Tanzania's business capital Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, an official said on Sunday. Nile Day is an annual event held in commemoration of the establishment of the unprecedented Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) on February 22, 1999, by ministers in charge of water affairs in the Nile Basin countries. Nile Day provides an opportunity for Basin citizens to come together to celebrate the benefits of Nile cooperation and exchange experiences, views and ideas on topical issues related to the cooperative management and development of the common Nile Basin water and related resources. Anthony Sanga, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Water, told a news conference that the Nile Day will be marked by revisiting best ways of managing and developing the shared Nile waters and related resources for win-win benefits. He said the commemoration is also an occasion for participants to appreciate the rich and varied cultures which exist within the Nile Basin. Sanga said the theme for the Nile Day 2022 is: "The Nile: Our Heritage for Peace and Prosperity". He said the event will be attended by ministers in charge of water affairs in the Nile Basin countries, representatives from NBI member states embassies in Tanzania and officials from ministries whose activities relate to the management and development of the shared water resources such as water, environment, energy, agriculture, foreign affairs and finance. NBI member states are Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Eritrea participates as an observer. CHICAGO, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures have surged on geopolitical tensions over Ukraine in the past week, Chicago-based research company AgResource noted. Hedge funds are continuing to pour capital into the raw materials market. AgResource stays bullish on agricultural futures. Corn futures ended higher as the market digested rising Black Sea tensions and South American crop losses. Improved rainfall activity in Argentina next week is noted, but this rain is thought to come too late to materially salvage yield potential. And an overall pattern of warmth and dryness remains probable in March. AgResource also noted that any disruption to Black Sea grain flows will have a far greater impact on corn values than wheat. Record Ukrainian exports of 33-34 million metric tons are needed to fill gaps left by reduced South American crops. Black Sea issues aside, Brazilian exports will be zero into July while Argentine exports will also be curtailed. Corn's bullish flavor will persist until the Midwest's summer climate pattern is better understood. And there is no tolerance for additional yield loss in either Brazil's safrinha crop this spring or across the North Hemisphere this summer. Corn prices look to consolidate recent gains in a range of 6.20-6.70 dollars for now, according to the company. U.S. wheat futures ended the week sharply higher. Managed funds in Chicago have been forced to cover recently established shorts amid the increasing unrest at Ukraine borders. Odds are elevated that a dire drought worsens across the Southern and Central Plains, AgResource suggested, adding that wheat yields in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas will drop 10-12 percent below trade based on current soil moisture shortages. Yield loss of 15-20 percent is likely if regular rains fail to materialize in March. Wheat's long-term outlook stays bullish. Export production growth of 20 million metric tons is needed to build exporter inventories in 2022-2023 amid reduced carryovers and rising global consumption. However, the building of exporter stocks is unlikely amid U.S. Plains yield losses and the need for record North African imports due to drought. Upside is pegged at 8.80-9.20 dollars for spot Kansas wheat during second half of 2022. Wheat's price focus is shifting to Northern Hemisphere weather into May, said the company. Early week selling in soybeans uncovered new speculative demand that carries the complex higher into the end of the week. March soybean found support at 15.50 dollars and closed the week above 16.00 dollars for the first time since May. Brazil's state-owned National Supply Company estimated that harvest progress had advanced to 25 percent complete, up from 17 percent in the previous week and just 10 percent last year. Yield estimates continue to decline and traders discussed the potential need for soybean imports into Southern Brazil processing plants due to yield losses. The Brazilian ship lineup continues to swell with February exports totaling 4.5 million metric tons, with another 6 million metric tons scheduled to load, according to AgResource, stressing February exports of 8-9 million metric tons, as against 5 million metric tons last year. Brazil will be a larger soybean exporter into early summer, but is expected to be sold out by July. World demand is expected to return to the United States from May onward with old crop export estimates on the rise. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual Outlook Forum will release initial new crop balanced sheets in the week ahead. Tightening U.S. and world stocks will support the CBOT on breaks, said AgResource, warning one should be careful in chasing rallies. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday announced a new initiative, 'Direct CTO', to enable companies operating under 'green category industries' receive faster clearances from government to commence operations. The move would largely benefit micro, small and medium enterprises planning to set up operations in the state, he said at a function held to mark 125 years of trade body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). "I am happy to announce a new initiative Direct CTO (Consent to Operate) Scheme to relax the process for pre-establishment clearances for Green category industries," Palaniswami said, kicking off CII@125 years celebrations. Noting that companies falling under the 'white' category do not require consent from the pollution control board, he said, industries under the 'green' category would benefit from the new initiative. According to Ministry of Environment, companies are classified in red, orange, green and white categories based on the pollution index generated from them. The pollution index of any industrial sector is a number from 0 to 100 and the increasing value of PI refers to the degree of pollution load from the industries. 'Red' category industries are those which have a pollution index score of 60 and above, 'orange' category are with 41 to 59, 'green' category industrial sectors are of 21 to 40 and 'white' category industries are from 0 to 20. Palaniswami said under the new initiative, the companies falling under the 'green' category need to pay the application fees for receiving the Direct CTO to set up office in industrial parks. "They need not wait to receive the clearances. These companies can commence construction activities through self-declaration," he said. The chief minister on the occasion also announced an initiative for land-use re-classification in non-plan areas. "Land-use re-classification for non-plan areas will be given deemed approval, if the applications in full shape, cross the timeline", he said. Palaniswami said compared to the earlier practice of waiting to receive clearances for a period of six months to two years, companies planning to set up office would get clearances within 50 days under this new scheme. He said after the conduct of the second Global Investors Meet in 2019, 63 new memoranda of understanding worth Rs 19,000 crore were signed by the government. "Through this initiative, 83,000 new jobs will be created in the state," he said. For all the Latest India News, South News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Air Indiaas 423-seater jumbo B747 plane took off from the Delhi airport at around 1.20 pm on Friday. (Photo Credit: Twitter) New Delhi: Air Indias 423-seater jumbo B747 plane took off from the Delhi airport at around 1.20 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals from Wuhan as China deals with the novel coronavirus outbreak, officials said. There are five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital and one paramedical staff onboard, they said, adding that around 400 Indians are expected to be evacuated and the plane is likely to return between 1 am to 2 am on Saturday. The plane did a pushback towards the runway at around 12.50 pm. It took off at around 1.20 pm on Friday. The departure got delayed a little from 12.30 pm scheduled time because of some pending clearances, said a senior airline official. After takeoff, Air India spokesperson stated that another special flight may take off from Delhi airport on Saturday to evacuate Indians from Wuhan. About Fridays flight, the spokesperson said, A team of five doctors from RML hospital, one paramedical staff from Air India, with prescribed medicines from doctors, masks, overcoats, packed food are in the aircraft. A team of engineers, security personnel are also there in this special aircraft. Whole rescue mission is being lead by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director (Operations), Air India. The spokesperson added that there are five cockpit crew members and 15 cabin crew members on Fridays flight. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said on Friday morning, No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers). Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged a complete protective gear, he added. Total five doctors from the Health Ministry are also going... The plane will be there (at Wuhan airport) for 2-3 hours, said Lohani. Air India has done such evacuations earlier also from countries such as Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait and Nepal. The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in Chinas Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. The death toll in Chinas novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A 42-year-old worker died reportedly after an ammonia gas leak at a Noida Sector 65 Haldiram building, while more than 300 others were evacuated from there. According to officials, the leakage was first reported around 12 pm, prompting deployment of police force, firefighters and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at the spot. Haldiram has two adjoining units at the building. While one was the production unit, the other was its cooling or the maintenance unit. The gas was leakage occurred in the valve of one of the four ammonia condensers in the cooling unit. "The gas leak had occurred through the valve of one of the four ammonia condensers in the maintenance unit where around 22 people were working and evacuated. One of them was taken to a hospital, where he died later," new agency PTI quoted NDRF Assistant Commandant Anil Kumar Singh as saying. The deceased person has been identified as ammonia operator Sanjeev Kumar, who worked in the maintenance unit of Haldiram. More than 300 other workers were in the production unit and they were also evacuated immediately and the building marked isolated for the time being, Singh said. Also Read | 'Dead lizard' found in food at Haldiram's in Nagpur, FDA cracks whip Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia, also used as a refrigerant gas, causes immediate burning of eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Firefighters, who responded to the emergency, had diluted the ammonia gas which had got mixed in the air in and around the building, a Fire Department official said. "We sprayed water in the air to neutralise the ammonia. Ammonia solution was also used on the condensers to check the leak. The main gas pipeline has been closed since," the official said. The UN health agency on Friday declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from China. (Photo Credit: Twitter) New Delhi: The UN health agency on Friday declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from Chinaa rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease. The death count in coronavirus outbreak has climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he announced the virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Reacting to the announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a press statement said, Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for peoples health. ALSO READ | Coronavirus: Google Shuts All Offices In China Temporarily Many of these measures go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations, she said. We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic, said the spokesperson. China said it has full confidence and capability to win the fight against the epidemic. To curb the epidemic, China has decided to adopt a host of measures including delaying and reducing conferences and major events, extending the current Spring Festival holidays and supporting online work. China is rushing to build a new hospital in a record breaking time to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken hundreds of people, state media reported last week. The facility in the central city of Wuhan is expected to be in use by February 3 to serve a rising number of patients infected by a coronavirus that has left at least 26 people dead and millions on lockdown in an effort to curb the spread. Dozens of excavators and trucks were filmed working on the site by state broadcaster CCTV. What is Coronavirus? The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. Like SARS, it can be passed among people through the respiratory tract. Animals are suspected to be the primary source of the outbreak, with Chinese health officials saying the virus originated from the market where wild animals were illegally sold. Studies published this week suggest that the virus may have originated in bats or snakes. The first case of the new virus was confirmed on December 31, and it has since been detected in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Finance Minister Nrimala Sitharaman on Saturday said that Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme has yielded tremendous results as gross enrolment ratio of girls across all levels of education now higher than boys. Siting data, Sitharaman, while presenting Union Budget 2020 said that the gross enrollment ratio of girls in educational institutes is now higher than boys, she revealed. At the elementary level, girl enrollment is currently at 94.32 per cent compared to 89.28 per cent for boys, according to the data cited by the finance minister. Earlier on Friday, President Ram Nath Kovind said that the number of girls admitted to higher education institutes has exceeded that of boys for the first time. Addressing a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, Kovind said, "I am delighted to inform you that for the first time ever in history of the country, number of girls admitted in higher education has exceeded that of boys". "My government is laying emphasis on schemes aimed at improving quality of education and promoting innovation. More than Rs 37,000 crore has been sanctioned for modernisation of 75 educational institutions in the country through the Higher Education Funding Agency. Government has initiated action for appointment of about 7,000 teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas and 12,000 teachers in higher education institutions. 'Swayam2' has also been introduced by the government to strengthen the online education system," he added. The President said by setting up the National Medical Commission, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to reform medical education and healthcare. "Seventy-five new medical colleges have been sanctioned this year, which will result in an increase in MBBS seats by about 16,000 and PG seats by more than 4,000. In addition, 22 AIIMS have been sanctioned for various parts of the country, construction work for which is in progress," he said. Kovind said establishment of institutes of higher education such as IIT, IIM, AIIMS is proceeding at a rapid pace in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. The president said the government is constantly striving for the social, economic and educational progress of the minority community. With PTI Inputs London : Infants of mothers who smoke during early pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of fractures during the first year of life, according to a study. The results, published in The BMJ, show no long-lasting effect on fracture risk later in childhood, and up to early adulthood. This suggests that smoking in pregnancy only has a short term influence on bone health, the researchers said. Many studies have found a link between smoking during pregnancy and growth problems in infants. However, evidence of the impact of smoking during pregnancy on bone health and risk of fractures in children at different stages of life is scarce and inconsistent. The researchers from the Orebro University in Sweden set out to study the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on fractures in offspring from infancy to young adulthood. The findings are based on over 1.6 million people born in Sweden between 1983 and 2000 to women who smoked (377,367) and did not smoke (1,302,940) in early pregnancy. Offspring were followed up from birth to an average age of 21. During this period 377,970 fractures were identified. The researchers also carried out sibling comparison analyses to control for any unwanted effects of unmeasured familial -- genetic and environmental -- factors shared by siblings, making the results more likely to be reliable. Overall, maternal smoking was associated with a higher rate of fractures in offspring before one year of age. Also Read: People With Eating Disorders More Likely To Develop Exercise Addiction: Study In absolute numbers, the risk of fracture in those exposed to maternal smoking was 1.59 per 1000 person years compared with 1.28 per 1000 person years in those not exposed -- a small difference in fracture rate of 0.31 per 1000 person years in the first year of life. This is an observational study so can't establish cause, and the researchers point to some limitations, such as the possibility that some women will not admit smoking during pregnancy or might under-report the number of cigarettes smoked. They said the data covered a large number of people and addressed risk of fractures during different developmental stages of life. "The results of this study indicate that maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of fractures before one year of age," the researchers said. Arvind Krishna's appointment as head of the global IT giant adds to the growing list of Indian-origin executives at the helm of some of the biggest multinational companies. (Photo Credit: File Photos) New York: Indian-origin technology executive Arvind Krishna has been elected Chief Executive Officer of American IT giant IBM after a "world-class succession process", succeeding Virginia Rometty, who described him as the right CEO for the next era at IBM and well-positioned to lead the company into the cloud and cognitive era. The IBM Board of Directors elected Krishna as company CEO and member of the Board of Directors effective April 6. Krishna is currently IBM Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software and will succeed Rometty, 62 who will retire after almost 40 years with the company at the end of the year. Krishna, 57, had joined IBM in 1990 and has an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am thrilled and humbled to be elected as the next Chief Executive Officer of IBM, and appreciate the confidence that Ginni and the Board have placed in me," Krishna said in a press statement released by IBM. Krishna said IBM has such talented people and technology that we can bring together to help our clients solve their toughest problems. I am looking forward to working with IBMers, Red Hatters and clients around the world at this unique time of fast-paced change in the IT industry. We have great opportunities ahead to help our clients advance the transformation of their business while also remaining the global leader in the trusted stewardship of technology," Krishna said. Krishna's appointment as head of the global IT giant adds to the growing list of Indian-origin executives at the helm of some of the biggest multinational companies. Krishna joins the club that includes Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga, PepsiCo's former CEO Indra Nooyi and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. Rometty, who had been IBM's Chairman, President and CEO, will continue as Executive Chairman of the Board and serve through the end of the year, when she will retire. She described Krishna as the right CEO for the next era at IBM who is well-positioned to lead IBM and its clients into the cloud and cognitive era." Rometty said Krishna is a brilliant technologist who has played a significant role in developing our key technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, quantum computing and blockchain. He is also a superb operational leader, able to win today while building the business of tomorrow. She said Krishna has grown IBM's Cloud and Cognitive Software business and led the largest acquisition in the company's history. Krishna was a ?principal architect" of the company's acquisition of Red Hat. Through his multiple experiences running businesses in IBM, Arvind has built an outstanding track record of bold transformations and proven business results, and is an authentic, values-driven leader. The IBM Board also elected James Whitehurst, IBM Senior Vice President and CEO of Red Hat, as IBM President. Rometty added that in both Krishna and Whitehurst, the Board has elected a proven technical and business-savvy leadership team. Lead Director of the IBM Board of Directors Michael Eskew said with the strong foundation now established by Rometty for IBM's future, the Board is confident that Krishna is the "right CEO to lead IBM. The Board ran a world-class succession process and found in Arvind a leader with the business acumen, operational skills, and technology vision needed to guide IBM in this fast-moving industry," Eskew said. Chairman of the Board's Executive Compensation and Management Resources Committee Alex Gorsky said Krishna thinks and executes squarely at the intersection of business and technology. Gorsky said he is an ideal leader to succeed Rometty and take IBM and its clients into the next chapter of the cloud and cognitive era. The IBM statement said that as IBM Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software, Krishna led the IBM business unit that provides the cloud and data platform on which IBM's clients build the future. His current responsibilities also included the IBM Cloud, IBM Security and Cognitive Applications business, and IBM Research. He leads the unit's strategy, product design, offering development, marketing, sales and service and also guides IBM's overall strategy in core and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain, cloud platform services, data-driven solutions, and nanotechnology, according to his profile on the IBM website. Previously, he was general manager of IBM Systems and Technology Group's development and manufacturing organisation, responsible for developing and engineering advanced semiconductor materials through microprocessors, servers, and storage systems. Prior to that, Arvind was general manager of IBM Information Management, which included database, information integration, and big data software solutions. He served as vice president of strategy for IBM Software. He also held several key technical roles in IBM Software and IBM Research, where he pioneered IBM's security software business. According to his profile on the IBM website, Krishna is the recipient of distinguished alumni awards from IITK and the University of Illinois, is the co-author of 15 patents, has been the editor of IEEE and ACM journals, and has published extensively in technical conferences and journals. For all the Latest Business News, International News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Trend G7 countries reaffirm support to Normandy Process on Ukraine, Trend reports citing UK government. "We underline our strong appreciation and continued support for Germanys and Frances efforts through the Normandy Process to secure the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which is the only way forward for a lasting political solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. We acknowledge public statements by President Zelensky underlining Ukraines firm commitment to the Minsk Agreements and his readiness to contribute constructively to the process". "We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our support to Ukraines efforts to strengthen its democracy and institutions, encouraging further progress on reform. We consider it of utmost importance to help preserve the economic and financial stability of Ukraine and the well-being of its people. Building on our assistance since 2014, we are committed to contribute in close coordination with Ukraines authorities to support the strengthening of Ukraines resilience", said the statement. Rail Budget 2020 will be presented by Nirmala Sitharaman. (Photo Credit: PTI) New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present Rail Budget 2020 on February 1. Earlier, both the Railway Budget and the India Budget used to be tabled separately. Beyond infrastructural boost, the Centre may this time focus on public-private-partnership programmes. The government is expected to announce privatisation of some railway stations along with announcing new routes. This is for the second time that Sitharaman will present the Railway Budget. Earlier on July 5, 2019, she presented Railway Budget 2019 along with Budget 2019. Railway Budget 2020 Live Updates: 12:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 550 wi-fi facilities have been commissioned at railway stations, says FM. 12:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 50 private trains, more Tejas-type trains to connect tourist destinations, says Nirmala Sitharaman 12:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I propose to provide Rs 1.7 lakh crores for transport infrastructure in 2020-21: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman 12:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sitharaman said there are plans to energise economic activity along river banks. 12:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to be completed by 2023, Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway to be launched: FM 12:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 1,150 trains to be run in PPP mode, also 4 stations to be redeveloped with help of private sector, says FM 12:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Government to develop solar capacity in Indian Railways for solar panel providers. 12:04 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Aim to achieve 11,000 Km of track electrification, says Nirmala Sitharaman. 12:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Setting up large solar panel capacity alongside the railway tracks on land owned by railways, a proposal is under consideration. More Tejas type trains will connect iconic destinations: FM 11:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Indian Railways will set up Kisan rail with refrigerators so that perishable goods can be transported. Krishi Uddan will be launched by the Civil Aviation: Nirmala Sitharaman 11:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In GST has resulted in efficiency gains in transport and logistics sector, inspector raj has vanished, it has benefitted MSME: Nirmala Sitharaman 11:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents Budget 2020 in Parliament. 10:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Parliament, ahead of presentation of Union Budget 2020-21. 10:32 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Home Minister Amit Shah arrives at the Parliament, ahead of the presentation of Budget 2020. 10:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Finance Anurag Thakur arrive at the Parliament, to attend Cabinet meeting; Presentation of Union Budget 2020-21 at 11 am. 09:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba arrives at the Parliament. 09:25 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sensex opens 200 points down, Nifty below 11,900 ahead of Budget 2020. 09:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, ahead of presentation of Budget. 08:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The electrification of Indian Railways broad gauge network was proposed to be done by 2021-22. 08:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In In 2019-20, 7000 route kilometres has been targeted for electrification. 08:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model was proposed for faster development and completion of rail tracks. 07:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In This amount was 20 per cent higher than that of the previous year. Several announcements to boost private sector industries are expected today. (Photo Credit: PTI) New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the second Union Budget today. The Economic Survey on Friday projected Indias economic growth at 6 per cent to 6.5 per cent in the next financial year starting April 1, saying growth has bottomed out. The Finance Minister is expected to make several announcements to boost private sector industries which have played a substantial role in growing our economy. Check Live Updates Here: 12:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Centre to allow NBFCs to extend invoice financing to MSMEs: FM 12:25 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister allocates Rs 22,000 cr to power & renewable sector 12:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Govt to set up 9,000 km economic corridor, 2,000 km of coastal road: Sitharaman 12:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 2000 KM of strategic highways to be built: FM 12:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rs 103 lakh crore National Infra Pipeline launched: Sitharaman 12:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rs 27,300 crore for promotion of industry and commerce: FM 11:32 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In FDI inflows of USD 28400 million in five years: Sitharaman 11:26 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Three key points of Budget-aspirational India, economic development for all and that ours shall be a caring society: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman 11:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Efforts we have made in the last five years and the enthusiasm and energy of our youth are the ignition of our growth: FM 11:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In GST has resulted in efficiency gains in transport and logistics sector, inspector raj has vanished, it has benefitted MSME: Nirmala Sitharaman 11:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents Budget 2020 in Parliament. 10:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Parliament, ahead of presentation of Union Budget 2020-21. 10:32 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Home Minister Amit Shah arrives at the Parliament, ahead of the presentation of Budget 2020. 10:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Finance Anurag Thakur arrive at the Parliament, to attend Cabinet meeting; Presentation of Union Budget 2020-21 at 11 am. 09:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba arrives at the Parliament. 09:25 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sensex opens 200 points down, Nifty below 11,900 ahead of Budget 2020. 09:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, ahead of presentation of Budget. 08:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In There are several expectations like increased budgetary provision for strengthening the e-NAM. 08:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In CII want public spending on agri-infrastructure must be stepped up, especially on irrigation, seeds, cold storage. 08:23 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Budget allocation for energy and Commerce & Industry decreased in 2019-20. New Delhi: Three Popular Front of India (PFI) members have been arrested on Friday on the charges of instigating violence during protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Lucknow on December 19, 2019. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, agreed to hear a plea seeking quashing of notices sent to alleged protestors by district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public properties during the anti-CAA agitations in Uttar Pradesh and asked the state to respond to it. A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and K M Joseph issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on the plea and directed it to file its reply within four weeks. The top court was hearing a plea which has alleged that such notices have been sent in Uttar Pradesh in an arbitrary manner against a person, who had died six years ago at the age of 94, and also to several others including two who are aged above 90. The counsel appearing for petitioner Parwaiz Arif Titu said these notices were based on an Allahabad High Court judgement delivered in 2010 which is in violation of the guidelines laid down by the top court in a 2009 verdict which was later re-affirmed in a 2018 order. The lawyer said the state government has appointed additional district magistrate to deal with the process of notices for recovering damages for loss of public property during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act whereas the guidelines laid down by the apex court stipulated that retired judges should deal with it. The Supreme Courts judgement is not being followed, the petitioners counsel said. At the fag end of hearing, the counsel urged the court to give him liberty to make the Centre as a party in the case. The bench asked him to file application in this regard. The plea has sought stay on these notices claiming they have been sent to persons who have not been booked under any penal provisions and no details of FIR or any criminal offences have been made out against them. The contradiction is that while the Supreme Court in 2009 put the onus of assessment of damages and recovery from the accused on high courts of every state, whereas the Allahabad High Court had issued guidelines in 2010 judgement that let the state government undertake these processes to recover damages, which has serious implications, said the plea, filed through advocate Nilofar Khan. The judicial oversight/judicial security is a sort of safety mechanism against arbitrary action. This means that there is every chance that the ruling party in the state could go after its political opponents or others oppose to it to settle scores, it said. It also sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to follow the procedure as per the 2009 and 2018 guidelines of the apex court while claiming damages to recover the losses caused to public property during such protests. The plea sought setting up of an independent judicial inquiry to probe into the incidents which happened during the protests against the amended citizenship act and the National Register of Citizens in Uttar Pradesh, as has been done by the Karnataka High Court. It claimed that the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead on the chief ministers promise of avenging loss to public property by seizing assets of protestors in order to take revenge for political reasons from one community who is in minority. The plea further alleged that around 925 persons, who have been arrested so far in connection with the violent protests, may not get bail easily in Uttar Pradesh till they pay up for the losses as they have to be given conditional bail only after they deposit the amount. The government of Uttar Pradesh and its administration and police are no longer behaving like the arm of a democratic government as it cracked down on protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019/NRC. The police on the instructions of the Uttar Pradesh administration used disproportionate force and denied public accountability, it alleged. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions. (Photo Credit: PTI) New Delhi: The two-day nationwide bank strike, following the failed negotiations over wage revision, called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) will begin from today. Operations of public sector banks are expected to be hit by the strike but private sector lenders like HDFC bank and ICICI Bank would remain operational. Many public sector banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), have informed customers that operations like cash deposit, withdrawal, cheque clearances, instrument issuance and loan disbursement operations would be impacted to some extent due to the strike. With this strike, banks would be closed for three days consecutive days as it would be Sunday after two-day strike. This could also lead to drying up of ATMs and banks will open only on Monday, February 3. The strike will coincide with the beginning of the Budget session of parliament and presentation of the Union Budget 2020-21 (on February 1). The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). Earlier this week, a meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner remained inconclusive, AIBOC President Sunil Kumar said. The wage revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017. Todays talks with Indian Banks Association (IBA) failed on demand from unions, so strike call stands, AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said. IBAs rigid approach has left unions with no option than to go on strike, Vekatachalam said, adding, We appeal to the banking customers to bear with us for this disruption in services due to the strike but the same has been forced on us by the bank managements and IBA. During the discussions, the IBA improved their offer to 13.5 per cent but this was not acceptable, the unions said. However, IBA in a statement said despite the revised offer of up to 19 per cent hike including performance linked incentive made by it during the meeting on Thursday, the unions unfortunately decided to go ahead with the all-India bank strike. In the past wage settlement, which was for the period November 1, 2012, to October 31, 2017, the employees got a hike of 15 per cent. A section of bank employees had gone on a day-long strike on January 8 in support of 10 major trade unions protest call against the governments anti-people policies. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the UP Police team that successfully carried out the Farrukhabad rescue operation. (Photo Credit: ANI/Twitter) Farrukhabad : The wife of a man who took over 20 children hostage died in a hospital after being thrashed by locals, police said on Friday. The man's wife died on Thursday night while trying to escape but was thrashed by the locals on the spot, IG Kanpur Mohit Agarwal said. He said she was rushed to a hospital as she was bleeding from a wound on her head but she succumbed to injuries. Agarwal said the exact cause of her death would be known after post-mortem. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the UP Police team that successfully carried out the rescue operation. "All personnel who took part in the operation will be given a certificate of appreciation," said UP Additional Chief Secretary Awanish K Awasthi. Twenty-three children aged between six months and 15 years, who had been taken hostage by a murder accused after inviting them to his daughter's birthday party, were rescued late on Thursday night after police killed their captor in a village. The hostage drama began at Kasaria village in the afternoon and continued for about eight hours. "The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am. "The accused had invited the children for the birthday party of his daughter and held them hostage. It started about 5.45 pm on January 30 and continued for about eight hours," Director General of Police (DGP) O P Singh said, adding that in the entire operation they had tried to "engage" the accused and were successful. He said the accused, identified as Subhash Batham, had initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony. Eyewitnesses said a restive crowd gathered outside the house where the children were kept with some women wailing and praying for their safe release. The crowd broke open the door of the house to rescue the children, they said. As the accused opened fire, the police retaliated killing him on the spot. In the exchange of fire, the captor's wife was injured, but none of the children suffered any injury. A man and two policemen also suffered bullet injuries. The motive of the accused was not known immediately. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. "The CM as soon as he got to know about the incident called a meeting of crisis management group and personally monitored the situation and ensured children are rescued safely," Awasthi said. Earlier, a team of NSG (National Security Guard) commandos had taken a special aircraft to reach Farukhabad, a senior security official in Delhi said. Police said Batham, a murder accused, seemed to be mentally unstable. Inspector General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal, said, "The man called the children for a birthday party and held them hostage in the basement of the house. He fired six shots from inside the building." Batham initially wanted to talk to the local MLA, but refused to speak to the leader when he arrived, Agarwal said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday launched a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Jamia Nagar firing. Accusing the saffon party of giving guns to children, AAP convenor said, "We are giving pens to children, they are giving guns." Earlier today, a Delhi Court had sent the man who fired at anti-CAA protestors near Jamia Millia Islamia to a 14-day productive remand after he was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. The Board heared the matter around 3 pm. On Thursday, protestors and police personnel faced off against each other near the Jamia Millia Islamia University after the man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student before walking away while waving the firearm over his head shouting Yeh lo Aazadi New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that he has instructed Delhi police to take "strict action" against the Jamia shooter, adding that any such incidents will not be tolerated by the central government. "I have spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner... and instructed him to take strict action. The central government will not tolerate any such incident, it will be taken seriously and the culprit will not be spared," Amit Shah tweeted this evening. A man in his teenage opened fire at the students of Jamia Milia Islamia University who were protesting against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed nationwide NRC. The shooter went live on Facebook before carrying out the attack. He has been taken into custody. One student has been injured in the firing and he rushed to the hospital for treatment. Reacting to the incident that happened less than two weeks before Delhi Assembly elections, the ruling Aam Aadami Party has said that the attack was part of Union Minister Amit Shahs conspiracy to disturb the environment of Delhi in a bid to postpone the elections. "Home Minister Amit Shah wants to disturb environment of Delhi. First, they made their leaders give instigating speeches. BJP can see defeat in Delhi Elections, this conspiracy was hatched out of that fear. HM is conspiring to postpone polls," news agency ANI quoted the AAP leader Sanajy Singh as saying. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said that the Jamia attack happened because ministers and leaders of the ruling BJP were inciting people to shoot by giving hate speeches. She also demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he stands with violence. "All this is possible when the ministers and leaders of the BJP government will incite people to shoot, give provocative speeches. The Prime Minister should answer what kind of Delhi he wants to build? Do they stand with violence or non-violence? Do they stand with development or with chaos?" Gandhi wrote on Twitter. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the incident of shooting at students of Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University by a minor and accused him of disturbing the environment of the national capital ahead of February 8 Assembly elections. AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that the BJP made their leaders give hate speeches as they can see defeat in the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections. The AAP leader also alleged that the home minister of the country wanted to postpone the elections in Delhi. "HM Amit Shah wants to disturb environment of Delhi. First, they made their leaders give instigating speeches. BJP can see defeat in Delhi Elections, this conspiracy was hatched out of that fear. HM is conspiring to postpone polls," news agency ANI quoted the Singh as saying. His remarks came in response to a question on Jamia shooting incident. A man, who went live on Facebook before committing the crime, opened fire at Jamia students in the presence of large police force. He shouted "Ye lo Aazadi (Here's your freedom)" while shooting at the students who were holding a protest march against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act. One student was injured in the firing and his was rushed to the AIIMS trauma centre for treatment. In sheer apathy, the student injured in the shooting incident was made to jump the barricades to go for the hospital as the policemen allegedly refused to remove them. He sustained gunshot wound on his hand. Hours before the attack, the Jamia shooter had gone live on Facebook. His Facebook posts before the attack indicated that he was aware of the consequences of his actions. "On my last journey, take me draped in saffron and shout slogans of Jai Shri Ram," one of them read. The Opposition is blaming the recent hate speeches by Modis minister Anurag Thakur and other BJP leaders during the campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections for the incident. They claimed that by openly raising slogans like "goli maro saalon ko (shoot the traitors)", the BJP leaders are instigating violence to sway the votes. Income tax rates reduced to 10 per cent for income of Rs. 5-7.5 lakh against earlier 20 per cent (Photo Credit: ANI) New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced that people earning between Rs 5-7.5 lakhs will be required to pay tax at 10 per cent against the current 20 per cent. We propose to bring a personal income tax regime, where income tax rates will be reduced, so now, the people earning between Rs 5-7.5 lakhs will be required to pay tax at 10 per cent against current 20 per cent, announced Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2020. Those with income between Rs 7.5-10 lakhs to pay tax at 15 per cent against current 20 per cent. Those with income between Rs 10-12.5 lakhs to pay tax at 20 per cent against 30 per cent. In this new personal income tax regime, income tax rates will be significantly reduced for the individuals who forgo certain exemptions and deductions, she said. Finance Minister said that a people earning Rs 15 lakh per annum and not availing any deductions will now pay Rs 1.95 lakh tax in place of Rs 2.73 lakh. Sitharaman said that around 70 of more than 100 income tax deductions and exemptions have been removed in a bid to simplify tax system and lower tax rates. Tax on Cooperative societies proposed to be reduced to 22 per cent plus surcharge and cess, as against 30 per cent at present, she said. She also said that the income of charitable institutions has been fully exempted from taxation. Donation to such institutions allowed as deduction in computing taxable income of donor, the Finance Minister added. Sitharaman also announced Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme under which taxpayer will pay only amount of disputed tax and will get complete waiver on interest and penalty, if scheme is availed by March 31, 2020. New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices witnessed a dip on Friday, January 31. According to the Indian Oil website, the petrol rates are Rs 73.27 per litre in Delhi, Rs 77.88 per litre in Mumbai, Rs 75.90 per litre in Kolkata, and Rs 76.09 per litre in Chennai, respectively. On the other hand, the diesel prices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai remained at Rs 66.28, Rs 69.47, Rs 68.64, and Rs 70.01 per litre, respectively. In Noida, petrol is retailing at Rs 74.89 a litre, while diesel price is Rs 66.54 a litre. The price of petrol in Gurugram is Rs 73.09 a litre while diesel was selling at Rs 65.51 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. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Trend At a meeting of the Working Group of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan with representatives of the National Guard of Montana, USA, the sides came to the conclusion that it is necessary to resume cooperation between the agencies, Trend reports citing Kabar. The press service of the Emergency Ministry reported that issues of improving the work of rescuers in the prevention and elimination of emergencies, natural disasters were discussed, as well as holding joint conferences and workshops. The meeting also debated priority proposals for cooperation in these areas and issues related exclusively to the competence of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic. Union Budget 2020: What Household Sector Can Expect From Modi Government This Year (Photo Credit: File Image) New Delhi: A simplified return format for GST is being introduced from April 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. In her second Budget presentation, the finance minister said GST has resulted in gains of Rs 1 lakh crore to consumers and removed inspector raj and also helped the transport sector. "Average household now saves 4 per cent in monthly expense after the rollout of GST," Sitharaman said, and added that the Budget for 2020-21 aims to fulfil aspirations of people. HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS: 11:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In For every woman wishing to stand up and get counted and for every individual from minority sections, this Budget 2020 aims to give and have your aspirations and hopes addressed: FM Nirmala Sitharaman. 11:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Average household now saves 4 per cent in monthly expense after rollout of GST, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman. 11:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In GST resulted in Rs 1 lakh crore gains to consumers, removed inspector raj and helped transport sector: FM Nirmala Sitharaman. 11:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In GST has resulted in efficiency gains in transport and logistics sector, inspector raj has vanished, it has benefitted MSME Consumers have got a annual benefit of 1 lakh crore rupees by GST: Finance Minister. 11:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In This Budget aims to give more spending power: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 11:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Budget is for boosting income, purchasing power of people: Finance Minister. 11:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman begins presenting Budget for 2020-21 in Lok Sabha 10:50 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Nirmala Sitharaman reaches Parliament to present Union budget 2020. 09:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman reaches Rashtrapati Bhavan before Budget 2020 presentation. 08:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The finance minister announced that the Union government has approved rail and metro projects for 300 km across the country 08:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Nirmala Sitharaman announced FAME II scheme, which aims to encourage faster adoption of electric vehicles by right incentives and charging infrastructure 08:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sitharaman said that the Modi government strives to encourage faster adoption of electronic vehicles 08:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a big push to electronic vehicles as a means to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution. 08:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sitharaman said that 1.9 crore houses will be provided to citizens in the next two years According to military sources, at least 156 Houthi militants have been killed in battles with the Yemeni government forces in the northern province of Hajjah in the last two days. The violence continues in Harad, near the Saudi border, and the surrounding Abs area. "A total of 106 terrorists were killed in a battle with government military forces in Harad on Friday," according to one of the sources quoted by the media on Saturday. "Coalition airstrikes also bombed dozens of Houthi militia vehicles," the source added, referring to the Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government army. According to military officials, the battle in Harad erupted days after the Houthi militia forced the government army out of the city, killing more than 60 soldiers and injuring 140 more. On February 17, Yemeni forces, supported by coalition warplanes, repelled an attempted attack by the Houthi militia on Yemeni army lines in Abd district. "Fifty Houthis were killed on the spot," a military source on the battle lines of the Bani Hasan area told media. "Dozens of terrorists were injured." "In addition, the army shot down ten bomb-carrying drones," he added. Yemen has been embroiled in civil conflict since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi militia took control of several northern provinces and drove President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's Saudi-backed government out of the capital Sanaa. Kajal Aggarwal completed 21 million followers on Instagram Euroferry Olympia caught fire in the sea, 250 people shouted for help China's mobile gaming market sees revenue growth in Jan. Suraj Jain, a Jalandhar native, shared photos of the product to the India Pakistan Heritage Club group's Facebook page on Saturday, with the caption: "Dear Pakistani friends. Hum aapka NAMAK khate hai (we eat your salt) !!!!" Pakistani page members, who shared the same socio-cultural context as their Indian counterparts, reacted positively to the statement. It was seen as a show of affection and love for Pakistan and its people. Many Pakistanis were astounded by the fact that Pakistani salt with such a brand name and packaging was permitted to be sold in India. But there were critics, according to the report, with some Pakistanis demanding "namak halali" from Indians and some Indians responding with tit-for-tat responses. At least one Indian company has named this Himalayan salt as "Pakistani Crushed Rock Salt". The word 'Pakistani' appears prominently on the packaging. Hans India and a few others mention the Pakistani origins of salt on their packaging but take care to relegate it to less visible spaces, media reported. The "Pakistani Crushed Rock Salt" costs Rs 95 (PKR223) per kilogramme in and near Jalandhar. This is significantly more than the price of ordinary iodized salt, which is sold for Rs 24 per kg. Rock salt is recognized in Pakistan as Lahori namak, and its price has risen since the 2019 trade war with India, when its medicinal benefits were widely discussed. It is now available for PKR199 per kg on online shopping sites, albeit it is much cheaper in local markets. A significant amount of Pakistani pink salt is sold in the Indian market as well. Most Indian companies, on the other hand, would not refer to it as Pakistani salt. Himalayan salt, pink salt, and sendha namak are all names for it. According to Samaa TV, the Hindi word Sendha means "rock." According to the report, it is no secret that Pakistan has the best Himalayan salt. This rock salt, also known as pink salt, is well-known for its medicinal qualities. It is also a known fact that Pakistan exports a large quantity of Himalayan salt about 100,000 tonnes a year to India. In 2019, the issue was in the news after Indians tried to register the salt in their name with international trade bodies. India exports some of the salt it imports from Pakistan to the west after value addition. 156 Houthi militants were killed in battles with the Yemeni army Kajal Aggarwal completed 21 million followers on Instagram China's mobile gaming market sees revenue growth in Jan. A suicide explosion in the Somalian town of Beledweyne killed at least ten people and injured 15 more, according to police. According to media sources, a suicide bomber wearing explosive vests around his waist blew himself up inside Hassan Dhiif Restaurant on Saturday. "The town is gearing up for parliamentary elections on Sunday, and many people were reported to be inside the restaurant, which is near to the district offices in Beledweyne," the statement said. According to witnesses, the election of roughly 25 parliamentarians was set to take place in Beledweyne on Sunday, and a large number of delegates had gathered in the town. The most recent incident occurred only hours after security personnel loyal to National Security Advisor Fahad Yasin arrived in town from Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, ahead of Yasin's election on Sunday. Abdirahman Keynan, the deputy district commissioner for social affairs, was among those murdered in the latest suicide attack, according to state-run Radio Mogadishu. "The majority of those killed were civilians who had rushed to the tea store. The injured were rushed to hospitals for treatment. Security officers have cordoned off the area," a witness stated. In the midst of the heavy police presence, a journalist who was stuck inside the scene said he saw multiple bodies lying on the ground. "I'm trapped inside the building that was bombed by terrorists. "I saw dead bodies and injured people laying on the ground," a radio journalist told media. "There is a huge presence of police forces here now." The raid comes after the Somali government sent many security officers to the area a few weeks earlier. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the recent incident, the al-Shabab terror group is known to carry out similar attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia. Indians and Pakistanis argue over Pakistani rock salt! Russia opens criminal proceedings after Ukraine reports shelling 156 Houthi militants were killed in battles with the Yemeni army Pradyot Debbarma, a Tripura royal scion and head of the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA), has promised help to the 'Tiprasa' people in Bangladesh. "In Bangladesh, members of our community are having difficulties. Meningitis is killing them. Pradyot Debbarma remarked, "I urge my Tiprasa brothers in Tripura to travel there (Bangladesh) to support them with medicines and money." "I will send a team with medicines and financial help for the Tiprasa people of Bangladesh," he added. "When Durga temples were vandalised in Bangladesh, anger gripped the entire country," Pradyot Debbarma said. In a similar vein, I'd want to point out that indigenous people in Bangladesh facing problems as well. They should get help." Meanwhile, Debbarma reiterated that the demand for "Greater Tipraland" is not political, explaining that there is "an underlying message of solidarity among indigenous societies that seek for constitutional solution." "There is still a significant number of indigenous people living there (sixth schedule regions), and they require special care and help," Debbarma said. However, schools for classes 1 to 9 and 11, as well as colleges and universities, will stay closed, according to the statement. It went on to say that public or social gatherings, anniversaries, and birthday celebrations will all be banned in the future. Meanwhile, the Aizawl district administration issued separate orders on Saturday lifting the night curfew and red-zones under the Aizawl Municipal Corporation's authority (AMC). Officials expect other district headquarters or towns to follow suit. Kajal Aggarwal completed 21 million followers on Instagram Manindra Reang former minister and state JD-U chief joins TIPRA Mouni wins fans hearts by dancing to 'Nainowale Ne' song Kathmandu, January 24 Nepal has been elected a member of the four UN agencies globally as of now, exhibiting its diplomatic acumen as a peace-loving, proud and independent nation. These UN agencies are the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD) and the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD). Nepal will work for the CEDAW for three years, CND for two years and CPD and CSTD for the whole of this year. It has already worked for the UN Women until 2021 and as the chair of the Economic and Financial Committee, the UN General Assembly and as vice-chair of its Legal Committee. A two-time temporary member of the UN Security Council, one of the key UN agencies, Nepal has been stressing the need for carrying out additional reforms in the UN bodies and making them much active, effective and efficient. Besides, it has based its foreign policy on the UN Charter. Nepal also considers the UN as the centre of multilateralism. Nepals partnership with the world body has contributed to the promotion of global peace and security, development and human rights the three main pillars of the UN system. It is the fourth country contributing the highest number of personnel to the UN peacekeeping missions at the call of the UN. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty They were beggars and scholars and out-of-work lace makers, dreamers and drunkards, decent farmers and hopelessly bad ones. They were bricklayers, some honest and some exploiting an obscure loophole in brickmaking law to commit tax fraud. They were at odds with the local press, accused of sex scandals, and eternally feuding among themselves. And from 1838 to 1841, they were all stuck there together in the worst little utopia in all of Cambridgeshire, England. They paid much more attention to the beer shops and the company of the lowest prostitutes than to their work, one griped about his neighbors. To make a successful Community all parties must be economical and industrious, and must not, like Mr. Kirk, frequently get up after breakfast, others complained of a comrade in an anonymous collective letter to the commune newspaper. Inside the Flat Earth Conference, Where the Worlds Oldest Conspiracy Theory Is Hot Again This was Manea Fen, a short-lived socialist commune scooped out of the wetlands. Staffed by soft-handed idealists rebelling against Englands Industrial Revolution and local laborers seeking more than starvation wages, Manea Fen was a beacon for people chasing a new world. They found it, though not in a way they could have imagined. By its second year, the whole project would become an embarrassing flop that would send its founder into debt and most of its members slinking back into polite society. But as the weeds reclaimed Manea Fens homesteads, the communes real export would blossom across the country. Up from Manea Fens marshy plains rose modern Flat Earth theory, a conspiracy theory so audacious it could eclipse a planet. It was entirely one mans fault. Samuel Birley Rowbotham was twenty-two, radical, and, according to a socialist newspapers account, occasionally high off his mind on laughing gas when he began imagining a new world in 1838. That year, he was one of the first to answer a local farmers call to build the planned utopian society of Manea Fen. Rowbotham and the farmer comrade, William Hodson, were followers of Robert Owen, a utopian socialist who envisioned grand, sweeping paradises made up of cooperative worker communes. (Working before socialist heavy hitters like Karl Marx, Owen argued not for society-wide class struggle and revolution, but for model communes that would show the world how to live peacefully.) The year 1838 was a boom time for English utopians. Workers, dirt-poor and fed up near the end of the First Industrial Revolution, banded together in experimental live-work settlements where they hoped they could break the accelerating wheels of capitalism. Story continues Few photographs exist of Rowbotham. If you ask around at a modern Flat Earth conference, someone might be able to sell you an old pamphlet with a picture of him as a stern, round-faced man of middle age. I like to imagine him in his early years, however, not as an aging man from an old book, but as a young idealist who would have gotten by just fine in the twenty-first century. The young Rowbotham liked to get high and litigate obscure political arguments with other socialists in their niche newspapers. Substitute those newspapers for social media, and hed be indistinguishable from dozens of people I know in modern life. Rowbotham had one more commonality with contemporary Twitter users: he lived in a moment ripe for conspiracy theories. Conspiratorial thinking is not a weird pathology, experienced by some and absent in others. Its part of a mental process hardwired into all of us, from Rowbothams era and beforehand and afterward. The same powers of abstraction that make humans good at detecting patterns (like anticipating storms when dark clouds gather) can make us imagine patterns where they dont exist, especially when were feeling stressed or powerless. Rather than languish in the unknown, we tell ourselves stories about the secret causes of our troubles. All of us do this. For instance, after failing my drivers test three times, an explanation emerged in the back of my mind: maybe the Department of Motor Vehicles secretly had to flunk a certain quota of student drivers. The stress of the situation (being demonstrably bad at driving), coupled with a misunderstood pattern (the apparent impossibility of passing a road test) and a comforting explanation (I wasnt a traffic hazard; I was being oppressed by the iron boot of the state) turned my botched parallel parking into a conspiracy theory. I passed on round four. In short, conspiracy theories help us feel safe by providing an explanation for things that feel incomprehensible and beyond our control. This dynamic can influence us in measurably silly ways. Dutch psychologists, for example, found that if students were asked to describe a situation that made them feel powerless, they were more likely to subsequently believe conspiracy theories about a controversial train line near campus. Moments of rapid industrialization and income inequalitylike Rowbothams and arguably our ownare prime sources of precarity and uncertainty. In the United States, during the Second Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s, for example, newspapers logged a spike in conspiracy-minded letters to the editor, which contemporary researchers attribute to laborers worries that new technologies would cast them into unemployment. Though newspapers were not yet in widespread circulation during Rowbothams youth, the First Industrial Revolution produced many of the same anxieties as the Second, including those that inspired Owen to build worker-friendly communities. Seeking to build an anti-capitalist utopia in rapidly industrializing England, Rowbotham and Hodson took a tour of existing Owenite communes in an attempt to drum up support for their own efforts in Manea Fen. But while Hodson, a devout socialist who would eventually bankrupt himself for the cause, was focused on earning membership and finding financial backing, Rowbotham might have been hatching a secret plot. It was one, he would later write, that he had fomented since childhood. Since he was a boy, Rowbotham would later claim, he had always believed he lived on a flat planet. Even in the early 1800s, this was supposedly enough to get the young Rowbotham into trouble at school. Though twenty-first-century Americans love to portray Brits from past centuries as Flat Earthers (for instance, a 2020 Super Bowl commercial depicted English peasants talking about Flat Earth), people have known the planet was round for thousands of years. By Rowbothams time, schools had long been teaching a fairly modern model of the solar system. Rowbotham claimed he never took to his schools teachings, and that he tried sneaking out of a school astronomy lesson, which he believed was bogus. Those doubts compounded when he searched the Bible for confirmation of his beliefs. He concluded that if Sir Isaac Newtons model of the solar systemround planets orbiting a round sunwas true, then God was dead. Again and again, the feeling came over me that as the Newtonian system appeared so plausible and so grand in its extent and comprehensiveness, it might after all be correct, Rowbotham later wrote of his path to Flat Earth, and, if so, there could be no heaven for mans future enjoyment; no higher existence than on this earth; no spiritual and immortal creatures, and therefore no God or Creator. Was Rowbotham really a childhood Flat Earther? We only have his questionable word for it. But even before Manea Fen broke ground, Rowbotham had begun shaping it in a way that would doom the commune and put Flat Earth theory on the map. His early membership in Manea Fen gave the young Rowbotham considerable power over the collective. Hodson named him secretary of the group, and Rowbotham went to work looking for a suitable location for the project. He found it on the shores of Cambridges Old Bedford Canal. Rowbotham was adamant about starting the commune on the canal banks. They would form a beautiful promenade in the summer evening, Rowbotham told his comrades. When other Owenites panned his choice (not enough winding river bends and birdsong for a paradise), Rowbotham doubled down, his conviction becoming tinged with fanaticism; he had to have his commune there. Why not, in the spirit of revolutionary harmony, just move Manea Fen to one of swampy Cambridgeshires many natural waterways? Rowbothams fixation on the Bedford Canal might have been more than socialist devotion. He may have been guided by ulterior motives. Pin-straight and pancake-flat to the untrained eye, the Bedford Canal, nicknamed the Bedford Level, looked rather like a flat line stretching across the visible length of a flat planet. It was a gift to anyone hoping to argue that Earth is not a globe. Early in his work to build the Manea Fen colony, Rowbotham began making repeat trips to the canal to conduct experiments. Earth curves at approximately eight inches per mile squared. (Real mathematicians use more precise formulas, but for very short experiments like Rowbothams, approximations are fine.) If you lie on your stomach and gaze at the horizon from one mile away, a barely perceptible eight inches of Earth will be hidden behind the planets curve. If you can see two miles away, thirty-two inches of Earth will have curved out of view. Six miles away, the ground will have dropped twenty-four feet below your line of sight. This has been more or less the established model of the planet since Pythagoras proposed a spherical Earth around 500 BCE. Rowbotham, however, saw the world differently. When wading neck-deep in the canal with a telescope, he claimed, he could see the full height of boats sailing at the far end. When the canal froze in winter, his telescope could spot ice-skaters six miles away. Those damp sojourns would go on to haunt the future. One hundred eighty years after Rowbothams experiments on the canal, Ive met dozens of Flat Earthers who have cited the nineteenth-century experiments in their own writings or, despite their internet connections, traveled to the canal themselves to re-create the Bedford Level test. These modern Flat Earthers may as well have been citing a fantasy novel. Rowbotham was incorrect (archaeologists who studied Manea Fen are doubtful he even had an adequate telescope) or outright lying (those same archaeologists tried replicating his experiment and found it to show a round earth). For years, he wouldnt even discuss his findings with the masses, and none of his commune peers appear to have adopted his burgeoning theory. At the time, however, Rowbotham had other problems on his plate. Manea Fen was, functionally, a mess, and people blamed him. When the colony opened on the canal banks around Christmas 1838, Rowbotham recruited a sordid crew, many of them more interested in drinking than working. Visiting socialists were appalled and accused him of gathering the laziest leftists he could find. (The accusations were a little unfair. The laziest man on the commune was probably not a Rowbotham recruit, but a man named Kirk who moved in of his own accord and immediately demanded the right to build a cave and live in it as a hermit. And even the communes most ambitious workers were likely cutting corners: archaeologists who studied the commune suspect the Owenites routinely dodged their taxes by selling bricks mislabeled as drainage materials, in what looked pretty clearly like a scheme to cash in on a tax loophole for toilet products.) Regardless of fault in recruitment strategy, the utopia had other issues. Despite the communes socialist mission, some early workers claimed they received no pay for their labor. I am without home and without bread, one man complained when he abandoned the commune after three unpaid months. As for Manea Fens intellectual aims, its early occupants spent their time finding fault with one another and with everything about them, engaging in useless discussions, and micromanaging their comrades, member E. Wastney later wrote. Other Owenite communes and newspapers, already suspicious of Rowbothams project, latched on to these stories. The sex scandal made matters worse. Hodson, Manea Fens official founder, believed in equality for women. Like so many male feminists of his moment and the future, however, his ideological commitment wavered in practice, and Manea Fen never had any significant female leadership. For some time during Rowbothams tenure, though, commune leadership condemned the institution of marriage as oppressive to women and encouraged more independent sexual relationships. At this, all the leading Owenite newspapers pounced. The commune, already unpopular, was now practicing free love and polygamy, they alleged. The scandal spread. Owenite committees across the country held inquiries. Hodsons and Rowbothams names began to float to the top of these investigations, and disillusioned Manea Fen members began quitting the commune en masse. Hodson was ultimately able to shake free of the allegations. But Rowbotham, who had made a name for himself by picking an undesirable plot of land by the canal and staffing it with hard-drinking layabouts, was not so fortunate. In a desperate plea to keep his spot in the commune, he wrote an April 1839 letter to Owen, asking the socialist leader to help resolve a little confusion in our Society with regard to whether or not marriage was bad. He did not receive a response. By summer, the Manea Fen commune had cast him out. Rowbotham is neither secretary to, nor a member of this society, a curt article in the communes newspaper announced. The whole utopia was bankrupt and abandoned less than two years later. So there Rowbotham was, drifting around the wetlands with little to his name besides a handful of counterscientific beliefs. For a short time, he tried his hand at social missionary work, but complaints against the argumentative young man piled up. He dropped out in a matter of months, abandoning his efforts and denouncing Owenism. Further fringes were already calling him. Casting off the name that had become associated with a socialist sex scandal, Rowbotham rebranded as Dr. Birley. His lack of any doctoral degree was irrelevant. Rowbotham was about to plunge into a career that, to this day, rubs shoulders with the Flat Earth movement and other conspiracy scenes. He was about to become a huckster of miracle cures. From OFF THE EDGE: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Theories and Why People Will Believe Anything by Kelly Weill. Reprinted by permission of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Copyright 2022 by Kelly Weill. All rights reserved. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Vice President Kamala Harris said Sunday that she was supportive of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his defiant speech Saturday to the Munich Security Conference. Speaking to reporters at the site of the annual conference on international security, Harris said she understood the extremely difficult position that Ukraines leader is in, with Russian troops massed on his nation border amid expectations that President Vladimir Putin could order an invasion at any minute. Let us recognize the position hes in, Harris said of Zelenskyy, according to pool reports. His country is virtually surrounded by Russian troops. This is my belief, based on just my own assessment and speculation: He came here to make a very clear point that he does not stand alone. On Saturday, Zelenskyy told the conference: We are going to protect our country with or without the support of our partners. Speaking in the city that was the location of the infamous 1938 agreement that allowed German dictator Adolf Hitler to dismember and then gobble up Czechoslovakia without penalty, Zelenskyy warned of the dangers of letting bullies get their way. Has our world completely forgotten the mistakes of the 20th century? he asked. Where does appeasement policy usually lead to? Ukraines president also called for immediate sanctions against Russia, but Harris reiterated the Biden administrations position that sanctions had greater value if held back as a threat. She said Americas European allies shared that view. The Allied relationship is such that we have agreed that the deterrence effect of these sanctions is still a meaningful one, Harris said, adding: We still sincerely hope that there is a diplomatic path out of this moment. Harris, who met directly with Ukraines president on Saturday, also backed President Joe Bidens statement that he expects Russia will indeed invade Ukraine. As the President has said, we believe that Putin has made his decision. Period, she said. Story continues Zelenskyy also made it clear he had no doubt where Putin stood. Ukraine wants peace; Europe wants peace; the whole world says it doesnt want war; and Russia claims it doesnt want to intervene. Someone of us is lying, he said Saturday. Harris said it had been decades since Europe faced a crisis of this magnitude. "Let's really take a moment to understand the significance of what we're talking about," she said. "Its been over 70 years. And through those 70 years, as I mentioned yesterday, there has been peace and security. We are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe." By Trend President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a meeting, Trend reports with reference to Ukranian media. Answering the moderator's question during Munich Security Conference about whether he understands what Putin wants, the President of Ukraine said: "I don't know what the president of the Russian Federation wants, so I suggest we meet." Earlier, in an interview with local media, Zelensky spoke about his expectations from a likely meeting with Putin. In his opinion, the meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia "will definitely unblock relations" between the countries. MELBOURNE, Australia, February 20, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Tasmanian Government and Rio Tinto will work together to ensure a strong and sustainable future economy for George Town, the Tamar Valley region and Tasmania, in a new partnership signed today at the Bell Bay Aluminium smelter. The partnership will seek to drive economic growth and employment outcomes in the State and support the Tasmanian Governments target of doubling renewable electricity generation by 2040. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Tasmanian Government and Rio Tinto will jointly investigate how the smelters manufacturing capability and electricity demand can help support the development of new industries and more renewable energy supply in the region. Rio Tinto has also committed to look at how it could further decarbonise Bell Bay Aluminium and investigate options for future investment to secure the competitiveness of the smelter. The MOU was signed at Bell Bay by Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein and Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm. Peter Gutwein said "This MOU is a strong demonstration of our shared commitment to Tasmanias economic and industrial future and reinforces the States renewable energy credentials. "Rio Tinto has been a figurehead of local industry here for some 67 years, directly employing more than 500 Tasmanians and more than 700 indirectly, and this agreement reaffirms Rio Tintos long-term commitment to our state." Jakob Stausholm said "Aluminium is essential for the global transition to a low-carbon economy, and we are excited about the contribution our Bell Bay smelter can make both towards this transition and to the regions future. "We want to help ensure a strong and vibrant future for Bell Bay, where we have been part of the community for well over half a century and where we are actively working with the Tasmanian Government on a shared vision for the future." Bell Bay Aluminium General Manager Shona Markham said "Bell Bay Aluminium has been an important part of George Town and the northern Tasmanian economy for nearly 70 years. Story continues "Todays announcement is exciting news for our 514 direct employees, and the hundreds of other Tasmanians and Tasmanian businesses who work with us. It is a strong endorsement that Rio Tinto and the Tasmanian Government see a positive and sustainable future for Bell Bay beyond 2025." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220219005008/en/ Contacts Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, UK Illtud Harri M +44 7920 503 600 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Americas Matthew Klar T +1 514 608 4429 Investor Relations, UK Menno Sanderse M: +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Clare Peever M +44 7788 967 877 Rio Tinto plc 6 St Jamess Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Media Relations, Australia Jonathan Rose M +61 447 028 913 Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Investor Relations, Australia Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto Limited Level 7, 360 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 riotinto.com Category: Bell Bay (Getty/The Independent) Who the f*** takes out $100,000 in loans for a man youve spent all of three days with? You deserved it. The Tinder Swindler just shows how stupid women get when they fall in love. Where can I find these stupid women from The Tinder Swindler that will dash me something sweet? It was comments like these that flooded Twitter following the release of The Tinder Swindler last week. The Netflix documentary, which dropped on 2 February, follows a group of women who were swept up in a romance scam so intricate, so extreme, that it left some of them hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket. Shimon Hayut, or Simon Leviev as he was known to his victims, conned women into believing they were in genuine relationships before asking them for money. The narrative of the documentary follows how the women Cecilie Fjellhy, Pernilla Sjoholm and Ayleen Charlotte met Hayut through Tinder and how he manipulated them into giving him their money. Presenting himself as the son of billionaire diamond mogul, Lev Leviev, Hayut would begin each romance by showering the women with lavish gifts, flights on a private jet he apparently owned, and promises of love and commitment. But once he had secured their trust, Hayut started asking them for large amounts of money under the pretence of needing to protect his identity from his enemies. Fjellhy, who was 29 when she met Hayut in 2019, says she was conned out of more than $270,626 (200,000), while Sjoholm says she gave the fraudster at least $45,000 (33,256). The women have since set up a GoFundMe page to try and raise enough money to pay back their debts all while Hayut, who was sentenced to 15 months in jail but was released after just five, walks away a free man. Netflix has since released a new series based on another notorious fraudster; Anna Sorokin, better known by her fake identity as German heiress, Anna Delvey. Inventing Anna follows journalist Vivian Kent based on real-life journalist Jessica Pressler, whose 2018 The Cut article about Sorokins crimes inspired the series as she unravels the complicated web Sorokin spun around herself as she pretended to be a socialite spending her way through New York City. Story continues This whole story is completely true (except for all of the parts that are *totally* made up). From the makers of Bridgerton, and starting Julia Garner, INVENTING ANNA is now streaming.pic.twitter.com/OBxTL3S85T Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) February 11, 2022 Not long after Sorokin was charged with grand larceny and theft in 2017, one of her victims, Rachel DeLoache Williams revealed that Sorokin had scammed her out of $65,000 (48,000) over the course of their friendship. In essence, what Sorokin and Hayut did are similar. They spent months gaining their victims trust and didnt give them any reason to believe they would turn them upside down and shake their pockets dry. However, the difference in social media response towards what the fraudsters did has been stark. In Hayuts case, there is an inordinate amount of focus on women being initially attracted to him on Tinder because he portrayed himself as a billionaire, with many people harking back to the misogynistic trope of the gold-digging woman. Romance fraud, and just about every type of fraud, involves a level of grooming and manipulation Dr Elisabeth Carter Much of the social media discourse surrounding The Tinder Swindler seems to dismiss the serious fraud Hayut committed and instead mocks and blames the women whose lives he messed with. Even worse, by branding them as gold-diggers, many critics have twisted the entire narrative to frame Hayuts victims as the predators instead. In contrast, the aggrandisation of Sorokin in pop culture has cast a huge shadow over her victims, shrinking them to the point of near non-existence. As the Evening Standard notes, Inventing Anna sometimes appears to buy into this Robin Hood self-mythologisation, where Sorokin is heralded almost as a hero for scamming banks, hotels and New Yorks elite in order to live like a socialite. Lets not forget that Sorokin is a convicted criminal, found guilty of theft of services and grand larceny. She was sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison, but was released after two years. She was then taken back into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in April 2021 for overstaying her visa, and has been in ICE custody since. Dr Elisabeth Carter, a forensic linguist, criminologist and assistant professor at Kingston University in London, tells The Independent that victims of romance scams do seem to find themselves on the receiving end of more public vitriol than other types of scams. This, she says, is fuelled by the idea that victims of fraud have some level of complicity in order for the scam to work. They have to give the information or the money over at some point [for the scam to work]. That leaves outsiders with the narrative that youve been a part of it, therefore it is your fault, she explains. But romance fraud, and just about every type of fraud, involves a level of grooming and manipulation. The victim is making their decisions in a reality that has been so severely distorted that they cant be blamed at all they have been groomed and manipulated into making these decisions, much like coercive control. Romance scams are particularly damaging, because victims dont just lose money, they also lose a relationship they were led to believe was real. Its more common than we think, too. New research from UK Finances Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign and the Online Dating Association has found that 38 per cent of people who have dated someone online over the past year have been asked for money, despite never meeting in person. Carter says: These types of scams specifically are very cruel and pervasive. They can last for a long time one of the victims in The Tinder Swindler was in a relationship with [Hayut] for 14 months and you cant just switch off from it, you have residual feelings. She compares it to domestic violence and abuse, where victims often tell yourself this is okay and are trapped in abusive relationships. The real convincing wasnt done by wealth, it was done by stealth Dr Elisabeth Carter In the case of romance fraud, they are designed to exploit your trust and love and honesty in a relationship for the very reason of taking your money. Its very hard to overcome. But people just look at the money lost and dont see the psychological harm involved or the massive grooming before money is ever mentioned, Carter says. Ahead of the shows release, Fjellhy said in an interview with ITVs Lorraine that she and the other women had been victim-blamed. She said: We kind of knew it might come, but to be called a gold-digger for giving out money, like we said, we must have been the worst gold-diggers in history. Carter adds that dating someone with money can be a red herring and its not the reason why these women continued to have a relationship with Hayut. She continues: It might have been the reason they started it, but on Tinder, people make fast decisions based on a photo, a short bio and glimpses into a potential matchs lifestyle all the time. Tinder Swindler is very much triggering, not about the money scamming per se, but the way he convinced a woman how he loved her and what they had so special. Man who uses I love you to manipulate a woman whos deeply in love with him should have a special place in hell. Uly Siregar (@sheknowshoney) February 7, 2022 But the real convincing wasnt done by wealth, it was done by stealth. We see in fraud prevention literature all the time, Dont give money to people you dont know, but the victims werent giving money to someone they didnt know. They were lending money to their boyfriend or friend. People pass money between family, friends and partners all the time, she says. There is something about women looking for love and finding love in a wealthy man that people dont like, adds Carter. It goes against the normative gender roles of who women are expected to be, which is meek and mild-mannered and not explicitly interested in money or sex. And then if it goes wrong, they blame the woman. But in the case of Sorokin, because she was seen to be scamming the elite, much less emphasis was placed on her victims. This is despite Williams becoming so traumatised by the theft that when she testified in court against Sorokin during the trial, she said: I wish I had never met Anna. If I could go back in time, I would. I wouldnt wish this on anybody. There is something about women looking for love and finding love in a wealthy man that people dont like Dr Elisabeth Carter Neither Sorokin or Hayut fit the narrow narrative we have that scammers are hooded people sitting in a dark room behind a computer, tapping away at codes. Instead they led people to believe they had all the money in the world to go on eye-wateringly expensive shopping sprees and holidays, when the truth was that neither of them had a penny to their names. [Sorokin] didnt match that narrative, and so it was almost seen as a civil matter rather than a criminal matter, Carter says. People forget all the time that financial abuse and fraud are likely to be committed by an acquaintance, or even by family members, and its not always out of the blue by a total outsider. A lot of people thought Delveys friends who she defrauded must have known something was wrong since they were so close. But that was part of the fraud and the grooming. When youre on the inside, youre much less likely to question it. We never consider that itll happen to us. You think you know someone but then, you find out its just not true. Fredericksburg Police officers will now have assistance for behavioral health emergencies in the city. The Fredericksburg Police Department established a program in coordination with the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board that will provide a co-response to such calls. Six months ago, Fredericksburg Police Chief Brian Layton announced plans to launch the pilot program and now the Crisis Intervention Response Team has been implemented. Layton said the collaboration will make our community healthier and safer. I am thrilled to partner with the RACSB to provide this important service to the City of Fredericksburg, Layton said. The CIRT will help people in crisis access the resources they need quickly, officers will experience less stress and trauma and the RACSB will make an even bigger impact by reaching a broader audience. The co-response team is composed of one patrol officer and one RACSB clinician specializing in crisis intervention. They will be dispatched and serve as the primary unit for calls regarding mental health, suicidal threats, suicide attempts or self-harm and emergency custody order or temporary detention order service. The clinician will also be able to self-dispatch or request to assist the primary officers on calls likely to create a crisis including death investigations, homicides, child abuse, sex offenses, domestic violence, missing person, barricade and other serious crimes or events. The CIRT will work four 10-hour shifts. The shifts will be determined based on an analysis of high-demand times for mental health calls. The city police department is hopeful that the CIRT will reduce the risk of violent encounters during mental health calls. The program is a response to the MarcusDavid Peters Act, which was passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by Gov. Ralph Northam in 2020. Peters was an Essex High School science teacher who was shot and killed by a Richmond City Police officer on May 14, 2018, during a mental health emergency. The officer who shot Peters, Michael Nyantakyi, was cleared of criminal charges, but the incident led to the legislation designed to shift the response to a behavioral health crisis from law enforcement to mental health workers. The RACSB was directed to have protocols and procedures in place to enforce the new law by July 1. The RACSB plan will cover Fredericksburg as well as the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. The city, however, is the first to get the program underway in the region. Layton said previously that his staff hopes to train other departments in the area. Rappahannock Area Community Services Board and all RACSB emergency services staff are motivated and exited to see the inception of our co-response program in partnership with the Fredericksburg Police Department, said Kari Norris, the RACSBs Emergency Services Coordinator. Individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis will now have an opportunity for an enhanced law enforcement response to continue to best serve the individuals in our community and provide the best outcomes for those in crisis. The goal of the CIRT is to de-escalate behavioral or mental health crisis incidents and connect individuals involved to resources that can address their needs. The CIRT will follow up with those they come in contact with as well as their family members and caregivers after a crisis to see if additional services are needed. A new police officer position for the co-response team is funded through June 2023 by a Department of Criminal Justice grant. City Council intends to continue funding the position after the grant obligation period expires. Taft Coghill Jr: 540/374-5526 tcoghill@freelancestar.com Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When Dr. Henry Wicker Jr. came to Fredericksburg as the first Black surgeon more than 30 years ago, he said some people looked at him like he stepped off a spaceship. Others didnt want to see him at all. There were a handful of patients who didnt realize his race when they made their appointments. Hed walk into the room to introduce himself, say a few words and step out so they could change into a patient gown. When he returned, they were gone. Even when a prominent physician started recommending him, the referral came with a caveat. He would warn them that I was colored, Wicker said. Meanwhile, there was the opposite reaction in the Black community. People were so excited by his practice, they came, even if they didnt need surgery. They just wanted to see a Black doctor, he said. How times have changed. Wicker, 63, has become the surgeon other doctors pick to perform their procedures, said Crystal Jernigan, director of surgical services at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center. His general surgery practice initially included everything from breast cancer to vascular issues but narrowed over time as Wicker specialized in the abdominal area. Nurse Leah Blake, who said other doctors regularly seek insight from operating nurses like her when they need work done, put it this way: You want your hernia done, you go to Dr. Wicker. Wicker probably would laugh at her words while also being a little embarrassed by the accolades. He doesnt seek the limelight, but agreed to a story after HCA Virginia, which owns the Spotsylvania hospital, highlighted him as a health care hero during Black History Month. He believes his family has an interesting and inspiring history and hes proud of the trails they blazed. His great-great-grandfather, A.E.P. Albert, was the son of a slave, but he earned a medical degree in the 1880s and became a staunch supporter of civil rights in Louisiana. Alberts wife, Octavia, also was born into slavery, but was educated in Georgia and wrote a book about slave experiences called The House of Bondage. The Wicker family has a copy of that book, tattered and worn. The surgeon believed it was the only one left until scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. included it in a collection of Black female authors from the 19th century. The emphasis his great-great-grandparents placed on education has remained a core family value over centuries. Every single one of their descendants was at least a college graduate and most of us have advanced degrees, Wicker said. Thats unusual to have a line go back into the 19th century for a Black family. Were talking about five generations. Many have become teachers, like his brother and oldest daughter. Still others entered the medical field, including Wickers father, the late Dr. Henry Wicker Sr., who was the first Black ophthalmologist at George Washington University Hospital in the 1960s. OFF LIMITS/ON CAMPUS The younger Wicker didnt plan to go into medicine. I was gonna be a bomber pilot, that was what I was intent on doing, he said with a hearty laugh. I was just fascinated with military aviation. I had model planes I made hanging from my ceiling and the B-52 hung right over my bed. I was going to be a B-52 pilot. He even earned an Air Force scholarship. But in those years after Vietnamthe late 1970sWicker said the country had no taste for the military . . . and the ROTC was not a popular place to be. When he learned the Air Force was looking for doctors, not pilots, he changed direction. It wasnt a total about-face, as he already was familiar with the world of medicine from spending time with his father and his contemporaries. His family lived in Washington, where his mother, Geralyn, taught in inner-city schools and made it her lifes work to impart the thirst for education in children who had very little in the form of guidance or security, Wicker said. She wanted him to apply to Harvard. But hed also spent a lot of time with family in New Orleans, so when he got early acceptance into Tulane University, Wicker didnt apply anywhere else. He did his undergraduate work there and received his medical degree from its School of Medicine in 1985. The choice of Tulane was especially meaningful to Wickers father, who didnt have the same opportunities. Legalized segregationthe notion that opportunities offered were separate but equalstarted in New Orleans and was enforced to the degree that any Black who challenged it was arrested. Tulane was clearly off limits to Blacks in the elder Wickers day. Every time my father would come to visit on campus, he would make the remark: You know, I couldnt even walk on the same side of the street and now Im walking with you on campus, Wicker recalled. As a young man, Wicker sensed his fathers pride but probably didnt fathom the magnitude of what he felt. I feel so much differently about things now, looking back as an old man with children, than I did when I was young and just excited about being away from home, he said. HE SAVED MY LIFE Wicker did his internship and residency at Howard University Hospitals. His mentor was Dr. Lasalle Leffall Jr., an internationally known surgeon and educator who trained more than 4,500 medical students. Wicker still has the Chairmans Award, presented to him by Leffall in June 1990, hanging in his office at the Pratt Medical Center across from Spotsylvania Regional. The award was presented to a resident with superior skills who is deemed by the department to demonstrate the attributes necessary for a safe and skillful surgeon. Wicker treasures the award because Leffall instilled in his students that surgeons needed stellar skills and a hefty dose of humanity. While others of that era placed surgeons on pedestalsbelieving that technical competency trumped everything else, including compassionLefall imparted the sense that you were the servants. Wicker never forgot the lesson. He was larger than life, magnanimous, just a superb human being, Wicker said. Still to this day, I spend time trying to emulate him. Never successful, but always trying. Those whove worked with himand have been cared for by himwould say otherwise. I consider him my savior, said Valentin Aksilenko, who came to America from Russia in 1993, three years after Wicker opened his practice. He saved my life, not one time but several times. Aksilenkos long history with the surgeon began with a diagnosis of Stage 4 rectal cancer and involved a complicated and difficult initial surgeryand there have been many since then. The former KGB operative and Kremlin staff member was taken back at 10 a.m. for that first procedure and his wife, Irene, remembers with keen clarity sitting in the waiting room. It was after midnight when Wicker emerged. I was alone, lying on the sofa, and he came out and he was tired, his eyes were bloodshot as the surgery involved more organs than initially thought, she said. Irene Aksilenko began to cry when Wicker explained the procedure had resulted in a colostomy bag, meaning her husbands waste had to be diverted in a different direction. I was crying on his shoulder and he was trying to calm me down and soothe me, telling me its not the end of the world, that people live with this condition for years, she said. Its been almost 20 years already and we owe Vals life to him. No doubt, no doubt about it. THE ABSOLUTE BEST That story probably wouldnt surprise David McKnight, the former CEO of Spotsylvania Regional. Wicker was chief of staff and one of the patriarchs of the hospital when McKnight first joined the team in 2015. He came to discover that Wicker is a perfectionist. He demands the absolute best, which to some can be intimidating. However, it makes you better, McKnight said. He is an incredible teacher, and if you want to see how things should be done, you watch him. Patients love him because of the way he can explain things. If he needed to draw a diagram to better explain something, he would draw it himself. But perhaps the best testament to Wickers skills comes from Lawrence Davies, Fredericksburgs first Black mayor and a man renowned for his calming influence during troubling times. Like others, he visited Wicker for a medical matter. He spared me from surgery that was unnecessary and Ill be eternally grateful to him for that, Davies said. As the years passed, Wicker went from being a bit of a curiosity, as he called himself in his early days in Fredericksburg, to a surgeon known for his kindness and competence, not his color. He is highly respected and appreciated as a physician, Davies said. Not as a Black physician but as a physician in the community. Wicker's interests outside the operating room Surgeon enjoys wildlife photography, cooking and his handwriting is an art in itself. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Social Security is arguably the most important social program in this country. Every year, 21.7 million Americans are lifted out of poverty solely because of their monthly Social Security payout, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. It's also a program the vast majority of Americans will lean on, to some degree, during retirement. National pollster Gallup found that 85% of nonretirees surveyed in April 2021 expect to rely on Social Security as a major or minor source of income to make ends meet in their golden years. Yet, for as successful as Social Security has been for decades, it's not without its own set of serious financial concerns. Social Security hasn't done this in four decades Just as investors can review a publicly traded company's income statement and balance sheet to gain an understanding of how much revenue a company is bringing in and where those dollars are going from a cost perspective, Social Security's "balance sheet" is published annually. Every year, the Social Security Board of Trustees releases a lengthy report that examines every facet of the program. This includes complete data on how much revenue Social Security generated from its three income sources -- the payroll tax, the taxation of benefits, and interest income -- and how many of those dollars were funneled into payments and administrative costs. Since the Social Security Amendments of 1983 were passed by Congress and signed into law by then-President Ronald Reagan, the program has been building up its cash reserves. This is to say that Social Security has consistently brought in more revenue every single year than it's paid out. Between 1982 and 2020, Social Security's asset reserves ballooned from approximately $25 billion to $2.91 trillion. But this trend has shifted. Although the 2022 Board of Trustees report won't be published for at least a few more months, the Social Security Administration does update its investment holdings on a monthly basis. The program's asset reserves are required by law to be invested in special-issue bonds, like U.S. Treasury bonds. Between the end of December 2020 and the end of December 2021, the total investments held by Social Security declined by more than $31 billion. That's the first cash outflow for Social Security since 1982. Worse yet, these outflows are only slated to get worse. Based on the intermediate-cost model (i.e., the projection the Board of Trustees believes is likeliest to occur), Social Security's cash outflow could shrink the program's asset reserves to just $1.34 trillion by 2030. Social Security has a laundry list of shortcomings You're probably wondering how such a successful social program can be turned on its head. The answer lies with a long list of demographic shifts. To begin with, baby boomers have been retiring from the workforce for a decade. Even though their exit from the labor force was expected, it's been weighing down the worker-to-beneficiary ratio. There simply aren't enough new workers entering the labor force to offset those retiring. We're also living longer, which is a bit of a two-edged sword for Social Security. While living longer is a positive in that we get to spend more time with our family and friends, it's a strain on a program which wasn't designed to pay retired workers for multiple decades. Since 1950, the average life expectancy in the U.S. has risen by 11 years to 79. As life expectancy slowly climbs, U.S birthrates plunged to a record low in 2020. Though the coronavirus pandemic has, undoubtedly, weighed on the prospects of bringing children into the world, birthrates had been falling precipitously for a decade leading up to the pandemic. Everything from waiting longer to get married and easier access to contraceptives to higher economic costs have pushed birthrates lower. Immigration is also an issue; but perhaps not in the sense you might be thinking. Social Security is reliant on legal immigration into the U.S. to bolster long-term payroll tax collection. Since most legal immigrants are young, they'll spend decades in the labor force before collecting a retirement benefit of their own. However, net legal immigration into the U.S. has been roughly halved over the past 25 years. Even income inequality is a reason for Social Security's shortcomings. The 12.4% payroll on earned income (wages and salary, but not investment income) accounts for the lion's share of revenue collected by Social Security. However, this payroll tax has a cap of $147,000 in 2022. For the 94% of working Americans earning less than $147,000 annually, they'll pay into the program with every dollar they earn. Meanwhile, the remaining 6% won't owe any payroll tax above $147,000 in earned income. In 2016, an estimated $1.2 trillion in earned income escaped taxation due to this cap, according to the Social Security Administration. One can only imagine this figure is even higher as of 2022. Things are going to get worse before they get better But the scariest aspect of Social Security's financial situation is that it'll almost certainly get worse before it has any chance of improving. Lawmakers in Congress are well aware of Social Security's numerous shortcomings. In fact, dozens of proposals and bills have been offered on Capitol Hill over the past decade. Unfortunately, the two prevailing parties in Washington aren't close to an agreement as to how best to fix Social Security. With each party believing they have the superior solution, neither has been willing to cede an inch or find common ground with their opponent. Historically, lawmakers have waited until the 11th hour to resolve issues with Social Security. The aforementioned Amendments of 1983 were passed with bipartisan support. However, these changes were the result of the program being less than a year from exhausting its asset reserves. The 2021 Board of Trustees Report estimates Social Security will exhaust its collective asset reserves by 2034. Worst of all, the longer Congress waits to act, the costlier Social Security is going to be to fix. The well-to-do and average working American may eventually face a hefty increase in their payroll tax obligation to right Social Security's sinking ship. The $17,166 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $17,166 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sophia Dvorak of Dodge, a junior at Howells-Dodge High School, has won a Nebraska Young Artist Award from the University of Nebraska-Lincolns Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. The annual awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska for their talents in visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and emerging media arts. Dvorak's specialty area is visual arts. Fifty-seven students from more than 30 high schools across the state have been selected as award winners. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the day of activities originally scheduled for April 6 has been rescheduled and spaced out. Students and families will join Hixson-Lied College faculty and students on campus in smaller groups between March 25 and April 6. Visiting students will tour arts facilities, participate in a workshop with Husker faculty and watch current Husker students at work. Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 116 students. Hixson-Lied College faculty chose the winners. Award winners were also asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents. Students will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for the event and created by a School of Art, Art History and Design printmaking student. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Members of the Fremont Municipal Airports advisory board talked about refurbishing deteriorated portions of a runway with an asphalt overlay as opposed to total replacement when they met Friday morning. The overlay would be less costly and result in the runway and thus the airport being shut down less time, a few weeks as opposed to an estimated three months or longer. Board members learned in January about a plan for reconstruction of a portion of the runway and a portion of a connecting taxiway. The cost was estimated at $7.3 million if a total replacement of sections in these portions was required. Dave Goedeken, director of public works for the City of Fremont, said the project will be included in a request for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. That project may or may not be approved in late summer or the fall. If approved, it could be a 2023 project. Eric Johnson, board member, estimated the work might shut the runway down for 90 days. Jim Kjeldgaard, president of Fremont Aviation, which operates the airport, estimated an even longer time. The last time they did runway stuff out here, it was nine months, Kjeldgaard said. Goedeken said at Fridays meeting that hes been talking with state officials about the runway and taxiway rehabilitation. Once we get the go-ahead to get started on this, we do the initial study, we will look at all different options, Goedeken said. After a pavement analysis, state officials will make recommendations of types of repairs, such as: Rehabilitation; Total removal and replacement; An asphalt overlay. During the rehab process there will be limited use of the runway or possibly no use of the runway, Goedeken said. If we do an overlay, there would be no use of the runway during that construction process but its a more accelerated process. An overlay could cost around $2 million, compared to reconstruction costs of $7.3 million or at the recent meeting estimated by board members at $8 million. The board discussed in January that a portion of the runway is showing signs of severe alkali-silica reactivity (ASR). So is a portion of connecting taxiway and parallel taxiway pavement. During Fridays meeting, Bob Matlock, senior vice president of Thiele Geotech Inc., of Omaha shared insights. Geotech is doing the reconstruction for the runway at Offutt Air Force Base. Matlock explained that ASR occurs when alkali in the cement reacts with the silica in the sand/gravel and forms a gel. That gel expands from within the concrete and deteriorates it. Matlock said ASR can be combatted, especially if the sand/gravel in the mixture can be reduced. Its combatted by blended cements with 5% to 10% more limestone or a calcite clay that reduce some of the reactivity. The rest is mitigated through Class F fly ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag. Kjeldgaard asked if asphalt overlay would extend the life of the deteriorating concrete and if problems would remain. Youre kind of covering it and prolonging it, Matlock said. It will still continue to deteriorate. Matlock cited the example of Dodge Street in Omaha from about 156th to 168th or 180th. That portion of roadway was having ARS issues. Deteriorated portions were milled off (top layer of payment is removed) and a new layer of asphalt was installed. Youre capping it, Matlock said. Youre not getting moisture from above. But moisture will still come up through the bottom. It buys you 10 or 12 years, Matlock said. Its a quality product, but youre prolonging the inevitable. Eventually, youll end up having to do full reconstruction. Steenblock noted that the cost of an overlay would be a fraction of the cost of total reconstruction. Matlock also noted that in 10 years, the airport could mill off the runway and install new asphalt. An asphalt overlay would take less time three weeks instead of months. Goedeken noted that the City of Fremont recently installed an asphalt overlay on Bell Street. If you would have torn up Bell Street that would have been one or two construction seasons and all those abutting property owners are seriously impacted, he said. By contrast, the asphalt overlay project took maybe 1 months from start to finish and most of the time was spent doing concrete repair of sidewalks and curb repair. When they actually come in and do the asphalt, its basically a matter of days, Goedeken said. Goedeken noted a cost factor. When I first started doing this, we were paying about $25 a ton for asphalt in a former city, he said. Now, its $85 or $90 a ton. Im not against asphalt, Goedeken said. I think its a great process just for the sheer fact that youre not destroying somebodys business for three months or longer. Kjeldgaard stressed the impact closing the airport would have on his business. These FAA people, their income dont go to zero and thats what that (shutting it done during construction) would do to this airport, Kjeldgaard said. My insurance is going to go on no matter what. All my overhead is going to go on. Zero income. Thats pretty hard to cut it. Board members also have previously discussed how a closed airport would affect other businesses as well. Steenblock asked if former Runway 1-19 could be used during the time of closure. Johnson said the former runway doesnt meet FAA safety standards and trying to file to reopen it would involve years for the FAA to evaluate it. Goedeken said state officials plan to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration in May and would get a good idea of funds-granted projects. An official announcement of 2023 projects would be made in the late summer or fall of 2022. If its granted to us, we would start designing right after that and hope to do it in 23, at the earliest, but I guess it depends on how schedules work out, Goedeken said. The airport advisory board meets at 8:15 a.m. the third Friday of each month in the terminal, 1203 W. 23rd St., Fremont. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When it comes to a choice between regular soda, with it's 40 grams of sugar per 12-ounce can, or diet soda, with its nonnutritive sugars, such as aspartame and Sucralose, neither option is much better than the other. It's probably time to learn to like the taste of water, sparkling water and tea. Coffin races, polar plunges, human foosball, music and more will return to Nederland this weekend as Frozen Dead Guy Days resurrects from the grave after a two-year hiatus. The festival that brings people from across the world to the mountain town west of Boulder to honor the towns cryogenically frozen resident, Bredo Morstoel of Norway, will run Friday through Sunday. Were really excited to have all the people back and hope they come with good spirits, said Amanda MacDonald, co-owner of the event. Not having (Frozen Dead Guy Days) for two years has taken its toll on us and been emotionally draining. We cant wait. Colorado Winter Fun Guide: Hot springs, ski areas, winter festivals and more From Hot Springs to powder runs, winter is a special season in Colorado. And when it comes to things to do, there's something for everyone. Frozen Dead Guy Days was last celebrated in 2019, as the 2020 festival was canceled 48 hours before it was scheduled to begin due to the pandemic. Last year, the festival was canceled because it wouldve been next to impossible to host with the regulations surrounding COVID-19, MacDonald said. This years festivities kick off with the Blue Ball, which falls on a night with a full moon. Each ticket costs $25. But the ticket comes with more than just access to the ball, as each person will receive a certified acre on the moon from Lunar Land, MacDonald said. Besides the out-of-this-world bonus gift, the Blue Ball will feature dancing contests and live music from Smooth Money Gestures, Dead Floyd and Alfonzo. It will conclude at 1 a.m. with a silent disco session. The festivities will continue throughout the weekend with the events signature frozen T-shirt contest, turkey bowling, a polar plunge and, of course, coffin races. Three tents will play host to 34 bands playing music ranging from bluegrass and folk to rock and reggae. The music acts are the same ones that were scheduled to perform in 2020. MacDonald said everyone is excited for the festivals return because it brings life to Nederland. Theres a lot of discourse and stress in the world, and I think that music events are a really good place for people to release positive energy and get together, she said. This is our chance to bring that positive energy to Nederland and hope the vibe goes out to the rest of the world. By Trend Iran is ready to swap prisoners with the United States, Iran's foreign minister said on Saturday, adding that talks to revive a 2015 nuclear deal could succeed "at the earliest possible time" if the United States makes the necessary political decisions, Trend reports citing Reuters. "We believe prisoner swap is a humanitarian issue ... unrelated to the nuclear accord ... We can do it immediately," Hossein Amirabdollahian told a panel at the Munich Security Conference. Robert Malley, who leads the indirect U.S. talks with Iran in Vienna, has suggested that securing the nuclear pact is unlikely unless Tehran releases four U.S. citizens Washington says it is holding hostage. In recent years, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on espionage and security-related charges. Tehran denies taking prisoners to gain diplomatic leverage, as claimed by rights activists. In the past, Iran has called for the release of over a dozen Iranians in the United States, including seven Iranian-American dual nationals, two Iranians with permanent U.S. residency and four Iranian citizens with no legal status in the United States. Most of them have been jailed for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. When asked whether Tehran was ready to hold direct talks with Washington, Amirabdollahian did not rule this out. "They have asked for direct meetings ... If Washington's intentions are genuine, they should take some tangible steps of goodwill on the ground such as freeing Iran's frozen assets abroad," he said. The 2015 deal between Iran and major powers limited Irans enrichment of uranium to make it harder for Tehran to develop material for nuclear weapons, in return for a lifting of international sanctions against Tehran. But it has eroded since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States and reimposed far-reaching sanctions on Iran. Tehran has since breached the deal's limits and gone well beyond, rebuilding stockpiles of enriched uranium, refining it to higher fissile purity and installing advanced centrifuges to speed up output. Both Tehran and Washington have described the nuclear talks as constructive since last week, when the negotiations resumed after a 10-day pause. However, they have also said that tough political decisions needed to be taken to overcome the remaining differences. "I would like to emphasize here that we are ready to achieve a good deal, at the earliest possible time, if the other side makes the needed political decision," Amirabdollahian said. "If the talks fail in Vienna, Western powers will be responsible for the failure because we want a good deal." After 10 months of talks, one of the remaining differences is Irans demand for a U.S. guarantee of no more sanctions or other punitive steps in future, and also how and when to restore verifiable restrictions on Irans nuclear activity. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran has shown flexibility by agreeing to "inherent guarantees" as Washington says it is impossible for President Joe Biden to provide the legal assurances Iran has demanded. Amirabdollahian said a joint statement by the heads of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to back the nuclear deal would suffice as a "political guarantee". Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. As the 100th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb approaches, Colorado Springs lawmakers are seeking to honor the annual race with a new license plate. If passed, Senate Bill 107 would create the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb special license plate. This would be Colorados 40th special license plate, available for drivers to purchase beginning in 2023 for a one-time fee of $50. (The race) is a major event in our community every year, said Sen. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, who is sponsoring the bill with Colorado Springs Democrat Rep. Marc Snyder. This great license plate mockup is going to contribute to Colorados economy and to the great history of Colorado, Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second-oldest ongoing motorsport race in the United States; the Indianapolis 500 is the first. Colorado Springs benefactor Spencer Penrose started the Pikes Peak race in 1916 in an attempt to attract visitors to his new hotel, The Broadmoor. The course is 12.42 miles long, featuring 156 turns and nearly 5,000 feet of elevation gain beginning at around 9,300 feet above sea level and ending at 14,115 feet. The current race record is just over 7 minutes and 57 seconds, set by French driver Romain Dumas in 2018. The winner of the first race was Rea Lentz from Seattle with a time of 20 minutes and 55.6 seconds. The race will mark its 100th running on June 26 this year, with 13 international racers coming to Colorado Springs to participate. The race has been held nearly every year since 1916, halting only for World War I and World War II. The proposed license plate design features the phrases Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the events nickname, The Race to the Clouds. The design also includes images of two racing vehicles, one old and one new, to demonstrate the events rich history, said Alex Feeback, coordinator of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. (The race) attracts many prestigious international competitors some nationally recognized celebrity drivers but also a lot of homegrown, grassroot competitors from Colorado, Feeback said. Last year, our 2021 spectators were made up of 55% Colorado residents, which shows great support from the state. The bill went through its first House panel Wednesday, advancing in a 4-1 vote. Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, was the only panel member to vote against the bill, saying he is concerned there wouldnt be enough demand for the new license plate. The state estimates 4,171 of the new license plates would be purchased by 2024, generating over $200,000 that would go to the Highway Users Tax Fund and the Licensing Services Cash Fund. The new license plates would cost the state just over $48,000 to roll out in the first two years. The veins of mining run deep in Superior, a Colorado community founded on coal and recently redefined by fire. For generations residents needed only to go a few miles west during winter to see plumes of steam and smoke rising from fissures in the Earth, from an underground coal mine fire that started before many of them were born. Investigators are now looking at that coal mine fire one of 38 monitored by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources as a possible cause of the Marshall fire, which on Dec. 30 swept through town and burned 95% of the original portion of Superior and some homes inhabited by the descendants of coal miners. I think the coal mining industry is so filled with dangers that there are a lot of ironies, Superior Historical Commission Chairman Larry Dorsey said. The Marshall fire was first reported at a spot near the Marshall Mesa Trailhead, about five miles west of Superior, in the late morning of Dec. 30. Within minutes of its discovery, hurricane-force winds had whipped it into an inferno that stormed east through kindling-dry open space. By the time a heavy snowfall ended the blaze a few hours before the new year, 1,084 homes were destroyed, 1,500 acres had burned and two people were dead. The investigation into the most destructive fire in Colorado history remains in a holding pattern as the Boulder County Sheriffs Office awaits the lab and expert reports that will help determine a final conclusion, spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield said, on Friday. Her office announced in late January it was investigating any and all potential causes of the fire including coal mines in the area, power lines, human activity, etc. Whether or not the coal mine fire burning beneath city of Boulder open space is to blame, the fact remains that such underground fires stalk many Colorado coal towns and have, in the past, sparked destructive wildfires. A warming, drier climate means even low activity underground fires pose a greater risk of becoming a monster, should flames breach the surface. In total, tens of thousands of Coloradans live within just a couple miles of one of the state's underground coal mine fires, a Gazette analysis of census data showed. Anywhere you have historic coal mining and the right kind of climatic and geologic conditions you can certainly have fires, said Jeff Graves, program director of the Inactive Mine Reclamation Program with the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety under the states Department of Natural Resources. There are more than 1,000 historic coal mines in Colorado. All of the coal mine fires Graves and his team are currently monitoring began prior to 1977, when the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act changed the way coal companies do business. There was a recognition that if were going to keep operating a mine here we need to be conscious of the potential of igniting a coal mine fire, he said. New federal regulations really addressed a lot of those concerns associated with ignition. Some fires are remote, far from where people live, and others are on the edge of towns. One lies within the city limits of Cortez. And while some of those underground fires are considered to be low or very low activity by the Department of Natural Resources, theyre situated in wildfire-prone areas, according to the U.S. Forest Services wildfire hazard potential evaluation system. The Marshall and Lewis underground coal mine fires, which sit almost exactly where the devastating Marshall fire began, have some of the closest residential areas, with more than 6,000 Coloradans within two miles, prior to the fire. The Department of Natural Resources classifies both of those as low activity fires, but theyre in above-average wildfire hazard potential risk areas. The McElmo underground coal mine fire burns on the southern edge of Cortez, within a couple miles of nearly 9,000 residents. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the fire has very low activity but high risk of trespassing. The area west of Glenwood Springs is relatively dense with underground coal mine fires, especially around the small town of New Castle, 13 miles west of Glenwood Springs, where three underground coal mine fires burn on the periphery of a 2-mile area thats home to almost 6,000 residents. The state deems one of the fires to be of low risk, one medium risk and one high risk. The South Canyon fires, about a 20-minute drive west on Interstate 70 then south on County Highway 134 from Glenwood Springs, are both considered highly active, with new vents forming and vent temperatures between 500 degrees and nearly 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The department notes they are also close to trail systems, where signs have been posted to let hikers know what theyre seeing is the off-gassing of an underground fire: Coal Seam burning underground. Do not call 911. In 2002, that coal mine fire sparked a wildfire that burned 12,000 acres and 29 homes in Glenwood Springs. Graves said some of the fires his team monitors began prior to 1900. Experts can only speculate at the cause in most cases. Spontaneous ignition can, and does, happen. A spontaneously generated coal seam fire in Australia is thought to have been burning for more than 6,000 years. While anecdotal stories exist, of fires ignited by miners candles and lamps, generally, we believe it to be just that natural chemical oxidation process that over time creates combustion, Graves said. Glenwood Springs Fire Chief Gary Tillotson said his crews drive out to check on the active coal fires in the area regularly in the summer as residents and visitors call 911 to report smoke. Usually, the underground coal fires are just venting. But he doesnt mind sending crews out again and again to check the area where the 2002 Coal Seam Fire started. It definitely is not any less of a threat, he said. While the burn scar is still visible near the underground fire, unburned areas remain north and south that could carry a fire. In addition, most of the homes lost in 2002 have been rebuilt and new apartments have gone up in the area as well that could burn, Tillotson said. Following record-setting fires on the Western Slope, such as the East Troublesome, amid deep drought conditions, Tillotson said he's planning to do more mitigation around the coal fires to reduce risk. The department has traditionally cleared vegetation around the fires for 100 feet in all directions, but he is considering increasing that scope. The fire department needs to work closely with the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to plan the mitigation because the ground over the coal seams can give way. I think historically thats part of the reason we havent done some of the mitigation that nowadays I kind of feel like we should, Tillotson said. His goal this summer is for crews to work around, but not directly over, the coal seams for safety reasons. Vegetation tends to die close to the coal seam fire openings because of the heat. State crews with the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety have worked at the South Canyon East mine fire to seal vents with clay material to cut off air to the coals and thats helped. But he wants to be prepare for what could be another dry summer. Knowing the drought conditions we have had for the last several years and the increased fire activity we have seen the last two or three, Tillotson said, enhanced mitigation is probably the most effective, practical thing that we can do. Extinguishing a so-called eternal flame coal mine fire isnt impossible, but it comes close. It's certainly very difficult, said Graves. In the history of coal mine fires in Colorado, teams have successfully extinguished one fire. In that case, the fire was burning close to the surface and workers were able to excavate the site down to the source. Often the location and depth of the fire some of which are burning hundreds of feet underground make such mitigation impossible. Surface mitigation typically involves removing fuel in the surrounding land, sometimes cutting off vents that allow in oxygen. Water can be used to douse a coal fire that's exposed to the surface, but not below ground. If you were to drill holes into the ground and actually inject water into those underground fires, it can create problems. You can actually get a steam explosion, which is a pretty significant problem, Graves said. Each fire is different, though, and some are located in areas where the depth and terrain have historically made all but superficial mitigation efforts impossible. Most are on private property, and on-site monitoring and mitigation requires owners permission. Our program is cooperative. Were a voluntary program in a sense; we rely on the landowner to provide access, Graves said. Every five years the state evaluates coal mine fires, assessing and prioritizing them based on wildfire risk characteristics including surface temperatures, visible activity, proximity to infrastructure and the amount of fuel, largely vegetation, on the surrounding surface. The most recent evaluation and ranking was completed in 2018. We have a number of fires that have very limited or almost no observed surface activity, but we know there has been a fire there in the past, Graves said. Coal mine fires in and around the Grand Hogbacks are home to high-priority fires, based on proximity to infrastructure and historic activity. The Hogbacks are a rock feature resembling the scaly ridges of an alligator's spine that extends from the Glenwood Springs through New Castle. Graves said hes hoping an influx of new federal funding that would more than triple his program's current $3 million budget will help extinguish more of the states coal mine fires, and step up safety measures at the rest. The state hasnt yet applied for the money almost $10 million per year for the next 15 years from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act but Graves said its a guaranteed distribution; all that now stands in the way is official guidance about how to go about the request. Its a substantial increase in funding, which is why were really excited about how we can put this to good work, Graves said. He said he hopes the money, specifically designated for coal-related activities, will allow for excavation at sites where such endeavors previously had been financially out of reach. Because coal mine fires are probably the biggest coal-related issue we have in Colorado, Im expecting a majority of the funds to go toward that, said Graves, whose department also deals with coal mine subsidence and other hazardous mine features. We are hoping with the new funding we will make an attempt on a couple sites to possibly extinguish them and then hopefully do some larger scale projects to slow fire growth on some of the more challenging fire sites. The money, when it comes, will allow for changes that represent an effective paradigm shift for his department. Others hope the money can help change the legacy of an industry whose impact will remain long after the last fuel rock is mined. Aimee Erickson, of the Pennsylvania-based Citizen Coal Council, called the new funding the most important thing that has happened for coal communities in 45 years. It will eliminate many dangerous abandoned coal mines, Erickson said. Mine fires are as bad or worse at polluting the air as coal fired powerplants. Putting out mine fires will protect the local people and their health. It will also reduce the risk of mine fires causing forest fires on the surface. Superiors Larry Dorsey said he never considered the underground Marshall coal mine fire a serious wildfire threat even though hes well aware of the danger such fires can pose, and have, in Colorado towns that owe their very existence to coal. In the aftermath of the disaster, he knows those ruggedly independent descendants of original mining residents may now struggle to rebuild on modern-day wages, at modern-day prices. To lose their properties and to know to replace their properties was going to cost more than they can afford is really causing some anguish, he said. By Trend Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met and conferred with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the 58th Munich Security Conference on Saturday evening, Trend reports citing IRNA. The meeting was among Amirabdollahians several meetings with many foreign countries officials on the sidelines of the conference so far and on Saturday morning, afternoon and night. The foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran also delivered a speech at the conference on Saturday morning. Elsewhere in Vienna, the Iranian negotiating delegation had a meeting with the Russian delegation, and before that the Iranian top negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani had a meeting with the EU coordinator Enrique Mora. The Vienna nuclear negotiations have reached a point where political decisions of the United States are needed, and if Iran will see frankness in the behavior of Washington and the EU, achieving a good agreement will not be far from access. The eighth round of nuclear talks which began in Vienna on December 27, 2021 is one of the lengthiest rounds of such talks and the participants are now busy drafting the final text and making decisions on some few remaining disputed details. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. Teenagers and young adults have an ages-old tradition of experimenting with illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methadone, a variety of Students from Highlands Ranch High School and Cresthill Middle School line the street, shouting and chanting during a walkout in protest of the firing of Superintendent Corey Wise in Douglas County. Large crowds of bundled up visitors slid to the ice on Clear Lake for the annual Color the Wind Festival on Saturday. Dozens of kite flyers took to the sky, displaying kites of various shapes, sizes, colors and animals. Hundreds of attendees flocked to the site, pulling children, grandchildren and dogs on sleds behind them. Ed Grys, an event participant from Wisconsin, has been making and flying kites for almost 63 years. Grys kite consisted of a train of 18 small kites with one large kite trailing on end. Grys said he participates in roughly 12 kite festivals year round from New Jersey to Oregon. When you make a kitelike I made the one on the topand you fly it, theres something magical about making something that flies, said Grys. Theres something spiritual about flying kites because there is an unseen force holding all these kites in the air making the sky beautiful. Two exchange students, Erii from Japan and Crharaocce from France, made their way to the festival with their respective host families. Neither of the students have ever been to a kite festival, but called it "beautiful." Another family came from Belmond, Iowa to witness the event for the first time with their daughter as well. Its awesome, the father stated. Its a great event to break up the wintertime and get people outside to get some fresh air and take advantage of the wind we always have. Kaylee Schuermann is a General Assignment reporter for the Globe Gazette, covering the Clear Lake area. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By Trend After returning from the Munich Security Conference, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the leadership of the security and defense forces, which took place at Boryspil International Airport, said the Office of the President, Trend reports. It is noted that the head of state heard detailed reports on recent events in the east of Ukraine and the state of combat readiness of troops, also received up-to-date information from the intelligence services. "In addition, the parties discussed urgent humanitarian problems and ways to solve them. The participants of the meeting discussed possible scenarios of further developments and the necessary steps of Ukraine in case of each scenario. Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave instructions on the additional logistical support of the troops", the message says. 2022 will be Sen. Amanda Ragan's, D-Mason City, final year serving on the Iowa State Senate. "It has been a real privilege to represent the people of North Iowa," Ragan said. Ragan, who is currently serving her sixth term in the Iowa State Senate, first assumed office in 2002 after winning a special election due to the vacancy of Sen. Merlin Bartz. Ragan looks back to her first year running for office and recalls what made her so passionate about pursuing the chance of serving in legislation. "I found early on that you really get to know the community," Ragan said. "My husband and I door knocked 2,700 doors in the last election, and that's a way you get to know the community and know the person at the door." Since taking up her role in the Iowa State Senate, Ragan has worked towards numerous goals for North Iowans, but one that stands out above the rest to her is what she has achieved in healthcare expansion. Ragan looks at examples like a part-time worker in the state who at one point wasn't covered by healthcare despite being a working member of the community. Following Medicaid expansions that Ragan played a part in people like this part-time worker were able to get the preventive health care necessary to stay healthy and out of the emergency room. Another point of pride for Ragan was providing an outlet to her constituents to seek the help they needed at a local or state level. "We were able to help open a door for them," Ragan said. "That's just a good feeling when you're able to make someone's life easier." Now, 20 years on, Ragan has decided she will not be seeking re-election of her Iowa State Senate seat. While the main reason Ragan has chosen to step down is because she believes now is "just the right time," she admits that it's also in part to the changes of how the Iowa State Senate operates compared to in the past. The biggest change Ragan perceived is the lack of bipartisanship, and the inability for some involved in legislation to work across the aisle on issues. "It's a different climate in the legislator now, it's just a different environment," Ragan said. "The ability to work across the aisle is the biggest difference to me." Ragan cites even as recently as 2014 when she and other legislators were able to pass legislation on Medicaid expansion in unison with Republicans, such as former Speaker of the House Representatives Linda Upmeyer, which Ragan said provided additional healthcare to more than 150,000 Iowans. "I just don't see those same opportunities," Ragan said. But while Ragan will no longer serve on the Iowa State Senate starting, that doesn't mean she fully is stepping away from the community. Ragan still intends to be an advocate for the North Iowa community after stepping away from her role. Specifically, Ragan wants to continue pushing improvements to child care in the region and still be a point of contact for concerned residents of the community. Ragan currently serves in Senate District 27, and most recently beat out Shannon Latham to retain the seat in 2018 in a tight election that saw her win by just a few hundred votes. Due to redistricting, Ragan would have been seeking re-election in Senate District 30 in 2022, with District 27 being moved to East Central Iowa including communities such as Iowa Falls, Grundy Center and Montezuma. The new District 30 includes Cerro Gordo County, Worth County, Mitchell County and the western portion of Floyd County. No one has yet announced an intention to seek election in Senate District 30, but Ragan says she knows of a few people who are currently interested in the opportunity. For whoever ends up succeeding Ragan, her advice is simple: Just listen. "I think you can really learn a lot by just listening," Ragan said. "It's important to listen to both sides, that's never hurt anybody... There's so many issues we can all work on and it starts with listening." The new districts kick into effect on Jan. 2, 2023. Zachary Dupont covers politics and business development for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at 641-421-0533 or zachary.dupont@globegazette.com. Follow Zachary on Twitter at @ZachNDupont Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Blue Ridge Rock Festival an event that brought a record crowd of 33,000 people to Pittsylvania County in 2021 is steering down the road this year to a new venue at Virginia International Raceway in Halifax County. The new location officially was announced Friday when tickets went on sale for the four-day festival set Sept. 8-11. This event is very unique to VIR as we have never hosted a music festival of this scale, Kerrigan Smith, VIR president and COO, told the Register & Bee via email Friday. There is a great opportunity for us to strengthen relationships in the community and to create new ones to make this successful. For Pittsylvania County, the musical endeavor was riddled with controversy from the start. When it was proposed, nearby residents werent thrilled with the idea that thousands of music fans would make their way to a rural part of the county. After revising ordinances that hadnt been changed in more than 30 years, Pittsylvania County officials approved the history-making event. More than 180 bands performed last year before the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Some of those acts included Anthrax, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, Bush, Lamb of God, Cypress Hill, Seether, Ludacris, T-Pain, Body Count, Lil John and Rev Run (from Run-DMC). The thousands of fans also boosted business for establishments throughout the Dan River Region. The festivities kicked off Sept. 9, backing up traffic along U.S. 29 in Blairs. On the first day, it took about 20 to 30 minutes for a Register & Bee reporter to get from the exit onto northbound U.S. 29 to R & L Smith Road, which leads to Carson Lester Lane and the Blue Ridge Amphitheater, where the festival was located. After being overwhelmed by the thousands of fans arriving for the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, the promoter Purpose Driven Events pivoted and turned all operations outside of the event gates over to Pittsylvania County, ultimately leading to what officials termed as a flawless affair. Pittsylvania County billed Purpose Driven Events more than $337,000 for work performed at that event and a smaller one that preceded it. A Blue Ridge Country Festival set for early October was postponed until May by organizers first citing COVID-19 worries. However, days later details emerged that the county rescinded permits for that endeavor. Two civil lawsuits were filed late last year by vendors claiming they hadnt been paid for services surrounding the rock festival. It appears both suits were settled out of court. Pittsylvania County leaders were happy to host the Blue Ridge Rock Festival and Worship at the Mountain Events in 2021, Caleb Ayers, a spokesperson for the county told the Register & Bee. These events provided a positive economic impact on our county and entire region. When asked if the promoters notified the county this years event was moving to VIR, Ayers didnt comment, instead saying We wish the event promoters the best as they move the event to the Virginia International Raceway. The event will be the largest on record for the road racing course tucked away in rural Alton. VIR hosts many large weddings and large corporate retreats, but nothing on the scale of what we are expecting with the Blue Ridge Rock Fest, Smith said. VIR referred other questions to Jonathan Slye, the event promoter. Slye didnt respond to an email from the Register & Bee. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. If the latest COVID-19 projection model pans out, infections in the Dan River Region could reach all-time lows by mid-April. It is hard not to be excited by the last few weeks, researchers with the University of Virginias Biocomplexity Institute wrote in Fridays report. For the first time since December, theres no health district in the commonwealth experiencing a surge of cases. In fact, nearly all are in a decline for the second consecutive week. The reports optimism is tempered with a bit of reality, especially for the Dan River Region. Case rates remain very high for some rural parts of the state, in particular counties in Southside and the Far Southwest, the report noted. Residents in these regions should continue to wear a mask when in indoor public places. Thats the same advice leaders with Sovah Health and the Pittsylvania-Danville Health Department told the Register & Bee last week. While we are seeing a decline in cases across our system compared with previous weeks, we ask that the public remain vigilant and continue to practice mitigation tactics, which include wearing a mask in indoor public places, practicing social distancing and proper hand hygiene and most importantly get vaccinated or boosted, Dr. Sheranda Gunn-Nolan, market chief medical officer for Sovah Health, said. Cases are indeed declining around the commonwealth leading to a 60% drop in statewide hospitalizations for the novel coronavirus, according to data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. Locally, the drop-off is even more steep. Sovah Health was treating 20 people for COVID-19 on Friday, a decline of 71% from the record highs set just a month ago. But the virus is still circling, still causing sickness and still sending people to the hospital. While case numbers and hospitalizations are down, transmission rates still remain high across the state, Brookie Crawford, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Health, told the Register & Bee Friday. Additionally, its important that people dont let their guard down and continue to practice mitigation measures wear a mask, wash their hands, practice social distance and most importantly, stay home if they are sick. The UVa models show the downward trend continuing. Some scenarios such as one that factors in decreased vigilance slows the decline a tad. The report likens the omicron wave to a roller coaster. The highly transmissible variant cases a rapid climb to never-before-seen heights, followed by a tremendous and rapid descent, researchers said. But it also notes not all roller coaster riders reach the ground at the same time. Thats the same for the state. The urban centers in Northern and Eastern Virginia peaked early and have since declined, scientists explained. But more rural parts, in Southside and the Far Southwest, only peaked last week. These areas still have what UVa considers extremely high levels of community transmission. The omicron variant accounts for nearly 100% of all new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, a subvariant dubbed BA.2 is making its away across Virginia. Experts believe that will become dominant by mid-March. BA.2 has a slight transmission advantage over Omicron, spreading more easily, the report stated. Research on BA.2 is still ongoing, but some early studies suggest it might be able to cause more severe disease than BA.1. All in all, the differences between the variants arent extreme and vaccination remains the most effective weapon on the pandemic battle. It is also our best bet at preventing another hospital-filling surge in the future, researchers noted. This week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin rallied Virginians to get vaccinated. He also announced plans for about 120 COVID-19 vaccine events across the state, UVa reports. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WENTWORTH Rockingham Community College students are challenged each year to write an essay about why RCC was their best choice, for a chance to win a monetary prize from the RCC Foundation. Kylee Rieger, an English Language/Literature student from Greensboro, won the $500 first-place prize with her essay about how RCC exceeded her expectations in a short period of time. Rieger said that when she enrolled in RCC, she could not have imagined the impact the college would have on her in just her first semester. I chose RCC because it had a beautiful campus and had classes that I knew I would be interested in taking, she said, adding that in the first 10 weeks, she formed amazing relationships not only with fellow students, but with faculty as well. In my short time at RCC, it has provided me with incredible education and also offered me an outlet to create and do things that are important to me. She said RCC provides tools to succeed both academically and personally. One of the most vital resources being the faculty, all of the teachers that I have had in my first semester made it clear that their number one goal is making sure their students succeed. Whether it be in class or in their office hours, every time I have asked one of my teachers a question they have always gone above and beyond to make sure that I understand the topic they are teaching, she said. Rieger praised the library for its books, resources and quiet atmosphere. The librarians are incredibly helpful and are always available to help students find a specific book, cite a resource in MLA or APA format, or order an important book that a student might need. These are just a few of the incredible resources that I have been given access to as a student at RCC. Rieger has become involved in campus activities. I have recently joined the Student Government Association and have met some of the most supportive, passionate people. I am starting a book club, which has provided me a creative outlet and the opportunity to create lasting relationships, she said. I am so grateful for the unending support that I am receiving from the director of Student Life, librarians, and the English department. These people have helped me learn, grow, and achieve things that I once thought were impossible, Rieger said. Being given the opportunity to join and start clubs has led me to flourishing creatively and it has also taught me important leadership and group skills that I hope to keep with me for the rest of my life. At first glance, I thought it would just be a pretty campus with great academic courses, Rieger said. However, I have found that it is really the people who make the school extraordinary. It is the faculty with their unwavering support and knowledge as well as my incredibly ambitious peers who have shown me that I have made the right choice. Jasmine Johnson of Reidsville placed second in the essay contest. A December graduate in the Early Childhood Education program, Jasmine wrote: amazing teachers who saw and understood my full potential and encouraged me to develop as an individual. Johnson said that she never believed in herself or that she could accomplish anything. I was hearing wonderful things about RCC and knew it was close by, so I decided to convince myself that I can do this, she said. I cant express how much RCC has transformed my life and how much becoming a student has changed me for the better. Ive learned a lot at RCC, and its helped me improve my verbal, writing, and interpersonal skills. Johnsons confidence in completing assignments has increased abundantly at RCC, as has her work ethic. RCC presented me with the most extraordinary student experience. I feel like I have found a family at RCC who actually loves and cares for me, she said. Brittany Griffin of Eden took third place in the essay contest. Losing her mother to cancer just weeks after Griffins high school graduation, Griffins mindset was not focused on RCCs Nursing program in which she enrolled that fall. She took off a semester and tried again, to no avail. But five years later, with a husband and two small children, she began striving to be a role model for them. Already working full-time as an accounting assistant, she enrolled in RCCs Accounting and Finance program. Griffin said taking online courses through RCC has been a wonderful experience, and the flexibility is beneficial because of her work schedule. I can go at my own pace completing my work for the most part. My advisor as well as all of my instructors have been amazing at answering any and all of my questions, she said. RCC is by far the best choice and chance that I have of completing my degree and showing my children that no matter what hand of cards life gives you, that it is never too late to get an education, Griffin said. It may take me several years compared to fresh-out-of-high-school students, but thats the beauty about RCC. It doesnt matter how long it takes to complete your course of study, the RCC faculty will walk side by side with you every step of the way. RALEIGH The late Walt Disney made a name for himself, and a fortune, by excelling in fields crowded with other high performers: cartooning, publishing, filmmaking, marketing, and storytelling. I have been up against tough competition all my life, Disney once said. I wouldnt know how to get along without it. Theres nothing perfect about competition. Its exhausting, sometimes frustrating, often messy. There are no guarantees. Still, competition usually drives cost down and quality up. Its absence usually leads to trouble. Those of us who advocate educational freedom bring a variety of assumptions and objectives to the cause. We dont all make the same arguments and favor the same policies. What we share is a common belief that students will receive a better education when their parents are empowered to make choices among competing alternatives. Our belief is based on common sense and personal preference. Few of us would prefer to live in a community where theres only one place to buy our groceries or clothing, one restaurant to get a bite, one channel to watch, one doctor to visit, or one lawyer to hire. We want multiple options because that makes it more likely well find one to our liking. We want multiple providers competing for our business. If the case for educational freedom were predicated solely on this personal belief, though, wed be inviting the argument that theres something unique about schooling, something that makes competition harmful in education even if its helpful in other sectors. Fortunately, we dont have to rely on supposition. We know from practical experience that educational choice is commonplace and popular. North Carolina has had charter schools for a quarter of a century and school vouchers for nearly a decade. Other states have had school-choice programs in place for longer than that. Ever-increasing numbers of parents happily exercise these options, just as even larger numbers happily use their government grants or subsidized loans to patronize competing preschools, colleges, and universities. Other countries also have education systems that feature parental choice and tax funding for private alternatives. Some 90% of 15-year-old students in Hong Kong attend privately managed schools, as do about three-quarters of 15-year-olds in Belgium, two-thirds in Britain and the Netherlands, 42% in Australia, 39% in Korea, and 31% in Japan. In theory, this could all be a waste of resources or worse. But there is a large and growing body of research suggesting otherwise. Whether privately run schools are consistently better at educating students is not really the key question, by the way. What matters most is whether increased competition among public schools at least, and within a broader market of options at most tends to make schools more effective and students and their families better off. A study published in the latest issue of the journal Education Next found such benefits from the robust school choice available in Florida. Students enrolled at local public schools with more market competition from nearby private or parochial schools, they wrote, earned higher scores in reading and math and were less likely to be absent or suspended from schools. Another new study focused on a Los Angeles initiative in which parents were given more choices among public high schools. The authors concluded that the increased competition boosted student outcomes markedly, closing achievement and college-going gaps. They found that Los Angeles parents placed great weight on academic quality when making choices, creating competition-induced incentives for schools to improve their effectiveness. Some of the scholarly support for the value of school competition comes from right here in North Carolina, where researchers have found that proximity to charter schools tends to boost the performance of students who continue to attend district-run schools, though the effects vary in size and scope. I know that vociferous critics of choice are unlikely to find such evidence persuasive. Nor is the academic literature unanimous on the subject. Still, theres nothing weird about importing competition into education. Its popular. And it likely improves school quality. John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member and author. The late Walt Disney made a name for himself, and a fortune, by excelling in fields crowded with other high performers: cartooning, publishing, filmmaking, marketing and storytelling. I have been up against tough competition all my life, Disney once said. I wouldnt know how to get along without it. Theres nothing perfect about competition. Its exhausting, sometimes frustrating, often messy. There are no guarantees. Still, competition usually drives cost down and quality up. Its absence usually leads to trouble. Those of us who advocate educational freedom bring a variety of assumptions and objectives to the cause. We dont all make the same arguments and favor the same policies. What we share is a common belief that students will receive a better education when their parents are empowered to make choices among competing alternatives. Our belief is based on common sense and personal preference. Few of us would prefer to live in a community where theres only one place to buy our groceries or clothing, one restaurant to get a bite, one channel to watch, one doctor to visit or one lawyer to hire. We want multiple options because that makes it more likely well find one to our liking. We want multiple providers competing for our business. If the case for educational freedom were predicated solely on this personal belief, though, wed be inviting the argument that theres something unique about schooling, something that makes competition harmful in education even if its helpful in other sectors. Fortunately, we dont have to rely on supposition. We know from practical experience that educational choice is commonplace and popular. North Carolina has had charter schools for a quarter of a century and school vouchers for nearly a decade. Other states have had school-choice programs in place for longer than that. Ever-increasing numbers of parents happily exercise these options, just as even larger numbers happily use their government grants or subsidized loans to patronize competing preschools, colleges and universities. Other countries also have education systems that feature parental choice and tax funding for private alternatives. Some 90% of 15-year-old students in Hong Kong attend privately managed schools, as do about three-quarters of 15-year-olds in Belgium, two-thirds in Britain and the Netherlands, 42% in Australia, 39% in Korea and 31% in Japan. In theory, this could all be a waste of resources or worse. But there is a large and growing body of research suggesting otherwise. Whether privately run schools are consistently better at educating students is not really the key question, by the way. What matters most is whether increased competition among public schools at least, and within a broader market of options at most tends to make schools more effective and students and their families better off. A study published in the latest issue of the journal Education Next found such benefits from the robust school choice available in Florida. Students enrolled at local public schools with more market competition from nearby private or parochial schools, they wrote, earned higher scores in reading and math and were less likely to be absent or suspended from schools. Another new study focused on a Los Angeles initiative in which parents were given more choices among public high schools. The authors concluded that the increased competition boosted student outcomes markedly, closing achievement and college-going gaps. They found that Los Angeles parents placed great weight on academic quality when making choices, creating competition-induced incentives for schools to improve their effectiveness. Some of the scholarly support for the value of school competition comes from right here in North Carolina, where researchers have found that proximity to charter schools tends to boost the performance of students who continue to attend district-run schools, though the effects vary in size and scope. I know that vociferous critics of choice are unlikely to find such evidence persuasive. Nor is the academic literature unanimous on the subject. Still, theres nothing weird about importing competition into education. Its popular. And it likely improves school quality. John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member and author of the novel Mountain Folk, a historical fantasy set during the American Revolution (MountainFolkBook.com). Joanna Winston Foley may live in California, but at least a part of her is still here. A retired social worker, Foley is descended from Maj. Joseph Winston, whose statue stands in Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Winston (1746-1815) was a militia leader in three battles during the American Revolution. Later he was elected to the state Senate and then to Congress. Foley also has an abiding interest in history and has wondered out loud in a series of guest columns in the News & Record who is and is not represented in our monuments and memorials. She suggested in a January column that Black soldiers from the American Revolution be placed on that list. Specifically the ones who fought here. She sees a connection between those soldiers and the four N.C. A&T freshmen who started the seminal 1960 sit-ins at a Woolworths lunch counter in downtown Greensboro. In Greensboro, there is no visual representation of the many African American soldiers who fought at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Foley wrote on Jan. 16. Its a striking omission in a city whose earliest claim to fame rests on that historic battle a battle in which African Americans played a significant role. She added: These Black soldiers fought here for Americas independence with fervent hope but no guarantee that political victory would lead to their own freedom. They are the ancestors of the Greensboro Four men who courageously faced personal danger to serve the greater good. A commemoration of them will supply the missing link between the citys two major historical events. This is Greensboros next and greatest story to tell! Terrific idea, we thought. This, in turn, inspired us to ask our readers: Who else? Here is some of what you told us: Moments and movements People are complicated and the things they have done exist in their moment in time and history doesnt often view them the same way as the moment does. In that light, we should celebrate the moments and the movements rather than the individuals. Id like to see a monument that celebrates Greensboros history of being a place for all, from having a legendary HBCU at A&T and a historically womens college at UNCG, the civil rights movement and recent BLM protests, and our history as a working-class town, just to name a few. The story of Greensboro in a lot of ways is figuring out how to live together and give everyone a voice and we should be reminded of that as we move into the future. Jeffrey C. Lail Greensboro Peace, not war In the United States, a high percentage of monuments commemorate people who fought, and especially people who died, in the countrys wars. This idea really needs to be reexamined. I am a pacifist. And before the arguments start about that, let me assure you I absolutely endorse self-defense. (All creatures are hard-wired to do whatever they can to preserve their lives and those of their offspring.) However, making monuments to war glorifies it and says it is something to be proud of. So they will be easily visible, many monuments are larger than life. (Thus the term monumental.) War is set on a pedestal and therefore we look up to it. And once the monument has been installed in a prominent public space, it makes a permanent statement to our future generations as well. I suggest a monument to the Underground Railroad. It will be quite challenging to represent something that people tried to keep completely secret, with little reliable written history, but that will make it an even more important challenge to the artist and the viewers. A monument to saving lives. J.M. Morton Greensboro Bennett legend Dr. Willa Beatrice Player (1909-2003) was an educator, college president, civil rights activist and federal appointee. She was the first African American woman to serve as president of an accredited, four-year educational institution. Bennett College, a historically Black college and in Greensboro, benefited from her leadership during years of heightened civil rights activism in the South. She welcomed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak on campus in 1958; he had been invited by local leaders but other Greensboro institutions declined to host him. Dr. Player supported Bennett students who took part in the sit-ins started by the Greensboro Four to integrate lunch counters at downtown stores. She said, We dont teach our students what to think; we teach them how to think. If I have to give exams in jail, thats what Ill do. Joanna Winston Foley Berkeley, Calif. A better way? Having led guided walks at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park for 50 years and written a guide to the battlefields monuments, I know that bronze and granite, no matter how eloquently crafted, often fail to communicate to visitors today. Certainly it would be easy as a first step to compile and make freely available a roster of Black soldiers we know participated in the battle of Guilford Courthouse, like Ned Griffin, an enslaved man from Edgecombe County who was promised his freedom for serving in the militia as a substitute for his enslaver (the state legislature intervened after the war when the enslaver reneged on his promise), or Isaac Brown, a free Black man who marched in a newly raised regiment of Virginia Continentals as a sergeant, meaning he gave orders to white corporals and privates. I hope that Black leaders in the community might also suggest how best to honor those whom traditional histories have overlooked. Scott Culclasure Greensboro Tree of Life I suggest a monument to celebrate and recognize the arc of the Black experience in North Carolina. I suggest a 30-foot-high tree of life showing the history of Blacks starting with enslavement to the current state, in a fountain setting where the waters represent tears shed in sadness and joy. Tony Saiz Summerfield Whats the point? Why put up more (monuments) if they are going to be removed? I guess it depends on who it is. I moved from Greensboro because it is nothing but a racist city. Darrell Barber Thomasvillle Black soldiers I wholeheartedly support publicly acknowledging and celebrating the overlooked and forgotten contributions of Black soldiers to winning the American Revolution. What better way to say belatedly thank you for your service. The form a memorial to Black infantrymen will take has many possibilities. I am sure Greensboro will bring together purpose and creativity once again. Like the author Joanna Winston Foley my family has deep roots in North Carolina from Craven County in the east all the way to Madison County in the west, including the Triangle and the Triad. As the UNC-Chapel Hill fight song goes Im a Tarheel born, Im a Tarheel bred ... . And I follow events there closely. I will continue to follow reactions to this piece and public support of a fitting tribute. Lee Guion San Francisco Suffragette Our family would love to see a monument for Gertrude Weil, the Jewish suffragette who was famous for her contributions to civil rights. I believe there is no monument in the Triad or Triangle that honor a Jewish woman. By the way, we are a multi-faith family with members who are: Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran and probably some agnostics thrown in. Members of our family served in the Army in World War II (and continue to serve) and on my mothers side, we count relatives who were Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. A monument to a brilliant Jewish woman could also act as a rebuke to the virulent antisemitism ravaging this land. The time for such a statue has come. Renee Skudra Nils Valdis Vytautas Skudra Greensboro Segregation foe Greensboro should create a monument for Albion Tourgee. His commitment to racial justice is a legacy worth celebrating. Tourgee was a soldier, legislator, writer, lawyer and diplomat. As an early civil rights activist, he founded the National Citizens Rights Association. Tourgee also fought segregation on trains in Louisiana, and litigated in the U.S. Supreme Court in what is known as the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson case in 1896. Hashim Warren Greensboro First Nations I would like to see a monument honoring the first peoples of Guilford County which include the Eno, Shakori, Sissipahaw and Keyauwee peoples. So often history starts in the 1600s or 1700s which is misleading as this land was occupied for thousands of years prior. Lets give honor to the First Nations of Guilford County. Alyce L. Bitticks Greensboro By Trend Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Georgia, David Zalkaliani, met with his Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba within the framework of the Munich Security Conference, Trend reports citing 1tv.ge. David Zalkaliani expressed full solidarity and support to Ukraine in this difficult and critical moment. The importance of the international communitys support and consolidation was emphasized to enable the escalation of the situation and avoid intervention, Georgian Foreign Ministry said. Dmytro Kuleba thanked the Georgian Government and the Georgian people for their solidarity with Ukraine, it noted. The masks are coming off again in Guilford County. The Board of Health voted unanimously Thursday night to lift the countys mask mandate, effective immediately. Local schools are all but guaranteed to follow suit. Superintendent Sharon Contreras already has indicated that she would recommend making masks optional if the county ended the mandate except on school buses, where federal rules require masks. In fact, the Great Uncovering began to unspool across the state on Thursday. Earlier in the day, under mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers, Gov. Roy Cooper encouraged local governments, including school boards, to end blanket mask requirements, if key metrics remain favorable. The governors words closely followed the General Assemblys approval of a bill that allows parents to opt out of school mask-wearing requirements for their children. This is a cynical, ill-considered piece of legislation that appeals both to the weariness of the general public with the virus and insistent protests by a loud but passionate few at local school board meetings, including Guilford Countys, against mask-wearing. House Speaker Tim Moore said the bill is going to reaffirm that parents should be the ones making these decisions, not the government. Well, it shouldnt. Would you leave it to individual parents to decide on who does and does not get long-required (and very necessary) vaccinations to be allowed to enroll in the states public schools? Make no mistake. The concerns of parents do matter. But they should have input, not the final say on public health policy that affects other peoples children as well. That should be left to public health experts. The governor said as much at his news conference Thursday, calling the bill unwise and irresponsible. I mean, are we going to let people pick and choose the public health rules theyre going to follow, he said. He should veto it. Although Democratic governors in other states have eased mask mandates, you get the impression that the governor might have been more comfortable waiting a while longer. But the legislation already appears to have forced Coopers hand. And a number of other Democratic governors already have lifted mandates, as have some North Carolina communities. Winston-Salem will end its mask mandate on March 1 and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board will vote on masks Tuesday. Mecklenburg County voted Wednesday to end its mask mandate, effective this week, and its school board will reconsider its mask policy this week. Closer to home, Guilford Commissioner Carly Cooke said she was personally very happy to see this phase coming to an end. Who isnt? When the Guilford commissioners, acting in their dual role as the county health board, rescinded the mask mandate last week, they cited a declining COVID positivity rate, as well as a decrease in hospitalizations. Even so, there are cautionary notes. Michael DeWitt, a data scientist and lead infectious disease modeler for Cone Health, warned last week that, among people who are entering the health system for pre-admission testing but are otherwise healthy, 5% to 7% are testing positive for COVID-19. That is still tremendously high, DeWitt said. That means if you went to a grocery store with 20 people in it, theres above a 90% chance that somebody in there is asymptomatically infected at that moment with SARS-coV-2. So its very present in our community. And remember, weve passed this way before. This is the second lifting of the mandate in Guilford County. Citing encouraging metrics, the health board voted unanimously in November of last year to end the mask requirement. Then came delta. And omicron. And each time we are forced to step back and mask up, the toothpaste will be harder and harder to squeeze back into the tube. So well repeat what we said then: Please remember that even if the mandate is going away, the virus is still here. People are still getting sick and dying from it. And please bear in mind that even when the mandate ends, masks still will be required in health care and long-term care facilities, as well as on airplanes. Also, some businesses and institutions will continue to require masks to protect their workers and their customers. Please accept and respect their house rules. Or exercise your own right to take your business elsewhere. That shouldnt be so hard. And, frankly, wed all be better off, going forward, if outbreaks of decency, courtesy and goodwill became more infectious. Coming to grips The resurgence of white supremacy in the United States should not come as a surprise. It is understandable that many white Americans become upset when confronted with a reassessment of U.S. history that conflicts dramatically with the triumphant narrative that has dominated our textbooks and political discourse. We have been steeped generations deep in a national origin story that believes we are exceptional because of our commitment to liberty and justice for all. We all want to be proud of our country, but selecting some parts of our history and ignoring others leaves us blind to the brutality of slavery, Jim Crow, mass incarceration and racial disparities in every aspect of American life (housing, health, education, law enforcement, etc.). Even before we became a country, our economy was based on the availability of free labor. Slavery not only denied African Americans their freedom but their basic humanity. This is not only Americas original sin; its a crime that we keep committing in other forms. One can only hope that more white people will accept the factual historical narratives offered by The 1619 Project and other documents. Only the truth can set us free. Gary Kenton Greensboro A great man Its sometimes hard to gratefully point out something that didnt happen to you because of someone else, but that isnt the case with me and Johnny McGee. I grew up in Greensboro in the 1980s. Having had no comprehensive sex education offered to me in the public schools, I knew very little about HIV. By the time I reached high school, I was terrified I would contract the disease. Thanks to Johnny McGee (and his husband Bruce Thede, as well as Bob Page, Ron Johnson and too many others to mention), an organization called Triad Health Project (THP) was formed; THP continues to this day not only to assist people living with HIV, but also to focus on HIV prevention and education. I didnt get HIV. Thanks to the courage, vision, compassion and love this great man offered in helping to found THP, I was able to access the comprehensive sex education information and tools I needed to stay safe. Along with many in our community, I lost a hero when Johnny died. I currently serve as the board chair for THP, and it is my privilege to continue my term in honor and memory of Johnny McGee, superhero. Shane Burton Greensboro Hot rods For months I have been curious as to why hot rods such as Dodge Chargers, Dodge Challengers and Ford Mustangs are allowed to race down the 220 ramp to I-85. Most of them noisily speed down the ramp and dont stop for traffic. There is one car that backfires every time the gears are changed, another with loud music and others with the loud mufflers and/or engines. They are out the most on weekends during the day and night. They are so loud I know I can hear them a mile away. Someone is going to get seriously hurt one of these days. They also race down Vandalia Road. Can this be stopped? Probably not, but I wanted to get it out there. Maybe someone from law enforcement will read this and take note. Kay Southard Greensboro Judges overstep Regarding the Associated Press story, Justices weigh veracity of referendums (Feb. 15): So the people voted for a constitutional amendment for voter ID but the NAACP filed a lawsuit against it. Justices could block what the citizens voted for. I guess we should let judges run the government; we could save money. No need for a legislature. No need for citizens to vote. Just let judges run the state. Problem solved. J.P. Lester Reidsville This story was originally published by CalMatters. You can see more coverage of California state government on their website CalMatters.com. SOHR has documented the death of two Damascus soldiers from Hamouriyah town in eastern Ghouta in a new attack by ISIS cells on their military post in Deir Ezzor desert. On the other hand, an officer was injured, while three of his escorts were killed in a landmine explosion in their car in Jabal Al-Omar area in the eastern countryside of Homs, where ISIS cells are prevalent According to SOHR sources, the officer is from Kafr Aqid village in Masyaf area in Homs countryside. Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the death of at least 1,649 Damascus soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least three Russians, and 165 Iranian-backed militiamen of non-Syrian nationalities. All were killed in attacks, bombings and ambushes by ISIS west of Euphrates region and the deserts of Deir Ezzor, al-Raqqah, Homs, al-Suwaidaa, Hama and Aleppo. Also, four civilians working in gas fields, tens of shepherds and other civilians were killed in the same period, from late March 2019 until today. They were killed in attacks by ISIS cells. While 1,172 ISIS gangs were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period. A.K Ryan Busse was prepared for a slew of negative responses to his book Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America. While he has seen some ugly responses, instead the former firearm industry executive says feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and largely comprised of moderate gun owners who share his concerns. Im getting like every day, I guess what youd think of as centrist Montana gun owners, like I cant take it anymore, Ive been a gun owner my whole life, this is off the rails, these radicals scare me, that sort of thing. Its really been overwhelming and I really did not see that coming. Busse lives with his family in Kalispell, spending his career as a sales executive at firearm manufacturer Kimber. There he worked to grow the business and says he remains proud of the company and the work he did. But from the inside Busse became increasingly concerned with what he saw as a shift in the industry. Firearm manufacturers that had historically emphasized responsibility and safety, naming guns with innocuous model numbers, began aggressive marketing campaigns that catered to extreme views, he says. Busse cites names of civilian firearms such as the Ultimate Arms Warmonger, and advertising proclaiming Consider Your Man Card Reissued for the AR-15 model rifle used in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut as examples of pushing ideology over responsibility. The marketing strategy worked, and was embraced by right wing politics, Busse contends, pointing to similar messaging strategies of fear and divisiveness. Firearms that were once tools of protection are now employed as images of intimidation, he believes, pointing to rallies where individuals are often seen open carrying long rifles. When he left Kimber and decided to write Gunfight, Busse set out to write a memoir of his life as a lifelong gun owner and industry insider. He offers his experiences with an eye toward the wider lens of what has happened in the country based on the thesis that the firearm industry perfected the politics of radicalization that has divided the nation. Even up until the very last days I was still proud of the company I helped build and proud of the product, Busse said. Im not anti-gun, its not an anti-gun book, its a long ways from it. Its basically arguing for decency and responsibility to be balanced with freedoms and I think what I saw is a time in our history when that balance has become way out of whack. The book quickly gained attention nationally. In recent months Busse was featured on the front page of the New York Times, appeared on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, gave a TED Talk and has appeared on more than 30 podcasts. Busse understands he is open to accusations of hypocrisy and the book will be seen through a political lens he has worked with Democrats including as an advisor to former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head, and the campaign of President Joe Biden. Although the industry has been largely silent on the book, Donald Trump Jr. called Busse a useful idiot that had been co-opted by the left. He doesnt care. Ive decided that Im done living under the labels that are formed by the entities that are trying to divide us, he said. When I first started writing the book I guess what I believed is that in order for us to get out of what I think is a really radicalized, divisive, ugly political situation down to the level of families and workplaces and everything else, but I believe in order for us to get out of that we have to know how we got into it. When asked if he is optimistic that Gunfight will effect change, Busse paused for a moment before offering a two-part answer. I just feel like responsible good people have just freaking had it. Its not that they want to give up their guns, thats not it, but theyre done with the radicalized politics of it all. So I am optimistic from that standpoint, he said. I am not optimistic from an industry/immediate politics standpoint because I think theyre now one of the same. Because I think the incentives thatve been built in the system only reward those who make it worse. Tom Kuglin is the deputy editor for the Lee Newspapers State Bureau. His coverage focuses on outdoors, recreation and natural resources. Love 33 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Montana Board of Education has revised its Ethical Standards for Teachers, which it does every five years. The word equity was included in the revision, pertaining to a teacher's recognition of the need for equity in education. Equity in education is different from equality. A good example of that is the school funding formula. Back in the 1980s small rural schools were not adequately funded because they didn't have the tax base to raise the necessary money. A series of lawsuits were filed, resulting in greater funding for those districts. The basis of the suits was Article X of the Montana Constitution, which requires the legislature to distribute the State's share of education funding in an equitable manner. That does not mean in an equal manner. Billings Public Schools obviously needs more money than Whitehall. Equity applies to other areas of education as well. Students come in all types, with their strengths and weaknesses, each with their unique needs. Equity means that each student gets what he or she needs to succeed, and I was ethically responsible as their teacher, for helping them get that. Gianforte's angst about equity could come from ignorance of what is going on in public education. He is, after all, a supporter of private schools. The concept is deeply embedded in the system. Eliminating one word in an unofficial document put out by an obscure subcommittee will make no difference. So why the concern over a word that represents a concept that can only be good for public education? There is a national discussion about equity vs equality, being driven by right wing think tanks like the Cato Institute. Their thesis is that every child should have an equal start in schooling, but not the extra resources to actually succeed. This seems to satisfy their desire to promote their agenda, which is every man for himself. Gianforte is aligned with that ideology. Equity in education is not only good for Montana, but it is also mandated in the State Constitution. Let's move forward with equity and let Gianforte sweat it out with his ideology bound buddies. Carol Bruderer Retired Montana teacher of 26 years Helena Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Todays Highlight in History: On Feb. 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercurys Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean 800 miles southeast of Bermuda. On Feb. 20: In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the United States Post Office Department. In 1862, William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House, apparently of typhoid fever. In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the publics health. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons from being admitted to the United States. In 1933, Congress proposed the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to repeal Prohibition. In 1938, Anthony Eden resigned as British foreign secretary following Prime Minister Neville Chamberlains decision to negotiate with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. In 1965, Americas Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed on the moon, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface. In 1987, a bomb left by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski exploded behind a computer store in Salt Lake City, seriously injuring store owner Gary Wright. In 1998, Tara Lipinski of the U.S. won the ladies figure skating gold medal at the Nagano Olympics; Michelle Kwan won the silver. In 2003, a fire sparked by pyrotechnics broke out during a concert by the group Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing 100 people and injuring about 200 others. In 2005, death claimed actor Sandra Dee at age 62; musical actor John Raitt at age 88; and counterculture writer Hunter S. Thompson at age 67. In 2012, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held an unprecedented meeting with opposition leaders, who said they were encouraged by his promises to make it easier for anti-Kremlin parties to take part in elections. Former senator and astronaut John Glenn celebrated the 50th anniversary of his history-making space flight at the Ohio State University by kicking off a forum about NASAs future. In 2017, President Donald Trump tapped Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his new national security adviser, replacing the ousted Michael Flynn. In 2021, a poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found more Americans expressing some concern about catching the flu than about catching the coronavirus. Debris from a United Airlines plane fell onto Denver suburbs during an emergency landing, with one very large piece that appeared to be part of the engine narrowly missing a home; authorities said nobody aboard or on the ground was reported hurt. Naomi Osaka won her fourth Grand Slam trophy by pulling away to beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 in the Australian Open final. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR Andrew L. Hall, a Decatur man accused of robbing a buyer at gunpoint who had showed up to purchase a vehicle he had advertised for sale on Facebook, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Hall, 20, pleaded not guilty and went through a jury trial Tuesday at Macon County Circuit Court. The jury had retired to deliberate their verdict Tuesday afternoon when Hall, represented by defense attorney Caleb Brown, suddenly announced he would take a plea deal. The defendant told Judge Jeffrey Geisler he would plead guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. Geisler agreed to then dismiss a charge of armed robbery and a charge of having no FOID card for the weapon. A further FOID card offense and a charge of cannabis possession had been dismissed by the judge before the trial. A sworn Decatur Police Department affidavit said a 17-year-old buyer had arranged to purchase a sport utility vehicle from Hall on May 3. But the buyer told police he had been robbed of the $1,000 he brought with him to buy the SUV after Hall pulled a gun on him. Hall was quoted as admitting to detectives that he owned the gun the victim said was used in the robbery, but had consistently denied that any robbery ever took place. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DECATUR A 19-year-old woman was arrested for what was described as a random pepper spray attack on a mother and her teenage daughter in the parking lot of a Decatur restaurant, according to police. A sworn affidavit from Decatur Police said the trouble started at the El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant, 4204 N. Prospect Drive, when food was thrown at the mother and her daughter by the 19-year-old and a group with her. (The 47-year-old mother) stated she asked the group to stop, said Officer Anna Oldham, who signed the affidavit. When she came outside, the group was waiting for her and her daughter. (The mother) advised this incident was completely random. The mothers 15-year-old daughter is quoted as telling police they had both been blasted with pepper spray while sitting in her mothers vehicle outside the restaurant. The incident is described as happening Jan. 13 and police found and arrested the 19-year-old on Feb. 8. She was booked on two preliminary charges of aggravated battery. Macon County Jail records show the woman was released the next day after posting a $500 bond on bail set at $5,000. Her bail conditions forbid her from going to the restaurant or having any contact with the victims. All preliminary charges are subject to review by the state's attorneys office. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Hong Kong: Medical experts meet The Guangdong COVID-19 medical expert delegation today continued its second-day visit by learning about Hong Kong's work in treating patients infected with COVID-19. Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan chaired an exchange meeting at the Central Government Offices, in which both sides exchanged views on the latest situation of the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong and the clinical management of patients. In the afternoon, the expert delegation visited the Princess Margaret Hospital Infectious Disease Centre to learn about Hong Kong's work in diagnosis, treatment and care for confirmed patients. Prof Chan said Hong Kong and Guangdong Province have all along been co-operating closely in health aspects, especially in joint prevention and control of the epidemic. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government welcomes the expert delegation to Hong Kong for field visits and exchanges on treatment of patients. Prof Chan said she hoped that the expert delegation can have a deeper understanding of the latest situation in Hong Kong through this visit, thus helping Hong Kong to provide suitable treatment to confirmed patients in a more effective manner. This story has been published on: 2022-02-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Trend President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leave on Sunday for a four-day tour to three African countries upon the invitation of his counterparts, the Turkish Communications Directorate announced on Saturday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. Erdo?an is set to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Senegal and Guinea-Bissau on Feb. 20-23, a directorate statement said. The visit will focus on all aspects of bilateral relations and opportunities for improving cooperation between Turkey and these countries in all fields, the statement added. During his visit to Senegals capital Dakar, Erdo?an will attend the opening ceremony of the Dakar Olympic Stadium built by a Turkish company. He will also open the new embassy building in the capital. Erdo?an's visit to Guinea-Bissau will mark the first presidential-level official visit from Turkey to the West African country. BRISTOL, Va. While its name originally conjured images of hillside stills and illicit whiskey, modern consumers continue choosing Mountain Dew as one of this nations most popular soft drinks. What some may fail to realize is the citrus flavored, highly caffeinated beverage traces its roots to East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia where friends and business associates combined to create and refine the formula while marketing with a good-natured look at the hillbilly stereotype, complete with popping corks, rifles and revenuers. All of that comes together in Itll Tickle Yore Innards! A (Hillbilly) History of Mountain Dew, a new exhibit opening Feb. 26 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The exhibit was developed by the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville and includes many oversized panels that tell the story through words and imagery. They are augmented by audio and notable examples of the bottles, signage and marketing that helped propel a regional favorite to among the three highest selling soft drinks in the U.S. We had talked about this exhibit a while ago as a possibility of coming here because it has the local and regional connections, it has a little bit of a NASCAR connection, plus the moonshine and hillbilly connections. So all of those things fit in with our content and our local history, museum Head Curator Rene Rodgers said. People are interested in stories like this. This is certainly a region where they still love their Mountain Dew, and it gives us a chance to do some interesting programming. We like to have exhibits like this that can bring people into the museum with a different interest but still connects to our content upstairs, she said. The exhibit will remain on display until Aug. 7. Organizers are currently developing a range of programming to augment it, Rodgers said. There are a number of interactive opportunities for children who visit the exhibit. The museum will host area teachers March 3 to let them experience the educational opportunities offered by details of the exhibit. Birthplace of Mountain Dew At least three communities can rightfully claim a share of the title the birthplace of Mountain Dew Knoxville and Johnson City in East Tennessee and Marion, Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly, in a 1999 resolution commending Marion on its 150th anniversary, noted because of the invention of local businessman William Bill Jones, the town of Marion is recognized as the birthplace of Mountain Dew, among its list of whereases. And that is partially true. Marion is where the flavor profile came from, according to Adam Alfrey, assistant director for historical services at East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville. Alfrey was involved in the research and creation of the Mountain Dew exhibit and was in Bristol last week to help oversee its installation. It was developed about five years ago. We had it back in 2017-18 and there was an effort at that time to place historical markers in Johnson City and Knoxville as the birthplace of Mountain Dew. So we worked with them to provide the context for those markers so people could come and learn how Mountain Dew became the national phenomenon that it is today. Its a very local, very regional story that has some twists and turns we thought people would really enjoy learning about. And Marion? Marion is very much a part of the story. There is not one individual who can lay claim to being the creator of Mountain Dew. Its all these individuals, working together, Alfrey said. The Hartmans in Knoxville were the founder-inventors, the folks up in Marion, Virginia who were creating the flavor profile doing research and development, then you had the folks at Tri-City Beverage being the CEO and guiding the product. And there is one more contributor, the Minges family bottlers of Lumberton, N.C. I look at the branch in North Carolina as being the test marketing group. Each had a unique aspect, Alfrey said. Sundrop had moved into Lumberton and the Minges were looking for something to go up against Sundrop, so they brought Mountain Dew over. It quickly got a 5% market share. They had connections with Pepsi, and they were the ones who sent word up and suggested Pepsi take a look at this as something that could become a national drink. Unraveling the Mountain Dew mystique The term mountain dew, written lowercase, originally referred to illegal moonshine, created by enterprising people on homemade stills across the hills and hollers of the Appalachian region to the 1800s and sold in jugs not 12-ounce cans or bottles. Mountain Dew, the soft drink, has some roots back to Prohibition era-East Tennessee, Alfrey said. In the 1920s a Hungarian immigrant family moved to Knoxville, and they had the Mountain Dew brand almost a decade before the Hartmans used that same brand name. Their idea was to market soft drinks in a bottle that looked like a barrel which was a nod to prohibition. It was clear, and they planned to run all these different flavors if it was purple it was grape dew, if it was red it was strawberry dew. So this was an early flavor model of soft drink production, Alfrey said. Max Licht, that immigrant, only bottled his Mountain Dew for a short time. In the 1930s, Illinois brothers Barney and Ally (pronounced Ollie) Hartman moved to Knoxville from Georgia where they ran an Orange Crush bottling plant. However Orange Crush went bankrupt in Georgia during the Great Depression, but the brothers got another opportunity with a distributorship in Knoxville, Alfrey said. While living in Georgia the brothers acquired a taste for Old Taylor Kentucky bourbon mixed with a local, lemon-lime soda called Natural Setup, but they couldnt get that product in Knoxville. They were bottling Orange Crush in Knoxville so they started making small amounts of Natural Setup, which tasted like Sprite but mixed well with something stronger. As a joke, the brothers asked a neighbor who was an art teacher to draw a joke label that included the hillbilly imagery using the name Mountain Dew. Their first bottle, with the joke label was issued in 1946, and the exhibit includes one of those early bottles. The brothers bottled small quantities of their clear Mountain Dew mixer. The Hartmans later were one of five soft drink bottlers to invest in the Tip Corporation, a Marion-based firm started by the founders of Dr. Pepper Bottling, which specialized in developing flavors for carbonated beverages. Tip Corporations primary product was a grape soda bottled by Tri-City Beverage Bottling in Johnson City. There are conflicting stories about whether Ally Hartman gave the trademark to Jones or whether Tri-City Beverage purchased the trademark and then sold it to Jones and Tip Corporation in the 1950s. Either way, Jones went to work developing a flavor to distinguish the Hartmans Mountain Dew from others in the citrus soda market, including then-leader 7Up. That flavor, including a dash of orange juice, caffeine and sugar and what we know today as Mountain Dew was created sold originally in clear glass bottles and bottled by Tri-City Beverage. People loved the flavor but thought the bottle was really boring, Alfrey said. So Tri-City was the first to move their drink into the iconic green Mountain Dew bottle. They were the first to add red color to it [label] and the modern Mountain Dew was born right there. The flavor profile came from Marion, Virginia so Bill Jones was viewed as the wizard of these flavor profiles. That flavor was sold first in Johnson City. There was one place it initially didnt catch on. Its interesting in Knoxville, even when they sold off their part of Mountain Dew, Hartman got to keep one bottling right (to produce and distribute the product), but they stayed with the (original) citrus flavor, Alfrey said. There was a time you could be in the Tri-Cities and have the modern Mountain Dew flavor, drive to Knoxville and buy a bottle of Mountain Dew, and it would taste like lemon-lime. Pepsi acquired Tip Corporation and the Mountain Dew formula in 1964. Pepsi comes in and encourages the distributors to keep playing up this hillbilly imagery. Its timed well because pop culture you have (comic strips) Snuffy Smith and Little Abner, the Beverly Hillbillies, Hee Haw, all churning in pop culture so its riding that wave of success, Alfrey said. That died off in the 70s, so Mountain Dew began to shift toward the energy, amped up, modern Mountain Dew we know today. Earliest advertising The initial Mountain Dew TV commercial appeared in 1966 and was 60 seconds filled with animated barefoot hillbilly stereotypes and catch phrases. It included the tune from the 1920s era-Good Ole Mountain Dew folk song and such memorable utterances as Yahoo! Mountain Dew! And Mountain Dew will tickle yore innards cause theres a bang in every bottle, voiced by primary character Willie the Hillbilly. The exhibit includes an array of period imagery, signage and bottles tracing the drinks evolution. 276-645-2532 Twitter: @DMcGeeBHC Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Food City recently honored five area residents for service to the community as part of a process to identify the companys recipient of the Claude P. Varney Humanitarian Award. Throughout the years, our company has wholly dedicated itself to serving the citizens of the communities in which we operate, Food City President and CEO Steve Smith stated in a press release. Many of our associates volunteer their time and talents to numerous organizations in support of their communities, and we felt it needful to formally recognize their selfless contributions. The five area honorees are Karen Umberger, a computer room operator for the Food City location in Marion, Virginia; Randi Preston, a benefits manager at the Food City corporate office in Abingdon, Virginia; Shane Blagg, a freezer order selector at the distribution center in Abingdon, Virginia; Jim Jenkins, a front end manager at a Food City store in Rogersville, Tennessee and Bree Adams, a cake decorator at a Food City store in Johnson City, Tennessee. Umberger has served as a volunteer for the American Red Cross for six years and has given 1,200 hours of service per year. She serves as a disaster team volunteer where she works in shelters and performs damage assessments in areas that have suffered from floods or fires. I worked with clients making sure they are safe and they have a place to go, Umberger wrote in her application for the award. I determine what level of damage the home suffered. I am able to give the clients financial assistance so they may start the process of recovery. Blagg has worked for more than two years as a member of the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Department. After his family suffered a devastating house fire when he was 10, Blagg made the decision that he wanted to help anyone he could. Preston has volunteered with the youth at Highlands Fellowship Church the past 16 years. She works with middle school youth saying she builds up students through positive interaction. I volunteer because I believe that investing in todays youth shapes our future, she wrote. Jenkins works as a volunteer for the Tennessee 4H, Hertage Lites, Young Republicans and Appalachian Fair Youth Board. I enjoy community service and giving back to the area I was born and raised in, he wrote. Adams has volunteered at Mission Hospital the past three years where she cooks and serves food as well as helping patients to and from their rooms. I volunteer at nursing homes and safe houses for women that suffer from domestic violence, Adams wrote. I also donate to animal shelters. The Food City employee selected for the annual Claude P. Varney award will receive a $1,250 contribution to a charity made on their behalf. Were extremely proud of the difference our associates make through their many humanitarian contributions, Smith said. Our company is committed to providing our associates the support they need to become the best corporate citizens possible. Nearly 16 million people traveled along the Blue Ridge Parkway last year, again putting the scenic highway at the top of the list of the most-visited national parks. The parkway, which runs for 469 miles through the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, had 15,948,148 recreational visits, according to estimates from the National Park Service. That was up nearly 2 million from 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused park closures and restrictions across the country. While overall use of the parkway has remained relatively stable over the past five to 10 years, some of the more popular sites are feeling the impacts of heavy visitation. Overcrowding at popular locations can lead to diminished visitor experience and damage to park resources, parkway superintendent Tracy Swartout said in a news release Thursday. Parkway officials are encouraging people to find alternatives and make plans in advance. Details can be found at https://go.nps.gov/parkway-plan-ahead. A 15-mile section of the parkway from U.S. 220 in Roanoke to the top of Bent Mountain has been closed since May 2020, when heavy rains caused a landslide that washed out a section of the road. Traffic has been detoured through Roanoke and Roanoke County. Repairs are expected to begin this spring and be completed by fall. Visitation numbers, which are based in part on traffic counters installed in the pavement, are compiled annually by the National Park Service. Among the findings in the 2021 report: Last years visitation represents an approximate 13% increase from 2020. The parkway most recently saw similar levels of visitation in 2017 with an estimated 16.1 million visitors. In 2021, there was a 12% increase in camping use over 2019, which was the most recent high-occupancy year. Tent camping was up 10% and RV use up 16% over 2019. There were 362 motor vehicle wrecks on the parkway last year, 102 of which involved injuries. Eight of the incidents, five of them involving motorcycles, led to fatalities. LENOIR The North Carolina Department of Commerce announced Grand Manor Furniture a recipient of the Rural Economic Development Division Building Reuse grant award. The $400,000 grant will assist the company with renovations to the vacant Thomasville Furniture plant in Lenoir. We appreciate the partnership and support from the NC Department of Commerce, Caldwell County Commission and EDC and the City of Lenoir. We cant wait to get started. This will be a great project for everyone, said Mike Moore, Grand Manor president. The company will be relocating its operation from its current 85,000-square-foot Harrisburg Drive facility to the former Thomasville Furniture site, where Grand Manor plans to occupy 200,000 square feet of the 800,000-square-foot facility. Plans also call for adding 75 workers over the next two years. Grand Manor has done phenomenally well. They are very highly respected not just in our community, but across the country, EDC Executive Director Deborah Murray told the Caldwell County Board of Commissioners at their January meeting, when the board approved the furniture manufacturers local incentive package. I'm thankful that local businesses like Grand Manor can expand and grow and that is what a commissioner loves to be a part of, helping local business grow. It is an honor to be a part of this success story as we continue to grow Caldwell County said Caldwell County Board of Commissioners Chair Randy Church. The City of Lenoir is really excited that Grand Manor continues to grow and that they chose to put the former Thomasville Furniture plant back into operation. What a great story and what a great company, said Lenoir Mayor Joe Gibbons. In business in Lenoir for 59 years, Grand Manor manufactures commercial seating products and markets them to hotels, timeshares, and casinos. We are one of the last companies in this country that is vertically integrated. We do everything ourselves. We make our own frames, do our own finishes, do our own shop drawings, do our own upholstery We import nothing to make our products. Being domestic and vertically integrated gives us an advantage in the hotel industry that no one else has, Moore said. NEWTON Downtown Newton Development Association will celebrate Black History Month and American Heart Month with the Heart Healthy Literacy Walk, a self-guided walk through downtown Newton that highlights key moments in the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s life. The walk begins outside 2 Pink Magnolias, 211 College Ave., where participants will find the first in a series of 15 signs leading to the 1924 Courthouse Square. When you find the first sign, scan the QR code on it to access a map that will guide you through the rest of the signs, each of which is printed with pages from Carole Boston Weatherfords Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Dream and You. By the time participants reach the last sign in the walk, they will have read each page of Be A King and received a golden ticket redeemable for a free cookie or small hot beverage at Narrow Coffee & Nosh, 13 North College Ave. Be A King features a dual narrative of important moments from Kings life interwoven with the story of modern-day schoolchildren learning about the challenges King overcame in his efforts to achieve justice and equality for all. DNDA volunteers are excited to present Be A King to the community during Black History Month not only because it tells the story of one of the 20th centurys most revered Black leaders, but also because Weatherford is a Black author who lives in North Carolina. Most of her more than 50 books of poetry, nonfiction, biography, and historical fiction were written for young people, and Be A King is written at a reading level that even beginning readers will be able to enjoy. Take part in the walk anytime between Feb. 21 and March 4. If you have questions, contact Main Street Director Mary Yount at 828-695-4360 or myount@newtonnc.gov. DNDA thanks the volunteers and staff who helped with the Heart Healthy Literacy Walk and is grateful for the partnership between City of Newton, Catawba County Library, Catawba County Branch NAACP, and Catawba County Truth and Reconciliation Committee that made it possible. Following a speech at a Grand Strand conference, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Friday he is confident the state legislature will fund Interstate 73 this year. We have great leadership in the Pee Dee on this and I think were going to get it done, McMaster said. I think were going to get it done this year. McMaster visited the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort to speak at the South Carolina Technical Education Associations annual conference and promote his request for $124 million for technical college scholarships. As part of that same spending proposal, McMaster has asked the legislature to put $300 million toward I-73 construction. I-73 is planned as a 43-mile link between S.C. 22, near Conway, and Interstate 95, near Latta and Dillon. The South Carolina Department of Transportation estimates the total project will cost around $1.6 billion. Additional funding would be needed to connect I-73 from its end at I-95 to North Carolinas I-73. SCDOT has estimated that the first 6-mile leg of I-73, which would connect I-95 to U.S. 501, will cost between $260 and $300 million. McMasters current request would pay to build that portion. Other legs of I-73 are proposed to be built with future state allocations, federal funding and some money from local governments. Since McMaster asked for I-73 funding in October, its been unclear if the state legislature would honor his wishes. Lawmakers this week approved $453 million for state transportation projects. McMaster said the money could come from elsewhere. It doesnt matter to me where it comes from as long as we get it to build I-73, McMaster said. Horry County leaders are currently in a holding pattern over I-73 funding as they wait to see if state lawmakers will indeed vote to fund I-73 this year. Council members have said that if lawmakers do, theyll allocate local funds. The county has identified $2.75 million it could dedicate to I-73 annually from its hospitality fee collection, but has yet to formally vote to spend that money. Both Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach have voted to dedicate funding together $5.9 million annually but with a caveat that theyll only spend the money if the state and federal government also allocate money to I-73. McMaster noted Friday that I-73 has won necessary environmental permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, had those permits upheld in court, and has a construction plan via SCDOT. He said South Carolina not shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the American Rescue Plan funding, created conditions for the state to fund projects such as I-73 this year. He said he was confident the legislature would approve his ask this session. With all of that added in, weve got a great opportunity and I think were going to get these roads done, he said. I think this is the year were going to get (I-73) done, he added. Theres a ways to go yet ... but Im confident we can make great progress. Pursuant to a meeting held by the City Council of Concord on Feb. 10 and a proclamation read by the mayor, it is important to understand the role that Concord played in the history of African-Americans. In 1895, there were many events that put Concord right in the middle of Black history. Specifically, 1895 marked a transition point for the community due to the passing of the iconic American known as Frederick Douglass. Douglass was understood to be the first leader of Black America. Douglass was born into slavery and he was a man who could not say directly when he was born, 1818 or 1819. Douglass who was an abolitionist and his role in American history was outstanding as noted by many authors. As such, Black America, as noted in the 14th Amendment (now citizens) was looking for a new leader and that leader had to come from the South because most Blacks lived in the South in the 1800s. Douglass' father was white and his mother was a slave. The person selected by the leadership was Booker T. Washington, a southern educator who was based in Alabama. Washington's father appears also to be white but because of the system, there was no birth certificate for either Douglass or Washington.. We are talking about a peculiar institution. In 1895, there was an event called the Atlanta Exposition that took place in Atlanta, Georgi. The Exposition was a major event because Black - 30 years after chattel slavery -could express themselves and the South could indicate that Blacks were doing "fine." Another man who played a major role was Warren Clay Coleman. Because Coleman was wealthy at the time, he could support many Blacks who could not afford to attend the Exposition. Coleman was born in Concord in 1849, raised and died in Concord in 1904. He was born where the Cannon Library stands, his store was two blacks away on Union Street and he died from stress in his 4-bedroom home on Church and Cabarrus (formerly known as Depot). He did not go south or north like many others. Thomas, his brother went to Atlanta. Also in 1895, Coleman took a major step by making it possible for the Price (Temple) Memorial AME Zion Church to be built. It remains in full operation today and was recently refurbished due to a grant from the Cannon Foundation. I am one of the trustees. Prior to building the church, Coleman in 1876 also made is possible to build a 17-acre cemetery known as the Old Camp Ground Cemetery (OCGC). Coleman, unlike Douglass and Washington, was a real estate mogul and gave money to schools, churches and individuals seeking financing to build homes, as noted in a recent seminar with Ben Callahan. In line with these facts, he also built homes for himself and others in the Logan area and places inside and outside, now known as Cabarrus County. People who have read my book on the subject, available at WarrenClayColeman.com, have stated that Coleman's story can an inspiration for those young and old, white or Black. It should also be noted that Coleman's biological father, General Rufus Barringer, whose family in originated from Mount Pleasant, after migrating from Germany also died in 1895. While gaining wealth, even though his store on Union Street was burned out three times, Coleman made the ultimate mark by providing leadership for the first Black manufacturing mill in the world, aside from those built in Egypt - a major accomplishment given his humble beginning as a chattel slave in America. The Coleman Mill, currently standing at 196,000 square feet on U.S. 601 and Main Street, is scheduled be a continuous service to the community by including 152 apartments for people and their families. I am certain that he would be pleased with the final outcome of his work and many others like John Dancy, Richard Fitzgerald and Duke family. These men were thinking about building a mill town where people could work, live and worship within walking distance. As we continue to build the Downtown area, it is important to embrace the legacy of Coleman and the people of his times that made a difference for America. In line with the awesome history outlined above, I am suggesting that Concord consider an appropriate recognition, aside from the U.S. 601 highway, for this man, his family (many recently met members of the Barringer family) and many others who made a difference for the town/county. As of February 26, 2022, in another celebration of Black history, the Cannon Library has made it possible to develop 50 or more photos of Barber Scotia, Logan and Shankletown schools. Many of the people who attended these schools will be in attendance. Showing support of this endeavor would be greatly appreciated. Norman J. McCullough Sr. is a retired RCCC instructor, a homeowner living in Concord, and an author of a book on Warren C. Coleman and the website WarrenClayColeman.com. Norman also serves as a trustee at Price Memorial AME Zion church. He can be reached at normanmccullough.1@aol.com. NASHVILLE Last spring, Scott Curri lost his wallet filled with a lifetime of personal treasures. What happened next still amazes Curri. Gone forever Curri had stopped at an exit off Interstate 95 near Rocky Mount when his phone rang. It was his wife, Diane. He fumbled for his phone and, without a thought, put his wallet on the roof of his Volvo. Only hours later as he made his way toward his destination in Florida did he realize his wallet was gone. It was not in the door where it was supposed to be, said Curri, a 65-year-old semi-retired boat mechanic. He couldnt remember where he had last seen it. He simply assumed it was gone forever. Glovebox mystery Fast forward about six months. Bobby Liverman was heading out of his state Transportation Departments district engineers office in Nashville to investigate a drainage complaint. As he drove, Liverman needed a napkin to clean his sunglasses. He reached into the glovebox and found a black, leather wallet. He examined its contents, which included Scott Curris New York drivers license. Liverman mailed him a letter about his lost wallet. But Curri had moved, and the address was out of date. Livermans letter was returned by the post office in early November. Online sleuthing Undeterred, Liverman asked one of his office assistants, Sybil Stancil, to see whether she could locate Curri. Stancil would spend the next six weeks searching for Curri over the internet when she had spare time at work. She called any phone number she could find, reaching several dead ends. But, she didnt give up. Im going to find this man, Stancil said. Then it happened. Around Christmas, Stancil stumbled upon Curris wife through social media. So, Stancil called her, then eventually talked to her husband. It was a phone call Curri never would have expected to receive. Equally shocking, they had found his wallet. Wallet returned Stancil asked him to describe the wallets contents. Satisfied he was the owner, she grabbed a small Christmas box from her home, put the wallet inside it and mailed it to South Glen Falls, New York. It was a late Christmas present, Stancil said. When the box arrived in early January, Curri immediately pried open the leather folds. The cash that had been in the wallet was now gone. No matter, he thought. It probably blew away when he drove back onto I-95 on that day so long ago. The important items were still there, in between the seams. One was a handwritten paper heart cutout from his wife. A hug & a kiss for you, it read. The second was a personal note and a signed photo from 2008 of his mother, Theta Swinton Curri. She died in 2016. The money and the other stuff didnt matter, Curri said. But everything else was irreplaceable. No thanks necessary Liverman and Stancil were content not to seek any publicity for doing their jobs. So, it was Curri who made sure to return the favor. He sought out the N.C. Department of Transportations Communications Office last month so he could share his amazing story. He was so grateful for the NCDOT, and Stancils extra effort for reuniting him with his wallet. Sybil is the kind of person who maintains the faith that things are going to be all right, Curri said. Shes a good person, doing the right thing. By Trend First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar held a meeting related to the deposits of solid minerals and hydrocarbons, Primeminister.kz reports, Trend reports citing Kazinform news agency. The government is constantly working to reconsider the contracts and licenses issued to subsoil users. Thus, during the analysis, the authorized structures revealed 148 contracts related to solid minerals and 27 contracts related to hydrocarbon raw materials upon which few obligations were fulfilled. As part of the corresponding roadmap, it is planned to reveal the contracts and licenses for which the corresponding notices about termination will be sent. As a result of this work, the deposits will be put up for auction to transfer to new investors. There is an opportunity for the equal participation of all interested investors as a result of granting the right to subsoil use at the auction. The information about the holding of auctions is posted in the newspapers and on the websites of the state structures. The inflow of investments into the subsoil use, primarily, in the development of deposits of solid minerals, will increase as a result of the taken measures. The work of the government will be continued in this sphere. CHICAGO A Chicago elementary school has unveiled a new sign letting people know it is leaving behind the name of a racist and will instead honor a woman known for helping Black people escape slavery, Harriet Tubman. The sign comes about a year after a group of parents successfully pushed for the school long named after Swiss American biologist Louis Agassiz to change its name to the Harriet Tubman Elementary School. Officials at Chicago Public Schools are letting other schools in the city change their names after the Chicago Sun-Times reported in late 2020 that 30 of its schools were named after slaveholders and others were named after racists such as Agassiz. The Board of Education could vote on an updated policy for school name changes next week, the Sun-Times reported. CPS said in a statement that the new name is "more inclusive and representative" of the district's values. "The CPS Office of Equity is committed to a comprehensive review process to consider new school names when a school is named after individuals who do not represent the values of our students, families, faculty and support staff," CPS said. Agassiz, was a biologist at Harvard in the 1800s and a proponent of scientific racism who sought to prove Blacks were inferior to other races. Two decades ago, a school committee in Cambridge, Massachusetts, voted to strip his name from a school there and rename it for Maria L. Baldwin, who years earlier was the first Black principal of the school. The Harriet Tubman Elementary School on Chicago's North Side joins a long list of schools around the country to be named after the one-time slave who helped Black people to escape slavery in the South via the Underground Railroad in the 1800s. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO - A 27-year-old man was fatally wounded while he was sitting in a parked vehicle Friday night in the East Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, Chicago police said. Shortly before 9:45 p.m., the victim was in a parked vehicle in the 8400 block of South Ingleside Avenue when someone approached on foot and opened fire. The victim suffered a wound to the chest, and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. As of yet, the victim has not been identified. No one was in custody, and detectives were investigating. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ORLAND PARK New lawsuits filed on behalf of two Orland Park parochial schoolteachers struck while leaving a Christmas party more than two years ago by a car allegedly driven by a since-deceased priest allege he was helped in evading a police investigation by another pastor at his church. In response to lawsuits pending in Cook County Circuit Court by Margaret "Rone" Leja and Elizabeth Kosteck, who both worked at St. Michael School, the Chicago Archdiocese denies allegations of a conspiracy involving Geofrey Andama, an associate pastor at St. Michael in Orland Park, and the Rev. Paul Burak, the priest who was allegedly behind the wheel of his car. Burak, who died Jan. 11, 2021, at age 74, had been charged in connection with the December 2019 death of Leja and the injuries to Kosteck after they all were at a holiday party at the Square Celt in Orland Park. Burak had retired in 2018 as pastor of St. Michael Catholic Church in Orland Park. The teachers were walking to their vehicles in a parking lot outside the restaurant when they were struck by a vehicle driven by Burak, according to authorities. Leja, 61, a technology teacher at the Catholic school, later died at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. In amended lawsuits filed in early December on behalf of Leja and Kosteck, it is alleged that Andama knew Burak was driving the car that struck both Leja and Kosteck, and knew that Burak had been drinking and should not have been driving. Andama later drove Burak's car to take him to his home in Palos Heights, according to the lawsuits. Burak's estate is a defendant in those lawsuits along with the archdiocese, and the complaints were amended Dec. 3 to include Andama as a defendant. Andama has not been charged criminally in connection with the Dec. 4, 2019, accident and did not respond to a message seeking comment. The archdiocese sought to dismiss allegations in both the Leja and Kosteck complaints related to any collusion the church might have had in connection with the collision. Cook County Associate Judge Melissa Durkin sided with the church in a ruling last month, calling the arguments by the plaintiffs "factually deficient," but gave the attorneys for the women the opportunity to buttress their arguments with added details. The family of Leja filed its fifth amended complaint Jan. 28, while attorneys for Kosteck filed an amended complaint Feb. 4, her third, according to court records. Both asserted additional details regarding Andama's alleged actions in shielding Burak from police scrutiny the night the teachers were hit. Both cases have been consolidated and are being heard by Durkin. A status on the case is scheduled for Nov. 28, according to court records. Responding to the initial allegations by Leja and Kosteck regarding Andama's participation in an alleged conspiracy, the archdiocese contended the arguments were "premised entirely on conclusory allegations rather than facts." The lawsuits argue that the archdiocese "knowingly and voluntarily participated in a common scheme" with Burak, "by and through its employees and/or agents, including but not limited to Andama." The complaints allege the archdiocese, by Andama's intervention, "had the opportunity to stop, prohibit or dissuade" Burak from driving while he was impaired. The archdiocese said that this alleged passive conduct is a far cry from the "substantial assistance or encouragement" required for the imposition of in-concert liability. There are no allegations that Burak was visibly impaired at the party, or that the archdiocese encouraged Burak to drive while he was impaired, the archdiocese said in its filing. Regarding any possible collusion, the archdiocese argued that there were no allegations that "when the Archdiocese allegedly assisted Burak in fleeing the scene of the accident, the Archdiocese knew" the priest had caused the accident. The plaintiffs failed to show that the archdiocese, through Andmana, was acting in-concert with Burak when he allegedly left the scene, the archdiocese said. In her Jan. 10 ruling, Durkin sided with archdiocese regarding the civil conspiracy and in-concert liability accusations. For Andama to have participated in a civil conspiracy on behalf of the archdiocese, he would have had to participate knowingly in a common scheme, but that no facts had been plead that showed Andama was aware Burak had hit the two women, Durkin wrote. The judge said the arguments by the plaintiffs were "factually deficient" in showing a conspiracy and ruled in favor of archdiocese, but gave the plaintiffs the opportunity to firm up their arguments in amended complaints. Orland Park police have said that Burak was driving his Buick Regal shortly after 8 p.m. after the holiday party at Square Celt when he hit Leja and Kosteck, who were walking to their cars. Burak was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury. Burak assured other partygoers that he was OK to drive home after they expressed concern, according to Cook County prosecutors. After striking the women, according to authorities, he drove his Buick Regal down an access road and pulled into the drive-through lane of a restaurant, but did not order anything, before returning a short time later to the parking lot of the Square Celt. At that point, police officers, paramedics and other emergency personnel were on scene, but Burak did not tell anyone he had hit the women, authorities said. He was driven home by another St. Michael priest. Burak told investigators that he had a Manhattan and a glass of wine at the party and blacked out for much of the night after being driven home, prosecutors said. Burak initially told investigators that he didn't know he had hit anyone and believed he had struck a parking block as he was trying to leave Square Celt. In their amended complaints, attorneys for the teachers allege Andama went outside the Square Celt after he and others who were at the gathering learned there had been an accident. Andama saw Burak in the driver's seat of his car and that emergency vehicles that responded were blocking exits, and he witnessed Burak hit a parked car while making a three-point turn, according to the lawsuits. The lawsuits allege Andama knew at the time Burak had hit the women and offered to drive Burak to his home, an offer Burak initially resisted but accepted after Andama pressed the matter. Burak sat in the back seat of the Buick while Andama drove, but Burak was unable to recall his address or direct Andama, but Andama was able to get the address from documents inside the car, according to the lawsuits. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CREST HILL - Prisoners at an Illinois Department of Corrections intake facility are living among mice, rats, roaches and other insects, have seen feces in the kitchen and are forced to eat rotten food among other issues, according to a lawsuit filed this week by a detainee at the far southwest Crest Hill facility. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Illinois by the Uptown Peoples Law Center and Jenner & Block LLP on behalf of detainee Gregory Shipp, names David Gomez, warden of the Northern Reception and Classification Center, and Rob Jeffreys, the director of the center, as defendants. Shipp, a detainee at the facility and on behalf of all others similarly situated, claims in the suit the approximately 1,000 prisoners housed there are experiencing constitutional rights violations as a result of their living conditions. The NRC, a temporary reception center for prisoners before they are sent to other IDOC facilities, is riddled with vermin and coated in hazardous mold, according to the suit. Reached late Friday about the suit, IDOC spokesman Gregory Runyan responded via email. The Illinois Department of Corrections cannot comment on pending litigation, the email read. Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown Peoples Law Center, said the nonprofit legal services organization has responded to complaints of conditions at the center, 19647 Division St., since at least 2015 when they sent out a survey to several hundred prisoners at the facility. Mills said the facility was originally opened to hold people for about a week before theyre transferred to a permanent IDOC facility but during the COVID-19 pandemic, they started spending up to more than a year there. Now, people spend between one and two months at the NRC on average, Mills said. The organization has collected publicly available documents and corresponded with hundreds of prisoners to gather evidence of the poor living conditions in the facility, Mills said. Ben Bradford, a lawyer with the law firm Jenner & Block, said his team has also conducted more than a dozen interviews with prisoners in the last year asking them about the conditions there. They have also received the same response from prisoners. When you begin to get that kind of consistency among people who cant possibly have, you know, communicated with each other or otherwise coordinate their responses, then the veracity of those complaints, I think vastly increases in our minds, Mills said. The lawsuit alleges a vermin infestation at the NRC which includes mice, rats, birds and insects. Vermin are an everyday sight for prisoners, the lawsuit says. Mice run in and out of cells all night long. Cockroaches crawl up the walls, crawl into bedding, and bury themselves in commissary items. Gnats and flies swarm the pools of flooded water in common shower areas. Several varieties of insects cling to excess moisture in cell sinks and toilets a condition which further exacerbates the insect infestation, the suit alleges. The problem worsens in the winter, as vermin escape the cold, the lawsuit says. Because of the mice and insects, prisoners have trouble sleeping which affects their immune system and makes them more vulnerable to disease, the lawsuit says. The vermin also expose prisoners to infection and disease, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges unsanitary plumbing at the facility. In cells, NRC prisoners must contend with cell toilets that do not flush and will back up causing raw sewage to overflow inside the cell, sometimes covering the floor with standing wastewater, the lawsuit says. Prisoners also lack adequate cleaning supplies to combat the filth in their cells, including the inability to clean cell toilets that are covered in feces, according to the suit. Prisoners have also reported toilets are covered in mold, according to the lawsuit. Interconnected plumbing sometimes leads to toilet water backing up into sinks where prisoners brush their teeth or which prisoners use to drink water, the lawsuit alleges. There have been instances in which plumbing backed up in the kitchen and showers. In these instances, human feces were seen floating on the kitchen floor and in the flooded communal showers, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit also alleges prisoners have to eat spoiled or rotten food or go hungry. Their complaints about rotten food are ignored by staff, the lawsuit says. Prisoners describe receiving the Stateville special, a concoction of rotten chunks of meat with visible green patches, as well as seeing rodent feces in their food,' the lawsuit alleges. Mills and Bradford said the complaints are not exclusive to that IDOC facility. Bradford said he hopes the lawsuit will push the facility and the department to address the complaints highlighted in the lawsuit and to create more humane conditions in all of its facilities. Mills said the reception center plays a unique role in the Illinois prison system, as its the center through which all state prisoners enter the system. Going into prison in general is a psychological and physical shock to people, Mills said, adding that statistics show people are at higher risk of suicide or self-harm their first few weeks in prison. All those sorts of harms that happen are much more likely to happen in the first few weeks of prison, Mills said. And putting somebody in some of the very worst conditions in the entire department for those first two weeks just exaggerates all those. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 EAST ST. LOUIS Thousands of items that belonged to late dancer and activist Katherine Dunham will be auctioned next week. Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers, based in St. Louis, will offer an auction titled "Divine Technique: Katherine Dunham Archive" in celebration of Black History Month. "I just felt that it should be something that should be highlighted, in the sense of information being given to a community," Bryan Laughlin, executive director of the fine art and antiques auction firm, said on Friday. "And so while I value it much, much more than like our little estimate on it, I just wanted, essentially, that property to have a wherewithal in the arts community, because I felt like a lot of people were misunderstanding or kind of overlooking the significance of some of the paperwork backing to such a legendary individual that's from our own region." Born in 1909 in Chicago, Katherine Dunham spent a significant portion of her career living in East St. Louis while vastly contributing to its arts community. The world-renowned dancer, activist and anthropologist was known for incorporating movements of the Black diaspora into her choreography. In the 1960s, Dunham came to East St. Louis where she founded the Performing Arts Training Center (now known as SIUE's East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts), the Katherine Dunham Museum and the Children's Workshop. Dunham died in 2006 Estimated to be worth $5,000-$10,000, the auction honoring Dunham features items like her personal address book, financial records, and handwritten letters. It also includes a hard copy edition of The Minefield, Dunham's unpublished memoir. Selkirk divided the archival material into 16 categories. "There's lots of photos of East St. Louis property that is no longer existing that Katherine was once associated with, there's images, her property [Habitation] Leclerc in Haiti, and there are lots of letters between her and her assistant, Mrs. [Jeanelle] Stovall," Laughlin said. "There's lots of financial records, not just personal, but financial records from her husband, John Pratt, who was also figurehead in the theater world." Laughlin said the wealth of information that he learned about Dunham through the items she left behind was beautiful. "I was just shocked when I did a lot more research on Katherine about, about what she was actually able to push through, and how much she was able to accomplish," Laughlin said. "She didn't have, you know, a ton of wealth to begin with. She didn't have the age of the internet, where you can have all this ease of information and communication to travel through to another entity. And she was traveling the globe. She was doing her own thing. And she was expressing a new way of life through her own artistic expression. If that can't be celebrated then, what are we doing?" Laughlin said his firm received the material from a cosigner, whom Laughlin said wants to remain private, last fall. Since then, the firm has contacted several entities, including the Katherine Dunham Museum in East St. Louis, to bring more awareness to the items. Lorenzo Savage, president of the museum's board of directors, said he's working on trying to get one of its supporters to bid. Last year, Savage led a clean-up initiative of Dunham's former homes so they can be used for historical preservation. The Katherine Dunham Museum is open by appointment only, and the board recently launched a virtual tour of the museum. "I definitely want to get it, and it definitely should be in our archives in the first place," Savage said. "A lot of that stuff was probably in those houses that we were cleaning up. I think that those items should be in the Katherine Dunham Museum. If someone wants to bid on it and donate it to us, that would be great." "Divine Technique: Katherine Dunham Archive" will be on Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. CST. People interested in the online bidding auction can get involved by calling or emailing Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers and registering online via its website or through platforms like Invaluable or LiveAuctioneers. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The novel on which the Disney movie was based dealt with loss, loneliness and racism. If you thought it was rough to see Bambis 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, its a dark story of brutality, loss and, ultimately, loneliness. As anthropomorphic tales of animals go, its less Charlottes 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 isnt 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 Saltens melancholic life than a happily-ever-after Disney film. Like Bambi, Salten survived the violence of the wilderness, but ended up exiled and alone. What led you to take on a translation of Bambi? 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 dont 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 theres 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. Disney made other films out of fairy tales, which you also have translated. What made Bambi different? Well, Bambi is not really a fairy tale. Its 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. So theres a big difference between Saltens story and the Disney movie? The differences are drastic between the film and his novel. I mean, were talking about a very somber, almost existentialist view of the world. And it does parallel Saltens 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. Did Salten see the movie? 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. 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? 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. And he used a story about intelligent animals to talk about humanity? In the 20s and 30s, for both for adult literature and childrens literature, theres a slew of animal stories that were published. And theres no doubt in my mind that these various authors are using the animals to step back and tell a story about human beings. And its fascinating to read those words. What do you hope people will get out of reading your translation of the original Bambi? I think that its 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. Raleigh police arrested a teenager Saturday in connection with Fridays shooting death of a Thomasville man and a recent graduate of North Carolina State University, authorities said. James Christopher Anderson, 19, is charged with murder in connection with the death of Cody McLaggan, police said. McLaggan, 22, was shot and killed Friday in a parking lot near the schools campus, police said. Police didnt provide Andersons address or further details of his arrest. McLaggan graduated from NCSU in December 2021 with a bachelors degree in agricultural business management, Mick Kulikowski, an NCSU spokesman, told The News & Observer. The shooting was reported at 7:35 p.m. Friday in a Food Lion parking lot in the 3900 block of Western Boulevard near the campus, police said. Officers found McLaggan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. McLaggan was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, police said. As a recent graduate looking for work, McLaggan wrote on his LinkedIn page that he was looking forward to gaining more hands-on experience and exploring the fascinating field of agricultural research. McLaggan had worked as a technical research assistant at N.C. State since May 2020, according to his LinkedIn page. McLaggan also wrote that he was interested and eager to learn more about agriculture (and) be molded by mentors and willing to show determination by working exceedingly hard to cover any obstacle in the way of goals. McLaggan indicated on his Facebook page he lives in Thomasville and is from that city. In 2018, he received an associates degree from Davidson Community College, according to McLaggans LinkedIn page. McLaggan had worked part-time at Rosa Mae Catering and as an overnight stocker at Lowes Cos. Inc. in Lexington, his LinkedIn page says. The Associated Press and News & Observer contributed to this story. 336-727-7299 @jhintonWSJ Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A swarm of hundreds of birds plummeted to the ground outside your house. Carcasses lay strewed in the street, the birds killed from the impact. That's the view a handful of people woke up to in Chihuahua, Mexico, on February 7. Millions around the world got a front-row seat of the massacre when security camera footage was released of the event, but it left people with more questions than answers. Why did the birds crash? "The cause of this bizarre and troubling incident is honestly anybody's guess at this point," said Carlos Botero, assistant professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis. The footage didn't show the entire swarm of birds, but Botero hypothesized that they could have flown through a cloud of lethal chemicals. Autopsies of the dead bird specimens would need to be completed to determine if that was the case, he said. A predator could have also sent the birds frantically flying away, Botero added. Richard Broughton, an ornithologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, was almost certain the maneuver was to avoid a predator like a peregrine falcon. "Blackbirds form tight flocks, called a 'murmuration,' that swirls in the sky to try and confuse the falcon so it cannot pick a target," Broughton said via email. To combat this strategy, the falcon dives straight into the flock of birds to separate out a target, Broughton explained. When this happens, the blackbirds try to avoid it. In the video, viewers are likely seeing the birds try and escape a predator that attacked them from above, he said. The birds headed down, but some could not pull up fast enough, Broughton added. Assuming the time stamp of 7:42 p.m. local time on the video is accurate, the birds were likely leaving their nocturnal roost nearby, said Andrew Farnsworth, senior research associate at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. In addition to the predatory theory, Farnsworth suggested that a loud noise startling the birds was another possibility. This has happened in the past with other species of birds, he said. How common is this behavior? It's very rare for birds to crash into the ground, and it's not normal behavior, Botero said. There are other occurrences of birds dying from abrupt crashing, Farnsworth said. In 1999, about 110 king eiders, a type of large sea duck, were found dead on Baffin Island in Canada. There weren't any obstacles in their way, so it's likely they crashed because of poor visibility, which could be attributed to the cataracts in their eyes, a study found. In 1985 and 2003, dozens of geese were found dead in fields in southern Manitoba, Canada. Researchers initially thought they were poisoned, but the severe injuries the geese sustained hinted that they could have become disoriented on the moonless nights or been frightened by a thunderstorm. What are these birds? Experts identified the birds as yellow-headed blackbirds, migratory birds living in the western and prairie wetlands of North America. In the winter they form large flocks, which is what was caught on video. The eBird, an online database of bird observations, at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology tracks these birds' migration pattern on a map as they fly south to Mexico for the winter then back to the United States and Canada for the summer. At the time the footage was recorded, most the birds would have been in Mexico with a few scattered in the Southwestern United States. *** The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. 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. Follow Hood on Twitter @JohnHoodNC UAEs Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two multinational firms to provide affordable medicines to uninsured and low-income expat patients. The MoU also covers those whose insurance do not cover the cost of treatment of diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension, multiple myeloma, active ulcerative colitis and psoriatic arthritis. The MoU with Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and Axios, a global healthcare consulting firm, was first signed in December 2018, and about 712 eligible patients benefited from it. In April 2019, an extension of the programme was signed to provide new medication to patients with the aforementioned conditions. The agreement is part of the ministry's, Janssen's, and Axios's commitment to improving access to innovative drugs, especially for low-income expat patients who can't afford the costs of their treatment. The MoU was signed by Dr Amin Hussein Al-Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Health Regulation Sector, MoHAP, Jimmy Faris, Managing Director, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and Anas Al-Safarini, Senior Director, Mena, Axios International. The agreement was signed at the US pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai, in the presence of the US Consul General Meghan Gregonis and the accompanying delegation along with a number of officials from Janssen and Axios. Dr Al Amiri said: "MoHAP is committed to providing the best medicines for all low-income expat patients in the country. In this context, we launched the Hand in Hand initiative in cooperation with Jansen and Axios International in 2018, and we are currently working on expanding the scope of this initiative to support and enhance patients access to innovative medicines. The initiative targets low-income expat patients whose insurance doesn't cover the total cost of treatment to improve their adherence to the treatment plan prescribed by their attending physician. The initiative also covers eligible low-income non-Emirati patients who are uninsured, underinsured, and financially distressed patients." "The initiative covers low-income, non-Emirati patients with partial or no insurance coverage and aims to provide them with specific health conditions with necessary medications, including pulmonary arterial hypertension, multiple myeloma, active ulcerative colitis, and psoriatic arthritis," added Al Amiri. He underscored that the ministry is committed to cooperating with companies and institutions to improve the quality of life of patients, services and treatments for various health conditions. "This is part of MoHAP's strategy to provide an integrated healthcare system for our patients and community members in accordance with the highest international standards, noted Al Amiri. For his part, the US Consul General said: The 'Hand in Hand' MoU that we celebrate today is a perfect example of public-private partnership and shared commitment to patients and will help provide a better access to innovative medicines, something which would ensure a better life for so many patients and their family members. Jimmy Faris said: "The MoU is part of our cooperation with MoHAP and Axios to develop low-income, non-Emirati patient support programmes in the UAE. As part of this constructive cooperation, we facilitate access to our innovative and affordable medicines for low-income non-Emirati patients and the health system at large. We are committed to providing faster and more equitable access to medicines, which is part of our commitment to providing our medicines to patients at an affordable cost. She added: "We work closely with patients and health care providers to support the efforts of the health system in the UAE. Such kind of cooperation is natural for us as we work all over the world to fight diseases with science, while improving accessibility to innovative medicines." Al-Safarini said: "The 'Hand in Hand' initiative supports patients and meets their aspirations when it comes to providing necessary and improved access to innovative drugs, reflecting our commitment at Axios to support the efforts of MoHAP and Janssen to provide medicines to patients. The initiative covers drug support plans, based on the assessment of non-Emirati patients who are uninsured or those whose medical insurance doesn't cover the cost of the treatment. The initiative also includes sharing the cost with patients or the supporting body according to their ability to bear the costs of the treatment.-- TradeArabia News Service Public schools have long been under the microscope and deservedly so, since they receive a large amount of our tax dollars and involve our most precious assets our children. We want our youngsters to receive the best education possible, but recently the examination of public schools has turned into almost a witch hunt over mask mandates, critical race theory and sexual identity. Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the right-leaning North Carolina Values Coalition, tried to justify recent actions. Parents are upset about what their kids have been learning in school. Theyre upset about the mask mandates that still perpetuate around the state. And it just seems like theres been a great awakening among parents, she said. Indeed. What has caused this great awakening that has resulted in angry protests, calls for banning books and disruptive school board meetings? Dig deeply and you will discover the impetus comes from extremists, whose primary objective appears to be to make you afraid of most anything that doesnt originate or agree with their politics. Its not like they are intended to actually improve education. They arent. Can you remember when you first heard about critical race theory (CRT)? The concept began in the 1970s, but it wasnt until 2020 that we first heard cries coming from the right trying to scare parents and the public about the ills of teaching the history of race in America, maintaining CRT is about making white people feel badly about themselves. At first, we discounted these rants as disguised attempts to prolong white supremacy, but it goes much deeper. The real purpose is that if they can make you afraid of what your children are being taught, it isnt too much of a leap to cause you to distrust the entire education system. These same scare tactics are being employed to create distrust in our election systems, our health-care system and just about any and all government programs. Once the seeds of doubt and distrust are planted into large numbers of people, it doesnt take much to convince you to vote for their cult and it is a cult. Its working. Enrollments in public or traditional schools decreased for the third consecutive year. Carolina Demography reports a 63,000-student decline in 2020-21 enrollments compared to 2019-20. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools recorded a drop of 8,000 students, Wake County declined 4,200, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County decreased by 3,200 and Guilford County, 2,900. Some of the enrollment declines can be attributed to the pandemic, but those students didnt just vanish. Where did they go? Charter schools saw much of the increase, as did home schooling and private schools. But undoubtedly the disruption, distrust and doubt sown has had an effect on traditional schools and with that enrollment decline comes a corresponding reduction in badly needed funding to public education. Remember that charter schools are public schools too, since they receive public funding. They just dont have all the oversight and regulations of traditional schools. You dont hear all the angst over their policies and teachings? Wonder why? Dont jump to the conclusion that I am implying that everything done in the name of education (or any of the other systems listed above) is perfect and without need for improvement. Traditional schools need major changes and reforms. But with all the confusion, is there any wonder why teachers are burned out and leaving the classroom? Why good people wont offer themselves to become school board members or school volunteers? Let me respond to the claim that parents know best what should be taught in our schools. If so, why arent they teaching? Why train teachers, if any run-of-the-mill parent can walk into a school and do a better job? Would you tell a brain surgeon or airline pilot that you know best about how to do their job? Parents should be involved in their childrens education and have the right, nay the obligation, to learn what their students are being taught. If dissatisfied, they also have the choice to remove their student and place him or her in a private school or home school them. But they dont have the right to try to blow up the whole system. Parents and the public need to be alert enough to know we are being spun. We all need to discern the difference between boogeyman tactics and what is really happening. Tom Campbell is a Hall of Fame North Carolina Broadcaster and columnist who has covered North Carolina public policy issues since 1965. Contact him at tomcamp@carolinabroadcasting.com. Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson told staff late Wednesday that he is resigning after just over 2 years on the job for family reasons. Citing "mixed emotions and a heavy heart," the FAA administrator said the decision was difficult. "Over the past several years, my family has been a source of tremendous encouragement, strength and support," Dickson, 64, wrote in a memo to staff. "Nevertheless, after sometimes long and unavoidable periods of separation from my loved ones during the pandemic, it is time to devote my full time and attention to them. As I wrote in my letter to President Biden, it is time to go home." Dickson has been living in D.C. during most of the pandemic, apart from his family, including a new grandson, in Georgia and Florida. He made the decision to resign over the Christmas holiday and told the U.S. Department of Transportation last month, said a person familiar with the details. Appointed FAA administrator in August 2019 after the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes, Dickson has had to steer the agency through a storm of criticism over the agency's failures in oversight during certification of that jet. Early in his tenure, Boeing prodded the agency with repeated public statements claiming the FAA would soon approve the MAX's return to service. In November 2019, Dickson pushed back by making public a video in which he spoke directly to the FAA safety engineers evaluating Boeing's fix. "I know there's a lot of pressure to return this aircraft to service quickly," Dickson said in the video. "But I want you to know that I want you to take the time you need and focus solely on safety. I've got your back." His public rebuke the following month of Boeing's then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg for appearing to pressure the FAA on the return to service led directly to the Boeing board's loss of confidence in Muilenburg and his firing later that month. Nevertheless, Dickson has endured tough criticism from senior members of Congress. Last week, U.S. House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Aviation Subcommittee Chair Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, complained to the Department of Transportation inspector general about what they considered "a disappointing response" from Dickson to their concerns about lack of FAA action to hold Boeing accountable for the MAX failures. In November he was aggressively grilled in a U.S. Senate hearing and forced to defend his agency against charges that it's been too slow to implement aviation safety reforms and fix its oversight of Boeing. And internally, some front-line FAA safety engineers have wanted more housecleaning as a result of the MAX oversight failures. One such engineer, who asked for anonymity out of fear for his job, said Dickson's failure to penalize FAA managers who had pressured staff to speed up the certification of the MAX showed a "lack of leadership." And yet, over the past year, Boeing has certainly experienced much more rigorous scrutiny from the FAA than in the past. On Tuesday, the agency told Boeing that, when it finally approves resumption of deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner, the agency will perform final inspections itself on every airplane. The FAA is withholding authority from Boeing to give final approval to fly because of the rash of quality problems afflicting the 787 manufacturing process. That was just the latest in a series of moves to tighten oversight of Boeing. In May, the FAA denied Boeing permission to move forward with a key step in certifying its forthcoming 777X airplane until it provides more data and testing. The certification of the 777X is stretching to four years, when just over one year was typical on previous jet programs. In August, the FAA insisted on conducting an independent survey of the engineers within Boeing who do certification work for the FAA over concern about pressure from Boeing management. And in November, the FAA complained to Boeing that some of the engineers it had appointed to oversee airplane certification work on behalf of the agency lacked the required technical expertise. In his departure note to staff, Dickson claimed substantial progress on safety reform. "Together, we have done the hard work to reinvigorate our safety culture," the memo said. "We've built a stronger, more collaborative, inclusive and open culture within the agency. I believe we are stronger than ever." "The agency is in a better place than it was two years ago, and we are positioned for great success," Dickson added. Dickson is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Georgia State University College of Law. In the Air Force, he flew the T-38 Talon supersonic jet trainer and F-15 Eagle fighter jet. After the military, he spent nearly three decades at Delta Air Lines, retiring as the senior vice president of flight operations. In a statement, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Dickson has been "the FAA's steady and skilled captain." "His tenure has been marked by steadfast commitment to the FAA's safety mission," Buttigieg said. "While all of us at USDOT will miss Steve as a leader and as a colleague, we are very happy for him and his wife, Janice." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Lincoln Commission on Human Rights is at the center of a growing firestorm. The City Council last week passed a broad revision of Title 11 the portion of city code dealing with equal opportunity that includes adding gender identity, sexual orientation and military personnel as protected classes. The next day, opponents filed a referendum petition and have 15 days to gather 4,137 signatures to stop the ordinance from being enacted. If they gather the required number of signatures, the City Council can either repeal it or let voters decide. The Nebraska Family Alliance, which filed the petition and says it's trained more than 260 people to collect signatures, contends the ordinance will open businesses to large fines for expressing their religious beliefs on marriage and sexuality, and focuses on fears related to allowing bathroom access based on gender identity. Proponents say because a January 2020 Supreme Court ruling in a landmark civil rights case ensured such protections its important the city align its code with federal law for clarity, so the city doesnt lose federal funds, and because spelling out such protections in city code is the right thing to do. The new ordinance the second time in a decade the council passed a so-called fairness ordinance to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity is broader than the first one and provides numerous updates to the entire code. Opponents in 2012 acquired enough signatures to put the ordinance to a vote, but the council never did that. It also didnt rescind the ordinance, so its been in limbo until now a point emphasized by opponents. This time around, at the center of the debate is the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights, a city agency created a year before the federal Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, when President John F. Kennedy asked cities to form human rights councils. The city charter authorized the creation of the commission, which is charged with investigating allegations of discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation. Today, theres lots of confusion about what that means, said commission director Mindy Rush Chipman. A lot of the testimony in opposition (at the City Council) clarified how many misconceptions are around what the commission can do and cant do, she said. For one thing, its jurisdiction reaches only as far as the city limits and specifically excludes city, county, state and federal agencies and in the new version clarifies that political subdivisions also are excluded. That means the commission cant investigate allegations related to places such as public schools, jails or within city departments or agencies, she said. Churches generally dont fall under public accommodation laws, and city ordinance generally exempts religious organizations, as well as private clubs not open to the public. Employers with fewer than four employees also are exempted. In cases brought to the commission, the goal is to help both parties reach a resolution, not impose sanctions or fines, Rush Chipman said. We try to reach that mutually beneficial resolution from the beginning how to preserve the relationship so both parties feel comfortable, she said. Our goal is to raise awareness. The commission is an easy, accessible way for people who feel theyve been wronged to get answers, Rush Chipman said, without hiring a lawyer and spending money. People with employment allegations typically have to exhaust administrative avenues such as the commission before they can file a lawsuit, she said. The commission has two investigators who look into complaints, and their findings are then brought to nine commissioners appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. If the commissioners find reasonable cause that discrimination has occurred, and the two parties can't resolve the issue, the case moves on to a public hearing with a public hearing officer. While opponents are correct that fines can be assessed, a complaint must go through a public hearing before they can be assessed by the hearing officer, and that rarely happens. Title 11 authorizes the city attorney to assess fines of up to $10,000 for a first offense; $25,000 for a second offense in five years and up to $50,000 for three offenses within seven years. Those fines aren't new, but the recent revisions reorganize the code so its clear the civil penalties apply to all three areas, not just housing, Rush Chipman said. In the past five years, just two cases reached the point of a public hearing and neither of those resulted in fines being assessed, she said. In the past 11 years, the number of complaints filed with the commission ranged from 99 in 2015 to 38 last year. Of the 658 complaints filed since 2011, 44% allege employment discrimination, 32% housing and 4% public accommodation. Allegations of discrimination based on disability are the most frequently reported in seven of the last 10 years. Racial discrimination was the most reported one year and discrimination based on national origin was most reported in two of those years. Most often investigators find that no discrimination occurred, Rush Chipman said. Last year, reasonable cause was found in just three cases. For there to be discrimination in a public accommodation, for instance, the discrimination must occur in a place thats open to the public, thats not exempted, and then there has to be a denial of services, she said. Most often, the two parties are able to settle the complaint, even if theres a finding of discrimination. It isnt always intentional, Rush Chipman said, and the resolution could include training or education. Reaching that mutually beneficial agreement is the goal, she said. Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Nebraskas first media to disseminate agriculture news and information was the newspaper issued by local printers who had their start in territorial days. Strictly agriculture news came soon after with one of the first in Brownville when Robert Furnas established the Nebraska Farmer in 1859. F.O. Edgecombe bought the paper in 1905 and moved it to Lincoln where, in 1907, it was purchased by Sam McKelvie. Radio did not enter the picture for over a decade. One of the very first attempts at agriculture related radio came in 1917 when the University of Wisconsin began programs, but they were in Morse code and did not receive a wide audience. In 1920 Nebraska Wesleyan received an experimental license for station 9YD and the University of Nebraska received 9YY. The following year, with an estimated 50,000 radio receivers in the entire United States, a Nebraska Wesleyan physics professor established WCAJ as either the first or second educational radio station in the U.S., but it was not until 1922 that a Texas radio stations 500-watt transmitter offered agriculture news to a general audience. The following year the University of Nebraska received commercial status with station WFAV, and the Federal Communications Commission began assigning frequencies in 1927. KFEQ in St. Joseph, Missouri, began airing grain market reports in 1947 but it was only received in southeast Nebraska. At about the same time the idea of establishing a Nebraska-based rural radio station was discussed with ownership to be limited to farmers and ranchers, and the Nebraska Rural Radio Association formed, incorporating the following year. The primary goal of the NRRA was to establish a rural radio station to promote social, educational and economic welfare among ranchers and farmers across the entire state. Several cities were investigated as a potential home including Broken Bow. Carl Kjar of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce first convinced the Chambers Agriculture Committee and then the entire Chamber, that Lexington should pursue the concept. The chamber raised $20,000, purchased 40 acres of land seven miles from Lexington, then offered the site to KRVN for their antenna/transmission facility. Thus, Lexington was ultimately chosen and a large house at 104 W. Eighth St., built in 1902 with seven fireplaces by Elbert Burke Smith, became its first home. The Federal Communications Commission approved station KRVN in 1949 as the Rural Voice of Nebraska. The following year the FCC assigned KRVNs frequency at 1010 Kc at an approved 25,000 watt signal. After three years in the planning, the first broadcast was made on Feb. 1, 1951, when KRVN went on the air at 7:30 a.m. operating as a daylight-only station. The goal of reaching the entire state however remained elusive and in in 1953 KRVN acquired 10,000 watt KOIL, the second commercial radio station in Nebraska, which broadcast from Omaha, and had opened July 10, 1924, at 1080 Kc under the ownership of the Mona Motor Oil Company in Council Bluffs before moving to Nebraska in 1937. Market conditions, however, intervened and KOIL was sold at a loss scarcely a year later. A plan to broaden programing came in 1962 when KRVN-FM opened with 50,000 watts of power at 93.1. The next attempt to widen coverage came in 1966 when 1,000 watt, daytime only, KEYR in Scottsbluff was purchased and operated successfully until KRVN increased to 50,000 watts and the Scottsbluff station was sold at a profit. In 1967 the FCC authorized KRVNs move to 880 Kc and in March of 1972 increased their power to 50,000 watts. In 1984 the consideration of stations in Seward and Central City were examined, resulting in the purchase of KNEB in Scottsbluff while KRVNs FM signal power was increased to 100,000 watts. In 2019 the Rural Radio association purchased six stations in Scottsbluff/Gering and one in Holdrege resulting in the associations now owning 15 stations across Nebraska. KRVN dedicated a new building on a nearly three-acre tract of land in in Lexington, in November of 1989, then covering the entirety of Nebraska. KFAB in Omaha retains a clear channel A Class status while KRVN operates a Class B clear station sharing 880 with WCBS in New York City at night. Historian Jim McKee, who still writes with a fountain pen, invites comments or questions. Write to him in care of the Journal Star or at jim@leebooksellers.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 1872: People who wanted themselves or their luggage transported to or from the railway depot were asked to leave their orders on a slate at Leighton and Brown's Drug Store. 1882: Col. Robert McReynolds sold his lease on the Funke Opera House to L.M. Crawford of Topeka, Kan., and moved to Mexico. 1892: Lincoln was chosen as the site for a new Western Normal College to replace one at Shenandoah, Iowa, destroyed by fire. Some $200,000 worth of buildings, equipment and land was endowed. (Though it once had about 800 students, the school failed within four years. The building and site southwest of Lincoln later became the Nebraska Men's Reformatory.) 1902: A case to test the right to use the Bible in public schools was before the Nebraska Supreme Court. 1912: Claims were circulated in Lincoln that Chancellor Samuel Avery had agreed with the ministerial union to appoint only men of orthodox belief to University of Nebraska faculty positions. The chancellor and members of the organization called the reports false. 1922: J.N. Norton, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, urged formation of a state agricultural bloc. 1932: Helen Bryan, granddaughter of William Jennings Bryan, was to make her Broadway debut in a drama school presentation of "Barkley Square." Bryan, 19, said she hoped to graduate in June and pound the pavement in search of "a real job." 1942: The Civil Aeronautics Administration notified Omaha Municipal Airport officials that the airfield had been authorized to remain open. It had met the new emergency regulations resulting from World War II. 1952: City Attorney John Jacobson was appointed Lincoln Municipal Court judge by Gov. Val Peterson. Jacobson filled the unexpired term of Judge Edward C. Fisher, who left to become counsel of the Northwestern Traffic Institute at Evanston, Ill. 1962: More than 50 people were present as West O property owners came before the City Council to oppose proposed annexation of about 4 square miles west of Lincoln between Interstate 80 and West G extended. Police Chief Joe Carroll said he would probably ask for 20 additional policemen to patrol the area if it were annexed. 1972: Enrollment for the second semester at the University of Nebraska reached 33,527 students: a record 20,130 on Lincoln campuses, 1,211 at the medical center in Omaha, 11,967 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and 219 in the School of Technical Agriculture at Curtis. 1982: Supporters and opponents of the proposed Norden Dam and O'Neill Unit at a hearing before the Legislature's Public Works Committee on the Niobrara River overflowed the hearing room and spilled into the hallways and another room. The return of colder weather slowed the rapid ice melting that had been flooding low land adjacent to rivers and streams in eastern Nebraska. 1992: A teen-age girl awaiting a liver transplant was attached to another human liver for 48 hours before her operation, a rarely used procedure, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The 16-year-old girl was Latrice Ruffin of Clovis, N.M. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Our Nebraska Legislature is currently considering whether to accept money allotted to us for rental housing assistance under the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program. I am a retired lawyer. Since last November, I have regularly been giving pro bono legal representation to tenants facing eviction from their homes in Lincoln and surrounding communities, under the auspices of the Tenant Assistance Project facilitated by the Nebraska State Bar Association. From my experience representing tenants, the most important tool I have found to prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless has been payments from the Emergency Rental Assistance program. I have seen a myriad of problems are causing low-income households to fall behind in their rent, but a major contributing factor is the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a perfect world this money would not be needed, but the world is not perfect, the money is needed and Nebraska is not an exception to that need. There is no good reason to refuse this assistance to our low-income neighbors. Nebraska will be a better place for all of us to live by accepting the money. Tom Hinshaw, Lincoln Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I think Kai is 6 going on 13. I pulled babysitting duty the other day and I insisted on watching my shows. Otherwise Im forced to watch YouTube videos on Roblox, Lankybox or Ninja Kids. When I went to make lunch, Tannerbert turned his videos on and when I came back, I didnt know how to work their TV. Sadly, I was forced to ask my number one grandson for help and Kai immediately started whining, Why do I have to do everything? I always have to do everything. Well its not like Tannerbert could show me. Although I wonder, he is the one who navigated to YouTube. Recently Kai told me he wants a drone. Not any drone but a drone with a camera. I looked at him and said, Let me guess, youre going to fly it above my yard to see if Im sitting outside? And then youre going to come over and say, Oh Grandpa! I didnt know you were home. He started laughing hysterically. Storytelling Recently, I was asked to do some Ojibwe storytelling for the Caledonia Historical Society. Winter is our traditional story time and on the night we went, it was bitterly cold and there was a layer of snow on the ground. Im reminded how years ago we loaded up our minivan and traveled to White Earth, Minn., for a traditional story camp. We left early on New Years Day and when we got up there, it was -50 degrees. No wonder it was the time to tell stories. The days were short and it is cold, very cold. I brought Kai along with me to my presentation. He needs to learn these stories. I have been teaching him Ojibwe words since he was little. One day, his Dad called me up. He had been trying to teach Kai French and when he asked Kai to say hello, Kai said, Boozhoo! Instead of Bonjour! Kai knew what he was doing. My grandson can be shy so I prep him when we are going to be with people. I remind him to say hello and shake hands. I also said I will be introducing him and he should say Boozhoo. When we walked in, several people recognized him from my Grandpa Time column and even better, they had cookies. As I introduced myself in Ojibwe, sharing my Ojibwe name, I explained that Kai has a name but we havent had his ceremony yet. I then introduced him and he got up and meekly said, Boozhoo. I asked him to say it louder and he said, BOOZHOO! He sat through the stories and laughed at the funny parts. Afterwards, I told him that one day he will be sharing these stories and he looked at me and said, Youll probably be dead by then. I said, Maybe, but I hope Im still alive to hear you tell them. Names The other day, Kai asked what his real name was. I was taken aback and said, Kaibert? No, he answered, That other name. Then it dawned on me. He was referring to his Ojibwe name. While quiet in nature, that kid is like a sponge, taking in what we say and watching what we do all the time. Hopefully we can get the boys to some pow wows this summer. And we still have the matter of their naming ceremony. Kais name actually came on the night he was born. As for Tannerbert, asema or tobacco must still be given for his name. I have a few names that I think would be appropriate but thats not for me to decide. (Insert smirk). Our Ojibwe names are important and we must live up to them. These names are not made up, found in a book or depict something the name giver sees, like Running Bear. In our tradition, we seek out those who pray for these names to come to them. As a grandfather, I realize I only have so much time to share with my grandchildren the lessons I have learned along the way. Passing along our cultural heritage is one of those responsibilities. There is no better job than being a grandfather. David Maack is married to Amy. They have two children, Maria and David II, and two grandsons, Kai and Tannerbert. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 A leading Republican candidate for state attorney general said that Wisconsin should invade Canada amid protests over the countrys vaccine mandates. The candidate, former state Rep. Adam Jarchow, is among those supporting the Freedom Convoy that Canadas government is more forcefully cracking down on; more than 100 arrests have been reported since the protest began. The protesters have been opposing the countrys vaccine mandates, and have been showing their opposition by shutting down border crossings and business around the capital, Ottawa. While the protests have been centered around truckers who are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to exit and re-enter the country, the vast majority of Canadian truckers as many as 90% are vaccinated. Jarchow tweeted Saturday: If Canadian politicians keep this crap up, the deer hunters in WI will be forced to invade to restore liberty. Dont test us! In the bid to unseat incumbent Josh Kaul, a Democrat, Jarchow is outraising the other Republican candidate for attorney general, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney. As reported Feb. 15, Jarchows fundraising is outpacing Toney: Jarchow has added $100,000 to his war chest in the last month, his campaign said. Jarchows early-year haul is more than twice what 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. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MADISON With little fanfare and no opposition, a bill proponents hope will cut down on bad apples in law enforcement passed the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Tony Evers in November. The law requires law enforcement agencies maintain a work history file for each employee and creates a procedure for law enforcement agencies, jails, and juvenile detention facilities to receive and review an officer candidates file from previous employers. Evers announced the bill signing with several others in a news release issued Nov. 5. Passage has received little to no media coverage or public comment from elected officials. Union protections often make it difficult to fire officers, chiefs across the country complain, so law enforcement agencies will sometimes agree to seal a problem officers personnel file in exchange for his or her willing resignation. This law aims to end that practice in Wisconsin. It provides a much-needed mechanism to keep bad actors in policing from moving to new agencies after being terminated for unlawful or unethical behavior, said Meghan Stroshine, an associate professor of criminology and law studies at Marquette University who studies law enforcement. Police are afforded many protections due to the unique role they play in society, but there should be no cases where a police department is in the dark about the reason(s) an individual was fired from another law enforcement agency, Stroshine wrote in an email, nor should there be the possibility of sealing officers personnel files in exchange for their resignation. There should be open access to information about what led to the end of employment at a job candidates previous agency. She noted that the law does not impose consequences for agencies that fail to comply. I see this law as a first step in preventing wandering officers from finding employment after termination, not the final step, she said. Police union support The largest police union in the state, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, supported this measure because it mandates statewide uniformity and transparency in hiring law enforcement officers, said Jim Palmer, the groups executive director. No one wants a bad officer out of the profession more than a good one, and the law now requires all agencies to review the performance records anytime they consider hiring experienced officers, Palmer wrote in an email. Mandating this transparency on a statewide basis will make agencies more accountable, and that serves both the interests of the public and the law enforcement community. An investigation in 2021 by The Badger Project found that nearly 200 current officers in Wisconsin had been fired or forced out from previous jobs in law enforcement. Many were simply young officers in their first jobs who failed to pass their new hire probationary period, when the bar to fire them is very low. But some rehired officers had lost jobs for more serious conduct, like public drunkenness and sexual harassment. The new police transparency law came out of the Assembly Speakers Task Force on Racial Disparities, formed after a Minneapolis police officers murder of George Floyd and the resulting unrest. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, who is white, and state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, who is black, co-chaired the task force. Steineke was not available to comment, spokesman Mitch Goettl said in an email. A member of the Assembly since 2011, he recently announced he will not seek reelection this year. Stubbs also did not respond to questions about the bill. Steineke called leading the committee a political loser in an email captured last year in a records request by Up North News, a liberal-leaning news organization, noting in the email and a subsequent interview that some would be upset no matter what the committee did. He also stressed in the email the importance of finding areas of bipartisan agreement, while writing that accomplishments would show how Evers could get things done if his (administration) werent so damn political. Last summer, the governor signed several bipartisan bills that came out of the racial disparities task force. The bills banned chokeholds by police, required law enforcement agencies make their use of force policies publicly available, created statewide standards for when an officer may use deadly force, mandated officers to intervene when other officers use illegal force, and created whistleblower protections for officers who report misconduct. State Democrats, a legislative minority since Republicans were able to draw political districts in 2011, cannot pass any legislation without GOP approval. The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin. This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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 View Results Global analytics software provider Fico has announced a partnership agreement with Advanced Financial Solutions (AFS), a risk, finance and compliance software and consulting firm headquartered in Bahrain. Through this agreement, AFS will sell and support the Fico Blaze Advisor decision rules management system throughout the Middle East. AFS has delivered more than 200 projects to financial institutions in the region. As Ficos flagship rules authoring solution and worlds leading decision rules management system, Blaze Advisor enables organizations to maximize control over high-volume operational decisions. The new product offers businesses, across multiple industries, with a scalable solution that delivers unprecedented agility and actionability for smarter, transparent, and more consistent business decisions. It empowers business users with multiple methods for rule authoring, testing, deployment, and management. "Our work with banks across the Middle East highlights the importance of this partnership with AFS," remarked Mark Farmer, the VP of Partner Management for Fico in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "Automating decisions is absolutely critical to business success, and so is the ability to measure results swiftly and change strategies instantly. AFS understands the potential of this technology to transform business success in the region," remarked Farmer. Juan Jarjour, managing director at AFS, said: "Fico is the global leader in decision management technology and it is company which our customers want to do business with." "Our partnership will give businesses across the region greater access to the tools and the combined expertise of both firms to make their projects successful," he added. Killeen, TX (76540) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. La Crosse is slated to get its first food hall in June. Meanwhile, new owners are transforming an eatery in the town of Medary into an event venue. Mike Margulis and Zach Switzer plan to open LAX Food Hall on June 1 at 508 Jay St., in the Exchange Building in downtown La Crosse. The food hall, which will have spaces for 10 small restaurants and a communal dining area, will be on the first floor and mezzanine level. Margulis and Switzer said the food hall will be a culinary destination as a collection of unique, locally owned and locally developed restaurants. So far, theyve signed up two eateries Fibonaccis Pasta and Mama Sols Comfort Kitchen. (Mama Sols will serve soul food.) Margulis and Switzer also plan to operate their own full-service bar on the first floor as part of the food hall. Margulis and Switzer are negotiating with additional prospective restaurants while they remodel the space for the food hall. We want each one to be unique, Margulis said. At lunch, itll be a lot of office people, Margulis said of the food halls likely customers. And at dinner time, itll be more college students and families. Many food halls have opened across the United States, including locations in nearby cities such as Rochester, Minn.; Madison; and Decorah, Iowa, Margulis noted. The building were in is art deco, which I love as an architect, Margulis said of the location he and Switzer chose. For more information, call 608-790-7666 or visit www.laxfoodhall.com or the food halls Facebook page. Kim Nimtz and Melanie Tarnow purchased the former Creekside Grill and Pub at W5450 Keil Coulee Road in the town of Medary on Feb. 1, and are transforming it into an event venue for their Magnolia Sunset Event Venues business. Its first event is booked for March 13. Their new venue can host most any event, such as Christmas parties, birthday parties, graduation parties, bridal shores, baby showers and funeral luncheons, they said last week. They had been looking for a home for their business and said they decided to buy the former Creekside location because its beautiful inside and out and meets a variety of needs for the types of events that theyll be hosting. We have a combined more than 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry and will use that experience to create unforgettable weddings and events, Nimtz said. Kim and I have known each other going on 15 years now, having worked together in the service industry prior and are now picking up where we left off, Tarnow said. We are looking forward to an amazing adventure bound to be set by a lot of success. For more information, visit Magnolias Facebook and Instagram pages, email magnoliasunsetvenues@gmail.com or call Nimtz at 608-518-1029 for all bookings and related questions or Tarnow at 608-769-0304 for daily operations. Magnolia soon will have a website. Hansen Auction Group, whose main office is in Downing, Wis., says it has acquired Independence, Wis.-based Northern Investment Co. Company President Bryce Hansen told me last week that the acquisition occurred in late January. With the merger, Northern Investment Co. will offer all the same services as it has in the past. Hansens company said in a press release that it will bring a much more robust marketing team to provide a supreme service for marketing all types of real estate as well as personal property. It said the conventional real estate will still be operated under the Northern Investment Co. name with the same staff, with a much larger marketplace to advertise properties. And it said Northern Investment Co. will now offer online-only auctions, live auctions, and live and online auctions on the Hansen Auction Groups platform. With the acquisition, Hansen Auction Group has five offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota specializing in real estate and auction needs. For more information, visit www.hansenauctiongroup.com or the companys Facebook page. Steve Cahalan can be reached at stevecahalan.reporter@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 King Salman Energy Park (Spark) has announced the signing of a lease agreement with EnEx to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to produce drone systems at Spark's digital hub. The project will also produce power isolators and is another step forward to localise production and digitisation in the kingdom, said Spark in a Twitter message. EnEx is a private Saudi company acting as an investor and business promotor. Spark is a fully integrated industrial ecosystem and spans an area of 50 sq km. It is being developed with a vision to become the leading gateway to the regional energy sector, providing a complete spectrum of solutions to support business growth in the Kingdom. Spark is also the first and only industrial city in the world to achieve silver LEED certification. Spark offers infrastructure at international standards for global investors in the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, power and water production and treatment industries. -TradeArabia News Service While voters dont typically show up in swarms for spring primaries, the race for La Crosse Board of Education last week brought out more people than expected. Tuesdays primary was not a countywide election and only about half of the county was able to vote, and La Crosse County clerk Ginny Dankmeyer had predicted a turnout closer to 10% so the 16.48% turnout came as a surprise. We were rather shocked at some areas where the school district race pulled out a lot of voters, Dankmeyer said, saying it was definitely more than we were expecting. It was a better turnout than the 2018 spring primary, which was a countywide race and drew out 14.31% of registered voters. About 5,000 voters cast a total of 16,296 votes in the school board race that advanced six candidates onto Aprils election. Voters could vote for up to three candidates since there are three seats up for election. Additionally, Dankmeyer said the race for District 7 on the La Crosse County Board the only one of 30 that needed a primary race had a turnout of 30%. A total of 781 ballots were cast in that race. Outside of the city of La Crosse, the town of Shelby had the best turnout with 20%. The town of Medary was close behind with a turnout of about 17% and the towns of Campbell, Greenfield and Washington all had between a 11-12% turnout. Dankmeyer said the race gave clerks and election officials a chance to brush up on all things elections as its been almost a year since the last one was held in the county. So we will be prepared for the April 5 election, Dankmeyer said, which she expects to have a much higher turnout. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With little fanfare and no opposition, a bill proponents hope will cut down on bad apples in law enforcement passed the legislature and was signed by the governor way back in November. The law requires law enforcement agencies maintain a work history file for each employee and creates a procedure for law enforcement agencies, jails, and juvenile detention facilities to receive and review an officer candidates file from previous employers. Gov. Tony Evers announced the bill signing with several others in a press release issued Nov. 5. Passage has garnered little to no media coverage or public comment from elected officials. Union protections often make it difficult to fire officers, chiefs across the country complain, so law enforcement agencies will sometimes agree to seal a problem officers personnel file in exchange for his or her willing resignation. This law aims to end that practice in Wisconsin. It provides a much-needed mechanism to keep bad actors in policing from moving to new agencies after being terminated for unlawful or unethical behavior, said Meghan Stroshine, an associate professor of criminology and law studies at Marquette University who studies law enforcement. Police are afforded many protections due to the unique role they play in society, but there should be no cases where a police department is in the dark about the reason(s) an individual was fired from another law enforcement agency, Stroshine wrote in an email, nor should there be the possibility of sealing officers personnel files in exchange for their resignation. There should be open access to information about what led to the end of employment at a job candidates previous agency. She noted that the law does not impose consequences for agencies that fail to comply. I see this law as a first step in preventing wandering officers from finding employment after termination, not the final step, she said. Police union support The largest police union in the state, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, supported this measure because it mandates statewide uniformity and transparency in hiring law enforcement officers, said Jim Palmer, the groups executive director. No one wants a bad officer out of the profession more than a good one, and the law now requires all agencies to review the performance records anytime they consider hiring experienced officers, Palmer wrote in an email. Mandating this transparency on a statewide basis will make agencies more accountable, and that serves both the interests of the public and the law enforcement community. An investigation in 2021 by The Badger Project found that nearly 200 current officers in Wisconsin had been fired or forced out from previous jobs in law enforcement. Many were simply young officers in their first jobs who failed to pass their new hire probationary period, when the bar to fire them is very low. But some rehired officers had lost jobs for more serious conduct, like public drunkenness and sexual harassment. The new police transparency law came out of the Assembly Speakers Task Force on Racial Disparities, formed after a Minneapolis police officers murder of George Floyd and the resulting unrest. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna), who is white, and state Rep. Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison), who is black, co-chaired the task force. Steineke was not available to comment, spokesman Mitch Goettl said in an email. A member of the Assembly since 2011, he recently announced he will not seek reelection this year. Stubbs also did not respond to questions about the bill. Political loser the right thing to do Steineke called leading the committee a political loser in an email captured last year in a records request by Up North News, a left-leaning news organization, noting in the email and a subsequent interview that some would be upset no matter what the committee did. He also stressed in the email the importance of finding areas of bipartisan agreement, while writing that accomplishments would show how the Democratic Gov. Evers could get things done if his (administration) werent so damn political. This isnt a role I relish, but think its the right thing to do right now, he wrote in the email. Last summer, the governor signed several bipartisan bills that came out of the racial disparities task force. The bills banned chokeholds by police, required law enforcement agencies make their use of force policies publicly available, created statewide standards for when an officer may use deadly force, mandated officers to intervene when other officers use illegal force, and created whistleblower protections for officers who report misconduct. State Democrats, a legislative minority since Republicans were able to draw political districts in 2011, cannot pass any legislation without GOP approval. The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin. For more visit thebadgerproject.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 On Chris Stetlers fourth day at Cargas Systems Inc., founder Chip Cargas called a companywide meeting, the first since the pandemic. Stetler was excited as he joined 75 of the software companys employees in the large Cargas Team Room at 101 North Queen Street headquarters. Another 85 joined the meeting virtually. The 34-year-old had been trying to get a job at the Lancaster-based software company for three years and now here he was, a systems consultant with one of the fastest growing companies in the country. Cargas did about $30 million in sales last year. What came next surprised newcomers like Stetler and longtime employees like Jodi Macariola. Chip Cargas announced he was giving employees $1 million through a new stock ownership program called Cargas Shares. The company is privately held so the stock can only be traded with insiders. The program would accelerate the transfer of control of the company to employees. It would also provide a way for new and future employees to build stock holdings. The hope is that the new stock plan attracts and retains talent at a time when companies everywhere are scrambling to find new employees in a labor shortage labeled The Great Resignation. There was applause. Some wept tears of gratitude. No one was surprised that a philanthropist and innovator like Chip Cargas chose to give money to his employees. He had created an employee-ownership program 24 years ago. What was impressive was how he did it. Typically, employee stock ownership plans are essentially retirement plans that provide employees benefits of ownership without directly owning stock in a business. Cargas employees have voting stock, a model that has transitioned ownership from Chip Cargas to employees. Cargas Shares is a very unique arrangement, said John Reed, a partner at Lancaster-based regional law firm Barley Snyder who has worked with family and closely held businesses for more than two decades. Reed helped craft the stock program, one of only two hes ever seen in his career. It is unique, in part, because Cargas himself does not get the financial benefits that he would get in an employee stock ownership plan (known as an ESOP). In my 25 years theres one other company that has a program like this and it's limited to management levels, Reed said. That other company is in Lancaster County but client confidentiality prohibits him from identifying it. How Cargas Shares works With Cargas Shares, after an employee makes their first purchase and as they grow their ownership, they receive stock grants for reaching specified ownership levels. For example, with an initial, minimum purchase of $600 of stock, the company will grant the employee $1,000 of additional stock. Stock grants are higher at early levels of ownership. The grants are designed that way to encourage new owners. Any shareholder can pay it forward by donating or bequeathing Cargas stock to the program. Proceeds raised by the sale of the $1 million in stock granted to Cargas Shares by company founder Chip Cargas go to the company to redeploy however it sees fit, including funding growth, paying for capital improvements or building up its balance sheet. Cargas Shares essentially gives employees free stock based on how much they buy. Twice a year they can spend more and pick up gift stocks. What makes it unique is where the stock is coming from and how it is getting to employees. It makes them true stockholders, Reed said. Reed said Cargas arrangement can be duplicated, but many company owners are unable or more interested in financial benefits. It takes the right mentality and it takes successful business, which Chip had, Reed said. He's a unique owner. Hes really looking at this more than just himself. Cargas calls it participatory capitalism. The program is not designed to make a few people wealthy but to spread the wealth broadly through the company. Im like a proud parent: when the kids do well I get excited, Cargas said, reflecting on the announcement. ... I want to see everybody be a capitalist to the degree they want to be. Cargas said it takes about six of the largest shareholders to make up 50% of the stock. Shareholders vote for the board, and the companys financials are open to shareholders. Im a longtime investor in the company, said Macariola, director of Microsoft ERP practice. Ive been here since 2000. Ive seen ups and down and Ive seen his dedication. Chip always believed that wed be a great company. Its great to see his vision coming to fruition, just seeing it happen. For Macariola, who sees retirement on the horizon, Cargas donation creates an incentive for the next generation of employees so that there is demand for shares when she retires. The company continues to grow. CEO Nate Scott said it had 170 employees and plans to hire 30 in 2022. At the last stock purchase period, 68% of employees held stock in the company. Chip Cargas no longer owns a majority. During the past 20 years, he has reduced his ownership from 100% to 18% as a broad array of employees have purchased stock. Employees tend to stay at Cargas. Scott said turnover is about 5% in recent years. The average in the tech industry is 13%. Being such a new employee, Stetler could not participate in buying stock following Cargas announcement in September. His first chance is coming in March and hes been saving so he can participate in stock purchases. It completely blew my mind how awesome Chip was, Stelter said. If youre a longtime employee you got a very very nice bump. It just cemented it further that it's the place I want to be for a long time. The first-ever places2040 summit, an all-day conference focused on planning and growth policies for Lancaster County over the next two decades Abby Schrader is a professor of history at Franklin & Marshall College, where she regularly teaches a course called Making Sense of Putins Russia. In its 50 years as a broadcasting juggernaut, the premium television network HBO has prominently featured dragons, misunderstood mobsters and the occasional neurotic comedian. But until 2021, the network hadnt considered featuring a parking authority director based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. With the help of the esoteric How To with John Wilson, Larry Cohen, executive director of the Lancaster Parking Authority, made his big TV debut in December. I really had two goals, Cohen says over the phone. The first was just to make it onto the episode, and the other was not to look like an idiot. Between the prestige shows that HBO is known for, like recent favorites Succession and Insecure, is the comedic and heartwarming How To with John Wilson. The show, which premiered in 2020, is both difficult to explain and easy to understand once you see it firsthand. Led by a voice-over by documentarian John Wilson, each episode of How To is presented at first to conquer a seemingly mundane task, like How to Split the Check or, in Cohens case, How to Find a Spot. From there, Wilsons patchwork shots of home base New York City serve as the basis for each episodes unexpected twists and turns. By using real people and situations, How To with John Wilson displays incredible facets of humanity to tell a story, usually one that becomes clear by the end of an episodes 30-minute runtime. How to with John Wilson is currently streaming on HBO Max. What the heck are you doing at a parking conference in Dallas? Unlike some of the people featured throughout the show, Cohen was familiar with Wilson, having watched the first season when it premiered in October 2020. At that time, Cohen, like millions of people around the world, was using his extended time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic to work on a hobby, which would eventually turn into a book about his 40 years in the parking industry. Cohens book, The Quirky World of Parking: Four Decades of Observations, One Parking Space at a Time, was released on Amazon in February 2021. I just had in my mind a lot of stories that I had never put to paper, Cohen says. If I knew in my 20s that Id write a book in my 50s, I would have taken better notes along the way, but I didnt. I always say to people, my dumb 100-page book still took thousands of hours of work. It does not come easy to me. To reach the thousands of other parking officials across the country, Cohen arranged a small book tour that took him to a few industry events. One such event was the Parking Industry Expo, arranged by industry publication Parking Today magazine, which took place in July 2021 in Dallas, Texas. It was Cohens first book stop, and certainly the most notable. During the convention, Cohen was stationed in the vendor hall at a table with dozens of copies of his book and clad in a T-shirt adorned with the books cover. At one point, a woman approached him and asked if he would be able to speak about his book. Cohen would soon learn that the woman was Jess Pinkham, a producer on How To. At first thinking he was being approached by a local news reporter, Cohen signed the release and quickly learned that that was not the case. John came over, as you would typically see him, holding a camera, Cohen says. It was literally John and his producers, two of them. He has that distinctive, Kermit the Frog-like voice, and Im like, Wait a second, you sound familiar, are you John Wilson? and he said, yes, and I said, Oh, well this is crazy. What the heck are you doing at a parking conference in Dallas? Unbeknownst to Cohen, Wilson was working on How To Find a Spot, which would be the third episode of the second season of the show. Cohen says that he and Wilson spoke for 20 minutes, of which 40 seconds would eventually appear in the tightly edited episode. While Cohens book is, as the title suggests, a quirky look at the ins and outs of the parking industry, it is dedicated to the families of those who died by suicide from jumping off parking garages. In 2014, three people in Lancaster city died by suicide this way in the span of six months, which would lead Cohen to initially write about those experiences in a 2015 article called Saving Lives. During the course of the interview, he was half laughing when he asked, but he asked Whats the worst thing thats ever happened in a parking garage? and I said, Well, youre probably asking the wrong person, because Ive had a history of dealing with suicides at parking garages, and Im now sort of considered an expert in the country on it, Cohen says. At the 18:53 mark of the episode, Cohen is indeed shown speaking briefly on the subject. Though he isnt identified by name or job title, eagle-eyed viewers can spot a banner over his table that reads Lancaster Parking Authority. When he was done interviewing me, I went up to the folks putting on the parking show and said, Do you know that HBO is here? They just interviewed me. They knew nothing about it. But he registered for the show like a normal person. I said, Dont worry, its nothing to be upset about, Im sure itll be great publicity for the organization. Im just a parking guy In the months that followed, Cohen eagerly awaited any news on his potential television debut. Finally, in November, Cohen got his confirmation after seeing Wilson promote the show on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where Wilson not only mentioned the parking episode, but unveiled a 2022 parking calendar, with each months photo highlighting an alluring empty street parking spot in New York City. Following the episodes debut in December, Cohen says that, although his book did see a slight bump in sales, few people in his inner circle saw the episode. A lot of my friends and family dont have HBO, number one, and also they dont know who John Wilson is, Cohen says with a laugh. While Wilson gave the world a small glimpse of Cohen, ironically, its now Cohens industry that is taking note of Wilson. In the first week of February, Parking Today unveiled this months cover, which features Wilson and Cohen smiling, each pointing to the other. The short article on the episode mentions Cohen and is flush with praise for How To. This is an excellent view of our industry as seen through the eyes of the average citizen, the article states. We recommend watching the entire series, not just the segment on PIE. Neither Wilson nor HBO could be reached for comment in time for publication. Following the magazines publication, Wilson posted the photo to his Instagram account and sent Cohen a copy of the Spot of the Month calendar featured on Kimmel, with an inscription: Larry, its an honor to share the cover of Parking Today with you. Thanks so much for talking with me on the show! Along with his regular parking duties, Cohen is now attempting to shop around a sitcom script hes written based on his book, which he describes as Parking Wars meets Parks and Recreation. For now, hes happy to deliver his book around to other parking authorities in the area. Recently, the parking manager of Allentown requested copies for each of his employees. Cohen delivered them personally. I go to hand the director the books, and he asks, Wait, where are you going? You have to sign them and hand them out to every employee, Cohen says. So, here I am in Allentown, doing photo ops with the employees and personalizing the books. It was so touching to me, you know? Im just a parking guy. This story contains links that will take you to our archives site on newspapers.com. This content is free for LancasterOnline subscribers who are logged in. Click here for more information about how to subscribe. Excerpts and summaries of news stories from the former Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster New Era and Sunday News that focus on the events in the countys past that are noteworthy, newsworthy or just strange. 25 years ago A Lancaster art school was finally preparing to offer degrees in early 1997. The Pennsylvania School of Art & Design had been approved to begin offering associate's degrees to students completing its three-year program. Degrees would be offered beginning in the spring of 1997. Associate of Specialized Technology degrees would be offered in several specialties, including graphic design, illustration, interior design and environmental design. The state department of education granted the degree status after visiting the school, reviewing the curriculum and interviewing students, faculty and staff. In the headlines: China preparing six simple days of mourning for Deng Xiaoping Plastic surgeon on trial for disguising drug kingpin Junk e-mail getting easier than ever to send Check out the Feb. 20, 1997, Lancaster New Era here. 50 years ago A massive snowstorm pummeled the Eastern seaboard in February 1972, including Lancaster County. The first major storm that winter, the weather system brought up to 16 inches of snow to the county. Many rural roads were completely impassable after high winds caused significant drifting after the storm. Drifts up to six feet deep were reported in the new Holland area. Emergency personnel used snowmobiles to get to people who needed urgent care, such as an expectant mother in Quarryville who went into labor the day of the storm. Most county businesses - including the newly opened Park City Center - were closed, and thousands of area residents were without telephone service or electricity. In the headlines: Nixon en route to Monday Peking rendezvous Improved U.S. relations with India forecast Jackie, Aristotle nearly split in '70 Check out the Feb. 20, 1972, Sunday News here. 75 years ago On Feb. 19, 1947, as bystanders watched, Columbia's town hall building burned. The stately structure with its distinctive clock tower was once the Columbia Opera House. In 1947, it housed not only all of the borough's offices, meeting spaces and records, but also the Columbia police department. An auditorium and several shops were housed in the building's ground floor. Built in 1875, the former opera house featured a 122-foot clock tower. As the fire raged through the tower, the 1,960-pound bell crashed to the street below while a crowd of Columbia residents looked on. The fire, which officials determined to be accidental, started in a ground-floor storeroom about 7 a.m., then engulfed the entire building. The clock tower was completely destroyed, and the rest of the brick building was gutted by the flames. Borough officials were debating whether to raze the remains of the building or attempt to rebuild it. In the meantime, borough employees and the police department were moving into temporary accommodations: Borough council would be using the board room at Columbia First National Bank, wile the police department was moving in to the second floor of the Columbia fire company. The damage from the fire was estimated at $300,000 - more than $3.7 million in today's dollars. In the headlines: House wants $6 billion budget cut Russia's press and radio point with alarm at Anglo-U.S. actions Army to fire Nazi V-2 95 miles up in effort to get new secrets Check out the Feb. 20, 1947, Intelligencer Journal here. 100 years ago The wreckage of an automobile that had been struck by a train was pictured on the front page of the Lancaster Intelligencer on Feb. 20, 1922. The wreck occurred at a railroad crossing on Harrisburg Pike, near the site of the former Champion Blower and Forge plant. Injured in the wreck were the car's driver, Harvey Nissley of Landisville, and a passenger, Harvey Lehr. Both were briefly hospitalized after the crash, but suffered only minor injuries. In the headlines: Explosion wrecks three houses in Jew Jersey Irish situation greatly improved, reports indicate Check out the Feb. 20, 1922, Lancaster Intelligencer here. Its a good bet that most Clipper Magazine employees or anyone driving by the companys West Hempfield Township headquarters have no idea of the propertys connection to Lancaster Countys largest-ever corporate crime. Addresses for Clipper and other businesses at the campus now list Hempland Road for the street address. Google Maps still hints at its past: Electronics Way, where a 100-acre campus was built in the early 1980s to headquarter International Signal & Control Corp.s defense systems division. James Guerin, who died Feb. 10 at 91, founded ISC in his Landisville basement and grew it to employ 1,800 locally, making it one of the countys largest employers. It employed 5,500 worldwide. ISC and its divisions made space rockets and security, defense and ordnance systems, such as missile fuzes and devices to jam radio signals. Guerin touted his Christian faith and was hailed locally for his entrepreneurship and philanthropy, donating millions to local organizations. His company merged with British defense contractor Ferranti in a $1.5 billion deal in 1987. Two years later, Ferranti announced it had discovered significant irregularities in ISCs books. As the 1980s drew to a close, what Guerin built began to crash in what was, at the time, one of the largest financial fraud cases in the United States. Ultimately, Guerin was found responsible for fraudulent contracts worth $1.14 billion, coupled with a $50 million scheme to illegally sell and ship embargoed weaponry and components to South Africa during the apartheid era. Some of the weapons components sold to South Africa wound up in Iraq during the first Persian Gulf War and were used in Iraqi artillery shells, though federal officials said ISC didnt necessarily know that would happen and there was no evidence that ISC sold directly to Iraq, according to reporting by LNP | LancasterOnlines predecessor newspapers. The contract fraud involved phony deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars with China, Pakistan and South Africa. The bogus deals made ISC look much more profitable and attractive to Ferranti. Guerin pleaded guilty in December 1991 to money laundering, conspiracy, mail fraud, securities fraud, export violations and tax evasion. His plea followed more than two years of denying any wrongdoing and publicly scolding local media and others who questioned his dealings. At Guerins two-day sentencing hearing in June 1992, a federal prosecutor said, I prosecute white-collar crime exclusively and I have never seen so much criminal activity over such a long period of time in my career. It took years for prosecutors to untangle the scope of Guerins scheme, which went on for 11 years. At his sentencing, Guerin blamed his downfall on his drive to succeed, to grow his company and misguided patriotism, according to news accounts. He contended selling weapons to South Africa would counter a communist threat. A federal judge wasnt swayed. Its difficult for the court to believe, Mr. Guerin, you could have felt you were doing the right thing, U.S. District Judge Louis C. Bechtle said during the sentencing. ... One bad decision did not lead to another. It led to hundreds and hundreds of others. Bechtle sentenced Guerin to 15 years in prison. With good behavior, he served 13 years. Recalling the scheme Many of the people involved in the scandal have died or could not be reached. Messages to Guerins sons were not returned. One person who was involved was James Shinehouse, who had a primary role in investigating the fraud. Shinehouse joined ISC in 1986. He was named its chief financial officer and vice president of finance in 1989, after the Ferranti merger. Four months later, Ferranti announced it had discovered overvalued and bogus contracts on ISCs books. Shinehouse led the internal investigation and directed subsequent litigation to help Ferranti recover what money it could, a years-long process. Shinehouse, 64, is now a partner at Atlantic Financial Advisory Partners in Philadelphia. He was reluctant to revisit the scandal, but agreed to answer one question: What impact did your involvement have on your career, as youve made rooting out fraud, or cleaning up after it, your career focus? Under these circumstances, it isnt appropriate to comment on this case, Shinehouse said in an email. However, my time at Ferranti provided me with the skill set that Ive now used in investigating other significant frauds and assisting distressed companies on behalf of others. Among Shinehouses later work was serving as financial adviser and forensic accountant for a creditor group in a $358 million claim against Enron, the Texas-based energy company that collapsed in spectacular fashion in 2001. Ernie Schreiber, who covered the ISC story as a New Era reporter and would go on to become the papers editor, was willing to speak about the investigation. The journalists at Lancasters newspapers found themselves competing with much larger outlets: British newspapers, The New York Times. The Washington Post. 20/20. Tim Mekeel and I considered it our local story, and we were determined to get it right and get it first, recalled Schreiber. Schreiber and Mekeel, who retired in December, used corporate filings, court records and sources to show how ISC did business. They also interviewed everyone they could, including Guerin. We didnt censor what they had to say. We werent prosecutors on a mission. We were journalists, open-minded reporters. We were respectful. We let the facts speak for themselves, Schreiber said. We trusted our readers to recognize if those we were interviewing were telling the truth, if their stories were credible. In the days before he was sentenced to prison, Guerin met with Schreiber for a series of interviews in which he characterized the fraud as growing out of some contracts he expected to complete, but which fell through, along with a change in policy in how the U.S. dealt with South Africa. Schreiber didnt see it that way. The U.S. Attorneys office assembled hundreds of fake contracts. They traced hundreds of millions of dollars being laundered through Swiss bank accounts, he said. However honest the enterprise may have started, however generous its goals, in the end it was a vast criminal conspiracy. Schreiber said Guerins ego was his downfall. He saw his companys work producing armaments as part of a national effort to contain Russia and communist insurgencies. He was interested in being seen as a source of good works in the Lancaster community, Schreiber said. And that was his downfall, his ego. Postscript Little is publicly available on Guerins life after his release from prison. His wife died, and he remarried. His obituary said his greatest joy was in Christ and his beloved family. He also sang in his church choir and taught Sunday school. People who wrote tributes to him mentioned his generosity and faith. One woman wrote that Guerin helped pay her tuition at a Christian college. Im paying it all ahead. My husband and I do mission work in refugee camps in Nigeria, and there I have the sheer honor of teaching the Bible and telling the fatherless that they have a Heavenly Father Who loves them always, and they too are welcome in Gods family through the atoning work of Jesus, she wrote. Lancaster County residents, congratulations! Theres a chance that youre about to get an upgrade. The countys long-standing third-class status under Pennsylvanias county code could be bumped up to second class A this week. But dont get too excited. Even if the county commissioners approve the change, it wont affect the services the county offers or the taxes it levies. So, what exactly does it mean? Pennsylvanias 67 counties are classified by population size. The smallest, like Montour County with less than 19,000 residents, is categorized as an eighth-class county. The states biggest county, Philadelphia, which has nearly 1.6 million residents, is the only first-class county. Second class A is reserved for counties with populations between 500,000 and 999,999. Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties are all 2A. The only second-class county in the state is Allegheny. Generally, the closer a county is to first class, the bigger its government. Thats mostly a benefit for the counties with smaller populations, which require fewer services and have tax bases that cant necessarily support lots of government employee salaries. For example, in a fifth-class county (populations between 90,000 and 145,000), the offices of prothonotary and clerk of courts can be held by a single person. In an eighth-class county (population under 20,000), one person can hold the offices of prothonotary, clerk of courts, clerk of the orphans' court, register of wills and recorder of deeds. 10-year delay Lancaster County should have moved to second class A after the 2010 Census, which showed its population surpassing the 500,000 threshold. But the countys elected leaders at the time resisted. They pointed to a requirement that would have lowered the per-landline fee the county charged to fund emergency 911 services. At the time, that fee would have had to be cut from $1.25 per landline, per month, to $1, which would have reduced the total amount raised by $900,000. In addition, the second class A code didnt include provisions for administering a convention center authority, which raised concerns about how the newly finished center in downtown Lancaster would be operated. The county commissioners in office at the time got the class move postponed for 10 years with the help of the countys legislative delegation. It will give us 10 years, said former Commissioner Dennis Stuckey in December 2011, according to LNP | LancasterOnline archives. (It) will give the county time to prepare to be a 2A county. Over the next decade, the Legislature made further changes to the states county code to offset concerns voiced by officials from Lancaster and elsewhere the most important being the uncoupling of fees and taxes that were previously tied to a countys class. These changes effectively rendered county classifications meaningless, save for a few provisions affecting how certain county functions are administered. Really, for the residents of Lancaster County, it shouldnt make any difference, said Lisa Schaefer, the executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. Right now, the county classes really give us a way to quickly understand the difference in size of counties across the state. Delay again or move forward? Like Lancaster County a decade ago, Chester County this year chose not to change to second class A, taking advantage of a law Wolf signed last year that gives counties the option to put it off until after the 2030 Census. Its an option still available to Lancaster County. So why make the change at all? Lancaster Countys GOP-majority commissioners dont have a complicated answer aside from saying the change is something their predecessors should have made in 2011 and that doing it now wont have much of an impact on county residents. The fundamental reason weve been leaning towards it is the fact that when you go over 500,000 youre supposed to, so it was important that we look at it seriously, Commissioner Josh Parsons said. When asked what the benefit would be of making the jump to second class A, Lancaster County Solicitor Jackie Pfursich pointed to the requirement to create an investment board. But to Amber Martin, the countys treasurer, changing the countys class does not offer officials any new tools for investing taxpayer money that they dont already have. Instead, it would require the treasurer to get approval from the new investment board made up of the county commissioners and the controller before making any investments. Instead of me deciding where excess monies should be invested, the commissioners would be brought into it, Martin said, conceding that such a change is not necessarily a bad thing. Creating a board could help Martin solve one of the biggest issues shes had managing the countys investments getting the commissioners to communicate with her about when invested funds will be needed. Is there any actual financial benefit to having an investment board? Absolutely none, Martin said. Prison Board The fate of the countys current prison board was also a potential roadblock to moving to second class A. Lancaster Countys prison is managed by a seven-member board composed of the three elected commissioners and the district attorney, controller, sheriff and president judge. But current state law only requires second, third, fourth and fifth-class counties to have a prison board omitting the second class A grouping. The third, fourth and fifth-class counties use the same structure Lancaster uses today; the states only second-class county, Allegheny, has an expanded board that includes an additional Court of Common Pleas judge and three citizen appointees. The structure of Lancaster Countys prison board is of particular concern to the countys current leaders as they are planning the construction of a new prison in Lancaster Township. Its a project expected to cost more than $100 million, and losing or changing the boards makeup could negatively impact the projects progress, the commissioners have warned. To head off any changes resulting from a change in class, county leaders worked with state Rep. Brett Miller, R-East Hempfield, on a bill that would fill this hole for any third-class county moving up to second class A. Millers bill passed unanimously through the House and Senate this year, and Gov. Tom Wolf signed it on Thursday. Wage impact? While county classes have little meaning today, state Sen. Scott Martin, R-Martic Township, said they could affect one area: collective bargaining. Martin, who was a county commissioner ten years ago when the second class A change was first on the table, said he was unsure what effect the change would have on the countys negotiations with its unions. Right now, theres a lot of comparisons made when negotiating a contract agreement, he said. Union officials here, when engaged in bargaining, look at other third class counties to evaluate what Lancaster County is offering. Name a position, maybe its prison guards, Scott Martin explained. Now the comparison is going to be all the 2As, which is a completely different market with a much different cost of living than central Pennsylvania. Thats something theyre going to have to wrestle with when negotiating and what your costs end up being. Lancaster is already getting compared to the other second class A counties, Parsons said. (Unions) look at population and they compare you to other similar-sized populations, Parsons added. It doesnt really matter if youre (class) 3 or 2A. But if the commissioners choose to move classes this week, could it mean the county will need to raise wages to match those in the southeast? The commissioners will make a decision as to whats in the best interest of the county, Scott Martin said. The commissioners will consider the change at Tuesdays work session, Parsons and Commissioner Ray DAgostino said. Although the commissioners dont usually vote until their regular meetings on Wednesdays, theyll need to pass a resolution on Tuesday to make that days deadline for counties to make a decision on changing class or deferring for another 10 years. The forthcoming midterm elections and the general presidential contest in 2024 may be the most significant polls since 1860. At stake is the future of American democracy as we know it versus the trend toward autocratic government. The core issue for the forthcoming elections is whether the country will remain a multicultural society or one governed by white supremacy. Although pundits compare this division to America on the eve of the Civil War, it would be more useful to compare it to the aftermath of World War I, when the country turned isolationist and politicians called for reform of the immigration laws. In 1924, Congress passed the National Origins Act, which imposed quotas on the numbers of eastern and southern European immigrants allowed to enter the country. The purpose of the law was to ensure the dominance of the white Anglo-Saxon American majority, which was threatened by the high birth rates of the millions of newcomers Jews, Italians, Greeks and others who had arrived since the 1870s. The recently arrived immigrants were accused of lacking an instinct for liberty, of being genetically unable to perpetuate democracy, thus threatening the ideas that shaped the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Arriving from countries under authoritarian rule, the new immigrants were accused of bringing with them radical ideas such as Marxism and anarchism, ideologies that threatened the capitalistic fabric of U.S. society. Decades later, these immigrants assimilated into American society, though not before becoming victims of prejudice. Today, the offspring of these immigrants are part of the mosaic of white America. Despite our celebration of American democracy, below the surface there existed an authoritarian streak that manifested itself in our treatment of people of color. The relegation of Native Americans to reservations, Jim Crow laws, lynching, quotas, segregation and poll taxes were all part of denying full citizenship to parts of our population. The nativism that challenged the ideals of American democracy was never more prevalent than in the 1930s when, against the background of the Great Depression, the maltreatment of people of color was joined by a rise of antisemitic fervor that was unmatched in American history until the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. When President Donald Trump failed to denounce the racism and antisemitism of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, white supremacists, racists, Neo-Nazis and other far-right groups came to believe that they had the tacit support of the president. In essence, the genie of racial hatred came out of the shadows and into the mainstream of American life, which subsequently set the stage for those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. When President Trump, without evidence, promoted the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him, his followers supported his lie as a call to action, which resulted not only in the events of Jan. 6, but led battleground state legislatures to pass voter suppression laws, with the objective of preserving the majority white vote. Trumps Big Lie was not without precedent. Adolf Hitlers political strategy, both before and after he was appointed chancellor of Germany, was to use a big lie, too. In his 1925 manifesto, Hitler wrote that the broad masses are more likely to fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, because most people will not believe that someone would have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. The fear that the next two elections will test whether democracy will be sustainable or move in the direction of an Orwellian future also stems from the manner in which the democratic process has been manipulated by the former president. Trump is not Hitler, but there are similarities in his use of the authoritarian playbook. Past dictators such as Josef Stalin, Mao Zedong and Benito Mussolini, among others, have always demanded total loyalty from their followers, as Trump does. The Republican Party as presently constituted is in near-total lockstep with Trump, demanding that his followers accept the validity of the Big Lie as a litmus test for their loyalty to him. Trump has threatened to support primary challenges against those who recognized the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election that put Joe Biden in the White House. Trumps intimidation is backed by a base of millions of supporters. Hitler had his private army in the form of the SA (also known as the brownshirts), which engaged in violent acts against those opposed to the Nazis. Trump has the backing of militia groups and white nationalist groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, which attempted on his behalf a violent coup to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Trumps use of the authoritarian playbook also includes attacks on the media. In his effort to delegitimize the media, he encouraged his followers to regard news organizations as the enemy of the people, as fake news and alternative facts. Because of all of the above, this years midterms and the next presidential election will determine the future of our democracy. Does democracy survive or will it fall into the rabbit hole of authoritarianism? Sadly, this is no exaggeration. Jack R. Fischel is an emeritus professor of history at Millersville University and founder of the universitys Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide. He has authored or edited multiple books on the Holocaust; his latest is Historical Dictionary of the Holocaust, published in 2020. Hunter Foods, a leading manufacturer of gourmet Better For You snacks, will build a facility for the production of a wide range of gourmet and speciality snacks and foods on a 15,000 sq m plot at DP Worlds National Industries Park (NIP). For this, Hunter, with a presence in Dubai since 1985, has signed an agreement with, NIP, a key contributor to the UAEs agenda of enhancing local food production, at Gulfood 2022, which took place in Dubai from February 13 to 17, 2022. The agreement was signed by Abdulla Al Jasmi, Head of NIP and Ananya Narayan, Managing Director, Hunter Foods. Al Jasmi said: "NIPs F&B segment has been growing since its inception. Our partners benefit greatly from the parks modern infrastructure. Its centralised location and the multimodal connectivity offered by the Jebel Ali hub have helped companies gain access to the local market, the Mena region and beyond. The agreement with Hunter Foods is a step in this direction. Our goals are well aligned with Hunter Foods growth plans and brand strategy that is driven by customer focus, innovation, quality and agility. We are confident that NIP will provide an ideal environment for the brand to deliver on their promise and commitment of providing a wide range of quality, on-trend products that satisfy their customers." Narayan said: "As we now usher in a new era for the company, we are excited to continue our relationship with NIP by building the new state-of-the-art facility. We currently export to over 55 countries and hope to further expand our footprints around the world, in line with the vision of Dubai, UAE. We see Dubai as the gateway to the world and NIP as the perfect place to construct the factory and get access to excellent infrastructure and connectivity within the UAE, the GCC and the world." Hunter Foods produces a wide range of innovative, gourmet and Better For You snacks and foods, such as Hand Cooked Potato Chips, Vegetable Chips, Quinoa Chips, Organic Superfoods and more, all under its own brands - Hunters Gourmet, Hunter, Safari, Aladin and Ali Baba. With a focus on customers, quality and innovation, Hunter Foods has a robust distribution in all major retail, wholesale, food service establishments and e-commerce platforms, in the UAE and GCC, and exports to countries in five continents. Spread over an area of 430,000 sq m and employing 2,106 professionals, NIP has been providing key UAE-based and global F&B companies and manufacturers with an integrated business ecosystem. The new development with Hunter Foods affirms the parks reputation as an integral manufacturing hub in the UAE and showcases its commitment to the Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030 that identifies F&B as one of its priority subsectors.-- TradeArabia News Service Presidents Day is a fitting occasion to reflect on how we can all become more discerning students of the most observed and discussed institution in the world: the American presidency. This federal holiday on the third Monday of February officially celebrates George Washingtons birthday, but now generally honors Abraham Lincolns birthday, too. In honor of Presidents Day, I offer below a set of observations to help us better understand and evaluate the office of president and its occupants. Observation 1: Every day is Presidents Day. For presidents, there are no vacations or weekends, at least not in the way we enjoy them. For four or eight years, the job is unrelenting and all-consuming. Most of the decisions that reach the presidents desk have choices that range somewhere between bad and terrible. In simpler times, James K. Polk remarked, No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure. Dwight Eisenhower joked that any man who wants to be president is either an egomaniac or crazy. Lyndon B. Johnson, famous for his colorful colloquialisms, said that being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. Theres nothing to do but stand there and take it. If it appears that the president any president is having a bad day, we should bear in mind that the job is very difficult. Observation 2: Theres the person and theres the institution. Since the nations founding, Americans have developed close, personal connections with their presidents. For many Americans, presidents symbolize America itself. The American public understands implicitly what political scientists and historians spend their careers teaching students: To understand the presidency, we must understand presidents. In short, presidential character matters. We cannot help but be energized by the boundless optimism of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. We marvel at the intellect of Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson. We are moved by the indomitable spirit shown by Theodore Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson as they overcame adversity to win election to the highest office in the land. We mourn our fallen heroes, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, and wonder what might have been. But the presidency is also an institution. The president as chief executive is charged with leading an executive branch of 15 cabinet departments and more than a hundred agencies whose employees number in the millions. Did I mention that the job of president is difficult? Observation 3: There is no presidential magic wand. There is a powerful mythology pervasive in textbooks from elementary school through college that portrays presidents as all-powerful agents of change. This ideology, referred to as the textbook presidency, would have us believe that presidents can easily persuade Congress, the public, the news media and their subordinates in the executive branch. Such exaggerated accounts of presidential influence stand in stark contrast to the frustrations expressed by former presidents. When contemplating Gen. Eisenhower winning the presidential election, Harry Truman said, Hell sit here, and hell say, Do this! Do that! And nothing will happen. Poor Ike it wont be a bit like the Army. Hell find it very frustrating. Bill Clinton once quipped that being president is like being the groundskeeper in a cemetery: Youve got a lot of people under you, but nobodys listening. Lyndon Johnson predicted that if one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read President Cant Swim. The textbook presidency is not without lasting consequence. It contributes to unrealistic public expectations of what presidents should be able to accomplish, and it leads to greater cynicism toward government and a decline in civic participation when presidents fail to fulfill those expectations. Observation 4: Judge presidents on their own terms. It is easy to cast aside one or more presidents simply because we disagree with their politics. It is far more intellectually rewarding, and challenging, to evaluate presidents based on promises made during their campaigns. That we are willing to praise a presidents accomplishments does not necessarily mean we would have voted for him. Partisanship need not interfere with objective analysis. We (Republicans) appreciate the steely resolve with which John Kennedy managed the Cuban missile crisis, narrowly averting nuclear catastrophe. We (Democrats) are grateful for Ronald Reagans steadfast leadership in helping to bring the Cold War to an end. We (Republicans) admire Lyndon Johnsons unsurpassed record of legislative success in passing landmark civil rights reform and the programs collectively known as the Great Society. We (Democrats) praise George W. Bush for the remarkable number of legislative achievements during his first term: Medicare reform; tax cuts; education reform; trade; defense; and anti-terrorism measures. Contrary to conventional wisdom, presidents tend to keep their promises. The promises presidents make during their campaigns are the single best predictor of the policies presidents pursue in office. For voters, the rule should be: If you dont like what a person says as a candidate, you will not like what that person does as president. Adam B. Lawrence is an associate professor of government, policy and law at Millersville University. He teaches a course on the American presidency. Most Democrats today are ashamed of the Democratic Partys support of slavery during the time of President Abraham Lincoln. I believe the time will come when they will be ashamed of the Democrats support of abortion. A lot of people think killing unborn babies is worse than slavery. Wilmer Thomas Lititz Many years ago, Beverly Johnson was one of the original supermodels. She walked on the runways of fashion shows around the world. Today, Johnson is 69 years old. She is not letting her age stop her from walking the runways again. She has a simple answer for why she decided to return to the fashion world during New York Fashion week: She was asked to. Johnson, a writer and businesswoman, helped to break barriers for other Black women in the modeling industry. In 1974 at the age of 22, she appeared on the cover of the American Vogue magazine. This made her that magazines first Black cover model. She had great success in her modeling career. She became a sought-after face for many years, appearing on the covers of hundreds of magazines. During this years Spring New York Fashion Week, Johnson walked the fashion runways for designers Sergio Hudson and Bibhu Mohapatra. She was the last model to walk in the Mohapatra show on February 15. The crowd clapped and cheered when they recognized her. She wore a white, floor-length dress, called a gown, with a dramatic black cape. She said that she needed a little practice before the show to get the runway walk right. After I took that walking lesson, I was fine. Its a wonderful, beautiful experience, Johnson told The Associated Press after the show. She said she is moved by todays push for more diversity and respect of different cultures in the fashion industry. All of the models were models of color in honor of Black History Month, Johnson said as she started to cry. In 2024, it (will) be my 50th anniversary of that historic cover of being the first Black woman to grace the cover of American Vogue, she added. Johnson said Sergio Hudson is a Black designer who is becoming very successful in the fashion industry. Its just wonderful to see this. When Johnson was first coming up in the fashion industry in the 1970s, she said she did not see this kind of representation by Black designers or models. Johnson said she enjoyed spending time with the younger models during this years New York Fashion Week. She found them beautiful, elegant, and wonderful. She noted one big difference between them and her. And it was not their ages. The girls are much taller. In the Hudson show, she said, no model was under 1.8 meters. Back when she was modeling, she said, 1.5 meters was tall enough. Im Anna Matteo. Brooke Lefferts reported this story for Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story runway n. a platform along which models walk in a fashion show fashion n. the prevailing style (as in dress) during a particular time designer n. one that creates and manufactures a new product style or design : especially : one who designs and manufactures high-fashion clothing dramatic adj. attracting attention cape n. a sleeveless outer garment or part of a garment that fits closely at the neck and hangs loosely over the shoulders diversity n. the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : especially : the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization A new government report says sea levels on the U.S. coast line are expected to rise by at least .25 meters in the next 30 years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and six other federal agencies created the report. It predicts that the sea level along the U.S. coast will be 0.25 to 0.3 meters higher by 2050. The report warns of more floods from storms and high water levels on the coast even on sunny days during high tides. Make no mistake: Sea level rise is upon us, said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAAs National Ocean Service. LeBoeuf warned that the cost will be high. She said the United States coasts are home to a lot of economic activity and 40 percent of the U.S. population. William Sweet was the reports lead writer. He said that the largest sea level rise from melting of ice in Antarctica and Greenland probably will not start until after 2100. Sea levels can rise more in some places than others because land can sink. Also, currents and water from melting ice are different from place to place. The report predicts sea levels in the U.S. will rise more than the world average. Sweet said the greatest rise in the U.S. will be on the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. The West Coast and Hawaii will be below the average. The report predicts 0.6 meters of sea level rise in St. Petersburg, Florida, a city on the Gulf of Mexico. But the study predicts just 0.36 meters in Los Angeles, California. Cities like Miami Beach, Florida; Annapolis, Maryland; and Norfolk, Virginia already get a few minor floods every year during high tides. The researchers said those will be replaced by several moderate floods by about 2050. Those floods will cause property damage. Its going to be areas that havent been flooding that are starting to flood, Sweet said. He added, Many of our major metropolitan areas on the East Coast are going to be increasingly at risk. The report said the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico should have the biggest sea level rise by 2050. The researchers predict a sea level rise of 0.4 to 0.45 meters. The eastern Gulf of Mexico should expect 0.35 to 0.4 meters of sea level rise by 2050. The Southeast U.S. coast should get 0.3 to 0.35 meters of sea level rise. And the Northeast U.S. coast should get 0.25 to 0.3 meters of sea level rise. The report is estimating an average of about 0.6 meters of sea level rise in the United States as a whole by 2100. Im Gregory Stachel. Seth Borenstein reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story high tide n. a time when water levels are highest in some coastal areas of the world because of the influence and position of the sun and moon metropolitan adj. of or relating to a large city and the surrounding cities and towns We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Researchers say that as few as three major criminal groups are responsible for smuggling African elephant ivory tusks. A tusk represents a dead elephant. And the research comes as Africas elephant population is decreasing quickly. The elephant population in Africa is estimated to be about 415,000. In 1979, there were about 1.3 million elephants on the continent and 100 years ago, the number was 5 million. The new study was published in Nature Human Behavior. The researchers examined the DNA of elephant tusks and evidence including telephone, financial, automobile and shipping records. They used the information to identify connections in trafficking operations across the continent. The study Biologist Samuel Wasser of the University of Washington is a lead writer of the study. He said he hopes it helps police target the leaders of these networks instead of the elephant killers themselves. Criminal organizations can easily replace the low-level poachers. If you can stop the trade where the ivory is being consolidated and exported out of the country, those are really the key players, said Wasser. Consolidate means to join or combine together into one thing. Each year, an estimated 500 metric tons of poached elephant tusks are shipped from Africa, mostly to Asia. For around twenty years, Wasser has been interested in a few key questions: Where is most of the ivory being poached, who is moving it, and how many people are they? He works with wildlife officials in Kenya, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and elsewhere, who contact him when they discover ivory shipments. He flies to the countries to take small samples of tusks to study the DNA. He has samples from the tusks of more than 4,300 elephants taken out of Africa from 1995 to the present. Biologist Robert Pringle, who was not involved in the study, praised the work. He said the data shows connections that can lead to strong inferences. Earlier work In 2004, Wasser showed that DNA from elephant tusks and waste could be used to find an elephants home location to within a few hundred kilometers. In 2018, he recognized that finding identical DNA in tusks from two different ivory seizures meant they were taken from the same animal and likely by the same poaching network. The new research identifies DNA belonging to elephant parents and children, as well as brothers and sisters. Such genetic links can provide information for wildlife officials seeking other evidence cell phone records, license plates, shipping documents and financial statements to link different ivory shipments. Finding poaching hotspots John Brown III is a special agent with the United States Homeland Security Department and wrote the study with Wasser. The agents work on environmental crimes goes back 25 years. Brown has told the Associated Press that in the past, a single seizure of illegal goods would rarely lead to the identification of the major crime group responsible. But now, he said, The DNA links can alert us to the connections between individual seizures." The new research led to the discovery that only a very few criminal groups are behind most of the ivory trade in Africa. Researchers identified several poaching hotspots, including areas of Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Gabon and Republic of Congo. Tusks are often moved to storage centers where they are loaded into shipping containers with other illegal goods. Then, the containers go to ports for travel out of Africa. Traffickers that smuggle ivory also often deal in other illegal goods, as well, the research shows. A fourth of large seizures of pangolin scales are mixed with ivory, for instance. The pangolin, a large ant-eating mammal, is poached heavily. Brian Arnold, a Princeton University biologist who was not involved in the research, said, Confronting these networks is a great example of how genetics can be used for conservation purposes. Im John Russell. And Im Ashley Thompson. Christina Larson reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story smuggle v. to move (someone or something) from one country into another illegally and secretly key adj. extremely important inference n. a conclusion based on evidence and careful thinking alert v. to give (someone) important information about a possible problem, danger, etc. : to warn (someone) confront v. to deal with (something, such as a problem or danger) conservation n. the protection of plants, animals, and natural resources The state of Texas is suing Facebooks parent company Meta over its collection of facial recognition data. The lawsuit, filed on February 14, accuses the social media company of illegally capturing biometric information from pictures and videos of users. Biometric systems are designed to collect biological data that is unique to each person in order to identify individuals. Facial recognition is one kind of biometric method. Such systems use similar methods to those used in fingerprinting technology. The lawsuit says that Facebook collected the biometric data for business purposes. It also accused the company of sharing the information with third parties and failing to destroy the information within a reasonable amount of time. Attorney General Ken Paxton took the case to a state court in Marshall, Texas. He 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 lawsuit states that Metas collection operation had stored millions of biometric identifiers. These include information related to eye scans, voice recordings and hand and face features. The data came from photos and video users uploaded to Metas social media services, including Facebook and Instagram. Paxton said the collection process had used people and their children with the intent to turn a profit at the expense of ones safety and well-being. Under Texas law, companies are barred from gathering or using biometric data of an individual unless they have received that individuals permission to do so. State law also bars companies from sharing such data with others. A few exceptions to the rule include law enforcement. The Wall Street Journal reported that a person with knowledge of the lawsuit told the newspaper Texas was seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in damages. In 2020, Meta agreed to pay $650 million to settle a state lawsuit in Illinois that dealt with similar issues. In a statement, Meta promised to fight the accusations and said the lawsuit was without merit. In November, the company announced it was ending its facial recognition system. The system was designed to identify users based on physical features in photos and videos. At the time, a Meta official said the company still saw facial recognition technology as a powerful tool. But the official noted that the situations where it can be helpful need to be weighed against growing concerns about this technology as a whole. Last week, Meta settled a 10-year-old lawsuit related to another privacy issue. The company agreed to pay $90 million to a group of users who accused it of following their internet activity even after they had signed out of the Facebook social media service. As part of that lawsuit, Meta agreed to remove all the data it had wrongfully collected during 2010 and 2011. While the company denied wrongdoing, it agreed to settle the case to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, settlement papers showed. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters and Facebook. Quiz - Texas Sues Meta over Facebook Facial Recognition Data Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sue v. to seek justice or right from (a person) by legal process lawsuit n. a process by which a court of law makes a decision to end a disagreement between people or organizations unique adj. different from everyone and everything else deceit n. attempts to make someone believe something that is not true practice n. the usual way of doing something scan v. to use a special machine to read or copy (something, such as a photograph or a page of text) into a computer feature n. a typical quality or important part of something intent n. a purpose or aim at the expense of phr. in a way that harms someone or something merit n. good qualities that deserve praise We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Area wine lovers are invited to stop by the 36th annual Lompoc Rotary Club wine-tasting and auction event on Sunday to enjoy an afternoon of w A group of conservatives is running against incumbent Dane County supervisors for seats across the county in the April 5 election, but a lack of campaign presence and an unwillingness to be interviewed have left even their opponents guessing about the campaigns the challengers are running. The six candidates appear to be running in opposition of the countys COVID-19 policies, supervisors say, particularly Public Health Madison and Dane Countys mask mandate that conservatives on the predominantly liberal County Board tried to challenge and failed. The mandate expires at the end of this month. There is also a degree of coordination among the challengers. Current supervisors have pointed to identical notary signatures on some of the campaign filings and the fact that all the challengers registered their candidacies either the day before or day of the Jan. 4 filing deadline. Sup. Tim Kiefer, 25th District, said he has spoken with his challenger, Carlos Umpierre, of Waunakee, by phone but Umpierre declined to say what issues he was running on. It is a somewhat unusual way to run a campaign, Kiefer remarked. The countys Republican Party has played a limited role in helping the challengers, chair Scott Grabins said, with little support provided beyond pointing candidates to resources on how to register their campaigns. Grabins said he doesnt recall which candidates had reached out to the county party. Our role is a bit more of an educative role in those races, Grabins said. Its sort of been at an arms length for us. As for the lack of a public campaign, Grabins noted that candidates in smaller local races might opt for knocking on doors and community events in place of social media or a website. Frankly, the way social media has gone lately, having a Facebook page or a Twitter account in some ways, I think, that can be more of a minefield than its even worth, Grabins said. The challengers in the race are: Amanda Noles, who is running against Sup. Anthony Gray in the 14th District; Umpierre, who is challenging Kiefer in the 25th District; Bill Brosius, who is running against Sup. Michele Doolan in the 28th District; Jerry OBrien, who is challenging Sup. Patrick Downing in the 30th District; Herb Taylor, who is running against Sup. Patrick Miles in the 34th District; and Steven Schulz, who is challenging Sup. Kate McGinnity in the 37th District. Noles, Umpierre, Brosius, Taylor and Schulz have not responded to multiple requests for interviews over the previous weeks. OBrien declined an interview, saying he was treated poorly in coverage of his previous County Board bid in 2014. Democrats often collaborate to elect candidates to public office, but the lack of an outward-facing campaign among this years challengers is unparalleled in recent decades, said County Board President Analiese Eicher, 3rd District. I have not seen this in local elections before, Eicher said. As a public servant myself, I welcome the opportunity to talk, and I think we should be wary of folks who put their name out to run for office and then dont want to share their opinions, she said. A little info Despite the information gap about the challengers, some information can be gleaned from their political donation history for state and federal races. Taylor has donated about $1,500 to the county and state Republican parties since last February, and another $500 for Eric Toney, a Republican candidate for state attorney general, according to campaign finance records. At the federal level, Taylor has donated nearly $1,500 to Charity Barry, a Republican who is running in Wisconsins 2nd Congressional District which includes Dane County. Schulz has made smaller donations to Republican candidates over the years, including $250 last June for Rep. Barbara Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc. Brosius, a Cross Plains village trustee, has donated $250 to the Dane County GOP since July 2020, records show, and over the past two years, Brosius has made consistent donations to the Republican National Committee and former President Donald Trump. OBrien, Noles and Umpierre do not have a donation history in Wisconsin or nationally. Strategy Given the national shift toward grassroots conservative campaigns since Trumps 2020 loss, a crop of right-leaning candidates, even in Dane County, is not surprising, said Alexia Sabor, county Democratic Party chair. But the low profile of some challengers this year has left her guessing, too. For some of them, theres so little information weve been having a hard time figuring it out, Sabor said. Though were not taking anything for granted. We recognize we need to hold on to all of these seats. When considering which races to potentially focus volunteers on, Sabor has looked at what parts of the county had a slimmer margin between President Joe Biden and Trump in 2020. Cambridge and Waunakee, for example, went to Biden by 62% and 65%, respectively, compared with 75% for the whole county. Sup. Kate McGinnity, 37th District, which includes Cambridge, said while shes seen no campaign presence from opponent Schulz, she plans to run on what shes accomplished in her first term on the board, including the creation of the countys Broadband Task Force and a budget amendment that put more funding toward Dane County parks. A lot of what I learned this first term is what I do have authority over, and what I dont have authority over, McGinnity said. I say to people, these are the kinds of things I can do for you: roads, libraries, county parks, health and human needs. Thats what the county does. The incumbents Kiefer said his top issues are the completion of the countys jail consolidation project, continued improvements to Schumacher Farm Park and infrastructure upgrades to Highway M. Its meat and potato issues, Kiefer said. Its getting things done for folks in the county. Miles said he is running on criminal justice reform, getting COVID-19 grants to businesses in his district and his role in the development of county parks. His tenure on the board has included securing funding for the creation of the Lower Yahara River Trail, now in its next phase which will span Fish Camp County Park through Lake Kegonsa State Park. On county pandemic policies such as the mask mandate, Miles noted that Public Health Madison and Dane County gets its authority from state statute, not the county. So we dont have authority to tell the public health officer what to do, Miles said. Other incumbents, including Gray, said challenges to the countys mask mandate have prompted him to run on the absolute necessity of a science-based approach to the pandemic. Doolan aims to run on boosting services such as rural broadband and combatting rural homelessness, including her help in stopping an effort in 2020 to reduce the size of the board. The idea is to reiterate to the voters out here that the reason we have the well of programs and services we have is because we live on top of a population center, Doolan said. But also that doesnt mean that we get to roll over when that population center wants to do things. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch was, at one point, the frontrunner in the Republican gubernatorial primary, and given Gov. Tony Evers' tepid popularity, she had a good chance for winning the general election. Now two radical Republicans have entered the race. Both Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, and former Marine Kevin Nicholson welcome conspiracy theories and support Donald Trump's "big lie" that the 2020 election was stolen. It's not clear that Kleefisch will win the nomination, and she is now taking more "Trumpy" positions, calling for changes to the Wisconsin Election Commission and refusing to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 election (despite saying he did earlier). Madison doesnt feel like home to many of its Black residents even some who have lived here their whole lives. Thats the sad and troubling conclusion from hundreds of interviews by and of African Americans across the city in recent years. And its a big reason Black leaders want to build a $38 million cultural center in the historic Black neighborhood along South Park Street on the South Side. They want to affirm, inspire and advance Black people in Madison and beyond, while keeping and attracting more young talent of color. The effort which has raised more than $10 million so far deserves strong and broad community support, including from the business community. Organizers are applying for $6 million in federal tax credits, which means the project is already approaching half way to its fundraising goal. Keep going. And keep giving. The Rev. Alex Gee, lead pastor of Fountain of Life Church and founder of the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership and Development, explained the need for the center to the State Journal editorial board recently. Imagine, he said, if you visited your mothers home, and you werent in any of the family pictures on the wall. You saw images of your siblings smiling faces. But none of you. Uploaded Photos GEE Thats how many Black people feel in Madison, Gee said, based on his groups research, and its hurting the city far beyond the Black community if people who can contribute great things dont want to stay and thrive here. While Madison is routinely ranked as one of the best places to live in America, it also suffers from some of the worst disparities along racial lines for arrests, incarceration, education, employment, health and poverty. Madison touts itself as a place where everyone can succeed, but far too many Black people struggle. The Center for Black Excellence and Culture can help change the narrative and expectations from whats going wrong to how things can and will go right. Gee and others envision The Center as a cultural hub to celebrate and encourage Black Madisonians of all ages, while explaining their stories to others. The 65,000-square-foot, three-level building near the high-profile corner of South Park and the Beltline will include meeting space, studios, theaters and a professional lounge for conferences, social gatherings and visits from national leaders and speakers. The Center, to be constructed on several acres in the 700 block of West Badger Road, will seek to develop young leaders, to connect younger and older generations, to explore the past, exhibit art and build excitement for the future. The Center will be a prominent landmark inspired, designed and led by Black people with its first 300 donations coming from the Black community. With additional support from across greater Madison, organizers hope to break ground at the end of this year and open in 2023. To make a contribution, go to www.theblackcenter.org/donate. Other cities have cultural centers that pull their Black communities together. Milwaukee, for example, has the Bader Foundation headquarters, the ThriveOn King project and an expanding Black Holocaust Museum. Madison needs more places to welcome and engage people of all cultures. The Center for Black Excellence and Culture will help broaden the citys appeal, especially among people of color who want to know that they belong here that this is their home. The center wont close every gap in achievement or health. But it will move Madison closer to becoming the dynamic city it aspires to be. Please give to this worthy effort if you can. Madison must be more inclusive and fun for everyone to succeed as a modern city. Wisconsin State Journal editorial board The views expressed in the editorials are shaped by the board, independent of news coverage decisions elsewhere in the newspaper. STAFF MEMBERS SCOTT MILFRED, Editorial page editor PHIL HANDS, Editorial cartoonist COMMUNITY MEMBERS JANINE GESKE SUSAN SCHMITZ WAYNE STRONG A section of the original Eiffel Towers staircase, which was used to ascend to the top of Frances iconic landmark when it opened at Expo 1889 Paris, was unveiled in a recent ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubais Al Forsan Park. Four years later, the stairs were replaced with a lift, reported Emirates News Agency WAM. Celebrating the spirit of travel and discoveries, the staircase has been brought to Expo 2020 Dubai by Janat Paris, a tea house that served its beverages at the opening of the Eiffel Tower, according to a press release. The project at Expo 2020 Dubai is dedicated to renowned Emirati poet, author, philosopher and explorer Mohammed Saleh Al Gurg, who passed away on 8th November 2020, and whose poems and proverbs continue to inspire curious minds. Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman, Dubai Cares; Nathalie Kennedy, Consul-General of France in Dubai; Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai; Machiko Gozen, President of Janat Paris; Yabunaka Aiko, Secretary-General of Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai; and Dr. Bejit Dores, Business Partner of Janat Paris, participated in the event marking the French engineer Gustave Eiffels famous structure. Referring to a photograph on show at the inauguration, Al Gurg said: "Our association, as a family, with the French government, goes back 36 years. This is a picture of my father on the Eiffel Tower with his best friend in 1964. My father loves France. He bought a place there in the 80s, which is where he started, sitting on the balcony working on his poetry and articles." Kennedy commented: "Im so happy and honoured to have a piece of the Eiffel Tower right next to the Al Wasl Dome it is very symbolic of travel, discovery, innovation and universal values that are at stake today." Al Khatib said: "Were really thrilled to have the opportunity of bringing the Eiffel Tower stairs to, and showcasing them at, Expo. If you talk about sustainability, this is a piece of history that is now also a piece of art. And it has travelled all the way from Paris to so many places, and is now here in Dubai. It is the perfect representation of the values of all World Expos." Just a reminder to please email your questions to: askpolicemandan@gmail.com, the prior email doesnt work anymore. Q: This has been a conversation many times in my family... So lets ask you. When driving down the interstate there are no signs that say no U-turns. Is it OK to turn around in the median as long as you do not use the authorized and emergency only turn around? -Ashley A: That depends on if anybody heard the treewhoops wrong answer again (Like the many before). Interesting question and the answer will be based on my interpretation of the laws. With that in mind, hold on this might get bumpy. Idaho Code 49-1421 reads: Whenever any highway has been divided into two or more traffic lanes by leaving an intervening space or by a physical barrier or a clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic, every vehicle shall be driven only upon the right-hand traffic lane unless directed or permitted to use another traffic lane by traffic control devices or peace officers. No vehicle shall be driven over, across or within any dividing space, barrier or section, except through an opening in the physical barrier, dividing section or space or at a crossover or intersection as established, unless specifically prohibited by public authority. (2) No person shall drive a vehicle onto or from any controlled access highway except at entrances and exits as are established by proper authority. This one is a misdemeanor, which means violation will cost some bucks and could, but not likely, come with jail time. Idaho Code 49-645 reads: LIMITATIONS ON TURNING AROUND. (1) The driver of any vehicle shall not turn the vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic. (2) No vehicle shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any curve, or upon the approach to or near the crest of a grade, where the vehicle cannot be seen by the driver of any other vehicle approaching from either direction within five hundred (500) feet, or where a no-passing zone has been established. This one is an infraction and could be used as a plea agreement with the prosecuting attorney if charged with Idaho Code 49-1421. So the answer to your question is, no you cant use the median to turn around on the interstate. Unless you have the money to do so (Just kidding here, just dont do it). Officer down Please put these officers, killed in the line of duty, and their families in your prayers. They fought the good fight, now may they rest in peace. God bless these heroes. Deputy Chief of Police Richard Leslie Stephens, Union City Police, Oklahoma Agent John Dale Stayrook, Medina County Drug Task Force, Ohio Correctional Officer Braxton Hofman, Lake County Sheriff, South Dakota Police Officer John Mestas, Double Oak Police, Texas Officer James McWhorter, Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, Florida K-9 Nitro, York County Sheriff, Nebraska Have a question for Policeman Dan? Email your question(s) to askpolicemandan@gmail.com or look for Ask Policemandan on Facebook and click the like button. Dan Bristol is a retired police officer and former chief of police. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOISE (AP) An Idaho woman has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the beating death of her 9-year-old stepson. Monique Osuna made the plea on Wednesday in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to pursue the death penalty, the Idaho Statesman reported. She is scheduled to be sentenced June 9. Emrik Osuna died in September 2020, a day after someone called police to report a medical emergency at his home. When Meridian Police officers arrived at the house, they could not detect Emriks heartbeat, and they said they saw signs of abuse. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead the next day. Nanny cameras from inside the home showed that the child was forced to do strenuous physical exercises for hours at a time, and in a written statement Monique Osuna said she beat the child with objects including a frying pan to make him continue exercising. The child appeared severely malnourished in the video clips played during a court hearing last year. Three other children lived in the home, including an infant, but police previously said the others did not appear to be abused. The boys father, Erik Osuna, is also charged with first-degree murder and destroying, altering or concealing evidence. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and prosecutors have until June 8 to decide if they will pursue the death penalty. Erik Osunas attorney, Randall Barnum, declined to comment on the case. Monique Osunas attorney, Anthony Geddes, could not be reached for comment early Friday evening. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The Dunlap-Bosse family didnt have a lot of money growing up. But Kim Dunlap-Bosse, their mother, still made sure her three kids had a birthday party every year. Krystyn Dunlap-Bosse has now been missing for more than 27 years. And yet every year, on Jan. 24, her family continues to celebrate. She would have turned 45 this year. On Oct. 14, 1994, 17-year-old Krystyn left a note for her family, saying she had to get away but would return within a year. She never came back. Multiple media outlets reported Krystyn wanted to get away from her boyfriend at the time Charles Corey Castro. Though Krystyns sister said her family celebrates the birthday every year, it was the first time they held a public vigil suggested by the Boise Police Department to bring her case more attention. Dozens, including Krystyns two siblings, attended the event at Julia Davis Park. Krystyns sister, Crystal Fuhriman, said she and her family believe Krystyn is dead. But Castros recent death has spurred more questions into his connection with her disappearance, and renewed interest in her case. The family is offering $20,000 to anyone who helps find her, dead or alive. If Krystyn is in heaven, this isnt goodbye, Its, We will see her later, said Shannon McNall, one of Krystyns high school friends. And if shes out there and she just hasnt come home, I think its really important for her to understand that even if it takes another 10 years, were going to be here for her. Krystyn and Castro began dating when Krystyn was 15, and Castro was 25 and married, Fuhriman said. Two Owyhee County sheriffs deputies fatally shot Castro earlier this month after they attempted to serve him a restraining order. Fuhriman told the Statesman during the vigil they believe Castro is connected to her disappearance. Boise police have not publicly named a suspect, spokesperson Haley Williams told the Statesman by email Tuesday. BPD conducts cold case investigation in 2011 Krystyn had run away before, so she was listed in national databases as a runaway when her mother reported her missing. By 2011, 26 years since her disappearance, Krystyns family still hadnt heard from her. The Boise Police Department Violent Crime detectives conducted a cold case investigation, reinterviewed people and searched missing person databases. Castro was interrogated then, the Idaho Press reported. The case remained open, but inactive. A decade later, in 2021, Boise Police met with the family and concluded foul play was likely involved in Krystyns disappearance, according to a news release. Authorities said was probably no longer alive. New information could lead to new developments in the investigation, but we dont have anything additional to release at this time, Williams said. Castro fatally shot by law enforcement in Murphy Castro was killed on Jan. 3 after he became agitated and charged at the deputies with a weapon, according to the Canyon County Sheriffs Office. Before shooting Castro, the officers ordered him to drop his weapon several times but he refused, authorities said. Castro was pronounced dead at the scene. Castro was previously convicted in 1998 for lewd conduct with a child under 16 and was a registered sex offender, according to court records. He served 10 years in state prison, followed by 10 years on parole, spokesperson Jeff Ray told the Statesman by email. He had multiple parole violations that earned him almost two extra years in prison. Aside from his 10-year stint in prison, Castro had a history of domestic violence, battery and petty theft allegations, according to Ada Countys online court records. Castros wife, who was present during the January shooting, filed the protection order against him. It was not the first disturbance reported, Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said in a Jan. 3 press conference. Police had responded to roughly six or seven disturbance calls at Castros home before the shooting, Donahue said. As of Tuesday, spokesperson Joe Decker told the Statesman by email there is no new information to release regarding the Critical Incident Task Force investigation into the shooting. Boise police recently assigned Det. Chuck Roath to the case, though Williams said officers are transferred to new cases depending on new information and new detectives. Anytime you look at a cold case, its with a new perspective, an open mind, and we just tried to follow what we have, Roath said. We havent forgotten about her. Anyone who might know what happened to Krystyn is encouraged to contact the police by leaving a web tip at 343COPS.com or calling 208-343-2677. Individuals who may want to remain anonymous can do so. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 All four candidates for the job attended the forum. The three Republican candidates current Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, Deborah Critchfield and Brandon Durst will face off in the May 17 primary. They were joined by Democrat Terry Gilbert, who is unchallenged in the primary. BOISE College students who describe themselves as right-leaning say they are more likely to feel pressure to accept political views they find objectionable. And while graduate students say they are more likely to feel pressure from professors or instructors, undergraduates say they are more likely to feel pressured by their peers. Those are two findings from a statewide survey of students at Idaho colleges and universities, completed in late November. Meeting at Boise State University Thursday, the State Board of Education took a deeper dive into the data. It was the boards second look at the data; board members gave it a preliminary read in December. For the most part, students who responded to the survey had a positive read on campus culture. Overwhelming majorities of students said they feel valued, respected, and felt a sense of belonging. And 67% of students said they rarely or never feel pressure to accept views they find objectionable. The deeper look at the data revealed some differences, and not just along political lines. For example, younger students, under age 30, were more likely to say they feel pressured over their views. However, first-year students said they were less likely to feel pressured. The survey found no clear pattern along gender lines. At two-year schools, males said they felt more pressured over their views. At the four-year schools, this result flipped. And more than half of survey respondents said they werent sure what to do or how to report their concerns a potential action item for the State Board and the colleges, board chief academic officer TJ Bliss said Thursday. Thats one problem, and one area that needs improvement, State Board President Kurt Liebich said Thursday. But he and other board members were reluctant to jump to conclusions, based on the survey. Its an imperfect snapshot to what the culture and climate is on our campuses, Liebich said. Board member Bill Gilbert said he was uneasy about making snap recommendations to college and university administrators. They are the ones that are responsible for the culture on their campus, he said. Board member Linda Clark suggested a wait-and-see approach. If schools fail to respond over time, she said, the board might need to step in. Nearly 9,000 students responded to the survey, and Bliss cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions. Because response rates vary widely, its impossible to use the survey to use it to draw comparisons between colleges and universities. The survey results and a data dashboard are available on the State Boards website. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 IDAHO FALLS The Idaho National Laboratory may begin testing a mobile nuclear microreactor prototype for the Department of Defense as soon as 2024, Gov. Brad Littles Leadership in Nuclear Energy Commission heard this week. INL Project Pele Program Manager Justin Coleman said the new technology would be a game-changer, giving the United States an opportunity to invert the paradigm of military energy. More than half of the casualties recorded during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom between October 2001 and December 2010 resulted from attacks on land transport crews, most of which carried fuel and water, INL said in a previous Project Pele presentation. Those fuel transports would not be necessary in locations with mobile nuclear reactors, and their associated power conversion systems, in place. (This prototype) has the opportunity to replace a lot of diesel trucks, Coleman said. Its a transformational technology. The microreactor, which can fit inside of a 20-foot shipping container, will be able to produce 1 to 5 megawatts of power for three-plus years, offering 2 million times the energy density of diesel, Coleman said. Nuclear power is uniquely suited to meet Department of Defense needs, he said, noting that energy usage on the battlefield is likely to increase significantly over the next few decades. Inherently safe The mobile microreactor prototype will utilize inherently safe nuclear technology that can withstand external attacks without creating a large evacuation zone, Coleman said. The inherent safety comes from a type of fuel the Department of Energy has been studying for decades, with INLs help. The fuel is made of tristructural isotropic particles, each of which contains a kernel of uranium, carbon and oxygen that is wrapped up in three layers of carbon- and ceramic-based materials that keep the core of the particle from getting too hot and releasing radioactive fission products, according to the Office of Nuclear Energy. That reactor cannot get hot enough to melt that silicon carbide, Coleman said. You can go to really high temperatures. A company called BWX Technologies is manufacturing the fuel, which INL plans to purchase for microreactor demonstrations. The reactor itself will be fabricated off-site then moved to INL for low-power initial testing, likely in the decommissioned Experimental Breeder Reactor-II, which is being repurposed to serve as the National Reactor Innovation Centers facility for Demonstration and Operation of Microreactor Experiments, or DOME. That DOME project is critical for the success of Pele for initial reactor testing, Coleman said. After the initial testing phase is completed, Coleman said the reactor will be moved from the DOME which actually is dome-shaped to a more remote, independent grid at INL equipped with transmission and communication lines. We can put the mobile microreactor in its fuel configuration, and we can hook it up (and) operate this unit, Coleman said. He anticipates that the U.S. Army could have the opportunity to decide whether it wants to transition the technology by 2025. The Pele Project could also serve as a pathfinder to advanced nuclear reactors in the commercial sector, Coleman said, allowing private companies to eventually offer a high-density energy source for remote and strategically important locations in the United States. We are seeing a shift toward a recognition that we really need 24/7 non-carbon-emitting electricity to get where were trying to go, INL Director and LINE Commission Co-Chairman John Wagner said. That is driving conversations in this area. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TWIN FALLS On the edge of a row of graves in Sunset Memorial Park lies a headstone a little different from the rest. There is no birthday, no name, just the date of death and a simple inscription. Unknown to us, known only to god, the stone reads. May she rest in peace. For eight years and counting, her life story has remained a mystery. Although police have continued to work the case and new leads have manifested, the mystery around her identity sheds light on the complex world of DNA identification and the databases created to help. Jane Doe At 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2014, kayakers near the Perrine Bridge discovered a woman in the Snake River. She was found wearing all black clothing and one shoe a size 11 mens sneaker. The other shoe was found near her body. Her feet were one size smaller than the shoes, said Will Carson, chief deputy coroner with Twin Falls County. Listed as between 45 and 50 years old, she was 5-feet 7-inches tall, and 140 to 177 pounds. Her teeth were well-cared-for with three veneers present in the front. Her eyebrows had been recently plucked. Can you help? Anyone with information that could lead to the identification of Jane Doe should contact the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office at 208-736-4040. Carson said her official cause of death was blunt force trauma, which is common for a fall off the bridge. There is nothing to suggest her death was not a suicide, police said. Suicide prevention lifeline Evidence shows that suicide is not inevitable for anyone, and that lives can be saved with mental health support. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, help is less than a moment away. Call the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline at 208-398-4357 or the national hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text 741741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Times-News reported that divers spent hours sifting through murky water, looking for any clues that could help identify her. Typically, when you find somebody like that, usually by the end of that day you know who they are. You identify them, said Jon Daubner, a detective with the Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office. In this case, no. Police ran her face through facial recognition software, along with her DNA, dental information and fingerprints. No matches. We have her profile, we have her dental work, we have her DNA, but we cant just put those in a computer and get her name out, it doesnt work that way, Carson said. On Oct. 7, 2014, the unidentified woman was buried at Sunset Memorial Park. In cases with unidentified bodies, the coroners office keeps them for at least two weeks. If they have been identified and they have no family, the county pays for cremation, Carson said. If they are unidentified, they have a burial so if they need to be exhumed later they can. Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office, Twin Falls County Coroners Office, Idaho State Police and even the FBI have been involved in the case over the years. Unidentified persons cases are far and few between, Carson said. Hes seen only two such cases in his 10 years with the department, the unidentified woman from the bridge in 2014 and a baby girl named Angel Rose by detectives found in 2015. In the case of the unidentified woman from the bridge, breaks in the case havent panned out. In 2020, after running her profile through a DNA clearinghouse, police found a distant cousin. Although that sounded promising, the man was a sixth- to eighth-degree relative and was in his late 80s, Sheriffs Detective Larry Beaver told the Times-News. You dont know your family that well, even if you go to your yearly family reunion, Beaver said. The man believed he was the last living member of his family, and he had trouble providing a family tree. Its a misconception that police arent working on the case because of how much time has passed or because of the likelihood it was a suicide, Beavers said. The sheriffs office met about the case on Feb. 10 and sent her DNA to another clearinghouse. Because this is still an open case, police declined to share more about what agencies or databases were involved. CODIS the Combined DNA Index System is the most well-known DNA database. CODIS includes DNA profiles of individuals convicted of certain crimes and profiles from crime scene evidence. Law enforcements use of consumer DNA databases, such as 23andMe and Ancestry, is a controversial topic. The most well-known case using genetic technology involved Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., nicknamed the Golden State Killer. The Los Angeles Times reported that police uploaded the serial killers DNA to GEDmatch, an online service that compares profiles from different testing companies. The goal of these companies is to help people trace their heritage and find relatives. Before DNA, we relied on fingerprints and teeth, Beavers said. Its leaps and bounds what it was. Doe Network DNA is just one tool at law enforcements disposal. Missing- and unidentified-persons databases are another. A chance event led to the creation of one of these sites. Todd Matthews was 17 years old when he first learned the mystery of Tent Girl. Matthews girlfriend at the time shared the story of how, in the spring of 1968, her father had stumbled upon a womans body wrapped in canvas in Scott County, Kentucky. The woman remained unidentified for more than 30 years. Matthews became obsessed with trying to identify her. It was the invention of the internet and his passion as a cyber sleuth that led to a breakthrough in the case. In 1998, he saw an online posting by Rosemary Westbrook, who was searching for her sister, missing from Lexington, Kentucky, since 1967. Matthews contacted Westbrook and the two corresponded back and forth. Tent Girl was exhumed and a DNA match confirmed she was Westbrooks sister, Barbara Ann Hackman Taylor. Through Taylors case, Matthews saw a need for a database of missing and unidentified persons. He started by gathering, sorting and digitizing records to make them more accessible. There were no cyber units, he told the Times-News. We were the cyber unit. We were the people who were first using the internet to solve cases. In 1999, he helped created the Doe Network, a website for tracking unidentified and missing persons. In 2001, it became an informal volunteer organization and, in 2011, an official nonprofit. The network has profiles on five unidentified male bodies and two unidentified female bodies in Idaho. Twenty-four males and 12 females are listed as missing in Idaho. Doe Network differs from NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, for which Matthews served as the director of case management and communications for 10 years. The Doe Network is international, he said. And, secondly, NamUs focuses on the more scientific forms of identification, including DNA and fingerprints. The Doe Network has more anecdotal data, including digitized news articles. The cause of death is another major difference. NamUs doesnt list the cause of death but the Doe Network does if that knowledge was made public. The unidentified woman from Twin Falls has both a Doe Network and NamUs profile, although its not mandatory for law enforcement to upload a missing person to NamUs. I wish it was and I think eventually it will be, Matthews said. I cant really think of a reason why it wouldnt be. So far, 10 states have mandated reporting to NamUs. Matthews helped his home state of Tennessee pass the Help Find the Missing Act in 2017 that mandated reporting. If everybody just uses the tools provided to them at no cost to them, a lot of the problem could be solved just by doing it, he said. Sometimes law enforcement thinks using the National Crime Information Center is enough, he said. NCIC is a computerized index of missing persons and criminal information, visible only to law enforcement. Matthews says NamUs and NCIC work very differently but go hand in hand. As of Dec. 31, 2021, there were 8,415 unidentified-person records in NCIC, according to the FBI. Missing-person records totaled 93,718. Its not redundant. Its not too much trouble its not, he said. And it doesnt take that long. NamUs is vital because the public has access to it, he said. Matthews refers to missing and unidentified persons as the silent mass disaster and he hopes technology can help the U.S. tackle the problem. As for detectives Beavers and Daubner, they havent forgotten Jane Doe from the Perrine Bridge. It stays in the back of your mind or something will bring it up, Beavers said. They are all hopeful that someday, somehow, she can be called by her name. Magic Valley's Missing and Murdered This story is part of a multi-part series on unsolved cases of missing and murdered people in south-central Idaho. Each story is available online at Magicvalley.com. Magic Valley's Missing and Murdered: What happened to Jose 'Merced' Rodriguez? Married only eight months, Jose Merced and Karina Rodriguez slept peacefully when a man entered their home on the outskirts of Rupert and began bludgeoning the couple. More than 13 years later, the case remains unsolved. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 0 INDEPENDENCE, Missouri The half-circle of 13 chairs that framed the statue of President Harry Truman in the heart of the historic Independence Square this past fall was placed there in the days after 13 American soldiers were killed in the attack on the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in late August. The flags on either side of Truman flew at half-mast, with the chairs bearing the names of each service member lost in that attack. All hailed from small-town corners of our country. Their average age was 22. Eleven were Marines, one was a member of the Army, one a Navy medic. Youth court students and volunteers in the community had placed the memorial there. They werent alone. Memorials like this were placed in bars, front yards and town squares all across the country. Some of them still stand. The loss of these brave service members marked the beginning of an awakening. Many people stepped outside the comfort of their political beliefs and began to question everything coming out of the government. Few national journalists noticed it at its inception because few national journalists leave their desks or disconnect from Twitter long enough to listen to people outside of their bubble. Had they listened, they would have heard the questions and the doubts. The more President Joe Bidens White House stubbornly and willfully refused to answer questions and insisted it had acted rightly, the more distrust in government grew. The images of Biden walking away, his back to the press and metaphorically to the people, in the days and weeks after the pullout projected arrogance and negligence. When he repeated that exit, it only served to hasten the awakening. Soon, the questions about Afghanistan became questions about how the government was handling the pandemic in particular the mandates, masking and the treatment of our children. Many people had been afraid to make their complaints public they saw how lives and livelihoods could be destroyed if you questioned the motives of the government or teachers unions. Across the political spectrum, people who had been struggling so hard to keep their businesses open and their children in school or who dared to question the usage of masks or the authority of the government were called racists, fascists, grandma-killers, insurrectionists and white supremacists. Never mind that most of them had done all of the right things. They stayed home at the beginning, washed their cardboard Amazon boxes before they opened them, refrained from hugging their parents and children and grandchildren, lost jobs, lost friends, lost family members, got boosted and then saw their children flail emotionally and academically. They watched crime escalate in their cities and suburbs. They watched depression and suicide affect their loved ones and fentanyl flood their nice neighborhoods and communities. They watched their cities turn into ghost towns and their grocery and energy bills diminish their wealth. No one in the press really picked up on this movement. They see everything as either Republican or Democratic. This awakening is not so easily characterized. It is an inside-outside movement reacting to a government that chose to play politics with the virus and continue a longstanding partisan battle. This week, it finally became acceptable among the insider set to say that the pandemic is over. But this abrupt change is part of an apparently coordinated effort to save a political tribe; as such, it does not pass the smell test for most people. It is now too late to save the insiders. People had moved away from elite insider opinion long before the insiders finally gave their permission to say the pandemic is over. Their insincerity is overwhelming. Something deep has changed for all the outsiders, and very few insiders ever saw it coming. Salena Zito is a CNN political analyst, and a staff reporter and columnist for the Washington Examiner. She reaches the Everyman and Everywoman through shoe-leather journalism, traveling from Main Street to the beltway and all places in between. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Often a bribe is more destructive than a bullet. In Afghanistan the U.S. and NATO could never defeat the endemic corruption that riddled the Afghan government and army. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, U.S. military and diplomatic assessments insistently bemoan the damage corruption does to Ukraines economy, civil institutions and war effort. Military analysts use the buzz phrase weaponized corruption to describe 21st century gray-area warfare corruption tactics and techniques employed by Vladimir Putins Kremlin and Xi Jinpings China. Corruption, however, is a very ancient and effective weapon of war. The Roman historian Sallust tells us in the late second century B.C., Berber rebel Jugurtha used bribery, murder and raids to build a personal power base in Numidia (modern-day Algeria). Jugurtha repeatedly thwarted Roman army efforts to defeat him. With its legions bogged in a no-win North African sand trap, Roman authorities co-opted Jugurthas father-in-law and ally, Bocchus. They bribed Bocchus by promising him territory. The palm-greased in-law sent Jugurtha to Rome in chains. Bribery, used as a weapon, secured Romes strategic goal. Of course, Roman soldiers gave Bocchus a heavily armed reason to accept Romes deal. From Romes perspective, the combination of legions and bribery defeated Jugurtha. Both Russia and China use corruption to further espionage and propaganda campaigns and undermine vulnerable nations. As I pointed out in a recent column, Communist China has been particularly effective in purchasing favorable media coverage and stymieing criticism. China has co-opted American scientists with grants (disguised bribes) in order to gain access to their research. Russia targets leaders and institutions everywhere but particularly in three nations it covets: Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The Ukrainian government contends the Russian-backed war in its Donbas region prevents it from effectively pursuing economic and political reform. The war slows reform, but since 2015 many Western creditors disagree argue Ukraine hasnt treated corruption as the grave security vulnerability it is. Why? Fair question. U.S. government and media preach reform but there is increasing evidence that U.S. leaders and institutions dont practice what they preach. Earlier this month John Solomon, reporting in Just The News, analyzed State Department emails obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request. One email, written on Nov. 22, 2016, by former U.S. embassy official George Kent, was particularly chilling. It directly contradicted mainstream media reports in 2020 and public testimony by U.S. officials that insisted Hunter Bidens lucrative job with the allegedly corrupt Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings ... had no impact on U.S. efforts to fight corruption in that country. Solomon reported that in 2016 State Department officials in Ukraine told Washington that Hunter Bidens business dealings in Ukraine undercut U.S. efforts to fight corruption in the former Soviet republic. Kent included this guidance: The real issue to my mind was that someone in Washington needed to engage VP Biden quietly and say that his son Hunters presence on the Burisma board undercut the anti-corruption message the VP and we were advancing in Ukraine. Kent added: Ukrainians heard one message from us and then saw another set of behavior, with the (Biden) family association with a known corrupt figure whose company was known for not playing by the rules in the oil/gas sector. Hunter Bidens blatant corruption and hypocrisy had and still have real world strategic and national security costs. If defending Ukraine is a U.S. security interest, American participation in corruption undermines our security efforts. Hunter Biden was hindering Ukraines warfighting and corruption-fighting effort. This is not a conspiracy theory. The Kent email is a fact that was hidden from the American people and is still ignored by benighted and politically corrupted media. To forward Ukrainian anti-corruption efforts and to add spine to U.S. anti-corruption diplomacy globally, Hunter Biden must be penalized. The correct penalty is criminal investigation and public trial. Austin Bay is an author, syndicated columnist, professor, developmental aid advocate, radio commentator, retired reserve soldier, war game designer. Love 4 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Its been a long time since my favorite geezer Canadian rocker Neil Young has been in the news, but he made headlines recently by announcing hes pulling his music off of Spotify because of Joe Rogans occasionally fact-challenged Covid rants regularly streamed on the companys podcast platform. Im sure you already know about Joe Rogan. Hes been around for decades, but today hes wildly popular as the host of The Joe Rogan Experience. How big a star is he in the podcast universe? Big enough for Spotify to sign him in 2020 to an exclusive long-term licensing deal worth $100-million. He averages about 11 million faithful listeners per episode. These days, Rogan is most famous for his views about Covid-19. On his podcast he takes a firm anti-vaxxer stand, and has touted widely debunked medical misinformation. He has declared the idea of vaccine passports to be one step closer to dictatorship, and allowed a controversial guest doctor to compare government pandemic policies to the Holocaust. Rogan, of course, can sayor allow a guest to say without challengewhatever he likes. But when hes being employed to the tune of $100-million by Spotify, then Spotify becomes at least partially responsible for the content of his podcast. If youre injured by a clerk at Walmart, you dont just sue the clerk. You sue Walmart. So when Neil Young chose to pull his music off Spotify, he rationally pointed out that Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform. Spotifys response to all this has been to tap dance at levels not seen since Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Like most companies caught enjoying the financial rewards of disseminating misinformation, Spotify has moved quickly to deflect its corporate responsibility with high-minded support of free speech. Its the corporate equivalent of enjoying the publicity, but ducking the responsibility. Following the criticism sparked by the Neil Young defection, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced with some solemnity that, starting immediately, the company would deal with Mr. Rogan bywait for itadd(ing) a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about Covid-19. Wow. A content advisory. Forgive me for being underwhelmed. In my experience, content advisories work better as advertisements than warnings. But Ek has a response to that as well. He adds the freedom-loving thought that we dont take on the position of being content censors. Well, free speech is good. We like free speech, and nobody wants to be labeled a censor, but theres a little more to it than that. With its response, Spotify is claiming it is merely a platformjust an electronic version of the community bulletin board at your local grocery store. What you write on the 3x5 card you post on the board is beyond their control, or concern. Unfortunately, theres a hole in that logic. A hole big enough to hold $100,000,000. And, as Hamlet said, theres the rub. In this weeks Time Magazine, media reporter Joanne Lipman pointed out that when you pay for contentyou dont get to have it both ways: you cant both own itand profit from it as Spotify doesyet not take responsibility for itSpotify, as a private company, gets to make its own rules, to make choices about what it allows (and doesnt) on its own air. What it doesnt get to do is set rules and then pretend it isnt responsible for enforcing them. In other words, when Spotify pays Mr. Rogan a kings ransom for his thoughts, hes their guy. His words are their words. This is not a new concept. News media companies have always known this. You dont get to duck and run when someone on your staff, whether freelance of full-time, finally goes too far. Reining in sloppy or rogue employees is what good content managers do. As Ms. Lipman pointed out in her Time magazine article, Thats not censorship. Its fact checking. Or maybe it just used to be. These days our interpretation of free speech allows you to shout fire in a crowded theater anytime the mood strikes. No big deal. If someone complains, just tell em Spotify sent you. Chris Huston is an author and award-winning columnist living in the Magic Valley. Connect with Chris on Facebook and Instagram at Chris Huston-Finding My Way and at chrishustonauthor.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison brief the media following a shooting earlier in the day in which police officers shot and killed a suspect that was allegedly accelerating toward them on Chilton Street. (JERRY JACKSON/Baltimore Sun) Baltimore police officers shot and killed a person after he allegedly accelerated his car toward an officer in Northeast Baltimore on Saturday. Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the officers approached the driver because they believed there was a warrant out for him related to a robbery. Advertisement Two officers fired into the vehicle as the man accelerated, striking one of the officers with the car, Harrison said. The officer fired his weapon prior to being struck, Harrison said. Advertisement The driver then willingly got out of the vehicle, and he was immediately arrested, Harrison said. Officers realized the man had been struck and attempted to render aid. Harrison said the man was taken to a hospital where he died. Officials did not identify the man who was killed. Harrison said he had viewed body camera footage, and that the shooting would be investigated by the Maryland Attorney Generals Office. Police said the shooting occurred in the 1800 block of Chilton St. Harrison said the officers were working with the mobile metro unit in the Northeast District because of a recent spree of armed robberies and carjackings. Officers from the unit are deployed to different areas of the city, based on recent crime trends. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, left, and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison brief the media briefing following a shooting earlier in the day in which police officers shot and killed a suspect who they say was accelerating toward them on Chilton Street. (JERRY JACKSON/Baltimore Sun) Harrison said the officers were using license plate readers, and they learned of a vehicle and a person who had a warrant for a robbery. He did not identify the two officers who fired. A white Honda Accord with a temporary tag was stopped in the middle of Chilton Street, near the intersection of Hillen Road. The car appeared to have four bullet holes in the hood and windshield. The headlights and wipers were still on. The Maryland Attorney Generals Office said in a news release late Sunday night that the incident occurred at approximately 3:15 p.m. The release said officers with the Baltimore Police Departments Mobile Metro Unit were working a carjacking/robbery detail when they observed a vehicle of interest in the 3200 block of Hillen Road. As the officers approached the vehicle, it accelerated forward and two officers discharged their firearms. The driver, who had been struck by the gunfire, exited the car under his own power, the Attorney Generals Office said, adding that officers rendered aid until medical personnel arrived. The Independent Investigations Division will generally release the name of the victim and involved officers within 48 hours of the incident, the release said, though that period may be extended if there is a specific reason to believe that an officers safety is at risk. Advertisement Body-camera footage may be released in accordance with Baltimore Police Department and Independent Investigations Division policies, the Attorney Generals Office said. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > The Independent Investigations Division of the Attorney Generals Office, the Baltimore Police Department and the Maryland State Police continue to investigate this incident. The Maryland General Assembly passed a law last year mandating that the Attorney Generals Office investigate all police-involved fatalities in the state beginning Oct. 1, 2021. These investigations are conducted by the offices Independent Investigations Division, in conjunction with the Maryland State Police. The OAG and BPD have reached an agreement to allow for the Attorney Generals investigation while still allowing BPD to meet the investigatory obligations of its federal consent decree. Police had blocked off the intersection of Chilton and Hillen to traffic with yellow tape. Residents who lived on the block were told to enter into the back of their homes, rather than entering on the street side. Sunday morning, lingering strands of caution tape appeared on the sidewalk and woven into a fence on the block in Coldstream Homestead Montebello, just across from Lake Montebello. Resident Justin Green, 26, said he didnt see Saturdays shooting, but is concerned by recent violence in the city. Standing in the doorway of his grandmothers house on Chilton, where he was staying with his 7-year-old daughter, he worried about what might have happened if a bystander had been caught in the crossfire. Advertisement We just got to stop the violence, he said. There could have been kids out here. Baltimore Sun reporter Christine Condon contributed to this article. "The jab" might soon be replaced with something like "the huff" as slang for a COVID-19 vaccine dose. Some experts believe that an inhaled vaccine could be a checkmate move in the world's ongoing chess match against COVID-19. They argue that inhaled vaccines could not only deliver more effective protection, but could do it at a lower dosage and thus make vaccines available for more people around the globe. "Targeting vaccines to specific anatomic areas of the body where immunity is most important, could provide more durable and extensive protection than injectable vaccines when it comes to respiratory viruses," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in Baltimore. A newly developed inhaled COVID-19 vaccine just emerged out of Canada, where researchers at McMaster University completed a lab study showing that their new vaccine was safe in mice and produced a robust immune response. The investigators have now moved their new vaccine to a phase 1 clinical trial, to see if it will boost immunity in healthy adults who've already had two shots of a COVID mRNA vaccine. The Canadian researchers deliver their vaccine through a nebulizer, a device that turns liquid into an aerosol that's inhaled through the mouth and deep into the lungs. "We know that when we stimulate immunity in the lung, the qualities of that immunity are intrinsically different than the types of responses that we stimulate when we inject someone with a vaccine the typical way, in their muscle," said study co-lead author Matthew Miller. He is an associate professor at McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, in Ontario. Inhaled vaccine more potent Shots delivered in the arm have proven effective, but they produce an immune response that has to circulate throughout the body before antibodies wind up in the nose and the lungsthe place where you'd want the most powerful protection against a respiratory virus like COVID-19, Miller said. The response prompted by an inhaled vaccine "is much more potent because it recruits cells that essentially live in the lung waiting for exposure to pathogen, in this case to SARS-CoV-2. Those cells are not present when we give vaccines intramuscularly," Miller said. Inhaled vaccines also have a better chance to promote immunity in the deepest parts of the lungs, where COVID-19 can wreak the most damage, Miller added. There's another benefit to that effectiveness, besides personal protectionyou don't have to use as much vaccine to get the same response. "By focusing that immune response in the lungs, we can use a lot less vaccine and it still goes a lot further," Miller said. "During this pandemic, we've experienced global shortages in the availability of vaccines. Having this dose-sparing effect means we could produce a hundred times more vaccine, or vaccinate a hundred times more people in the same amount of time with the same amount of material." Inhaled vaccines also would be "greatly advantageous" in promoting COVID-19 vaccination around the world, Adalja said, "as they free vaccines from needles and syringes, which can be difficult to obtain in certain resource-poor settings, as well as opening up vaccination to needle-phobic individuals." A vaccine for the needle-phobic should not be overlooked, said Dr. Corey Casper, CEO of the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle. "In surveys, about 20% of individuals who are not vaccinated say they would take one if it were not delivered with a shot. That's not a small fraction, and we need to focus on that," Casper said. Miller and his colleagues aren't the only ones investigating the benefits of an inhaled vaccine. The Indian firm Bharat Biotech has developed a COVID-19 vaccine that would be sprayed into the nose. The company received approval in January to begin phase 3 clinical trials in humans. Respiratory viruses best match for nasal, lung delivery of vaccines And a group of Yale University researchers recently issued a study of lab mice showing that a COVID-19 nasal spray vaccine could boost immune memory cells and antibodies in the nose and throat. The study appeared on bioRxiv, a pre-print site for cutting-edge science that has not yet been peer-reviewed. "Improving upon current vaccine platforms to provide mucosal immunity is important to curb this current pandemic, and certainly will be important to combat the next," the Yale team wrote. But the McMaster researchers think their vaccine has another added benefit: it promotes an antibody response against three different parts of the COVID coronavirus, making it more likely that immunity would be longer lasting than current vaccines that only target the virus' spike protein. "While targeting the spike protein made a lot of sense for first-generation vaccines, that approach was going to be inherently limited because this was a virus that was going to continue to evolve. The spike protein was going to mutate and inevitably those vaccines were going to need to be updated," Miller said. The Canadian vaccine targets the spike protein, which is the part of the virus that helps it infect cells. However, it also produces an immune response against parts of the virus that protect its genetics and help it replicatetargets that are hidden inside the virus until after it infects a cell, and therefore less likely to mutate away from a vaccine, Miller said. Miller said his team is working to get their inhaled vaccine approved under an accelerated timeline, possibly within two years. "I do think inhaled vaccines will be that next major innovation in vaccine design, and hold the promise of really improving the protectiveness of vaccines for respiratory pathogens, including things like influenza for which our current seasonal vaccines are far short of optimal in terms of the average vaccine effectiveness we see on a yearly basis," Miller said. The McMaster vaccine research was published online Feb. 8 in the journal Cell. Other research teams don't plan to stop with COVID. Casper said inhaled vaccines make a lot of sense for other respiratory infections, including influenza, RSV and tuberculosis. "The number one infectious disease killer around the world is still tuberculosisnot incredibly common in the United States, but more people are dying of tuberculosis than any other infectious disease on the planet," Casper said. "There's really good evidence to suggest that inhaled vaccines, whether it be in the lung or in the nose, would be highly effective against tuberculosis." Explore further Newly developed inhaled vaccine delivers broad protection against SARS-CoV-2, variants More information: Sam Afkhami et al, Respiratory mucosal delivery of next-generation COVID-19 vaccine provides robust protection against both ancestral and variant strains of SARS-CoV-2, Cell (2022). Journal information: Cell Sam Afkhami et al, Respiratory mucosal delivery of next-generation COVID-19 vaccine provides robust protection against both ancestral and variant strains of SARS-CoV-2,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.005 Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Patients lie on hospital beds as they wait at a temporary makeshift treatment area outside Caritas Medical Centre in Hong Kong, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. Hong Kong's hospitals reached 90% capacity on Thursday and quarantine facilities were at their limit, authorities said, as the city struggles to snuff out a record number of new COVID-19 cases by adhering to China's "zero tolerance" strategy. Credit: AP Photo/Kin Cheung Hong Kong has reported 15 coronavirus deaths and more than 6,000 confirmed cases for a second day in its latest infection surge. The government on Saturday also announced plans to ease crowding in hospitals by building isolation units for 10,000 patients. There were 6,063 confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours, raising the Chinese territory's total to 46,763. That was down slightly from Thursday's 6,116 but one of Hong Kong's highest daily totals. Hong Kong has tightened travel and business curbs as it tries to contain its latest virus surge. On Friday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the election for her post would be postponed by six weeks to May 8 due to public health risks. Also Saturday, Lam's government announced construction teams from mainland China would build isolation and treatment units in the Penny's Bay and Kai Tak districts. Michael Leung, Chairman of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, adjusts the tablecloth before an interview at the closed Lucky Dragon Palace Restaurant in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Despite the strict adherence to a zero-COVID strategy, restrictions in Hong Kong that have already stilled the once bustling city, now many fear the worst is yet to come, with Hong Kong experiencing its worst outbreak yet. Credit: AP Photo/Vincent Yu Explore further New COVID infections in Hong Kong reach record high 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. (HealthDay)COVID-19 can take a heavy toll on the body, but new research shows that patients are also 60% more likely to suffer lingering mental and emotional woes in the year following their infection. These problems included anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, opioid use disorder, illicit drug and alcohol use disorders, sleep disturbances, and problems thinking and concentrating. "If after COVID-19 people are suffering from sleep problems or depression or anxiety, you're not alone. We see thousands of people like you. Definitely seek help," said lead researcher Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly. He is a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System. Al-Aly believes these problems need to be taken seriously. "I want us to pay more attention to things like that so they don't balloon or become much larger crises down the road," he said. "We see an increased risk of opioid use. We see an increased risk of suicidal ideation, we see depression, we see anxiety, and to me, it's almost like a perfect storm for another opioid epidemic and another suicide epidemic." Although it's not clear how the virus affects the brain, Al-Aly believes damage is done as COVID-19 enters brain cells. "The virus can actually enter the brain and cause an array of different problems, including disruption of neuron connections, the elevation of some inflammatory markers, disruption of signaling, and changes in the architecture of the brain, which may also explain the brain fog or neurocognitive [thinking] decline," he explained. Doctors need to be on the lookout for these problems among patients who have recovered from COVID-19, Al-Aly said. "Physicians really need to understand that COVID-19 is a risk factor for these problems. So definitely ask about mental health, ask about sleep, ask about pain," he said. "Most importantly, diagnose these conditions early and address them before they become much, much worse crises down the road." For the study, Al-Aly and his colleagues used a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs database to collect information on nearly 154,000 adults who had COVID-19 from March 1, 2020, through Jan. 15, 2021. The researchers used these data to compare mental health outcomes with nearly 6 million people who didn't have COVID-19 and another 6 million people from before the pandemic began. Most of the participants were older white men, but because of the large size of the study, more than 1 million women and more than 2 million Black patients and adults of all ages were included. Al-Aly's team found that people who had COVID-19 were 35% more likely to suffer from anxiety, and nearly 40% more likely to suffer from depression or stress-related disorders. Among these patients, there was a 55% increase in the use of antidepressants, and a 65% increase in the use of benzodiazepines to treat anxiety. These patients were also 41% more likely to have sleep disorders and 80% more likely to have thinking declines that included forgetfulness, confusion and a lack of focus, the researchers noted. COVID-19 patients were also 34% more likely to become addicted to opioids, 20% more likely to develop an addiction to alcohol or illegal drugs, and 46% more likely to have suicidal thoughts, the findings showed. The risk for mental problems was tied to the severity of the COVID-19 infection, the researchers found. Those with a mild case were 27% more likely to develop mental problems, while those with severe infection were 45% more likely to do so. These risks were not seen with other diseases like influenza, Al-Aly said. The report was published online Feb. 16 in the BMJ. One expert thinks that the mental residue of the virus in some patients is a serious problem. "I think the neurological, psychiatric impact of the virus is a second pandemic," said Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "In most cases, the brain fog clears, but we don't know the full impact on this long term, and it's very concerning." Reducing the risk of these mental and emotional problems, and becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol is another reason why it's important to get vaccinated. Getting vaccinated lessens the risk of suffering from these problems. "Vaccination may decrease your risk of this, even if you've got a breakthrough [infection]," Siegel said. Explore further Study suggests increased risk of mental health disorders after COVID-19 infection Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. The owners of Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, have offered to pay up to $6 billion to victims of the US opioid crisis to settle an avalanche of litigation, according to a report filed Friday by a federal mediator. The Sackler family's new offer would raise by at least a billion dollars a $4.5 billion bankruptcy settlement thrown out by a US judge in December over language that would have shielded the family from further lawsuits involving the highly addictive prescription painkiller. Under the new proposal, the Sacklers "would be paying, in total, not less than $5.5 billion and up to $6 billion", according to Friday's filing to the US Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York. But while a "supermajority" of involved parties have agreed to the deal, all eight US states involved along with the District of Columbia would need to sign off for it to move forward, the report filed by US Bankruptcy Court Judge Shelley Chapman states. The additional funds would be used "exclusively for abatement of the opioid crisis, including support and services for survivors, victims, and their families", according to the report. The opioid addiction crisis has caused more than 500,000 overdose deaths in the United States over the past 20 years. Facing thousands of lawsuits, Purdue filed for bankruptcy in 2019, and it pled guilty to three criminal charges over its aggressive marketing of OxyContin in 2020. In December, US Judge Colleen McMahon ruled that the federal judge who approved the original bankruptcy plan three months earlier had no authority to prevent future lawsuits against the Sacklers, except in cases of intentional misconduct. While more than 40 states had signed off on the rejected deal, a group of eight, along with the District of Columbia, refused to accept it. William Tong, the Connecticut attorney general who led the appeal against the earlier ruling, called its overturning a "seismic victory for justice and accountability". Explore further US moves to block Purdue Pharma opioid settlement 2022 AFP SUNDAY, Feb. 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When you break out in hives, you want relief fast. This common skin reaction is characterized by itchy bumps or raised, swollen patches. Fortunately, hives are usually harmless and short-lived, a Chicago dermatologist says. "A single hive tends to last for a few minutes to a few hours. Most hives clear within 24 hours," Dr. Danilo Del Campo said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release. Several factors, including sunlight, stress and an allergic reaction to food or medicine, can cause hives, also known as urticaria. While anyone can get hives, Black women, people who have eczema, and smokers are at increased risk. If you have darker skin, hives are often the same color or slightly darker or lighter. If you have lighter skin, hives will appear red or pink. Del Campo offered these tips to get relief from hives: Ease itchiness with a cool, damp washcloth, anti-itch cream or lotion, or colloidal oatmeal baths. Try not to scratch, which irritates your skin more. Keeping fingernails short can reduce scratching. Bathe in warm water. Don't rub the itchy skin with a washcloth, loofah or mesh sponge. Its best to apply soap or cleanser by gently putting it on your skin with your hands. Use fragrance-free cleanser rather than an unscented one. An unscented product contains fragrance thats been covered up so that you cannot smell it. Because an unscented product contains fragrance, it can still irritate your skin. Wearing loose-fitting, 100% cotton clothing can reduce the irritation on your skin. If you often get hives or they last a long time, keep track in a journal. This can help you identify whats triggering your hives, so you can take steps to prevent them. "If your hives dont clear after following these tips, talk to a board-certified dermatologist," Del Campo said. Get immediate medical care or go to the nearest emergency room if you have hives along with any of the following: problems swallowing, feeling light-headed or faint, have swelling in your mouth or throat, a racing heart or shortness of breath or trouble breathing. More information For more on hives, go to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. SOURCE: American Academy of Dermatology, news release, Feb. 11, 2022 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. Some day, when pandemic restrictions ease along the Canadian border, U.S. tourists will find a new visitor center displaying the wonders of Waterton Lakes National Park. The previous center on the Alberta side of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park burned to the foundations in the 2017 Kenow fire. However, plans for a new, four-season facility were already in progress before the wildfire burned 47,700 acres mostly in one catastrophic four-hour blitz. The old center had reached the end of its useful life, Waterton spokesman Dallas Meidinger said on Friday. The new one has more interpretative exhibits that highlight park ecology and local Indigenous culture. The considerably larger center will also be in the center of Waterton Village, instead of on a narrow roadside near the entrance of the townsite. However, U.S. tourists remain in planning limbo as non-essential access to the Canadian border remains in flux. Non-Canadian citizens must have proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 to cross, and the Canadian government is still not recommending non-essential travel. As of Feb. 15, travelers entering Canada may be randomly selected for COVID-19 testing at their port of entry, but will no longer be required to quarantine until the test result comes in. Unvaccinated travelers are required to test on arrival, eight days after arrival and spend 14 days in quarantine. All travelers entering Canada have to submit mandatory health information to the ArriveCAN mobile app or website. A new protocol for travel into Canada is expected on Feb. 28. In Waterton, the international tour boat is expected to run this summer, but no decision has been made whether it will dock at Goat Haunt on the U.S. end of Waterton Lake. Glacier National Park officials have not yet decided whether to staff that ranger station, pending summer travel policy rule announcements. Meidinger said restoration work on other regions of Waterton damaged in the Kenow fire have mostly finished. Many utility lines have been installed underground and hazard trees have been removed from camping and picnic areas. Trail access around Cameron Lake and routes into the adjacent Akamina-Kishnina Provincial Park have also received extensive post-fire maintenance. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. I am Smoke Elser and I have lived with my family in the Rattlesnake since 1966. For about 20 years, I pastured 70 head of horses and mules on a large part of the open space I leased on Mount Jumbo where the public trails are today. I rebuilt many miles of old fence, dug out several of the springs with my backhoe and maintained the sparse road system. I even rented a helicopter to spray the knapweed on Jumbo saddle. Many of the trails that are used today were created by my stock. Mt. Jumbo had been used by horsemen for many hundreds of years before we built our trails. Native Americans passed through the saddle instead of going through Hellgate Canyon, where the Blackfeet tribe would ambush them. They left many signs. When the city reconstructed a major water line, two skeletons were found on the trail to the saddle. On the western side of Mount Jumbo is an old ponderosa tree stump used by Native Americans as a medicine tree, like the ones in the Bitterroot and the upper Clark Fork. The first settlers of the Rattlesnake remembered how town residents followed the route with their carriages, taking a break on Jumbo saddle to water the horses at the springs before continuing east. During my time working the land, I found several mining tailings on Mount Jumbo. The old coal mine was filled by the city so kids wouldnt get hurt playing in it in the mid-1960s. I often rode by the woodcutters cabin on the north end when it was still standing. A long time go on Saturday afternoons, Missoula residents would take their team of horses up Mount Jumbo to cut firewood close to town. Some of the old trails they used to skid the wood to their homes in the Rattlesnake are still visible today. My wife, Thelma, and I started to host dinner rides on Mount Jumbo in the mid-1970s. We started at our old stone barn in the Rattlesnake to the saddle, and rode up to the top of the mountain. Along the way we would point out the history and stop to look at the many Bitterroots that grew on the saddle and the prickly pear cactus. After Mount Jumbo became public, we continued to show our guests the land in our backyard, just as we did with many thousands of people in our 60 years outfitting in the Bob Marshall. Today, many more people use Mount Jumbo and it is time to establish a good user plan so bicycles, hikers and horsemen can safely experience this significant place. Such a plan should continue to allow hikers and horses to use the same system of trails, separate from bicycles. Horses cannot see well what is behind them. They are used to humans and travel the same speed. When a bicycle comes from behind at a high speed, it is going to alarm the horse and could cause a serious accident. Horses have been part of the historical use of Mount Jumbo for centuries and they should continue to share their trails with hikers. Smoke Elser is an outfitter, conservationist and inductee of the Montana Cowboy and Outdoor Hall of Fame. Eva-Maria Maggi is a writer and teaches political science at the University of Montana. Both are board members of the Missoula Backcountry Horsemen. For more information visit bchmt.org/wp/missoula/ You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 " " Even if you pay all your bills online, you still need your routing number to set up payments. Steve Debenport/Getty Images Most customers pay by for goods and services by credit card, phone apps or via the computer, so paper checks are going the way of the dinosaur. But you still need information from your old-school checkbook in order to set up automatic monthly bill payments or direct deposits online. That includes your bank account number and the routing number listed on your checks. The routing number is also known as the ABA (America Bankers Association) routing transit number (RTN), a nine-digit code that's printed on the bottom of checks and other types of financial documents. It essentially denotes the state or region where the bank account was opened and the name of the bank on which the check was drawn. Advertisement Routing numbers aren't secret or sensitive information. They're simply a way for banks to sort payments. Here are four ways to find it: The fastest way to find a routing number is to simply open your checkbook and look at the bottom. The routing number is typically printed on the bottom-left corner, bookended by two little symbols that look a bit like colons with a bolded vertical dash. You'll find the same numbers on deposit slips, if you have those handy. To the right of the routing number is your account number, but keep in mind that the position of the account and routing numbers is reversed on some checks. Most account numbers are 10 to 12 digits, while the routing number is always nine. Can't find your checkbook? Log into your online banking account and go to your account summary or user profile. Many banks list the routing number there. You can even call the bank to get the info if you're really old-school. If you don't have your login for your bank account nearby, you can do a general search for routing number at your bank's website. The website MagnifyMoney has links to the eight biggest banks in America where you can search for the routing number. Still stumped? Search for your financial institution on the ABA routing number website . You can type your bank's name and location, and it will kick back the routing number for your branch. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Check writing skyrocketed in the U.S. after World War II. Within a few years, billions of checks were flowing through banks all over the country, and branch managers were forced to employ several people just for the purpose of processing checks. That's when engineers developed those funky numbers on the bottom of the checks they can be read by machines, and thus, checks can be processed much more quickly. LONG VIEW Long View Police Officers are now equipped with Body-Worn Cameras, following a unanimous Town Council vote on Sept. 9 to fund the project. During the September meeting, the council approved a 5-year contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. as its sole source vendor for the body-worn cameras. Axon Enterprise Inc. is an American company that specializes in developing technology and weapons products for civilians, law enforcement and the military. In addition to providing the body-worn camera, the footage and data recorded on the devices will be stored by Axon Enterprise Inc. as well. The body-worn camera program is another step in our effort to better serve and protect the Long View community, said Town Administrator David Draughn. Police Chief T.J. Bates said it helps further the departments commitment to transparency. The implementation of body-worn cameras within the agency will allow members of the Long View Police Department to continue our commitment to transparency and the highest level of accountability to the community we serve, Bates said. Body-worn cameras are welcomed and needed and I applaud our officers for embracing this technology as we continue to move forward with innovative policing strategies. Body-worn cameras are a valuable tool for law enforcement by giving the ability to capture and record video and audio of police encounters and interactions with the public. This technology will provide a valuable new type of evidence and improve transparency with the community. Even though no technology is a perfect solution for all situations, body-worn cameras will help document a clearer picture of what happened during a particular interaction and/or incident with limitations. The body-worn cameras utilized by Long View Police officers are visible and mounted on the officers uniform. All uniformed members of the patrol division and investigators with the criminal investigations division will have body-worn cameras. The body-worn camera program is intended to: Strengthen police accountability Promote de-escalation by both law enforcement officers and those they encounter Enhance the ability to resolve officer-involved incidents and complaints Improve transparency Identify and connect internal agency training Strengthen officer safety and performance Increase community safety Provide compelling evidence in criminal prosecutions. We are fortunate to have professional and dedicated police officers serving our community, said Mayor Marla Thompson. By equipping them with the tools to better perform their jobs, we are ultimately helping to better our community. City staff moved this month to have a homeless camp near downtown cleared. But instead of the group of campers taking the city up on their offer to be transported to a shelter, they were invited to a new camping spot a familys backyard. Herron Street camp The Morganton Department of Public Safety started receiving complaints about a campsite on Herron Street, which is a little more than a quarter mile from their headquarters, in October 2018, said MDPS Capt. Jason Whisnant. Some of the complaints lodged against the camp included drug activity, noise complaints, trash burning, insects and rodents, he said. Many of those are things Whisnant said he has seen himself at the camp. He told The News Herald he had seen large rats, cockroaches and hundreds of discarded syringes when hes stopped by. Pictures taken at the campsite on Feb. 4 show rugs and linens, used food containers and a seemingly random assortment of furniture strewn about the ground at the campsite. Whisnant said he had taken large trash bags to the camp and encouraged its residents to clean up, but never saw any results. The Herron Street property was owned by a person who died, and city officials were unable to find an heir who could take responsibility for the property, Whisnant said. That led the city to move to clear the camp off the lot and get it cleaned up. On Jan. 25, Whisnant said he talked to Mike Kirby, the citys code enforcement officer, about the citys decision to post a notice at the property saying it was in violation of city ordinances. Whisnant went on to call McDowell Mission Ministries, which operates shelters for those experiencing homelessness. He made arrangements with the shelters director, Arwen March, to find shelter for 16 people. The shelters through McDowell Mission Ministries provide 24-hour shelter and people are allowed to stay there up to a year while they work through problems that contribute to their housing insecurity, according to the organizations website. Whisnant also arranged for Greenway Transportation to get anyone interested to the shelter, and had the citys parks and recreation van ready as a backup if enough people showed up to fill the Greenway Transportation van. With a plan to find alternative housing for those interested, Whisnant and Kirby went to the camp Feb. 4 and explained the situation to the six residents who were there. He said the camp smelled strongly of rotted food and excrement. Whisnant said he told the residents about the shelter and transportation arrangements, and all they needed to do was be ready at 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 to be taken to the shelter. A week later, on Feb. 11, Whisnant had MDPS Lt. Tim Corriveau go to the camp to answer any questions people there may have had, and to explain the alternative housing arrangements for anyone who wasnt present during the Feb. 4 visit. Corriveau also provided trash bags and asked if the group would clean up the property. Three days later, Corriveau returned to the camp at 2 p.m. to pick up any of the people who were interested in going to the shelter. But no one ever showed up. The Batemans invitation Victoria and Joseph Bateman said they met the people living in the Herron Street camp around Christmastime when they took them some clothes, sleeping bags and propane tanks after seeing a post on social media from someone asking for help. Since then, the Batemans said theyve gotten to know the people who were staying there, and felt comfortable enough with them to invite them to set up camp at the back of their property on Dogwood Drive. She said they took a trailer to the Herron Street camp and made two trips to get their belongings brought to their property. These people are just like me and you, Victoria said. For the most part, weve got to know them a little better, and some people think homeless are just drug addicts and thats what they choose, but some of them they dont want to be there, but they dont know the system, maybe the systems broke and they cant trust the system or if its just easier for them to do that. The invitation to stay on their property didnt come without rules. Joseph said they have a zero tolerance policy for drugs, and said he told the campers if he saw any drugs or paraphernalia, or had any reason to believe they were using drugs, all of them would have to leave. When you make that rule like that, that makes it clear to everybody: watch out for one another, dont let one person ruin it for you, Joseph said. They also said its not an open invitation for anyone experiencing homelessness to come visit, Victoria said. The ones that are here, they didnt have anywhere else to go, Victoria said. She said the people at the camp had told her they were invited to go to the shelter in McDowell County, but none of them wanted to go. The Batemans said the camp at their home is temporary, and their ultimate goal is to set up a nonprofit to help those experiencing homelessness. They said theyd like to find some land where the homeless could stay and learn how to grow their own food. Id like to help them develop an opportunity for that job placement, even if its just teaching them how to grow something, self-sustain on the farm, Joseph said. Honestly, thats what I want to do, is buy property and build a farm that they can live and, basically, operate it. Give them a chance to do something, and also give them a chance to give back to the community. He said he felt like they had to do something. I spent most of my life thinking that the rich folks should be stepping up, doing something, and the whole time Im not doing anything either, Joseph said. You cant put this responsibility on any one person. The campers Jessica, a woman who lived in the camp on Herron Street and has since moved to the Dogwood Drive camp, said they moved into the previous camp in mid-December. A Burke County native, she became homeless about 11 years ago after the trailer she lived in with her family caught fire. Her family found a new place to live, but she didnt go with them. They had too many people, Jessica said. They had so much to take care [of] instead of worrying about me, so I just went from shelters or to a friend's, and then I just said forget it, Im just going to be out here permanently. She said she was worried and scared when she found out they would have to leave the Herron Street camp. She said she thought they would be able to find somewhere else to go, but she knew they would be asked to leave there, too. When The News Herald asked her why she didnt want to go to the shelter MDPS had arranged to take the displaced campers, she said she didnt want to be separated from her partner, Floyd Bethea. They dont have a homeless shelter for boyfriends and girlfriends, Jessica said. We werent going to separate. Bethea said when they found out they would have to leave the Herron Street camp, they thought about staying under some bridges or sleeping on sidewalks until the Batemans invited them to their property. We have no worries here, Bethea said. Were just as content as we want to be. Most homeless people really couldnt feel that way, but here, we are beyond so grateful to them that I dont know what we could do to show them our gratitude and how much we appreciate them. Cindy, another woman whos staying at the camp, said shes originally from South Carolina, but became homeless a while back after a spout of bad luck at her job. She moved up here to be near her daughter, who also is homeless, and spent some time staying in a shelter. After shed maxed out her stay at the shelter, she slept in her car until it finally broke down. Then I went from there to the woods in a tent, Cindy said. As far as the camp on Herron Street goes, the campers said it was already trashed when they moved in. We got stuck in the middle of it, she said. They all said they had done some cleaning at the camp, but Bethea said they lost motivation when they found out they would have to leave. I was cleaning up this one area, and where there was trash on top, Id pick it up, bag it up, when I got to the second layer, the clothes were actually turning to mush where they had been there so long, Cindy said. It was just like liquefied. She said she didnt take up MDPS offer to go to the shelter because she knew her daughter wouldnt be able to go with her. My daughter, she has three dogs, Cindy said. They couldnt take her and her dogs in, so I wasnt going to leave her out here by herself. The campers all said they wanted the community to give them a chance. I just want them to get to know us before they judge us, and just sit down and talk and dont be scared, Jessica said. Neighbors react When The News Herald went door-to-door Saturday, reactions from neighbors on Dogwood Drive were mixed. James Chapman, who owns a property next door to the Batemans, said he hadnt noticed a difference in the last week. My brother told me something about it, he lives across the road, Chapman said. I told him as long as theyre nice and dont bother nobody, I dont care. I guess hes doing a good Christian thing, letting somebody live there who needs a place. Diane Ledford, another neighbor on Dogwood Drive, said shes noticed her motion lights outside turning off and on more often in the middle of the night, but she didnt know if it was connected to the camp. She said she hadnt really noticed anything different in the last week. I dont particularly care for it, Ledford said. I mean, I hate it for homeless people, dont get me wrong. I do. I mean, Ive actually been there. Not quite that bad, but, you know, I went through a rough time myself, but I dont know. I guess I worry. Another woman who wished not to be named said she could see where the concerned neighbors were coming from, but she hadnt experienced anything negative yet. I saw the port-a-john moved in, but I didnt really know what it was for, but I mean, its not really affecting me at all I feel like they felt led to open up their property for those people, thats their business and I think thats kind of a noble thing to do, she said. Mark Owenby was another neighbor who wasnt particularly concerned so far. We dont have any problem with it, Owenby said. There havent been any problems so were perfectly OK. It might have been nice if somebody had talked to folks in the neighborhood and just let them know what was going on so it wasnt a surprise for folks, but yeah. But others disagreed. Neighbors John and Susan Shelor said theyre worried about their safety, the crime rate and their property value. Number one, its affecting your investment property values, and then the second thing is the crime rate, John said. I deal with a lot of police in Hickory and they always tell me wherever [homeless people] are, the crime rate is always higher. Susan said she didnt feel safe at home alone anymore and wished the Batemans wouldve talked to their neighbors before they invited the group to their property. Its pretty bad when you dont feel safe at your own house anymore, she said. John said they hadnt noticed many differences so far except for more foot traffic in the area, but he was worried about the what-ifs. Ive not personally seen anything yet, Ive not had anybody trespassing or anything that I know of, its just the thought of what might happen, or the feeling that the possibility of it happening has increased, he said. Matt Duncan, another neighbor, said he thought the Batemans had good intentions, but he didnt think having the group come live on their property was the right solution. The concern is how long is this going to go on? Duncan said. I want to help people out too, and I believe in doing nice things for people and helping less fortunate people out, but Id like to know whats the final plan over there, you know? The exit plan, how long can it go on? He said hes worried word will spread and more people than the original eight the Batemans invited will join them. He said he might have felt differently if the Batemans lived on a property with more land, but the two lots they own in the neighborhood add up to about 2.37 acres of land, according to Burke County GIS records. It doesnt belong in a residential neighborhood, Duncan said. Citys response Whisnant said the problems that led to the closure of the Herron Street camp arent isolated. Weve answered at least 15 complaints from property owners across the city over the past two years where the homeless have established camps, Whisnant said. Fifteen out of 15 were completely trashed and required clean up which costs thousands of dollars. These properties are privately owned by businesses or out-of-town individuals. He showed The News Herald photos from a homeless camp volunteers helped clean up in 2016. It was similar to those taken at the Herron Street camp, with trash spilled across it. This is a complex issue and we feel empathy towards the plight of the homeless in our community, Whisnant said. However, there has to be a basic level of responsibility and decorum when it comes to personal conduct and respecting the rights and property of others. City Attorney Louis Vinay said city staff werent aware of the Batemans invitation to the group until Wednesday, and that they have been contacted by multiple people about the situation. City staff are investigating the circumstances on Dogwood Drive and to determine whether there is any action which the city should take, and if so, what that would be, Vinay said. We will move promptly to take any action that is required. Neighbors told The News Herald they plan to speak during public comment at the March 7 meeting of the Morganton City Council. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Morganton City Hall, and public comments will be heard at the beginning of the meeting. Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941. Follow @cmurphyMNH on Twitter. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Fifth generation collector Tom Gordon is in possession of a number of items that once belonged to a Carroll County man who fought with the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. Tom Gordon's father purchased a chest of items that belonged to a member of the New Windsor Grand Army of the Republic, Civil War Veterans Thaddeus Stevens Post 40. Singleton Flanagan served in the Federal Army as a member of the 4th United States Colored Infantry that was recruited in 1863 in Baltimore. The regiment served in the Petersburg, Virginia, campaign and in North Carolina. (Dylan Slagle / Carroll County Times) In the late 1970s my father, Tom Gordon Jr., purchased a 19th century wooden box and contents from Mrs. Cairns of the Boxwood Antiques in New Windsor, Gordon said. The shop was always a pleasure to visit because the items offered there were often obtained from local families by private purchase or at estate auctions. Advertisement A note inside the box revealed its contents once belonged to Singleton Flanagan, a member of the New Windsor Grand Army of the Republic, Civil War Veterans Thaddeus Stevens Post 40, a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, Navy or Marines who served in the war. This GAR post was the only one in Carroll County that was made up solely of Black veterans. Advertisement Flanagan served in the Federal Army as a member of the 4th United States Colored Infantry that was recruited in 1863 in Baltimore. The United States Colored Troops were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of Black soldiers, but also included members of other minority groups who served within the units, first recruited during the Civil War. The box holds Flanagans Grand Army of the Republic kepi, a military cap, as well as a silver pocket watch, a Lincoln mourning memento, a GAR membership medal, GAR buttons, a GAR ribbon, a patriotic rosette, a volunteer infantry insignia, a brass shoulder scale, a percussion cap pouch, a sewing kit, a musket tampion and fishing line, among other items. The box itself features a patriotic wood inlay. These items give us more insight into an individual who was part of a GAR post which very little is known about, Gordon said. They show what a soldier at that time was carrying with them while they were serving, like a sewing kit to repair clothing. Gordon noted the Lincoln mourning memento shows a clear connection to President Abraham Lincoln. The watch is also an interesting piece, he added. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > According to historical records, Flanagans family appeared to be living in and around Carroll County before 1837. Around 1897, Flanagan married and worked on a farm. According to the 1900 census, he was living on his Civil War pension. Advertisement Flanagans tombstone is located at the Fairview United Methodist Church New Windsor. Gordon said while the artifacts in his collection are pieces of Carroll County history, he would be open to loaning the items out for display purposes. These objects give us insight into that world which we cant relate to in this time period, he said. It was not that long ago but it was long ago. According to an article archived by the Historical Society of Carroll County, Black soldiers from Carroll County found themselves serving under a military hierarchy that operated under racist ideas. When Black soldiers were sent into combat they were often thrown into insurmountable situations that resulted in massive casualties. At least 53 Black soldiers from Carroll County served in United States Colored Troops regiments during the Civil War. Seven were killed in action, dying from a wound inflicted in battle or disease. Seven others were discharged or mustered out with wounds or disabilities resulting from their service. Its high time as a community we recognize all those individuals, Gordon said. Everyone has a story to tell. The late Walt Disney made a name for himself, and a fortune, by excelling in fields crowded with other high performers: cartooning, publishing, filmmaking, marketing and storytelling. I have been up against tough competition all my life, Disney once said. I wouldnt know how to get along without it. Theres nothing perfect about competition. Its exhausting, sometimes frustrating, often messy. There are no guarantees. Still, competition usually drives cost down and quality up. Its absence usually leads to trouble. Those of us who advocate educational freedom bring a variety of assumptions and objectives to the cause. We dont all make the same arguments and favor the same policies. What we share is a common belief that students will receive a better education when their parents are empowered to make choices among competing alternatives. Our belief is based on common sense and personal preference. Few of us would prefer to live in a community where theres only one place to buy our groceries or clothing, one restaurant to get a bite, one channel to watch, one doctor to visit or one lawyer to hire. We want multiple options because that makes it more likely well find one to our liking. We want multiple providers competing for our business. If the case for educational freedom were predicated solely on this personal belief, though, wed be inviting the argument that theres something unique about schooling, something that makes competition harmful in education even if its helpful in other sectors. Fortunately, we dont have to rely on supposition. We know from practical experience that educational choice is commonplace and popular. North Carolina has had charter schools for a quarter of a century and school vouchers for nearly a decade. Other states have had school-choice programs in place for longer than that. Ever-increasing numbers of parents happily exercise these options, just as even larger numbers happily use their government grants or subsidized loans to patronize competing preschools, college and universities. Other countries also have education systems that feature parental choice and tax funding for private alternatives. Some 90% of 15-year-old students in Hong Kong attend privately managed schools, as do about three-quarters of 15-year-olds in Belgium, two-thirds in Britain and the Netherlands, 42% in Australia, 39% in Korea, and 31% in Japan. In theory, this could all be a waste of resources or worse. But there is a large and growing body of research suggesting otherwise. Whether privately run schools are consistently better at educating students is not really the key question, by the way. What matters most is whether increased competition among public schools at least, and within a broader market of options at most tends to make schools more effective and students and their families better off. A study published in the latest issue of the journal Education Next found such benefits from the robust school choice available in Florida. Students enrolled at local public schools with more market competition from nearby private or parochial schools, they wrote, earned higher scores in reading and math and were less likely to be absent or suspended from schools. Another new study focused on a Los Angeles initiative in which parents were given more choices among public high schools. The authors concluded that the increased competition boosted student outcomes markedly, closing achievement and college-going gaps. They found that Los Angeles parents placed great weight on academic quality when making choices, creating competition-induced incentives for schools to improve their effectiveness. Some of the scholarly support for the value of school competition comes from right here in North Carolina, where researchers have found that proximity to charter schools tends to boost the performance of students who continue to attend district-run schools, though the effects vary in size and scope. I know that vociferous critics of choice are unlikely to find such evidence persuasive. Nor is the academic literature unanimous on the subject. Still, theres nothing weird about importing competition into education. Its popular. And it likely improves school quality. John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member and author of the new novel Mountain Folk, a historical fantasy set during the American Revolution. When it comes to politics at the Montana Statehouse, Jim Keane can scrap and claw with the best of them. The sometimes fiery, always pragmatic Democrat from Butte has been fighting for jobs, Butte and all of southwest Montana in the Legislature for 22 years, and frankly, he thrives in the high-stakes chaos that saturates every legislative session. Whether its the Irish in him, the Butte in him, the blue-collar in him, or a combination of them all, Keane is a workhorse. Not for himself. For others. Jimmy learned negotiations at the union table and parlayed that experience into working on behalf of Butte and ensuring the common man had a champion in everything he did, said state Sen. Ryan Lynch, D-Butte, who learned a lot of ropes from Keane. He made sure Butte got its fair share and the working man got their fair share. Keane was at home in the arena from the start. My run in the Legislature Ive loved it, he said. Ive loved all of the jobs Ive had and I feel super fortunate for being able to do all those different jobs. But I loved the job in the Legislature. Keane was almost 60 when voters in Butte first elected him in 2000. Several Butte lawmakers were forced out by term limits that year so at the suggestion of others, he ran for the seat Joe Quilici was giving up. Keane spent eight years in the House, and when he couldnt run again for that chamber because of term limits, he ran successfully for the state Senate. When those eight years were up, voters gladly sent him back to the House. Some call it a loophole in Montanas term-limit law, but whatever. We dont need term limits. We have elections, Keane said. He could run for another two years in the House this time around but isnt. Age is one reason. Im fortunate to be 80 years old and healthy, but I have thought, Gee, Im 80, he said. To be quite frank about it, Ive watched some other people up there just stay too long and Im a little nervous about that. I dont want someone to say, Gee, can you wake him up, hes drooling on the desk, he said, laughing. There are other factors in his decision. I think the Legislature has changed and the political environment has changed considerably from 2000 to now, he said. I would be remiss if I didnt say that. When I went to the Legislature, frankly, Democrats helped me and Republicans helped me get started and learn the process, and that doesnt happen now. Theres a divisiveness. For all but one session in 2005, when the House was split 50-50, Keane has been in the minority in either chamber. But from 2005 until this past session, there was a Democrat governor with veto power to bring balance. Now Republicans control both chambers and the governors office, and coupled with that, at the state and national levels, Keane says theres a winner take all mentality with the majority. No need to work with the other party. Hes disturbed by some comments hes heard from the Republican side of late, too, and was disgusted when state Rep. Derek Skees, R-Kalispell, called the Montana Constitution a socialist rag a few months ago. In todays political environment, its harder to do what Keane has done for two decades: Support your party when you can, but above all, keep your word and do right by the people. Keane has formed close friendships with Democrats and Republicans alike, thinks compromise is cool and believes good things happen in the center. If thats old school these days, well, call him old school. With Jimmy, its about working from the center and its about relationships, Lynch said. The center is where things get done and its the space where Jimmy has operated out of, much to the chagrin of people on both sides of the aisle. Republican Sen. Jeff Welborn of Dillon has learned a lot from Keane over the years. Youre either there to make a statement or youre there to make a difference, Welborn said. Jimmy is absolutely the guy thats there to make a difference. IRISH AND BUTTE ROOTS Keane is green through and through. All four of my grandparents were born in Ireland and all four of them ended up in Butte, he says. His wife, Dolores, is from Belfast and their oldest daughter, Alisa, and her three children live in Ireland now. Keanes grandfather on his mothers side, Joe Thomas, had worked in mines in Pennsylvania and Michigan and Nevada, then in Mexico, and when he and a few friends heard what the mines were paying in Butte, they came here. Thomas and three Englishmen leased the Black Rock manganese mine and when they hit it big, a company paid them each $5,000 in gold pieces to buy them out. That was big money back then and Thomas invested it. When Keane was young, he and cousin found a big stack of stock certificates at his grandfathers house and asked him what they were. He said they were just worthless pieces of paper. The story goes, when the (1929 stock market) crash came, he had all this money invested and lost it all, Keane says. So he was sitting out on the front steps of the house on Farrell Street with his head in his hands and my grandmother walked out and said, Come on Joe, get in the house. Its money you never worked for anyway. When Keane was only 6, his father, Bob Keane, died. He didnt have a pension, but at an early age, his son was introduced to the Butte way. Keanes mother, Mary, taught school and others became providers for the family, too. The fellas my father worked with never forgot my father, Keane said. Keane graduated from Butte Central High School in 1960 and said over the next four decades, Ive been able to live here and work all kinds of great jobs. He worked in the underground mines, in the shops, in logging, construction, training apprentice mechanics, and for a long time, was business manager for the Operating Engineers Union, representing workers all across the state of Montana. It was natural fit for a Butte guy. In Butte, Keane says, If you were a good worker, thats what defined you. Hes a good worker. That pushed him right to the top of the heap. It really did. Keane was training mechanics at the Job Corps in 2000 when he decided to run for the Legislature. I certainly didnt think Id be there 20 years, he said. A JOBS DEMOCRAT Keane had two primary goals when he got to the Statehouse and he never lost sight of them. Is there something I can do for Butte, and then, are jobs involved? Im a jobs Democrat, he said. I dont care if its an ag job or a mining job or driving trucks. If we can do things for jobs, thats a key thing. His favorite assignment over the years was serving on the Section C Subcommittee on Appropriations, a group of lawmakers who oversaw the budgets of several state agencies and departments, including transportation, agriculture, natural resources and fish, wildlife and parks. It was almost nonpartisan in there, Keane said. I mean, Im talking year after year after year. We held them accountable. We took some hard votes. I guess Ive honed my skills and Ive been able to find money in state government. To me, theres nothing worse than leaving a pot of money that isnt putting somebody to work. Ill miss that. It doesnt have to be a mountain of money to make a difference. He points to a committee formed in 2007 following a big fire season. Members traveled the state to scope out problems, craft solutions and put some money behind them. Volunteer firefighters faced plenty of challenges, they discovered. Most people dont understand that if we didnt have volunteer firefighters, we couldnt afford to do any firefighting, Keane said. They found out about a small program in which the state rebuilt fire trucks and gave them to county co-ops. A volunteer department in Miles City had one. It was a World War II thing with a tank in the back, Keane said. The guy said, We tried to take it out and it died. We keep a battery charger on it. And it took decades to get that truck. So I started looking for some money and we added money to that program and we started rebuilding those trucks and making extra ones, he said. They make them in Missoula. Now the replacement cycle for trucks is 12 years, not decades, and mechanics build them for a fraction of what theyd cost on the market. You cant define it, but it has made a huge impact in wildland firefighting in the state of Montana, Keane said. Thats been kind of my focus. If theres money out there, lets get it out there and put it work doing whatever. STANDING HIS GROUND Keane only had a couple of sessions under his belt when he was suddenly presented with a political and soul-searching dilemma that can define a legislative career. In a way, maybe it did. Voters had elected 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans to the Montana House of Representatives and on the first day of the 2005 legislative session, the first order of business was choosing a speaker. The speaker wields more than a gavel. He or she decides committee assignments, sets and controls the agenda and flow of business, and can single-handedly determine the fate of bills. The speaker, in other words, has tremendous power. By law in Montana, if the House is split 50-50, the party of the governor presides. Voters had elected Democrat Brian Schweitzer so Democrats were to organize the House. The vast majority of House Democrats wanted party colleague Dave Wanzenried of Missoula as speaker, and traditionally the other party respects the others choices for leaders. Not this time. Republicans blocked several procedural moves to make Wanzenried speaker until finally, with 50 GOP votes and only three from Democrats, Gary Matthews, a Democrat from Miles City, became speaker. The three Democrat votes came from Matthews, Rep. Emily Eaton of Laurel and Jim Keane. The move delighted Republicans, who viewed Wanzenreid as a lightning rod and Matthews as a moderate. It outraged a lot of Democrats. Keane had nominated Matthews, saying he had pledged to support him months prior. He also said Matthews was the right fit for an equally divided House. We are not electing a leader of the House of Representatives today, we are electing a mediator, Keane said in what one newspaper described as a fiery speech defying his fellow Democrats. Keane recently recalled those moments and the fallout. Going in, I told Gary, Youve got to stay to the end (of the session). Ill stay with you but youve got to promise me youll stay to the end because I know whats going to happen. Theyll try to get one of us to sell out. And they did. I took a ton of heat for that one. But he had kept a commitment his word and said it worked out for Montanans. We needed a mediator, he said. It was probably one of my best sessions because we had this split and nothing moved unless you agreed on things. Now we have, Were in charge. We get the ball all the time. Matthews has never forgotten about Keanes support and open mind. Jimmy is definitely a people person, Matthews said in a recent interview. He is willing to sit down and talk to anyone. Welborn didnt make it to the Legislature until a few years later but was aware of the move when he got there. When he got to know Keane, it made sense. We were just visiting one day and he (Keane) said, You know, no matter what, always take care of your people, Welborn said. He said, Your partys important, thats what helped get you elected but vote your people first. Its going to serve you well, its going to serve them well. JUST DO IT Jim Keane is not big on platitudes, and for years and years, he says, thats what military veterans from southwest Montana got in their quest for a nursing care retirement home. State lawmakers from both parties had agreed years and years ago to build one in Butte, put $5 million in state funds down and waited for the feds to come through with the rest. And waited and waited and waited. Our goal as the Butte delegation was, Look, we can borrow this money now and the federal money is going to come through and we can pay it back when it comes in, Keane said. For three consecutive sessions over six years, veterans from southwest Montana traveled to the Statehouse, urging lawmakers in committee to fund the rest of the project and get the home built. What would really hackle me is when theyd get up and testify how its needed and then someone on the committee would say, Thank you for your service, Keane said, still ticked off even in memory mode. At the end of one such committee meeting in 2017, Keane took the podium and let loose. To heck with the thanks! Keane said that day. That isnt going to help (them) with their mental problems or blown-off legs or other issues that they have or a place to live when they have no family. The feds finally came through with about $10 million in 2018, the state added $5 million to its initial down payment in the 2019 legislative session, and the home was built. It opened last year. There were other things that took years to get over the finish line, including a bill allowing the state to borrow tens of millions of dollars through bonds to pay for capital projects around Montana. An $80 million package passed in 2019 after barely failing at the end of three consecutive sessions over six years amid partisan squabbles. It included money for university buildings, nearly $11 million for local water and sewer projects and $5 million for an armory in Butte-Silver Bow, among other things. Keane was thrilled when it finally passed but noted that the $80 million would have gone further eight years prior. If you build it today, its going to cost you 20% more the next year and its going to cost you 15% more the year after that, he said. It took legislative slogging to get a $15 million Natural Resources Research Center built at Montana Tech in Butte. With Keanes help, the Legislature provided $10 million in cash and spending authority, private donors put up $5 million and the building opened in 2016. The building provides research and lab space for petroleum and geology programs, houses the Bureau of Mines, serves as a recruiting tool for Tech and benefits the entire state, Keane says. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Keane says its been an honor to represent Butte at the Capitol all these years. He loves Butte and its people and says theyre as giving and down-to-earth as any place on Earth. Butte is such a great place to represent, he said. When you vote on bills here, with every vote you make, you know youve made somebody happy and somebody mad. Every one. But the people in Butte theyll say, Well, Jimmy, I sure didnt like your vote on this, but you do a good job. I cant tell you the number of times Ive gotten that. They dont hold it against you. I think that makes this place unique. They dont hold it against you as long as long as youre working for the benefit of the community and thats what Ive tried to do. Hes worked for other communities in southwest Montana, too, including those in overwhelmingly red counties. Their GOP lawmakers, in turn, have worked with Democrats from Butte. The Legislature, Keane says, should be a team sport. Some of my best friends are down in Madison County, Beaverhead County, Deer Lodge County, he said. Lynch says Keane is old school in every positive context possible. Jimmys politics certainly are Butte first, but truly with the understanding that relationships matter, Lynch said. Hes done whats in his constituents best interests. Welborn said Montana needs more Jim Keanes in the Legislature, especially these days. Unfortunately, because of term limits and just the divisiveness that kind of seems to be creeping its way into the process more and more, the more guys like Jimmy Keane that retire, the less healthy the process is going to be, Welborn said. Hes just that much of a difference maker. Love 18 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The constitution of the state of Montana is something I hold in great reverence. My grandfather was one of the 100 delegates to the 1972 Constitutional Convention that crafted Montanas guiding document. Those 100 citizens, forever leaders in our states history, wrote a constitution which is highly respected throughout the nation as a model of self-governance. Recently it has been proposed that voters amend our constitution to place hyper-specific restrictions on property taxes, forever limiting the state Legislatures ability to provide meaningful tax relief. There is no doubt that Montanas tax system is broken and over-reliant on property taxes, but attempting to fix it with CI-121 will do nothing to solve these problems and will shift the tax burden from residential to commercial and agricultural property owners, from urban areas to rural, and from those who need help the least to young families and first-time home buyers. Proponents of CI-121, modeled after Californias historically detrimental Proposition 13, are attempting to frame this as property tax relief. The truth is, the wealthiest homeowners in Montana will experience the most tax relief while many Montanans, especially those living in rural areas bordering urban population centers, will likely see their tax burden increase rapidly. This is because our property taxes are not determined by one entity, but rather a combination of city, county, school, voter-approved bonds, and university mills. The Constitution is not the place to codify these nuances or sort out who or what gets priority, and CI-121 doesnt appear to even contemplate how the system will be impacted. Even if C-121 was not fatally flawed, it would still be a bad idea. As time goes by, first-time home buyers and young families will carry far more than their fair share of the tax burden. A system where those who own residential properties longer pay less than their new neighbors will magnify Montanas already-glaring housing shortage by discouraging resales and housing market churn. This will penalize seniors who choose to downsize to single-level homes, forcing decisions between their artificially low tax bill on their current house and a higher tax bill on the house that fits their needs. Montana aspires to keep our best and brightest here, and in fact, our governor is actively recruiting former Montanans to come back home and work in our great state. But why would young Montanans want to stay or return to a place that is intentionally expecting them to happily pay more taxes than their neighbor simply because they are new homeowners? In California, data has shown that Proposition 13 led to tax increases in every other form, including income taxes and sales taxes. Montana has been proudly sales tax-free, but it is naive to think limiting property taxes wont bring tremendous pressure for school and local government revenue from other sources. If we allow our Constitution to be amended for this tax rule, what is to stop a well-organized pro-sales tax group from doing the same thing? The sponsors of this initiative claim it will not impact safety services such as police and fire, or education. The simple truth is that there is no way it wont. Police and fire salaries and supporting services comprise over 50% of most city budgets, and teacher salaries make up well over 50% of most school district budgets. If their revenues are cut, county commissions, city councils, and school boards will have no other option but to make cuts that will impact police officers, fire fighters, and teachers. At best it is naive to suggest otherwise, and frankly, it is misleading. What else can we do? The Legislature is studying property tax relief options during the interim session. There are many ideas geared towards keeping seniors and low-income residents in their homes, including property tax circuit breakers that can cap property taxes based on a persons ability to pay. Or the Legislature can stop kicking the can down the road and truly reform Montanas tax system. One thing is for certain, once we change the Constitution, it is nearly impossible to undo it. CI-121 is bad for Montana. Please decline to sign any petitions to place CI-121 on the ballot. Mike Nugent is a small business owner, a real estate broker, and represents Ward 4 on the Missoula City Council. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 It's a job seekers' market, and employers are stepping up their benefits in a bid to attract and retain workers. People are walking away from their jobs in droves, with a record number of workers quitting their jobs last year, according to the Labor Department. And with nearly 11 million job openings at the end of December, companies are having a hard time hiring and keeping employees. "This is the most challenging environment I've ever encountered, both in terms of recruiting and retaining," said Doug Brien, co-founder and CEO of real estate platform Mynd. The tight labor market has forced some employers to sweeten their offerings in terms of benefits, pay and flexibility. Here's what some companies are doing to win the battle for workers right now: Shortening the work week The shift to remote work during the pandemic has allowed more employees to work for companies located outside their home city. For employers, that has made the competition for talent even more steep. "We've had very large, very wealthy software companies come and offer our staff as much as three-times salary increases in lots of different locations," said David Richards, CEO and co-founder of software firm WANdisco. To help recruit and retain employees, the company, which has dual headquarters in California and the United Kingdom, switched to a four-day workweek, and did not reduce employees' salaries. "We can't compete with companies that have trillion-dollar market caps," said Richards. "Salary is just a small aspect, and we pay very well... we retain staff because we do things like this." The 32-hour workweek officially started earlier this month. Employees choose their extra day off, with the majority of staff opting for Fridays to take advantage of a three-day weekend. So far, the incentive seems to be working. Richards said an employee recently declined a job offer from a competitor after the shorter workweek was introduced. $60,000 to become a real estate investor Real estate investing platform Mynd is giving its employees a taste of what it offers its customers. In an effort to retain workers, the company introduced a program that will offer its workers $60,000 to help with the purchase their own investment property when they hit their five-year mark with the company. That means anyone who worked at the company in 2021 will be eligible for the program in 2026. "We want to make it that people are mentally, psychologically committed to at least four years, they want to learn and get this benefit," said Brien. "We have a challenge and we are trying to come up with a way that creates a win-win." The perk is only available during the worker's fifth year of employment. Employees will have to submit a proposal for the property, and the funds have to be used for a rental property through the company's portal, explained Brien. Paid time off before you start the job At public relations agency MikeWorldWide (MWW), new employees get paid before they even start. This year, the company started offering "pre-PTO" that offers new hires a week of paid time off before their first day of work. "Many of the candidates we were talking to had multiple offers so we had to differentiate ourselves and demonstrate our employee value proposition to prospective talent," said Gina Cherwin, executive vice president and chief people officer. The company created a task force that spoke with recruiters, current employees and candidates who had turned down offers at the firm, to come up with innovative ways to solve the hiring challenges. "Without a doubt, PTO-related new benefits were the most popular," she said. And for workers who decide to leave the company, if they give four weeks' notice, they'll get an additional week's pay after their last day. "Two weeks is not enough time hardly ever to really transition, particularly in a client service business," said Cherwin. The more time there is to create a new staffing plan, the easier it can be for the other employees, she said. "Employees who stay, they feel the pain of people leaving and that taking on the work until we can make a new hire ... anything that helps us bring in faster and better talent ... is hugely beneficial to our staff." Signing bonuses and quick offers In its search to find workers, North-Carolina based health care provider Atrium Health is offering sign-on bonuses from $3,000 to $10,000 for some of its clinical and patient-facing roles, like certified medical assistants or nurses. "It's a tight labor market now, especially in health care, so there is a lot of competition out there," said Jim Dunn, executive vice president and enterprise chief people and culture officer at Atrium Health. And for some positions in more rural areas, the bonuses can go as high as $17,500. "That is something we did not do before March 2020," said Dunn. The company also gave all its workers a 4% raise last year. To help attract workers, the company also adopted a "fast hire approach" that aims to get offers to candidates quickly, and in some cases, on the same day they interview. "For many of our roles that don't require licensure or certification ... you show up, get a same-day offer and begin work the following Monday, if possible," said Dunn. *** Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mpumalangas government has started a project to develop the provinces first post-apartheid city, and the developer told City Press that it would cost R8 billion to construct. Called Nkosi City, the development will be situated on the western border of the Kruger National Park and will contain a combination of RDP, social, and bonded housing. It will also have several urban farms. According to the developer, Dovetail Properties, construction of the development could begin as early as this June. Dovetail Properties director, Philip Kleijnhans, said that upon its completion, the development would take the form of an agricity, with residential housing situated amongst small-scale urban farming plots. He envisions that beneficiaries of RDP houses and wealthy owners of expensive, bonded places will live side-by-side in Nkosi City. Kleijnhans also said that the farming projects would create employment opportunities for unemployed women and young people in the area. This is a project where government, private enterprise and the local community are doing something together, probably for the first time, Kleijnhans said. The city will not only be a central business district for the region, but also an agricultural hub of macadamias, citrus and cash crops, eventually totalling about 5,000 hectares. Kleijnhans told City Press that an initial feasibility study showed that the farming component of Nkosi City alone could generate more than R300 million for local communities in the first three years. Nkosi City promises to have the characteristics of an environmentally friendly community. Part of the energy supplied to Nkosi City will come from a solar farm and a biomass renewable energy plant. This is expected to create an estimated 15,000 jobs. What is left, Kleijnhans said, is bulk water and electricity supply. Three dams are going to be built, and Eskom will provide electricity. According to the developer, Nkosi City will have 3,471 houses and apartments, 241 hectares of urban farms, nine preschools, three primary schools, and two secondary schools. It will also feature a TVET college, agricultural training centre, provincial hospital and clinic, and an SPCA. The new city will also provide various forms of office and retail space. Nkosi City is the brainchild of Kleijnhans, Chief Sicelo Nkosi, and former Mpumalanga agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs MEC Mandla Msibi. Conceptualisation began 13 years ago when Msibi was still a ward councillor in the City of Mbombela. Government officials are very proud of this initiative, Kleijnhans said. They refer to it as their legacy. He added that attendance at the projects committee meetings was good, with at least 80 officials attending the meetings every month. Kleijnhans said that the developers would begin to engage with potential financiers and specialists for the new citys numerous and diverse development opportunities. Burbank Housing, in partnership with Napa County and the city of Napa, has been awarded roughly $18.1 million in state funding to convert Napas Wine Valley Lodge into 54 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless residents. The funding comes through Californias Project Homekey initiative, a multi-billion dollar effort to provide permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness statewide. Burbank Housings proposal includes a 55-year lease of the Wine Valley Lodge, located in Napa at 200 South Coombs St. Larry Florin, chief executive officer of Burbank, said the motel will be renamed the Valley Lodge Apartments and that Burbank expects it to open by the end of the year. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Some maintenance has to be carried at the site before its ready for occupancy, Florin said. Kitchenettes need to be added to each of the rooms, and some Americans with Disability Act adjustments need to be made. Florin estimated the improvements will cost about $3 million. But overall the site is in good condition, Florin said. The units are actually in very good condition relative to a lot of properties, Florin said. Fire sprinklers have to be installed and access ADA issues need to be resolved; all of those have to be completed before we move people in. The Wine Valley Lodge has been operated by Napa County since March 2020 to provide housing for homeless residents and for pandemic-related isolation under Project Roomkey a temporary homeless relief initiative created early in the pandemic, and a precursor to Homekey. Molly Rattigan, the city of Napas point person on homelessness, said at a City Council meeting last week that the property is still currently being used as a COVID-19 respite facility. Lark Ferrell, city of Napa housing manager, said at an October 2021 meeting that Burbank projected a $21.2 million cost for the project overall, which would include the cost of converting the motel and a five-year operating subsidy. Florin said that, for operations, Burbank is partnering with Abode Services Napa Countys homeless services provider and local nonprofit VOICES Napa. One focus of the Valley Lodge Apartments will be providing units for emancipated youth foster care, Florin said, and 14 units will be dedicated to that goal. Florin added that Burbank estimates the total cost of services annually will be $542,000 a year. "The key here is its going from a motel transient occupancy to permanent supportive housing, Florin said. Emphasis on permanent. These are now units that will become peoples apartments. You can reach Edward Booth at (707) 256-2213. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Five years ago, if you had told Daniel Coles that come 2022, hed be sober, housed, and even have his own puppy, he probably never would have believed it. Coles, 38, was addicted to methamphetamine for 17 years, he said. Hes been homeless, arrested numerous times, and spent time in jail for theft, drugs, and other charges. When I was getting high, I didnt really care if I died or lived, admitted Coles. Today, thats all changed. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Coles has been sober for more than two years, he said. And after living at the south Napa shelter, this past October he received a most welcome change: a room of his own with a roof over his head. Coles is a resident of the Wine Valley Lodge complex at 200 S. Coombs St. in Napa. The Wine Valley Lodge has been operated by Napa County since March 2020 for homeless housing under Project Roomkey Californias homeless relief initiative created in the early stages of the pandemic and for pandemic-related isolation and quarantines. According to Jennifer Palmer, Napa County director of housing & homeless services, out of the 54 units, only five are currently available for Project Roomkey clients. The rest of the rooms are reserved for residents who require isolation during COVID surges. Over the past months, motel occupancy has ranged from 100 percent to about 50 percent this past week. The next big step is for a nonprofit called Burbank Housing to transition the Wine Valley Lodge into 54 units of permanent housing for the homeless. Burbank Housing awarded $18.1 million to make Napa's Wine Valley Lodge into permanent supportive housing A Burbank Housing plan to transition Napa's Wine Valley Lodge into permanent supportive housing for homeless residents has received about $18.1 million from California's project Homekey initiative. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office announced that the city has been awarded more than $18.1 million for the project. Supportive services for all residents will include employment readiness services and educational support. See Sidebar. Project Roomkey at the Wine Valley Lodge has been a success, said Palmer. Between April 2020 and June 2021, a total of 78 Project Roomkey clients participated. Of that, 52 moved into permanent housing. A total of 16 of the 78 exited the program without a housing placement. Coles said that getting a room at the Wine Valley Lodge, took a lot of stress off my shoulders. It meant I dont have to worry about where Im going to lay my head at night, or how to safely store food. Hes also able to better monitor his diabetes. He has his own key and can come and go as he likes. He can keep snacks in his room or cook using a microwave or hot plate. Its been a blessing, said Coles. The people who work here are extremely nice and helpful. They dont look down on us because were homeless. Theyre very supportive and understanding. Coles also cited the support of a friend named Harley Roth. Coles first met Roth when he was homeless and living at Kennedy Park. He saw something in me that I did have some type of potential, said Coles. Roth helped Coles get back on his feet after he got out of jail. Today, the two are family, said Coles. There isnt anything I wouldnt do for him. As with any community, there are rules at the Wine Valley Lodge. Emotional support animals are permitted. There is no charge to the residents to stay at the motel. Three meals a day are delivered. However, because some of the residents have COVID, out of an abundance of caution, visitors are not currently allowed. We dont want people getting exposed, said Palmer. Residents must agree to regular room inspections. Illegal drug use and smoking in the rooms are not allowed. The primary condition is engagement with an Abode Services housing navigator working on a housing plan to move them towards permanent housing, said Palmer. Its a service-rich environment, she said. Coles is proud to be a success story. I was that dirty, rusty penny under the dirt that shined himself up, he said. Im grateful for every opportunity that Ive had (and) people that are willing to hire me after being addicted to drugs. Coles works part-time for a local auto parts business. He also volunteers to help the homeless. I dont have permanent housing right now, but life is better than what it was. That could change soon. Coles was recently was approved for a Section 8 housing voucher. Working with his Abode Services housing navigator, hes applying for apartment homes. Coles said he understands that some people experiencing homelessness might be reluctant to share deeply personal information with caseworkers or navigators who are essentially strangers. Yes, it may be uncomfortable, but if you want the services, its something you have to do, he said. If you really want something better for yourself, youll come to terms with it. As long as you are willing to put forth some type of effort, they will help you. Coles said he wanted to go public with his story to let people know just because I have a past doesnt mean I cant change. Doesnt mean I cant be a productive person in society, which is what Ive become. You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. EU: Poland fines in rule of law dispute now top $170 million Putin and Lukashenko discuss ongoing situation Greece and Bulgaria say new LNG terminal will help reduce dependence on Russia German vice chancellor calls for rapid construction of LNG terminals Rally of Resistance Movement takes place in France Square Robert Kocharyan takes part in opposition march Mario Draghi calls on EU to abandon requirement of unanimity in making foreign policy decisions Finland and Sweden not yet decided whether to join NATO Croatian president uses veto power to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO Slovakia will seek exemption from the EU embargo on Russian oil imports NEWS.am digest: Blinken meets Mirzoyan in US, people detained during protests in Yerevan Turkish Foreign Ministry on meeting of special envoys in Vienna Opposition rally in central Yerevan starts with Sirusho's performance Italy to face serious issues in winter if Russian gas supplies are cut off now Johnson announces new military aid to Ukraine in amount of 300 million euros Resistance Movement rally on France Square in Yerevan EU hopes to adopt sixth round of sanctions against Russia at next EU Council meeting Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Spitak Spain extends OVID-19 entry restrictions Vayk joins demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation Putin and Macron discuss Ukraine Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block road from Vayots Dzor to Yerevan Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Vanadzor demanding PM's resignation 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 Hong Kong: Experts continue visit The Mainland epidemiological expert delegation today continued its visit by learning about the compulsory home quarantine arrangements and the sewage surveillance programme. The expert delegation met and exchanged views with the representatives of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Department of Health (DH) this morning. The OGCIO introduced the technical support provided for the compulsory home quarantine arrangements, including the use of Bluetooth Low Energy electronic wristband pairing with the StayHomeSafe mobile application, to monitor people under compulsory home quarantine to ensure that they remain in the designated premises. The HAD introduced the scope of services and mode of operation of the 24-hour hotline set up to support the StayHomeSafe Scheme. The HAD also briefed the delegation on the efforts made to appeal for the support from the property management sector to the scheme. The delegation, accompanied by representatives of the DH, then visited the Quarantine Centre Task Force to learn about the quarantine and isolation work done by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. In the afternoon, Secretary for the Environment KS Wong, together with representatives from the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department (DSD), as well as the University of Hong Kong, briefed the expert delegation on the scientific and technological basis and the continual development of the sewage surveillance programme. The DSD also arranged an on-site demonstration of sewage sample collection at a temporary surveillance station. Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan said the Hong Kong SAR Government has mobilised all available manpower amongst different bureaus and departments to form a robust team to fight the epidemic. She said the Government will carefully study and implement the recommendations offered by experts and manage the various aspects of the anti-epidemic work. This story has been published on: 2022-02-20. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. For the fourth consecutive year, the Harford County Chamber of Commerce partners with the Harford County Office of Community and Economic Development and the Harford County Caucus of African American Leaders to host the 2022 Minority and Small Business Resource Fair on Thursday. The virtual event will feature informative sessions with local resource partners, government entities, and select local banks and credit unions that offer small-business lending options. Advertisement The purpose of the event is to teach minority-owned and small businesses about the many unique ways to secure funding, according to a news release from the sponsoring organizations. Sessions will cover programs that help small and new businesses without bank connections get funding, and how to get a Minority Business Enterprise certification which gives minority-owned businesses more opportunities for state and federal funding. Advertisement The event will feature sessions with leading resource partners including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the Small Business Development Center, Harford County Office of Community and Economic Development, and select local banks and credit unions with business lending opportunities. Other sessions will teach basic essentials like how to write a business plan and getting help with projections, and offer a question-and-and-answer session. Guest speakers scheduled include Andy Bauer from the Federal Reserve in Richmond and County Executive Barry Glassman. The resource fair is free for all attendees, and any business can register. The event will be broadcast from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Zoom. All registered participants will receive the virtual meeting access information immediately after registration and will get another reminder one day before the event via email. To register for the event, visit harfordchamber.org. Annapolis parking dilemma Alderman Brooks Schandelmeier, D-Ward 5, is the lead sponsor of O-9-22, which, if enacted, would eliminate off-street parking requirements for restaurants, bars, taverns and delis. This may be no big deal in Ward 1, where there are four city-owned parking structures, but it will negatively impact other areas of the city. Advertisement For example, there is a mixed-use building under construction on Annapolis Street in West Annapolis. It was approved for a restaurant with indoor seating for 50 people. The developers have just asked for a special exception to seat 128 people. There are no parking structures in West Annapolis, so assuming all 128 seats are taken, where will these people and restaurant staff park? In neighborhood streets, thats where. There are office buildings between Annapolis Street and Ridgely Ave that have a significant parking lots that are empty after hours. Perhaps instead of eliminating common-sense parking requirements for restaurants and bars, Schandelmeier can find legislative incentives owners of businesses with parking to share or rent it with those who dont. Advertisement Michael Collins, Annapolis Close loophole in drunken driving law As our state lawmakers continue to deliberate over hundreds of bills this session, proposed legislation strengthening Marylands drunken driving laws should rise to the top and make it to Gov. Larry Hogans desk for signature. The legislation closes a loophole in Noahs Law, which was passed in 2016 in honor of Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta, who died a week after being struck by an impaired driver while working on his departments annual Holiday Alcohol Task Force. The intent of the Noahs Law was to prevent first-time impaired drivers from becoming repeat offenders by mandating the use of an interlock device for all DUI offense. The current law, however, does not mandate the use of ignition interlock devices for the nearly 5,000 first-time DUI offenders annually who plead guilty and receive probation before judgment. This loophole puts every Marylander at risk. One of the most effective ways to prevent drunken driving is to ensure that all DUI offenders install and use an ignition interlock. These devices help change behaviors, prevent recidivism and protect the public. The sad reality is that far too many of us have a dear friend or family member whose lives have been forever changed with the sudden tragic news of a lost loved one. Their grief never goes away. For those who have asked, what can I do to help? contact your legislators and urge support for HB 557/SB 653. Your action can help save lives on our roads and spare another family from suffering the pain and anguish caused by the senseless act of drunken driving. Lisa Hawkins, Annapolis Advertisement Hawkins is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Distilled Spirits Council Culling deer is necessary Are there too many deer in and around Quiet Waters Park? County ground and aerial deer population surveys confirm an excessive overpopulation. Surprised? We reduced their habitat, killed all their predators, and expected them to halt their genetic code to reproduce. We are continuing rapidly to reduce their habitat with the ongoing construction of the Parkside Preserve 134 home development adjacent to the park. More greenway that feeds into the park is slated for future development. Living adjacent to the park, my observations confirm the county data. The deer are eating plant species they have not eaten in 30 years. They line up at night to eat from my bird feeders. Their exposed rib cages evidence their hunger. The county is proceeding to address the problem in a manner used all over the country. Trained county police officers will carefully cull deer and donate the venison to a local food bank. The deer will be just fine thereafter. Culling deer works to hold down populations and keep them healthy, not eliminate them. Deer may double their numbers within one to two years. Two deer without predation can produce a herd of up to 35 deer in seven years. Marylands white tailed deer population was 232,000 in 2020, an increase from 140,426 in 1989. Culling safeguards human health and property. Deer carry high numbers of deer ticks, which transmit Lyme disease to humans. Maryland is one of the high-risk states and from 2000-2018 Anne Arundel County had an estimated 20,880 cases of this debilitating disease. This was the third highest of any Maryland county. Maryland is also a high-risk state for deer related car collisions with State Farm estimating that there were 38,000 deer-car collisions in Maryland in 2020 causing more than $180 million in damage and many injuries. Advertisement Overabundant deer damage forest ecosystems by eliminating forest regeneration and reducing vegetation mass. The alternative of capturing and sterilizing wild deer has not and will not work to reduce population. The costs of even a small-scale sterilization would be prohibitive. Unless we bring back wolves, the county and state must act to control deer populations, especially in places hunters cannot access. Greg Walker, Annapolis Winegrad is a must read This letter is just feedback and appreciation for the articles by Gerald Winegrad concerning the Chesapeake. He is so knowledgeable both because of his decades of experience policy-wise and because he grew up here. Thank you for giving us access to such an author. Margaret Herbers, Davidsonville LONDON Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that the famously stoic 95-year-old monarch plans to carry on working. The palace said the queen would continue with light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week. Advertisement She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines, the palace said in a statement. People in the U.K. who test positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for at least five days, although the British government says it plans to lift that requirement for England this week. Advertisement The queen has received three doses of coronavirus vaccine. Both her eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall both contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor Castle, where the queen is staying. Queen Elizabeth II speaks during an audience at Windsor Castle where she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries, Wednesday Feb. 16, 2022. Buckingham Palace said Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 that Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and will continue with duties. (Steve Parsons/AP) Senior British politicians sent get-well messages. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health. Health Secretary Sajid Javid wrote that he was Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery, while opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer wished the queen good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Maam. Britains longest-reigning monarch, the queen reached the milestone of 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6, the anniversary of the death in 1952 of her father King George VI. A fixture in the life of the nation, Elizabeth has been in robust health for most of her reign and has been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year she has been seen using a walking stick, and in October she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests. The queens doctors ordered her to rest after that and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November. This month she returned to public duties and has held audiences both virtually and in person with diplomats, politicians and senior military officers. During one exchange caught on camera last week, she walked slowly with a stick and said as you can see I cant move in apparent reference to her leg. Advertisement Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said members of the royal family would be concerned by the COVID-19 diagnosis, given the queens age. She turns 96 on April 21. In the coming days a very close eye will be kept on her and the indications are that, all being well, its nothing more than a minor inconvenience, he said. The queen has a busy schedule over the next few months of her Platinum Jubilee year, and is scheduled to attend in-person public engagements in the coming weeks, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor on March 2 and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14. On March 29, she has a remembrance service at Westminster Abbey for her husband Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99. Public celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee are scheduled for June, with festivities including a military parade, a day of horse-racing and neighborhood parties over a June 2-5 long weekend. The queen is the latest monarch from around the world to catch COVID-19. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, and Spains King Felipe VI, 54, both tested positive for the illness earlier in February and had mild symptoms. Advertisement Her diagnosis comes after a difficult week for Britains royal family. On Tuesday the queens second son, Prince Andrew, settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed he had sexually abused with her when she was 17 and traveling with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew strenuously denied the claim by Virginia Giuffre. He agreed in a settlement to make a substantial donation to his accusers charity. On Wednesday, Londons Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into allegations that people associated with one of Prince Charles charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure honors and citizenship in return for donations. Russia holds nuclear exercises as tensions mount A Russian Defence Ministry image shows the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile during exercises on Saturday. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP Russia's strategic nuclear forces held exercises overseen by President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, and Washington accused Russian troops massed near Ukraine's border of advancing and being "poised to strike". With Western fears of war rising, the White House said US President Joe Biden's national security team told him they still believed Russia could launch an attack in Ukraine "at any time" and he planned to convene his top advisers on Sunday to discuss the crisis. Foreign ministers from the G7 group of rich nations said they had seen no evidence Russia is reducing its military activity in the area and remained "gravely concerned" about the situation. After Kyiv and Moscow traded accusations over new shelling near the border, France and Germany urged all or some of their citizens in Ukraine to leave. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russian forces were beginning to "uncoil and move closer" to the border. "We hope he (Putin) steps back from the brink of conflict," Austin told a news conference in Lithuania, saying an invasion of Ukraine was not inevitable. Russia ordered the military build-up while demanding NATO prevent Ukraine from ever joining the alliance but says Western warnings that it is planning to invade Ukraine are hysterical and dangerous. Moscow says it is pulling back, but Washington and allies say the build-up is mounting. Washington and Nato say Moscow's main demands are non-starters, but in Ukraine fears are growing over Putin's plans. Venting his frustration at a security conference in Munich, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the global security architecture was "almost broken". He urged the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Germany and Turkey to meet to draw up new security guarantees for his country. "The rules that the world agreed on decades ago no longer work," Zelenskiy said. "They do not keep up with new threats ... This is a cough syrup when you need a coronavirus vaccine." World Bank President David Malpass told Zelenskiy on Saturday the bank was readying funding to Ukraine of up to US$350 million. (Reuters) In a significant development indicative of strong Indo-Bangla ties, the long-standing impasse over lifting water from river Feni--flowing along the Indo-Bangla international borders--has been resolved followed by a field level inspection conducted on Saturday last. Apart from that, higher officials from both the countries took a resolve to prevent erosion in certain patches of the river bank to maintain the health and navigability of the river, District Magistrate, South Tripura, Saju Waheed said on Saturday. Waheed, who was a member of the Indian delegation that received the Bangladesh delegates and who later inspected the approved projects at the river banks, said that the joint visit was successful by all means as works are expected to start within the next two to three weeks. "It is a big breakthrough. For the last 12 years, these projects did not see any development despite the fact both the countries approved the water ties long back. The field level inspections, such as identification of land and other construction works, were getting delayed due to some unforeseen reasons. Hopefully, within the next two to three weeks, works shall start in the selected spots", he added. Explaining about the projects, he said, there are two important projects that are ambitious as well as very necessary for the people living on the banks of river Feni. Firstly, construction of an intake well on the river that will source water to the water treatment plant in sabroom. This project is aimed at providing clean drinking water to the entire civic area. The existing well is not went defunct and both the countries have agreed to relocate the well so that uninterrupted potable water can be supplied to the bordering town, he said adding: "We have finalized the place where the intake well will be set up and in the coming weeks works in this direction shall start". The second project, he said, is pertaining to the conservation of the river water. "Soil erosion emerged as a big trouble affecting the health of the river which is a source of life and livelihood for many. On the Indian side, there are 19 selected points where erosion of soil is being reported whereas in the Bangladesh side nine such sites have been pointed out. Both the countries shall work in coordination to maintain the health of the river and keep a close watch on activities that might affect the navigability of the river", said the official. A total 1.8 cusecs of water will be lifted by the Indian side from river Feni for the water treatment plant, the officials further told ANI. (ANI) Tripura's Education Department has issued a strict order putting restrictions on political rallies and programmes on school premises during school hours. The orders were issued after the department received some reports against a section of headmasters who had been found allowing such programmes during school hours. However, for any such programme, a NOC from the education department has been made mandatory. "It is hereby reiterated that no school resources including playground shall be used by any political party/organizer to conduct political functions/rallies etc. No objection Certificate from the Director Secondary/Elementary Education or concerned District Education Officer as the case may be a prerequisite for organizing of other programmes as well strictly during holidays or after school hours. The undersigned is of information that some Headmasters/TICs have violated this rule and have tacitly given approval to the use of school ground for political gatherings during school hours despite the organizer not obtaining NOC," the order undersigned by Director of school education department Chandni Chandran reads. In the orders, the education department underscored that COVID-19 induced lockdowns have severely affected the studies and thus utmost priority should be given to physical classes during school hours. "Especially since the schools have reopened after long breaks necessitated by Covid pandemic situation, it is completely unacceptable that the Headmasters are allowing such activities seriously hampering teaching-learning activities and violating the norms of the Department. The undersigned is to inform all Headmasters/TICs that strict action will be taken against them for the violations already committed and to warn others against any such violations in future," the order added. "In case any organization is planning to conduct a non-permissible activity or a permissible activity without obtaining approval, it is the duty of the HM/TIC to inform the Inspector of Schools/District Education Officers. After receipt of such information, the matter has to be immediately taken up with local administrative and Police authorities - Sub Divisional Magistrate & Sub Divisional Police Officers requesting cancellation of permission given for the programme. Any such request should be intimated to concerned District Magistrates and Director Elementary/Secondary Education for follow up action," the order concludes explaining the consequences of any violation. (ANI) Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar lashed out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said that people of Punjab will give a befitting reply to those promoting terrorism. Jakhar's remarks came as Punjab will vote in a single phase on February 20. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Jakhar said, "If Kejriwal has come to Punjab with a mindset of promoting terrorism, then the people here will give a befitting reply to him." The Congress leader said that the allegations against Kejriwal are serious. "Kejriwal will not answer as he had stayed at a terrorist's house in the last election held in 2017 after which the people of Punjab had rejected him. This time the same will happen what Kumar Vishwas has said. It has exposed their mentality." "The people of Punjab have made great sacrifices for the peace of Punjab. 25,000 people have lost their lives to get rid of terrorists. It is Kejriwal who is trying to separate Punjab from the country. Kejriwal wants to wear Punjab's cap with a terrorist mindset. I have requested the Prime Minister to get the matter investigated." Kumar Vishwas, who was a founding member of the Aam Aadmi Party, has alleged that Arvind Kejriwal had connections with separatists in Punjab and those having sympathy with separatists used to come to his house for meetings during the last assembly polls. However, Kejriwal had dismissed the allegations and said, "This is comedy. If their allegations are to be believed, I am a big terrorist. In this case, what were security agencies doing in the last 10 years? I am probably the sweetest terrorist in the world -- the one who builds hospitals, schools, and roads; sends the elderly to pilgrimage and gives free electricity to people." The Congress leader also spoke about the Prime Minister's security breach incident. Jakhar said that the security of the Prime Minister is the responsibility of the government. "The Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the matter. We will see how the matter unfolds." "Pulwama attack and PM security breach incident cannot be measured on the same scales. PM's security is important, but the security of our army is also important. Pulwama happened on February 14. There is a Centre's rule in place in Jammu and Kashmir. Who resigned from the Centre after the Pulwama incident?" "On the other hand, ensuring Prime Minister's security is a duty of the Home Ministry. Why aren't they asking the Home Minister to resign? Instead, they are asking Chief Minister Channi to resign," he said. (ANI) According to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray invited the Telangana Chief Minister and his team to dinner. National political issues will be discussed during these meetings, the party informed. KCR will leave for Mumbai on Sunday morning and will return to Hyderabad by evening. K Chandrashekar Rao had earlier hit out at the BJP and said that it should be "expelled" from the country or else the country will be "ruined". He also called for political forces coming together to "oust" the BJP from power. As part of efforts to bring various opposition parties together against the BJP, KCR is also planning to meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee. Earlier, former Prime Minister HD Devegowda extended support to KCR for the initiative. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had also said that chief ministers of non-NDA-ruled states would soon hold a convention in Delhi. (ANI) Indian Army carried out these operations in extreme cold weather conditions to check about their well being as well as to provide basic healthcare and medical supplies at their doorstep in this remote location. People of these villages have meagre medical facilities and the nearest healthcare centre is at Batpura and they have to travel for about five hours even for small medical assistance. Indian Army medical officer and the medical team, who were part of the Khairiyat patrol provided basic medicines to the villagers. Both men and women, including children, as well as senior citizens, were attended to. Residents of both the villages appreciated the efforts of the Indian Army and said many of them are unable to go to the nearest medical centre due to harsh weather conditions. (ANI) Speaking to the reporters, Rawat said, "Congress party is going to form the government in Uttarakhand. People have voted for development. This development (voting) has happened in favour of Congress. Knowing this, the Bharatiya Janata Party is tense and anxious. It clearly shows that BJP is going to lose elections in the state." "We will request our party president Sonia Gandhi to decide the CM. Our CM face will be the one whom people want (Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Mann Bhave)," he added. Rawat had earlier claimed that nobody in the Congress party has any objections to his name as the Chief Ministerial candidate. Assembly elections were held in Uttarakhand on February 14, 2022, to elect 70 members of the Uttarakhand Assembly. The votes will be counted on March 10. Interestingly in Punjab, Congress has announced Charanjit Singh Channi as its chief ministerial candidate. (ANI) Sonu Sood's sister Malvika Sood Sachar, who is contesting from Punjab's Moga seat on Congress ticket, is hopeful of winning the Assembly elections. "I feel positive for today. A lot of people are calling up including those from foreign countries and are cheering up for my support. Many of them have assured me to vote for me today. If people think that Sonu Sood is a star, then it's an icing on the cake for me," Malvika said. She added, "I have worked a lot for the welfare of the people. We have done many social works. I don't think any other candidate has done so much social work." On January 10 this year, Malvika Sood, sister of actor Sonu Sood, joined Congress in Punjab's Moga. Over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1304 candidates in the fray from 117 constituencies on Sunday. Polling will begin across 117 seats in the state at 7 AM today. Punjab is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former chief minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress party as key players. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju informed there are 2,14,99,804 voters in Punjab who are eligible to exercise their franchise on Sunday. He said that there are 1304 candidates--1209 male, 93 women and two transgenders are in the fray in 117 constituencies. A total of 1,304 candidates-- 231 are from national parties, 250 from state parties, 362 from unrecognised Parties, and 461 are Independent candidates. He said that as many as 315 contesting candidates are with Criminal Antecedents. Dr Raju said that 24689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been established at 14684 polling station locations of which 2013 are identified as critical, while 2952 are vulnerable pockets. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats. (ANI) Days after the opposition in the Kerala assembly disrupted the Governor's speech, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan slammed the state government as well as the opposition for trying to 'denigrate and insult' the Governor. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Muraleedharan said, "The ruling and opposition fronts in Kerala have been continuously trying to denigrate and insult Kerala Governor (Arif Mohammad Khan). Chief Minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) should clarify whether it's with his permission that these cyber goons and other LDF leaders are trying to insult Governor." The Union Minister of State, who hails from Kerala, highlighted that the ruling party and the Opposition are trying to bracket BJP and the Governor together. "Opposition leaders, who heave criticism on the Governor, don't care to criticize the Kerala government irrespective of the corruption and high-handedness. The ruling party and the Opposition are trying to bracket BJP and the Governor together," Muraleedharan said. Earlier on Saturday, the Opposition, in the state assembly, disrupted the Governor's speech Khan on Saturday questioned the excessive strength of the personal staff of ministers in the state. He said that the ministers in the state have more than 20 personal staff. Speaking to the media, Khan said as a Central Cabinet minister, he could have appointed only 11 personnel staff. "But here every minister has more than 20 members in personnel staff," he said. This is a gross violation, and misuse of the people's money, he added. (ANI) Sandra Day OConnor was nervous when she joined the Supreme Court in 1981 as the nations first female justice. Its all right to be the first to do something, but I didnt want to be the last woman on the Supreme Court, OConnor said in 2012. If I took the job and did a lousy job it would take a long time to get another one, so it made me very nervous about it. Advertisement Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor poses for a photo in 1982. O'Connor joined the Supreme Court in 1981 as the nation's first female justice. (Anonymous/AP) Now, President Joe Biden is preparing to put another woman in the role of a historic first on the court. The person he chooses as the first Black female justice will become an instant celebrity and face a unique set of pressures. Just being the new justice on the nine-member court can be an adjustment. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently described learning the job as like learning to ride a bike with everybody watching you. The courts newest justice the fifth woman in the courts history said in an appearance this month that being a public figure is a lot to get used to. Advertisement That will only be magnified for Bidens nominee, who will immediately join the ranks of court firsts. They include Roger B. Taney was the courts first Catholic, in 1836. Louis Brandeis was the courts first Jewish member, in 1916. Thurgood Marshall was the courts first Black justice, in 1967. Justice Sonia Sotomayor became its first Latina justice in 2009. Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall poses for a photo in Washington, Oct. 24, 1967. Marshall joined the Supreme Court in 1967 as the court's first Black justice. (Charles Tasnadi/AP) Sotomayor acknowledged in a 2018 public appearance that she felt the weight of being the only woman of color on the court, calling it a really big burden and a great responsibility. I think there are, for women in general, the need for role models, she said, citing OConnor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the courts second female justice, as having inspired her. But for women of color, people in top positions are not as frequent and certainly not as numerous. Women, and in particular Black women, often feel pressure to be the most qualified in the room to overcome the outsize criticism and questions surrounding their fitness they can attract. They have to be so perfect as to shield themselves from the criticism, said Maya Sen, a political scientist at Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government who studies the issues of gender and race and the law. Sotomayor almost decided not to go through with her own nomination to the court. Deeply hurt by articles after her nomination that suggested she was not smart enough and not very nice in the courtroom, she thought about pulling out of the process. It was at that point, however, that a friend with an 8-year-old daughter told her: This is not about you, dummy. ... This is about my daughter, who needs to see somebody like herself be in a position of power. Sotomayor stayed in. Already, Democrats have built up expectations around the yet-to-be-named nominee. Advertisement Biden has said he will choose someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she will have impeccable experience. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, among the Democrats who met with Biden about the nomination earlier this month, said he expected the nominee will really help unite the country. Some Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have criticized Bidens pledge to name a Black woman to the court. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called it offensive. Senate Democrats are expected to be able to confirm Bidens nominee, but they have said they would like to see bipartisan support for his pick. The three top contenders for the job are Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Leondra Kruger, a member of the California Supreme Court; and J. Michelle Childs, a federal judge in South Carolina. Biden has said he will announce his selection by the end of the month. Marshall was already a legendary civil rights figure that by the time he joined the court, which was just the latest in a series of historic accomplishments. Mark Tushnet, a former Marshall clerk who compiled a book of Marshalls speeches and writings, said he cannot recall the justice ever expressly talking about being the first Black person on the court. Marshall has schools and courthouse buildings named after him. In Sotomayors case, a public housing development she lived in growing up was renamed in her honor. Marshall and Brandeis are among the justices the U.S. Postal Service has honored with stamps. As for mail generally, Bidens future justice can expect to get a lot not only congratulations but also speaking requests. Sotomayor got bins and bins of mail. OConnor got truckloads. The vast majority of writers were supportive, but a few men angry at OConnors appointment sent naked pictures of themselves, author Evan Thomas wrote in his biography of her, First. Advertisement OConnor largely shrugged off the crude protest. One of her sons, Jay OConnor, said his mothers answer to any doubters was to throw herself into her work and ensure she was incredibly prepared. Jay OConnor said even decades after she was nominated, women in particular would come up to his mother in public and tell her they remembered where they were when they heard the news that President Ronald Reagan had picked her. They wanted her to know, he said, how deeply meaningful that announcement was to them. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday urged the people of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to vote as both the states go to the Assembly polls today. The third phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls is underway while Punjab is voting in a single-phase election. "I appeal to the voters of the third phase of Uttar Pradesh that each and every vote of yours is very important to elect the government which will accelerate development by keeping the state free from dynasty, casteism and appeasement. So vote in maximum numbers," Shah tweeted in Hindi. "Punjab has a golden and glorious history, which every Indian is proud of. I appeal to the people of Punjab to vote for the government which keeps the state safe and keeps the cultural heritage and rich tradition of gurus ahead to keep Punjab and the country united," he said in another tweet in Hindi. After weeks of high voltage poll campaigning for Punjab Assembly elections, over 2.14 crore voters of the state will decide the fate of 1304 candidates in the fray from 117 constituencies on Sunday. Polling began across 117 seats in the state at 8 am today. Polling in 59 constituencies for the third phase of Uttar Pradesh elections at 7 am on Sunday. In the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls, 59 assembly seats across 16 districts are going to the polls on Sunday. As many as 627 candidates are in the fray. Over 2.16 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 25,794 polling places and 15,557 polling stations in the third phase of Assembly elections. Counting of the votes will take place on March 10. (ANI) In Punjab, over 2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1304 candidates who are in the fray from 117 constituencies. There are 2,14,99,804 voters in Punjab who are eligible to exercise their franchise on Sunday. He said that there are 1304 candidates--1209 male, 93 women and two transgenders are in the fray in 117 constituencies spread across 23 districts of the state. The state is witnessing a multi-corner contest this time with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, and the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party-former chief minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress party as key players. Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who is the Congress's chief ministerial face, is contesting from two seats Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur. Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is facing SAD's Bikram Singh Majithia, AAP's Jeevanjyot Kaur and BJP's Jagmohan Singh Raju in Amritsar (East). AAP Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur and party's CM face Bhagwant Mann is contesting from Dhuri seat. Punjab Lok Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh is seeking re-election from the Patiala constituency. Five-time Chief Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal is in the fray from the Lambi seat while SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal is in the electoral contest from Jalalabad. The BJP has pitted its Punjab unit chief Ashwani Kumar Sharma from the Pathankot constituency. A total of 1,304 candidates-- 231 are from national parties, 250 from state parties, 362 from unrecognised Parties, and 461 are Independent candidates. As many as 315 contesting candidates are with Criminal Antecedents. A total of 24689 polling stations and 51 auxiliary polling stations have been established at 14684 polling station locations of which 2013 are identified as critical, while 2952 are vulnerable pockets. Three Special State Observers, ECI has appointed 65 General Observers, 50 Expenditure Observers and 29 Police Observers, who are keeping a close vigil. As many as 2,083 sector officers have been deployed to assist polling parties. All the DCs, CPs and SSPs have been keeping strict vigil to check the incidents of distribution of liquor, narcotics and money to voters. In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member House, whereas Shiromani Akali Dal could win only 18 seats. On the other hand, AAP emerged as the second-largest party with 20 seats. The counting of votes will be done on March 10. (ANI) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation around Ukraine, as well as other issues, with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at Munich Security Conference on Saturday. "Met with Saudi Foreign Minister @FaisalbinFarhan today at the Munich Security Conference to discuss Russia's military buildup near Ukraine's borders, energy security, and countering threats from and mitigating civilian harm in Yemen," Blinken said on Twitter. The Munich Security Conference kicked off on Friday. In the past few months, Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Notably, tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months as Russia and NATO are accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade the country. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country. The conflict in Donbas between Ukraine's government and the breakaway of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics has been going on since 2014. The Minsk Agreements, designed to find a political resolution to the conflict, was negotiated by the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine -- the Normandy group -- in February 2015. However, the agreement has so far not been observed and sporadic clashes continue. (ANI) Justice seems a distant dream for the Qalandarani family of Balochistan's Khuzdar district as 11 years have passed since sixteen members of their family were arrested by Pakistani forces but they could not be traced yet by the government. On February 18, 2011, the Military took numerous Baloch citizens from the Tootak area in Khuzdar district in custody out of which 16 people have not been recovered even after a prolonged delay of years, reported Islam Khabar. The family members have been appealing to the government to search for the missing people however even after such a long time no trace has been found. The family is desperately hoping that justice will be served. During the operation, the forces raided each and every house present in the area. They suffered great pain and trauma which is unimaginable as the operation continuously went on for several hours and military personnel took many people of Tootak in custody. Following the incident, some people were released. However 80-year-old Mohammad Rahim Khan Qalandarani and 16 others from the family were missing. Mohammad Rahim passed away in July 2020. Pakistani forces arrested the family of Mohammad Rahim Khan Qalandarani and set their house on fire. Along with Mohammad Rahim Khan, others including Dr Tahir, Fida Ahmed, Nisar Ahmed, Aaftab Nadim, Aasif, Jafar and Zia Ul were taken into custody, reported Islam Khabar. During 2014 unnumbered graves were found in the nearby area in Tootak of Khuzdar district. More than 100 dead bodies were found in these graves and in deteriorated condition. Some of these graves were reduced to mere bones and skeletons that they had become destroyed to a level of unrecognition. The revelation of these graves has only added to the misery of the family as they are more worried for their loved ones. Earlier, a Baloch political activist, Munir Mengal, said that military and terror groups are suppressing locals in Balochistan. "There is a military rule and the other rule is the rule of terrorist organizations, who are the assets of the Pakistani state. Pakistan state is using those terrorist organizations to eliminate the Baloch nationalists with an aim to deeply penetrate Balochistan. No organization - be it the judiciary or police - are irrelevant with respect to the abuse of rights inside Balochistan," said Munir. (ANI) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the Imran Khan government is trying to cripple the provincial government financially by deducting its share of the money. The federal government, in violation of the Constitution of Pakistan and the Supreme Court's decision, has deducted Rs 31.9 billion out of Rs 35 billion at source from a 15-day share of Sindh government and released only Rs 3 billion, reported The Express Tribune. The chief minister, talking about natural gas, said that the Constitution guaranteed that people of the province from where the gas was produced had the first right to the resource, but the federal government has denied this right to the people of Sindh. Shah also spoke on the 1991 Water Accord saying that the provinces have to share water surpluses as well as shortages in accordance with the formula agreed on, but during the ongoing shortages, Rabi/Kharif seasons, Sindh has been deprived of its due share. Shah made the revelation in a meeting with the editors of newspapers and directors of news channels at the CM House in Karachi. He criticized the government for its attitude towards Sindh and sensitized them about issues such as at source deduction from Sindh government share, water and gas shortage, imposition of unilateral transfer, posting rotation policy, reported the newspaper. Shifting the focus to the state of the entire country in general, he pointed out the issues such as price hike, unemployment, economic crisis, curbs against media, the strangulating voice of media persons by arresting them and various other social issues. (ANI) Taking to Twitter, he said, "Concluded the day meeting with FM @simoncoveney of Ireland. We have worked closely together at UNSC. Ireland can play a greater role in our EU engagement." Jaishankar also met with Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to German Chancellor Jens Ploetner and reviewed the global developments. Furthermore, he held a meeting with German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze. Jaishankar and Schulze discussed the respective development partnership outlook and shared their commitment to promoting green growth and clean tech. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and discussed several issues including Afghanistan, Indo-Pacific and the ongoing tension between Ukraine and Russia. He also held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world during his visit to Germany. (ANI) A Pakistani man was sentenced in the Northern District of Illinois for a health care fraud scheme and money laundering conspiracy, said the US Department of Justice (DOJ). Muhammad Ateeq, 33, of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay approximately USD 48 million in restitution. In addition, Judge Manish Shah ordered the forfeiture of a USD 2.4 million cashier's check and over USD 1 million in cash. The sentencing was done on February 18. According to court documents, Ateeq worked in the Islamabad office of Home Health Care Consulting, an entity that controlled Medicare billing and maintenance of electronic medical records for over 20 home health agencies located in Illinois, Indiana, Nevada and Texas. While working at Home Health Care Consulting, Ateeq used a variety of fake identities, including "Nilesh Patel," "Sanjay Kapoor" and "Rajesh Desai," to acquire and manage home health agencies in the United States. Once the agencies were under Ateeq's control, Ateeq caused the agencies to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for home health services, resulting in over USD 40 million in payments for services that were never rendered, said the DOJ statement. As part of the money laundering conspiracy, Ateeq directed his U.S. employees to deposit checks of fraud proceeds into U.S. bank accounts designated by overseas customers of overseas money transmitting businesses. The money transmitting businesses then issued cash payments to Ateeq in Pakistan, as well as deposits into bank accounts in Pakistan under Ateeq's control. Ateeq also directed U.S. employees to use fraud proceeds to purchase expensive watches and other luxury items in the United States and then deliver the items to Ateeq's associates in Dubai. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. for the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent-in-Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office; and Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. As per the DOJ statement, the FBI Chicago Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorney Sarah Wilson Rocha of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Daniel and Patrick Mott of the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case. (ANI) Pakistani journalist Athar Mateen was shot dead on Friday in an armed attack on his car in Karachi's North Nazimabad area was robbed nearly nine times before being killed, said his brother Tariq Mateen. While speaking on the rising crimes in Karachi on ARY News transmission, Athar's brother said that people in Karachi fear that their belongings will be looted and thus they have to hide their cash and phones. He criticized the Pakistani government saying, "The government functionaries only had to issue a condemnation after every such incident without taking concrete steps to deal with it," he said. Furthermore, while grieving he said that the police station was less than a kilometre away from where his brother was shot. He accused the police of backing these social elements. "However, no one came from the station even after the robbers took their time to run away while continuously firing," Tariq Mateen said. Sharing personal experience, he said that not only Athar but they were five brothers and each of them have been robbed multiple times on Karachi streets. "The robbers are roaming freely and it is Karachiites who need to hide their mobile phones and cash while going out over fear of getting robbed," he said and added, "Our police and government has failed to deal with the situation". According to the police, the private TV channel's senior producer Athar Mateen was assassinated at the main thoroughfare in North Nazimabad while he was on his way back home after dropping his children to school. The police said that Mateen, who was driving a car, tried to foil a robbery bid when he saw armed motorcyclists robbing another citizen, by shoving his car into their motorcycle. At this, one of the motorcyclists, who fell on the ground, opened fire at Mateen's car. The assailant fired three shots, but Mateen sustained only one bullet injury which killed him on the spot, the police said. (ANI) After several passengers were robbed during a traffic jam on a route in Karachi's main Korangi Causeway on Saturday night that caused social outcry, a station house officer (SHO) was removed on Sunday. East Zone DIG Muquddus Haider said that the Korangi Industrial Area SHO was removed as directives had been issued for the permanent deployment of police mobiles at the spot where the citizens, mostly motorcyclists, were looted on Saturday night. "But the [police] mobile was missing," he said. In response, directives were issued for the permanent deployment of two police mobiles at street crime "hotspots" on Karachi's main Korangi Causeway, reported Dawn. A citizen has lodged a complaint. East Zone DIG Muquddus Haider said that the robbers had been traced. As per the information available, the suspects were previously arrested but later they were released. SSP Faisal Bashir of Korangi is looking into the matter. Police estimated that around 10-12 motorcyclists were robbed on Saturday night. However, reports circulating on social media claimed that 10 armed dacoits robbed 100 passengers on the main road, reported the newspaper. Karachi has seen an increase in incidents of street crime recently with growing complaints from all segments of society. Society is also calling out the security administration for its failure to curb such incidents. Previously, the Sindh government had abruptly removed the Karachi police chief, Additional Inspector General Imran Yaqoob Minhas, after only nine months on the post and replaced him with his predecessor, Ghulam Nabi Memon. Chief Minister of Pakistan's Sindh province Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday blamed the country's financial situation for the rise in street crimes in Karachi. He said that the economic conditions in the country are the reason for the worsening crime situation in the city. He stressed that people, because of these conditions are "forced" to resort to such crimes, reported Dawn. The chief minister further maintained that the worsening law and order situation was a problem afflicting most cities of the country and not limited to Karachi. He said that the only reason that Karachi received more attention was because it is a major city. (ANI) The US Embassy in Russia warned of "threats of attacks" at public places in major urban areas including Moscow, St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine and also urged American citizens staying in the country to have "evacuation plans." "According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centres, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine," said the US Embassy in Russia said in its security alert. U.S. Embassy Moscow Spokesperson Jason P. Rebholz tweeted "Important security alert from the U.S. Mission to Russia" and shared the press release on his official Twitter handle. The Embassy requested the citizens to monitor local and international media for updates and to avoid crowds. "Avoid crowds. Notify friends and family of your safety. Be aware of your surroundings. Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists/Westerners. Review your personal security plans," it said. The embassy also urged Americans to carry proper identification, including a U.S. passport with a current Russian visa and "have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance". This came amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine due to Moscow's build-up of around 150,000 troops just over the border from the Donbas region in the east, in Belarus to the north and Crimea to the south, which began in the autumn. Russia claims the surge of forces has always been for military exercises and that it poses no threat to Ukraine or any other nation, but has refused to offer any other explanation for the biggest build-up of military might in Europe since the Cold War. (ANI) A 24-year-old man is accused of fatally strangling a Forest View woman hed met on social media and leaving her body in the back seat of her car in South Austin last month, prosecutors said Saturday. Advertisement Judge Susana Ortiz on Saturday ordered Richard Chavez held without bail on a first-degree murder charge during a bond hearing Saturday afternoon. Charisma Ehresman, 20, was found dead in the back seat of her vehicle in the 5900 block of West Iowa Street in the South Austin neighborhood on Jan. 28, three days after she was reported missing and five days after she was last seen leaving her Forest View home, Cook County prosecutors said during the hearing. Advertisement After the two communicated on social media, they decided to meet in person and she left her home Jan. 23 in her red Ford Fiesta and went to Chavezs home, parking her car in the 600 block of South Maple Avenue in Oak Park, prosecutors said. Doorbell surveillance from a nearby home shows Chavez walked out of his home and walked back in with Ehresman around 10:38 p.m. Jan. 23, prosecutors said. Around 7:30 a.m. the next day, surveillance video shows Chavez getting into Ehresmans car and driving it to the 5900 block of West Iowa Street, parking it there and walking east, prosecutors said. No one else exited the car, prosecutors said. Chavez walked around the area for about an hour then called his brother to pick him up, prosecutors said. His brother picked him up around 9:37 a.m. less than a mile from where he parked the car, prosecutors said. Ehresman is never seen leaving Chavezs home and Ehresmans last phone call was to Chavezs phone, prosecutors said. Cell phone records show Chavezs phone was pinged in the area where he was seen walking after he parked the car, prosecutors said. Surveillance video shows he was wearing a mask when he drove the car to South Austin, prosecutors said. On Jan. 25, when Chavez was placed in custody for an outstanding DUI warrant, police spotted lacerations on his hands and he appeared to have cut his hair, prosecutors said. While in custody, Chavez called his parents and asked them to get his passport ready, prosecutors said. He told police hed gone to sleep by 8 p.m. after the two hooked up on Jan. 23 and when he woke up after 10 a.m., Ehresman was gone. Advertisement On Jan. 28, Ehresmans car was found and she was found in the back seat with a jacket covering her face, prosecutors said. Ehresman died of asphyxiation caused by strangulation and being smothered, prosecutors said. Her death was ruled a homicide. After getting a search warrant on Jan. 31, police searched Chavezs home and found a partially packed suitcase, the mask hes seen wearing in surveillance video and hair clippings in his garbage, prosecutors said. Alfredo Acosta, Chavezs attorney, said he is a United States citizen and his relatives, including his father, were in court. Acosta questioned how he really is a threat or danger to anyone in the public because he does not have any violence in his background. Chavez is due back in court Feb. 24. Advertisement scasanova@chicagotribune.com Pakistan's Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on Apsar Abdruk check post in Turbat city in Balochistan, said South Asia Media Research Institute (SAMRI). Taking to Twitter, SAMRI said, "Balochistan Liberation Front (#BLF), claims responsibility for a grenade attack on Apsar Abdruk check post in #Turbat city. The attack reportedly killed one Pakistani soldier and wounded another." Recently, Baloch resistance forces attacked Frontier Corps camps in Panjgur and Noshki areas of Balochistan which meted out heavy casualties to the security forces. Earlier, an attack on security forces by the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) guerrillas in Kech killed at least 10 Pakistan soldiers. The intensity of these attacks can be guessed from the fact that Pakistan Army has reportedly had to press helicopter gunships and armoured personnel carriers into operations against the Baloch fighters. President of Baloch Voice Association, Munir, said that people in Balochistan have no rights and there is intense poverty in the region despite it having rich mineral reserves. He said the people inside Balochistan are living under martial law where the military do whatever they want to do. "They are abusing the rights of the people, they are disappearing the people, they are extra-judicial killing the people with impunity and this has been the strategic design to rule on and dominate the people inside Balochistan," he added. The Baloch are also against the Pakistani security forces as the region has registered thousands of disappearances of political activists, intellectuals, journalists and students. The families of the victims continue to protest in Quetta city and other parts of Pakistan but the government has ignored their grievances and left them in misery. (ANI) A total of 4 policemen were allegedly killed and injured in the attack. Taking to Twitter, SAMRI said, "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility for a hand grenade attack on a police check post in Phandu region of Peshawar. 4 policemen were allegedly killed & injured in the attack. 4 policemen were allegedly killed & injured in the attack." 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). (ANI) monkeybusinessimages / iStock.com Saving for retirement can be a struggle. You might have many years left in your career, and it can seem almost impossible to save the necessary hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars. While a million dollars is still a lot of money, there are some simple habits you can start today that will help you save for retirement. Read: Jaw-Dropping Stats About the State of Retirement in America Find Out: The Average Retirement Age in Every State Everyone has different goals, of course, and you may not quite be aiming for a million bucks. Whatever dollar amount you have your sights set on, the basic principles for retirement savings are the same. Put the right systems in place, and you wont even have to think about it very much. Lets dive into five simple, yet effective ways to get started on your retirement savings. Start Investing at Work For most of us, the first way to start investing is to do so at work. If your employer offers a retirement plan (or multiple plans), be sure to contribute to those plans monthly. Some employers may opt you in automatically, but double-check to ensure you are contributing. Retirement plans are tax-advantaged, so they will make your money go further. Richard Tatum, president of retirement services at Vestwell, recommends opening an IRA if you dont have a 401(k) or a similar plan at work. If your employer doesnt offer one, ask your financial advisor about opening an IRA (individual retirement account), which is also a tax-advantaged retirement savings account, but it doesnt require a company to sponsor the account to open one. More: 42 Easy Ways To Save For Retirement Take Advantage of Employer Matching Employer-sponsored retirement plans such as the 401(k) often come with employer matching, and thats something everyone should maximize. No matter what your retirement goals may be, employer matching is one of the easiest ways to increase how much you save. The way employer matching works is simple: any time you contribute to your retirement plan, your employer matches that contribution. There are usually limits on how much they will match and the percentage may be different in some cases, but you are guaranteed to have extra retirement savings if you take advantage. Story continues Employers will often match a certain percentage of your retirement plan contributions, says Tatum. Make sure youre putting in enough to at least get the maximum they will contribute its free money! Also See: All You Need To Know About Collecting Social Security While Still Working Save Money Before Anyone Knows You Have It Lets face it: getting paid can be very exciting. You see your paycheck come through and you immediately start thinking about all the things you can buy with it. A new phone, some new clothes, or whatever it is that interests you. But if you never see that money come through, youll probably be less tempted to spend it! Try bumping up your 401(k) contribution by just $50 to $100 each paycheck, says Paul Tyler, chief marketing officer at Nassau Financial Group. If anyone is watching the bank deposits, they probably wont notice. But you will be surprised even in the first year how much faster your account will grow. Check Out: 7 Fastest Ways To Save $20K, According to Experts Build Up a Cash Stockpile One of the most important principles of retirement savings is to invest early, and invest often. In other words, youll want to be sure you are regularly contributing to a retirement plan so you have enough when its time to call it quits. That includes building up a cash stockpile so you know where you stand, says Ben McLaughlin, president at SaveBetter. It is also important to save a certain percentage of your paycheck (again, as much as you can) so that you can build up your cash (or cash alternative) stockpile, which you determine based on how far away you are from retirement and on your risk tolerance, McLaughlin says. McLaughlin recommends investing in low-cost, diversified investments, even after investing in your 401(k). Low-cost funds such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will give you broad market exposure while minimizing fees. Read: 6 Top Tips for How To Turn $1,000 Into $10,000 Make It Automatic One of the most useful tools available to savers these days is the ability to transfer funds automatically, on a schedule. For example, you can set up monthly transfers to a savings account or automatically transfer money into a 401(k) or IRA every time you get paid. You can opt to contribute $500 to your Roth IRA every time you get paid or transfer $250 to your high-yield savings account every month. Of course, you can also do both; there is no limit to the variety of ways you can set up your automatic savings. However you decide to set things up, make it automatic. Not only will you not have to manually make those transfers, but you wont even have to think about them. That means you wont forget or put it off or decide youd rather spend your money. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Simple Habits That Will Help You Save for Retirement Heswall Primary School in the Wirral shared pictures of the tiny frog after it was found in a bunch of bananas. (Facebook/Heswall Primary School) A tiny frog the size of a fingernail was found 5,000 miles from its home in Africa at a British primary school. The minute amphibian was spotted on a bunch of snack bananas at Heswall Primary School in the Wirral, giving staff and pupils a shock. Sharing news of what it dubbed a "banana drama" in a Facebook post on Tuesday (15 February), the school said the "tiny green stowaway" had travelled from the Ivory Coast and was found in some class bananas. Staff at the school retrieved the frog and put it in a container until the RSPCA could come to get it. (Facebook/Heswall Primary School) The post said: "There was a banana drama at Heswall Primary today ! "A tiny green stowaway from the Ivory Coast gave us a real shock when we opened the class bananas this morning ! "The RSPCA came to the rescue- more news to follow when he is identified." Staff retrieved the creature and put it in a damp container before calling the RSPCA. Read more: Police hunt couple who ate 12 burgers then refused to pay, claiming they had won an eating challenge RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes, who later visited the school, shared news of his retrieval of the tiny creature on Twitter. He wrote: "Collected this little fella today from @HeswallPrimary school, having been found on a bunch of snack-time Bananas! "Has travelled from the Ivory Coast. Awaiting official ID but a very small species of tree frog I think. Hes now with a specialist keeper. @RSPCA_official." Anthony Joynes He added: "Thanks to @HeswallPrimary staff for looking after the little [frog] until he could be collected. Providing a small enclosure, with moisture, warmth & a hiding place was spot on! " It's not the first time an exotic frog has been found in a bunch of bananas. Asda supermarket staff found the frog, which was believed to have travelled 5,000 miles from Colombia to South Wales. The frog, named Asda in honour of his rescuers, was transferred to specialist animal centre following its discovery. Watch: Ollie the owl monkey gets jealous OcusFocus / Getty Images/iStockphoto How much or little you know about Social Security can have a huge impact on your post-retirement finances. Thats especially true if youre among the 64% of Americans with less than $10,000 in retirement savings, according to a 2019 GOBankingRates survey. Whats more: 46% claimed to have no savings at all. A lack of savings was the primary reason Social Security was founded in the first place. In the height of the Great Depression, many older Americans were left penniless and without means to retire or even house themselves. The 1935 Social Security Act ensured that, even if older Americans had no savings or pension, theyd still have some form of income to help keep them afloat in their later years. To better understand how well-versed Americans are about the ins and outs of Social Security, GOBankingRates polled over 1,000 individuals on six questions to test their knowledge. Although the respondents were pretty evenly split between men and women, over 40% were between the ages of 55 and 65-plus, while just 28% were 34 and younger. Take a look at how much Americans really know about Social Security. A Majority of Americans Dont Know When You Can Start Claiming Benefits Just 30% of respondents gave the correct answer to a question about the age at which you can start collecting Social Security benefits. Twenty-three percent of respondents thought you can collect at age 65; nearly 15% placed it at ages 67-72; around 10% thought it was at 58 or 60, and 23% answered None of the above. Its a bit alarming that only 3 out of 10 respondents identified the Social Security eligible age as 62. As one might expect, the older respondents answered this one correctly more often than the younger respondents did, and the oldest group had the highest percentage of correct answers overall. Although the difference by gender was small, more women (32%) answered this question correctly than men (27%). But They Do Know the Average Social Security Benefit Amount Story continues Respondents fared better on a question about the average monthly Social Security benefit for retirees, with over 50% choosing the correct ranges: $1,001-$1,500 and $1,501-$2,000 per month. The actual average monthly check is $1,514, according to the Social Security Administration. Older Respondents Fared Better Overall Respondents ages 65 and older scored highest, with 61% choosing one of the two possible correct answers, and respondents ages 55 to 64 came in second with around 59% answering correctly. Incorrect answers among younger respondents suggest that a good number of them underestimate the average benefit amount; or perhaps theyre already preparing for Social Security to run out. Among the 18- to 24-year-olds, nearly a quarter thought the average check was under $500 per month. Men and Women Were Roughly on the Same Page Women may have a less optimistic view of what their retirement years will look like financially, and with good reason. In 2017, the average monthly Social Security check for a man was $1,503, whereas for a woman it was only $1,196. This is at least partly explained by the gender wage gap the fact that working men tend to make more money than working women, which later reflects in the size of their Social Security payments. Although roughly the same number of men and women chose the correct ranges for an average Social Security check, more women chose the $1,001-$1,500 option than the $1,501-$2,000 option. Moreover, 24% of women selected the $501-$1,000 answer, compared to only 13% of men who thought the same. Americans Struggle To Sort Out Certain Social Security Rules The survey results indicate that theres a lot of confusion around how Social Security benefits operate. Many respondents did not understand how Social Security benefits work for disabled people, or that Social Security pays evenly between men and women. Additionally, one-fifth of respondents believed that only one spouse can collect Social Security benefits at a time. Many Are Not Quite Up To Speed on Social Security Disability Todays 20-year-olds have more than a 25% chance of becoming disabled before they reach age 67, the Social Security Administration reported. However, the 18-24 age group was one of the least likely to know that you can receive Social Security benefits if youre disabled as long as you worked in jobs covered by Social Security. The other age group that lacked knowledge in this area was 55- to 64-year-olds. In the event youre not quite up to speed on this particular aspect of Social Security disability, no worries the Social Security Administration has you covered. Once you reach your full retirement age, your Social Security disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, and the amount stays the same. Respondents in the 65 and over age group scored the best on this question, with 41% of them answering correctly. Slightly more women than men answered correctly, at 38% and 37.20%, respectively. Social Security Spousal Benefits Were Also Unclear An astonishing 43% of respondents didnt know that you could receive Social Security benefits in conjunction with your spouse that is, if youve worked at a job covered by Social Security. Eleven percent answered that they could receive benefits even if theyve never worked at a job covered by Social Security, and another 11% responded that they could receive these benefits at any age. Over one-fifth of respondents believed they could not receive any Social Security benefits if their spouse was already receiving them. Thankfully, this means that 57% of respondents answered correctly. Women were a bit more likely to be right about this question. Over 58% selected the right answer as opposed to 56% of men, and only 18% of them selected the outright No, I cannot receive any benefits answer, as opposed to 24% of men. Correct answers followed a predictable pattern across age groups, with 18- to 24-year-olds scoring lowest, with only 42% answering correctly, and the 65-plus group scoring highest, with 65% knowing the right answer. Do Men and Women Receive Different Benefit Amounts? This question tripped up around 41% of respondents, 5% of which answered that women made more in Social Security money, and 36% of which answered that men made more. Survey Question: If a man and woman have identical earning histories, which one will receive the higher Social Security check? Answer Options Percentage of Respondents Who Chose This Answer The man 35.65% The woman 5.39% Neither, they will receive equal amounts 58.96% The true correct answer is that, with identical earning histories, the man and the woman will receive the same amount in Social Security money. The Social Security Administration does not discriminate based upon gender. However, the same cant be said for society in general. A 2020 study on the gender pay gap by PayScale revealed that women are earning 81 cents for every dollar made by men. This translates to $900,000 lost on average over a 40-year career; which is actually a much bigger loss when you factor in the potential interest that couldve accrued over that four-decade period. So even though men and women who earned the same salaries will make the same in Social Security, men on average do receive larger Social Security checks than women. In that context, 36% of respondents who answered The man may have been onto something. Many Believe Social Security Will Never Run Out When asked what year Social Security is expected to run out, over one-fifth of respondents answered, It will not run out. This is a troubling belief to possess, given that the Social Security Administration acknowledges its reserves will be depleted by the year 2037. Other sources, such as AARP, place that time nearer to 2035. Although this doesnt signify the total end of Social Security, if taxes stay where theyre at, beneficiaries will only receive about 76% of their scheduled benefits. It may also become harder for the SSA to pony up the money for retirees if so many working Americans continue to be out of jobs. Respondents in the 35-44 and 55-64 age groups were the most correct on this question, with 43% and 42% selecting the right answer, respectively. Interestingly, almost one-quarter of 55- to 64-year-olds went the opposite way, answering that Social Security will never run out. Meanwhile, 27% of those 65 and over believe they dont need to worry about their Social Security checks. As far as gender goes, more men (22%) than women (20%) believe that Social Security will never run out, and more women gave the correct answer, although by a very marginal amount. Americans Need To Brush Up on Their Social Security Knowledge Many Americans are woefully unprepared to take full advantage of the Social Security benefits theyve earned. And given that 64% have less than $10,000 stashed in retirement savings, it seems more important than ever that they understand how Social Security works. Overall, respondents didnt have a good grasp on spousal or disability benefits, and a sizable chunk believed that Social Security will never run out. Unfortunately, it may come as a shock to them when their benefit amounts drop by nearly 25% something currently projected to happen in 2037. Most concerning was the fact that only 30% of survey takers knew the age at which they can start receiving Social Security benefits. Unless Americans want to lose out on this money, they need to educate themselves on when theyll be taking Social Security and how much of their income itll represent. A good way to start is by creating a my Social Security account on the Social Security Administration site. Its a convenient way for future beneficiaries to learn more about Social Security and how it fits into their retirement planning. More importantly, it allows you to view your Social Security statement and an estimate of your future benefits. More From GOBankingRates Daria Uhlig contributed to the reporting for this article. Methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed 1,021 Americans aged 18 and older from across the country between Sept. 9, 2020, and Sept. 10, 2020, asking six different questions: (1) When is the earliest you can start claiming Social Security benefits?; (2) What is the average Social Security benefit amount?; (3) If a man and woman have identical earnings histories, which one will receive the higher Social Security check?; (4) When is Social Security expected to run out?; (5) If your spouse receives Social Security (SS) benefits can you also receive benefits?; and (6) Can someone receive Social Security (SS) benefits if theyre disabled?. GOBankingRates used Survatas survey platform to conduct the poll. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Americans Dont Understand These Facts About Social Security MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused Beijing of an 'act of intimidation' after a Chinese navy vessel directed a laser at an Australian military surveillance aircraft last week. A P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was illuminated on Thursday while flying over Australia's northern approaches by a laser from a People's Liberation ArmyNavy (PLA-N) vessel, potentially endangering lives, the defence department said. Morrison said his government will demand answers from Beijing. "I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation, one (...) unprovoked, unwarranted," Morrison said at a briefing. "And Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation." Defence Minister Peter Dutton called the incident "a very aggressive act" that took place in Australia's exclusive economic zone. "I think the Chinese government is hoping that nobody talks about these aggressive bullying acts," Dutton told Sky News television. "We're seeing different forms of it right across the region and in many parts of the world." The Chinese vessel was sailing east with another PLA-N ship through the Arafura Sea at the time of the incident, the department said. The sea lies between the north coast of Australia and the south coast of New Guinea. Relations between Australia and China, its top trade partner, soured after Canberra banned Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from its 5G broadband network in 2018, toughened laws against foreign political interference, and urged an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly; editing by Jonathan Oatis) WASHINGTON (AP) Sandra Day O'Connor was nervous when she joined the Supreme Court in 1981 as the nation's first female justice. Its all right to be the first to do something, but I didnt want to be the last woman on the Supreme Court," O'Connor said in 2012. If I took the job and did a lousy job it would take a long time to get another one, so it made me very nervous about it. Now, President Joe Biden is preparing to put another woman in the role of a historic first on the court. The person he wants to be first Black female justice will become an instant celebrity and face a unique set of pressures. Just being the new justice on the nine-member court can be an adjustment. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently described learning the job as like learning to ride a bike with everybody watching you. The court's newest justice the fifth woman in the court's history said in an appearance this month that "being a public figure is a lot to get used to. That will only be magnified for Biden's nominee, who will immediately join the ranks of court firsts. They include Roger B. Taney, the court's first Catholic, in 1836. Louis Brandeis was the court's first Jewish member, in 1916. Thurgood Marshall was the court's first Black justice, in 1967. Justice Sonia Sotomayor became its first Latina justice in 2009. Sotomayor acknowledged in a 2018 public appearance that she felt the weight of being the only woman of color on the court, calling it a really big burden and "a great responsibility." I think there are, for women in general, the need for role models," she said, citing O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court's second female justice, as having inspired her. But for women of color, people in top positions are not as frequent and certainly not as numerous. Women, and in particular Black women, often feel pressure to be the most qualified in the room to overcome the outsize criticism and questions surrounding their fitness they can attract. Story continues They have to be so perfect as to shield themselves from the criticism, said Maya Sen, a political scientist at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government who studies the issues of gender and race and the law. Sotomayor almost decided not to go through with her own nomination to the court. Deeply hurt by articles after her nomination that suggested she was not smart enough and not very nice in the courtroom, she thought about pulling out of the process. It was at that point, however, that a friend with an 8-year-old daughter told her: This is not about you, dummy. ... This is about my daughter, who needs to see somebody like herself be in a position of power. Sotomayor stayed in. Already, Democrats have built up expectations around the yet-to-be-named nominee. Biden has said he will nominate someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she will have impeccable experience. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, among the Democrats who met with Biden about the nomination earlier this month, said he expected the nominee will "really help unite the country. Some Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have criticized Bidens pledge to name a Black woman to the court. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called it offensive, though he pledged on Fox News Sunday to consider that nominee on the record and said the Senate would focus on substance and what kind of justice she would make. Senate Democrats expect to be able to confirm Biden's nominee on their own, but they and the the president would like to see bipartisan support. The three top contenders for the job are Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Leondra Kruger, a member of the California Supreme Court; and J. Michelle Childs, a federal judge in South Carolina. Biden has said he will announce his selection by the end of the month. Marshall was already a legendary civil rights figure that by the time he joined the court, which was just the latest in a series of historic accomplishments. Mark Tushnet, a former Marshall clerk who compiled a book of Marshall's speeches and writings, said he cannot recall the justice ever expressly talking about being the first Black person on the court. Marshall has schools and courthouse buildings named after him. In Sotomayors case, a public housing development she lived in growing up was renamed in her honor. Marshall and Brandeis are among the justices the U.S. Postal Service has honored with stamps. As for mail generally, Biden's future justice can expect to get a lot not only congratulations but also speaking requests. Sotomayor got bins and bins of mail. O'Connor got truckloads. The vast majority of writers were supportive, but a few men angry at O'Connor's appointment sent naked pictures of themselves, author Evan Thomas wrote in his biography of her, First. O'Connor largely shrugged off the crude protest. One of her sons, Jay O'Connor, said his mother's answer to any doubters was to throw herself into her work and ensure she was incredibly prepared. Jay O'Connor said even decades after she was nominated, women in particular would come up to his mother in public and tell her they remembered where they were when they heard the news that President Ronald Reagan had picked her. They wanted her to know, he said, how deeply meaningful that announcement was to them. 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 three-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 D A woman who allegedly planned an armed robbery of a man who was fatally shot left her cell phone at the scene of the Gresham attack, prosecutors said Saturday during her bond hearing. Donna Howard, 48, appeared Saturday afternoon before Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz, who denied bail during a bond hearing that was broadcast live on YouTube. Advertisement Howard is charged with attempted armed robbery and first-degree murder in the Jan. 11 shooting death of 53-year-old Phillip Goodwin in the 8000 block of South Union Avenue, police said. In court, Assistant States Attorney James Konstantopoulos said Howard left her cell phone at the scene, almost left her id card and filmed the scene of the killing. Advertisement On the evening of the attack, Howard and Goodwin visited two people identified as witnesses at their home at the Union Avenue address. When somebody knocked on the door one of the witnesses got up and returned to the dining area. Then Goodwin approached the door and suddenly the person at the door yelled out and fired a gun through a locked gate, hitting Goodwin, Konstantopoulos said. Goodwin was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead a short while later. One of the witnesses recognized the shooters voice, peeked outside and saw the assailant, who was wearing a black fur coat. Then Howard began gathering items off a table, and ran out a back door with the witness who didnt see the shooter while the other witness spotted Howards id card on the table and threw it out after them before calling 911, Konstantopoulos said. A break in the case came on Jan. 18 when a man went to the 6th District police station and gave them a red cell phone hed found at his home, where the homicide occurred. He unlocked the phone and showed police several text messages relating to the homicide, Konstantopoulos said. Police learned the phone belonged to Howard, who was texting a person named mom about a possible robbery of someone named Sleepy, who was the witness she fled the home with. The phone also had messages from another person talking about getting guns on the day of the fatal shooting, Konstantopoulos said. After Howard was arrested Thursday, she told police shed contacted a friend of her dead son via Facebook in order to set up a robbery, that shed gone to the home earlier that day to purchase illegal drugs and that she and the victim entered the home together, Konstantopoulos said. Advertisement Additionally, she told police shed made a video in the home -- while identifying various people inside -- and corroborated witness accounts of the shooter coming to the door and knocking, Konstantopoulos said. Howards attorney said it was her first arrest and she lives in Chicago with her disabled son. She is a life-long resident of Cook County and earned her GED. Howard receives some disability payments and works part-time in a restaurant, her attorney said. Howard, of Chicagos Back of the Yards neighborhood, is due back in court on Wednesday. rsobol@chicagotribune.com Human bones discovered by hikers in rural Benton County Feb. 5 have been identified as those of a child reported missing in 2021. Detectives are working with agencies involved in the case to notify the childs family, according to the Benton County Sheriffs Office. The hikers were in rural Benton County south of Kennewick when they saw the bones about 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, said sheriffs Lt. Jason Erickson. When the bones were found, Coroner Bill Leach said a Washington state forensic anthropologist would examine them to try to determine how the person died, as well as the persons age and gender. Officials also planned to see if dental records might help with an identification. No information has been released on how the child was identified or the cause of the childs death. And although the identity of the child has not been made public, Pasco police issued an alert in 2021 for Edgar Casian, then 8 years old. His mother, Maria Quintero, said police officers had last seen him in Sept. 21, 2020, after she asked them to check on her three children. She told the Tri-City Herald in June 2021 that she called police and Washington state Child Protective Services several times after he ex-boyfriend took custody of Casian and her two daughters, Biseida, 9, and Luna, 3. The two girls fled from a hotel room in Mexico in May 2021 and told officials they had been abused. The girls father, Edgar Casian-Garcia, 32, and and their stepmother, Araceli Medina, 37, were charged with torturing the older girl in their Tri-Cities apartment. Warrants for their arrest were issued in July 2021. In a different missing child case, Pasco police asked for help in August 2021 to find an 8-year-old boy and his mother who had disappeared in April after being expected in Troutdale, Ore. They were found safe a week later. The coronavirus infection rate at the Beijing Olympics was 0.01% in the four weeks since a restrictive, three-layer testing system was put in place, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Sunday. More than 1.8 million tests were conducted since Jan. 23, and only 437 people tested positive, Bach said. Just 98 athletes and 87 team officials had confirmed positive tests at the Winter Games, which wrapped up Sunday. The other 252 confirmed positive were described as "stakeholders." It has been one of the safest places on this planet, if not the safest, Bach said. The three-layer testing involved athletes taking pre-departure tests in their own country and again upon arrival in Beijing. All participants also were subject to daily PCR testing in the Olympic Villages and at the Olympic venues. The message to the world is that, if everybody is respecting the rules in solidarity, you can even have such a great event like the Olympic Games under the terms of a pandemic," Bach said. A fireworks display at Beijing National Stadium on Sunday helps close out the Winter Games, where only 437 people tested positive for the coronavirus out of 1.8 million tests administered. Also in the news: The French Quarter Festival, regarded as the largest free festival and showcase of Louisiana music, food and culture, returns to New Orleans in April after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. Britons with COVID-19 wont be legally required to self-isolate starting this week as part of a government plan for living with COVID that includes dropping all restrictions. Highly vaccinated Israel said Sunday that it will allow tourists regardless of vaccination status to enter the country starting March 1, although all visitors will be required to take PCR coronavirus tests before their flights and upon landing. Organizers of Milwaukees Summerfest, marketed as the world's largest music festival, say guests wont need to wear masks, show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or show proof of vaccination. Summerfest will take place over three weekends (Thursday-Saturday) from noon to midnight, June 23-25, June 30-July 2 and July 7-9. Story continues Stringent anti-virus controls that ban public gatherings of more than two people in Hong Kong might be tightened further to stop a surge in infections, the territorys top health official said Sunday. Fourteen deaths and more than 6,000 new cases were reported. Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 78.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 935,300 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 424 million cases and over 5.8 million deaths. More than 214.7 million Americans 64.7% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's free Coronavirus Watch newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and join our Facebook group. Decline in infections encouraging, but experts worry about lifting restrictions Hardly a week passes now without news of the continued decline in U.S. coronavirus infections, and the ensuing lifting of restrictions intended to curtail spread of COVID-19. Confirmed cases are down nearly eightfold compared to the peak in mid-January, from 800,000 five weeks ago to a little over 100,000 on Saturday. Week over week, the decline through Feb. 16 was an encouraging 43%, according to CDC figures. And hospitalization numbers are just as impressive, diminishing from a daily average of 146,534 on Jan. 20 to 80,185 the week ending Feb. 13. A major reason for the decrease, however, suggests the pandemic may not be behind us, only the wave created by the omicron variant. I think whats influencing the decline, of course, is that omicron is starting to run out of people to infect, said Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and infectious disease chief at the University of Buffalos Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Experts agree previous infection confers a degree of immunity, but not as lasting as the protection from vaccines and boosters. In light of that, and considering 31% of eligible Americans are not fully vaccinated, medical professionals worry that so many jurisdictions including large states like California and New York are removing mitigation measures such as mask requirements. If I have a concern, its that taking off the interventions, the restrictions, may be happening with a bit more enthusiasm and speed than makes me comfortable, said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt Universitys School of Medicine. My own little adage is, better to wear the mask for a month too long than to take the mask off a month too soon and all of a sudden get another surge. Queen Elizabeth experiencing 'mild' symptoms after testing positive Queen Elizabeth II is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced Sunday. The palace said Britain's longest reigning monarch, 95, expects to continue light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week. The queen is fully vaccinated, having received three shots of a coronavirus vaccine. Earlier this month, Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time. Four days later, Duchess Camilla tested positive. Both are fully vaccinated and had received a booster shot. (The queen) will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines, the palace said in a statement. Kim Hjelmgaard Ottawa finally quiet after 3 weeks of protests, 200 arrests Protesters who had brought chaos to the streets of the Canadian capital of Ottawa for the last three weeks were almost entirely gone Sunday, driven off by police in riot gear. Almost 200 arrests later, the blaring truck horns had disappeared, and streets that had been blocked by parked vehicles and roving protesters were open for traffic. Police said they had towed away 57 vehicles and planned to keep them for seven days. "Reminder that the Secured Area remains in effect," Ottawa police tweeted Sunday. "We continue to maintain a police presence in and around the area the unlawful protest occupied. We are using fences to ensure the ground gained back is not lost." One protest that lingered near parliament drew a stern warning from police: "If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges." The protest began as a movement against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers. But it grew to include other restrictions and even took aim at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity sank like a stone in recent polling. Teamsters Canada, representing over 55,000 professional drivers, washed its hands of the protest two weeks ago. "The so-called 'freedom convoy' and the despicable display of hate led by the political right and shamefully encouraged by elected conservative politicians does not reflect the values of Teamsters Canada, nor the vast majority of our members, and in fact has served to delegitimize the real concerns of most truck drivers," wrote Teamsters Canada President Francois Laporte. Pope Francis, crowd at St. Peter's Square applaud health care workers Pope Francis on Sunday hailed health care workers as heroes for their service, asking the public in St. Peters Square to join him in applause. Francis clapped his hands in what he said was a great thank you for health workers, including volunteers, who care for the sick. Italy was marking Sunday as a national day to pay tribute to health care workers. The Italian professional association of doctors and dentists counts 370 physicians who have died of COVID-19 in Italy alone. President Joe Biden plans to extend COVID national emergency President Joe Biden said in a letter to Congress that he would extend the national emergency declared in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic that is set to expire March 1. The national emergency, declared by former President Donald Trump, allows the federal government more freedom to spend money and take emergency response actions that would otherwise be restricted. Wisconsin reports child's death from a rare condition linked to COVID-19 A Wisconsin child has died of the COVID-19-related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, becoming the state's first such fatality and only the 60th in the nation from the rare and poorly understood disease. The child, one of 183 to come down with the disease in Wisconsin, died sometime within the last month, said Tom Haupt, a respiratory disease epidemiologist for the state Department of Health Services. Nationwide there have been 6,851 cases of MIS-C, according to the most recent statistics from the CDC posted Jan. 31. Mark Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olympics was 'one of the safest places on this planet': COVID updates Police move in to clear downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill on Saturday. Police said they had arrested 170 people and ordered the towing of 53 vehicles after the second full day of the operation. (Justin Tang / Associated Press) Police moved forcefully Saturday to break up trucker-led protests that have paralyzed the center of the Canadian capital for more than three weeks and became a worldwide symbol for opposition to pandemic health and safety restrictions. By days end, authorities had managed to clear much of the parliamentary district where hundreds of trucks had been parked as part of the self-styled Freedom Convoy and had pushed most protesters from Wellington Street, the main thoroughfare on Parliament Hill. Ottawa police said they had arrested 170 people and ordered the towing of 53 vehicles after the second full day of the operation. Authorities reported no major injuries in what has been called one of the most extensive police operations in recent Canadian history. The hundreds of trucks that had snarled traffic and seemed an immovable force only two days ago were mostly gone, either towed or driven away by owners who decided to call it quits. Banks acting on emergency legal powers meant to thwart the protests had begun freezing accounts of truckers and others tied to the convoy, according to law enforcement authorities. However, officials said it was still too early to declare the blockade ended, as hundreds of protesters many waving Canadian flags continued to confront police and march through downtown. This is not over by a long shot, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told Canadas CTV news outlet. Its almost these gangs wandering through different parts of the neighborhood. My message to them continues to be: Go home. Most of the protesters are from rural and western areas hostile to the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the chief target of demonstrators ire. The blockades here and at Canadian-U.S. border crossings have proved a major challenge for the administration of Trudeau, who invoked a never previously used emergency statute that allows authorities to ban certain public gatherings, among other powers. Many protesters in Ottawa vowed to stay on, even as the truckers the symbolic heart of the protests were pulling out or seeing their vehicles impounded. Story continues I hope we got our message through, said one demonstrator, David Hiscock, 28, a machinist from Ontario. As far as Im concerned, everything the police are doing now is illegal. We have a right to be here. He was among scores of protesters who confronted lines of police decked out in riot gear as wind-whipped gusts of snow enveloped the streets. The methodical police advance, including military-style armored vehicles and mounted police units on horseback, was an extraordinary scene in this normally laid-back city. Smoke arose from the streets outside the stately Parliament complex as police and protesters skirmished, though police said no tear gas was deployed and reported seizing smoke grenades from protesters. Police tactical teams breached some trucks, forcing their doors open, and in some cases used pepper spray. Ottawa is known for ice skaters on the frozen Rideau Canal and a generally more genteel style of politics than that in the United States. Many living near the parliamentary district say they have been living in a near state of siege, enduring all-night horn-honking and diesel fumes from idling vehicles. "To downtown residents, we are focused on your safety, Ottawas interim police chief, Steve Bell, told reporters. We are not going anywhere until you have your streets back. The convoy movement started as a protest against Canadas vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers but soon expanded into a broader movement against all COVID-19 health and safety restrictions and Trudeau's government. The prime minister labeled the protesters a fringe minority and noted that most Canadians are vaccinated and support the countrys pandemic control strategy. In recent weeks, provincial governments in Canada have been rolling back mask and vaccine requirements. The capital blockade became the last bastion of the convoy protests, which also shut down several crossings along the Canadian-U.S. border, including the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor in Ontario. The Detroit-Windsor crossing, a major artery for the binational auto industry, was reopened last weekend after police intervened. Some U.S. politicians, including former President Trump, have lauded the Canadian trucker protests, and donations from the United States have aided the effort. But organizers here say the movement has been an overwhelmingly Canadian affair. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The 2022 Winter Olympics have come to an end with a spectacular closing ceremony at the Bird's Nest in Beijing. While these Olympics featured several iconic moments of joy and disappointment, they will most likely be remembered for the ever-present threat of COVID-19 disruptions and a figure skating controversy that cast a dark cloud over the Games' most popular events. How dark? In the words of USA TODAY Sports columnist Christine Brennan, these will go down in history as "the strangest, most controversial, most unwelcoming Olympic Games of our lifetime." Russian teen Kamila Valieva could have been one of Beijing's brightest stars, but a positive test in December for a banned heart medication created a dispute that went all the way to the Court for Arbitration in Sport before she was allowed to compete. Although she helped the Russian Olympic Committee win gold in the team event, Valieva crumbled under the intense pressure in the women's individual competition and finished fourth. In the aftermath, IOC president Thomas Bach issued a rare criticism of the Valieva's "entourage" for their lack of support, and the skating community questioned if age limits might be a possible solution. OLYMPICS MEDAL COUNT: Track the hardware in Beijing by country Dancers perform during the closing ceremony for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Beijing National Stadium. How else will the Beijing Games be remembered? There was triumph. Team USA netted 25 total medals in Beijing, including eight golds. The United States earned a silver medal in the team figure skating competition (behind the Russian Olympic Committee) and Nathan Chen won gold in the men's individual event. Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who began the Olympics in isolation because of a positive COVID test, earned a silver and a bronze in Beijing to give her five career medals in the event. Erin Jackson of the speedskating hotbed of Ocala, Florida, (really!) became the first Black woman in Olympic history to win gold in an individual event at the Winter Games. Story continues And Chinese-American freeskier Eileen Gu became one of the Games' brightest stars, winning a pair of gold medals in big air and freeski halfpipe, plus a silver in slopestyle. Eileen Gu celebrates her third run during the women's freestyle skiing slopestyle final at Genting Snow Park. There was disappointment as one of the greatest technical skiers of all-time, two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin, shockingly skied out in three of her six events and left Beijing without a medal. There were also wistful goodbyes, particularly for snowboarding icon Shaun White. Competing in his fifth and final Winter Olympics, White came up just short of another medal to go with his three golds, finishing fourth in the halfpipe at the age of 35. Speaking of goodbyes, the Olympic torch will now set its sights on 2024, when the Summer Games take place in Paris. The next Winter Games will be in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, in 2026. Thanks for subscribing to our Olympic newsletter during the Beijing Games. Here are a few more stories you might enjoy: Chasing Gold is USA TODAY Sports' Olympics newsletter. Don't forget to sign up for our Sports Newsletter as well for coverage of everything else going on in the world of sports. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter Olympics 2022 closing ceremony ends strange, unwelcoming Games A 21-year-old Putnam County woman who was a student at SUNY Potsdam was shot and killed near campus Friday night, according to state police and university officials. Elizabeth Howell, 21, of Patterson, was shot shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, police said. The community at SUNY Potsdam is in mourning, and classes have been canceled on Monday to give everyone time to "support each other through this tragedy," according to a statement posted on the university's website. The university's counseling center is offering drop-in support all weekend. Elizabeth Howell, a 21-year-old Patterson native and student at SUNY Potsdam, died after being shot near campus on Feb. 18, 2022. State police said village of Potsdam police initially responded to reports of an unconscious woman on College Park Road. Responding officers found Howell lying on the side of the road with gunshot wounds. Howell was taken to Canton Potsdam Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. State police have taken the lead in the investigation. State Police have charged Michael J. Snow, 31, of Massena, NY, with one count of murder 2nd degree. He was arraigned in the town of Potsdam court and was remanded to St. Lawrence County Jail with no bail. Putnam executive: Assemblyman Byrne gets GOP nod despite criticism Decorum demanded: Lakeland BOE says meeting disruptions won't be tolerated Firearms investigation: Westchester, Putnam police seize more than 100 guns After the shooting, the campus was under a shelter in place order until mid-morning Saturday, when the police investigation determined the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident. Howell was a member of the SUNY Potsdam class of 2022 and a music education student and aspiring teacher at its Crane School of Music. She was a cellist and performed with the Crane Symphony Orchestra. "We mourn Beth's loss as one campus community, and hold her family, friends and loved ones in our hearts at this difficult time," the college's statement said in part. "While we struggle to make sense of this tragedy, please support one another and please don't hesitate to reach out for help if you need it," the statement continued. "We must be there for each other as we grieve this tremendous loss." This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: SUNY Potsdam student Elizabeth Howell of Patterson shot dead Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the first openly gay man to be elected governor, criticized the push for anti-LGBTQ laws in Republican-led states. Look, words matter. Laws matter. When a group of people, LGBTQ youth, feel targeted by the words and laws that some politicians espouse, of course, it can increase anxiety, depression, he said during an interview with CNNs State of the Union" on Sunday. Just six weeks into 2022, more than 150 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across the country, according to USA Today. States such as Florida are going as far as prohibiting classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity and requiring teachers to inform parents of their childs sexuality if they identify as LGBTQ. Polis expressed concern for the youth that might be affected by that type of legislation, many of whom already are dealing with challenges with their family. Eighty-five percent of transgender and nonbinary youth said their mental health was negatively impacted by the surge of anti-trans bills, according to a recent Morning Consult and Trevor Project poll The governor criticized the GOP for latching onto an issue the American people have long move past" and accused the party of overreach. These hard policies about saying certain youth can't play sports, and certain people aren't allowed in certain places, or micromanaging what restroom people use and mandating what they do are really, frankly, un-American and are an example of Republican overreach, which will ultimately hurt their party, if they can't espouse the full diversity of the American people, he said. Feb. 20Police are searching for a gunman who shot two people early Saturday morning in Corsicana, leaving them with non-life threatening injures. Witnesses identified the suspect as Demarcus Williams, 18, who was last seen wearing a gray hoodie and left the scene in a red passenger car with a white bumper. Please contact the Corsicana Police Department by calling 911 if you know his whereabouts. Do not attempt to apprehend. He is considered armed and dangerous. According to Chief of Police Robert Johnson, officers responded the shooting around 3:30 a.m. Feb. 19, to the 900 Blk of E. First Ave. Bond was denied Sunday for a man accused of fatally shooting his girlfriends neighbor in December during a dispute at a South Shore apartment building over noise complaints the two women had filed against each other. Christopher Burton, 23, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Phoenix in January and extradited back to Cook County on Friday to face first-degree murder charges, according to prosecutors. Advertisement Burton was accused of shooting Yasmeen James, 27, during an altercation at an apartment building in the 7100 block of South Ridgeway Avenue, where James lived in a unit above Burtons girlfriend. According to prosecutors, the day before the shooting, the two women had made complaints against each other about excessive noise, and the dispute had turned physical, with James accusing Burtons girlfriend of spitting in her face. Advertisement Shortly after 7 p.m. on Dec. 3, Burton and his girlfriend were walking up the stairs to her apartment when James confronted them in the hallway and took a swing at the girlfriend but missed, prosecutors said. After James ran upstairs, Burton took out a handgun and pointed it toward her unit, prosecutors said. James was coming back down the stairs when Burton fired a single shot, striking her in the face, prosecutors said. James was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Surveillance video showed Burton running from the building after the shooting, and a witness who lives in different apartment later identified Burton as the man who fired the shot, prosecutors said. Burton was arrested in Phoenix on Jan. 19. Burtons attorney said his client graduated from the Progressive Leadership Academy on the South Side and earned a certificate in welding. He noted that the shooting was not captured on video and that the witness who identified him has a prior contentious relationship with both the girlfriend and defendant. In denying bond, Cook County Judge Maryam Ahmad said that based on the information from prosecutors, the victim had retreated from the confrontation before she was shot. James worked part time as a contractor for the U.S. Postal Service and had big dreams to do better by working on becoming a certified nurse attendant, a relative said in a GoFundMe page post seeking to raise money for her funeral. She lived with her mother, who is trying to move her two school age children out of the war zone, the post stated. Donations are requested for funeral and moving expenses to safer neighborhood. Advertisement jmeisner@chicagotribune.com By Michael Shields and Francois Murphy ZURICH/VIENNA (Reuters) - Credit Suisse was plunged into a dirty money scandal on Monday after media outlets reported the Swiss bank had managed accounts for human rights abusers, fraudsters and businessmen who had been placed under sanctions. One person leaked information on the accounts, which were held in decades ranging from the 1940s to 2010s, to Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The German daily then shared it with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and 46 other news organisations including the New York Times, Britain's Guardian and France's Le Monde. The Panama Papers-style investigations were published on Sunday and come as Credit Suisse, which denies any wrongdoing, tries to shake off a series of risk-management scandals and a 1.6 billion Swiss franc ($1.75 billion) loss in 2021 that has pummelled its stock. The New York Times said the leaked data covered more than 18,000 accounts collectively holding more than $100 billion. The revelations also turned the spotlight on Switzerland only a little more than three years after it ditched, under U.S. pressure, a centuries-old culture of secrecy that had made the Alpine state a global no-questions-asked vault for the worlds rich. "For CS, even if the allegations are unfounded, this raises questions about its business practices in wealth management and should tie up management having to spend time fighting fires instead of moving forward," RBC analysts said. Shares in Credit Suisse, which fell by almost a quarter last year, were almost 3% lower by mid-afternoon. "Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the bank's purported business practices," the bank said in a statement issued on Sunday night in response to the consortium's reports. Switzerland's financial watchdog, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) which in 2018 rapped Credit Suisse for deficiencies in fighting money laundering, said it was in contact with the bank about the matter. Story continues "Compliance with money laundering regulations has been a focus of our supervisory activities for years now," a FINMA spokesperson said. After a call from members of the European Parliament to review Switzerland's banking practices and perhaps include the country in the EU's dirty-money blacklist, the finance ministry's State Secretariat for International Finance said in an emailed statement that the country meets "all international standards on the exchange of information in tax matters and on fighting against money laundering, terrorist financing and corruption". It added that Switzerland was now participating in the automatic exchange of information on account data with more than 100 countries. Credit Suisse described the issue as "predominantly historical", adding that information had been taken out of context. The bank said it had received numerous inquiries from the consortium in the past three weeks and reviewed many of the accounts. "Approximately 90% of the reviewed accounts are today closed or were in the process of closure prior to receipt of the press inquiries, of which over 60% were closed before 2015," it said. The bank said that it was satisfied with its checks on the remaining accounts. "The Swiss financial centre has no interest in money of dubious origin. It attaches the greatest importance to the maintenance of its reputation and integrity," the Swiss Bankers Association said. ($1 = 0.9167 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna, Michael Shields in Zurich and Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; additional reporting by Bartosz Dabrowski in Gdansk; Editing by Frances Kerry, David Goodman, Kirsten Donovan) A dozen people are still considered missing after a ferry fire broke out on Friday in the Ionian Sea, The Associated Press reported. Greek rescuers on Saturday were searching the burning ferry for the dozen people whose whereabouts still remained unknown, though by the afternoon a spokeswoman for the Greek coast guard told the AP that officials had no luck finding the missing people. She indicated that the ferry was only dealing with a small percentage of flames that were leftover since the blaze started yesterday. Roughly 280 people were able to be safely evacuated from Euroferry Olympia, the AP noted. The ferry was carrying 32 cars and 153 trucks, and the fire broke out near where the trucks and cars had been parked on the ferry, according to the boat's operator. After leaving the port of Igoumenitsa, the fire started three hours later. A Greek prosecutor has since ordered an investigation into fire, according to the news outlet. Several truck drivers who spoke to the AP recounted the event as "tragic" and escaping "hell." "The moments were tragic. It was difficult, guys. Very difficult," Dimitris Karavarnitis, one truck driver, told the newswire. "Thankfully the guys responded quickly and ... we will return to our families. That's what matters." "When we got into the boats, I said 'I escaped hell,'" Dimitris Karaolanidis, another truck driver, said to the AP. "We heard the alarm, we thought it was some kind of drill. But we saw through the portholes that people were running," Karaolanidis added. "You can't think something at the time [other than] your family ... When I hit the deck, I saw smoke and children. Fortunately, [the crew] acted quickly." Minka Kelly spoke about joining the "Euphoria" cast in an interview with Vanity Fair. Craig Barritt/Getty Images Warning: There are spoilers ahead for season two of HBO's teen drama "Euphoria." Minka Kelly recently spoke to Vanity Fair's Yohana Desta about joining the "Euphoria" cast. Kelly said she pushed back against doing a nude scene and that creator Sam Levinson was onboard. Minka Kelly said in a recent interview that she pushed back against doing a nude scene on her first day of filming "Euphoria." In an interview with Vanity Fair's Yohana Desta earlier this week, Kelly said her character Samantha was meant to have a nude scene, but the actor told the HBO series' creator Sam Levinson that she would rather keep her clothes on. In episode two of the show's second season, Samantha asks Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) her son's babysitter to unzip her purple gown after arriving home from a night out. According to Vanity Fair, Minka suggested that the moment when Maddy unzips her character's dress ended up being "tamer than it was originally scripted." "[Levinson] thought it would be more interesting if my dress fell to the ground," Kelly, 41, told Vanity Fair. "That was my first day as a guest on this new show, and I just didn't feel comfortable standing there naked." Kelly said Levinson was flexible about tweaking the scene. "I said, 'I'd love to do this scene, but I think we can keep my dress on,'" Kelly told Vanity Fair. "He was like, 'Okay!' He didn't even hesitate. And he shot a beautiful scene and got exactly what he wanted." Kelly told Vanity Fair she was initially given a "vague" outline of her character a single paragraph of dialogue when she accepted the role, which she said Levinson created with her in mind. According to Vanity Fair, Samantha was meant to appear in one episode of the teen drama but Levinson expanded her role after seeing her work Demie. Representatives for Kelly and "Euphoria" did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Story continues Other "Euphoria" actors have also spoken out about tackling nude scenes on the popular HBO series. Sydney Sweeney, who spoke to Insider's Olivia Singh about her nude scenes, called them "so technical and so not romantic." In an interview with The Independent's Ellie Harrison, Sweeney said she pushed back on scenes where her character, Cassie Howard, was supposed to be topless. "There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, 'I don't really think that's necessary here.' He was like, 'OK, we don't need it,'" Sweeney, 24, told The Independent. "I've never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn't want to do it, he didn't make me." Read the original article on Insider By Lisa Barrington DUBAI (Reuters) - The United States and the United Arab Emirates are seeking an additional $4 billion of global investment in an initiative launched last year to make agriculture resilient to climate change and reduce its emissions, a U.S. official said on Sunday. The two countries launched the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) at COP26 climate talks in November, aiming for $4 billion investment from governments and non-government innovation partners between 2021-2025. AIM now wants $8 billion in climate-smart investment commitments by the November COP27 climate talks in Egypt, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack told Reuters ahead of AIM's first ministerial meeting in Dubai on Monday. "We believe we actually need to set a higher goal. President Biden believes we should get $8 billion by COP27," Vilsack said. The initiative is supported by 140 partners who have agreed to increase public and private investment in climate-smart agriculture research and practices. The initial $4 billion target comprised $1 billion each from the U.S. and UAE governments, $1.8 billion from other governments and $200 million from non-government partners. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently said it would invest $1 billion in pilot projects for climate-smart commodities, promoting farming, ranching and forestry practices that cut emissions. Vilsack said that initiative could qualify as part of U.S. AIM for Climate targets. "There are a number of different ways those resources could be identified." The U.S. farming industry is already battling the effects of climate change, including increased drought and flooding. The UAE, a Gulf oil producer that imports the majority of its food and desalinates seawater for potable water is investing heavily in agricultural and water technologies, and clean energy. The UAE hosts COP28 climate talks in 2023. "Agriculture and food systems offer immense opportunities for global climate action," UAE Climate Change Minister Mariam al-Mheiri said in a statement. Story continues IBM's pro-bono Sustainability Accelerator will become one of AIM's partners and will start in India assisting smallholding farms to adopt climate-smart practices, Vilsack said. Washington will host an AIM for Climate summit in spring 2023. "We don't have time to waste," Vilsack said. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) LAREDO, Texas Even before early voting opened in Texas, Julieta Ramos knew she'd vote again for Rep. Henry Cuellar in the Democratic primary never mind a recent FBI raid on his home and campaign office. For me, he is the best congressman that weve had in a long time, and I hope he wins the elections, Ramos, 78, of Laredo, said in Spanish last week. Right now, hes got a tiny problem of bad politics, but its only a question of clearing it up. He is honest. Cuellar, 66, squeaked out a 52 percent to 48 percent win over Jessica Cisneros, a 28-year-old human rights attorney backed by prominent progressives, in the 2020 Democratic primary. A centrist Democrat, Cuellar hoped to return this year with a stronger and revamped campaign and win by a much bigger margin. But an FBI raid on Cuellars home and campaign office last month as part of an investigation into ties of U.S. businessmen to Azerbaijan may complicate his prospects. In a video released last month, Cuellar denied any wrongdoing and said the FBI's investigation would clear him. Cuellar has done few interviews or made few public appearances since the raid, and his campaign manager declined an interview with NBC News for this story. Image: Federal agents search the home of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar in Laredo, Texas, on Jan. 19, 2022. (Valerie Gonzalez / The Monitor via AP) Still, the raid has spooked some voters against Cuellar and thrown Democrats into a quandary. Texas' 28th District, where Cuellar serves, leans blue. But it isnt the sure bet for Democrats in the general election that it once was. Trump captured 41 percent to 47 percent of Latino votes in Texas' border region in 2020. That's created worry that Cisneros is too far left to win over enough moderate Democrats and independent voters to keep the seat blue in November. That leaves Democratic voters to decide whether to opt for Cuellar and hope the investigation doesn't harm him further in November or take a chance that Cisneros can turn out more, and younger, voters and hold off the GOP. Democrats hold the House majority by the narrowest of margins, and Republicans are bullish on their chances of seizing control of the chamber as President Joe Biden's approval ratings drop. Story continues Cisneros disputed concerns about her electability in an interview with NBC News, saying, I think Im more electable than Henry Cuellar, Id probably be the best chance in terms of Democrats and keeping this district safely blue." Image: Democratic candidate Jessica Cisneros at the 'Get Out the Vote' rally on Feb. 12, 2022 in San Antonio. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images) "District 28 is more safely Democrat, but it is not necessarily more liberal," said Matt Angle, founder and director of the Lone Star Project, a Texas Democratic political action committee. A third Democrat, Tanya Benavides, is also in the race and could force a runoff. The GOP has a seven-way primary in the district. Early voting in Texas' primary, scheduled for March 1, began Monday. A test of loyalty and the districts values The 2022 twist in the rematch is testing the loyalty of Cuellar supporters as well as the moderate positions that he espouses. Cuellar, who was first elected in 2004, is a Blue Dog Democrat who opposes abortion rights, supports gun rights and boasts of his work with Republicans. He is Texas only Democrat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and has received endorsements from House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Bold PAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus political arm. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., backed him over Cisneros in the 2020 contest, though she has not weighed in this time. Rep. Henry Cuellar (Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file) The day after the raid, Cuellar underscored his conservative tilt by accepting an award via video conference for his votes against abortion rights. Hank Sames, 69, president of Sames Auto Group, which owns car dealerships in South Texas, said he doesnt believe the allegations of wrongdoing against Cuellar and said he fears what may happen to Laredo if it loses the power that Cuellar holds. Im a Republican, but Henry is a great help for Laredo, Sames said after leaving a grocery store. The Cook Political Report, which analyzes state, federal and presidential elections, has rated the district as "Lean Democrat" amid the changing political landscape and FBI investigation. "If Cuellar survives, he may not be as strong as he has been in past elections. If Cisneros wins, she may be too far left for the general election," said Dave Wasserman, a senior editor for the site and an NBC News contributor. On top of that, Biden's approval rating is down and Republicans have stepped up their Latino voter outreach. Data released this week shows that Latino voters are drifting more toward the Republican Party. A changing district The outline of District 28 looks like a boxy bird in profile with a plume jutting out from its head. It stretches from the easternmost boundary of Starr County in the Rio Grande Valley, picks up Webb County, home to Laredo, to the west, heads up to southeastern San Antonio and pushes into south-central Texas. While the border area of the district may be more conservative, many of the new voters in the San Antonio area lean progressive, political analysts said. Cuellar has represented much of the district as a U.S. congressman and in the state legislature before that. Cuellar openly complains that national Democrats dont understand his district, in particular its Hispanic political diversity. "Ive been delivering results year after year while my opponent is backed by the defund the police movement and has pledged to slash the border patrol budget, making our communities less safe and costing our area thousands of jobs," he said in Feb. 8 tweet. "The stakes are high. Early Voting begins Monday." Cisneros has not pledged to defund the police or Border Patrol. The AOC factor Chris Soto, 42, is among some 40,000 new San Antonio area voters that the state legislature shifted into the 28th District through redistricting. Last week he stood outside the rally with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for the chance to see her and Cisneros. He said hed known about her challenge of Cuellar in the last election and was happy that he now lives in the 28th District so he can vote for Cisneros in the primary. Chris Soto. (Suzanne Gamboa / NBC News) Cuellar has been there for too long. Hes gotten too comfortable said Soto, a home health care worker. Shes like us. She knows our problems, our issues. The investigation has galvanized Cisneros and her supporters. The raid supports her portrayal of Cuellar as beholden to special interests, she said. A San Antonio rally with Ocasio-Cortez drew some 1,200 people who filled a live music venue, while about 50 Trump supporters and counterprotesters jeered from across the street. One held a sign that said, "NO TO JESSICA CISNEROS IS NO TO AOC". The same group that helped elect Ocasio-Cortez, Justice Democrats, recruited Cisneros in 2020. Ocasio-Cortez aimed multiple attacks at Cuellar at the rally. How dare you? she said, criticizing Cuellars opposition and votes against abortion rights. She told the crowd he is partly to blame for the failure of Biden's social safety net bill, Build Back Better, which would have continued child tax credits. Ocasio-Cortez dismissed talk that Cisneros might be too left for the district. The funny thing about turnout is when you fight for people, they fight for you, she said. Image: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jessica Cisneros, Greg Casar (Eric Gay / AP) Cisneros uses stories from her childhood as a daughter of Mexican immigrants to explain her policies to voters. For instance, she explains her "Medicare for All" support by telling voters about selling steak plates to raise money to pay for her aunts cancer treatment. She represents immigrants in detention pro bono, she told the rally crowd, contrasting her work to Cuellar's acceptance of political contributions from companies involved in immigration enforcement. She told NBC News she can also work with Republicans if it is in favor of the values of the district. Jessica Cisneros uses stories from her childhood as a daughter of Mexican immigrants to explain her policies to voters. (Courtesy Jessica Cisneros) Cisneros criticized Cuellar's votes against an abortion rights bill the House passed last September and against the Protect the Right to Organize Act, which would change labor organizing laws. The labor bill was heavily supported by unions and opposed by businesses. Henry Cuellar loves to play up that he is bipartisan, but something like the Pro Act that is key labor legislation, that is truly bipartisan, he doesnt support it, Cisneros said. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP Floridas Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, is backing a controversial proposal to strip $200m in education funding from Democratic counties that defied his executive order last year banning mask mandates in schools. DeSantis, who is widely seen as a leading heir to Donald Trump in the Republican party, plans to send the money instead to mostly Republican counties that supported him. Related: Trump is not my God: how the former presidents only vaccine victory turned sour The plan, which some analysts believe is almost certainly unconstitutional, was part of a budget bill that passed the Republican-dominated Florida house on Wednesday. It was immediately attacked by teachers unions, school districts and education advocates, who say the penalties will strip further resources from classrooms in a state already in the bottom four of per-student spending nationally. This is retaliation by legislators and the governor, said Jabari Hosey, president of the advocacy group Families for Safe Schools and a parent of school-age children in Brevard county. We are down over 150 teachers in Brevard right now. We need more social workers, theres a performance gap because of Covid that is still present in our community. We need more funds, more opportunities, more instructors. To retaliate and to attack the public school system they are supposed to be promoting is very sad. Frankly, its embarrassing. Under the proposal by the Republican state congressman Randy Fine, school districts in the 12 Florida counties that implemented mask mandates last summer in defiance of DeSantiss executive order will forfeit amounts based on their size. Brevard, where Hoseys children attend school, and which Fine represents, would forgo $4.5m. Two-thirds of the money would come from south Florida, which votes overwhelmingly Democratic in local, state and national elections. Miami-Dade, the nations fourth largest district with 357,000 students, would lose $72m; Broward, the sixth largest with 270,000 students, would forfeit about $32m; and Palm Beach, the 10th largest with 193,000 would give up $28m. Story continues Of the others, Alachua, Duval, Hillsborough, Indian River, Leon, Orange, Sarasota and Volusia counties, all but three backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election in Florida, which was won by Donald Trump. Following the law is not optional. These school districts broke the law, and they were broken for nothing, a visibly angry Fine told fellow legislators on Wednesday. He insisted during a turbulent session of the Florida house appropriations committee last week that the state would cut the salaries of administrators earning more than $100,000 and not reduce funding for any direct educational service or resource that impacts the education of kindergarten through grade 12 students. He conceded, however, that the policy was intentionally punitive to counties who refused to fall in line with the governor. It is intended to reward the 55 school districts, the overwhelming majority of which followed our state law and respected the rights of parents over the past year, he said. Initially, DeSantis, a fierce critic of mask and vaccine mandates, declared himself against the proposal. My view would be lets not do that, he said in an appearance in Jacksonville on Friday, telling reporters he instead preferred to let parents sue school districts individually if they felt children were harmed by forced masking. By Tuesday, however, the governor backtracked, supporting Fines initiative and parents rights to file lawsuits. They should get compensated for academic, social and emotional problems caused by these policies, he said in a tweet. Having passed the Florida house, the $105bn budget that includes the redistribution of education funds must now be reconciled in the state senate, which also has a Republican majority. If DeSantis eventually signs it into law, it is likely to face legal challenges. Hoseys group points out that every Florida county with mandates dropped them as soon as the original executive order became law in November, following a lengthy legal back and forth with districts who insisted they followed advice on masking from the Biden administration and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, they say, the fines target the salaries of school district administrators who only implemented the mask policies, not the school board members who set them. John J Sullivan, director of legislative affairs for Broward county public schools, told the Guardian in a statement that students would be directly affected by the withholding of funds. We are disappointed in the governors reversal. We hope the senate will not agree to penalize administrators who have worked tirelessly to meet the unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic, always focused on the health and safety of students and teachers, he said. This penalty would have a negative impact on the services the district is able to provide to our students. Administrators in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have issued similar statements, and educators unions have condemned the plan. We have 165 vacancies and a lot of it has to do with the salaries we can offer to teachers. So that money would mean a lot to our school district and its a shame that someone would do that. Its totally punitive and politically motivated, Wendy Doromal, president of the Orange county classroom teachers association told WMFE radio. A Lenoir County organization that works to improve the lives of migrant and seasonal farmworkers has been chosen to receive up to $60,000 in funding from Blue Cross NC. This week, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announced the first round of recipients for grants totaling $3 million to address and eliminate racial, health and geographical disparities in North Carolina. The Kinston nonprofit NC FIELD was one of 10 organizations chosen to receive a grant under Blue Cross NCs Strengthen NC program, which will provide up to $100,000 in funding to organizations led by or serving underrepresented communities and people of color. According to Blue Cross NC, the Strengthen NC program is designed to increase organizational capacity and help build future sustainability for its participants. Organizations will also receive peer mentoring, technical assistance, and training. Faith and works: RCS volunteers recount decades of service with New Bern charity The Kinston nonprofit NC FIELD has been awarded a grant totaling $60,000 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. NC FIELD works with migrant and seasonal workers throughout Eastern N.C. to deliver needed services and help improve their economic, educational and health outcomes. Located at 327 N. Queen St. in Kinston, NC FIELD (North Carolina Focus on Increasing Education, Leadership & Dignity) is a non-profit organization that engages with farmworkers and their families to teach leadership, promote education, and facilitate opportunities for the workers while increasing awareness of their plight. Founded in 2009, NC FIELD refers farmworkers to needed services, conducts education programs that help them resist pay-gouging and criminal behaviors of labor contractors and develops opportunities for workers to utilize their agricultural knowledge to generate income. More nonprofit news: Craven Habitat for Humanity focused on community change in 2022 According to NC FIELD Executive Director Yesenia Cuello the nonprofit will receive $30,000 per year for two years from the Strengthen NC initiative. Cuello said the funding couldnt have come at a better time. This is huge. Were a small nonprofit and a lot of the COVID funding is drying out. If COVID did anything I feel like it highlighted that there is still so much need and a lot of service gaps still exist, so this was amazing, Cuello said. Story continues NC FIELD currently has nine full-time staff, one part-time employee and three independent contractors. Cuello said there are approximately 4,000-plus seasonal and migrant farmworkers and family members in the nonprofits database, primarily from Lenoir, Greene, Jones, Duplin and Wayne counties. She said NC FIELD also serves farmworkers from Sampson, Onslow, Johnston, Pitt, and Wilson counties. According to Cuello, NC FIELD will use the Strengthen NC grant to build internal capacity and train administrative staff in efficient non-profit business practices. She said the funds will give NC FIELD the tools to streamline internal processes in the areas of human resources, accounting, grant fund allocation, banking, and project management and communications. Cuello said NC FIELD has a formal partnership with Campbell Community Care Clinic to provide regular primary care and free medication in the evenings when farmworkers can attend without missing work. The nonprofit is also finalizing a lease with what Cuello described as a small, rural Catholic church where more than 500 agricultural workers and family members worship regularly. "Were training and employing former farmworkers as community health workers to perform outreach, provide health education, and organize case management for high risk individuals, she commented. Cuello said NC FIELD is also working to address the lack of healthy food options available to many farmworkers. We have enough funds to start a food bank and develop access to a healthy, ethnic food supply. We distribute vegetable and fruit seeds widely and watch farmworker communities transform spaces with a myriad of food plots, Cuello said. Last October, Blue Cross NC began inviting organizations to apply for awards when it announced its statewide effort to address racial health disparities, which also includes grants to improve the states maternal, infant and behavioral health outcomes You may also like: New Bern photographer trains lens on local charitable nonprofits We know the health of our state depends on the health of all our communities and this statewide effort helps get resources into the hands of those who can make an impact, said Cheryl Parquet, Blue Cross NC director of Community Engagement and Marketing Activation. Blue Cross NC also announced additional funding for nonprofit organizations and public health entities improving access to behavioral health care in rural and underserved communities. The request for proposals is available at https://www.bluecrossnc.com/behavioral-health-rfp. Farmworkers face low wage, high risk conditions Farmworkers are the backbone of North Carolinas $70 billion agricultural industry, the fourth largest in the United States after California, Florida and Texas. North Carolina is the nations leader in sweet potato production, second in Christmas tree production and third nationally in strawberry production. According to data gathered by NC FIELD, approximately 150,000 farmworkers labor in North Carolina each year. Individual farmworkers earn around $11,000 annually while a family earns approximately $16,000. Farmworkers earn approximately 1 penny per pound of sweet potatoes picked, while averaging 7,000 to 10,000 pounds per day. According to NC FIELD, state farmworkers face a number of health challenges specific to their occupations. Tuberculosis infection is considerably higher among farmworkers, who are also affected by heat stress, skin disorders, parasitic infections and pesticide related illnesses due to their working and living conditions. Child labor issues are also a concern for farmworkers. According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, there are currently hundreds of thousands of children working in fields across the United States. Its not uncommon for children of farmworkers, sometimes as young as six, to work alongside their parents in order to contribute to the family income. These childrens education often suffer due to their families moving multiple times each year in search of field work, the report states. This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Kinston NC group receives grant to tackle migrant farmworker issues A tree in the Waukegan Savanna Forest Preserve on Feb. 15, 2022, in Wadsworth. Neighbors and environmentalists are worried about a proposal by the Waukegan National Airport to buy 52 acres of the Waukegan Savanna from the Lake County Forest Preserves. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) Susan Zingle often walks among the oaks, wildflowers and wetlands in the 774-acre Waukegan Savanna near her home. Its a place to reflect, rejuvenate and commune with nature. But she worries about a proposal by the Waukegan National Airport to buy 52 acres of the savanna from the Lake County Forest Preserves. Advertisement The whole area is going to have to be cleared, said Zingle who lives in Wadsworth near the airport. It will take away the complete character of the forest preserve. Activist Susan Zingle talks about concerns over a proposal by the Waukegan National Airport to buy 52 acres of the Waukegan Savanna from the Lake County Forest Preserves. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) The airport plans to replace an outdated runway with a new one and needs the additional property for a buffer. Although airport officials said nothing would be built on the 52 acres, some trees and wetlands will be removed. Advertisement The regions forest preserves were created, starting with the first one in Cook County in 1914, to protect open space for the public in perpetuity. Since then, they have become symbols of wilderness in a bustling region, beckoning people to trails that wind through a haven of trees, prairies and wetlands, away from traffic and hectic lifestyles. As the region grew, individuals, organizations, corporations and other government entities began to covet those lands. In the Chicago region, some preserves are under constant pressure to sell or swap land, which has led to controversies, including the latest one at the Waukegan airport. Environmental advocates say the land should be protected for the public and as habitat for native plants and animals. Forest preserve officials say they need to remain open to potential land swaps and sales that could benefit the districts and neighboring communities. The ecological value of land is what our business is. We have concern for every square inch, said Ty Kovach, executive director of the Lake County Forest Preserves. We hate to see anything lost, but at the same time, were reasonable and we understand something has to happen one place, so we can improve in another place. In Lake County, the forest preserve owns roughly 31,000 acres, including the Waukegan Savanna. Every other week, someone is talking to me with a great idea for land use that we had saved for perpetuity. We dont just say no. We listen. We try to make an informed decision, Kovach said, adding it can take years of negotiations before an agreement to sell or swap land can be made. Runway 5/23, left, at Waukegan National Airport on Feb. 18, 2022, in Waukegan. The airport wants to build a longer runway parallel to Runway 5/23 to replace it. In order to do so, they would need 52 acres of savanna that belongs to Lake County Forest Preserves. Part of the savanna is pictured at the bottom of the photo. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Some proposals for sales, swaps or usage of land seem to be blatant self-interest. In Cook County, for example, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County has fielded requests for driveways, welcome signs and landfills to be placed on preserves over the years. Environmentalists contend Cook officials havent always had the best interests of the public in mind. Advertisement In 1999, the Cook forest preserve, which owns about 70,000 acres, sold 2.4 prime acres along the Des Plaines River to the village of Rosemont for a convention center expansion. This was not the largest piece of land Cook County had sold, but critics insisted the purchase was based on political clout. We thought that (sale) violated the public trust, said Evan Craig, a Vernon Hills resident and former chairman of the Sierra Club Woods and Wetlands Group in Lake and northeastern Cook counties. We have to be vigilant, said Craig, who is also a former state chairman for the national Sierra Clubs anti-sprawl campaign. Since its inception, the Lake County district has sold roughly 209 acres, mostly in small chunks and mostly for right-of-ways and other transportation needs, Kovach said. It has also exchanged more than 420 acres with government and private entities since 1974. In return, the district has received land parcels, restoration work and construction of trail segments. In an example of a beneficial land sale, 16 acres was sold to build a bypass in Antioch. As a result we got some better trail connections, and road safety issues were resolved, Kovach said. Waukegan airport and forest preserve officials say the sale of the 52 acres will also benefit residents. Advertisement But it will likely be one of the largest property sales in the Lake County forest preserves history, and that concerns Craig. Its not just a few acres along the side of a preserve. Its a major portion of it, he said. An outdated runway The primary runway at the Waukegan airport has been in use since the airports opening in 1956, said Skip Goss, general manager of the airport. But it has reached the end of its life and is no longer compliant with FAA safety standards. The airport would have to be closed for two years to refurbish the existing runway, which wouldnt be good for Lake Countys economy, Goss said. Building a new runway next to the old one would be more economical but require a buffer zone that includes the 52 acres of forest preserve land, as well as some private properties. A plane lands at Waukegan National Airport on Feb. 15, 2022. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) People are calling it an airport expansion, but its absolutely not an airport expansion, Goss said. People are saying it will be a mini-OHare. Absolutely not. Advertisement Roughly 50 planes use the runway daily, and the new runway would add a few more at most, he said. The airport and forest preserve signed a letter of intent in 2017 regarding the land sale. Once the FAA approves an environmental assessment, the project can move forward. Officials expect the initial assessment will be done this spring, and public hearings will be scheduled later in the year. Goss said no threatened or endangered species have been found on the land, and the invasive buckthorn that covers the property would be taken out, an important restoration tool for the forest preserve. But some native oaks as well as wetlands will have to be removed, he said. When wetlands are destroyed, county and state laws stipulate mitigation. That means re-creating or improving wetlands elsewhere to make up for the ones destroyed. Advertisement If the Waukegan airport sale goes though, the forest preserve district would likely use the money for land acquisition and restoration elsewhere, according to Kovach. The airport also has agreed to build a trail through the savanna, which the forest preserve had been planning. Zion resident Doug Ower said all of the savanna should remain forest preserve property, and the district should follow its 10-year-old master plan to restore wetlands there, rather than destroy them. Ower is chairman of the Sierra Club Woods and Wetlands Group, but he said his opinion on the sale is personal. Doug Ower, chair of the Sierra Club Woods and Wetlands chapter, and activist Susan Zingle, discuss their concerns about a proposal by the Waukegan National Airport to purchase 52 acres of the Waukegan Savanna from the Lake County Forest Preserves. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) He is aware of the land sales for road projects in Lake County. But this project should be avoided, Ower said. Fifty-two acres is a lot of land. Zingle, the Wadsworth resident, thinks a new runway would lead to more air traffic and noise pollution. She is also concerned about what the airport might do with the land once it takes ownership. Taxpayers pay for forest preserve land, she said. In November 2008, for example, Lake County voters approved a $185 million bond referendum, of which 80% was designated for land acquisition. Goss maintains that the 52 acres of the savanna would remain open space. Advertisement Theres not going to be any pavement on this forest preserve land, he said. Its all going to be clear open space needed for the runway protection zone and runway safety area. Call for a moratorium In Cook County, numerous sales and swaps of forest preserve land have been proposed over the years. In 1995, a steel companys proposal to swap 31 acres for a plant expansion was rejected, as was a 1994 proposal to create a riverboat gambling site. But the Rosemont deal in 1999, fought by environmentalists, was unsettling even to other forest preserve officials. The sale was the first time Cook County had sold a piece of land that was not designated as surplus. While the deal was clearly beneficial for Rosemont and its influential mayor, Don Stephens, critics said the forest preserve gained little. Environmentalists panned the purchase of 31 acres in the southwest suburbs to offset the sale, questioning the quality of the land. Some worried it would set a precedent and that prompted officials to create a policy in which land could only be sold if it involved isolated parcels less than 1 acre. Only a few months after adopting its new policy, the district considered, but ultimately rejected, a proposal to swap part of the Whistler Woods preserve in south suburban Riverdale with a steel company. Advertisement A sign marks a protected area of forest preserve land in Waukegan. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) But then in 2019, the Cook forest preserve sold 3.5 acres to the village of Morton Grove, which had been leasing the land for its pumping station. The sale made sense, according to Carl Vogel, director of communications for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The village was already using the land. By selling it, the forest preserve could use the money for other projects. Our job is to hold on to the property we have, Vogel said. At the same time, there are certain circumstances when its been necessary to sell or swap land. As pressure continues on the forest preserve to exchange or sell land, the district has taken a hard look at its policies, he said. In 2020, the Cook forest preserves advisory conservation and policy council wrote a paper addressing the issue. The paper includes a call for a moratorium, until principles are agreed upon that make land disposition possible solely in rare and extreme instances, Vogel said. The board has not instituted a moratorium, but no forest preserve property has been sold or transferred since the paper was adopted, he said. Other counties, including DuPage and McHenry, have also faced pressure to sell and swap land. In 2005, Wheaton-Warrenville Unit School District 200 wanted to swap land with the Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. DuPage reject that proposal. Advertisement But in that same year, the McHenry County Conservation District and the state of Illinois approved swapping 2 acres at Exner Marsh in Lake in the Hills with a development company building a strip mall nearby. The conservation district, which owns or manages roughly 25,600 acres of open space, said no at first because the swap would disrupt a colony of state-endangered Blandings turtles. The developer redesigned the plan to lessen the impact on the turtles and gave the conservation district 6 acres. Remaining watchful Even environmentalists such as Craig, the advocate who preaches vigilance, acknowledge there are instances where a land-use agreement has turned out better than expected. To reduce flooding, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago, using Lake County forest preserve land, expanded the reservoir at Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve. In exchange, the forest preserve received more than $3 million for restoration and public access improvements. From what Ive seen, its a fairly pleasant place for residents to go and recreate, Craig said. They managed to respect the uses of the forest preserve. I think they were thoughtful. A plane flies over forest preserve land on Feb. 15, 2022, in Waukegan. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) But Craig and other environmentalists say its important to remain watchful. It still is alarming, when someone says were OK with selling forest preserve land to an airport, he said. Advertisement Kovach said Lake County will continue to consider land sales and swaps, balancing them with the needs of the district. Its really difficult to own 12% of the land in Lake County and not run into a lot of conflicting land uses. If you dont have any flexibility in the end, you will lose, he said. Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter. Many people, Americans and foreigners alike, consider Florida the most temperamental, divisive state in the union. It is a place of sandy beaches, Disneyland, gators and space shuttle launches. It has huge communities of immigrants and retirees, and wild disparities between the rich and the poor. It is, in short, exactly the sort of place youd expect Louis Theroux to head. Therouxs brand of investigative documentary filmmaking works best in this crucible of opposing forces. Here in a programme titled Raps New Frontline, Theroux challenges the narratives around gun crime and drugs as they intersect with Floridas rap scene. It is the perfect subject for Theroux, who made his name with Weird Weekends and is always most at home when the subject has a hint of farce. His documentaries have at times struggled to toe that line, grappling with overly bleak subject matter (such as LA Stories: Edge of Life, looking at critical care in a Los Angeles hospital) or lack of access, which hamstrung his feature film, My Scientology Movie. Forbidden America is an ideal synthesis of the things that make Theroux a great documentarian. His subjects have enough media savvy to want to talk to him, but not enough to know when to keep quiet (I cant say whether it was or not, trap artist LPB Poody tells Theroux when quizzed on a fatal diss track, but definitely). They are larger than life characters, ranging from the Cuban-American Soundcloud MC Broke Baby (who provides one of the great hot mic moments since The Jinx or Gordon Brown), to the plaintive, imprisoned rapper Foogiano, and the acclaimed trap artist Hotboii, who seems genuinely disarmed by Therouxs interrogative style. And that style is the key. People rather banally claim that Theroux offers his interviewees just enough rope to hang themselves, but thats an analysis that rather ignores his evolution as a documentarian. He is actually extremely direct, but with an unexcitable receptivity that, crucially, makes his subjects feel heard. It is a far cry from the awkward, mumbling and bumbling Theroux of his early documentaries; in fact, he exudes confidence now. Maybe being a 6ft 2in rich white man provides some assistance. But, whatever the reason, the sense of Theroux being a naif thrown out of his depth is long gone. Perhaps Raps New Frontlines finest moment comes when Theroux sits down to interview the rapper 9lokkNine, alongside his lawyers (hes facing an attempted murder charge). It deftly encapsulates the tension between the seriousness of the issues faced (gun crime, gang violence, drug abuse) and the hysterical almost ironically so pitch that its all presented at. The juxtaposition is brought into sharpest relief as Theroux takes Glock to task on the lyrics to his song Crayola, which the rapper insists is about, well, crayons. You did a rap song about crayons? Theroux asks, incredulously. You blew up with a rap song that was about colouring? The exchange is laugh-out-loud funny, an example of the shows lethal unseriousness. One minute later theyre watching CCTV of the drive-by shooting, the reason Glock has been in jail and why his lawyers are in the room. This new Theroux has a gravity that makes him impervious to embarrassment. Where previously his rather shameful nerdiness was the source of the humour (and he does in this, once again, deliver a short rap) the joke is now that he is unapologetic about being a middle-class father of three. At one point he asks N.F.L Von, a rapper under house arrest, why he carries so much cash on him, and doesnt put it into a bank. What if someone scams me? Von replies. Well, youve got to look at what the rates of interest are, Theroux deadpans back. For all the braggadocio that he encounters, it is his subjects who end up contorting themselves to his personality: the results are simultaneously shocking and hilarious. Freedom Convoy protesters Scott Olson/Getty Images Canadian police took aggressive action over the weekend to break up the Freedom Convoy protests that have occupied downtown Ottawa for three weeks, USA Today reported. Police arrested 191 people and towed 57 vehicles on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, according to Ottawa Police. ARRESTS / ARRESTATIONS: 191 VEHICLES TOWED / VEHICULES REMORQUES: 57 STREETS CLEARED / RUES DEGAGEES: As of this morning, Kent Street and Bay Street are mostly clear of vehicles.#ottnews #ottnouvelles #Ottawa pic.twitter.com/yMkT01ficy Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 20, 2022 Officers used batons and "chemical irritant" against protesters, who they described as "aggressive and assaultive" and accused of using children to shield themselves from police, CNN reported. Videos appear to show some demonstrators being trampled by police horses. Police said one protester threw a bicycle at a police horse. Another was arrested after allegedly launching a gas canister. Happening now, police horses run into protesters in Ottawa, Canada pic.twitter.com/wo61c9yv26 BBC = FAKE NEWS (@SpringWo) February 20, 2022 "If you were involved in this protest we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges, absolutely. This investigation will go on for months to come," Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said Saturday, according to BuzzFeed News. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the country's Emergencies Act on Monday, empowering his government to freeze Canadians' bank accounts and compel tow truck drivers to remove protesters' vehicles. Critics from Canada's Conservative Party called Trudeau a "dictator" in response. Story continues According to Reuters and CBC, Canada's federal government and the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ottawa, and Quebec have all relaxed COVID restrictions since the protests began. You may also like Live stream of planes landing at Heathrow Airport during storm draws surprisingly big online crowd Tensions between the U.S. and Russia just took their darkest turn yet Watch a Clydesdale recover from injuries in Budweiser's new Super Bowl ad Sam Bankman-Fried. FTX Sam Bankman-Fried recently called on the US to provide cryptocurrency oversight rather than staying on the sidelines. And even if regulations hit legislative snags, it would still help to lay out a road map and expand crypto education, he said. Two experts shared their perspectives for what's to come for digital asset regulations. FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said the US should step up as a leader in cryptocurrency regulation and provide safeguards for digital asset investors. In a Thursday interview with the Economic Club of New York, the 29-year-old crypto billionaire clarified his vision for government involvement with crypto rules, saying "America should provide oversight rather than sitting on the sideline." "[The US should] be able to strike a balance between fostering economic growth and providing consumer protection and protecting against systemic risk and financial crimes," Bankman-Fried said. He acknowledged that the legislative progress in any sector is currently difficult, but said he would like to see regulatory plans mapped out even if a new law can't happen. Among possible regulatory moves, Bankman-Fried suggested a registration system for tokens and stablecoins. He also pointed to the need for clearer market oversight, namely, greater clarity over which regulator is responsible. Others have also called on the federal government to designate a top regulator as officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Treasury Department have all signaled intentions to take on crypto rulemaking. But the regulatory side is only part of the puzzle, said Bankman-Fried, as more education is needed across the board. That sentiment was echoed by Eric Young, senior managing director of compliance at security firm Guidepost Solutions. Over the next two years, he expects to see the need for regulation intensify as well as a simultaneous "race to educate," which will help investors and regulators differentiate between and understand the growing number of digital assets. Story continues The recent seizure of $3.6 billion and arrests over an alleged money-laundering scheme linked to the 2016 hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex also underscored the need. "Whether in the US or globally, there will be another major crypto scandal or loss, leading to a further acceleration of the 'race to regulate' digital assets," Young told Insider. Tally Greenberg, head of business development at staking provider Allnodes, agreed and said the regulatory progress must start with giving more concrete definitions of assets, who is looking to regulate them, and for what purpose. She noted that the IRS, for example, does not consider cryptocurrencies as legal tender and taxes them as property. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, on the other hand, calls them a currency substitute but also stops short of treated them as legal tender. "Without proper definitions, a smart contract written in code may or may not be enforceable," Greenberg said, adding that "an NFT may or may not be a property, and the confusion will ensue." To help prevent investors from making risky crypto bets, she proposed that a regulator like the SEC could establish a standard for financial institutions to follow when assessing investments. "But at the same time, devising such legislation must be carefully thought through," Greenberg said. "After all, it is an unprecedented attempt at regulating a network of self-regulating people." Read the original article on Business Insider WhataWin / Getty Images/iStockphoto Most of us know not to click on suspicious links in emails or text messages to avoid being hacked. But what if you didnt click on a link and still got hacked? Zero-click hacks driven by spyware are a growing problem, but there are ways to minimize the risk and keep important financial and other data protected. Fraud: How To Tell If That Call From Social Security Is a Scam Robocalls: Crypto Scammers Are Using Robocalls to Steal Funds, Wipe Out Accounts Government agencies are making frequent use of zero-click hacks to spy on activists, journalists and others, Bloomberg reported. A number of companies including Israels NSO Group now either sell the technology to governments, offer it to clients, or develop zero-hacking tools. This is in contrast to a few years ago, when zero-click hacks were used almost exclusively by a few intelligence agencies. These types of hacks are problematic for a couple of reasons. First, they make it difficult for security experts to detect. They also make it harder for tech giants such as Apple and Google to fix security holes that hackers exploit. With zero clicks, its possible for a phone to be hacked and no traces left behind whatsoever, Bill Marczak, a senior research fellow at Citizen Lab, told Bloomberg. You can break into phones belonging to people who have good security awareness. The target is out of the loop. Keeping your devices updated with the latest spyware protection is one way to minimize the risk. You can also uninstall messaging apps that hackers use as gateways to breach devices, but this might not be practical if the apps are needed to communicate. Taxes: Tax Fraud and Tax Evasion Penalties Explained Cash App Scams: Top Scams and How To Avoid Them In many zero-click attacks, the hackers take control of your smartphone and demand cryptocurrency before you can regain control of it, ABC7 Chicago reported last year. Security experts say you should never pay the ransom because it doesnt guarantee the problem will be resolved. What you should do is immediately report the problem to the FBI. It helps to update your devices software as soon as patches or new operating system versions are available. You should also use strong authentication to access accounts, including requiring more than a username and password to help prevent access through stolen or hacked credentials. Story continues More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Hacked but Didnt Click? Heres How to Reduce Spyware Attacks & Protect Your Financial Data Feb. 20The Honolulu Fire Department held a Change of Command ceremony today to recognize Sheldon Hao as its new fire chief and Jason Samala as deputy fire chief. The ceremonious "transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability " from HFD's 34th fire chief to its 35th was attended by retired Fire Chief Manuel Neves, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and members of the Honolulu Fire Commission at the fire department's Hale Kinai Ahi Auditorium, according to a news release from HFD today. The ceremony, according to the news release, included the badge pinning presentation, during the spouses of Hao and Samala pinned their new badges onto their uniforms. "I am honored and humbled to have this amazing opportunity to serve the members of the Honolulu Fire Department and the people of the City and County of Honolulu, " Hao said in a statement. "Deputy Chief Samala and I share a vision, and we are ready to answer the call to dedicate ourselves to finding new and efficient ways to benefit our personnel and improve how we serve our island communities." Hao was selected by the fire commission on Dec. 15 to lead the fire department. At the time he had been serving as acting deputy fire chief after Neves retired last February. During the ceremony Neves also passed to the new chief the Speaking Trumpet, a traditional instrument that symbolizes rank in the fire department and was used in the 1800s to direct commands during fires and other emergencies. "I have no doubt that Chief Hao will lead by example, as we assemble and rebuild our workforce, " Samala said. "We are exploring exciting and innovative ideas so we can improve how the HFD operates and how we serve the public." Hao and Samala have already interviewed 42 candidates for chief officer positions to complete their command team. "In that spirit of passing it forward, we want to assure our personnel their voices will be heard, " Hao said. "We plan to enhance our workforce by advancing training and creating an internal internship program to encourage our employees to work in new areas, learn more about the HFD and themselves, and become a genuine stakeholder in our Department." Both plan to apply new business techniques and implement new tools to create a safer and more effective workplace, the news release said. JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel will begin allowing entry to all tourists, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, from March 1, a statement from the prime minister's office said on Sunday. Entry into Israel will still require two PCR tests, one before flying in and one upon landing in Israel, the statement said. Currently only COVID-19 vaccinated foreigners are allowed into Israel. "We are seeing a consistent decline in morbidity numbers, so this is the time to gradually open up what we were the first in the world to close," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. Israel first shut its borders to foreigners in March 2020. The number of visitors has slowly risen as the country lifted some restrictions, but they remain well below pre-pandemic levels. Some 46,000 tourists entered Israel last month, up from 7,800 a year earlier but way lower than the 333,000 that visited in January 2020. "At the same time, we will keep a finger on the pulse, and in case of a new variant we will react quickly," Bennett said. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch and Steven Scheer; Editing by Jan Harvey) A little-known provision in Illinois sweeping criminal justice reform legislation is sowing chaos in the race for Cook County sheriff, with at least two would-be challengers to incumbent Tom Dart furious over the prospect that they could be deemed ineligible to run. Tucked into the end of the 700-page bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February 2021, the new law that went into effect this year requires all candidates for sheriff to be certified law enforcement officers, starting this year. Sitting sheriffs are exempt. Advertisement But at least two of Darts potential challengers fellow Democrat Carmen Navarro Gercone and Chris McCluster, who says he hasnt decided if hell seek to run with a party affiliation are worried. They fear that even if they secure the required number of signatures in candidate petitions, the law could unfairly knock them off the ballot because they are trained correctional officers, who are considered distinct from certified law-enforcement officers. In a statement, Darts campaign distanced himself from the new rule. Advertisement Sheriff Dart was not aware this new law was being considered or that it was introduced, the statement says. He only became aware of it when reviewing the lengthy legislation after it was passed and signed into law. It was a surprise to him and he has always welcomed competition and believes deeply in the democratic process. Dart, who has held the office since 2006, formerly was a prosecutor, state lawmaker and chief of staff to former Sheriff Michael Sheahan. According to state records, it wasnt until late last year, after the new law was signed, that Dart received a law enforcement certification, despite being grandfathered in under the new measure. Navarro Gercone, now a top official at the Cook County Circuit Court clerks office, first rose to the rank of first assistant executive director under Dart, overseeing 1,300 employees in courthouse security, evictions and other operations. She has served as a sergeant, a lieutenant and an assistant chief at the sheriffs office before that. But she has never worked as a certified police officer, and now shes concerned she wont make it on the June 28 primary ballot. Carmen Navarro Gercone, shown Feb. 15, is a 26-year veteran of the sheriffs office who rose to first assistant deputy superintendent and now hopes to challenge Sheriff Tom Dart in the June Democratic primary. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) From the start of my campaign for Cook County Sheriff, I have been shocked by the antics of machine politics, Navarro Gercone wrote in a statement to the Tribune. They seem to deny the fact that voters are terrified by the violence in our communities and are desperate for change. Instead, they are actively working together to ensure that voters do not have a choice on the ballot. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. The law says a sheriff must have completed a law enforcement officer training course that meets the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Boards requirements or the equivalent at another state or the federal government. Though Navarro Gercone is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, that does not qualify as a law enforcement certificate, according to the board. Both Navarro Gercone and McCluster said they have sent out a flurry of messages to leaders in Springfield, including the crime bills sponsors, but have received no explanation. Advertisement One of the chief sponsors of the legislation, state Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, told the Tribune that the provision in the bill was more to honor the wishes of the Illinois Sheriffs Association. But he said there have been several questions, which I think to be honest with you need to be sorted out. I think (one) sort of question ... that has surfaced is: How do you get this training? Do you have to apply to a police department and get through the stages of applying and then get the training? Slaughter said. Me, personally, I have gotten some questions posed to me about that. But Slaughter acknowledged that its not unusual for the legislature to revisit omnibus bills, like the criminal justice package, that were signed into law to see whether there are any changes that need to be made. Chris McCluster, a potential candidate for Cook County sheriff pictured on Feb. 16, has taken issue with the new law. (Andrew Burke-Stevenson / Chicago Tribune) Well continue to monitor how this is going to play, Slaughter said. Essentially, this is sort of the first election cycle when that provision becomes paramount. In fact, one proposal sitting in an Illinois Senate committee would amend the law to exempt counties whose population is above 3 million, which would apply only to Cook County. Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the states sheriffs association, said his organization has lobbied for such a provision for years and worked with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to get it baked into the criminal justice reform bill, a package that the association does not support as a whole. Advertisement Most people have the expectation that a sheriff is a cop, Kaitschuk said, declining to comment on the specifics of the controversy in Cook County. Im certainly not trying to take anything away from people that work in corrections because they obviously have a significant role but the way the law is is the way the law is at this point in time. Raoul spokeswoman Annie Thompson said the offices priority was to improve police certification and it agreed to the language of the provision at the request of the sheriffs association. In Cook County, correctional officers far outnumber certified cops within the sheriffs office, which runs Cook County Jail. Under the 2022 budget, there are at least 500 positions for police officers and 3,900 for deputies, most of whom are correctional officers assigned to the jail, while others handle courthouse security. Howard Buffett, the son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, ended his campaign last year for sheriff of Macon County in central Illinois, citing the changing qualifications, despite holding the office previously without police bona fides. His case, however, was marred in controversy when it was revealed the training and standards board granted Buffett a certification after he had donated millions of dollars to police training efforts. Brent Fischer, who headed the agency at the time, was fired over those revelations. In Cook County, McCluster, a correctional lieutenant at the Illinois Department of Corrections Stateville prison, said he almost gave up his bid to unseat Dart in January after learning of the new law. McCluster ultimately decided to pursue a run because he believed there was still a chance the criminal justice legislation with the provision gets repealed a long-shot possibility. Advertisement Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, shown last year, has been in office since 2006 and recently received his law enforcement certification. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) In the meantime, McCluster said, theres one way Dart can be part of the solution: Dont use the new law to quash his opponents. If he wants a healthy competition, dont challenge the bid, McCluster said. Because I know that Carmens going to keep running. Im going to keep running. In response to a Tribune question on whether Dart will utilize the new law during petition objections, the incumbents campaign responded: The General Assembly passes hundreds of laws a year and we are required to follow them. Their argument is with the General Assembly, not Sheriff Dart. Jeremy Gorner reported from Springfield. ayin@chicagotribune.com Advertisement jgorner@chicagotribune.com JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that a U.S.-Iranian deal taking shape to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers is weaker than the original arrangement and would lead to a more violent Middle East. The 2015 deal limited Irans enrichment of uranium to make it harder for Tehran to develop material for nuclear weapons, in return for a lifting of international sanctions against Tehran. But it has eroded since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States and reimposed far-reaching sanctions on Iran. "The emerging deal, as it seems, is highly likely to create a more violent, more volatile Middle East," Bennett said in a speech in Jerusalem to Jewish American leaders. The aim of the nuclear talks in Vienna is to return to the original bargain of lifting sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities that extend the time it would need to produce enough enriched uranium for an atomic bomb if it chose to. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. Bennett said the biggest problem in current negotiations was the possibility of the shorter timeline - two and a half years - before Iran could freely operate advanced centrifuges, since the original timeline may not be extended. "Israel will not accept Iran as a nuclear threshold state," he said, reiterating a long-standing position, at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "Israel will always maintain its freedom of action to defend itself." (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Nick Macfie) Update: Police say Yaebizmar Grajales has been found and is safe. Kansas City police have asked for the publics help to find a missing 12-year-old girl who was reported missing Sunday morning. Yaebizmar Grajales was last seen in the area of East 10th Street and Paseo Boulevard, according to the Kansas City Police Department. Police did not provide information regarding what time she was last seen, but Grajales was wearing red pajama pants and white Nike shoes. Grajales is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 195 pounds with black hair and hazel eyes. Police ask that anyone with information concerning Grajales whereabouts call 911 or the Kansas City police missing persons unit at 816-234-5136. Aggressive social media posts from Kanye West attacking his ex-wife Kim Kardashian could be fair game if the two were eventually in a custody battle, according to divorce lawyers. Mr West who now goes mononymously as Ye split from the reality star in February 2021, and has repeatedly lashed out at Ms Kardashian and her new boyfriend, the Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson. "Social media posts are fair game when it comes to divorce proceedings," Katherine Miller, of the Miller Law Group, told Fox News . "Kanye Wests rants about his divorce could hurt his arguments on any custody and other parenting issues since he is clearly willing to put his own needs to express his feelings over their best interests. The two celebrities, who were married for seven years, currently have joint custody of their four children North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. Ye has accused Ms Kardashian of being a bad co-parent, attempting to kidnap their daughter, and even putting out an assassination against him. Earlier this month, she responded, writing in a statement , Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanyes obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all, adding, from the beginning I have wanted nothing but a healthy and supportive co-parenting 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. Last week, Ye, now the subject of the Netflix documentary Jeen-Yuhs, apologised for some of his behaviour, including sharing screen shots of private conversation between him and his ex-wife where she pleads for him to stop attacking her and Mr Davidson. I know sharing screen shots was jarring and came off as harassing Kim. I take accountability, he wrote on social media. Im still learning in real time. I dont have all the answers. To be [a] good leader is to be a good listener. In a previous post, he had shared an image of a text, allegedly from Kim, that read, U are creating a dangerous and scary environment, and someone will hurt Pete, and this will be all your fault. VALLETTA, Malta (AP) Voters in Malta will elect a new Parliament in a few weeks in balloting that will also decide the island nations next government. During a political event on Sunday, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that the election will be held on March 26 in the European Union nation. He said he will advise the Maltese president to dissolve Parliament to clear the way for the election. The Labour Party has been in power since 2013, after winning back-to-back elections. The Nationalists are Malta's other main political party. The governments five-year-term was set to end in June. In the last election in 2017, Labour triumphed by taking 55% of the votes. This balloting will be the first time that both the prime minister and his political opponent who leads the Nationalist Party will contest an election as heads of their political parties. Abela replaced Joseph Muscat as Labour Party leader and prime minister in January 2020. Muscat stepped down in the wake of protests that erupted after the arrest of businessman Yorgen Fenech in connection with the car bomb assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who investigated corruption and ties between business and politicians in Malta. Fenech was involved in a major power station deal with the government. Last August, an indictment was issued against Fenech on charges of complicity in the journalist's murder. The case is ongoing. Heading the Nationalist Party is Bernard Grech, who took over in October 2020 after the party was plagued by internal divisions. In the last five years, opinion polls have showed the Labour Party comfortably ahead of their rivals. The same polls also found a substantial number of undecided voters. Recent political scandals swirling around Abela or his government might affect the mood of voters. One of the scandals centered on Abelas 2018 work as a lawyer on a property deal that allegedly could have been used as a legal loophole to avoid taxes. Abela has written off such scandal news as political spin by opponents. In a possible boost to Labour's fortunes, Malta's economic prospects look bright. According to the European Commission's economic forecast, its economy is expected to grow 6% this year, the highest percentage among EU nations. A Mecklenburg County sheriffs deputy was shot during a traffic stop on Saturday, Sheriff Garry McFadden said. The deputy, Dijon Whyms, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the sheriff. Whyms is recovering after a successful surgery Sunday morning, sheriffs office officials said. The suspect, Aidan Cole Bryant, was in surgery Saturday night, McFadden said at a 7:30 p.m. news conference at the scene. Whyms was shot after stopping a vehicle about 4:15 p.m. on Salome Church Road, according to a Sheriffs Office news release. Salome Church Road is off North Tryon Street in northeast Charlotte. As the deputy approached the vehicle, Bryant fired multiple shots, striking Deputy Whyms, according to the release. Deputy Whyms returned fire, injuring the suspect. McFadden said he didnt know how many shots were fired and hasnt seen any footage of the encounter. Whyms and Bryant were taken to separate hospitals before Bryant was transferred to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, where the deputy was taken, McFadden said. Bryant was in custody at the hospital Saturday night, the sheriff said. Whyms was in stable condition Saturday night, according to the sheriff. He gave me the thumbs up, McFadden told reporters. He was in good spirits when I left. McFadden said he assured Whyms mother, sisters and other family that we will take care of him. Whyms has been to his home for meals, including at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the sheriff told reporters. McFadden said he invites many deputies to the holiday meals. Whyms has worked for the Sheriffs Office since 2002, according to the release. Having been in this situation many times in my past career, it is more difficult to process as a leader, McFadden said in a statement. I am grateful for MEDIC, Charlotte Fire Department, CMPD, North Carolina Highway Patrol, Atrium Security and especially grateful for Officer Topper, who administered a tourniquet to Deputy Whyms. Story continues It gave me great comfort seeing my brothers uniting to support the sheriffs office during this difficult time, the sheriff said. Details surrounding the traffic stop are still developing, according to the release. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers are handling the investigation, the sheriff said. CMPD released no information about the case by 8:30 p.m. This is a fluid investigation, the sheriff told reporters, saying he didnt want to divulge details that could jeopardize this case. This is the type of world we live in,McFadden said. I just had a conversation with the White House and others about the violent world we live in and the violence encountered by officers. A woman who worked as a bookkeeper for a Midlands business for years was arrested for scamming the company out of nearly $200,000, the Lexington County Sheriffs Department said. Robin White Hipp was charged with breach of trust, according to an arrest warrant. The 55-year-old Saluda County resident was arrested Thursday, the sheriffs department said in a news release. Detectives opened an investigation when owners of a Leesville business contacted us with concerns about money missing from an account, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release. Based on our review of the evidence, we determined Hipp stole at least $189,000 from the business. The business where Hipp worked was not identified by the sheriffs department. But during her time as the companys bookkeeper, Hipp wrote more than 240 checks to herself over eight years, according to Koon. An arrest warrant shows that Hipp hid her fraudulent activity by writing another business vendors name and using a dollar amount that the vendor normally charges for materials instead of her name in financial ledger, the Lexington County Chronicle reported. Hipps scheme was discovered when her employer went to the bank and found out that the checks were written to the bookkeeper instead of the vendors listed in the ledger, according to the arrest warrant. Information on what Hipp did with the money, or what she spent it on, was not available. Hipp was arrested by Saluda County sheriffs deputies, before Lexington County deputies took her to the Lexington County Detention Center, according to the release. Her bail was set, and Hipp was released on a personal recognizance bond, the Lexington County Sheriffs Department said. If convicted on the felony charge, Hipp faces a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a fine determined by the court, in addition to paying restitution, according to South Carolina law. Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu speaks on Dec. 20, 2021, during the trial of former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter. Court TV Pool Judge Regina Chu defended the two-year sentence she gave to former Officer Kim Potter for the manslaughter of Daunte Wright. Chu said Potter was a "cop who made a tragic mistake," not one who committed murder, citing the case of George Floyd. Prosecutors argued for Potter to serve a seven-year sentence. A Minnesota judge defended the two-year prison sentence she assigned to Kim Potter, who was found guilty of manslaughter in Daunte Wright's death by invoking the death of George Floyd. On Friday, Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu sentenced Potter to two years in prison 16 months to serve in state prison and eight months to serve on probation. During sentencing, she illustrated why her sentence was less than the seven-year sentence prosecutors recommended. "This is not a cop found guilty of murder for using his knee to pin down a person for nine-and-a-half minutes as he gasped for air," Chu said, calling Potter a "cop who made a tragic mistake." Potter fatally shot Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop in April 2021 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. She said she intended to grab her Taser instead of her gun. Chu drew a comparison to the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd cried out that he couldn't breathe in May 2020. Chauvin was sentenced to a 22-and-a-half-year prison term in June 2021 after he was found guilty months earlier of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in Floyd's death. "The fact she never intended to draw her firearm makes this case less serious than other cases," Chu said. "The scene was chaotic, tense, and rapidly evolving. Officer Potter was required to make a split-second judgment. That constitutes a mitigating circumstance." Potter faced a total of up to 25 years in prison after being convicted on first and second-degree manslaughter charges. Prior to the sentencing, prosecutors told Chu that they believed a seven-year sentence was appropriate. Story continues Following the sentencing, Wright's mother, Katie Bryant, said the justice system "murdered him all over again." "This is the problem with our justice system today," Katie Bryant said at a press conference. "White women tears trump justice." Wright's father told reporters that it felt like the justice system "was so tied up" in Potter's feelings that it "forgot" that his son was killed. "I walked out of this courthouse feeling like people are laughing at us because this lady got a slap on the wrist," Arbuey Wright said. "And we're still, every night, sitting around crying, waiting for my son to come home." Chu defended the sentence on Friday, saying she knows "there will be those who disagree with the sentence." "That I granted a significant downward departure does not in any way diminish Daunte Wright's life," Chu said. "And to those who disagree and feel a longer prison sentence is appropriate, as difficult as it may be, please try to empathize with Mrs. Potter's situation." Chu became emotional and teared up throughout the sentencing. "Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically," Chu said. "She never intended to hurt anyone. Her conduct cries out for a sentence significantly below the guidelines." Read the original article on Insider Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker fully embraced his role in guiding the state through the coronavirus pandemic when he launched his reelection campaign in July, just a month after he had lifted nearly all restrictions as the vaccination effort gained steam and the state had fully reopened. Within weeks, though, he rolled out another mask mandate for schools as the state lost ground to the delta variant. Now, two adverse court opinions have stymied Pritzkers efforts to continue masking requirements at schools and renewed questions over the governors legal authority amid pandemic weariness and parent rebellion that has droned on for months. Advertisement As a result of a lawsuit filed on behalf of parents, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow on Feb. 4 granted the request for a temporary restraining order on the governors executive orders on masking and quarantining for schools named in the court action, finding that the measures are beyond the governors authority and deprive students of due process. The Illinois attorney generals office quickly filed an appeal. Less than a week later, Pritzker laid out the states exit plan to lift the indoor mask mandate on Feb. 28, though he stipulated masks would still be required in schools until an unspecified date. Advertisement Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces on Feb. 9, 2022, that the state's indoor mask mandate will be lifted by the end of February. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) While the state awaited an appellate ruling on Grischows decision to grant the temporary restraining order, the Illinois Department of Public Healths emergency rule that covered masking for schools expired Feb. 13. In an effort to continue to enforce masking in school districts not named in the lawsuit, the public health department reissued its rule Monday with minor tweaks, deleting some references to isolation and quarantine that were central to Grischows ruling. But when the rule came before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a bipartisan legislative oversight committee, three Democratic members joined their Republican counterparts to vote 9-0 to block the health departments rule. The Democrats explained their votes in large part by pointing to the appellate court ruling they anticipated in the coming days. Democratic state Rep. Mike Halpin of Rock Island said he voted 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. The anxiously awaited decision that came out of the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield late Thursday, however, did not change course from Grischows ruling. Instead, the court dismissed Pritzkers effort to keep statewide masking and other COVID-19 mitigation measures at schools in place. The appellate court based its decision on the fact that the legislative committee had blocked IDPHs attempt to renew the rules. Advertisement None of the rules found by the (Sangamon County) circuit court to be null and void are currently in effect, the ruling said. Accordingly, for the following reasons, we dismiss defendants appeal because the expiration of the emergency rules renders this appeal moot. Protesters call for mask optional schools outside of Glenbrook North High School on Feb. 11, 2022, in Northbrook. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) On Friday, after the appellate court ruling was announced, Halpin, who is running for a state Senate seat in the upcoming election, declined to comment on the decision. Hurley, who also voted with Republicans, could not be reached for comment. Tarver said he hadnt yet read the appellate court ruling in its entirety but voted to halt the IDPH rule because he felt it was only right to respect coequal branches of government and not let an agency enforce a rule that, at the time, was being decided on by the appellate court. I dont vote with, I vote for, and I voted for what I thought was right, Tarver said. My vote had nothing to do with the arguments (from Republicans). Until now, Pritzker has seen his emergency orders throughout the pandemic upheld by the courts and the appellate courts action did not address the legality of the governors use of emergency powers. But that hasnt stopped Republicans from accusing Pritzker of seeking to usurp the rights of parents and local school boards. Advertisement Last weeks action isnt the first time the administrative rules committee has pushed back on the governors plans. In May 2020, when the initial surge of COVID-19 was subsiding in Illinois, Pritzker backed down from a proposal that could have led to businesses facing criminal misdemeanor charges for opening in violation of his stay-at-home order after some Democrats on the legislative panel joined Republicans in raising concerns. Later that summer, Pritzker issued a rule that allowed businesses to be fined for violating mask requirements, which was allowed to go into effect. Last fall, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules instructed the Illinois State Board of Education to draft rules detailing the sanctions schools could face for violating the mask mandate and other coronavirus protocols after the board began revoking the recognition status of private schools that didnt comply. The board of education returned the following month with guidelines stipulating the revocation process and how schools can appeal such changes, which went into effect without an objection from the committee. Pritzker plans to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review the appellate courts decision. While Chicago Public Schools plans to continue enforcing its mask mandate, about 700 Illinois districts have pivoted to mask-optional policies. Advertisement cspaulding@chicagotribune.com rpearson@chicagotribune.com dpetrella@chicagotribune.com Ukrainians filed through the centre of the city in a column, chanting "One united Ukraine" and carrying Ukrainian flags and banners that said "Ukrainians will resist". "Today we want to say: "No to the enemy!" We want to say that Ukraine will be one," said Lviv resident and artist Mariya Yanko. "We should show and demonstrate to those that are afraid, who think they have to flee the country, that we have the power and that we should stay here to defend our land," 22-year-old student Vladyslav Karpenko told Reuters. Recently challenged books, including Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," sit on a table in Dec. 2021. (Rick Bowmer / Associated Press) In the ever-worsening culture wars, schools have emerged as a battlefront, with fierce arguments raging about the contents of curricula and propriety of particular books. Debating what literature and ideas to teach students is a mark of a healthy democratic society. But coming amid assaults on voting rights, protest rights and respect for dissent, these efforts to repress disfavored ideas and books must be recognized as part of a larger attack on democracy itself. Since January 2021 more than 150 bills have been introduced in 39 states that would restrict the teaching of certain curricula, mostly on issues of race and gender. Of these bills, more than 103 were introduced since the start of 2022. Twelve have already become law. Roughly two-thirds of the bills target K-12 schools, with the rest focused on higher education, libraries and state agencies. Sixty-two include mandatory punishments for those who violate the bans. Initially, most of these measures used the misnomer of critical race theory in an effort to push back against teachings thought to overemphasize the role of race as the driving force in American history and culture. But more recently introduced restrictions reach beyond any single concept. South Carolinas House Bill 4605 seeks to protect students from any material that might cause discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of their race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, heritage, culture, religion, or political belief. Such language, common to many of these bills, is dangerous. It is impossibly broad, opening the door to eliminating an endless range of works and topics. It also undermines one of the very aims of education, which is to help students move beyond their existing assumptions about the world. Most book bans target works by and about people of color as well as LGBTQ subjects and storylines. Floridas Polk County quarantined 16 books, including Toni Morrisons Beloved and The Bluest Eye, based on complaints from a group called County Citizens Defending Freedom. And as the calls for book banning increase, so does the vitriol that accompanies them: Last fall two Spotsylvania, Va., school board members called for books banned in the county to be burned. Story continues International examples offer an ominous clue as to where this could lead. In the 20th century the South African apartheid state banned 12,000 books, at one point commandeering a steel factory furnace in order to burn reviled texts. And in the 1930s the Nazi Party railed against un-German books, staging book burnings of Jewish, Marxist, pacifist and sexually explicit literature. More recently, in 2018 Iran banned the study of English in primary school to ward off cultural invasion. Legislation adopted in Hungary last year banned all curriculum referencing homosexuality from schools in the name of protection of children. In 2014 Russia passed a new law adding Nazi propaganda to the subjects it bans and restricts LGBTQ content, offenses to traditional values and criticisms of the state are among others. Booksellers were so fearful of running afoul of the broad law that they removed Art Spiegelmans Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus from stores because of the swastika on the books cover, despite its potent anti-fascist message. Last month a Tennessee school board banned Maus from its curriculum. Book bans and curriculum debates in the United States have flared up episodically over time, as rattled communities have sought to pump the brakes on social change in areas including evolutionary science, sexuality and the embrace of ethnic differences. Although some of the arguments being made today about protecting innocent students from corrupting ideas echo traditional motives for book banning, the current crusade has a more sinister cast. The spiking numbers what the American Library Assn. has called an unprecedented volume of book challenges including more than 155 unique censorship incidents between June and November, 2021 indicate that something organized is afoot. In many cases the new bans are not simply spontaneous initiatives by local citizens. Conservative donors, think tanks and organizers have been drafting and shopping model laws, lobbying legislators, recruiting parent and community activists, and providing playbooks on what to get banned and how. Some of the same institutions and funders fueling book and curriculum bans are mounting parallel, partisan efforts to curb assembly rights, make it more difficult for members of minority groups to vote, commandeer election administration and sow doubts about election integrity. It is all part of the work of a revanchist political movement bent on trampling civil liberties in order to gain and hold power. Organizers have hit upon bans as a potent tool to fire up suburban parents with an issue that affects their own kids bookbags. The techniques being used to enforce these prohibitions feed into an already menacing atmosphere of political schism. School board members in Redding, Conn., and Eureka, Mo., stepped down last year after receiving death threats in the course of curricular battles. In an incident reminiscent of Cold War era purges, a school principal in Colleyville, Texas, was put under investigation for his teachings on issues of race, finally resigning under pressure after being accused of encouraging the disruption and destruction of our district. School officials across the country have been similarly targeted. The blitz on books and curricula is one flank in a wider onslaught on institutions and norms, aligned with part of our countrys resistance to the political and social implications that come with demographic and ideological shifts. Holding fast to democracy means holding fast to books, defending the judgment of teachers and librarians and vigorously upholding the rights to read and learn. Suzanne Nossel is chief executive of PEN America and author of Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The truth is its not enough to merely be outraged by the increasing number of antisemitic incidents across our country including, much too close to home, the recent distribution of anti-Jewish flyers in some Sarasota neighborhoods. Yes, outrage has an admirable ability to rise and build, but it also possesses an inevitable tendency to ease and subside. More: Sarasota police investigate distribution of anti-Semitic flyers placed in several neighborhoods More: 'Its heartbreaking for us': Sarasota Jewish leaders disturbed, frightened at distribution of anti-Semitic flyers More: OPINION: Why are so many local leaders silent about antisemitic leaflets in Sarasota? So its clear that something far more sustainable is required to truly reduce and remove the toxic elements ignorance, intolerance, resentment and more that allow the blot of antisemitism to remain stubbornly visible on our communitys richly diverse and colorful canvas. What is required is real action. Real action calls for all Sarasotans to show open solidarity with Sarasotas Jewish community. Real action calls for all citizens of Sarasota to be committed, active participants standing shoulder to shoulder to repel antisemitism on a daily basis and not sometimes engaged allies who only scramble to the front lines when stirred by periodic bursts of hate-filled controversy. And Sunday afternoon is the perfect time to being answering that call. That's when a "Unity Gathering" will be held at Bayfront Park to stress the vital importance of having all of Sarasota step up and speak out against antisemitism. The 1 p.m. event, organized by the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and actively backed by Sarasota City Commissioner Hagen Brody, will feature a wide range of attendees from various faiths, backgrounds and organizations across our city. But everyone who attends will surely share one thing in common: a passionate desire to unite against hate and to stand as one with Sarasota's Jewish community Story continues If you can, please make it a point to be there, too. Make no mistake about it: The battle against antisemitism in Sarasota is one that clearly demands all hands on deck. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Fighting antisemitism in Sarasota requires more than action insta_photos / iStock.com While remote work took off during the pandemic, it seems as though its here to stay. In its State of Remote Work survey, social media management company Buffer found that 99% of remote workers would like to continue working remotely for at least part of the rest of their careers, and 95% would recommend remote working to others, Recorde reported. Compare: These 10 Companies Are Expected To Have the Most Remote Job Openings in 2022 Explore: 8 Tech Careers To Pursue To Become Rich Faster Global analytics firm Global Workplace Analytics added that, globally, 76% of workers want to continue working from home. With remote work is an unavoidable part of modern times, businesses will need to adapt to please a workforce that is increasingly averse to returning to the office. GWAs survey also found that 86% of respondents feel fully productive at home in the United States, and 77% globally. Those respondents also felt that they gain back 35 minutes a day due to fewer unwanted interruptions that come from an office environment, like talking to coworkers or just general environmental distractions. Related: 6 Incredible Perks of Being a Costco Employee While Wall Street mainstays like JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs have publicly announced their return to the office, the nations largest tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple have postponed their returns indefinitely. A move, the Washington Post noted, was largely influenced by employee calls for flexibility. If Microsoft and Google are examples of whats to come, the overarching labor market will likely need to heed employee wishes for a hybrid work environment. 55% of remote workers would consider quitting their jobs if their companies tried to forcer their return to the office, according to research from Morning Consult. See: 5 Careers To Pursue To Become Rich Faster Find: 17 Steps Millennials Can Take Now for a Brighter Financial Future In perhaps what is the greatest coup d etat for the labor force in recent history, workers are now able to take advantage of a labor market so tight that they would be willing to quit rather than have their demands fully met. If businesses want to keep up, they will have to adapt to meet rising remote work demands, or find themselves behind in a labor race where workers are already winning. Story continues More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Overwhelming Majority Wish To Continue Working From Home Why It Matters to Businesses WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland, which currently holds the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said on Sunday it would convene an extraordinary session of the group's Permanent Council on Ukraine. Ukraine requested the session to take place on Monday, according to a letter posted on Twitter by Adam Halacinskie, Poland's permanent representative to the OSCE. (Reporting by Alan Charlish and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) A 24-year-old man is accused of fatally strangling a Forest View woman hed met on social media and leaving her body in the back seat of her car in South Austin last month, prosecutors said Saturday. Judge Susana Ortiz on Saturday ordered Richard Chavez held without bail on a first-degree murder charge during a bond hearing Saturday afternoon. Charisma Ehresman, 20, was found dead in the back seat of her vehicle in the 5900 block of West Iowa Street in the South Austin neighborhood on Jan. 28, three days after she was reported missing and five days after she was last seen leaving her Forest View home, Cook County prosecutors said during the hearing. After the two communicated on social media, they decided to meet in person and she left her home Jan. 23 in her red Ford Fiesta and went to Chavezs home, parking her car in the 600 block of South Maple Avenue in Oak Park, prosecutors said. Doorbell surveillance from a nearby home shows Chavez walked out of his home and walked back in with Ehresman around 10:38 p.m. Jan. 23, prosecutors said. Around 7:30 a.m. the next day, surveillance video shows Chavez getting into Ehresmans car and driving it to the 5900 block of West Iowa Street, parking it there and walking east, prosecutors said. No one else exited the car, prosecutors said. Chavez walked around the area for about an hour then called his brother to pick him up, prosecutors said. His brother picked him up around 9:37 a.m. less than a mile from where he parked the car, prosecutors said. Ehresman is never seen leaving Chavezs home and Ehresmans last phone call was to Chavezs phone, prosecutors said. Cell phone records show Chavezs phone was pinged in the area where he was seen walking after he parked the car, prosecutors said. Surveillance video shows he was wearing a mask when he drove the car to South Austin, prosecutors said. On Jan. 25, when Chavez was placed in custody for an outstanding DUI warrant, police spotted lacerations on his hands and he appeared to have cut his hair, prosecutors said. Story continues While in custody, Chavez called his parents and asked them to get his passport ready, prosecutors said. He told police hed gone to sleep by 8 p.m. after the two hooked up on Jan. 23 and when he woke up after 10 a.m., Ehresman was gone. On Jan. 28, Ehresmans car was found and she was found in the back seat with a jacket covering her face, prosecutors said. Ehresman died of asphyxiation caused by strangulation and being smothered, prosecutors said. Her death was ruled a homicide. After getting a search warrant on Jan. 31, police searched Chavezs home and found a partially packed suitcase, the mask hes seen wearing in surveillance video and hair clippings in his garbage, prosecutors said. Alfredo Acosta, Chavezs attorney, said he is a United States citizen and his relatives, including his father, were in court. Acosta questioned how he really is a threat or danger to anyone in the public because he does not have any violence in his background. Chavez is due back in court Feb. 24. scasanova@chicagotribune.com Close relatives and descendants of Ukrainians gathered half-a-world away Sunday in Naples to protest what they said was continuing Russian aggression against their homeland. "Children are being taught evacuation drills and procedures," said Natalie Santarsiero, president of the Naples branch of Ukrainian National Women's League and one of more than two dozen residents from Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero and elsewhere gathered in front of the Waterside Shops. "They're not concerned with an invasion but fearful of bombing of plants and factories vital to the Ukrainian economy." Relatives and descendants of Ukrainians gathered in Naples Sunday to protest what they said was continuing Russian aggression against their homeland. Nearly 5,800 miles away in Ukraine on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened top officials to consider recognizing the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that would ratchet up tensions with the West amid fears that the Kremlin could launch an invasion of Ukraine imminently. The publicly staged, pre-recorded meeting of the presidential Security Council came amid a spike in skirmishes in eastern Ukraine that Western powers believe Russia could use as a pretext for an attack on the western-looking democracy that has defied Moscows attempts to pull it back into its orbit. With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, the U.S. has warned that Moscow has already decided to invade. Still, the American and Russian presidents tentatively agreed to a possible meeting in a last-ditch effort to avoid war. Sunday, there were reports of hundreds of artillery shells exploding along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists. Thousands of people were evacuating eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion. The United States and many European countries have claimed for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does. Story continues Previously: A generation vanishes: Naples Ukrainians illuminate the history of their genocide The Naples protest was sparked by what local Ukrainian supporters said is continued aggressive tactics by Russia. "People of the Ukraine, especially the young people, are willing to fight," Santarsiero said. "They've been independent for 30 years. We know the United States is behind us. We are grateful." Once known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine has long had a contentious relationship with Russia, Santarsiero said, and was once part of the old Soviet Union. "What Russia did, when Stalin was ruling, was transfer Ukrainians all over and brought ethnic Russians to the Ukraine," she said, explaining that this separation of cultures is fueling the current strife. Demonstrators gather in a square in Odessa, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. Thousands of people in Odessa marched through the streets of the city in a show of unity on Sunday, marking the date on which, eight years ago, more than a hundred people were killed during Ukraine's Maidan revolution. Waving national flags and placards with slogans such as, 'No Putin, No Cry', people said they had come out to demonstrate against a potential Russian invasion, and said that they were prepared to defend their city if needed. Another reason for the protest was Sunday's anniversary of what Vera Eliashevsky of Naples said was the eighth anniversary of the "Heavenly Hundred Heroes." The observance stems from protest participants who were killed by snipers during the Revolution of Dignity in the Ukraine in 2014. Related: Im a Russian journalist. Heres what the HBO series Chernobyl got right. More: Kudos and kicks: Warning: Political mischief ahead Eliashevsky, a member of the Kyiv-Chicago Sister Cities International, said support will be important to the region. "The Ukraine will need a mini-Marshall plan when this is over," she said, referring to the U.S. help given Europe after World War II. One of those waving a "Hand off Ukraine Putin" placard was Andrew Futey, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, one of the largest organizations for Ukrainians in the U.S. and represents 2 million Americans of Ukrainian descent. Relatives and descendants of Ukrainians gathered in Naples Sunday to protest what they said was continuing Russian aggression against their homeland. "Our message is to 'stand with Ukraine'," Futey said. "(And) to prevent further Russian aggression. Over eight years more than 14,000 Ukrainians have been killed by the Russians, nearly 2 million have been internally displaced, so we are asking for the United States government, we are asking for our allies, to give Ukraine the lethal defensive weapons it needs to defend itself, to sanction Russia through all sectors ... to make sure Mr. Putin understands to keep his hands off Ukraine." Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com. The Associated Press contributed to the report. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Russian tactics in Ukraine draws protest, criticism in Naples Florida Smart subway brings better travel experience to passengers in China 16:41, February 20, 2022 By Li Jiabao ( People's Daily An art exhibition held at Middle Longhua Road Station of the Shanghai Metro attracts passengers and citizens, Jan. 6, 2022. (Photo by Wang Gang/Peoples Daily Online) As China pushes ahead with the construction of smart cities, smart subway has gained momentum across the country, with big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and other new technologies being increasingly employed in urban rail transit systems. Thanks to digital technologies, subways in China are not only able to function as a convenient and fast means of transportation, but meet peoples diverse needs and offer a wide range of services. Lushuidao Station along Metro Line 6 (Phase 2) in north Chinas Tianjin municipality was designed to perform 20 functions based on smart technologies, including intelligent passenger services, passenger flow heat mapping, automatic control of various systems and equipment, as well as smart lighting. Through a comprehensive operation platform at the central control room of the station, workers are able to monitor the entire station and spot various incidents in time. Sensors installed in the station can gather data on carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, temperature, humidity and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) 24 hours a day; and intelligent ambient lighting and interconnected air and water systems for central air conditioning can effectively save electricity and improve energy management efficiency. Besides, trains running on the Metro Line 6 (Phase 2), Tianjins first fully-automated subway line, can automatically awaken various systems, depart and begin daily operation, carry out the passengers, return to the garage and switch to sleep mode, detect obstacles, and issue forward collision warning, etc. At Guoduxi Station of Metro Line 6 in Xian, capital of northwest Chinas Shaanxi province, an AI-based virtual attendant serving as an information assistant with a human voice and communication skills enables passengers to search for information. Passengers can interact with the virtual attendant either through the use of a touch screen or voice commands. The attendant can automatically judge the needs of passengers according to their questions, and guide them to the right service interfaces. Xian Metro Line 6 is the first of its kind in China that has adopted a smart security check system for the whole line, which, empowered by technologies concerning such tasks as intelligent identification, smart image analysis and intelligent connection, can ensure that passengers and their personal belongings go through security checks efficiently. After registering an account on Guangzhou Metros official app with their authentic identity information, passengers can make use of a facial recognition system to board and pay fares without fumbling for a transportation card at stations of Metro Line 18 in Guangzhou, capital city of south Chinas Guangdong province. During rush hours, the app, as well as the public address system, electronic screens, and escalators at stations, display the real-time crowd levels of carriages to guide passengers to those with lower crowd density. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, subway has become a major front line for the containment of the epidemic. Subways in various cities across China rolled out diversified smart systems to ensure peoples safety amid large flows of population, making positive contributions to epidemic control. The urban rail transport system in Shenzhen city, Guangdong province, has employed a smart system for security checks that enables information about high fevers and other abnormalities to be sent to the subway command center as fast as possible. Fuzhou Metro in Fuzhou, southeast Chinas Fujian province, has deployed intelligent thermal cameras that can automatically measure and record passengers body temperature, helping avoid close contact while enabling passengers to enter the subway stations more efficiently. Some subway stations offer passengers exciting cultural experiences. In Changsha, capital of central Chinas Hunan province, a digital art museum covering an area of 2,000 square meters was inaugurated in an interchange station of the citys subway system. The museum, the first of its kind in the country, includes six large-scale three-dimensional LED art installations, which transform part of the metro station into an art space, showcasing a blend of science, technology, and fashion. With the rapid development of smart metro systems, both the core function as a means of transportation and additional functions of the metro can be realized through the application of digital and intelligent technologies, said Wang Peng, an associate professor at Renmin University of China. The integration of intelligent technologies and applications into metro systems, a transportation means closely related to peoples everyday life, has brought more convenience to passengers, Wang noted. At the same time, subways have created more new application scenarios for digital technologies in aspects such as relaxation, culture, tourism, advertising, and social contact, playing a big role in promoting cultural communication and business ecosystem development, he added. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) A river otter peers through some reeds on the snowy bank of a Chicago area waterway. Long absent from the Chicago area, river otters have made a comeback and a new effort hopes to find out just how pervasive the animals are locally. (Jeff Nelson / Cook County Forest Preserves) Chris Anchor was walking the banks of Plum Creek in the southeastern corner of Cook County when he spotted tracks in the mud that completely surprised him. Just a few years after the Forest Preserves of Cook County made him the districts first wildlife biologist in its 40 years as an entity, he was helping out that day in 1991 with an Illinois Department of Natural Resources effort to catalog wildlife along the states waterways. Advertisement Anchor expected to find traces of raccoons and beavers, an occasional muskrat, and even a native mink. Thats when he saw the unexpected tracks. It was obvious there had been an otter there, he said. We got really excited. Advertisement I happened to be there when a new animal was appearing in the region. It was a wonderful thing to be a part of. Otters werent technically new to the area, but theyd not been common in a long, long time. Once heavily hunted by fur trappers, river otters in Illinois gained state protection in the 1920s and their population numbered fewer than 100 by the 1970s, according to an IDNR report. None of those were reported in Cook County, until Anchors discovery in 1991. His find was followed by a phone call from angry people who lived in homes surrounding a small fishing hole along Burnham Avenue in unincorporated Chicago Heights, not far from Plum Creek. That otter got out of the creek and got into that pond and just cleaned it out, Anchor said. The landowners were absolutely furious. They wanted me to retrieve my otter and put it back in the forest preserve. Cook County Forest Preserve District wildlife biologist Chris Anchor prepares to release a river otter outfitted with an electronic transmitter so its movements can be tracked. (Jeff Nelson / Cook County Forest Preserves) River otters historically were easy prey for fur trappers, hence their near complete exit from Illinois in the 1800s. But theyre very difficult to catch if you dont want to hurt them, Anchor said, because they are so crazy, so wound up, so excitable that you have to be very, very careful when you restrain them so they are not in a position to get hurt. Thats a challenge. So when he returned to try to roust it from the Burnham Avenue fishing hole, he had no more success than the fish had against that particular otter, which likely moved on to more fertile hunting grounds. A few years later, the IDNR began an earnest effort to reintroduce river otters to the state, trading 75 wild turkeys to Kentucky in 1994 for 50 wild river otters that had originated in Louisiana. By 1997, more turkey trades as well as some outright purchases resulted in the release of nearly 350 river otters in central and western Illinois, and a downstate population had been reestablished. Meanwhile, Anchor went about his biologist business in Cook County, keeping tabs on the districts wildlife and increasingly focusing on coyotes after reports and concerns about the animals started flowing in. Advertisement He captured about 40 coyotes in the Chicago area in the 1980s and 90s and outfitted them with radio transmitters in an effort to learn more about them. We thought they were lost, he said. We thought they were wayward animals. We would collar them and then put them in the most remote areas of Cook County, where there was agriculture and they could stay away from people if they wanted to. What we found out was in every single case, bar none, every animal went right back to where we caught them, or died trying to get there. We knew we had coyotes in the forest preserves. What we didnt know is that we had coyotes living among us, in the neighborhoods, and they were doing very strange things compared to their rural counterparts. That realization was the genesis of the Urban Coyote Research Project, an effort to track the Chicago areas coyote population and map their movements using tagging and electronic tracking as well as reports from citizen scientists hikers and outdoors enthusiasts who reported sightings to a central database. Over about 20 years, the project paid off in a comprehensive look at our coyote neighbors. A river otter peers above an ice floe. The animals are great at hiding, said Cook County Forest Preserve District wildlife biologist Chris Anchor, and can be hard to spot even when he knows they're in a certain location. (Jeff Nelson / Cook County Forest Preserves) Most studies last a year or three, Anchor said, or the duration of a graduate students availability. Then youre done. What you end up with is a stochastic snapshot of whats going on out there, he said. If this study had ended there would have been huge holes in the Chicago metropolitan area where there were no coyotes. That wasnt because there were no coyotes there, that was because we didnt have a collar on members of that family group. Advertisement Instead, they discovered coyotes are everywhere. It doesnt matter where you live in the Loop or in Steger or South Holland or Barrington or Arlington Heights. You live in a territory of a family group of coyotes, and the vast majority of them are never noticed by the public, he said. We had absolutely no idea that was going on. These days, Anchor has transmitters on 20 species animals hes trapped in Cook County preserves, because its the only way you find out whats going on. By the 2010s, river otters had started showing up in Cook County forest preserves, possibly descended from the downstate turkey trade otters, or even the Burnham Avenue fish poacher. In 2015, Anchor managed to trap one at Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland and have Brookfield Zoo veterinarians surgically implant a transmitter. The surgery was necessary, as you cant put a collar on an otter because it has no neck, he said. The process was repeated with five other otters in the next few years, and its paid off in showing that river otters are likely much more prevalent in the Chicago area than anyone thought. Advertisement They are so good at concealing themselves, Anchor said. Well go out to see an otter with a transmitter and know theyre in a clump of bulrush or cattail, or in a muskrat lodge, and we can sit there hour after hour and never see them. We know theyre there, then they leave and are out hunting and we still dont see them. In one case, he said, an otter invaded a muskrat lodge, killed and ate all of its occupants, and wintered there, hunting for fish under 10 inches of ice and bringing its prey back to the lodge where there was shelter and oxygen. If you walk by, you would have no idea there was an otter there, he said. There were no tracks, no latrine, no middens, none of the classic indicators that an otter was in residence. A river otter perches above a Cook County waterway. The return of river otters to the area is a good sign for the health of our environment, scientists say. (Jeff Nelson / Cook County Forest Preserves) The Sand Ridge otter was a fascinating animal, Anchor said. He stayed there for a year, and in those little ponds, he ate every fish, every clam, every crawfish, and he was down to eating invertebrates giant water beetles, he said. Then he ducked into the Little Calumet and Des Plaines River and headed west. It turned out he was a male, and he found a group of females down by Romeoville, then found a group of females up by Goose Lake by Black Partridge Preserve in Lemont, and he would come visit with the ladies up north and then visit with the ladies down south. And thats where he lived until the transmitter went dead. Wouldnt you love to know how he ended up in the ponds of Sand Ridge? And more importantly how did he figure out how to get to the females 15 or 20 miles away? Its things like that theres so much we dont know. Advertisement And so the Urban Otter Research Project was born. Modeled on the Urban Coyote Research Project, it kicked off at the beginning of the year. Zach Hahn, a graduate student from Ohio State University, was brought in to get the project up and running, and hes spent the last month and a half setting up trail cameras in likely otter locations as well as putting out the call for anyone using the forest preserves to report sightings of river otters. Already, he said, theres been one verified otter sighting from a citizen scientist in the Palos Preserves near the Cal Sag Channel. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Its going to be fascinating to see how theyve adapted to an urbanized location, said Hahn, a Louisiana native whose base of operations for the otter project is in Dundee. Its a great underdog story. Theyre adapting to the urbanization that once drove them out. This could be a new hub for otters. Even as a newcomer, Hahn said the otter population here bodes well for everything that lives in the Chicago area. Except, perhaps the fish and other creatures they like to eat. That the population is increasing, and theyre choosing to use Chicagos waterways, its a great sign for our conservation efforts here, he said. Advertisement And the support has been overwhelmingly positive. People are excited about river otters and want to see them, and mostly theyre happy to learn they are here. Theyre even bringing joy even to a seasoned pro like Anchor. When I started in 1987, I thought the diversity of animals Id be working with over the course of my career would be going down, he said. And in fact it has gone up. Here I am working with otters. Landmarks is a weekly column by Paul Eisenberg exploring the people, places and things that have left an indelible mark on the Southland. He can be reached at peisenberg@tribpub.com. Queen Elizabeth Oli Scarff - WPA Pool/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday. In a statement, the Palace revealed that the Queen, who is reported to be fully vaccinated, is experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms" and "expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week." They concluded, "She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines." After the news of the Queen's positive diagnosis surfaced, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in addition to many other well-wishers, tweeted his hopes for a speedy recovery. He wrote, "I'm sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health." Im sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health. Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 20, 2022 RELATED: Was Queen Elizabeth Involved in Prince Andrew's Settlement With Virginia Giuffre? The Queen is the third royal to come down with the virus this month. Prince Charles, who first tested positive at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, was reinfected with the virus two days after meeting with the 95-year-old monarch at Windsor for an investiture ceremony. Four days later, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall also tested positive. Both Charles and Camilla are vaccinated and boosted. Earlier this week, Queen Elizabeth's health came into question after she conducted several in-person meetings at Windsor Castle including one with two senior military members. When asked how she was doing, she responded, "Well, as you can see, I can't move." According to Reuters, a Palace source clarified that "the Queen had been feeling slightly stiff, rather than having injured herself or being unwell." Great Britain sprinter Richard Kilty faces losing his Olympic medal (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire) Richard Kilty does not believe he will ever forgive reckless CJ Ujah for the failed drugs test which will see him lose his Olympic silver medal. It was announced on Friday that Great Britain were being stripped of the 4x100m relay silver won at last summers Tokyo Games after Ujah was found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Ujah, who tested positive for the prohibited substances ostarine and S-23, said in a statement he had unknowingly consumed a contaminated supplement and apologised to his team-mates, their families and support teams. Kilty revealed Ujah had spoken to his team-mates Zharnel Hughes and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake were the other members of the relay team that won silver via Zoom a couple of months earlier to explain his situation and apologise. The 32-year-old, though, says the fallout will always remain tough to stomach. (PA Archive) What he has done has been reckless, Kilty told national newspapers. Everything has been a team effort to get to that position to be part of the British 4100 strike four. Now hes made that mistake I dont think Ill ever be able to forgive him because me, Zharnel and Nethaneel have lost a medal at the hands of his mistakes. CJ is ultimately going to be the one who is going to get banned himself it is affecting his own career, but again weve worked so, so, so hard. We finally reached the pinnacle and won an Olympic medal, and then we lose it because one person has just been sloppy with whats gone into their body. Its heartbreaking. Statement from CJ Ujah on CAS ruling British Athletics (@BritAthletics) February 18, 2022 Kilty felt let down by his Ujahs actions. For the last 20 years of my career the same as the other two lads we have worked our asses off. We have followed the rules, in and out, he said. Story continues I know for a fact that Im never going to fail a drug test for two reasons one, I dont take drugs; two every supplement and everything that I put into my body, thats on me and I make sure whatever goes into my body is checked. Kilty added: Only he knows the truth. Either way, its reckless. Sadly, its affected his career and three of our careers, our families, absolutely everything. Its a tragedy for all of us involved. I could look him [Ujah] in the eye, but could he look me in the eye and tell the truth? That is the question. Only he knows the truth. Only he knows. He has got to live with it. Mitchell-Blake, meanwhile, was in action on Saturday at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, where he failed to advance from his 60 metres heat after finishing seventh. The 27-year-old said afterwards when asked about the news of the quartet losing the silver: I was happy that some news came out so we can actually get the process going. But then obviously its a nail in the coffin saying youre getting stripped of your Olympic silver medal. It hasnt really 100 per cent sunk in yet, but when you say it and repeat it and think about it, its not a nice feeling. Were all heartbroken by it. Its gutting for us, the nation, everybody. (Ujah) is my brother, I love him and I know he wouldn't do anything intentional Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake Mitchell-Blake added: I feel like a lot is still yet to be revealed, and we just have to let everything play out. (Ujah) is my brother, I love him and I know he wouldnt do anything intentional. Its unfortunate that things happen of this nature, but hes taken accountability and that is all you can ask for. I accept his apology wholeheartedly. Ive known him for a long time, we were friends before the sport and well continue to be friends. It has to be heart-wrenching for him, and naturally its heart-wrenching for us. We (he and Ujah) speak quite frequently not so much about the topic, although I know hes got a lot going on in his mind already. I just try to support him as much as I can. We go forward towards Paris (the 2024 Olympics) and try to use this and get a medal in Paris, whether individually or collectively. Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov on Sunday denied accusations from Western governments that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine as tensions increase in the region. "There is no invasion. There is no such plans," Antonov said while appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation." "Russia has publicly ... declared its readiness to continue the diplomatic efforts to resolve all outstanding issues," Antonov added. "Russian troops are on sovereign Russian territory. We don't threaten anyone." Russia's Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov insists "there [are] no such plans" for an invasion by his country of Ukraine, despite indications from Western countries that Moscow is planning one. pic.twitter.com/a7VRLLea7B - Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 20, 2022 Host Margaret Brennan pushed back against Antonov's characterization of Russia's military actions, pointing out that there are thousands of Russian troops along Ukraine borders with Belarus and Moldova as well as Ukrainian separatists backed by Moscow. Antonov shot back that the U.S. has "so many military bases" around the world and Russia has significantly fewer. He argued that Russia's military actions are not violating any legally binding norms. Brennan also questioned if Russia's recent actions were an attempt to gain recognition of its annexation of Crimea. Antonov responded by saying the "issue of Crimea" was "solved" and that the region was Russian territory, though the international community has yet to recognize it. Antonov further stated that Donbas, the eastern Ukrainian region occupied by Russia-backed separatists, is Ukraine's territory. Is President Putin's goal to get the rest of the world to recognize Crimea as part of Russia? Russia's Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov says, "It's a Russian territory and we don't want even to discuss this issue at all. It was not...a military operation by Russian forces." pic.twitter.com/ARGQxDywvW - Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 20, 2022 It was reported that Russian commanders had been given orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine by CBS News national security correspondent David Martin on Sunday, shortly after Antonov's interview was taped. Washington Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov denied Sunday that the Kremlin is preparing for an invasion of neighboring Ukraine, despite a build-up of roughly 150,000 Russian forces and U.S. intelligence that Russian commanders have received orders to proceed. "There is no invasion, and there [are] no such plans," Antonov said in an interview with "Face the Nation." Transcript: Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov on "Face the Nation" The ambassador's claims that Russia does not intend to invade Ukraine come as Russian President Vladimir Putin has massed roughly 150,000 soldiers, warplanes and equipment on his neighbor's three sides and extended military drills near Ukraine's northern borders. The exercises brought a large contingent of Russian troops to Belarus and were supposed to end Sunday. Mr. Biden told reporters Friday he's "convinced" Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine and said the U.S. believes Russian forces intend to attack in the "coming days." Further, the U.S. has intelligence that Russian commanders have received orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine, with commanders on the ground making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sectors of the battlefield, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported on "Face the Nation" Sunday. The intelligence indicates that "they're doing everything that American commanders would do once they got the order to proceed," Martin said. The Biden administration, meanwhile, has continued to assert that diplomacy remains a possibility, as roughly 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed to Eastern Europe to bolster NATO forces. The president has stressed no American forces would go into Ukraine if Russia invades, but has warned there would be steep consequences for Russia in the form of sanctions. The U.S. and other allies, most recently Germany and Austria, have also urged their citizens to leave the country. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine temporarily relocated its operations from Kyiv to Lviv due to the acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces. Story continues Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Putin to meet with him to work to resolve the crisis, but also was critical of Western leaders gathered at a security conference in Munich, arguing they should not wait to slap sanctions on Russia until after there is an attack. "We don't need your sanctions after the bombardment will happen, and after our country will be fired at or after we will have no borders or after we will have no economy or parts of our country will be occupied. Why would we need those sanctions then?" he said. Asked why a meeting between Putin and Zelensky hasn't happened if Russia claims it is interested in diplomacy, Antonov demurred, but asked, "Why are you all looking just only on the one side? Why you prefer to ignore the second one? Why you are ignoring Russian concerns on security?" Despite the build-up of forces and military equipment around Ukraine, Antonov said Russia does "not threaten anyone," and Russia has a "legitimate right to have our troops where we want on Russian territory." "We are not threaten[ing] to anybody. We are not threaten[ing] to United States. We are not threaten[ing] to Ukraine. It's very easy to solve this crisis," he said. "If you persuade Kyiv to sit at the table of negotiations when Luhansk and Donbas people, so there will be no fighting, there will be peace, there no will be any casualties. It's so easy." Moscow, Antonov said, is concerned with the weapons and security assistance the U.S. and allies have provided to Ukraine. He reiterated that Russia is opposed to an expansion of NATO, and wants the U.S. to withdraw troops and weaponry from its neighboring countries. "We would like to put everything on the paper, we would like to see legally binding guarantees for Russian security," he said. "We sent our package of proposals, what should we do? We don't want to see next wave of expansion of NATO. We would like you not to use any eastern and central European countries, as well as Baltic states, to deploy their new weapons. We don't want INF missiles deployed in Europe." Antonov reiterated "there is no invasion now." "As you know, there was a lot of fake news in the mass media and in many American channels that today we're going to start invasion, and I would like to confirm that there is not any plan to start war," he said. "We don't want a war." Face The Nation: Antonov, Markarov, Krebs, Schlesinger How a Russian invasion of Ukraine could affect the U.S. economy Krebs says Russia could target U.S. financial system in response to sanctions NBC News Reporter Matthew Bodner joins Meet the Press from Moscow as Russians are being "barraged with claims of looming Ukrainian attacks" on television. Angie Golom, who has operated Warsaw Inn for 50 years has decided to retire and plans to close the Polish restaurant in Lynwood, though an outpouring of support this week has caused her to consider selling the establishment. (Warsaw Inn) Angie Golom believes 50 years is long enough to run a business, and that includes her popular Polish buffet, the Warsaw Inn in Lynwood. Golom, 69, says its just time to pull the plug after 50 years of working six days a week. Edward, her husband of 49 years, is already retired. Advertisement She has tentatively set Feb. 27 as the restaurants last day. Its just time to retire, she said Wednesday. I want time to see the country. Id love to spend time with my grandkids. Advertisement Golom has five grandchildren who live with two of her sons in Minnesota and Denver. A third son lives in Utah. My children are very excited that Im finally retiring, she said. She said she was surprised two weeks ago when her sons and grandchildren just showed up. They all flew in and surprised me by walking into the restaurant, she said. They didnt tell anybody they were coming. They just showed up. She said the decision to shutter the business that has been operating at 2180 Glenwood-Dyer Road in Lynwood since 1980 was bittersweet. Since announcing our closing, there are more than 2,000 comments on our Facebook page and we have gotten between 500 and 1,000 phone calls a day. The response has been unbelievable, she said. So much so, she may delay the closing. Advertisement Well see. I just didnt expect this kind of support, she said. So many people wanting to come one more time. She also said she was open to selling the business. I just put the business up for sale yesterday, she said. Id be willing to share my recipes and teach someone the business. I would just love for someone to take it over. Theres no other restaurant like us around, she said. Our food is always homemade. Made fresh every day. Everything is made on the premises. Her Polish specialties include pierogies, cabbage rolls, and potato pancakes. Oh, we cant forget the kolaczki, she said. Her favorite? I love our pierogies. We pinch one at a time. Advertisement As much as Goloms recipes celebrate the old country, she said theres plenty of non-Polish food to love. You dont have to be Polish to like our food. We have great fried chicken, barbecued ribs, daily specials, she said. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > The original restaurant was started in 1972 by Golom and her parents, Eugene and Angela Zubrzycki. The family came to the United States from their native Poland. The first location was in Calumet Park. That restaurant burned down in 1979, she said. She then split from her parents and opened her own restaurants in Chicago Ridge and Lynwood in 1980. The Chicago Ridge location was later sold. She said her employees are one reason she has been so successful all these years. Advertisement I have wonderful employees, she said. One has been with the Warsaw Inn for 36 years. Golom said hours until Feb. 27 would be 4-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 4-9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The restaurant will be closed Monday and Tuesday. Bob Bong is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. Responding to the recall of three progressive members from her citys school board, San Francisco mayor London Breed said the voter backlash shows the panel lost sight of its main priority: educating children. In this particular case, the board neglected their primary responsibility to focus on other things, other things that are important, but not as significant as what they were there to do and that is to educate children, Breed said on NBCs Meet the Press. Parents had grown frustrated with the boards preoccupation with its political agenda over its students, such its push to rename 44 schools in the district to be more social justice friendly, while schools still remained closed to in-person learning. Schools only resumed classroom teaching full-time last August. Breed said the trios ouster was an understandable reaction to what parents increasingly viewed as disregard for concerns about their childrens academic and social development. The results to vote out Alison Collins, Gabriela Lopez and Faauuga Moliga were overwhelming at 79 percent, 75 percent, and 73 percent, respectively. We failed our children, she acknowledged. Parents were upset. The city as a whole was upset, and the decision to recall school board members was a result of that. Breed said parents demanding their children receive a quality education shouldnt be divisive along partisan lines and is not a Democratic-Republican issue. My take is that it was really about the frustration of the Board of Education doing their fundamental job, she said. And that is to make sure that our children are getting educated, that they get back into the classroom. And that did not occur. They were focusing on other things that were clearly a distraction. Collins prospects of surviving the recall were increasingly low given her old comments from 2016 that expressed anti-Asian American sentiment. One tweet implied that this minority group uses white supremacist thinking to get ahead. Such surfaced statements likely drove many Asian American residents to the ballot box and to heightened civic engagement, CBS News reported. Story continues Breed said shed like to see new members to the school board that better represents the interests of students, who have particularly struggled during the pandemic. More from National Review Conservative takeovers of local school boards have already altered lessons on race and social injustice in many classrooms. Now some districts are finding their broader efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion are also being challenged. As her Colorado school districts equity director, Alexis Knox-Miller thought the work she and a volunteer team were doing was on solid ground, especially with an audit in hand that detailed where the district was falling short in making sure all students had the same opportunities. But in December, Knox-Miller reluctantly disbanded the equity leadership team after more than a year of meetings. New conservative members had won a majority on the school board after voicing doubts about the work, and she worried the efforts might not lead anywhere. The new board says it will take up the issue in the spring. Around the time that the equity audit was being released, I realized that the tide had changed around diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Knox-Miller said. People were conflating the definition of equity with critical race theory, and the absurd accusations that we were teaching critical race theory in classrooms to kindergartners began. Since issues of diversity, equity and inclusion can thread their way through every part of a school system including recruitment, services and equipment the debate carries implications for hiring and spending. In some districts, proposals aimed at making schools more welcoming places for students from diverse backgrounds have been reversed as a result of turnover on school boards, while work elsewhere faces a chill from acrimonious debate around topics that have been mislabeled as critical race theory. School administrators say critical race theory, a scholarly theory that centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nations institutions, is not taught in K-12 schools. But that has done little to sway opponents who assert that school systems are misspending money, perpetuating divisions and shaming white children by pursuing initiatives they view as critical race theory in disguise. Story continues In a fraught political climate that already had escalated fights about pandemic mask and vaccine requirements, divisions are taking a toll, said Dan Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendents Association. Even in districts that arent threatened as much, theyre thinking twice about what they say and what they do and how they go about doing it because it is having a chilling effect on the whole equity, diversity and inclusion movement, Domenech said. Colorado Springs School District 11, a large and diverse system of 26,000 students where Knox-Miller works, was the first in its area to adopt a formal equity policy, unanimously approving it May 27, 2020, two days after the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota sparked national reflection on race and social justice issues in and out of schools. The policy acknowledged gaps in achievement and opportunities among marginalized student groups and recognized the impact of systemic inequities on teaching and learning. Part of Knox-Millers work involved commissioning an audit by the American Institutes for Research. It found that schools with high concentrations of special education students, English language learners, students living in poverty and students of color were scoring measurably below other schools. Critics questioned the findings and the way they were presented, at a series of public meetings called equity cafes that some said limited full discussions. Conservative candidates set their sights on the school board, with three winning seats in the November election. Knox-Miller saw no choice but to stand down. Board President Parth Melpakam said by email that the new board had yet to discuss the issue but plans to at a work session in the spring. The D11 BOE remains committed to assuring educational equity by providing the support and resources every child needs to develop their full academic potential, he said. In Pennridge, Pennsylvania, the school district's diversity, equity and inclusion initiative was put on hold last year after it became a flashpoint in debates that touched also on COVID-19 safety protocols, including mask mandates. Democrat Adrienne King, who helped design the plan, ran for a seat on the school board and lost in November. Five Republicans won after running against the initiative, which they had called divisive. The programs future remains unclear while a new committee considers it. The districts diversity, equity and inclusion guidebook, no longer visible on the districts website, proposed ways to recruit diverse job candidates and improve training for teachers, and encouraged lessons that invite students to reflect on their own culture and history. The initiative could have helped prevent unnecessarily painful experiences, King said, like when a white second grader, without meaning to hurt anyones feelings, called Kings daughter, who is Black, a slave after learning about Frederick Douglass. In a second grade mind, it was just, 'Oh, I learned this new fact. Youre Black, Frederick Douglass was Black. You must be a slave, she said. Neither the boards president nor school administrators responded to requests for comment. The Arlington, Virginia-based group Parents Defending Education is critical of diversity, equity and inclusion programming, citing on its website a goal of fighting indoctrination in the classroom. It tracks examples of what it views as inappropriate activities, such as an educator training session in Missouri that included discussion of microagressions and implicit bias. What they have become are Trojan horses for all of these divisive programs that push really illiberal ideas like segregated groups based on race, privilege walks, privilege bingo, said Asra Nomani, the organization's vice president for strategy and investigations. In Southlake, Texas, the newly elected conservative majority on the Carroll Independent School Districts board killed a proposed cultural competency action plan in December and disbanded the suburban Dallas districts diversity council as part of a legal settlement. The plan had been in the works since a 2018 video showed students in the mostly white district chanting a racial slur at a party after the school's homecoming celebration. A second video of students using the slur emerged in 2019. We dont have a racism problem in Southlake. If children behave improperly, then they should be disciplined, Tim OHare, founder of a political action committee formed to fund conservative candidates and defeat the plan, told The Texan. Still, many other initiatives continue as planned. An equity program that schools in Clayton County, Georgia, undertook more than a year ago was designed to keep politics and emotions out of it, Superintendent Morcease Beasley said. A task force has undertaken a deep dive into the districts programming that will use data to drive policy changes. Equity is not about emotions. Equity is about what the data tells us and ensuring that we allow the data to inform our decisions, he said. Thats what equity is about. Where are the needs? Who needs the resources? What do they need? The boy found wandering alone in Colerain Township Thursday night was abandoned in the area by his mother, according to Colerain police. Police said Heather Nicole Adkins, 32, took her son from Shelbyville, Indiana, and drove him 75 miles away to Cincinnati. The child is a non-verbal 5-year-old with autism. Charges have been filed against the mother, police said. Previous Reporting: Colerain Police said a driver called 911 and reported a boy walking alone at the corner of Sheed Road and Gaines Road Thursday night. More: Republican worries crime bills package targeting Indianapolis is zeroing in on the poor The caller, Josh Wanderski, described the situation as scary and said the child was soaking wet and waving down cars. "It's a two-lane road, super dark, no lights, very windy, and it was also freezing. He was just on the side of the road. He was waving me down. Luckily I was close so that I could call the police," Wanderski told Enquirer Media Partner Fox 19. At the time, the child was wearing a burgundy and gray sweatsuit and black Shaq gym shoes. Police said the boy has a visible scar on his nose that is believed to be new. Investigators believe the child is around 5-years-old to 7-years-old and is non-verbal. On Friday, Colerain Police said they identified the child and are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Colerain Police Department at 513-321-2677. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Police: Shelbyville Indiana Heather Nicole Adkins abandons son charges A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy associated with the gang-like group of deputies with matching tattoos from Compton station testified that he has attended about seven so-called inking parties since he first saw the image on a shirt more than a decade ago. During a deposition this month, Deputy Jaime Juarez was instructed by county lawyers not to answer questions about whether he has the Executioners' tattoo, which depicts a skull with a rifle and a military-style helmet surrounded by flames, but he named a handful of deputies who do. Juarez admitted in the deposition that a truck displaying a flag with the image belonged to him. Juarez said patrol deputies discuss who can get the tattoo, but he refused to call the process a "vote" or refer to those with matching tattoos as a "group," according to the deposition. He testified that he has participated in deciding who can get a tattoo and a majority of deputies involved in the conversation have to agree. The last time he took part in one of those discussions, he said, five people were involved in the decision. "The line deputies, the deputies that work patrol ... they decide if they feel a deputy who is a leader at the station, who conducts themselves in a professional manner, who served the public and the department with honor and respect, they conduct ethical police work, they're a leader, they step up during critical incidents, they mentor younger deputies," Juarez testified. "Those are the deputies they decide on." Juarez did not immediately respond Saturday to a request for comment. The Sheriff's Department declined to comment Saturday about the deposition testimony. It also refused again to answer questions first posed by The Times last April related to its investigations into the Compton group. The new testimony comes as part of a retaliation lawsuit filed by Lt. Larry Waldie, who alleges that he was targeted after he "openly opposed the domination of the station" by the Executioners a group he says was led by Juarez when he was acting captain of Compton station. Story continues It offers an inside look into the inner workings of a secretive group that has garnered national attention. This month, a congressional subcommittee requested for a second time that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate allegations of systemic abuses by criminal gangs of L.A. County deputies that celebrate shootings and retaliate against whistleblowers. The Sheriffs Department has long faced allegations that gang-like groups of deputies operate in several stations, controlling commanders and glorifying aggressive policing tactics. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has downplayed the issue, saying problems associated with the groups are often the result of drunken deputies getting into fights and taking issue with those who refer to them as "deputy gangs." On Wednesday, Villanueva sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Board of Supervisors, demanding members and others stop using the phrase. But he has also taken credit for addressing the problem with a policy that prohibits deputies from joining groups that promote behavior that violates the rights of others. A study commissioned by L.A. County and published last year found that 16% of the 1,608 deputies and supervisors who anonymously answered survey questions had been invited to join a group, with some invitations having come in the last five years. More than a third of respondents said the groups should be prohibited. At their worst, the Rand Corp. report says, the groups encourage violence, undermine the chain of command and harm relationships with the communities the Sheriffs Department serves. In his deposition, Juarez said he first saw the skull image associated with the Executioners on a shirt during a benefit event in 2011. He named 11 deputies on whose bodies he had seen the tattoo. He said he was present when it was being drawn on six of them. The tattoos were given by four or five different artists at different people's homes, he said. The most recent inking event Juarez said he was present for was a year and a half or two years ago. Juarez said he's heard the term "Executioners" in the news, but has never heard the term used at Compton station. Juarez said in his deposition that he was transferred out of Compton station along with a handful of other deputies about a year and a half ago. It's unclear why they were transferred. Two of those deputies, he said, were Miguel Vega and Chris Hernandez, who came under intense scrutiny in 2020 after they were involved in the controversial killing of Andres Guardado, 18, near an auto shop in Gardena. They were relieved of duty several months later in connection with an earlier incident in which a skateboarder alleged the pair kidnapped him, threatened him, crashed their car and then lied to cover up their actions. The skateboarder agreed to settle his lawsuit against L.A. County for $450,000, his attorney said last year, though the agreement has not been finalized. A whistleblower deputy had testified in an unrelated excessive-force case that Vega and Hernandez were prospective members of the Executioners, which they both have denied. In his recent deposition, Juarez testified that Vega and Hernandez were never considered for getting the tattoo. Juarez identified a second group of deputies at Compton station with another tattoo that is "like a gladiator or X-man." He testified that he has seen about five people, including Waldie, with that tattoo and accused the lieutenant of showing favoritism toward them. Alan Romero, Waldie's attorney, denied the favoritism claims, saying the lieutenant "went out of his way to treat everyone equally." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A Yemeni spy chief implicated in torture. The sons of an Azerbaijani strongman who rules a mountainous territory as his own private fiefdom. Bureaucrats accused of looting Venezuelas oil wealth and hastening its descent into humanitarian crisis. They come from all over the world, each associated with a different corrupt, authoritarian regime and each enriching themselves in their own way. But there is one thing that unites them: where they kept their money. After its luxury watches, snow-capped mountains, and superior chocolates, the Alpine nation of Switzerland is perhaps known best for its secretive banking sector. And at the heart of that sector is Credit Suisse, which over its 166-year history has become one of the worlds most important financial institutions. Related story lead image SUISSE SECRETS With nearly 50,000 employees and $1.5 trillion in assets under management for 1.5 million clients, this banking behemoth is a testament to how central the banking sector is in this wealthy and comfortable nation. But, as a new collaborative investigation spearheaded by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reveals, this glittering success has its murky side. Journalists have obtained leaked records identifying thousands of foreign customers who stashed their money at Credit Suisse. The records, shared with the Miami Herald and news organizations around the world, including the New York Times and the U.K.s Guardian, are nowhere near a complete list of the banks clients, but they provide a revealing glimpse behind the curtain of Swiss banking secrecy. Over 160 reporters from 48 outlets spent months sifting through the data to identify dozens of accounts that belonged to corrupt politicians, criminals, spies, dictators, and other dubious characters. These are not obscure names, their misdeeds often identifiable through a simple Google search. And yet, their accounts which held over $8 billion remained open for years. Story continues The clients included the family of an Egyptian intelligence chief who oversaw torture of terrorism suspects for the Central Intelligence Agency; an Italian with a broad portfolio of South Florida properties accused of laundering criminal funds for Italys Ndrangheta crime group; a German executive who bribed Nigerian officials for telecoms contracts; and Jordans King Abdullah II, who held over 230 million Swiss francs ($223 million) in a single Swiss bank account, even as his country raked in billions in foreign aid. From Caracas to Zurich In Venezuela, elites accused of plundering the state oil firm funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into Credit Suisse accounts. That looting of public coffers helped precipitate Venezuelas economic collapse, one that has prompted six million people to flee extreme poverty, malnutrition, and a lack of medical care. An influx of Venezuelans, driven out of their homeland by the cratering economy and political strife, has transformed parts of South Florida, notably Doral and Weston. Credit Suisse kept its Venezuelan clients accounts open even as global media exposed corruption cases against many of them. Credit Suisse headquarters in Zurich Compliance experts who reviewed OCCRPs findings said many of these people should not have been allowed to bank at Credit Suisse at all. People should not have access to the system if what they are carrying is corrupt money, said Graham Barrow, an independent expert on financial crime. The bank has a clear duty to ensure that the funds it handles have clear and legitimate provenance. Credit Suisse is not the only culprit. Many major banks and financial service firms have faced similar scandals over the years. Many then pledge to reform. And yet as projects like this one reveal they continue to allow dodgy clients to take wealth theyve made in countries with poor legal systems and lax oversight, and safeguard it in some of the safest and most secure places in the world. From there, its available anywhere the global Swiss banks operate and has the imprimatur of clean, wholesome money. The tax evaders, the kleptocrats, the people who are stealing their countries blind are using these first-world institutions as places to hide their money, says James Henry, a senior adviser to the U.K. charity Tax Justice Network who has studied tax evasion at Credit Suisse. Because there are legal systems, independent judiciaries that cant be bought. The leaks and related revelations are likely to bring additional U.S. scrutiny on Credit Suisse, which in 2014 pleaded guilty to helping Americans skirt taxes and paid a whopping $2.6 billion in penalties and restitution. The bank recently lost two top leaders and it remains under investigation by the Justice Department and the Senate Finance Committee, both believed to be looking into undeclared accounts there. While the Credit Suisse leak involved more than 18,000 bank accounts, just about 100 were U.S. citizens and none were considered public figures. Insider opinions Asked to comment on the findings of the Suisse Secrets project, Credit Suisse said that risk management was at the very core of our business. While refusing to discuss individual customers, the bank said that they were predominantly historical and that an overwhelming majority of problem accounts identified by journalists are today closed or were in the process of closure prior to the receipt of press inquiries. As a leading global financial institution, Credit Suisse is deeply aware of its responsibility to clients, and the financial system as a whole to ensure that the highest standards of conduct are upheld, the bank added. Credit Suisses full response to Suisse Secrets OCCRP talked to more than a dozen former and current Credit Suisse employees to see if they could explain why the bank took on so many problematic clients. None would talk on the record, saying the bank was highly litigious toward former employees, and none offered documentary proof of their comments. However, many of those interviewed mentioned the same issues, and there was consensus about some problems. While some said compliance was diligent and had improved considerably in recent years, most talked of a highly toxic corporate culture. Part of this culture involved incentivizing taking on risk to maximize profits and bonuses. Employees said bonuses were tied to new net money, how much additional money bankers brought into the company over accounts that leave. The bank incentivizes a banker to look the other way with an account they know to be toxic, said a longtime executive. If you close a toxic account, especially a large account in excess of $20 million, the banker finds himself in a deep hole. A deep hole that is almost impossible to get out of. This has led to a culture, employees said, where there are two sets of rules for two levels of customers the common customer and the very rich customer. Due diligence of customers and accounts say at a level of $1 million are very thorough, said a former senior executive. But when it comes to high net-worth accounts, bosses encourage everyone to look the other way and managers get intimidated about their bonuses and job security. In addition, very big accounts are kept so secret that only a few senior executives might know who owns them. When someone wants to engage in money laundering after he loots assets of the country, for example, he needs to transfer the money. So holders of big accounts go directly to the very senior managers, and they do not go through the normal private banking system, the former senior executive said. The system was based on plausible deniability, said former employees. Employees are given strict rules, but the incentives are to ignore them. Its never the banks fault, its always this bad apple employee who is responsible for something bad happening. Thats the approach, one manager said. The end result, said one manager, is a lack of loyalty between the bank and its employees. The employees are unlikely to care how bad their clients are and that the deals they made were likely to come back to haunt the bank. You dont need to worry about what happens eight to 10 years from now because youre unlikely to be there. Usually thats how long it takes for deals to blow up, the manager said. These insider accounts echo allegations Credit Suisse is now fighting in court, in the first criminal case ever launched against a Swiss bank in Switzerland. Prosecutors say the bank allowed a group of Bulgarian cocaine smugglers to launder over 146 million euros in drug money through Credit Suisse accounts. Senior managers are accused of ignoring many warnings that their Bulgarian clients were up to no good, including the fact that they were depositing suitcases of cash driven from Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, to Switzerland. Even after one of the criminals was assassinated and named in the media as a cocaine trafficker, bank staff looked the other way. A banker who dealt with the Bulgarians testified that Credit Suisse trained her carefully on how to present herself to potential clients and on the importance of Swiss banking secrecy, but not on compliance. As evidence, one of her compliance tests was presented in court. She had answered just a quarter of the questions right. The indictment cited a failure by Credit Suisse to take reasonable and necessary organizational measures to prevent the occurrence of money laundering activities. Credit Suisse marketing materials show how trusts can shield assets. While many of the accounts in the leak involve the past, secrecy remains for sale at Credit Suisse and in Switzerland. There lawmakers are busily building a better mousetrap, proposing to introduce a new system of legal trusts to bolster banking anonymity. Working with a wealthy investor from an African nation, OCCRP reporters inquired about opening a Credit Suisse numbered account one that provides more privacy. Privacy was the chief sales pitch. There are limited people even within the bank who would be able to access your account information, a Credit Suisse vice president assured the OCCRP reporter. In an email, another Credit Suisse banker offered that personal information is treated strictly with secrecy and on a need-to-know basis. Aside from anonymous numbered accounts at a cost of around $3,000 per year the bank offered the African investor an array of options designed to enhance secrecy. Top Credit Suisse executives proposed putting the investor money in a trust. These financial tools have come under fire, especially from the recent Pandora Papers, because they camouflage true owners behind a wall of nominees who can act as shareholders and directors. Credit Suisse executives told the potential investor that bank staff can act as nominee shareholders and directors in holding companies, trusts and bank accounts. All can be registered to anonymous holding companies, they said, pointing to mechanisms that on paper distance wealthy individuals from their wealth. Switzerlands reputation for financial secrecy goes back hundreds of years. But in recent years, the country has made changes to the way its banking sector is regulated. After the 2008 financial crash, the country agreed to lift the veil on thousands of accounts after an employee with the Swiss-based multinational financial firm UBS told U.S. prosecutors how that bank was helping Americans hide their assets. But not without first securing the dismissal of U.S. charges for enabling tax evasion, and raising the max sentence for breaching financial secrecy laws from just six months to five years. Experts say the law essentially criminalizes whistleblowing, silencing insiders and journalists who may want to expose wrongdoing within a Swiss bank. That law demonizes those who come forward with good information to expose corruption, said Jeffrey Neiman, a U.S. lawyer representing whistleblowers, including some from Credit Suisse. Selling secrecy If Credit Suisse was selling secrecy, there were plenty of buyers. Despite allegations of human riots abuses, Algerias then-defense minister and de facto leader Khaled Nezzar was able to open accounts at Credit Suisse worth $1.6 million. The leaked records analyzed by Suisse Secrets reporters show accounts held by several high-profile human rights abusers, such as Algerias former defense minister Khaled Nezzar. As head of the armed forces, Nezzar was Algerias de facto leader from 1991 to 1993, when the country was embroiled in a civil war marked by atrocities committed against civilians. Despite well-publicized allegations against him, Nezzar appears in the Suisse Secrets data as a Credit Suisse client, with two accounts worth at least two million Swiss francs ($1.6 million). A 1995 law criminalized the removal of the financial proceeds of Algerian economic activity from the country without central bank approval. The source of the funds deposited in Nezzars Credit Suisse account is unknown. It remained open until 2013, two years after he was charged in Switzerland with war crimes. He denies any wrongdoing. Credit Suisse also offered banking services to key figures implicated in corruption scandals in some of the poorest countries in the world. In Angola a disgraced banker, under investigation in Portugal after the bank he led collapsed with $5.7 billion in untraceable debt, was able to open at least a dozen Credit Suisse accounts, some of which are being looked at by Portuguese prosecutors. In Kenya Credit Suisse banked accounts for a key player in a huge corruption scandal even after authorities declared him wanted in a criminal probe. Millions of dollars appeared to be withdrawn from the account even as investigators in Switzerland and Kenya were trying to trace the stolen funds. Another client was former Venezuelan spy chief Carlos Luis Aguilera Borjas. Aguilera was close to Hugo Chavez, Venezuelas former president who died in 2013 after establishing a socialist regime that has become mired in corruption. Aguilera was with Chavez during his first attempt to seize power in a failed coup in 1992, and served in government after he swept to electoral victory in 1998. Former Venezuelan spy chief Carlos Luis Aguilera Borjas was a client of Credit Suisse. In 2001, Chavez installed Aguilera as head of the secret service, where he kept a low profile, avoiding interviews and photographs. But Aguilera fell out of favor later that year after failing to prevent a coup attempt that almost toppled Chavez. He left his secret service post and entered the private sector full time, amassing wealth most Venezuelans could only imagine. In 2007, Aguilera became the major shareholder of Inversiones Dirca S.A., a Venezuelan firm that secured a $1.85 billion contract the following year to renovate a Caracas metro line. There was no public bidding process, and Aguilera took a 4.8% commission worth almost $90 million. In 2011, two accounts were opened in Aguileras name and credited with at least 7.8 million Swiss francs ($8.6 million). The Aguilera accounts were still open well into the last decade when the Suisse Secrets data was collected. By any definition, hes high-risk, said Barrow, the financial crime expert, adding that banks are responsible for making sure the sources of funds from politically connected customers are legitimate. But a whistleblower who previously worked at Credit Suisse in Zurich recalled how executives encouraged bankers to pursue high-risk relationships. Hugo Chavez Management incentivizes the servicing of questionably sourced money by putting pressure on its bankers, especially junior bankers, to keep toxic accounts or face the consequences, the former banker said, on condition of anonymity. Those consequences are often termination, no bonus, and no pay increase. Aguilera did not respond to OCCRPs emailed questions. Credit Suisse has repeatedly pledged to crack down on illicit funds, following a string of scandals beginning over two decades ago with the death of an infamous Nigerian dictator. After Sani Abacha died in 1998, it emerged that Credit Suisse had helped stash some of the $4.3 billion his family had looted from his country. In an effort to defuse the fallout from that revelation, the banks then-chairman said in 2000 that it had continuously improved control procedures and compliance with them. Later that year, Credit Suisse became a founding member of the Wolfsberg Group, an international banking association assembled to curb illicit financial flows. The bank will endeavor to accept only those clients whose source of wealth and funds can be reasonably established to be legitimate, read a Wolfsberg Group mission statement in 2000. Rogue bankers Yet Credit Suisses promises to clean up did little to prevent its entanglement in criminal cases for many years to come. The bank likes to say its just rogue bankers, said Neiman, the American lawyer. But how many rogue bankers do you need to have before you start having a rogue bank? Neiman does not represent the source of the Suisse Secrets leak, but his clients include a whistleblower who in February 2021 told a U.S. court that Credit Suisse continued to help American citizens illegally hide hundreds of millions of dollars offshore. If true, this would be a violation of a 2014 pledge the bank made in order to settle criminal charges in the United States. The Department of Justice and the Senate Finance Committee are currently investigating whether Credit Suisse continued to facilitate tax evasion after it settled and paid a record $1.3 billion fine in 2014. In 2014, the banks chairman at the time, Urs Rohner, conceded mistakes in its handling of the U.S. tax evasion scandal but told a Swiss television station that he himself had clean hands. Recalling this incident in a recent interview with OCCRP, Swiss member of parliament Gerhard Andrey said he was still incredulous that Credit Suisse executives never accepted responsibility for the scandal. Hes the head of the company, Andrey said on the phone from his office in parliament, where he represents the Green Party. If youre CEO or president, you cant say, It has nothing to do with me, because youre responsible for defining the culture. Culture is defined top-down by senior staff, the board and executives. Frank Vogl, a former World Bank official who is now an anti-kleptocracy campaigner, said U.S. and European justice authorities had filed an astounding number of cases over the years against Swiss banks, including Credit Suisse. But he pointed out that to date not a single chairman of such banks has ever been personally prosecuted, or even lost his job because of these crimes. The criminal prosecutions force the banks to pay fines, but the bankers appear to treat these as merely the costs of doing business, he said. An October 2021 email from Credit Suisses chairman and CEO to its 50,000 staff following a global employee survey identified a need for an environment that empowers colleagues to speak up. But experts say Credit Suisses culture wont change until top executives face repercussions for the scandals that plague the bank. CEOs have to go to jail for this to hit home, said James Henry, with the Tax Justice Network. While critics accuse Credit Suisse of negligence, they reserve much of the blame for Switzerlands government, which is responsible for a lax regulatory environment and laws that punish those who speak out against corruption. Stefan Lenz, a Swiss former federal prosecutor who led major corruption cases, said there are very few investigations targeting Swiss banks or their management for accepting illicit money. There seems to be a lack of both political will and law enforcement resources, Lenz told OCCRP. Andrey, the Green Party parliamentarian, urged the government to take action for the sake of its citizens. Im a proud Swiss, he said. It hurts me when banks spoil my countrys reputation with this behavior. People are angry at the scandals that have already been exposed and we dont even know the unknown scandals. A Florida mother was horrified last week when she arrived at her two-year-olds day care centre to find the lights off, the doors locked and the child locked inside crying and peeking out of a door window. Stephanie Martinez told NBC6 that the incident occurred last Wednesday at KinderCare Learning Centre in Plantation. She was able to push a chair up to the door and call for my name, and that was the only reason I was able to see her, Ms Martinez said, adding that the toddler was super traumatised. Crying herself in a phone call to emergency services when she could not immediately reach staff, Ms Martinez advised them of the situation and responding authorities were able to enter the building and reunite the baby with her mother. In a statement, KinderCare said the company was thankful the child was quickly found and was safe but this incident should not have happened. We take all concerns about childrens safety seriously and follow a specific protocol anytime an issue is raised, an official KinderCare statement read. Part of that protocol includes notifying our agency partners, like state licensing and Child Protective Services, as we did in this case. We also placed the staff members involved on administrative leave while we, and our agency partners, look into the concern further. Ms Martinez, who is planning to file a lawsuit against the daycare centre, told NBC6 that nobody should ever have to go through this. You pay for trust and they completely voided that. I have no words, Im still in shock right now. Her attorney said on Friday that the entire event couldve been avoided if KinderCare did not abandon their responsibilities and the toddler, the station reported. Mark DiCowden also complained that KinderCare failed to provide anything but a bad excuse for what happened. The Broward Sheriffs Office Child Protection Services and Plantation Police are investigating the incident, NBC6 reported. As we prepare to kick off a new week, let's take a look back at the week that was. If you've been keeping up, you may have caught wind that the state's first offshore wind manufacturing plant will be built at Somerset's Brayton Point. Officials gathered Thursday at the site of the former coal plant to celebrate an important milestone in the Bay State's clean energy journey. Also among our most-read stories from The Herald News' sister paper, O Jornal a pair of new Netflix series that shine a spotlight on Portugal's talents are getting rave reviews. In other news, a real estate developer is bringing more market-rate apartments to downtown Fall River, another city police officer faces charges and the community bands together to help fire victims. In case you missed it, here are The Herald News top stories from last week according to our readers. Ola, Netflix Netflix released the Portuguese series "Until Life Do Us Part" earlier this month, while its first-ever Portuguese original series "Gloria," a historical spy thriller set in the 1960s, is still attracting new viewers and rave reviews worldwide. For many Portuguese-Americans, these series are not only a great opportunity to bring more visibility to Portugals talents in film, but also a great means to showcase its people, landscape, history, culture and language. Haven't checked them out yet? See what folks had to say about them here. Now streaming: Two Portuguese series on Netflix create visibility for Portuguese fiction Anthony Cordeiro and daughter Merrill Cordeiro. Bringing life to Fall River Its full steam ahead for Tony Cordeiro and his grand scheme to create more market rate apartments on the outskirts of downtown Fall River. The real estate developer has plans to add nearly 140 more units to his expanding portfolio. Cordeiro said Fall River, which historically has had a high poverty rate compared to Massachusetts as a whole, is in a unique position to rebrand itself and create new economic development opportunities and that market-rate apartments will play an integral role. Find out what projects are currently on tap for the Spindle City. Story continues 'I cant keep up with the demand': Fall River developer Tony Cordeiro expanding portfolio Fall River police cruisers. City officer faces charges For the second time in a little more than two months, a city police officer was arraigned in Fall River District Court, with the latest criminal counts including allegations of strangulation, assault with a dangerous weapon while on duty and later destroying evidence. The charges against 30-year-old officer Bryan Custadio are the latest black mark against the Fall River Police Department, which has been rocked in recent months by scandals, pending lawsuits and payouts for bad acts by city law enforcement. Read more on this story here. Officer arraigned: A Fall River cop is facing felony charges in relation to alleged abuse case Fire Fund recipients Kayla, Ashton, Dan and Xaviah Wells with Sharon Schoonover Furtado. Hope among the ashes Eleven people who were displaced by a fire last month that destroyed a triple-decker at 140 Irving St. are rebuilding their lives with the help of the nonprofit Firefighters Wives Association and, through that group, the Greater Fall River community at large. Fire victims reflected on that devastating Jan. 29 night and what they've lost, but expressed gratitude for the community's efforts during an event at Barretts Alehouse in Fall River. Read more on this story here. 'We have each other': Irving Street fire victims are rebuilding their lives, thanks to two local charity groups Govenor Charlie Baker speaks at the Brayton Point offshore wind announcement. Beginning of a new era It was a big day for the SouthCoast Somerset in particular. The flick of a pen officially sealed the deal that the first offshore wind manufacturing facility in Massachusetts is coming to Brayton Point. Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito were among a host of elected and state agency officials who came to the 306-acre Somerset site last week for a press conference to announce a contractual agreement for the sale of 47 acres to Prysmian Group of Italy to manufacture submarine power cable for both the Commonwealth Wind and Park City Wind offshore wind projects. Read more on this story here. 'A milestone agreement for the region': Somerset's Brayton Point site to host offshore wind cable plant This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Top stories for Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Westport, Tiverton Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the United States will do its due diligence to protect American troops should Russia again invade Ukraine. I think our troops will be fine, Austin told ABC News in an interview on This Week that aired Sunday morning. We will be very diligent in terms of thinking through the range of possibilities and putting the right things in place to ensure that weve done everything we can to protect our troops. Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis, left, as acting Minister of National Defense and U.S. Secretary for Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, review the honor guard on the occasion of a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP) Austin sat down with This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz while he was visiting American and Polish troops in Poland, where 4,700 U.S. paratroopers were deployed to support NATO allies in eastern Europe as Russia continues to amass its forces near the Ukraine border. Austin doubled down on President Joe Bidens promise that U.S. troops will not enter Ukraine if Russia again invades. President Biden has been very clear about the fact that we are not going to employ forces in Ukraine, said Austin. We will make sure we do everything possible to protect our troops and Polish partners so there isnt a spillover across boundaries. Paratroopers build camp and prepare to train with Polish forces There are also about 20 Navy vessels deployed to the theater, and numerous Air Force assets currently flying over and around Ukraine. More than 150,000 Russian troops, along with aircraft, Iskander ballistic missile systems, hospital units and other equipment arrayed around Ukraines border. The U.S. paratroopers dispatched to Poland amid the ongoing Russian threat to Ukraine are building encampments and expected to train with Polish allies, while a small headquarters element has arrived in Germany and another 1,000 Stryker soldiers are setting up in Romania. While military officials have said these are temporary deployments, it remains unclear how long troops will stay in the region. Thousands more soldiers are on heightened alert to deploy and would join the 40,000-troop international NATO Response Force, should it be activated. Story continues Austin told Raddatz that Russias military buildup around Ukraine is indicative that an attack could come at any moment and does not fall in line with Russias claims that its forces are leaving the border. If they were redeploying to garrison, we wouldnt see the kinds of things in terms of, not only combat power, but also logistical support, medical support, combat aviation that weve seen in the region, Austin said. Biden said Friday that he is convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to further invade Ukraine. Russia has denied plans to invade Ukraine, but continued military exercises near the border Sunday. Moscow has stationed an estimated 150,000 troops along three sides of Ukraines border with units in Belarus to the north, the border with Russia on the east, and along the Crimean Peninsula to the south. Vice President Kamala Harris said diplomatic conversations have all been about deterring Russia from invading a sovereign nation, but told reporters as she was leaving the Munich Security Conference that there is a real possibility of war in Europe. We all understand, including every country in Europe, what war in Europe looks like and what it can mean for the citizens of each of those countries, Harris said. Some American troops could help American evacuees in the event Russia does invade Ukraine, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. A Lake County judge sentenced a Hammond woman to 20.5 years Thursday for running over her boyfriend twice in 2019. Briana Rice, 26, was convicted in August under the late Judge Diane Boswell of multiple charges including voluntary manslaughter. Advertisement Witnesses said they overheard the pair arguing on April 24, 2019, near the 1700 block of East 135th Street in East Chicago before seeing Terrondy Jones, 25, under her car. She is accused of leaving the scene and driving up to Chicago to see her half brother. She later turned herself into the police. Advertisement Jones, her boyfriend of 9 months, was taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he died, records show. Prosecutors alleged Rice was angry Jones was walking away from her, while defense lawyer Scott King said she was a person without a criminal history who made a series of poor choices that day. Jones family spoke of their grief and said he left behind a young son. They asked Judge Gina Jones, no relation, for the maximum penalty. I miss my baby, Jones mother said in court. Ill always miss him for the rest of my life. Rices mother, Lestavia Davis, said her daughter was a good, smart, levelheaded kid. She disputed that Rice was dependent on Jones, saying he was the one who needed her. That day, she was taking him to the library to fill out paperwork to get work, she said. Rice apologized to Jones family. I never tried to hurt Terrondy, she said. Rice said she was looking at her phone and froze when she hit him. She should have called the police, but panicked and left the scene, she said. Advertisement She knew she would have to face the consequences, Rice said, and hoped to be out of prison in time as her 9-year-old daughter became a teen. I never meant for any of this to happen, she said. Im not a criminal or a murderer. Prosecutors said the killing was senseless and asked for the maximum 30 years. King said the criminal justice systems goal should be rehabilitation. He asked for the minimum 10 years required under law. He noted Rice had already spent nearly 3 years in prison and had been hospitalized with a bout of COVID-19. Prosecutor Jessica Arnold countered that Rice had to jump the curb and hit Jones on the sidewalk. You want me to leave you alone, I got you, she said, quoting Rices alleged last words to Jones. Advertisement Judge Gina Jones noted Rices actions affected everyone in the courtroom that day. This is something you are going to have to live with forever, she said. She sentenced Rice to 17.5 years on the voluntary manslaughter conviction with an additional three years for leaving the scene of an accident. Rice was credited for 3.5 years of time served and good time credit. Rice was acquitted of murder, but convicted of voluntary manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon. The last charge was merged, leaving the sentence to be decided on voluntary manslaughter and leaving the scene. That day, Rice and Jones started arguing at the Hammond library and left in Rices gold 2007 Buick Lucerne. They continued to argue as she took Jones to East Chicago where he was staying with a friend, the affidavit states. Rice claimed he also threatened to kill her, according to the affidavit. At one point, Jones jumped out of the vehicle and Rice stopped the car, the affidavit states. As they argued, Jones had a brick in his hand and threw it at her front passenger side window, shattering the window, according to the affidavit. Advertisement Rice said she decided to leave Jones there and as she started to leave, Jones jumped in front of the car and on the hood of the car as she was driving at what she estimated was 10 mph, the affidavit states. Rice stated that she saw him sliding off of the vehicle but she did not stop and stated that was when she ran him over, according to the affidavit. Rice said she was scared and did not stop or get out of the car because she thought that he would start fighting her if she got out to check on him, the affidavit states. Rice thought she saw Jones move a little as she looked in her rear view mirror, according to the affidavit. Rice did not call 911, court records state. She said she was waiting for the police to call because she figured he would tell the police who did it, the affidavit states. Politico Playbook just ran a piquant account, INSIDE THE GOPS MISSOURI CLOWN SHOW, of the GOP primary race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. The starting point of the piece is the accepted wisdom which might even be true, just this once that the worst possible outcome for Republicans who want to win this thing would be to nominate our disgraced former governor, Eric Greitens. Polling suggests that Greitens is leading his primary rivals. Yes, hes doing better than any of the candidates who have not been unanimously believed by a bipartisan Missouri House investigative committee to have tied up a woman in his basement and then forced her to have oral sex with him. But surveys also show that as of now, Greitens stands the best chance of any Republican in the race of losing to Democrat Lucas Kunce in the general election. First, a correction to the Politico piece: It says Greitens resigned in 2018 after a woman testified under oath that Greitens tied her up in his basement, stripped her naked and took photos of her to use as blackmail in their extramarital affair. As this alleged assault was their first sexual encounter, its a mistake to label what she says he did to her as the affair that hes always preferred to call it. The Star, too, sometimes went along with his framing, and said that he had admitted to an affair, when it would be more accurate to say that he was eager to have events that she described as terrifying characterized as consensual. Duct tape out of nowhere, along with tears, threats and coercion, arent the markers of an affair, but of a violation. The main focus of the Politico piece, though, is former President Donald Trumps debate with himself over whom to endorse in the Missouri primary. Even Trump, who has bragged about p-grabbing and has been accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women, seems to see Greitens as too pervy to approve. While Trump often sides with men accused of sexual misconduct over the women who accuse them, Politico says, hes still shown contempt for our former governor: What kind of guy ties a woman up in the basement against her will? Trump recently asked one confidant. Story continues Yet unfortunately, this is no more disqualifying for our former president than it seems to be for GOP voters in our state. Mostly, Trump wants to pick the winner, so he can then claim to have made a difference in the race. But the point of endorsing isnt to back the person most likely to win; picking the likely winner involves nothing more than following the polling and placing your bet accordingly. When our editorial board endorses, we choose the candidate we think would do the best job, regardless of his or her chances of being elected. If we convince some voters, great, but even if we dont, thats better than picking whoever is leading in the polls. Thats following public opinion rather than trying to influence it, so why endorse at all? Since Trump isnt really for anything other than winning, its not surprising that the person most likely to win is the person most likely to get his endorsement. And thats just one more indicator that hes no longer leading at all, but simply following his former followers. LAS VEGAS While the expectations for Saturdays UFC Fight Night 201 event were a bit lessened following a canceled main event, the replacement headliner delivered, as did a few other thrilling contests. Rather than go with a traditional Fight of the Night award, UFC officials elected to hand out two addition Performance of the Night awards, and of course headliner Jamahal Hill was one of them following his devastating first-round knockout of Johnny Walker. Check out below to see who all earned a bonus for their performance on Saturday at the UFC Apex. Performance of the Night: Jamahal Hill LAS VEGAS, NEVADA FEBRUARY 19: Jamahal Hill reacts after his knockout victory over Johnny Walker of Brazil in their light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 19, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) In his first headlining slot, Sweet Dreams delivered, landing a crushing right hand late in the first round to earn a devastating knockout and take home a $50,000 award. Hill (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will certainly have another big fight in his very near future. Performance of the Night: Kyle Daukaus LAS VEGAS, NEVADA FEBRUARY 19: (R-L) Kyle Daukaus punches Jamie Pickett in their middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 19, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) went through a number of different opponent over two separate dates before settling on Jamie Pickett. Daukaus was dominant over the course of the opening round before locking in a fight-ending DArce choke with just one second left on the clock. The effort helped Daukaus pocket an extra $50,000, as well. Performance of the Night: David Onama LAS VEGAS, NEVADA FEBRUARY 19: (R-L) David Onama of Uganda kicks Gabriel Benitez of Mexico in their featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 19, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Story continues [autotag]David Onama[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) moved up a weight class on short notice in his UFC debut, but in his sophomore effort, he dropped down to 145 pounds and delivered a scintillating finish of Gabriel Benitez. It didnt come easy, as Onama had to deal with some early trouble on the feet, but he delivered big in the end with a highlight-reel finish and a $50,000 bonus. Performance of the Night: Stephanie Egger LAS VEGAS, NEVADA FEBRUARY 19: Stephanie Egger of Switzerland punches Jessica-Rose Clark of Australia in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 19, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) put her judo background on full display against Jessica-Rose Clark, battling tough in the clinch before delivering a beautiful hiptoss and sitting out for an armbar finish in textbook fashion. The slick grappling display earned Egger and extra $50,000 for her effort. 1 1 Kyiv Ukrainians on Sunday remembered and honored the lives of dozens of people who were gunned down by the government during the country's 2014 popular uprising called the Maidan revolution that forced Russian-backed then-President Viktor Yanukovych out of power eight years ago. But on a day that many spent laying flowers at the memorials of those who died fighting against Russian influence over Ukraine, a new threat of a Russian invasion loomed large. "It's a big stress that we are facing, but we have been at war with Russia for the last eight years," 23-year-old Iuliia, who gathered with other demonstrators at Maidan Square, told CBS News. "For me, it was a good sacrifice and a sign that people were willing to fight for their freedom, their country, and their right to live the way they want it was really meaningful back then and it's still meaningful today," she said. A Ukrainian woman places flowers at a memorial for those killed in the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. / Credit: Haley Ott / CBS News "I think that the Ukrainian people has made its decision, and I don't think that Russia is in a position to overturn it," 34-year-old Artem, who participated in the Maidan protests, told CBS News. He was wrapped in a Ukrainian flag. "The only question that's remaining is the price that Ukraine and the world is going to pay," he added. "And I hoped that the price that people paid eight years ago here would be sufficient. But it's not sufficient. We see people dying in the east of Ukraine I hope that the world will be able to stand united with Ukraine in opposition to Russian aggression, to its imperial ambitions. We need to get together and to stand strong." A symbolic time for the threat of Russian invasion The Maidan uprising, also known as the "Revolution of Dignity," lasted for months. After Yanukovych, bowing to pressure from Russia, declined to sign a popular trade agreement with the European Union, thousands took the streets. Some 25,000 people camped out in Maidan, Kyiv's central square, where they were beaten and shot at by police and government security forces. Dozens of activists were killed. Story continues In February 2014, after several days of deadly protests, Yanukovych fled the country. New elections were called, and the most violent units of the security forces were disbanded. "It's symbolic that Putin decided to start it all around these dates," Svitlana Zalishchuk, a prominent Maidan uprising activist and former politician, told CBS News. "It's as if he says: 'Ok, you won the revolution, but here is the military scenario, and we'll see who's going to win now.'" Ukrainians gather to mark the anniversary of the deadly Maidan Revolution. / Credit: Haley Ott / CBS News Zalishchuk curated a Facebook page that became a main source of information for protesters during the uprising. "Putin is mocking the anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity. He deliberately is doing that, kind of to show that you do not have this day, you do not have this anniversary and it's not over," she said. "The choice you made in 2014, you think that you are already on the right path, but you didn't pay the price. And let's see where it goes, the path you chose." ' ! ' ! pic.twitter.com/HDXCd6iARJ (@ZelenskyyUa) February 20, 2022 But Zalishchuk said that, as in 2014, the Ukrainian people would not be easily defeated. "When Putin is renegotiating the world order, the West still is negotiating the de-escalation in Ukraine. And this is the problem at the moment. Because it's not just about Ukraine, obviously, it's about Putin. He wants to have this informal veto right on global decision-making. He wants to sit at the global table and saying what choices countries should make, especially his neighbors or post-Soviet Union countries," she told CBS News. "We made our choice in 2014," she said. "We chose democracy over the over dictatorship. We chose freedom of speech and freedom of elections. We chose European values. And we also proved that we can defend them." Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID-19 Full interview: Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov on Face the Nation Full interview: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Face the Nation KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the country, where clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces intensified in recent days. He also said Ukraine supports peace talks within the Trilateral Contact Group, where Ukraine participates along with Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE). "We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG and the immediate introduction of a regime of silence," Zelenskiy said on Twitter. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by David Goodman) U.S. intelligence has received information saying Russian military commanders have been given orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine, CBS News reported on Sunday. "They're doing everything that American commanders would do once they got the order to proceed," the network's national security correspondent, David Martin, said while appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation." "The intelligence says that Russian troops have actually received orders now to proceed with the invasion. So not only are they moving up closer and closer to the border and into these attack positions, but the commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sector of the battlefield," said Martin. NEWS: The U.S. has intelligence that Russian troops have received orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine. "The commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sector of the battlefield," CBS David Martin reports on @FacetheNation. pic.twitter.com/uKsfdWRQjV - Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 20, 2022 This report comes just days after President Biden said he was "convinced" that Russia was planning on invading Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Biden's remarks this while appearing on "Face the Nation," telling host Margaret Brennan on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "moving forward" with an invasion. "Everything we're seeing tells us that the decision we believe President Putin has made to invade is moving forward," Blinken said, pointing to recent provocations as well as the news that joint Russian and Belarusian military exercises would be extended indefinitely, originally having been set to end on Sunday. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment on Martin's report. Governor Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson addressed the Utah covid crisis on Friday and announced a state plan to transition into a steady state model. The move means Utah will soon join the growing list of states transitioning away from treating the coronavirus pandemic as a public health crisis and instead shift to a policy focused on prevention, Cox said during a press conference. Vaccines are still highly encouraged, and the vaccine administration will continue according to Henderson however the focus on testing sites will lessen as Utah moves toward a less covid focused future. I think it's important for all of us to reset our mind about how we're going to look at things as we go forward because things are changing," said Dr. Michelle Hoffman from the Utah Department of Health. "Not only are cases going down, but how we're capturing cases has really changed. And so, we need to look at it in a different way." Utah Gov. Spencer Cox spoke at the Utah Legislature for the annual State of the State speech and highlighted what issues he wants the state to focus on. Jan. 20, 2022 The state will keep its contracts with vaccine and testing vendors in case there is another surge in cases. The Utah Department of Health will cut back on covid reporting and go back to weekly updates on numbers instead of daily. I think it's important to note that again, we have to be able to ramp down and that's what we're doing. And I want to just reemphasize this is we're trending towards March 31, the end of March. So, this is a six-week ramp down, Cox said. Utah's planned shift parallels actions planned in other states including California, where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state would adopt an endemic approach to the coronavirus as part of an attempt to return to normalcy. But unlike California, where masks and capacity caps have remained in effect in many areas, Utah's transition will have less tangible impacts on residents and mainly pertain to how the state communicates information about the pandemic and its role in facilitating testing and vaccinations. Story continues We started this phase a long time ago, in moving into a personal risk model and having people make those individual choices whether they want to wear masks or whether theyre getting the vaccine and hopefully theyre getting the vaccine. Weve certainly made that transition before some other states, Cox said. With widely available tools like at-home tests, antiviral pills and wastewater surveillance to find evidence of coronavirus, Cox and health officials are confident that Utah can keep case counts and hospitalizations at manageable levels and monitor for new variants and outbreaks. Cox said the popularity of at-home tests made positivity rates a less useful metric to gauge how prevalent the virus was in communities because most at-home results are not reported to state officials. In Utah, the positivity rate, as measured using a. seven-day average, was 27% on Feb. 11, the last time the state updated its data. Utah has reported 21,764 newly confirmed COVID-19 infection cases over the last two weeks, or 688 cases per 100,000 states residents, which ranks it 25th out of the 50 states. In emergency rooms, 5% of patients were diagnosed with the virus on Feb. 15, as measured using a seven-day average. Deaths and hospitalizations have also fallen since a mid-January spike, according to state health department data. Cox said he hopes Utah will become more unified after this shift. I hope that more than anything else that we can move on from the deeply divided, politicization that we've been facing, that we can have an opportunity to come together as fellow Utahns and that we can heal some of those divides that we can show our love for, for our fellow citizens, and that we can continue to make your time incredible place for everyone who lives here, Cox said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Elle Cabrera covers breaking news and topics. Please help us to continue producing this content at thespectrum.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah Gov. Cox proposes move to "steady state" model on COVID-19 Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. AP Photo/Steve Helber, File Virginia AG Miyares has withdrawn from a lawsuit seeking to compel the government to recognize the state's ERA ratification. The Commonwealth joined the push under former Democratic AG Mark Herring. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA, aided by newly-elected Democratic legislators. Virginia Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares has withdrawn the state from a lawsuit seeking to compel the federal government to recognize the Commonwealth's 2020 ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and place the text in the US Constitution, according to the Associated Press. Miyares in a Friday court filing requested that the Commonwealth be removed as a party to the lawsuit, which was backed by his predecessor former Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring and is in the appeals process before the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The amendment which has been championed by legions of women across many generations states that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." Two years ago, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment meeting the two-thirds threshold to be added to the Constitution but the extended congressional deadline for passage was nearly four decades ago, on June 30, 1982. At the time of the initial 1979 deadline, 35 states had ratified the amendment three short of what was needed at the time to meet the constitutional requirements. Miyares' office said that a range of legal opinions deemed the 2020 ratification as too late to count. "Any further participation in this lawsuit would undermine the U.S. Constitution and its amendment process," said Victoria LaCivita, a spokesperson for the attorney general. The Department of Justice last month issued an opinion stating that ratification of the amendment is in the hands of Congress. The decision by Miyares represents a stunning reversal to the Democratic momentum which led to the ERA's passage in the Virginia House of Delegates after the party regained control of the lower chamber for the first time in 20 years. Story continues The bill was introduced by then-state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy of Prince William County who was a 2021 gubernatorial candidate in last year's Democratic primary to much fanfare. While virtually all Democrats backed the bill, only a smattering of House Republicans supported the final version of the legislation. Miyares who was a state delegate from Virginia Beach at the time voted against the bill. Read the original article on Business Insider Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. is seeking to dismiss the charges filed against him for allegedly resisting law enforcement and reckless driving. The case should be dismissed because the grand jury yielding the indictment was defective and conducted in violation of Indiana code and the 14th amendment, according to the motion to dismiss. Advertisement Martinez was indicted Jan. 6, and has since denied the charges and blamed his political opponents. According to the motion, obtained by the Post-Tribune, special prosecutor Stanley Levco unduly influenced the neutral and detached atmosphere of the proceedings. Advertisement Levco said he couldnt comment, but that he will file a written answer and respond to the motion in court. I certainly dont agree with their allegations, Levco said. In October, the Lake County Board of Commissioners sent a letter to Prosecutor Bernard Carter seeking an investigation into the alleged misuse of some of the countys new police vehicles. The state charges stem from a Sept. 18 incident in which Crown Point Police officers conducting a traffic stop at about 11:30 p.m. in the 9000 block of Taft Street saw a black SUV traveling northbound on Main Street at what appeared to be at a speed well above the 45 mph posted limit. The SUV continued at this speed onto Taft Street in Merrillville, passing the stopped officers. In seeing the speeding violation, officers attempted to catch up to curb the vehicle, according to a police report. The report continues, saying the SUV was seen making a right-hand turn onto eastbound U.S. 30 in Merrillville. As officers were catching up to the vehicle, the driver activated emergency red and blue police lights, giving notice that it was an unmarked police car. In seeing the lights, officers stopped trying to catch up. The indictment states that Martinez did knowingly or intentionally flee from Crown Point police and that he did recklessly operate a motor vehicle by driving at such an unreasonably high rate of speed as to endanger the safety or property of others. Martinezs attorney, Paul Stracci, previously argued that Levco should be removed as special prosecutor in this case. Advertisement Indiana code states that a special prosecuting attorneys duties are to investigate or prosecute and that the court has to set out the length of the special prosecutors term, according to a motion to strike appearance. In this case, the court limited Levcos duties to representing the state during the investigation but did not authorize the prosecuting of said charges if warranted, and the length of Levcos term has not been determined, according to the motion to strike appearance. Newton County Circuit Court Judge Jeryl Leach, who is presiding over the case, issued a ruling stating that Levco can remain as special prosecutor and appointed David Thomas as co-special prosecutor. The jury trial in this case is set for April 11. The Supreme Court of Ohio has appointed a visiting judge to preside over the Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds' criminal case. Retired Franklin County judge Daniel T. Hogan was appointed on Friday, according to court records. On Tuesday, all seven of the Butler County Common Pleas Court judges had recused themselves from the case. More: Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds indicted on bribery, corruption charges More: All Butler County judges recuse themselves from auditor Roger Reynolds' corruption case Reynolds is currently charged with three felonies for bribery and unlawful interest in a public contract and two misdemeanors for unlawful use of authority and conflict of interest. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison Reynolds was originally scheduled to enter a plea for all five charges Thursday afternoon, however, court records show the arraignment was canceled. A new date for the arraignment has yet to be released. The Butler County Sheriff's Office began investigating Reynolds in August after receiving complaints and after Enquirer media partner Fox19's reporting. Parks is suing Reynolds for using his position as county auditor to increase taxes and prevent developments on Parks' property. Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones has called on Reynolds to resign. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost began suspension proceedings against Reynolds last week. Reynolds is still serving as county auditor. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Visiting judge appointed to preside over Roger Reynolds' criminal case The Blue Ridge Rock Festival an event that brought a record crowd of 33,000 people to Pittsylvania County in 2021 is steering down the road this year to a new venue at Virginia International Raceway in Halifax County. The new location officially was announced Friday when tickets went on sale for the four-day festival set Sept. 8-11. This event is very unique to VIR as we have never hosted a music festival of this scale, Kerrigan Smith, VIR president and COO, told the Register & Bee via email. There is a great opportunity for us to strengthen relationships in the community and to create new ones to make this successful. For Pittsylvania County, the musical endeavor was riddled with controversy from the start. When it was proposed, nearby residents werent thrilled with the idea that thousands of music fans would make their way to a rural part of the county. After revising ordinances that hadnt been changed in more than 30 years, Pittsylvania County officials approved the history-making event. More than 180 bands performed last year before the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Some of those acts included Anthrax, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, Bush, Lamb of God, Cypress Hill, Seether, Ludacris, T-Pain, Body Count, Lil John and Rev Run (from Run-DMC). The thousands of fans also boosted business for establishments throughout the Dan River Region. The festivities kicked off Sept. 9, backing up traffic along U.S. 29 in Blairs. On the first day, it took about 20 to 30 minutes for a Register & Bee reporter to get from the exit onto northbound U.S. 29 to R & L Smith Road, which leads to Carson Lester Lane and the Blue Ridge Amphitheater, where the festival was located. After being overwhelmed by the thousands of fans arriving for the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, the promoter Purpose Driven Events pivoted and turned all operations outside of the event gates over to Pittsylvania County, ultimately leading to what officials termed as a flawless affair. Pittsylvania County billed Purpose Driven Events more than $337,000 for work performed at that event and a smaller one that preceded it. A Blue Ridge Country Festival set for early October was postponed until May by organizers first citing COVID-19 worries. However, days later details emerged that the county rescinded permits for that endeavor. Two civil lawsuits were filed late last year by vendors claiming they hadnt been paid for services surrounding the rock festival. It appears both suits were settled out of court. Pittsylvania County leaders were happy to host the Blue Ridge Rock Festival and Worship at the Mountain Events in 2021, Caleb Ayers, a spokesperson for the county, told the Register & Bee. These events provided a positive economic impact on our county and entire region. When asked if the promoters notified the county this years event was moving to VIR, Ayers didnt comment, instead saying, We wish the event promoters the best as they move the event to the Virginia International Raceway. The event will be the largest on record for the road racing course tucked away in rural Alton. VIR hosts many large weddings and large corporate retreats, but nothing on the scale of what we are expecting with the Blue Ridge Rock Fest, Smith said. VIR referred other questions to Jonathan Slye, the event promoter. Slye didnt respond to an email from the Register & Bee. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Back in 2012, the New York Times reported that racially segregated communities are virtually a thing of the past in America. February being Black History month, I thought I would remind readers that desegregated neighborhoods were hard-won. There is an empty lot at 107 Bellanca Lane in Collins Park, the working-class tract development in New Castle, Delaware, where I grew up. What happened there in 1959 has largely been forgotten by most Delawareans. But I know Ill never forget it. Those were the days of blockbusting the early attempts of Black families to move into all-white neighborhoods. We moved to Collins Park in 1958, just a year after the first Black family had tried to settle there. They were soon driven out by shotgun blasts through their front windows. I wish I could say that event played no part in the decision of my working-class family to move there. We had left our previous neighborhood as part of the white flight exodus, as it was then called, when Black families began to move in. My mother and stepfather, therefore, were horrified when in February 1959 a second Black family crossed the Collins Park color line. The family of George and Lucille Rayfield moved into the house that stood at 107 Bellanca Lane. The Rayfields were the kind of African-Americans racists called uppity and hated with a passion back then. The Rayfields owned a thriving trash-removal business. Most people in Collins Park were their customers. But that won the Rayfields no points toward acceptance. They soon found themselves living under a state of siege. There were constant demonstrations. Insults and rocks were hurled. The police cordoned off the street, allowing only residents to enter. I was strictly forbidden to go anywhere near Bellanca Lane, even though my best friend lived there. But the most painful part for me personally was that my mother emerged as one of the leading segregationists and even the spokesperson for the racist Collins Park Civic Association. Her 15 minutes of infamy came when she was shown on local TV shaking a finger in a reporters face and opining that the colored turn everywhere they live into a slum. Not to defend my mother, but this is how most of the people we knew in Delaware thought back then. Segregation had kept us from learning that African-Americans were just as various in their attitudes and values as we were. I wish I could say that the story had a happy ending. On April 7, the house was heavily damaged by a bomb. With the help of local civil rights leaders, the Rayfields repaired the damage and moved back in. Then, in the early morning hours of August 3, someone set off an even bigger bomb. Fortunately, the Rayfields had been away and were not injured in the course of either bombing. But that second bomb damaged the house beyond repair. It had to be torn down. The scar of that attack, the empty lot, is still there. But Collins Park today is a peacefully integrated working-class community. As for my mother, she died of lung cancer in 1978. She was 56. I dont know if she ever came to regret her role in the events of the spring of 1959. We never talked about it. A former enlisted Marine and a Vietnam veteran, Palm retired from the Marine Corps as a major and went on to an academic career. He lives in Forest and can be contacted at majorpalm@gmail.com. A former enlisted Marine and a Vietnam veteran, Palm retired from the Marine Corps as a major and went on to an academic career. He lives in Forest and can be contacted at majorpalm@gmail.com. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is looking for people who have stories to share about Latino railroad workers in the Midwest. The museum has received an extension of a grant to capture the oral histories of Latino railroad workers. The museum is partnering with the University of Nebraska at Omahas Office of Latino/Latin American Studies to create a record of these stories. People who share their personal or family history with OLLAS will receive a $50 Visa gift card. The goal of this project is to document the history of the Midwests Latino railroad communities and shine a light on another Latino experience. Oral histories like these give a voice to ethnic and racial minorities, women and other disenfranchised populations who are often not included in historical records. This is particularly relevant in the case of Latino railroad workers. The Latino community played a significant role in the construction of the railroad, but their participation is mostly unrecognized, as is the continuous role Latinos have played in every aspect of railroad work. The Omaha Community Foundation provided the grant for the project. UNO professor Ramon Guerra is managing the project, and OLLAS Director Cristian Dona-Reveco is overseeing it. The stories gathered will be cataloged and added to the UNO Criss Library and Union Pacific collections. If you or someone you know has a story to contribute, please visit bit.ly/35b70pa to schedule an online interview. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is located at 200 Pearl St. in Council Bluffs and is open to the public every Friday and Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Please visit uprrmuseum.org to reserve your visitation time. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. For many years youve heard complaints about the neglected state of our nations roads and bridges. This neglect is due to inadequate funding directed toward the care and maintenance of these critical components of our daily lives. More recently weve heard about the growing digital divide in rural America. Fortunately, passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has injected much needed funding to address these longstanding issues. It cannot be forgotten that this important and necessary piece of legislation became law with bipartisan and bicameral support. Thanks to senators like Chuck Grassley and Deb Fischer of Iowa and Nebraska, respectively, and Representatives like Cindy Axne and Don Bacon of Iowa and Nebraska, respectively, communities like Council Bluffs and Omaha will have access to funds for much-needed infrastructure improvements. Such improvements include road, bridge, highway, transit, and water projects, as well as megaprojects like a multi-modal bridge across the Missouri River to connect additional development on the riverfront to the urban core of both communities. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Iowa will receive $3.8 billion over the next five years to repair some of the states 4,571 bridges and 403 miles of highway in disrepair, while Nebraska anticipates seeing over $2 billion for similar efforts. Nebraska and Iowa will also receive billions in additional funding for water, transit, and megaprojects as a direct result of the bill. It is no secret the energy infrastructure in Nebraska, Iowa, and across the nation has also been badly neglected over the years. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents the largest investment in clean energy transmission in our countrys history to help facilitate the expansion of renewable energy. Cleaner, increasingly reliable energy makes our states more appealing to invest and do business in. Developing more clean energy careers is an exciting prospect for our respective states. $8.6 billion will be dedicated for clean energy manufacturing and workforce expansion. As our economies seek to decarbonize while maintaining a competitive edge, these targeted investments are critical. From growing our tax base to providing meaningful long-term job stability, this is a win-win for economic advancement in our communities. While for years weve experienced the lack of investments in our states hard infrastructure, the growing rural digital divide has also been overlooked, until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 21st century, high-speed internet access has become a necessity. According to Nebraskas Rural Broadband Task Force, Iowa and Nebraska will both receive a minimum of $100 million for broadband planning and deployment projects. The funding for these projects will be focused on unserved and underserved areas throughout our states. Narrowing the rural digital divide wont just benefit rural communities throughout Iowa and Nebraska but will help strengthen our states overall economies and ensure equal opportunity for all. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will breathe new life into Iowa and Nebraska communities and foster economic growth by providing local municipalities the funds we need to drastically improve our infrastructure. This generational piece of legislation is a testament to the widespread benefits bipartisan work can achieve for local communities, along with the families and employers who call them home. Drew Kamp is the president and CEO of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce. David G. Brown is the president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. First things first you have one more day to get to the Brule Gun Show. Doors are open today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain time. You still have a chance to get in on the raffle for $500 in Gun Show Bucks or pick of a Savage B22 precision .22LR rifle or a Polymer80 Compact 9mm pistol. And dont forget about the pies the Classic Catering will have on hand. OK, spring is definitely in the air. I was watching a couple of tom turkeys assert their dominance on one another the mid-part of this week. They were in full strut, gobbling in the face of one another and getting chest to chest while banging their necks together. Nebraskas spring turkey hunting season is just a bit more than a month away. The archery season begins March 25 and runs until May 31. The regular shotgun season begins April 16 and also runs until May 31. There is a special youth shotgun season that begins April 9. Keep in mind there is no such thing as too young to hunt turkeys in Nebraska. There is no minimum age, so if you have kid that can safely hold and shoot a bow or shotgun, they can hunt with you this spring. The regulations require that any shotgun hunter under the age of 12 be accompanied by a person age 19 or older who has a valid Nebraska hunting permit. This spring, turkey hunters may purchase up to three permits. These permits allow you to hunt statewide. Hunters may take one bearded bird per permit. While most bearded birds are toms, biologists estimate that maybe 10% of the hen population has beards. You will also need a valid habitat stamp unless you are a resident hunter younger than 16. All nonresident hunters require a habitat stamp. Longbows, recurves, compound bows and crossbows are legal to use. There are some particulars regarding the type of broadhead you can use. You must have a sharpened blade with a i-inch radius. You may also use a hand thrown with the same criteria. I would like to see some take a turkey with a spear. If you prefer to use a blunt tip for your turkey hunting, the blunt must have at least a i-inch diameter. For shotgunners, remember 10-gauge or smaller guns can be used with shells containing shot size 2 to 7 only. Slugs are illegal. It is also against the law, and not very safe, to have a loaded shotgun in a vehicle while on a public road. That includes shell in the magazine, too! Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. Before sunrise, it is unlawful to take or attempt to take any turkey sitting in a tree. And when you do get your bird, to legally transport it from the field, you will need to keep the head, beard or one leg naturally attached to the carcass until the turkey is delivered to a commercial processing facility or the hunters home. Any bearded female turkey taken during the spring season must have the beard naturally attached to the carcass until the time it is cooked. If the permit holder is not with the turkey, the cancelled permit must be attached to the carcass of the turkey. Remember, in the spring season, only toms can be hunted. Basically, a hunter is trying to capitalize on the sex drive of the gobbler, who pretty much has one thing on his mind; finding and mating with a hen. The hunter just needs to make the gobbler think he is the hen hes looking for. Calling can help, if you know the right calls to use. In my seminars, I tell hunters that biologists have identified 26 different vocalizations or calls that turkeys make. However, to be a successful spring turkey hunter, you can get by with knowing only a few of these calls. Ill cover these calls and how to use them in a future article. Good luck to all the turkey hunters out there. Have a fun and safe hunt this spring. Snow geese The Light Goose Conservation Order the spring snow goose season is underway. I was driving west on Interstate 80 earlier this week and noticed lots of snow geese in the fields or in the air between Hershey and Paxton. Since then Ive seen thousands of snow geese flying over the valleys. If you hunt snow geese, get ready, the birds are arriving! Economic impact A new report by the Sportsmens Alliance reveals that recreational hunters and sport shooters contributed $149 billion to the national economy, supported nearly 970,000 jobs and created over $45 billion in wages and income in 2020. The Sportsmens Alliance takes a three-prong strategy to protecting hunting, fishing and trapping nationwide, said Evan Heusinkveld, president and CEO of Sportsmens Alliance. Our advocacy is our most visible, but we also conduct research that guides our advocacy and supports our education efforts. This economic impact study makes it easy for sportsmen to educate friends, family and legislators on the importance of hunters and sport shooters to our national, state and local economies, as well as conservation funding at the state and federal level. The economic impact of hunting and sport shooting to local, state and the federal economy cannot be overstated, said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, whose company conducted the surveys to get this data. If hunting and shooting were a company, the jobs it supports would place it as the third largest private-sector employer, and $65 billion, the retail sales it generates, would place it at fifty-second on the Fortune 500 list. Way to go everyone! Hundreds of students at Niles West High School in Skokie staged a Feb. 18 walkout to protest what they said is systematic racism at the school and in Niles Township High School District 219. (Brian L. Cox / Pioneer Press) A little more than a week after racial slurs were hurled at a group of Niles West High School students, more than 100 students staged a walkout to protest what they said is systemic racism at the school. I woke up with the intention today to hold those who are at fault accountable, Niles West junior Adam Stillman told the hundreds of students and community members who stood in the cold outside the school on Feb. 18. Advertisement This administration has failed to do its job of protecting and defending its Black students and other students of color, he said. The school claims that hate has no home here but constantly allows hate to run rampant throughout the school. Do better. Despite freezing temperatures, many of the protesters outside of the Skokie school waved signs denouncing racism and also sang and prayed as passing motorists honked in support. Advertisement The protest was held in reaction to a Feb. 10 incident at Niles West that began as an anti-mask walkout protest by a group of students, officials said. They said that as that group of students were leaving the school, they removed their masks, which prompted other students, including students of color, to engage them verbally. At that point, some of the anti-mask students yelled out racial slurs. In a Feb. 13 message to Niles West families and the school community, Principal Karen Ritter said that during the anti-masking walkout, students in the hallway, heard the n word directed toward them. This is not the first time it happened. In fact, students and adults hear the n word regularly in school along with other racial slurs and derogatory comments about religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and other identity groups at school and on social media. Not only do many experience attacks on their identity but also attacks on their character. This is disgusting behavior and it must stop from everyone in our school community. On the day of the walkout, Niles West administrators issued a statement saying they are saddened and furious that our students live in a world where racial incidents occur and our schools are not immune. We support our students rights to free speech through peaceful protest, the statement said. As a district we stand with our students and staff against racism. Londyn Lavallias, 17, center, president of the Black Student Union at Niles West High School, said the Feb. 18 walkout was essential to denounce the racist attacks that recently took place at Niles West but continue to happen throughout District 219. Hundreds of students rallied to protest what they said is systematic racism at the school and in Niles Township High School District 219. (Brian L. Cox / Pioneer Press) Michael Nabors, president of the Evanston North Shore NAACP, said racism has been an issue in the district for years. They need to take seriously the issue of equity, said Nabors as he stomped his feet to stay warm. They need to take seriously how to teach our black and brown students, understand and create an opportunity for the academic achievement gap to be stopped. Resources need to go to our students and I dont think the district is doing that to the degree they need to. Londyn Lavallias, 17, and president of the Black Student Union at Niles West High School, said the protest was essential to denounce the racist attacks that recently took place at Niles West but continue to happen throughout District 219. I am demanding that 219 do the work that is necessary by listening to my peers as they share their personal experiences, she said. Advertisement In an online statement earlier this week, District 219 Superintendent Steven Isoye said the district has to do better at addressing racism. As a district we always condemn hatred and bullying, he said. We have students that have been called the n word along with other horrible derogatory comments. We are better than this. Indeed, some of the students at the Feb. 18 walkout said they are often the victim of racial slurs and taunts and also said the school district has not done anything about it. I should not have to come to school everyday ready to defend myself verbally or physically from racial attacks, Stillman told the crowd, which cheered him on. We can no longer act like this is not a long going issue that we have tried to bring to light many times that just gets swept under the rug. I want to see action. Real action. I want actual accountability. This is the second cyberattack on Ukrainian infrastructure this year. The websites of the Ukrainian army, defense ministry and several major banks were knocked offline following a series of cyberattacks. The websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks were knocked offline after a series of cyberattacks highlighting the nature of modern-day warfare. At least a dozen Ukrainian websites were unreachable for a few hours due to the attacks, including the defense, foreign and culture ministries and Ukraines two largest state banks. Customers of Privatbank and Oschadbank reported problems with online payments, ATM withdrawals and mobile apps. Even though Ukraine officials didnt rush to blame Russia for the attack, like they did with a previous cyber attack, a Ukrainian Information Ministry statement suggests 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. This is the second cyberattack on Ukrainian infrastructure this year. Last month, a massive cyber-attack knocked out key government websites, the foreign ministry, the cabinet of ministers and the security and defense council, among others. The hackers left a message on the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry website saying: Ukrainians! All information about you has become public. Be afraid and expect worse. Its your past, present and future. Authorities in Kyiv said they had uncovered clues that Russian security services could have been behind the cyber-attack. Unless some third party is trying to take advantage of openings amid an intensifying crisis between Ukraine and Russia, Russian hackers, either acting privately or state-sponsored, are likely behind this weeks attack. There is certainly a recent precedent: In 2014, when it seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine, Russia was accused of launching a series of cyber-attacks to destabilize communications and spread disinformation. Cyberattacks are strategically advantageous to create a destabilizing atmosphere ahead or instead of a physical invasion. Since then, Russian hackers have attacked Ukraines power grid and caused several blackouts in the capital city of Kyiv. The Russian track record of unleashing destructive "hybrid warfare" cyber attacks has many nations, the U.S. included, worried that the conflict in Ukraine might spillover far beyond its borders. Last month, U.S. Homeland Security warned that Russia could launch a cyberattack on U.S. infrastructure if it perceived any Western response to be a threat to its own national security. In 2017, the U.S. government attributed a massive ransomware attack, NotPetya, to the Russian military. The NotPetya cyberattack was directed initially at Ukrainian private companies, but it spilled over and affected several international companies globally. The result was more than $10 billion in damages. In October 2020, the U.S. The Justice Department charged six Russian intelligence officers for the 2017 attack, but also for some previous and later attacks, such as an attempt to disrupt the 2017 French Elections and the Winter Olympic Games following year. All six, believed to reside in Russia, are charged with seven counts of conspiracy to hack, commit wire fraud and causing computer damage. In the meantime, while the Russian government has denied any involvement in the attacks, Washington is calling for more sanctions in response. Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders are pushing to include sanctions for cyberattacks as part of a wider bill of actions against Russia if it invades Ukraine. Every time the Russians have done this, theyve started with a cyber-attack. They did it in Georgia, they did it in Crimea, they did it in Estonia, when they didnt even go in. Its in their quiver, Senator Jim Risch said, the top Republican on the Committee. By Michael Kern via Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The availability of renewable power for zinc smelting and production at present is limited and, at present, is not an option. High energy costs in Europe stem partly from high energy prices that began in 2021 due to low gas storage volumes within Europe, following a cold winter. European zinc producers will continue to face volatile energy costs until more renewable sources and LNG become more accessible, industry watchers said. Zinc smelters are really struggling as electricity is a bigger proportion of the cost compared with copper or nickel smelters, one analyst told MetalMiner. This has led to rising zinc prices. Renewables just not a viable option The availability of renewable power for zinc smelting and production at present is limited and, at present, is not an option, sources also said. Youve just got to wait until the energy price turns around, a second analyst stated. A smelter could build its own plant, but sources warned that such projects take years to come to fruition. Producers could have difficulties in securing needed permits from local and national authorities. In the short-term it would be very hard a third source stated. Installing LNG infrastructure is also unlikely to alleviate costs, the third source added. Bear in mind that they are buying from utilities, which will also charge market rates, that source also said. Low storage volumes and political tensions High energy costs in Europe stem partly from high energy prices that began in 2021 due to low gas storage volumes within Europe, following a cold winter. Tensions between the West and Russia, which supplies about 35% of Europes gas requirements, have also seen the latter slow its gas supplies to Europe. Russia has built up forces of approximately 130,000 soldiers and heavy weaponry on Ukraines eastern borders as well as from the north via Belarus, sparking fears of an invasion into the country. The main point of contention the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations prospective eastward expansion, particularly into Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a guarantee from the West that neither Ukraine nor Georgia would ever join NATO. Russia also wants NATO forces withdrawn from newer alliance members, which joined in the 90s and 00s. These include the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as Poland and Hungary. US government officials describe the Russian demands as a non-starter, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated on Feb. 14 that Ukraine may be willing to slow its path towards NATO accession. The situation at the border now remains very fluid. President Joe Biden has also warned of unprecedented sanctions against Russia in the event that that countrys military does invade Ukraine, and fears that Russia could cut gas supplies into Europe in retaliation. Natural gas prices remain high The Dutch TTF natural gas price for the European Union on Feb. 14 hit 80.77 ($91.49) per megawatt hour. That price appears lower than the 93.55 ($109.49) on Jan. 21. However, it remains several times higher than the 16.71 ($18.96) reported on Feb. 16., data from Trading Economics showed. The crunch on steel producers has pushed up prices for the base metal since last October. Moreover, analysts predict the zinc deficit will reach 320,000 metric tons in 2022, up from Decembers forecast of 180,000 metric tons. This has translated to higher prices as shown in the chart above. The London Metal Exchanges official, 3-month bid price to $3,631 per metric ton on Feb. 14, up 28.3% from $2,827.50 on Feb. 15, 2021. Seasonality may lessen the price rise as the northern hemisphere goes into spring, however. High costs yield smelter closures The challenges wrought by high energy costs and potential impacts are nothing new to European zinc smelters, however, a third source noted. This situation has been going on since last year, he noted. Take for example, Nyrstars French smelter at Auby. This site began care and maintenance in January, citing historically high energy prices. The plant operated on a week-by-week basis earlier that month, according to French media reports. Auby can produce up to 170,000 metric tons per year of refined zinc, though requires up to 730 GWh to achieve this. Electricity provider Electricite de France also announced in January its plans to take two nuclear power stations off stream as it discovered faults on a pipe on their respective safety systems. Two other nuclear power plants will also go off stream. Zurich-headquartered Nyrstar, in which multinational commodities trader Trafigura owns a majority stake, also announced in October plans to halve production at Auby along with the Budel and Balen sites, respectively in the Netherlands and Belgium. Meanwhile, mining and commodities trading multi-national Glencore, also announced in December plans to place its Portovesme works, on Italys island of Sardinia, on care and maintenance. Portovesme can produce 100,000 metric tons per year of finished zinc. In each case, the plants respective owners noted that the closures would last until it becomes feasible to reopen them. Besides taking a shift in policy, placing those facilities on care and maintenance can require two weeks to shut down. Ramping them back up again can take up to two months as the smelters need to acquire feedstocks, the first source said. You could quite easily see them out for six months, that source noted. There were also reports that high energy prices had prompted Bulgarian zinc smelter KCM to halt production in August, local reports said at that time, though the first source said that this might not be the case. KCMs current status appears unclear and the company was unavailable for comment. Swedens Boliden to the rescue Zinc producer Boliden of Sweden has continued operating without any issue, despite Europes higher energy costs. Sweden relies upon hydro and wind as well as nuclear. Refined zinc production in Q4 from the Odda and Kokkola smelters, respectively in Norway and Finland, totaled 116,656 metric tons. That volume fell 8% from the 126,730 metric tons smelted over the same time in 2020. That came as a result of a planned outage at the Finnish site, data and information from Boliden showed. Zinc prices could remain relatively high for the medium term. By AG Metal Miner More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: ENGLES, KETCHAM, OLSON & KEITH, P.C. is pleased to announce three new partners, Kristina J. Kamler, L. Paige Hall and Caitlin R. Kilburg! Kristina J. Kamler L. Paige Hall Caitlin R. Kilburg Kristina is a graduate of Lindsay Holy Family High School, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Creighton School of Law. She earned the coveted position of Judicial Law Clerk for the 4th Judicial District of Iowa in 2008 and, thereafter, started working for the firm in 2009. She is licensed to practice law in Nebraska and Iowa. Admitted to state and federal courts, she has litigated a wide variety of complex mass tort and breach of contract claims alleging personal injury, property damage, and business losses involving: toxic torts, explosions, train wrecks, product liabilities, construction defects, ride shares, auto/trucking accidents, political subdivision liabilities, and intellectual property misappropriations. She is currently a member of the Nebraska Bar Association Practices and Procedures Committee and the Transportation Law Association. She is a proud member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Elkhorn where she volunteers as a Faith Formation Assistant Catechist. Paige is a graduate of Roosevelt High School and Central Academy in Des Moines, IA. She spent a semester as a Visiting Undergraduate student at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts before attending and graduating from Tulane University and Tulane University Law School in 2012. Paige served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the 3rd Judicial District of Iowa in 2013 and 2014 before joining the firm in 2015. She is licensed to practice in Nebraska, Iowa, and Louisiana. Paige practices in the firm's liability defense group handling all aspects of litigation from pre-litigation evaluation through appeals, specializing in general liability, premises liability, products liability, government liability defense, construction defect, and retail, restaurant and hospitality defense. She is a member of the Nebraska, Iowa and Omaha Bar Associations, the Primerus Defense Institute, the Primerus Young Lawyers' Division and the National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association. Paige's recent publications include: "Booze-To-Go: The Changing Landscape of Takeaway Alcoholic Beverages in the United States" (2021); "Ding Dong, It's Bacteria: Avoiding Food Safety Litigation During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2021); and "Establishing Robust Causality: Effectively Litigating Fair Housing Disparate Impact Claims After Inclusive Communities" (2019). Caitlin is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University School of Law. She has been an associate with the firm since 2020 and practices in the firm's workers' compensation defense group handling all aspects of litigation throughout the states of Nebraska and Iowa. FIRST NEBRASKA TRUST COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT Jaime Hemmerling Brandi Novosad Luke Paladino Dominique Brown VP & Trust Officer VP & Trust Officer Trust Officer Trust Administrator First Nebraska Trust Company is thankful and honored to serve our clients and professional friends across Nebraska for over 26 Years from offices in Lincoln and Omaha! First Nebraska Trust Company is a locally owned, independent trust company providing personalized and customized Trust Administration, Estate Settlement & Investment Management Services. The experienced team of First Nebraska Trust Company has grown over the years which is attributable to our clients and professional friends. We take great pride in having an exceptional team to serve Nebraska and beyond. We are proud to announce the appointment of Jaime Hemmerling as head of our Estate Settlement area & Staff Development. Jaime has been with First Nebraska Trust Company nearly 15 years and oversees operations and compliance as Vice President & Trust Officer. As a hands-on Trust Officer, she continues to enhance systems and processes while being highly engaged with providing customized service for our clientele. In addition, Brandi Novosad as Vice President & Trust Officer has been formally named as head of our Trust Administration area. She will also now serve as Chair of the Trust and Discretionary Committees. As of March 1st, she will celebrate 15 years with First Nebraska Trust Company. Her dedication, knowledge and experience will continue to enhance First Nebraska Trust Company service to clients, fiduciary diligence and serving the estate planning community. In 2021, Luke Paladino joined First Nebraska Trust Company as a Trust Officer. Luke is working in the Lincoln and Omaha office locations for First Nebraska Trust Company. Luke has over 15 years of experience as a Trust Officer and is highly service oriented. He earned his law degree from Creighton University in 2004. Along with Luke, Dominique Brown, a 2015 graduate from UNL, joined First Nebraska Trust Company as a trust administrator. Dominique is highly engaged in making sure First Nebraska Trust Company continues to deliver outrageously excellent service. The entire team of First Nebraska Trust Company is available and committed to serve our clients, estate planning professionals and the community. Our Team is here for YOU: President & Trust Officer: Robin Smith Trust Officers: Jaime Hemmerling, VP & Trust Officer, Brandi Novosad, VP & Trust Officer, Renae McCarthy VP & Trust Officer, Jeff Arnold VP & Trust Officer, Brian Wachman, Trust Officer and Luke Paladino, Trust Officer Investment Team: Scott Wendt, VP & Chief Investment Officer, Chad Reeson, Investment Officer; Sean Finneran, Investment Officer; and Kevin Slattery, Analyst Trust Administrators: Trish Schultz, Valerie Rouch, Dominique Brown, Liz Reynolds, and Lin Briley Operations Team: Krystal Rung, Sr. Operations Specialist and Karen Miller, Operations Specialist Board of Directors: Robin Smith, Kent Seacrest, Linda Robinson Rutz, Steve Spady, Tom Grafton and CJ Guenzel For more information about First Nebraska Trust Company and our team members visit www.firstnebtrust.com or call 402-477-2200. Omaha Public Library wants to help readers find new books or at least books new to them. Every month in this space, OPL employees will recommend reading based on different writing genres, themes or styles. OPLs Virtual Book Bash event is coming up on Thursday and will provide an opportunity for book lovers to learn about new and exciting books from library staff and to chat virtually with fellow book lovers. Staff shared a few of the books that will be featured during the event. Register for the event and find these titles and more at one of OPLs 12 locations or omahalibrary.org. An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma: Narrated by a guardian spirit, this epic novel shares the tale of a Nigerian poultry farmer, Chinonso, living a simple life until he finds love. The romance is fraught with obstacles and Chononso makes great sacrifices to prove himself. A contemporary love story and mythical quest with hints of Homers The Odyssey, Obioma weaves a magnificently multilayered story that is dramatic, moving and compelling. Michelle Carlson, book club librarian at Swanson Library The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter: This is a dark fantasy thriller with a well-realized setting and flawed, relatable characters. In a world in which inanimate objects are enchanted with spirits to boost emotions, the funeral mask of an infamous serial killer is stolen. The novel follows three characters as the story unravels: Krona, the investigator tracking down the mask as bodies pile up; Melanie, an aspiring healer desperate to save her sick mother; and Louis Charbon, the killer himself, during his original murder spree. A visceral mystery with many unfolding layers follows. David B. Dick, adult services specialist at Abrahams Library Fight Night by Miriam Toews: Three generations of Mennonite women fight anxiety, grief and rage in equal measure. Told almost entirely through a letter from feisty 9-year-old Swiv to her absentee father, Toews latest novel has a darkly humorous tone, guided by the precocious and wise voice of its narrator. Expelled from school for fighting, Swiv is instead taught life lessons by her effervescent, yet variously afflicted grandma Elvira, while Swivs pregnant actress mother spends long days at rehearsal. The story is funny and heartwarming in spite of dire circumstances. Jay Lowe, youth services specialist at Abrahams Library The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova: Perfect for fans of magical realism, this novel follows the family of the Montoya matriarch, Orquidea. After she sends her children and grandchildren bird-delivered invitations to her funeral, they are left with more questions than answers as, when they appear, she tells them to protect your magic. Years later, her descendants begin to discover their own gifts and set out on a trip to Orquideas birthplace in Ecuador to make sense of her lifelong secrets and the magic she possessed. The multigenerational story and fantastical elements are a great match for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia or adult fans of the movie Encanto. Melanie Feyerherm Schultz, collection development librarian at Omaha Public Library Good Talk by Mira Jacob: Jacob created this graphic novel as her son, curious about his own biracial identity, started asking questions around race and politics. With a distinctive artistic style, this book goes to complicated, uncomfortable places and gives them light. Angela Fernandez, pop culture librarian at W. Dale Clark Library Go Home, Ricky! by Gene Kwak: Ricky Twohatchet, the unforgettable lead, propels this humorous and touching story of identity and masculinity. The combination of an injury followed by an unhinged viral rant means that Ricky is no longer able to participate in the local amateur wrestling league. Then he gets dumped by his girlfriend and has to move in with his mom. Things are not going great, and he needs to figure out a new way to live. What better time to set off on a journey to find your estranged father? The reader follows Ricky as he leaves Omaha for this mission. What results is charming, funny and heartfelt. Anna Wilcoxon, diversity and inclusion librarian at South Omaha Library A vulgar joke and sexually explicit passages from several books were read aloud during a public meeting of the Nebraska State Board of Education, as one board member made his case that inappropriate books are showing up in school libraries. In doing so, he sparked a debate resembling one happening across the U.S., as parents and education officials of differing political leanings jockey over what material is appropriate for school-aged children. Board member Kirk Penner read aloud several passages depicting sex acts. A man from the audience also read a couple of passages, including a crude joke about gay sex, from the podium during the public comment period. Penner said his goal at the Feb. 4 meeting was not to ban books but to alert parents and local school officials to the materials in some school libraries. Were hyper-sexualizing our kids, he said. Some of the passages Penner read depicted same-sex acts, and one book explained gender fluidity to kids. Several board members said that choosing library books is a local decision, not one for the board, and that local districts should have processes in place for parents to challenge books. Board member Lisa Fricke said that although the passages made her uncomfortable, the selection of books is a local control issue. Why it was brought before the state board is not clear to me, Fricke said in a recent interview. We dont have a role in whats selected locally by school districts. She said the U.S. Supreme Court has provided guidance for determining if material is obscene, a test that involves whether material has literary value. Fricke said theres not one litmus test for whats acceptable, but there is such a thing as decency, age appropriateness. Another board member, Jacquelyn Morrison, questioned whether Penner was targeting books that portrayed same-sex relationships and gender identity. If your position is we shouldnt have books about LGBTQ+ themes in schools, then I cant agree with that, Morrison said. Penner responded that the passages he read reflected a mix of sexual orientations and that pornographys pornography to me. Several Nebraska school districts, including in metro Omaha, confirmed to The World-Herald that some of the books read at the meeting are in their collections. Across the country, similar explicit public readings have been taking place at school board meetings as conservatives push back against what they view as a liberal-progressive agenda in school curriculum. Nationally, various books have been challenged in recent years over comments and depictions deemed racist, among them several Dr. Seuss books, Huckleberry Finn and Little House on the Prairie. The American Library Association reported last year an uptick in challenges of books and resources with gay, queer and transgender themes and that tell the stories of people who are Black, indigenous or are persons of color. According to the association, more than 330 unique cases were reported to ALAs Office for Intellectual Freedom between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30. Penner, who was appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts in December and is running to keep the seat beyond 2022, read passages depicting a girl performing oral sex on a boy, and a male ejaculating on another male. He also mentioned a graphic novel with images of two middle school girls kissing and a book that asserts gender is fluid. After reading the passages aloud, Penner said: My goodness, I was scared to read that in public. One of the books was Brave Face: A Memoir by Shaun David Hutchinson. Penner read several passages from it including this one: Parker unbuttoned his shorts and tugged them down around his knees. He rubbed his (deleted) against my thighs three maybe four times. His body stiffened ... and then he (deleted) on the leg of my jeans. Penner did not delete any words. He read the following passage from It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn: When a baby is born, the parents make a guess as to the childs gender. As the child gets older, they can choose their identity. Penner read a passage from Looking for Alaska by John Green, in which a boy describes a girl performing oral sex on him. With me sitting watching the Brady Bunch, watching Marsha Marsha Marsha up to her Brady antics, Laura unbuttoned my pants and pulled my boxers down a little and pulled out my (deleted) ... And then she wrapped her hand around it and put it in her mouth. Penner also read several negative reviews submitted to Amazon.com about the graphic novel The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson. It depicts two middle school girls kissing, he said. If were finding these books in elementary, middle school and high school libraries, that is sick, he said. The man who read from the podium recited a vulgar joke he said was in the book Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison. The World-Herald checked with a number of Nebraska districts to see if any of the books mentioned are in school libraries. Several metro Omaha districts, including Bellevue, Bennington, Ralston, Springfield Platteview and Papillion La Vista, had at least one of the books in their collections. Millard, for instance, indicated that Looking for Alaska is available to high school and middle school students, Brave Face: A Memoir to high school students and The Breakaways in middle school. Lawn Boy is not in the Millard collection, nor do kids have access to It Feels Good to Be Yourself, a spokeswoman said. In the Omaha Public Schools, Lawn Boy is not available, but the other books are available at some middle and high schools, a spokeswoman said. State board member Maureen Nickels said every district should have a complaint process when parents are concerned. If the process is followed, the book could be taken away, it might be moved to a different grade level, it might not be removed at all, she said. According to the Nebraska School Librarians Association, librarians work with local school boards to create policies for selection of materials and for requesting reconsideration of materials. While an individual may not agree with a particular decision, numerous examples of local book challenges show that the process does indeed work, without inhibiting the First Amendment rights of other readers, the association said. The Kearney Public Schools, which has several of the questioned books in its collection, implemented a new library policy last month. The policy calls on parents to submit a permission form indicating whether they give prior consent for their child to check out materials. In a letter to parents, Superintendent Kent Edwards wrote that the district has a responsibility to serve readers of different ages, reading levels, backgrounds and experiences. We have a responsibility to offer a wide range of book choices that meet all of their diverse needs, Edwards wrote, noting that some material in their libraries may be outside of their families moral values and philosophies. According to the district, the policy is a "proactive effort" to enlist parents in determining what they would like for their children while not limiting the learning opportunities or reading enjoyment of others. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. For now, Nebraska shows up as a blank box on the wastewater surveillance page the federal government launched this month to monitor COVID-19 levels. But thats expected to change early next month, when the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and its partners hope to begin reporting Nebraskas wastewater surveillance data to the National Wastewater Surveillance System. Nebraska is among 37 states, four cities and two territories receiving funding for the program through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 400 testing sites across the country already have begun surveillance efforts, according to Amy Kirby of the CDC. Some 250 more are expected to come online in the coming weeks. Fueling the push for wastewater surveillance is researchers discovery early in the pandemic that some people infected with the coronavirus between 40% and 80%, Kirby said shed the viruss genetic material in their stool. Because increases in virus levels in wastewater generally occur before health officials see increases in cases, Kirby said, the system can serve as an early warning system for coming surges and for new variants. These data are uniquely powerful because they capture the presence of infections from people with and without symptoms, she said. And theyre not affected by access to health care or availability of clinical testing. The new dashboard, which is updated daily, provides a color-coded look at how virus levels in wastewater have changed in the reporting communities over the previous 15 days. Spencer Perry, a research engineer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the Nebraska partners currently have 20 sampling sites across the state and are looking to add up to half a dozen more. That will give the group at least one site in each of the states public health districts. Sometime in the next few weeks, we should have our little net cast across the state, said Perry, who is handling the logistics of the statewide program. Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, professor and chair of civil and environmental engineering at UNL, said most collection sites are at wastewater treatment plants. The group started getting data from Omaha and Lincoln beginning in mid-December. The cities were among those that Bartelt-Hunt and researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center worked with last year to establish the processes needed to conduct wastewater surveillance. The CDC has acknowledged that the national system it launched in September 2020 grew out of grassroots efforts by academic researchers and wastewater utilities. In their latest data, the researchers saw the omicron variant spike and later decline in Omaha and Lincoln. It really seems like it is a week to 10 days ahead of case data, Bartelt-Hunt said. Also on the list of sampling sites are a couple of Lincoln schools and a location at Eppley Airfield. State health officials suggested the Eppley site, she said, because the UNMC lab that processes the samples can look for variants there. If the researchers opt to look for variants, samples from Eppley might tell them what travelers are bringing or taking with them. And while Nebraskas wastewater data isnt yet publicly available, some of the data has begun to make its way to decision-makers. Researchers earlier this year began sharing some of the data with officials at Nebraska Medicine. Dr. Michael Ash, a Nebraska Medicine vice president, said he had heard about wastewater surveillance from friends and former colleagues in Houston and Missouri, where the data already was being used to help predict and confirm surges and other trends. Ash didnt get the data until after the first of the year. But he said the figures show that the amount of virus in wastewater started increasing right before Christmas and that a large increase followed at the start of the year. Current data shows a 98% reduction since the peak, he said. Ash said the data helped the health system confirm what it was seeing through other measures. Ideally, if the data signals another spike in the future, the health system would have an early warning and be better able to respond and, potentially, be able gauge how bad the surge is going to get. During the omicron surge, the states hospitals had to juggle staff shortages because of COVID infections along with a surge in COVID patients and those with other ailments. Said Bartelt-Hunt, It was really great to see how this data will be used more broadly once we get it out to the public. Lincoln-Lancaster Health Director Pat Lopez recently cited declining levels of virus particles in wastewater among the data she is using to guide the departments COVID-19 response. Bartelt-Hunt said one goal for the program is to work with hospitals and others to correlate the wastewater data with other measures, such as seven-day rolling averages of new cases. I think this is a great thing for the state, she said. Im super excited were doing it. What can occur when COVID-19 turns cruise vacations into nightmarish voyages? Like the twilight zone Unexpected postcruise adventure Stranded in St. Maarten Cruise FAQs Omaha World-Herald: Afternoon Update The latest headlines sent at 4:45 p.m. daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. On the morning of February 5, Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang delivered a video message when he joined more than 400 American families in the Virtual Chinese New Year Family Day, co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the United States and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Ambassador Qin Gang kicked off the program by sending Chinese New Year greetings to the audience. He said, he was excited the day before to watch the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Athletes from all over the world, including Team USA, are giving their best performances while experiencing the Lunar New Year in China. He was delighted that the audiences present were also celebrating this important Festival through the presentation of talented artists from both his home country and local communities, obtaining a better understanding of the Chinese New Year and culture. Director Stephanie Stebich of the American Art Museum thanked the Embassy for supporting the Family Day. She pointed out that it is the 8th Chinese New Year celebration jointly hosted by the Embassy and the Museum. She looked forward to many more cultural exchange programs in the future. The Chinese Embassy provided the event with demonstration videos produced by Chinese and American artists, including Beijing Opera movement skill 101, Paper-cutting New Year window decoration tutorial and Clay tiger modeling tutorial. The programs won many thumb-ups and comments from the viewers. Local American Chinese arts group presented video of lion dance, Chinese diabolo performance and calligraphy demo, which gives the audience a rich experience of Chinese New Year celebration. The Chinese New Year Family Zone set under the museums webpage also launched the tiger-themed coloring patterns created by a local young illustrator who was invited by the Chinese Embassy, which is well-received by viewers, especially the kids. The Nebraska Supreme Court rejected an appeal from an Omaha man seeking to overturn his first-degree murder conviction. Isacc John, now 37, was convicted in 2020 of murdering 57-year-old Linda Chase in a grisly stabbing. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, which was rejected in his initial trial and again on appeal. Police were called to Chases North Omaha home on Dec. 12, 2015, after her daughter went to the house and found Chase dead in a bathtub with 29 stab wounds, according to court documents. Officers noted that little blood was found within the home, but blood spatter was present in the kitchen and on the stairs. They also reported the smell of cleaning products. A blood-soaked rug was found in the dryer. While executing a search warrant, officers found a large, bent kitchen knife and a pair of scissors, both of which had blood and hair on them. Bottles of cleaning products were also found. John became a suspect after police learned that the two shared the residence. When John was located about eight hours after Chases body was found, he was wearing shorts with red staining and was described as emotional. He was charged with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon, not a gun, to commit a felony. At his preliminary hearing, John told the court to just put me down as guilty before his public defender advised him to stop talking and enter a not guilty plea, which he did. He changed his plea to not responsible by reason of insanity shortly after. In April 2016, John was evaluated by Dr. Bruce Gutnik, an Omaha psychiatrist, who deemed him not competent to stand trial. Gutnik testified that John displayed symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations and delusions. At the request of the state, John was also evaluated by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Klaus Hartmann at the Lincoln Regional Center, a psychiatric hospital. He was held at the center for more than a month. In the extended evaluation, Hartmann found that there was a serious likelihood that John was faking his symptoms. Staff at the hospital said that Johns answers to questions about his mental health were vague and inconsistent, and his behavior seemed to change when he was not being observed. The court determined John had failed to prove the insanity defense. Even if he did have schizophrenia or a similar condition, the cleaned-up crime scene indicated that he knew the difference between right and wrong. John waived his right to a jury trial and was found guilty on both counts in December 2020. He was sentenced to life in prison with a consecutive sentence of 40 to 50 years. He immediately appealed both the conviction and sentence, arguing that the court incorrectly found him fit to stand trial and that his attorney was ineffective. The Nebraska Supreme Court denied Johns appeal on Friday, upholding his conviction and sentences, effectively ending a process that slogged on for more than six years. John will spend his life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A bill seeking to place a limit on perpetual conservation easements drew mixed responses from Nebraska landowners at a hearing earlier this month. But the goal of ending the perpetual agreements has drawn support from a prominent and outspoken official: Gov. Pete Ricketts. State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil introduced Legislative Bill 1135, which would limit the easements to a time period of 99 years and give local planning agencies more discretion to approve or reject proposed easements. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and government agency, typically a land trust, which permanently limits land use for conservation purposes. They have been used in Nebraska and the U.S. for decades but have come under fire in the past year amid Ricketts campaign against President Joe Bidens goal of conserving 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030. The White House has since rebranded the broad proposal, first referred to as 30-by-30, as America the Beautiful. Under Murmans proposal, a register of deeds would require approval from the appropriate governing body a local planning commission or a county board before recording the easement. Under state law, local governments with zoning in place can deny easements if they conflict with previously approved land uses or a previously announced plan for government use of the land. Local planning boards are given 60 days to provide comment on the easement. If they fail to do so, the easement is approved. Murmans proposal would give planning boards 90 days to provide comment. The easement proposal would be denied if none is received. The bill just makes a few modifications to ensure some local control and safeguard Nebraska agriculture for future generations to decide for themselves what is in their best interest, Murman told the Legislatures Judiciary Committee earlier this month. To me, a perpetual easement is a tool for taking away property rights from future generations. Murmans remarks echo those made by Ricketts spokesperson Alex Reuss, who told The World-Herald in an email that the perpetual agreements rob future generations of the flexibility to develop or manage the land differently. During his monthly radio show in July, Ricketts criticized conservations easements but said those shortcomings should be weighed against the rights of private landowners to direct what happens to their property. We want to strike a balance between personal property rights and the public good here, Ricketts said at the time. Also, its ultimately up to the counties to be able to manage those. Im a big believer in government closer to the people. While the governor said at that point he was not willing to jump to state intervention, Reuss said Ricketts meant the state should not intervene where it doesnt have the legal authority to do so. But should the Legislature pass a bill changing the current law, the Governor would support measures to end perpetual conservation easements, Reuss said. At the hearing on Feb. 11, the Judiciary Committee heard an array of opinions from ranchers, farmers and environmental advocates who traveled from across the state to speak on the bill. Tanya Storer, a rancher and county board member in Cherry County, spoke in support. Perpetual conservation easements create a negative servitude which places the holder of the deed of the property in a subservient position to the easement holder, she said. It takes the freedom and decision-making away from the living and buries it with the dead. Storer was among several county officials who spoke in support of the bill, which also received support from the Nebraska Association of County Officials. Some called for a further reduction in the lifespan of the easements. L. Wayne Johnson, a member of the Clay County Board, said he favored a 20- or 30-year timeframe for the easements. Thats about a generation, he said. As we all know, many things change with the next generation. Others said that putting a time limit on conservation easements takes away from the rights of landowners who wish to safeguard the future of their property. Permanent decisions are made all of the time, said John Denton, the manager of Nebraska conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited. This bill would be taking a property right from those who want to make the decision to conserve their land. Vern Jantzen, the vice president of the Nebraska Farmers Union and a fourth-generation family farmer, shared similar sentiments. As a landowner, I should be able to use a voluntary tool if I think it is necessary to protect the future of my generational family farm, he said. Murman said uncertainty about Bidens conservation proposal has caused concern for landowners, including many in his district. Ricketts has argued that Bidens 30-by-30 proposal, in which conservation easements would be one tool to reach the goal, amounts to a land grab orchestrated by radical environmental groups. He signed an executive order in June 2021 that requires state agencies to stop providing money and staff support for any project involving permanent conservation easements, and requires set-term easements to receive approval from the Governors Office. Reuss pointed to the executive order as evidence that Ricketts has not opposed state intervention on conservation easements. The only state agencies covered under the executive order are those under the governors control, which leaves out the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, among others. The order applies only to discretionary funds, those dollars not directed by state or federal law. And the order allows the Governors Office to approve several exceptions, such as for multistate water agreements, infrastructure and water management programs. Currently, 67 of Nebraskas 93 counties have passed resolutions in opposition to the 30-by-30 plan. Douglas and Sarpy Counties have not introduced any such resolution. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Competition for Great Highway: A Historical Analysis - Introduction by Nicole Meldahl February 2022 Everybody is talking about what should be done with Great Highway. Should it be closed to traffic and made into an expansive park activated by community programming? Should it stay open to traffic to ease the commute for those who cant afford to live and work in San Francisco? Should it be open to cars during the week and made into a recreation sanctuary on weekends and holidays? Since Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) is not a political organization, its not for WNP to determine the outcome of this politicized debate; that should be the will of a democratic majority. But, these questions compelled us to research how the highway and the land around it have evolved over time. And, as it turns out, there is a long history of competing visions for San Franciscos westernmost shore. Great Highway and connecting Point Lobos Avenue exist because wealthy land owners wanted to bring people to the west side where an ever expanding array of amusement options seemingly rose from the sand like magic through the late 19th- and most of the 20th-centuries. Some land owners, like populist Adolph Sutro, sought to give San Franciscans affordable recreation opportunities while others wished to enhance the values of their property and grow their businesses. Often, it was a combination. These roads also exist as a testament to civic pride and the seemingly inevitable march of what we now call gentrification. Not dissimilar to today, community groups like neighborhood improvement clubs; cultural groups formed around common interests, like biking and drag racing; and real estate developers sculpted the landscape according to their desires. Its never been contested that San Franciscans and visitors alike deserve easy access to a preserved shoreline that provides a place for them to relax and enjoy its amenities. But this means that any work on these roads must satisfy many overlapping needs. Historically, infrastructural upgrades to both Great Highway and Point Lobos Road have consistently balanced pedestrian access and recreational needs of the time with the ever-increasing prevalence of vehicles, from horse-drawn carriages to the modern automobile. This was (and continues to be) done alongside the herculean task of subduing migrating sand dunes while mitigating other environmental factors, like coastal erosion and waste management needs brought on by encroaching suburbs. Ultimately, these roads have never just been about transit or public open space; theyre a mirror for the shifting priorities of the people who control the Outside Lands, which are as fluid as the sand beneath them. Whether they were bohemians or capitalists, saloon keepers or city engineers, landowners or shantytown squatters, bicyclists, surfers, or drag racers: Great Highway has gotten them all where they needed to go. Over the next two months, well explore this history in a series of articles youll be able to find on our website, Outsidelands.org, as follows: 1. Beginnings: 1850s - 1880s 2. From Carville to Oceanside: 1890s - 1913 3. Seawalls and Stabilization: 1910s - 1920s 4. Playland and Beyond: 1930s - 1950s 5. The Modern Era: 1960s-1990s 6. The Current Debate: 2020-Now Stay tuned to see if you can guess where this road will lead us. Editorial note: This article is the amalgamation of resources created for Western Neighborhoods Project by Woody LaBounty, Christopher Pollock, and Arnold Woods. The research into this history is ongoing and is not definitive. Any exploration into land ownership in San Francisco could actually be a very short story because this is the unceded ancestral territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone. Thats a complicated history we wont be digging into here, as is how the land was divided up in the Spanish- and Mexican-eras. Those are subjects which merit their own thoughtful research. Planting soybeans before planting corn has become a trend for many farmers in the Midwest. The increased yields that have resulted are making it more of the standard. Adam Mayer, agronomist with Golden Harvest, said he has worked with many farmers who dont plan to switch back. If it works for your field, its a good way to go, Mayer said. Yield reductions are a half a percentage point per day in soybeans if planting is delayed. A benefit to early planting of soybeans is that it also opens up the harvest window come fall. Soybeans will come out of the field earlier, meaning a more efficient and possibly quicker harvest season. It also sets the soybeans up to weather any issues that may crop up over the summer, whether that is too much sun or too much rain. Early soybean planting can help maximize photoperiodism, Mayer said. This impacts soybean development and helps the plant avoid excessive heat and moisture stress during critical flowering stages. April is ideal for planting soybeans if the weather holds, said Mark Licht, agronomist with Iowa State University Extension. The yield potential will often hold at or above 90% until around May 4 before seeing steady declines of around a half a percent per day. After June 1, those declines change to nearly 1% per day. All of this is if we get decent weather, which is the most important thing, Licht said. But if we can get the soybean crop in, then focus on corn, it will help overall. Most farmers can increase soybean yield by 3 or 4 bushels an acre by getting the timing right, he said. However, make sure not to jump the gun. I consider early soybean planting to be any time after April 11, Licht said. Before that is what I consider to be ultra-early. Ultra-early soybean planting has been seen as a way to get the benefits of early planting without conflicting with corn planting. However, ultra-early soybean planting comes with a lot more risk of frost nipping emerged seedlings. Think back to the last 10 years, how frequently has there been a cold spell with frost the last week of April or even the first week of May? When planning for corn, the date to keep in mind is May 20. Mayer said there is typically a strong yield drop off after that point. If late-season planting is necessary, seeding rate may play a big factor in final yields. According to Golden Harvest test data, a higher seeding rate of 44,000 seeds/acre limited the yield drop as the planting date grew later. When seeding rates were smaller, the earlier-planted corn had more success, with late-April and mid-May showing almost 40 bushels an acre better yields overall. There are ways around it, but it may cost a bit extra if you are put in that position, Mayer said. You put your crop a bit more at risk by waiting. If plants are flowering during a particularly stressful time, it is likely the higher plant population would be more negatively impacted than the lower plant populations for that planting date. In the June-planted corn, stands were also significantly lower, with Mayer saying weed pressure is likely to be the most important aspect with those fields. The late plantings may allow weeds to emerge and take away from soil nutrients. If planting late, the crop may not have as much to draw from. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 XENIA, Ill. There are nearly 200 members of the Missouri General Assembly, but you could probably count the farmers on your fingers and toes. And you may not need to take your shoes off. There are four of us in the Senate, said Jason Bean, a Republican representing the 25th District in the Missouri Bootheel. Its a dwindling number, thats for sure. There are a few in the House, but I dont know how many. Bean grows cotton, corn, rice, soybeans, wheat and some watermelon. He represents a shrinking number of farmers who hold state and national political offices. That hasnt always been the case, of course. But as the nation has become more urbanized, the percentage of citizens who are directly involved in production agriculture has dwindled, as have their political representatives. The shift has presented farmer-politicians with challenges as well as opportunities. My biggest obstacle in the Senate is urban versus rural, Bean said. I have to do a lot of explaining. Agriculture is Missouris No. 1 industry and I have to remind them of that. It affects our everyday lives. You can cut out a few things but you cant cut out agriculture. On the other side of the Mississippi River, Darren Bailey is a fellow minority. He knows of only a few members of the Illinois General Assembly other than himself who are full-time farmers. He believes part of his job is to take the message of agriculture to the citizenry. The farming community is going to have to step their game up and educate the public about literally where their food comes from, said Bailey, R-Xenia, a member of the Illinois state Senate who is also a candidate for governor. There is massive lack of understanding about that. Neither has been in office long. Bailey was elected to the Illinois House in 2019, garnering 76% of the vote in the conservative 109th District. He served one term, then ran for a Senate seat in 2021, sailing to a similarly lopsided victory. He announced a gubernatorial bid last year, vying to replace Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Bean ran unopposed for a Missouri Senate seat in 2020 and began his term in January 2021. Not surprisingly, both are ranking members of their respective ag committees. Bean is vice chairman of the Missouri Senates ag committee while Bailey is the minority spokesman of the Democratic-controlled body in the Illinois Senate. Much of their advocacy, however, is performed outside the committees. Theres a lot going on, such as this whole Roundup thing, and GMO versus non-GMO, Bailey said. Theres a lot of ignorance, but thats awesome because they may say something and that opens the door to some conversation and education. Bean has had the same experience, especially regarding the urban-rural divide. We have to make people understand, he said. So much of this is education. Were educating people on the issues and how rural Missouri works. Bailey extols efforts to keep lawmakers informed not only of agricultural issues, but farming itself. Illinois Farm Bureaus Adopt-A-Legislator program, launched in 2001, seeks to build long-term personal relationships between urban state legislators and farmers from across the state. State Senate and House members are matched with a downstate farmer and a county or district office coordinates visits by urban lawmakers. The program has been a success, with more than 70 legislators connected to farmers. According to IFB, nearly every legislator in Cook County has joined the program. Theyre eager to learn, Bailey said. Farm Bureau does a really good job. Thats positive. But unfortunately, when big money enters in, regulations whether its chemical, manure, livestock or other issues sometimes we are out-messaged by liberal media. Bean whose father also served in the state Senate never held elected office before being elected to the Missouri Senate. But he believes farmers have natural political abilities. Farming prepares you very well, he said. You work your tail off and everythings looking good, and then three weeks later you get a hailstorm or flood and start all over. Thats good training for politics. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bloomington-Normal Galleries, museums Some cultural institutions are open or making plans to reopen under current COVID restrictions. Check with each facility for indoor, online or outdoor programing. Open facilities have face covering, distancing and other guidelines in effect; see websites or call for details. Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio; 101 W. Monroe St. Suite 201, Bloomington; Open First Fridays 5-8 p.m. and by appointment; 309-825-4655; angelambrose.com. David Davis Mansion; 1000 Monroe Drive, Bloomington; open for tours, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; groups of 10 or less; $10 per person; $100 minimum; daviddavismansion.org; 309-828-1084. Eaton Studio Gallery; 411 N. Center St., Bloomington; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays; 5-8 p.m. First Fridays, or by appointment or ring bell; eatonstudiogallery.com; 309-828-1575. Illinois Art Station; 101 E. Vernon Ave., Normal; Gallery open Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; illinoisartstation.org; 309-386-1019. Inside Out: Accessible Art Gallery & Cooperative; 200 W. Monroe St., Bloomington; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; by appointment Sunday-Tuesday; and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. First Friday; insideoutartcoop.org; 309-838-2160. Jan Brandt Gallery; Normandy Village, 1100 Beach St., Building 8, Normal; by appointment; janbrandtgallery.com; 309-287-4700. Joann Goetzinger Studio and Gallery; 313 N. Main St. Suite A, Bloomington; open first Fridays 5-8 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m., also by appointment; masks and social distancing required; 309-826-1193. Main Gallery; 404 N. Main St., Bloomington; 12-5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays; 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays; By chance or appointment at 309-590-6779. McLean County Arts Center; 601 N. East St., Bloomington; open; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, 12-4 p.m. Saturday; masks and social distancing required; mcac.org; 309-829-0011. McLean County Museum of History; 200 N. Main St., Bloomington; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sundays, until further notice; reservations at education@mchistory.org or 309-827-0428; mchistory.org; 309-827-0428. Merwin and Wakeley Galleries; Illinois Wesleyan University; Bloomington; open; 12-4 p.m., Monday through Friday; 7-9 p.m., Tuesday evening; 1-4 p.m., Saturday through Sunday; iwu.edu/art/galleries; 309-556-3391. Prairie Aviation Museum; 2929 E. Empire St., Bloomington; closed until April; prairieaviationmuseum.org; 309-663-7632. University Galleries of Illinois State University, Normal; open; 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday; 309-438-5487; galleries.illinoisstate.edu/about/visit/. Central Illinois Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 212 N. Sixth St., Springfield; advance reservation required; adults $15, seniors $12, under 5 free; presidentlincoln.illinois.gov; 217-558-8844. Art Center at Greater Livingston County Arts Council; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday; 209 W. Madison St., Pontiac; pcartcenter.com; 815-419-2472. Contemporary Art Center of Peoria; Riverfront Arts Center, 305 S.W. Water St., Peoria; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; peoriacac.org; 309-674-6822. Dickson Mounds Museum; 10956 N. Dickson Mounds Road, Lewistown; open, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; free; illinoisstatemuseum.org; 309-547-3721. Illinois State Museum; 502 S. Spring St., Springfield; open, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; Monday-Friday, free; illinoisstatemuseum.org; 217-782-7386. Lincoln Heritage Museum; Lincoln Center at Lincoln College, 300 Keokuk St., Lincoln; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-4 p.m. Saturday, closed Sundays, Mondays and on Lincoln College breaks; $4-7; museum.lincolncollege.edu; 217-735-7399. Peoria Art Guild; 203 Harrison St., Peoria; open; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday or by appointment; peoriaartguild.org; 309-637-2787. Peoria Riverfront Museum; downtown riverfront Peoria; open 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday and Friday; 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; and closed Sunday; adults $11, seniors, students $10, ages 3-17 $9; peoriariverfrontmuseum.org; 309-686-7000. Simpkins Military History Museum; 605 E. Cole St., Heyworth; Free admission (donations accepted); Private tours - call first; 309-319-3413; Open House, 1-5 p.m., March 19, marking 63 years of collecting military items. Time Gallery; 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Saturday; Closed Sunday; Clock Tower Place Building, 201 Clock Tower Drive, East Peoria; 309-467-2331. U of I Krannert Art Museum; 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign; open; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; Thursdays until 8 p.m. when classes are in session; closed Sunday and Monday; kam.illinois.edu; 217-333-1861. Exhibits "Community: African American Experience During Migration"; through Spring 2022; Owens Gallery; "American Verses: Terry Adkins, Mark Bradford & Kerry James Marshall"; through Spring 2022; Owens Gallery Annex; "Cinderella, Snow White & Pinocchio"; Classic Disney Art from the Collection of Steve Spain; Oberhelman Gallery; through May 8; "OP Art: Illusions from the Permanent Collection"; Experience Gallery, through May 8; "Moon"; Experience Gallery, through May 8; Peoria Riverfront Museum. "Art on the Move"; through Feb. 26; "Reports of a Living World"; through March 6; Illinois State Museum. "A Question of Emphasis: Louise Fishman Drawing"; through Feb. 26, 2022; "Sacred/Supernatural: Religion, Myth and Magic in European Prints, 1450-1900"; through May 15; "To Know The Fire: Pueblo Women Potters and The Shaping of History"; through Sept. 3; "Reckless Law, Shameless Order: An Intimate Experience of Incarceration"; through April 2; U of I Krannert Art Museum. "Work, People, Art"; Lower level gallery; through April 1, 2022; Dickson Mounds Museum. "Director's Choice: Selections from the permanent collection"; through Feb. 25; Brandt Gallery; "Kevin Standberg"; Armstrong Gallery; Feb. 25-April 1; "Susan Holifield"; Dolan Gallery; Feb. 25-April 1; McLean County Arts Center. "Celebrating Blackness: An exhibition"; The Wakeley Gallery; "Future Spaces in Community Places"; The Merwin Gallery; both through March 3. "Faculty Biennial"; through Feb. 23; University Galleries. "Ride"; Jeff Curtis Williams; February 2022; Peoria Art Guild. "Member Show"; group exhibit; open theme; through March 4; Lincoln Arts Institute. "CAC Member Artists Biennial Exhibition"; Feb. 25-April 16; "Ann B. Coddington"; Feb. 25-April 9; Contemporary Art Center of Peoria. "I love An Artist"; Rick & Melanie Picl; photography and mixed media art exhibit; through March 31; Time Gallery. I am certain that I have eaten in every Black-owned restaurant in Bloomington-Normal that opened after I moved to Bloomington in 1968 so lets take a walk down memory lane for Black History Month. All of the early Black-owned restaurants that I remember were located on Bloomington's west side. Jim's Bar Bq, 1100 block of West Locust Street, had recently opened when I came to town, and I remember frequently sitting at the counter in the small restaurant and eating a delicious pork sandwich or two while chatting with owner James Sims. A year or so after Jim's opened, Marguerite Jackson opened Marguerite's Bar-B-Cue at 812 W. Market St., later moving to Pine Street in Normal. She became well known in the community for her soul food. Bacon's Hickory Pit, owned by Bob Bacon, was a two-story building with a banquet room on the second floor located at 920 W. Washington St., the southeast corner of Washington Street and Morris Avenue. The Hickory Pit, with its hickory-smoked ribs, was very popular and open for almost all of the 1970s. Milton Bell operated Bell's BBQ, a full-service restaurant, in the 1100 block of West Locust Street in the early 1990s. Then after Milton closed, his son Sha Bell opened his version of Bell's BBQ at 1105 W. Washington in the late 1990s. In the mid-1980s, Ferrell Robinson opened Robinson's Cocktails and Ribs in the 400 block in downtown Bloomington. Then, I remember watching Robert McCrary build a 6-foot long, 3-foot wide masonry barbecue pit enclosed by tempered glass for his Mack Daddy's Barbecue that opened in 1991 at 602 Kingsley St. in the former Gino's Pizza. He described his barbecue as Authentic Chicago-Pit Barbecue. The first Black-owned restaurant east of Veterans Parkway that I recall was Jonah's Fish that Harvey Hale opened in Lakewood Plaza in 1997, then later changed the name to Noah's Fish. There have been other Black-owned restaurants in B-N over the years. However, I am quite sure the community has never had as many at one time as we do currently Ray's Steak & Lemonade, Bandana's, Jersey Mike's, A-Z Catering, Wesley's Grill and The Coffeehouse. Dop's Jerk House will open this spring. James Gastons Jazz Upfront in downtown Bloomington is a popular live music jazz and blues club. From Larry's notebook DOPS JERK HOUSE The first B-N Jamaican jerk restaurant is planned for the former La Espiguita De Oro Mexican bakery location in Washington Center at 2303 E. Washington St. Owner Darryl Dopson told me both of his chefs are originally from Jamaica. LA PATRONA FOOD TRAILER The Flores family will be moving its food operation from the food trailer they have operated for 2 years to the former Great Steak location in the Eastland Mall Food Court with an April 1 opening planned. They will continue to operate the food trailer at 1012 S. Main St. until the move. SHANNONS CAFE, DOWNTOWN Shannon Patterson has returned to downtown Bloomington after an absence of 17 years. She recently opened The Cafe at 113 N. Center St. and will continue to operate Shannon's Five Star at 1305 S. Mercer Ave. A LARRY FAVORITE MENU ITEM The steak Philly or fried steak Philly at Ray's Steak & Lemonade in north Normal. Carius, of Bloomington, is a former food program and plan review supervisor for the McLean County Health Department. His Facebook blog, Bloomington-Normal Restaurant Scene, has 31,000 followers. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BLOOMINGTON Thin Mints. Caramel deLites. Do-si-dos. Lemon-Ups. All are sweet staples of the Girl Scout cookie selling season, which carries into April. Some troops in the Twin Cities are exceeding expectations, with at least two already having surpassed their sales goals. Troop 1449, based out of Parkside Elementary School, spent Saturday morning vending confections to shoppers leaving Lowe's, 2101 E. Empire St., in Bloomington. Therese Denham, co-leader of the troop, said the scouts have done a wonderful, wonderful job adapting to all of the different challenges. Thats included canceling in-person activities because kids were being quarantined, or they werent taking chances with sick kiddos. Part of being a Girl Scout is learning how to be resilient and handle yourself when things are unexpected, she said, adding thee troops are getting a really good education. Some of the scouts who stationed the Saturday booth included Brooklyn Mlot, Charlotte Peveto, Raquel Rice, Alice Denham and Emae VanCalbergh. Brooklyn likes Adventurefuls the most. The Adventurefuls is a brownie cookie with caramel and chocolate drizzle, explained Alice, 8. Her favorite cookie is the Toast-Yays. The Toast-Yays are also among Charlottes favorite, as are the Lemonades. Denham said theyd sold 3,296 boxes of cookies as of 11 a.m. Sunday, and shes super proud of the girls work. By noon, the troop had handed out 68 packages within three hours that includes 17 Thin Mints. She added cookie season helps out the troop because they get a portion of the sales back to sponsor activities. One of the best parts about Girl Scouts is its a low investment to join, Denham said. Samantha Mlot said they ask the girls what they want to do for activities, take a vote and then go from there. Horseback riding is popular among the girls. Jenny Rice said cookie sales teaches them how to count and exchange money, interact and be a part of the community, and be polite, kind and courteous. She added sending her husband to his workplace with an order form and a photo of her daughter was a success. With a big smile, Raquel Rice, 8, said she learned she can sell lots of cookies with my cute face. She added she likes having her bestie, Charlotte, in the troop with her. While part of the days scouting activities involved entrepreneurship, others were just having fun like when one customer approached the booth with a Pomeranian puppy. The girls excitedly ensured the dog got a loving welcome with lots of pets. Denham noted the kiddos have a lot of personality. She also said theyve interacted with other troops across the nation in Zoom calls, for painting and drawing. Michelle Obama once logged in to speak. All of us moms were crying, said Denham. Over at Walmart, 300 Greenbriar Drive, Normal, Troop 1386, with Chiddix Junior High School, had both department store entrances covered. Zoe McKittrick, 12, and mother Jennifer McKittrick ran the southern booth. We got a troop of five girls, said Jennifer, so theyre all working really hard to maximize their sales. Troop leader Kristine Cottone said Walmart has been an excellent spot, and shes proud of them for setting their goals, figuring out how many booths they wanted to do, what each girls personally going to commit, and then exceeding their objectives. The troop has a big trip ahead of them. Zoe said theyre planning to go to a camp near Savannah, Georgia, the birthplace of Girl Scouts. Rick Burge of Farmer City picked up some Thin Mints from the girls' booth. Im taking them to Dad, he said. Where & when to buy Habitat for Humanity Restore, 1402 W. Washington St., Bloomington 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 Main Street Yoga, 402 N. Main St., Bloomington 5-8 p.m., Friday, March 4 Walmart, 2225 W. Market St., Bloomington 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 Walmart, 300 Greenbriar Drive, Normal 4-7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 25 Noon-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 Sam's Club, 2151 Shepard Road, Normal 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 26 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 27 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Friday, March 4 Lowe's, 2101 E. Empire St., Bloomington 4-7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 25 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 27 4-7 p.m., Friday, March 4 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, March 5 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, March 6 For additional booth dates, visit www.girlscouts.org Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON Black Lives Matter Bloomington-Normal held an online workshop Saturday morning to help people defend the Pretrial Fairness Act, a provision of the SAFE-T Act that will eliminate cash bond in Illinois by next year. Olivia Butts, organizer with the BLM chapter, told The Pantagraph before the meeting that cash bail disproportionally affects poor people and Black people, adding, the bottom line is you shouldnt be incarcerated solely because you cant pay your bond. Butts said people are still deemed innocent before proven guilty of a crime, but only those who can afford bonding out whether for $500 or $50,000 can access pretrial release. If they cant get bail, defending themselves and keeping their personal lives in order becomes more difficult, Butts said. She added its expensive for people in jail to coordinate everything they need to do, from making phone calls, talking to a lawyer, to making car payments on time. People without the cash to bond out are three times as likely to become imprisoned and theyre sentenced to twice as much time, the organizer said citing information from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. The purpose of Saturday's meeting was to reinvigorate the conversation on what ending cash bond will do, Butts said, and how they will continue to support the act until it goes until effect. Kate Brunk, director of Labyrinth Made Goods at YWCA McLean County, co-hosted the Zoom forum, along with Not in Our Town Bloomington-Normal and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal. Brunk explained that starting Jan. 1, 2023, judges in Illinois can no longer use money bonds to keep people jailed, and will instead have to determine whether or not someone is a threat to society. It wont just be based on whether or not you can pay a fee to get out, Brunk said. People will be released with or without conditions, or they will still be jailed without bond, she said, and thats what already is happening in our state. Locked up in McLean County A man who wished to be identified only as "V" shared his experience being held for 19 months at the McLean County jail. He said he was charged with a nonviolent offense, with his bond set at $250,000. "V" said there was no way he could afford to bond out. If he had that time back before his trial, he said he could have kept his job, gotten closer to his children and accessed support. He also discussed with Butts the extreme costs of being able to keep his support system. He said phone calls are $3.75 for 15 minutes, or $7 for as much time on video. By the time you even have a chance to have a conversation, your time's up, he said. So yes, it's very stressful. He said some people he was jailed with who had similar charges got smaller bonds, and others with less serious charges had high bonds. "V" said on average, people are being held in jail for at least a year before their trial. Your continuances go from 45 days to 65 days, he said. That one continuance is three months long. Before you even get a chance to even see a lawyer, just three months have gone past. Case against cash bond Briana Payton, policy analyst with the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, said at the meeting that times have changed since the summer of 2020. She said criminal justice reform is now being used as a scapegoat for larger systemic issues, including lack of jobs, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and systemic disinvestment. Illinois Republicans in the state House have called for repealing the SAFE-T act. Payton added some Democrats in Illinois are starting to change their tune after getting calls about crime and carjackings. People who were yelling 'Black Lives Matter' a year and a half ago are now saying something totally different, she said. Payton also said jail should not be where people receive treatment for mental health or substance use issues. Jails exacerbate problems; they cant exacerbate problems and solve them at the same time, she said. Payton contested Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoots claim late last year that pretrial release is driving violence in the Windy City. The policy analyst cited a 2019 Chicago Sun-Times report that found 99.8% of people with felony offenses who bonded out before trial did not receive new charges of gun-related violent crime while their cases were pending. Taking away someone's liberty before they've been convicted is a very serious thing, she said. It should not be done lightly or liberally. Payton advised people who want to support the Pretrial Fairness Act to write or call their legislatures. Inspiring change "V" said he has to speak up for others who cant. While "V" was in the McLean County Detention Facility, Butts said he passed on names of those who needed money for bail or video calls to the BLM branch. "V" said: Imagine a total stranger just walking up to you and be like, Hey, have your family to call this number, and someone's going to help you get in contact with them and see a grown man cry because he gets a chance to talk to their daughter on her birthday because you can't afford to call them any other time. Its moving. He said the support was inspiring to him, and 2020 demonstrations outside the county jail were energetic. I can honestly say some of the people BLM have bonded out, that I helped bond out, are still currently working, they have their own apartments, they have their own cars, "V" said. So change happened. It definitely did, and I watched it. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. China has called for strengthening global cooperation in coordinating macro policies, as part of efforts to propel common development, according to the Ministry of Finance. "Major developed countries should adopt responsible macroeconomic policies and appropriately control the spillover effects," Finance Minister Liu Kun said when attending the meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors via videos recently. Highlighting the importance of fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, Liu said that China is ready to work with other parties to advance the reform of the health governance system under the framework of the World Health Organization. Liu also noted that China is the biggest contributor among the Group of 20 (G20) members to the success of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for the poorest countries. China calls on all parties to follow the existing G20 consensus, respect the independent decisions of debtor countries and promote steady progress of relevant work in a practical manner, said Liu. Multilateral creditors, like the World Bank, should participate in debt mitigation actions in a substantive way, providing support for low-income countries, said Liu. Hero of Alexandria, a first-century Hellenized Egyptian scientist and engineer, is credited as the originator of the vending machine. In perhaps one of the first examples of automation replacing human labor, the machine dispensed holy water at temples, freeing the priests to attend to other matters. When a patron dropped a coin into the machine, it fell on a pan attached to a lever, which opened a valve and allowed water to flow out. As the pan tilted with the weight of the water, the coin dropped into a collection box, causing a counterweight to snap the lever back up and close the valve. Fast forward to the late 1880s when one of the first American-made vending machines dispensed Thomas Adams Gums. Adams was a pioneer of the chewing gum industry. His flavors such as Tutti Frutti, Black Jack and Clove were popular then, and some are still available today. Chewing gum in public was socially acceptable, so the vending machines were strategically placed on the platforms of the New York City subway system. Bloomington-Normal has its own vending machine claim to fame. Portable Elevator Manufacturing Co., a company founded in 1902 by John F. White and G. Burt Read, built corn dumps machines that conveyed farm produce via a trough for loading into wagons, silos or barns. In 1934 the company began manufacturing soft drink vending machines that self-produced ice to refrigerate the bottles. Ideal Dispenser Co. operated from 1948 to 1955 at 507-509 S. McClun St., Bloomington. The company used cabinets manufactured at Portable Elevator, but rather than ice, Ideal employed sanitary dry cold. The entire refrigeration system sat on a pull-out drawer for easy maintenance. To operate it, customer would deposit a coin, slide the glass soft drink bottle of their choice along a suspended galvanized selector rack to the gate on the left side and pull it up. In the early 1950s, several models were available with differing rack capacities. Each unit had a compartment in which to chill additional bottles. Ideal had some bumps in the road during its short stay in Bloomington. When 30 local switchmen for Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad walked off the job in early February 1951 in support of a systemwide strike, Ideal was forced to lay off 40 workers. According to General Manager John Rieger in a Feb. 5, 1951, Pantagraph article, Ideal usually shipped about half of its machines by train and half by truck. However, the rail strike created such high demand for trucks that Ideal could not get enough of them to deliver the vending machines. An off-duty fireman saved Ideal from almost certain destruction in March 1951 when he noticed smoke coming from the building as he drove by. He rushed home to telephone the Bloomington Fire Department and then returned to help put out the blaze. Another Bloomington company that was in business for over 50 years had ties to Ideal Dispenser Co. In 1930, brothers Maurice, Leo and Lawrence Irvin bought a small drink-bottling facility at 1020 W. Washington St. and named it Evergreen Beverage Co. Included in the sale was a one-ton cast-iron capping machine capable of processing nine cases (216 bottles) of 6.5-ounce bottles per hour. Even at this glacial pace (modern commercial machines can cap upwards of 120,000 containers per hour), the company sold almost 500 cases of soft drinks during its first full year. In the early days of operation, the company delivered its products from the trunk of a model T Ford. According to James and Dan Irvin, their father Maurice possessed MacGyver-like engineering skills, cobbling together the engines, conveyors, water purifiers and palletizers necessary to run the business. It wasnt long before the growing operation needed more space and moved to a former garage at 1005 W. Washington St. where it became known as Irvin Brothers Inc. In 1936, the company became a Pepsi-Cola franchise and in 1945 moved to 1036 Greenwood Ave., where it remained until it ceased operations in 1988. A critical component of the Pepsi-Cola recipe was the water. Irvin Brothers used multiple layers of water purification, including carbon filtering and reverse osmosis to produce what James and Dan remember as the purest water in Central Illinois. Even so, as a Pepsi franchisee, the company was required to send samples of its finished product to Chicago at regular intervals for quality control analysis. In the early 1950s, Irvin Brothers began providing Ideal vending machines to its retail customers. The machines were free of charge to the outlets so long as they continued to produce good sales of Pepsi products. By the early 1980s, Irvin Brothers owned about 1,200 vending machines, a number made possible due to the companys 65 percent market share in the area. The Cruisin with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center and Gift Shop opened in 2015 at the McLean County Museum of History. Museum curator Susan Hartzold wanted to obtain a vintage vending machine to have on display the type that would have greeted travelers at gas stations and small markets along Route 66 in its heyday. The Irvin brothers sons fulfilled her wishes by donating a completely restored, fully functional Ideal Dispenser Co. Model 55-B Pepsi machine that had been in the garage of a former mechanic at Irvin Brothers Inc. Today, it is one of the most popular attractions in the Visitors Center. Adults of a certain age fondly remember using similar ones in their youth, while younger folks are amazed at the number of steps required to extract an ice-cold pop from the machine. Pieces From Our Past is a weekly column by the McLean County Museum of History. Kathi Davis is assistant manager of the Cruisin with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center at the museum. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LOS ANGELES Actor Lindsey Erin Pearlman, who had roles in "General Hospital," "American Housewife" and other shows, was found dead days after she was reported missing in Los Angeles, authorities said. Investigators had sought the public's help in finding Pearlman, 43, who was last seen around noon last Sunday, ABC 7 reported. Her body was found Friday morning when officers responded to a call for a death investigation in a residential neighborhood of Hollywood, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The LA County coroner's office later determined the deceased individual was Pearlman, according to the news station. The cause of death and the circumstances of her disappearance are under investigation. Pearlman had roles on the TV version of "The Purge" and "Chicago Justice," according to a biography on her personal website. She also had extensive experience in theater in Chicago, her hometown. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Considering their recent struggles, I was wondering what election strategy the Democrats would adopt this year. Its a sure bet that the race card will be played often to discredit potential opposition candidates. But recent liberal pundit contributors to the opinion section of the Pantagraph may have already spilled the beans. It appears that voting rights legislation will be the main theme. In one opinion article contributed by Jonathan Bernstein last month, the author linked the so-called January 6 insurrection with Senate consideration of voting rights legislation. Hes very concerned about preserving the republic, and if necessary, supports mass protests promoting new voting rights legislation. Another January article in the newspaper contributed by Christopher Dale states Its time to start panicking about the possibility of losing democracy in the United States. Hes concerned with limits put on acceptable forms of voter ID, and certain restrictions on how ballots are delivered in some Republican run states. These concerns are addressed in the Democrats proposed voting rights legislation. Washington, D.C. bureaucrats would take control from the states to insure that, among other things, vote harvesting and liberal ID requirements are enforced. Most Americans oppose vote harvesting and want voter ID presented. If unaccountable federal bureaucrats control state voting practices, preserving the republic will be difficult. Lets take a look at recent voting legislation enacted in a liberal Democrat-run city. The New York City mayor just signed into law a provision allowing 800,000 non citizens to vote in local elections. This in effect allows foreign citizens to decide American elections. This appears to counter the state constitution which states all citizens are allowed to vote. Since many Democrats believe non-citizens should have a substantial voice in how we are governed, why should we trust their party to dictate voting rights? Rick Skelley, Bloomington Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 100 years ago Feb. 20, 1922: Stealing chickens is still a serious crime. Henry Wolfe of Ford County pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to an indeterminate term in prison at Joliet. Wolfe stole the chickens in Ford County and sold them to a dealer in Saybrook. He was sentenced in Bloomington. 75 years ago Feb. 20, 1947: Advertised in The Pantagraph: this paper sponsors a town hall meeting Thursdays on WJBC Radio. This weeks topic asks whether Congress should outlaw the closed shop. Also, Grandmothers Cafe, 1016 W. Washington St., will open for Sunday dinners starting March 2. 50 years ago Feb. 20, 1972: The Jaycees voted WJBCs Don Munson their distinguished service award. He is the stations program director and has been active in civic endeavors. Byron Jones, Saybrook, won the outstanding young farmer award for the second time. Five other up-and-comers were honored. 25 years ago Feb. 20, 1997: The Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety identified 800 acres near Ellsworth as a potential site for a low-level nuclear waste dump. Predictably, a lot of neighbors oppose the site, citing safety reasons. The land was offered to the state by the William Fleming family. Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.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. The Accra High Court has ordered the Police to protect and assist the Osu Kinka We Dzasetse and Elders and Councilors of the Osu Stool to perform the final funeral rites of the late Chief of Osu, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI. The Order from the court dated 18th February, 2022 said the Police should provide protection and assistance for the celebration of the laying in state and the final funeral rites of the late Chief. The court ordered that if the duty becomes beyond the Police, the Police can call on the Military and other Security. The Order follows a suit filed by Nii Saban Atsen VII, Osu Kinka We Dzasetse suing on behalf of himself and on behalf of the Osu Kinka We Dzase. The respondents in the case were Nii Nortey Adumuah IV and David Lantei Odartey, styling himself as Nii Odartey SRO III. Nii Kinka Dowuona died on February 5, 2021 after a short illness. With the Court Order, his funeral is set to take place from 23rd 27th February, 2022. The newly installed Osu Mantse, Teteete Nii Nortey Owuo IV will preside over the ancestral journey of his predecessor. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Scientists at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have underscored the need for Ghana to promote local food production and consumption. The benefits of local food to the citizenrys health were numerous, they argued, noting that the rich nutrients and vitamins available in local dishes could help improve life expectancy in the country. The high nutritional contents in local cuisine such as aprapransa, apiti, akyeke, oto, akple and okro soup, tuo zaafi with ayoyo soup, which is rich in carbohydrates, irons and zincs from the leaves with pounded dawadawa, amongst others, helped to boost ones immune system, they said. Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, said ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition as well as promoting sustainable agriculture was within the countrys reach. The government, therefore, should liaise with stakeholders and other key institutions, including the KNUST, to intensify research and broaden the base of local food production and consumption in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health. This was in a speech read on her behalf by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo, at the Universitys 2022 Food Festival, held under the auspices of the Department of Food Science and Technology, at the Royal Parade Grounds, in Kumasi. Achieving the SDGs: Our Food, Our Culture, Our Health, was the theme. It sought to espouse the rich cultural heritage of the country regarding the variety of the indigenous foods available in the Ghanaian society, the nutritional benefits and the identity of the people. The festival attracted local and international participants along the food value chain, including exhibitors from Uganda, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Germany, amongst others. Prof. Mrs. Dickson said consuming indigenous foods could serve as a remedy for many ailments given the nutritional value of those foods. Food plays a massive role in achieving the SDGs. Our culture and food are all inexplicably linked and cannot be separated from the other, she stated. Prof. Daniel Y. A. Duah, acting Dean of the International Programmes Office (IPO), KNUST, was not happy that the popularity of traditional Ghanaian cuisines had dwindled in recent years. As a country, we should be gearing towards developing our local culinary abilities and skills that reflect various beliefs, customs and habits and using ingredients, cooking methods and energies that are homegrown and known in our context. Indeed, local dishes in the past did not only satisfy our hunger but the local ingredients as shown by research, go beyond nutrition to nourishment of the body, he argued. Prof. Nana Afia Opoku-Asare, of the Department of Education Innovations in Science and Technology, who chaired the programme, indicated that food was the most essential requirement in human life. The Food Festival, she said, was appropriate to rekindle interest in traditional foods to benefit the people. Source: GNA 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 Some residents in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region say the passage of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) bill into law will negatively affect their businesses. The residents, therefore, called on the Government to drop the bill and find alternative means to raise money to support the economy as the people were already saddled with other taxes. The residents, in a random interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga, said the levy would especially affect the poor and less privileged in the rural areas, who received little monies from relatives and friends for their upkeep. The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, on November 17, 2021, proposed a 1.75 percent E-Levy on electronic transactions above Gh100.00 per day for mobile money transfers in the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament. The Minister said the E-Levy, which was intended to widen the tax net to include the informal sector and reduce public debt, would cover Mobile Money (MoMo) transactions, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances. This move by government did not go down well with some sections of the public, generating several discourses that resulted in the Yentua demonstration, literally meaning We wont pay, by the National Democratic Congress. A Momo vendor at the National Investment Bank area, Mr Jefferson Akantinaba, told the GNA that some residents had started withdrawing their monies upon the announcement of the introduction of the E-Levy. Some people have started withdrawing their monies because they think if the E-Levy is introduced, there will be more charges, and they cannot afford. My colleagues and I think that the Government should not introduce the levy, else our businesses will collapse, Mr Akantinaba said. Madam Jemila Malik, another vendor, said she took time to explain to her customers discussions on the levy were still ongoing, and that it was not yet implemented, but some do not believe and will simply ask me to withdraw their monies for them. She said patronage of her on MoMo service had drastically reduced as compared to the time when government had not proposed the E-levy. Mr Bukari Issah, an Auto Electrician, said: This levy will affect those of us who earn little monies daily and transfer some to our old parents in the village for their upkeep. In fact, the authorities should cancel this E-levy thing, so we all have our peace. Some other market women in the Bolgatanga main market told the GNA that though they did not fully understand the conversation around the E-levy, once they had to pay extra charges through MoMo transactions for goods and services, they were against its introduction. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Deputy General Secretary of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho is worried about the excessive and contentious hatred he is receiving from the party he has served over the years. He claims the party leadership and some hirelings within the party are bent on doing all they can to bring him down yet he refuses to renounce his membership. What is my mistake, what did I do wrong? he quizzed. Powerful Bull Koku Anyidoho was tagged a powerful person within the NDC during the Atta-Mills era. It is believed he was at loggerheads with the then vice-president, John Dramani Mahama after several alleged run-ins at the seat of government, then Osu Castle. Denial Koku Anyidoho has rubbished all the claims and insisted he was cool but not best of friends with John Mahama. To him, he was tagged 'powerful' because "I was unashamedly loyal to Prof. Atta-Mills". Payback? John Mahamas leadership of the NDC has reportedly tormented the life of Mr Anyidoho who was eventually expelled from his party position as the deputy Chief Scribe. Koku was subsequently barred from speaking for the party on all media platforms which compelled him to label himself a social commentator on national issues thereafter. Mahamas plot Speaking on NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie, The Bull as affectionately called in political circles, laid blame at the doorstep of the ex-president for his woes, accusing him (John Mahama) of being the instigator behind the "attacks" on his person. I can confidently say Mahama is behind all the attacks against me and he has not been bold enough to tell his boys to stop what they are doing, he told host Kwesi Aboagye. 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. Featured Video Potential New Patriotic Party's Presidential Candidate Hon Alan Kyerematen has paid for nomination forms for all aspiring polling station executives across the country. The Trade and Industry Minister funded the entire nomination forms in all 275 constituencies to facilitate the ongoing polling station level election process within the elephant family. To lessen the burden on the grassroots leaders, the hugely revered party stalwart sent out moneys to the various constituencies to cover the cost which otherwise would have been borne by the very grassroots members of the party. In the case of orphan constituencies Hon Alan Kyerematen paid for both the nomination forms and the cost of the passport pictures of the aspiring polling station executives. This gesture forms part of longstanding efforts by Hon Kyerematen to support polling station executives as he is noted to place much emphasis on the well-being of the grassroots of the New Patriotic Party. Political pundits and experts have already earmarked Hon Alan Kyerematen to replace Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo as the next Presidential candidate of NPP heading into the 2024 General Election as he is widely respected as an honest and credible politician. Source: Peacefmonline 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 You are here: Business China saw strong exports in photovoltaic products (PV) last year as the world picked up efforts to cope with climate challenges, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. In 2021, China's exports of PV products surpassed 28.4 billion U.S. dollars, data from the ministry showed. The country's PV industry chain and supply chain remained generally stable last year, said the ministry. China produced 505,000 tonnes of polysilicon and 227 GW of silicon wafer during the period. As of the end of 2020, China had secured the largest share in the global output of polycrystalline silicon, PV cells and PV modules, and led the world in PV capacity additions for eight consecutive years. Actress Yvonne Nelson has dismissed rumours she is dating Nigerian Comedian, Nasty Blaq. In a tweet, the actress noted that she was surprised people had read meanings into a video posted on Valentines day that showed her and the comedian hanging out. Yvonne Nelson stated that she has not been in love for a while. She told her followers to remember she is an actress, seemingly informing them that it was all an act. So Nasty Blakk got all you guys like this? I dont even remember the last time I was in love. Chill guys! Know my profession and relax! Yvonne Nelsons tweet read. Her comment comes after Nasty Blaq, on Valentines Day, posted a collage of videos with Yvonne Nelson. In one video, they were dancing and in another, they were on a boat wearing life jackets. Yvonne at some point during the ride put her hands around Blaqs neck. So nasty blakk got all you guys like this? I dont even remember the last time i was in love. Chill guys! Know my profession and relax! (@yvonnenelsongh) February 16, 2022 HAPPY VALENTINES DAY pic.twitter.com/35XLLTR4S8 NASTY BLAQ (@NastyBlaq) February 14, 2022 Buh I can say for a fact that this ended in a kiss Which means something is going on pic.twitter.com/dJNSeNZZc9 DEPY (@Depy_divv) February 14, 2022 Nasty blaq is dating Yvonne Nelson. At this point, anybody can date anybody, just go for what you want. OLA (@Olafweshy) February 15, 2022 Everyone wants dbee. Then nasty don hit jackpot lol . So as made in Ghana link you up then things all was a working tactics for Yvonne Nelson. Eei things are happening UNTAMED (@ShangoMaster) February 15, 2022 Nasty blaq and Yvonne Nelson?..... How? Wtf sup?? pic.twitter.com/eHtX29nbmk that crackhead guy (@ib_benny5) February 15, 2022 Buh Yvonne Nelson and Nasty blaq wont be any bad couples oooperfect match papa OMANPAYIN WOFASE (@lawyerguyguy) February 14, 2022 Source: twitter/jfm 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 " " Several members of the royal family attend a wedding including (L-R): Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Princess Anne, Lady Frederick Windsor, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex on May 18, 2019. Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images Much of the world is fascinated by the British royals, with all of their titles. But those who live outside the U.K. have a difficult time deciphering the Brits' peerage system, which is a complex, overlapping web of dukes, earls, barons and more. Britain's peerage system, which dates to Anglo-Saxon times, consists of five ranks: duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron, according to Debrett's, a leading source of information on the British peerage system. Over the centuries, peerages were inherited, created or conferred by the British king or queen, originally to landowners who advised him or her, as a sort of Royal council. The older your peerage, the more status within your rank. In 1958, the government passed the Life Peerages Act, which allowed for the creation of life peerages, or honorary titles granted by the government. Those receiving a life peerage, which can't be inherited, also received the title of baron or baroness. Under the modern monarchy, one of the biggest privileges of being a peer, whether hereditary or life, is that it gives you the right to sit in Britain's House of Lords, the upper chamber of Great Britain's legislature. (Elected officials make up the House of Commons, the government's lower chamber.) During more recent times, with the number of eligible peers (mostly life peers created by whichever government is in power) ranging from 650 to more than 800, there have been multiple movements to limit the size of this chamber, without much success. About 90 percent of those sitting in the House of Lords in 2020 are life peers. Today, there are no new hereditary peerages being created, with one exception: those the monarch creates for members of the royal family. Here are the basics about the five peerage ranks, in order of rank. Female titles are given in parenthesis and usually designate the wife of a peer. Women are not eligible to succeed to most hereditary peerages. Advertisement 1. Duke (Duchess) This highest-ranking title was created in 1337 by King Edward III, who conferred the title Duke of Cornwall upon his oldest son. Before 1337, the title of duke was used to denote someone with sovereign status, although it wasn't an official peerage title. Princes in the royal family typically become dukes shortly after coming of age or on their wedding day. Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, was dubbed Duke of York when he married in 1986, for example. But there are plenty of nonroyal dukes as well; in 2020, there were 24. Interestingly, the business of selecting dukedoms for the royals is a fraught process. Many dukedoms are unavailable if the current dukes are still living, for one. But any "open" dukedom must have a clean past to be considered. The dukedom of Cumberland, for example, was once held by George II's son, Prince William Augustus. But the prince brutally crushed a Scottish rebellion in 1745, killing thousands, and subsequently became known as the Butcher of Cumberland. So, that dukedom is permanently out for the royals. The highest-ranking royal dukedoms are Lancaster, which is held by the Sovereign, and Cornwall, which is awarded to the Sovereign's eldest son (Prince Charles is also known as the Duke of Cornwall.) Advertisement 2. Marquess (Marchioness) Although marquess is the second-highest peerage rank, you don't hear much about it. The term was brought to England in 1385 by King Richard II, who learned of its usage in other countries. Richard wedged it in above earls in status, a controversial move. Today, there are 34 marquesses. Advertisement 3. Earl (Countess) Earl is the oldest title in the British peerage, dating back to the 11th century. Originally an earl administered a province or a "shire" for the king. There are currently 191 earls and four countesses in their own right. In a break with tradition, Elizabeth's third son, Prince Edward, became Earl of Wessex on his wedding day in 1999. Why the lesser title? Supposedly, Edward is holding out for the title Duke of Edinburgh, currently held by his father, Prince Philip, in order to carry on his work after Philip dies. " " Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (and prime minister of England) challenged George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea to a duel in 1829. Fortunately, neither was hurt. Culture Club/Getty Images Advertisement 4. Viscount (Viscountess) The rank originally signified a deputy or lieutenant of a count, during the Holy Roman Empire. It entered the Brisith peerage system in 1440 during the Hundred Years' War when Henry VI, king of both England and France, bestowed the title on John Lord Beaumont in an effort to merge the two countries' ranks. Thus, Beaumont became Viscount Beaumont in both countries. Today there are 115 viscounts. Advertisement 5. Baron (Baroness) The lowest peerage rank is baron. In the 13th century, barons were important landholders whom the monarch occasionally summoned to attend the Counsel or Parliament. Initially, a baron's successors weren't necessarily afforded the same honors and privileges, but eventually the rank and all its privileges passed on. Baron is the most populous rank today, with 426 hereditary barons and nine hereditary baronesses. NOW THAT'S Interesting All hereditary peers are formally addressed as "Lord (or Lady) So-and-So," except for dukes or duchesses who are addressed as "Your Grace." Good to know in case you get that invite to stay at some nobleman's country estate. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, speaks during a rally as he campaigns for the presidency on February 19, 2022 in Caloocan, Metro Manila, Philippines. The son and namesake of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, accused and charged of amassing billions of dollars of ill-gotten wealth as well as committing a record number of human rights abuses during his autocratic rule, has mounted a hugely popular campaign to return his family name to power. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is holding a double-digit lead in the polls against his main rival, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, three months ahead of the national elections. Marcos is running alongside Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte who is the subject of an international investigation for alleged human rights violations during his bloody war on drugs. Journalists called out the attitude of event organizers toward the press after media workers were disallowed from covering election activities in Ilocos Sur. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images) The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) expressed concern for their fellow media workers after the latter were disallowed from covering election activities in Ilocos Sur, where dictators son Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. was campaigning at the time. They called out the event organizers for their attitude towards the media. Selectiveness in accreditation and in the dissemination of even basic information like schedules and itineraries send the message that media must behave to be able to cover and contribute to a friendly and pliant press that adds little to discourse and much less to democracy, they said. Journalists Sherwin de Vera and Edwin Mangoba were prohibited from entering the activities because of vague media protocol. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines is therefore concerned at attempts by police to bar Sherwin de Vera, who writes for Rappler under the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship, from covering campaign activities in Ilocos Sur on February 17, they said. Citing vague media protocol, police also prevented photojournalist Edwin Mangoba commissioned by Rappler to cover the event from entering the venue for a candidate's meet and greet. At some point, the two were allowed to cover after acquiring endorsement letters from their editors in Rappler. The Presidential Security Group (PSG) initially told them that only three other Rappler journalists from Manila were permitted to enter for coverage. We do not cover to please, we do it for the public The Union then reminded the candidates that the media were simply doing their job, and that they arent covering to chase after candidates or attend their activities for fun or to find fault. While media workers respect that campaigns need to vet the people who will cover their candidates, we hope that this does not mean coverage only by those their candidates like or those whose reporting is favorable to their principals, they said. Story continues They also stressed that the public has a right to know, despite the supposed preference for social media content creators. We are bound by our duty to serve the people's right to know. This right to know extends to getting information about those who seek election and their activities while they try to woo votes, they claimed. Mark Ernest Famatigan is a news writer who focuses on Philippine politics. He is an advocate for press freedom and regularly follows developments in the Philippine economy. The views expressed are his own. Watch more videos on Yahoo: At least 14 people were killed by falling trees and flying debris caused by the storm-force winds. Emergency crews Saturday battled to restore power to more than one million homes and businesses a day after Storm Eunice carved a deadly trail across northwest Europe and left transport networks in disarray. At least 16 people were killed by falling trees and flying debris caused by the fierce winds in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland, emergency services said. Train operators in Britain urged people not to travel, after most of the network was shut down when Eunice brought the strongest wind gust ever recorded in England122 miles (196 kilometres) per hour. In Brentwood, east of London, a 400-year-old tree crashed into a house where Sven Good was working from home, as millions of other Britons heeded government advice to stay indoors. "I could feel the whole roof going above me. It was absolutely terrifying," Good, 23, told Sky News, adding that none of the occupants was injured. The train network in the Netherlands was paralysed, with no Eurostar and Thalys international services running from Britain and France after damage to overhead power lines. France and Ireland were also grappling with rail disruption and power cuts, and Germany's rail operator Deutsche Bahn said "more than 1,000 kilometres" (620 miles) of track had suffered damage. Explosive storms Poland still had 1.2 million customers without electricity on Saturday afternoon, officials said, after the country's northwest took a battering. Storm Eunice brought the largest wind gust ever recorded in England122 miles (196 kilometres) per hour. "I appeal to you: please stay at home!" Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a Facebook post. "We are constantly monitoring the situation and the appropriate services are at work. The fire brigade has already intervened more than 12,000 times," he said. In the UK, 226,000 homes and businesses remained without power after 1.2 million others were reconnected. The toll so far includes four each in the Netherlands and Poland; three in the UK, two dead each in Belgium and Germany, and one in Ireland. Around 30 people in northern France were injured in storm-related road accidents, and in the Netherlands, dozens of people have to be evacuated from their homes because of fears that a church's clock tower might collapse. Eunice sparked the first-ever "red" weather warning for London on Friday. It was one of the most powerful tempests in Europe since the "Great Storm" hit Britain and northern France in 1987. Scientists said both storms packed a "sting jet", a rarely seen meteorological phenomenon borne out of an unusual confluence of pressure systems in the Atlantic that magnified the effects of Eunice. Hefty insurance bill The Met Office, Britain's meteorological service, on Saturday issued a less severe "yellow" wind warning for much of the south coast of England and South Wales, which it said "could hamper recovery efforts from Storm Eunice". London's rush-hour streets were virtually deserted as many heeded government advice to stay at home. The UK's total bill for damage could exceed 300 million ($410 million, 360 million euros), according to the Association of British Insurers, based on repairs from previous storms. At the storm's height, planes struggled to land in ferocious winds, as documented by the YouTube channel Big Jet TV, which streamed the attempts to a mass live following from London's Heathrow airport. Hundreds of other flights were cancelled or delayed at Heathrow and Gatwick, and Schiphol in Amsterdam. A section of the roof on London's O 2 Arena was shredded, and the spire of a church in the historic city of Wells, southwest England, toppled over. Ferries across the Channel, the world's busiest shipping lane, were suspended, before the English port of Dover reopened Friday afternoon. Experts said the frequency and intensity of the storms could not be linked necessarily to climate change. But Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading, said a heating planet was leading to more intense rainfall and higher sea levels. Therefore, he said, "flooding from coastal storm surges and prolonged deluges will worsen still further when these rare, explosive storms hit us in a warmer world". Explore further Nine dead as Storm Eunice batters Europe 2022 AFP Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says the commissioning of the GERD is 'the birth of a new era' Ethiopia began generating electricity from its mega-dam on the Blue Nile on Sunday, a milestone in the controversial multi-billion dollar project. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accompanied by high-ranking officials, toured the power station and pressed a series of buttons on an electronic screen, a move that officials said initiated production. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is set to be the largest hydroelectric scheme in Africa but has been at the centre of a dispute with downstream nations Egypt and Sudan ever since work first began in 2011. Abiy described Sunday's development as "the birth of a new era". "This is a good news for our continent & the downstream countries with whom we aspire to work together," he said on Twitter. Addis Ababa deems the project essential for the electrification and development of Africa's second most populous country, but Cairo and Khartoum fear it could threaten their access to vital Nile waters. Abiy dismissed those concerns. "As you can see this water will generate energy while flowing as it previously flowed to Sudan and Egypt, unlike the rumours that say the Ethiopian people and government are damming the water to starve Egypt and Sudan," he said as water rushed through the concrete colossus behind him. But Cairo denounced Sunday's start-up, saying Addis Ababa was "persisting in its violations" of a 2015 declaration of principles on the project. Map of East Africa showing the Nile and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. 'Resisting external pressure' The $4.2-billion (3.7-billion-euro) dam is ultimately expected to produce more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity, more than doubling Ethiopia's current output. Only one of 13 turbines is currently operational, with a capacity of 375 megawatts. A second will come online within a few months, project manager Kifle Horo told AFP, adding that the dam is currently expected to be fully completed in 2024. The 145-metre (475-foot) high structure straddles the Blue Nile in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of western Ethiopia, near the border with Sudan. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for about 97 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees it as an existential threat. Sudan hopes the project will regulate annual flooding, but fears its own dams could be harmed without agreement on the GERD's operation. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) sits astride the Blue Nile. Both have long been pushing for a binding deal over the filling and operation of the massive dam, but African Union-sponsored talks have failed to achieve a breakthrough. William Davison, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the GERD is seen domestically "as a symbol of Ethiopia resisting external pressure". "The government has propagated the idea that foreign actors are trying to undermine Ethiopia's sovereignty, so I think this will be cast as showing they are still making progress despite a hostile environment." Addisu Lashitew of the Brookings Institution in Washington described the GERD's commissioning as a "rare positive development that can unite a deeply fractured country" after 15 months of brutal conflict with Tigrayan rebels. "The newly-generated electricity from the GERD could help revive an economy that has been devastated by the combined forces of a deadly war, rising fuel prices and the Covid-19 pandemic," he said. Work on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) first began in 2011. Project delays The dam was initiated under former prime minister Meles Zenawi, the Tigrayan leader who ruled Ethiopia for more than two decades until his death in 2012. Civil servants contributed one month's salary towards the project in the year it launched, and the government has since issued dam bonds targeting Ethiopians at home and abroad. Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People's Liberation Front that has been at war with government forces since November 2020, said Abiy was taking credit for a project launched under a Tigrayan-led government. "Today #AbiyAhmed is trying to cash in on a project that he once publicly downplayed as a meaningless publicity stunt," he tweeted. But officials on Sunday credited Abiy with reviving the dam after delays they claim were caused by mismanagement. Workers at the site of Ethiopia's mega-dam project. Project manager Kifle Horo said the dam is currently expected to be fully completed in 2024. "Our country has lost so much because the dam was delayed, especially financially," project manager Kifle said. The process of filling the vast reservoir began in 2020, with Ethiopia announcing in July of that year it had hit its target of 4.9 billion cubic metres. The reservoir's total capacity is 74 billion cubic metres, and the target for 2021 was to add 13.5 billion. Last July Ethiopia said it had hit that target, meaning there was enough water to begin producing energy, although some experts had cast doubt on the claims. Kifle declined to reveal how much water was collected last year or what the target is for the coming rainy season. 2022 AFP Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Vacation photos of zebras and whales that tourists post on social media may have a benefit they never expected: helping researchers track and gather information on endangered species. Scientists are using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze photos of zebras, sharks and other animals to identify and track individuals and offer new insights into their movements, as well as population trends. "We have millions of images of endangered and threatened animals taken by scientists, camera traps, drones and even tourists," said Tanya Berger-Wolf, director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute at The Ohio State University. "Those images contain a wealth of data that we can extract and analyze to help protect animals and combat extinction." And a new field called imageomics is taking the use of wildlife images a step further by using AI to extract biological information on animals directly from their photos, said Berger-Wolf, a professor of computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and evolution, ecology and organismal biology at Ohio State. She discussed recent advances in using AI to analyze wildlife images and the founding of imageomics in a presentation Feb. 20 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She spoke at the scientific session "Crowdsourced Science: Volunteers and Machine Learning Protect the Wild for All." One of the biggest challenges that environmentalists face is the lack of data available on many threatened and endangered species. "We're losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate and we don't even know how much and what we're losing," Berger-Wolf said. Of the more than 142,000 species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the status of greater than half are not known because there is not enough data, or their population trend is uncertain. "If we want to save African elephants from extinction, we have to know how many there are in the world, and where they are, and how fast they're declining," Berger-Wolf said. "We don't have enough GPS collars and satellite tags to monitor all the elephants and answer those questions. But we can use AI techniques such as machine learning to analyze images of elephants to provide much of the information we need." Berger-Wolf and her colleagues created a system called Wildbook that uses computer vision algorithms to analyze photos taken by tourists on vacation and researchers in the field to identify not only species of animals, but individuals. "Our AI algorithms can identify individuals using anything striped, spotted, wrinkled or notchedeven the shape of a whale's fluke or the dorsal fin of a dolphin," she said. For example, Wildbook contains more than 2 million photos of about 60,000 uniquely identified whales and dolphins from around the world. "This is now one of the primary sources of information scientists have on killer whalesthey are data deficient no longer," she said. In addition to sharks and whales, there are wildbooks for zebras, turtles, giraffes, African carnivores and other species. Berger-Wolf and her colleagues have developed an AI agent that searches publicly shared social media posts for relevant species. That means many people's vacation photos of sharks they saw in the Caribbean, for example, end up being used in Wildbook for science and conservation, she said. Together with information about when and where images were taken, these photos can aid in conservation by providing population counts, birth and death dynamics, species range, social interactions and interactions with other species, including humans, she said. This has been very useful, but Berger-Wolf said researchers are looking to move the field forward with imageomics. "The ability to extract biological information from images is the foundation of imageomics," she explained. "We're teaching machines to see things in images that humans may have missed or can't see." For example, is the pattern of stripes on a zebra similar in some meaningful way to its mother's pattern and, if so, can that give information about their genetic similarities? How do the skulls of bat species vary with environmental conditions, and what evolutionary adaptation drives that change? These and many other questions may be answered by machine learning analysis of photos. The National Science Foundation awarded Ohio State $15 million in September to lead the creation of the Imageomics Institute, which will help guide scientists from around the world in this new field. Berger-Wolf is a principal investigator of the institute. As the use of AI in analyzing wildlife images continues to grow, Berger-Wolf said, one key will be to make sure the AI is used equitably and ethically. For one, researchers have to make sure it does no harm. For example, data must be protected so that it cannot be used by poachers to target endangered species. But it must be more than just that. "We have to make sure that it is a human-machine partnership in which humans trust the AI. The AI should, by design, be participatory, connecting among the people, among the data and among the geographical locations," she said. Explore further Artificial intelligence helps speed up ecological surveys FORT EDWARD A Fort Edward man was indicted Thursday on child pornography charges. Paul R. Wilson, 34, was arrested in August. He is accused of possessing the pornography on a laptop commuter, which is a violation of his post-release supervision. Wilson was released from state prison in January 2020. He served 14 months of an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty in Warren County Court in August 2018 to criminal sex act. Wilson was one of 12 men arrested in 2017 as part of a multi-agency police sting in which officers lured the men online and arrested them after they came to Queensbury for what they thought was a meeting with underage girls. Wilson was arraigned in Washington County Court on Thursday on two counts of felony promoting a sexual performance by a child. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wayne LaMothe, director of planning for Warren County, said the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor grew from one sentence in a 1990 action plan in the town of North Creek. There was one line in there that indicated that if the rail line from Saratoga to North Creek ever became available the county should consider purchase of it, he said. LaMothe said that sometime around 1994 or 1995, then-U.S. Rep. Gerald Solomon got his hands on a copy of the plan. Solomon was on the transportation committee at the federal level at the time, according to LaMothe. During a public meeting for the committee, Solomon showed his support for the plan. He held that up in a public meeting and said, we need to fund this, LaMothe said. And lo and behold the county received a couple million dollars to buy the line through the Transportation Act. The First Wilderness Heritage Corridor runs from Stony Creek to North Creek, and connects communities from the Upper Hudson River and Schroon River corridors. Some of those communities include Warrensburg, Thurman and Johnsburg. LaMothe shared the history of the corridor plan with Claire Seleen, a junior at Glens Falls High School, for the first in a number of virtual conversations highlighting the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor. The conversation is connected to the yearlong collaborative effort that the Warren County Department of Planning and Community Development launched with Cliff & Redfield Interactive, a Saratoga Springs-based media and communications organization. The goals of this project are to engage storytellers and experts by describing the character of western Warren County; add content that will draw audiences to the countys web platforms; create professional experiences in communications and opportunities for networking with those in areas of potential career interest for area college and high school students; and to produce a manuscript that contributes to the historical knowledge of the county and the surrounding region for the Warren County Historical Society. Students can participate as credit-earning interns or volunteers. People can find more information at smartacus.com. The beginning After receiving funding to buy the rail line, the county continued to develop the plan. LaMothe went to the National Planning Federation Conference in Seattle, Washington, in 1996. He attended a session on the National Heritage Rivers program, which allowed for 11 rivers to receive federal funding for promotion as a heritage area. He believed that if you took the action plan for North Creek and expanded it to the communities along the river rail corridor in Warren County, you would have a very similar plan. LaMothe then spoke with the state department about their local waterfront revitalization program. LaMothe was convinced to submit an application to explore the possibility of expanding the action plan into a regional plan. The application was submitted, and the countys planning department secured the services of a consulting firm in Saratoga to help with the plan. Around that same time, the towns of Hadley and Corinth were itching to be a part of the program. We did another small application, I think it was around $9,600, and brought them on board, LaMothe said. That plan became the genesis, actually became the First Wilderness plan. That plan was originally called the Upper Hudson River Redevelopment Strategy. The Saratoga-based consulting firm came up with the concept of the First Wilderness. LaMothe said that the Adirondacks were the first area in the country that legislatively was deemed to be set aside to preserve wilderness. In the days of old, I guess, access to the corridor was either by rail or by the river. There were very few roads, he said. The plan was developed in 2000, and LaMothe said that the action plan, which identified 241 projects or goals, was brought forward in 2002. He said that the process of creating the concept for the project was fun. We met with community groups, met with town boards, met with state agencies, he said. I know I logged 182 separate meetings over those two years, but it was a fun project, and it still has been. Complementing, not competing Seleen asked LaMothe what benefits he felt the First Wilderness program has produced for the region. LaMothe said that the biggest thing for him is how the project produced conversations between everybody. The communities learned to complement each other and not compete. We tried to have them work out schedules where significant events didnt compete the same weekend with something else going on, he said. He said that it doesnt always work out that way. Some people have their way of doing things and dont stray away from their normal path or routine. But there is one thing that LaMothe said that he was most pleased about when thinking about benefits provided by the First Wilderness initiative. The whole concept from our perspective was this is an economic development project, he said. So what can we do to make these communities more resilient? Less dependent on a single source of either recreation or resource extraction or utilization? I think weve done that. LaMothe stated that there is always room for improvement, but he is pleased with the results that he has seen since the project began. One thing he is proud of was the creation of a recreation map, where people can look to see what recreation opportunities there are within the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor. The Recreation Mapper is an interactive map that contains an inventory of almost every recreation opportunity in Warren County. It includes hiking, biking, water and winter activities, along with a list of parks. We had funding for that. That was a significant project in my mind that we were able to use technology to point people to trails, other recreational opportunities that they probably wouldnt know about, LaMothe said. People can find the Recreation Mapper on the First Wilderness website under the Outdoor Recreation tab. LaMothe said that his department has been able to be responsive to new opportunities as they arise. One thing that he said wasnt explicitly spelled out in the First Wilderness plan was the Harris Land Preserve in Lake Luzerne. There was land on Potash Mountain that was for the school to use for educational purposes. He said that his department worked with a nonprofit in Lake Luzerne to secure funding to develop the trail on Potash Mountain. LaMothe said that the project was very well received. But his department is always looking ahead to whats next. Theres always things left to do, and that gives us something to do tomorrow when we come into work, LaMothe said. Future projects With a new funding cycle on the horizon, Seleen asked LaMothe what he and his departments priorities were, and what projects would be worked on in the future. LaMothe said that there were a few areas that they have dedicated a lot of time into. The first one he touched on was invasive species management. He said that the department will continue to work on those kinds of projects and secure the grant funding to continue them. The planning department is also planning on doing an assessment of the recreational opportunities in Warren County. The goal of that is to look into what areas need to be further developed, or if there is anything that needs to be done to improve the services and opportunities already being provided. Theres always public water and sewer projects that need to be pursued to enhance the economic base of the hamlets, he said. LaMothe said that it is all dependent on what the local communities are asking for once the funding announcement is made. He said representatives from local communities will come in and ask for the departments help. If the project fits within what the department has the capability to do they will help out. But LaMothe said that some communities may need more help than others. Certainly the rural communities have a harder time with it. If there is a matching program or if they need to use their own DPW crews, theyre limited as to what they can do, he said. Its always a matter of finding the working capital to make projects go forward. The 50-minute conversation between Seleen and LaMothe can be found on the Stories from Open Space YouTube page. There you can also find the second Civic Conversation between May Braaten, a sophomore at Skidmore College, and the grand-niece of John Apperson Ellen Brown. Brown remembers family visits to Huddle Bay in Bolton, and talks about her memories and provides insight into the life of Apperson. The next Civic Conversation will feature David Gibson. He will discuss famed wilderness conservationalists, like Apperson, Howard Zahniser and Paul Schaefer. People can watch the discussion live or catch the recording once it is posted on the Stories from Open Space YouTube page. Jay Mullen is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls, Warren County and crime and courts. You can reach him at (518) 742-3224 or jmullen@poststar.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Republican primary appears to be shaping up for the nomination to challenge Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, in the new 113th Assembly District. I expect a primary, said Glens Falls Republican Chairman Michael Borgos. If the primary materializes, it will be between David Catalfamo, who lost to Woerner in 2020, and Michael York, who Republican operatives blocked from challenging Catalfamo in a primary in 2020. The state Board of Elections disqualified Yorks nominating petitions in 2020 based on a challenge to his petitions that York said was mailed from the same address as the state Republican Committee offices. This time around, he has support from at least one county Republican committee in the Assembly district. The Warren County Republican Committee, with only Glens Falls members voting, unanimously endorsed York, a real estate agent from Saratoga Springs, for the nomination, Borgos said Friday. Glens Falls is the only municipality in Warren County that is in the Assembly district. The Saratoga County Republican Committee on Friday announced its endorsement of David Catalfamo, an economic development official and novelist from Wilton. The Washington County Republican Committee, the third and final committee in the endorsement process, is scheduled to interview candidates on Thursday. York said he had not intended to run again until about a week ago, when a Republican leader contacted him about the party not having a candidate to challenge Woerner. Nobody had any clue who was running for the Assembly district. That really shocked me, he said. Catalfamo said in a telephone interview Friday that he is definitely honored to have support of the Saratoga County committee. Catalfamo said he will decide definitively in a few days if he will run. He and his wife have a new baby and must weigh the time commitment a campaign would take. Its a tough decision and Im honored to be part of the process, he said. York said that he is in the race regardless of what Catalfamo decides. I expect there will be a push for a primary, he said. Woerner, a four-term incumbent, has consistently won in a Republican-leaning district, drawing support from the agriculture, small business and horse racing industries. Woerners closest race was in 2014, when she received 52.3 percent of the vote. She received 60 percent of the vote in 2016, 56.3 percent in 2018 and 55.2 percent in 2020, according to the state Board of Elections. York said to win the Assembly race, Republicans must reach out to pockets of disenfranchised voters who are concerned about single issues, such as the right to exemptions from government mandates for medical reasons. After redistricting, the new 113th District still generally leans Republican in voting patterns, but less so. In the new district, Republican Marc Molinaro received 50.2% percent of the vote in the governors race in 2018, 4.2 percentage points less than in the old district, according to the state Board of Elections. Woerner had $95,544 in her re-election campaign fund, as of Jan. 16, according to the state Board of Elections. Catalfamo had $880 in his campaign fund, left over from the 2020 election. York had not yet opened a campaign fund, as of the most recent reporting date. In other endorsements: The Warren County Republican Committee, with only Glens Falls and Queensbury members voting, endorsed Liz Lemery Joy, a former blogger and speaker from Schenectady, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, in the new 20th Congressional District, which includes Glens Falls, Queensbury, Moreau and Wilton. The Saratoga County Republican Committee endorsed Joy in the 20th District, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, for re-election in the new 21st Congressional District. The Stefanik campaign announced on Saturday that she now has unanimous endorsements from Warren, Saratoga, Clinton, Franklin, Herkimer, Fulton, Jefferson, Hamilton and Oneida counties. The Saratoga County Republican Committee endorsed state Daphne Jordan, R-Halfmoon, for re-election in the new 46th Senate District, Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, for re-election in the new 47th Senate District, and state Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Brant Lake, in the new 114th District. Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The second team of mainland health experts and workers arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) via the Shenzhen Bay Port on Saturday to work with the HKSAR government in fighting the latest COVID-19 outbreak. The team is comprised of 114 members, including four critical care medical specialists, four administrative staff members, and 106 sampling workers. The four critical care specialists will discuss with clinical medical experts in Hong Kong on the treatment of severe and critical COVID-19 cases, and share the treatment experience of COVID-19 patients in the mainland. Also on Saturday, the construction of two community isolation and treatment facilities built with assistance from the mainland began at Penny's Bay and Kai Tak Pier in Hong Kong, respectively. Designed and constructed by China State Construction International Holdings Ltd., the two isolation facilities are expected to provide about 9,500 quarantine units when fully operational. On behalf of the Hong Kong residents, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam expressed her heartfelt thanks to the central leadership for their great attention, care and full support to Hong Kong at the commencement ceremony held at Penny's Bay quarantine site. The HKSAR government would like to express its sincere gratitude to the China State Construction International for its professionalism and sense of responsibility in assisting Hong Kong in the fight against COVID-19, Lam said. While Adirondack Film Commission leader Andrew Meader has been busy helping the Lake George Wine Outlet, a new business he manages, get off the ground, he has not abandoned the areas film community. Meader said the COVID-19 pandemic has actually changed the film industry in the sense that people are realizing there are locations outside of New York City. Filmmakers are finding other locations suitable to live, shoot and work. The local film community has really grown during the pandemic. As filmmakers begin to look at shooting options outside of the city, they have slowly been coming up the Northway. A lot of projects have come to the Hudson Valley area and then a lot of projects began happening in Albany, so its not much for the crews to come a little farther north, Meader said. A prime example is the 2022 Animal Planet Puppy Bowl that aired before the Super Bowl on Feb. 13. The event was filmed for the second consecutive year inside the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls in October 2021. Aside from The Puppy Bowl, Meader said the commission receives requests to use locations all the time. He was most excited to share a new unofficial alliance with the film offices of Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Saratoga. Projects happening in any of the local counties were a progressive step for the upstate New York area, he said. Meader noted the Pretty Little Liars TV series reboot that is currently filming in Schenectady is a result of increasing the areas talent pool. The more projects that come to the surrounding area ultimately will begin to trickle up to us. It isnt much of a difference to drive another hour up the Northway to hit the location they are looking for, Meader explained. Between Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga and us, we can play the part of many different areas of the world. He also was eager to announce a Film Day on May 19 at the Albany Capital Center. The event will focus on bringing locals in the film industry together for networking opportunities and expert panels, including one on a film and TV composers panel, one on how to finance a project and another on how productions infuse the local economy. Its designed to be educational, but it is also a networking opportunity for people in the film industry. If youre in the city, you are connected; it is a little harder when you are up here, Meader said. He spoke about the benefits of these events, citing a recent mixer in February, where as a resident of the town of Lake George, Meader met two fellow town residents in the film industry he was unaware of. They are around, people just dont know about it. We are in the infancy, in that sense, but the more projects that come to the area, the network can continue to grow, he said. Black Mountain Visuals Cameron Gallagher met Zack Porlier in 2017 at Ray Supply Audio and Video in Glens Falls while shopping for gear as a wedding and portrait photographer. I guess I seemed knowledgeable enough, so Cameron asked me if I wanted to help him out with a few jobs, Porlier said. The duo began working together on weddings as well as offering commercial video production to businesses, but both had a creative itch that needed to be scratched. I think we both got into this hoping to do something more creative, but we realized we actually needed a job and weddings were the easiest way for us both to jump in, said Porlier as Gallagher nodded in agreement. Gallagher, as the founder and director, and Porlier, as the producer and creative director, realized as their small business, Black Mountain Visuals, began to grow, they now had all the equipment needed to start creating some content of their own. They started out with some low-budget projects they put together in their free time, just for fun, until they realized grander possibilities. In November 2020, we really decided it was time to step up our game a little and do something bigger, Gallagher said. He searched online and found a script that had been chosen as a finalist in a contest, The Rickety Man, written by Jeremiah Lewis. After connecting with the writer, the company purchased the rights to the script and began the months of planning to turn the script into a short film. The trio enjoyed working together and just recently wrapped up a lower-budget short film, Lucid, using another one of Lewis scripts. Used to working on the fly, at a fast-paced celebration or on a deadline for client Cornell University, Gallagher and Porlier spent five months planning for the production. From January (2021) to May we planned. We had a national casting call to fill the roles and had to fly in the actors. It was a different experience for us, to just be able to direct rather than Zack and I splitting all the duties and running around to get everything done, Gallagher said. The short was shot over five days, using The Mansion of Saratoga and outdoor locations in the Washington County town of Hartford. Audio was also recorded at the companys home offices in the WorkSmart building, located on Glen Street in Glens Falls. After five more months of post-production, the film was entered in 20 film festivals across the country and received acknowledgement or awards from 11. The short premiered, without the producers due to COVID, at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Imposter syndrome We have like this imposter syndrome, where we feel like little kids who dont know what they are doing. But we spoke to some people in the industry and found out that feeling never goes away, even after working on multimillion dollar projects. So we just took what we already knew and tried to start doing things in a more legitimate way, Porlier said. After deciding to move forward with the project, they started a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.com, a website designed to raise funds for creative endeavors or new products. It was a concept neither was familiar with and they were shocked with the amount of support they received. The short horror film ended up with a budget of $25,000, a much bigger production than the shorts they had filmed on weekends with buddies. Weve been doing a bunch of Zoom calls with people who weve never met that invested and now are receiving some of the perks, and we just cant believe there are people who didnt know us, but had enough faith in our project to say, heres $1,000, Gallagher chuckled. That has definitely given us a push, Porlier said. Having people that believe in us. They have been in touch with multiple larger production companies interested in seeing more, or turning The Rickety Man into a feature film, but no deals have been negotiated at this time. Jana is a general reporter who covers Moreau, Queensbury, and Lake George. She can be reached at 518-742-3272. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLEASANTVILLE Students in Pleasantville have spent weeks studying their Black History Month curriculum and all year learning the history of the African diaspora in their social studies classes. And last week, those lessons were put on powerful display, centering the role of South Jersey in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey toured Pleasantville schools this past week. On Wednesday, the museum and its founder, Ralph Hunter, came to the Leeds Avenue School to show elementary students displays and bring to life what they had learned during Black History Month and throughout the year. Being a history buff, I always loved history, and especially African American history, and American history is the same thing, Hunter said before his presentation. The exhibit at the school was titled A Time for Change: Civil Rights in South Jersey. Panels were set up in the Leeds Avenue gymnasium explaining how South Jersey was affected by racism and celebrating the role the region played in Black history. Students from kindergarten through fifth grade moved around the gym and spent a couple of minutes learning about each panel. A select group of fifth-graders gave short lectures about each topic, explaining it to their peers and the students from the grades below them. Included were panels about Atlantic Citys Black business districts, segregation at Jersey Shore beaches, as well as the Miss Black America contests and the 1964 Democratic National Convention, both of which were held in Atlantic City. Photographs, tickets and other memorabilia from each of those topics were affixed to the panel. Pleasantville teacher wins award for promotion of equity in education A Pleasantville teacher is leading the way on state efforts to make New Jersey education mor Seth Dozier, one of the fifth-grade presenters, remarked on how the displays illustrated the history and legacy of segregation in local areas and how he enjoyed teaching it to the other kids. Thats like, six minutes away from here, Dozier said, pointing to a picture of Atlantic City. I just want (the other students) to know more about more history and stuff like that. Janasia Gunter, a fifth-grade presenter for the Miss Black America panel, expressed a similar enthusiasm for teaching her fellow classmates. Quamir Comparri, wearing a Malcom X T-shirt he said his mother helped him pick out, gave a presentation on Chicken Bone Beach, a Black beach when Atlantic City beaches were segregated. Comparri said he was excited to introduce the other students to past celebrities who visited the beach, including Sammy Davis Jr. I just love showing them the pictures, Comparri said. They are learning about how things were back then, so they have a better understanding of it when they actually start learning about it, said Torae Bostic, another fifth-grade presenter, on teaching younger students. Nikki Smith-Brock, a special education teacher, said using exhibits helps students better visualize history. How are South Jersey teachers talking to students about the riot at the U.S. Capitol? When rioters began breaking into the U.S. Capitol last week following a rally hosted by Pres This display here actually helps me, Smith-Brock said. Now they can see the different places, different times and different events that structured our culture as a people. Tamar LaSure-Owens, a Leeds Avenue first-grade teacher, emceed the event, directing teachers and students as they moved to new displays. She earlier devised memos for staff about how the exhibits complement the schools broader Black History Month curricula for each of its six grade levels. Exhibits about successful Black neighborhoods and beaches in Atlantic City, for example, as well the Miss Black America pageant, let students better appreciate lessons about the resiliency of Black-owned businesses in the face of discrimination. LaSure-Owens said the local focus paired well with lessons about slavery and the African diaspora in the Western Hemisphere. She said it was important for students to understand how the cultures and heritages of their classmates and people in South Jersey have been shaped by history around the world. Notably, one of the exhibits was about the 1971 Camden riot, which started when white police killed a Puerto Rican man. Its just showing how our worlds are connected, LaSure-Owens said. Stephanie James-Harris, executive director of the New Jersey Amistad Commission, attended the event and said such exhibits help advance the goals dictated by the New Jersey Amistad Law, which was enacted in 2002 and requires schools to incorporate African American history into their lesson plans. Pleasantville meeting features conversations about expanding opportunity, stopping violence PLEASANTVILLE People from across the city came together Tuesday night to put students on t An exhibit like this really gives them an opportunity not only to understand local histories, but the history of the civil rights movement and to be able to see it kind of in their time, James-Harris said. The districts Black History Month lessons are part of its broader Amistad, Holocaust and Latino curriculum or AMHOTINO which seeks to incorporate lessons about history, tolerance and diversity into the classroom. LaSure-Owens, who recently received an award from the New Jersey Education Association for her work designing such programs, emphasized that teachers had much to learn about diversity as well. 0th anniversary of the museum. He said the museum gave him an opportunity to communicate his love of African American history with students and to display the over 13,000 artifacts he and the museum have collected throughout the years. He said the museum was spending 20 days in February touring across New Jersey, as well as Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York. The exhibit is supported by Stockton University and Comcast helps fund the travelling museum exhibits for schools. Hunter, 84, was involved in organizing New Jersey residents for the famous March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom in 1963. Found on the panel about the March Wednesday were photographs that Hunter had taken himself while he was in the crowd. You cant explain what happens to your spine and your nerves and your eyes and your vocal cords and everything, just being there around that many people of all different nationalities marching for jobs and opportunity, Hunter said. Fifth-grader Gabriela Vazquez, who led a presentation about the history of Lawnside, Camden County a critical town on the Underground Railroad and the first Black incorporated town north of the Mason-Dixon line showed appreciation for how the event encouraged students to take charge of the teaching. She said she believed it was the obligation of young people to carry on the history of different freedom movements. I feel like were the next generation and that we need to tell people that this is very important, Vazquez said. I just want (the other students) to know how the injustice was before and how we can learn about it and think of ways to change it. Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VENTNOR For their efforts to find new ways to curb waste from filling local storm drains, seventh-graders at Ventnor Middle School have been named state winners of the 12th annual nationwide Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. The contest challenges students in grades 6-12 to choose a local issue and think of a proposed solution using science, technology, engineering and math in a sustainable way. Dona Hehre, a city resident and science teacher for more than 15 years, received an email from her supervisor in November about the contest and decided it was something she wanted to pursue with her students. The students had many ideas for their project but kept coming back to the amount of trash they saw in their neighborhood and how it impacted their community. They decided to build a filter to prevent mass garbage and pollution from entering local waterways through storm drains. Some students went around town taking pictures of drains filled with trash and brought them to class to discuss and brainstorm. Ventnor gets state money to enhance Newport Avenue Beachfront Park VENTNOR The city has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the state Department of Community A Through their research, they found that Americans spill 180 million gallons of used oil into storm drains each year. Ventnor is in the center of Absecon Island, so the students are passionate about the impact of oil and garbage on the bay and ocean in their hometown. They see a problem, and theyre in tune to it, Hehre said. On Dec. 7, they were named state winners of the Samsung content and found out they would be advancing to nationals. They received a $6,500 prize package to be redeemed through the nonprofit DonorsChoose, along with a Samsung cellphone for the class to use to record videos and take pictures. Hehre meets virtually once a week with Samsung executives who explain what they are looking for in projects. Round 2 requires students to submit a three-minute video showing how they are tackling their issue. With a deadline of March 2, they got right to work after Christmas break. The students came up with two prototypes: The Samsung oil gator, for grated storm drains, and the Samsung curb gator, for side storm drains. The oil gator is a two-tier metal, anti-rust structure that holds two metal grates with flat pads that absorb oil and repel water. The apparatus is to be placed inside the drain and inside the well underneath the surface. The curb gator is a rectangular metal grate with indents that blocks garbage from entering the drains, with slight openings to allow water to go through. These will be especially useful in the spring, Hehre said, because so many ducklings get caught and slip through the drains. Hehres future son-in-law, Anthony Iaconelli, a welder, and city engineer Ed Stinson have helped with the design process. On Wednesday morning, Hehre and the students tested their prototypes outside using baby pools to act as drains. They placed the curb gator in the pool, surrounded it with trash and sprayed water onto it. Nothing went through besides the water. Polar bears young and old take the plunge to kick off 2022 OCEAN CITY Terry Cotton picked an incredibly important reason to jump into the Atlantic Oc The students also tested the oil gator by spraying water and oil through a hose onto the pads. Sure enough, the pads soaked up the oil, leaving only the water to fall into the pool. Each Friday, the students break into four groups, each working on different parts of the project. They sometimes stay after school, to collaborate and improve their models. Theyre currently working on a sensor system that will attach to the pads of the oil gator. The system measures weight, so that once the pads are soaked and need to be replaced, the city can be signaled to replace the pad. The students said they are learning a lot from this experience. It expands our teamwork skills. At the end of the day, its just a lot of fun, said 13-year-old Vikky Desai. They also wrote letters to the mayors of Ventnor, Margate and Atlantic City, encouraging them to consider their proposal. Im so proud of all of them, Hehre said. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The risk of snow squalls, damaging winds and wildfire spread is gone. In will come a quieter, though colder Sunday. Looking forward to the week ahead, expect more 50s, and 60s. However, it comes with rain as well. Winds will be from the northwest 5 to 10 mph for most of the day, turning to the south near sunset. Temperatures will start off cold. Morning lows will be in the mid-teens inland, with around 20 readings at the shore. Wind chills will be in the single digits. Keep all of your cold-weather gear handy. High pressure will pass nearly overhead during the afternoon. This exerts downward motion on the ground, essentially breaking up any clouds and giving us nearly full sunshine. High temperatures will be in the mid-30s, which is about 10 degrees below average for this time of year. It will be the coldest day at least for the next seven. Going into the evening, well have a star-filled sky. Thats one of three keys to quick cooling at night (radiational cooling). However, we have a south wind that will deprive of us of the other two key components light winds and low dew points. Enter our weather survey for the chance to win one of four gift cards The Press of Atlantic City is upgrading weather in a big way, and we're looking for your inp Winds will be around 10 mph overnight. So well actually only bottom out in the upper 20s in Estell Manor and inland towns, with around 32 readings in Strathmere and the shore. We then get to Presidents Day, which will feature nearly full sunshine in the morning, with a few more afternoon clouds. Southerly winds will work the ground, getting us up to between 50 and 55 degrees for high temperatures. If youre working outside, itll be comfortable, and if you have the day off, outdoor activities look good, too. Resilient NJ program, Atlantic County residents address climate change mitigation The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has completed its second round of publ Clouds will roll in and thicken during the evening as a wave of low pressure approaches. Temperatures will likely fall to the upper 30s to around 40 around midnight. Then theyll rise through the 40s overnight. No rain is expected, yet. That will begin between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., with just a few showers away from the coast. Southwest winds will be between 15 and 20 mph, pumping up highs to the mid- and upper 50s, even with the cloud cover. As long as your outdoor plans can handle a little bit of rain, I believe youll be fine most of the day. The steady rain will arrive between 3 and 5 p.m. That will continue through the evening. By midnight, we should be dry as the winds recede. Rainfall totals will be between a quarter-inch and a half-inch, so no flooding issues are expected. This will be a well-behaved system for the most part. Another wave of low pressure will pass Wednesday morning, mainly to our south. If you live south of Route 40, expect a few showers through the morning rush. Those of you in Little Egg Harbor Township or Long Beach Island may very well be dry. It will be a very warm Wednesday, at least until a cold front passes. Assuming the front passes in the afternoon, inland highs should be in the mid-60s, with the shore in the upper 50s. Both are 15 degrees above average for late February. Finally, moving to Friday, there is the potential for wintry weather. Its still too early for any details other than that this would likely be a snow-to-mix-to-rain event, if it materializes. Contact Joe Martucci: 609-272-7247 jmartucci@pressofac.com Twitter @acpressmartucci Local Weather Get the latest local weather, meteorologist Joe Martucci's 7-day forecasts, podcasts, and severe weather alerts. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A 24-year-old Davenport man has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug and weapons charges. Aaron James Wadden, was sentenced Thursday during a hearing in U.S. District Court, Davenport, before U.S. District Judge John Jarvey. Wadden was taken into custody by federal authorities on March 15, 2021, on charges of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Wadden pleaded guilty to the charges on Oct. 21. The case began in Scott County when at 6:44 a.m. Aug. 25, 2020, Wadden fled from Scott County Sheriffs deputies. Wadden was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban that had a fraudulent temporary license tag attached to the back window. Wadden eventually crashed the vehicle into a concrete block on 141st Street, according to arrest affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriffs deputies. Wadden was charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver more than 5 grams of methamphetamine, a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years. He also was charged with violating Iowas drug tax stamp law and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The firearm was a Hi-Point 9mm rifle with a loaded magazine. Each of those charges was dropped March 12, 2021, when federal authorities took over the case. It was the second time in about a three-year period that Wadden had fled from Scott Count Sheriffs deputies. At 9:17 p.m. on March 19, 2017, Wadden and another man fled from sheriffs deputies. Wadden eventually was charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and felony eluding, to which he had pleaded guilty. On June 13, 2017, Scott County Chief District Judge Marlita Greve sentenced him to 10 years in prison on the meth conviction, and a concurrent five-year prison term for the eluding conviction. Those sentences ran concurrent to a five-year prison sentence imposed on Wadden by Muscatine County District Court Judge Mark Cleve for convictions of third-degree burglary and second-degree theft. There is no parole in the federal system. Wadden will receive credit for time served in jail or federal custody awaiting trial. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Two Rock Island County correctional officers face felony battery charges after they allegedly punched and hit an incarcerated man on Jan. 30. Rock Island County State's Attorney Dora Villarreal said corrections officers Cameron Gerischer and Jacob Ward each was charged with one count of aggravated battery. The charge is a Class 3 felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of 2-5 years or a term on probation. Both Gerischer and Ward have been on administrative leave since Jan. 30. The men are accused of punching and striking an inmate repeatedly with their fists, resulting in bruising and abrasions. The incident occurred Jan. 30 among the two corrections officers and the inmate inside the Rock Island County Jail. The incident was immediately reported to the Sheriffs Department supervisors, and an internal investigation was opened. The two correctional officers involved were placed on administrative leave. Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos asked the city of Rock Island Police Department and the States Attorneys Office to conduct an independent criminal investigation, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office. The aggravated battery charges were filed Friday, and bond was set. Last year, two female Rock Island County corrections officers, Alondra Valtierra-Martinez, 25, and Mackenzie Martin, 24, were accused of battering an incarcerated woman on Jan. 29, 2021. Both women have since pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor charge of battery. Valtierra-Martinez was sentenced to one year on conditional discharged during a hearing Feb. 3 in Rock Island County Circuit Court, according to circuit court electronic records. Martin was sentenced to one years supervision during a sentencing hearing Jan. 11, according to circuit court electronic records. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Liz Boardman Follow Liz Boardman 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 former tenant is suing the owner of a Lisle apartment complex, alleging it bans people who have faced felony charges even if they were never convicted a practice his lawyers say amounts to racial discrimination. Robert Johnson, joined in the federal lawsuit by Wheaton-based HOPE Fair Housing Center, says he lived at Villages on Maple without incident for about 19 months when, in March, he sought to sign a lease on a smaller apartment. According to the complaint, the property manager ran a new background check and discovered that Johnson, who is Black, had been arrested for possession of a licensed gun in 2015, when he was a security guard. The case was dismissed a year later, the complaint says, but the property manager allegedly said it didnt matter: Johnson had 30 days to leave or his rent would be doubled. People of color get the short end of the stick most of the time, Johnson said in a statement. After Johnson brought his complaint to HOPE, the group sent testers to Villages on Maple and other suburban apartment complexes that share the same owner, the complaint says. In every case, according to the lawsuit, the testers were told theyd be denied if they had a felony charge on their record. Josefina Navar, HOPEs director of enforcement, said such alleged blanket policies violate federal housing law. Housing providers cant deny applicants based on arrest history, she said. An arrest really only shows someone has been suspected of doing something illegal. The Tribune sought comment from B&A Property Group, one of the corporate entities named in the lawsuit, but the company did not respond. Johnsons lawyers declined to make him available for an interview. Navar said landlords cant have a blanket ban even on people whove been convicted, but must do individual assessments that consider the nature and severity of the crime, the amount of time that has passed, the persons renting history and any evidence of rehabilitation. Navar said given the disparities in the criminal justice system, prohibiting people with arrest records from renting an apartment is tantamount to racial discrimination. According to the lawsuit, 4% of people who live in Lisle are Black, while 28% of those arrested in the village are Black. Enforcing a policy has a heavier burden on people of color, Navar said. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and attorneys fees. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Representatives of striking union workers at Eaton-Cobham Mission Systems in Davenport have presented a settlement offer to Eaton and are awaiting a reply. On Saturday, John Herrig, directing business representative for District 6 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said union negotiators met Friday afternoon with representatives of Eaton and presented a settlement offer. We are waiting for the companys response, Herrig said. More than 400 Eaton-Cobham union employees represented by IAMAW Local 388 and Machinist Union Local 1191 hit the picket line at 12:01 a.m. Friday after more than 98% of the membership voted down the proposed three-year contract from Eaton. The company is located at 2734 Hickory Grove Road. The five-year contract the union had with Cobahm expired at midnight. Eaton, a multinational power management company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, announced June 1, 2021, that it had completed its purchase of Cobham Mission Systems, described as a leading manufacturer of air-to-air refueling systems, environmental systems and actuation, primarily for defense markets. Cobham has a workforce of approximately 2,000 people and manufacturing facilities in the United States and United Kingdom. Eaton purchased Cobham for $2.83 billion, including $130 in tax benefits. According to the Quad-City Chamber of Commerce, the Eaton-Cobham plant employs 950 people, not all of whom are union members. Katie Kennedy, senior manager, communications and marketing communications for Aerospace Group, Eaton, said in an email interview Friday that Eaton and the union were very close to a deal at the time the Union chose to strike. "The parties reached tentative agreements to provide more vacation, greater scheduling certainty and flexibility, additional leave, and an agreement on retirement and health care plans," Kennedy said. "While the parties did not reach an agreement on wages, the parties were only marginally apart at the time the union went on strike," she added. "We are surprised and disappointed that some of our employees chose to strike, but we will continue to seek a resolution with the union," Kennedy said. "Meanwhile, we are confident we have the capability to continue serving our customers and our community." In a news release issued Saturday, Herrig said the union members voted to turn down the three-year contract offer and strike, "after management made a contract offer with sub-standard wages, reduced health care benefits and decreased 401(k) retirement matching contributions." The membership feels there were a substantial amount of takeaways and not enough gains to make up the difference, Herrig said. Nobodys in business to do worse. IAM Local 388 and IAM Local 1191 members are fighting for a contract that will make life better for themselves and their families," Herrig said in the news release. "The past two years have been tough during the pandemic, especially as essential manufacturing workers," he added. "All we are asking for is a fair share produced from the blood, sweat and tears of work that makes Eaton Mission Systems Division of Davenport successful. We hope that the company will hear our call for respect and dignity from the picket line. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 5 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHICAGO - Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker fully embraced his role in guiding the state through the coronavirus pandemic when he launched his reelection campaign in July, just a month after he had lifted nearly all restrictions as the vaccination effort gained steam and the state had fully reopened. Within weeks, though, he rolled out another mask mandate for schools as the state lost ground to the delta variant. Now, two adverse court opinions have stymied Pritzkers efforts to continue masking requirements at schools and renewed questions over the governors legal authority amid pandemic weariness and parent rebellion that has droned on for months. As a result of a lawsuit filed on behalf of parents, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow on Feb. 4 granted the request for a temporary restraining order on the governors executive orders on masking and quarantining for schools named in the court action, finding that the measures are beyond the governors authority and deprive students of due process. The Illinois attorney generals office quickly filed an appeal. Less than a week later, Pritzker laid out the states exit plan to lift the indoor mask mandate on Feb. 28, though he stipulated masks would still be required in schools until an unspecified date. While the state awaited an appellate ruling on Grischows decision to grant the temporary restraining order, the Illinois Department of Public Healths emergency rule that covered masking for schools expired Feb. 13. In an effort to continue to enforce masking in school districts not named in the lawsuit, the public health department reissued its rule Monday with minor tweaks, deleting some references to isolation and quarantine that were central to Grischows ruling. But when the rule came before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a bipartisan legislative oversight committee, three Democratic members joined their Republican counterparts to vote 9-0 to block the health departments rule. The Democrats explained their votes in large part by pointing to the appellate court ruling they anticipated in the coming days. Democratic state Rep. Mike Halpin of Rock Island said he voted 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. The anxiously awaited decision that came out of the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield late Thursday, however, did not change course from Grischows ruling. Instead, the court dismissed Pritzkers effort to keep statewide masking and other COVID-19 mitigation measures at schools in place. The appellate court based its decision on the fact that the legislative committee had blocked IDPHs attempt to renew the rules. None of the rules found by the (Sangamon County) circuit court to be null and void are currently in effect, the ruling said. Accordingly, for the following reasons, we dismiss defendants appeal because the expiration of the emergency rules renders this appeal moot. On Friday, after the appellate court ruling was announced, Halpin, who is running for a state Senate seat in the upcoming election, declined to comment on the decision. Hurley, who also voted with Republicans, could not be reached for comment. Tarver said he hadnt yet read the appellate court ruling in its entirety but voted to halt the IDPH rule because he felt it was only right to respect coequal branches of government and not let an agency enforce a rule that, at the time, was being decided on by the appellate court. I dont vote with, I vote for, and I voted for what I thought was right, Tarver said. My vote had nothing to do with the arguments (from Republicans). Until now, Pritzker has seen his emergency orders throughout the pandemic upheld by the courts and the appellate courts action did not address the legality of the governors use of emergency powers. But that hasnt stopped Republicans from accusing Pritzker of seeking to usurp the rights of parents and local school boards. Last weeks action isnt the first time the administrative rules committee has pushed back on the governors plans. In May 2020, when the initial surge of COVID-19 was subsiding in Illinois, Pritzker backed down from a proposal that could have led to businesses facing criminal misdemeanor charges for opening in violation of his stay-at-home order after some Democrats on the legislative panel joined Republicans in raising concerns. Later that summer, Pritzker issued a rule that allowed businesses to be fined for violating mask requirements, which was allowed to go into effect. Last fall, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules instructed the Illinois State Board of Education to draft rules detailing the sanctions schools could face for violating the mask mandate and other coronavirus protocols after the board began revoking the recognition status of private schools that didnt comply. The board of education returned the following month with guidelines stipulating the revocation process and how schools can appeal such changes, which went into effect without an objection from the committee. Pritzker plans to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review the appellate courts decision. While Chicago Public Schools plans to continue enforcing its mask mandate, about 700 Illinois districts have pivoted to mask-optional policies. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 If you think youre in Kansas, you might want to check your GPS. You could be in Iowa. A bill moving in the Iowa Senate would cut income taxes drastically and set up complete elimination of the tax. Kansas tried this several years ago, testing the idea being pushed now in Iowa, that massive income tax cuts were a prescription for prosperity and population growth. It was a miserable failure. Kansas tax-cutters welcomed outsiders from ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) who promised an "immediate and lasting boost" to the economy. The Kansas governor claimed they would "create tens of thousands of jobs and will make our state the best place in America to start and grow a small business." Sound familiar? Kansas took the leap and enacted major cuts to income taxes in 2012 and 2013, on their way, they claimed, to complete elimination of the tax. Four years of experience exposed the dramatic failure, and Kansas reversed course in 2017, restoring revenues and services, and in 2018 elected new leadership. Instead of boosting the Kansas economy, the tax cuts inflicted harm. Before the cuts, Kansas actually grew faster than the nation. But for the three years after the tax cuts took effect Kansas lagged most other states in the region, and in the country as a whole, in terms of job growth, GDP growth, and new business formation. Besides the economic damage, the experiment created a state budget disaster. Just to bring the budget somewhat back in balance, Kansas borrowed from the future. The state used up reserves, postponed infrastructure projects, and missed pension contributions. And families saw the impacts firsthand: Schools closed weeks early when state funding ran out. If we learn from Kansas failed experiment, we wont listen to the revisionism now peddled by tax-cut zealots: that Kansas problem was failing to cut services sufficiently. Its nonsense. Further spending cuts would have put an even bigger dent in the economy, as recipients of government contracts would have been forced to retrench and laid-off workers would have spent less in the local economy. Business lobbyists in Iowa should be paying attention. Instead, theyre signing on to the Senate bill and other big tax-cut bills in the House and from Iowas governor. One irony is that the Kansas cuts arguably have been partly responsible for the worker shortage that followed. From 2013 to 2015, Kansas experienced a net outmigration of about 9,000 people; so much for the notion that people would flock to Kansas after the tax cuts. Again, sound familiar? Yet, the tax-cut proponents appear to believe that somehow Iowa can do the same thing as Kansas and expect a different result: We just need more drastic cuts to the services that workers and businesses depend on. Massive income tax cuts that some are pushing would seriously damage our public schools. Such cuts would force tuition up drastically at community colleges and regents institutions. Longer delays for those seeking justice in a reduced court system, children suffering with ever-higher caseloads for family services the list goes on. Lets not condemn ourselves to repeating Kansas history lesson. Peter Fisher is professor emeritus of urban and regional planning at the University of Iowa. He is research director of Common Good Iowa, a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy research and advocacy organization in Des Moines and Iowa City. Contact: pfisher@commongoodiowa.org. Love 3 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3 Flash A total of five people were killed and 15 others injured as a result of a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia against Yemen's oil-rich province of Shabwa on Saturday, a security official said. "The Houthi-fired ballistic missile landed on a mosque in Jardan district of Shabwa, causing a huge explosion in the area controlled by the government forces," the local security source said on condition of anonymity. The mosque was partially destroyed by the attack, according to the official. "The attack occurred when scores of newly-recruited pro-government soldiers were gathering to perform Maghrib prayers inside the mosque in Jardan," he said. The mosque belongs to the pro-government forces stationed near a large oil field in Shabwa province, the official noted. In January, a large-scale military operation was carried out by the southern Giants Brigades against the Houthis in Shabwa. The military campaign allowed the pro-government forces to fully capture the oil-rich province after days of intense battles. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014. Theres no doubt about it: Quad-City schoolkids were hit hard by the pandemic. Over the last two years, classrooms were closed and kids had to learn online; even the return to class has been anything but normal. We know theyve gone through a lot, and the challenges that continue to face them are significant. In a report card released late last year, the Illinois State Board of Education detailed steep drops in math and English language arts performance for the 2020-21 school year, along with declines in enrollment and the chances for a timely graduation. Similarly, Iowa Department of Education figures showed a negative impact on enrollment and academic performance. Its pretty clear that everywhere, including the Quad-Cities, extra steps need to be taken to help school children deal with the pandemics fallout. So its good to see United Way Quad-Cities working with our area school districts to launch the Read United QC initiative. The effort will recruit 500 volunteer readers who will be trained and then matched with 500 pre-K-3rd grade kids to read one-on-one. The majority of the kids selected for the program, according to the United Way, are struggling readers who face many barriers. About 180 people have signed up to be volunteer readers, the United Way said Friday. But more are needed. We encourage our readers to help out. Volunteers will need to pass a background check, complete a 60-minute training program and agree to read virtually or in-person for 30 minutes on the same day each week. We think this is a great way to connect people with public schools, especially at a time when they need our support more than ever. Our schools are increasingly becoming the focal point of political debate, when what they really need is public backing. It also is an opportunity to reconnect people in the community to schools after more than a year of disruption, when, according to local superintendents, school sites saw far less public engagement than normal. Most of all, though, this is a great opportunity to jumpstart reading for kids who need the help. According to the QC Data Exchange, which collects information from Quad-City area schools, the need is apparent. There has been a significant drop in the number of 3rd graders who are reported to be reading at grade level. African-American and Hispanic students fared worse than white students. Superintendents told us that not all the districts had the same results. But when we met with most of the areas superintendents and officials from the United Way almost two weeks ago, they made clear that each of our students deserve the support of all of us; that no district is set apart from the rest of the Quad-Cities; that we are all in this together. Even though we know that some districts are made up of families that are demographically different and have vastly different economic circumstances than others, we, too, believe that all matter and that the success of each is vital to the Quad-Cities success. We also know how important it is for kids to learn how to read early. Students who are proficient at an early age are far more likely to graduate. And the payoff to society from early education is immense, too. Early education programs return nearly $9 for every $1 spent. The United Way also points to a one-on-one reading program it runs that led to improved reading performance among students who participated. We hope Quad-Citians will enthusiastically support this effort and volunteer. Even before the pandemic, the need to improve early literacy efforts was apparent. It is more vital now. We know the federal government has devoted significant resources to try to help schools deal with the fallout from the pandemic, and we have high hopes these funds will go a long way toward helping students who need it. Read United QC is a way that individual Quad-Citians can pitch in to help. Superintendents we talked to said it would complement their efforts. Were told this initiative will continue even when this school year ends, and students will be assessed both before and after their sessions end. We are eager to see the results. And we know that Quad-Citians, once they get the chance, will be eager to help. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stevensville Police Departments five full-time officers, including a school resource officer, want to get to know the community and are having a community chili cook-off on March 12, with a competition entry deadline of March 9. Chief Macario Mac Sosa said the chili cook-off is a fundraising event to help provide the necessities for a larger staff with items like uniforms and body armor. To offset costs, were trying to take it upon ourselves instead of asking the town and council for additional funds, Sosa said. Sosa joined the Stevensville Police Department, was selected as chief and built the department. Officers night patrolman Nicholas Tirello and SRO Todd Schafer joined the PD in November and Colten Wortman and Heather Tirello joined last week. Its a brand-new department, Sosa said. After 20 years with the Houston Police Department and with family living in the area, he and his wife Pam who works in the Town Hall were motivated to move to Stevensville. We have grandkids, it is beautiful scenery, and it is a quiet town, he said. Im hoping were having a positive impact so far, thats what we are moving towards. The goal for positive community interactions began with Shopping with the Cops in December, with an opportunity for over a dozen students to get a ride in a police car for a shopping excursion. One sponsor covered the shopping event. In addition to that, we had more donations and had an additional four to six kids [receive gift certificates], Sosa said. He said having time to interact well with the community is important. Having a school resource officer at the school is having a positive impact as far as being there to mentor the kids and making sure they are safe, Sosa said. The newest officers include the Stevensville Police Departments first couple officers Heather and Nicholas Tirello who moved here from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they worked together. We did great there and are doing great here, Heather Tirello said. It is fun working together. She began her law enforcement career at the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office as a detention officer with certification in crises intervention training (CIT) inside a direct supervision detention facility with an average of 2,000 inmates. She was promoted to jail training officer (JTO) where she supervised new cadets on policy, procedures and safety of officers and inmates inside housing units of over 100 inmates. She graduated with a Master of Strategic Communications from Oklahoma State University and traveled to London and studied Public Relations and Current Affairs at Regents University. There she began her research for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury in the military. She wrote a thesis and made a documentary called Life After Deployment which follows four different families from the Army, Marines and Navy. Last June, she moved to Stevensville and in her free time she hikes, paints, attends church and spends quality time with her family. Hometown officer Colten Wortman was born and raised in Stevensville, graduated from Stevensville High School in 2014 then enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Security Forces member to travel the world. Wortman said he was stationed in Great Falls to guard nuclear weapons. I spent five and a half years there and just wanted a change of pace, Wortman said. Guarding nuclear weapons is very black and white, cut and dry. I got out and came back to my hometown because I love my hometown, I love small-town living. I decided to plant roots here. He bounced around from job to job searching for something that had meaning and purpose. I applied for the police department in July and now here I am, Wortman said. I will have to go to the [13-week long] police academy in Helena. Stevensville is growing fast and it is nice to see we have a growing department with the growing populace of Stevensville. In his spare time, Wortman enjoys fishing, time at the river, working on cars, trap shooting and working on computers. Sosa said the Stevensville Police Department has a good working relationship with Ravalli County Sheriff Department and the County Attorneys Office. Police Clerk Kristin Kruse is organizing the chili cook-off fundraiser. Our new chief, Mac Sosa, has been working towards having a fully staffed department, which he has accomplished, she said. We are fundraising because it is incredibly expensive to outfit an officer and those funds just simply were not in the budget. We are also in need of a used vehicle. Kruse is putting her background in event planning to good use. I have been using my skills to help this little police department get more exposure in the community, along with doing what I can to help them be successful and do their jobs, Kruse said. To enter the chili cook-off competition, complete an entry form available at the Police Department and the Town Hall and pay the $25 entry fee by Wednesday, March 9. As she receives entries, Kruse will contact each person directly and email the official rules to them. Prizes for the competition are $200 for first place, $100 for second and $50 for third. The chili cook-off is at 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, at the St. Marys Family Center. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 and include chili, a side and a soft drink. Super 1 Foods is sponsoring all additional food for the event. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. There will be live music between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Raffle prizes include tools, massage certificates, meals at local restaurants, oil changes, artwork and an overnight stay at the Marriott in Missoula. I'm still collecting donations and the response has been very generous, Kruse said. In addition to the chili fundraiser Sosa hopes to participate in the National Night out in October. That would be where we would go out to the park, cook hamburgers and hotdogs, interact with the citizens and get them to interact with each other, Sosa said. Furthering his goal of getting to know the community the Stevensville Police Department serves. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Title: First mortgage and home equity process design consultant at Bank of America Born: December 1982 in Fort Benning, Ga. Education: bachelor of science in finance, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Career: bond processor, SunTrust Bank; mortgage broker, Virginia Mortgage Bankers; home mortgage consultant, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage; community lending officer and home equity process design consultant, Bank of America, May 2019-present Where in the metro area do you live?: Varina area of eastern Henrico County Best business decision: To enter into the mortgage business. Having the opportunity to learn about mortgage origination and hone my skills in all aspects of real estate changed my life. My experience in the mortgage business afforded me the opportunity to start and run a successful, multistate mobile notary business, equipped me with the knowledge and skills to educate people about the mortgage and real estate process, and ultimately positioned me to help minority and modest-income families realize their dreams of homeownership as they sought to lay the foundation for generational wealth. Worst business decision: My worst business decision was not dreaming big enough along the way. Sometimes it can be hard to see past where you are. Spending substantive time on what the possibilities could be even if they seem unattainable gives you a bigger goal, with bigger purpose to strive for faster. Mistake you learned the most from: I have learned from everything I have experienced. I had my first child at 16 years old and some would call that a mistake, but I call it one of the most wonderful, rewarding experiences of my life that set my life to purpose very early on. What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in the next two to five years: My biggest challenge is the same as most I think to remain focused. In this world full of distractions, it is easy to take your eye off of your goals. In doing so, you can lose your path. Being that very few paths are straight lines, we cant afford to look away for too long. First job after college: mortgage broker If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently: I cant say Id do too much differently because I would have never scripted my story as it has played out so far and it has been quite the ride. I met my husband when I was 15, and we have been together ever since. I couldnt imagine my life without him and my children. Id choose to do it all the same with them again. I would just move faster with my decisions. I am a thinker, so many times I can overthink decisions before taking action and that can slow me down. As I have gotten older, I have realized that if you study too long, you often study wrong, so I am making better decisions faster these days. Movie or book that inspired you the most, and why?: The Lion King is a simple, inspiring story about happiness, sadness, deception, love, perseverance, self-doubt and achievement. In many ways, it mirrors life. You never know what life has in store for you or who may mean you harm. Do your best to be the best version of yourself and keep your light shining as bright as you can, as often as you can. Similarly, Forrest Gump teaches us that life is like a box of chocolates; you truly never know what you are going to get. Not all of the pieces are enjoyable. The ability to experience each piece not knowing whats next is all part of lifes exciting journey. The pandemic has introduced a discomfiting element of gambling to travel planning. But you can reduce the odds of losing money when your trip is canceled or delayed by buying travel insurance. The limitations of standard travel insurance have expanded the appeal of a previously obscure upgrade to standard travel insurance known as cancel for any reason policies. This option, while significantly more expensive, is more likely to cover the sort of cancellations that COVID-19 has made commonplace. Megan Moncrief, chief marketing officer for travel insurance aggregator Squaremouth, said CFAR has become the go-to plan for more travelers. Traditional travel insurance, she explains, doesnt cover the majority of pandemic-related claims. And a recent review by Squaremouth found that only 30% of pandemic-related claims were made by people who canceled their trips because they actually contracted COVID. That is the only type of pandemic claim that would be covered by most standard travel insurance policies. The remaining 70% of claims were for related reasons, including border closures and quarantines, but those were excluded from non-CFAR policies. A travel insurance plan from TravelEx for a $12,000, nine-day, two-person trip to Canada, Italy or France in June costs $522, including COVID cancellation protection and trip-interruption protection. CFAR travel insurance for a similar trip from the same insurance provider would cost $730. CFAR insurance now makes up about 8% of sales, but thats down from 28% at its peak in 2020, Moncrief said. Travel insurance policies with a CFAR add-on typically must be purchased within two to three weeks of the first payment toward the covered trip, according to Squaremouth. But certain policies that cover only cruises offer CFAR at any time before a final payment is made for a trip. Insurers now demand that policyholders first seek reimbursement from the travel service provider, such as the airline or cruise company, before filing an insurance claim. Sometimes, Moncrief says, an airline might want to give credit rather than reimbursement. She says insurers will encourage travelers to push for reimbursement before considering whether to provide coverage for such an event. Insurers have made a number of adjustments in response to the pandemic. At the beginning, Moncrief says, travel policies didnt cover medical care for pandemic illnesses. But that quickly changed. It is insane that the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution still hasnt been ratified nearly a century after it was first proposed, one of the nations leading voices for womens rights said at The Richmond Forum on Saturday night. The Constitution was written by guys for guys white guys, said Gloria Steinem, an author, journalist and political activist for womens rights. There has always been a necessity of making it inclusive, as it is supposed to be. Otherwise, it is not a democracy. We are still fighting this battle, including in this state, which is absolutely crucial to the Equal Rights Amendment, Steinem said. An estimated 2,100 subscribers attended The Richmond Forum in-person at the Altria Theater and an additional 1,000 household subscribers watched the program via livestream. The Equal Rights Amendment, which states that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex, was first proposed in Congress in 1923 but did not pass both houses of Congress until 1972. In 2020, Virginia, under Democratic control of both the House and Senate, became the 38th state to ratify the amendment, thus reaching the required three-fourths of states to approve it. But that came well past a 1982 deadline set by Congress. On Friday, Virginia formally withdrew from a federal lawsuit that seeks to certify the Equal Rights Amendment into the U.S. Constitution. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares office pointed to legal opinions arguing that Virginias ratification had come too late, rendering it null. Steinem, who has been a leader in the feminist movement since the 1960s, joked that every airport should have a billboard greeting international visitors with the message: Welcome to the only democracy in the world that doesnt include women in the Constitution. An Equal Rights Amendment is crucial and it affects a lot of different things, Steinem said. It affects insurance rates and how we vote in state legislatures. There are a lot of arcane reasons why this has happened [the failure of the amendment so far], but there are overwhelming sensible reasons why it should happen. It just is insane that we are the only democracy in the world that doesnt assume that people are citizens regardless of gender, she said. Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine in 1972 and is the author of several best-selling books. She helped found the Womens Action Alliance and the National Womens Political Caucus. She was interviewed on Saturday night by Zainab Salbi, an author, journalist and founder of Women for Women International, a grassroots humanitarian and development organization. A longtime activist for reproductive rights, Steinem said she is both worried and not worried about erosion of abortion rights in the U.S. I remember some years ago being in the Kalahari Desert with women who lived hundreds of miles from anything we would consider a town or city, and they were showing me the herbs they used as abortifacients [that induces abortion] and also to increase fertility, she said. I think this knowledge has always been there, whether with the earliest citizens of this continent or any other continent. She added, I dont think we can have democracy without men and women who control our own individual physical selves. I think controlling womens bodies is a first inkling of authoritarianism. At age 87, Steinem said believes she has remained in good health because I have been able to do what I love, and that is very healthy. Steinem said that as the U.S. becomes more diverse, younger generations have a better understanding now than in the past that race, gender and class are not overwhelming determinants, but there is an understanding that a diversity of views matters. I think there is a greater understanding that, at a very practical level, if we are sitting with a group that is somewhere discussing or making decisions, it should look like the group that the decisions will affect, she said. That is not rocket science. Public schools would get big boosts in the state budgets the General Assembly money committees approved on Sunday, from restoring state funding for school support employees to a proposed loan-rebate program to generate up to $2 billion to replace or modernize obsolete public school buildings. But the House Appropriations and the Senate Finance and Appropriations committees went in different directions on pay raises for teachers and other public employees, for whom then-Gov. Ralph Northam proposed 5% raises in each year of the two-year budget he proposed in December before leaving office. The House proposed to split the proposed increase between 4% raises and 1% bonuses in each year, while the Senate kept the 5% raises and added a $1,000 bonus for teachers and other school workers, state employees and state-supported local employees, effective June 1. They shouldnt take credit for reducing a salary increase for our hard-working state employees and teachers from what Northam proposed, said Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, after the Senate committee unanimously adopted budgets for this year and the next two years. Despite record increases in revenues, the budgets adopted by the two committees are hard to compare because the House is operating with almost $3 billion less. That is because it approved certain tax cuts proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that the Senate did not during the first half of the General Assembly session. Tax cuts The biggest differences in revenues come from the Senates decisions to defer action for a year on Youngkins proposal to double the standard deduction for state income tax filers at a cost of $2.1 billion, protect the 1% local option sales tax on groceries and reject a 5-cent-per-gallon cut in the gasoline tax over 12 months. The Senate has approved a $1.2 billion one-time tax refund which would send $300 back to individual filers and $600 back to joint filers most of it already included in Northams proposed budget. The Senate also backs eliminating 1.5% of the grocery tax, leaving untouched the 1% local portion. It proposes to use state funds to replace money from the sales tax that would be distributed to school divisions, but will not replace $190 million in lost transportation funds. However, the Senate budget includes $190 million to widen 9 miles of Interstate 64 from New Kent County to James City County. The House budget includes $30 million to widen the interstate, using money diverted from a proposal Northam made to greatly expand Virginias trail system. The Senate also expanded Northams proposal to make a portion of the earned income tax credit refundable to low-income families, a proposal the House rejected in the budget and in separate legislation. After the House and Senate vote on the proposed budgets on Thursday, a conference committee will negotiate the differences, with Youngkin waiting in the wings with likely amendments. With an eye toward those negotiations, the House proposed to deposit $150 million in a taxpayer relief fund created three years ago and then abandoned after Democrats took control of the assembly in 2020. The relief fund also could hold revenues while the legislature studies changes in tax policy. Im really adamant about having all of these tax cuts and tax credits studied so we can figure out their long-term implications, said Senate Finance Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, who has proposed to create a joint subcommittee to study comprehensive changes to state and local government tax policy. Youngkin praised the House budget in a statement on Sunday and said, While it does not include nearly enough tax relief, the Senate budget proposal also includes common sense, bipartisan priorities on which we can find common ground. I know Senator Howell and Senate Leadership are eager to work in good faith on these and other important priorities, he said. Despite the major differences outlined [Sunday], theres a clear path forward. As a result of the gap in available revenues, the House and Senate budget proposals differ more in scale than in purpose. K-12 education Both make K-12 public education their top priorities, including restoring state funding of some school support positions that the General Assembly had capped in the Standards of Quality in 2010 because of big revenue losses during the Great Recession. The House included $170 million over two years to help school divisions pay for principals, assistant principals and reading specialists. The Senate proposed $272 million to increase state funding of school support positions in what Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, called a step toward eliminating the funding cap. This will be the largest education budget ever, said House Appropriations Chair Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, before the committee unanimously adopted a pair of revised budgets. School buildings The biggest surprise in the House budget is a proposal to use a combination of more than $500 million in state tax funds and money from the Literary Fund to establish a loan-rebate program that would leverage up to $2 billion in bonds to help localities replace or modernize school buildings. Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, chair of the elementary and secondary school subcommittee and chair of the House Education Committee said a tour of dilapidated school buildings across Virginia made a convincing case for the state to intervene in what has historically been a local government responsibility. These schools, among far too many others, faced horrible conditions that our children do not deserve, said Davis, citing leaking roofs; failing heating, cooling and ventilation systems; and deteriorating pipes. This is a health and safety matter, and is unacceptable. The Senate budget endorses Northams proposal of $500 million in state general funds, but Knight said the House committee fashioned a solution that would use about $292 million in general tax funds and $250 million from the Literary Fund. The money would leverage the issuance of bonds for two tiers of public school buildings, based on local ability to pay. In the long term, a portion of proceeds from four and potentially five casinos would go into the fund. I take the approach that schools need to be replaced, but it is not a state function, he said in an interview. It has never been a state function. I didnt want to set a precedent. During this session, the House killed most proposals to address the issue, including sales tax increases subject to local referendums, but approved a bill proposed by Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Washington County, to create a school construction fund that Knight wants to use to launch the loan-rebate program. The Senate has approved five bills to help localities with school construction and modernization, including creation of a school construction fund. The others would allow localities to impose a 1% sales tax with voter approval, expand availability of low-cost loans from the Literary Fund, assess the condition of school buildings, and use unspent budget funds to address those needs. Retirement plans Both committees took steps to lower long-term liabilities in teacher and state employee retirement plans, but the Senate went further by proposing to deposit $1 billion into the Virginia Retirement System, which Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, estimated would save state and local governments $1.7 billion over the coming years. Northam had proposed $924 million for VRS. The House budget would deposit $500 million to raise the funded status of the teacher and state employee plans. The House version of the budget also includes almost $197 million in targeted pay increases for law enforcement officers state police, correctional officers, deputy sheriffs, regional jail officers, and probation and parole officers but no additional money for local police officers through so-called 599 funds for localities with police departments. The Senate proposed $50 million for local police departments over three years, in addition to $223 million in targeted compensation for law enforcement. It also proposed $5.6 million over two years to boost compensation of Capitol Police and staff at the Division of Legislative Services. The House budget also includes almost $164 million to raise pay for employees in state behavioral health facilities and community services boards (including the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority). The Senate budget would provide $80 million in the second year for direct care staff in state hospitals, on top of $68 million in federal aid in the first year. Colleges The budgets take different approaches to funding higher education, with the House proposing $240 million to keep tuition from increasing by more than 3% at public colleges and universities, while the Senate focused on expanded financial aid. Both budgets would make big deposits in the rainy day fund, using at least $500 million of the $1.25 billion in additional revenues that Youngkin made available on Friday. The additional deposit would swell Virginias combined financial reserves to $4.4 billion by mid-2024. The budgets also would bolster the Virginia Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund $180 million in the House version and $110 million in the Senate, on top of the $862 million that Northam and the General Assembly provided last year from federal aid in the American Rescue Plan Act. Keeping [payroll] taxes low is good for businesses and good for our economy, Knight said. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy BLACKSBURG Card Isles decision to partner with florists and gift shops looked like a logical choice. As customers bought flowers and gifts for their loved ones, why not include a card with the items? And why not save time by designing and ordering the card online? Now, the Blacksburg-based company is moving its technology into another space where greeting cards are a common and often complementary staple: grocery stores. Card Isle announced earlier this month its partnership with OPIE, a Mount Pleasant, South Carolina-based drive-through grocery startup. The partnership will give OPIE customers the ability to choose and personalize one of Card Isles many greeting cards and have the item added to their drive-through grocery order. We are excited to add OPIE, a drive-through grocery store, to our stable of customers, said Card Isle co-founder and CEO Adam Donato. The partnership is the perfect blend two technology companies, disrupting and transforming their industries. Tyler Sones, co-founder of OPIE Grocery Stations, spoke on the practicality of pairing the concepts. We often need a greeting card in a rush, on the way to a birthday or running behind to a party, Sones said. Were excited to partner with Card Isle to offer customers the convenience of personalized greeting cards in minutes. Founded by a trio of Virginia Tech engineering students about a decade ago, Card Isle started out with a network of strategically placed kiosks that customers used to design and print their own cards. The company touted the early platform as a way to more conveniently sell greeting cards. The other key feature of the business is giving buyers the option to personalize their cards by letting them choose from a gallery of independent artwork and print their own messages a core aspect of the companys model that remains in place today. Thats the beauty of the Card Isle approach, Card Isle co-founder David Henry said. We offer a whole bunch of digital designs that can be personalized however the customer wants and those cards are printed on demand, on location. The company eventually began phasing out the kiosks, with the founders pointing to challenges with logistics and hardware costs as among the reasons for the shift. Card Isle turned to the local area for its next step and began providing its primary service at Gates Flowers & Gifts in Christiansburg. That activity then led the company to collaborate with 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Inc., which takes orders placed on its online platform and partners with florists to provide the greeting cards. Card Isle now works with more than 400 retailers in the floral and gift shop space, Henry said. What weve learned, listening to customers, is the core of what we were doing at the kiosks was really valuable, Henry said. What weve done now is offer that experience through retailers websites and supporting the process of printing those cards on demand at that location. But its more integrated at that retailers infrastructure. It has let us scale very rapidly over the last 24 months. Although he said he cant reveal names just yet, Henry said Card Isle is under contract with approximately 30 other grocery stores to provide a service similar to the one with OPIE. The team is also in final contract review with an additional 70 to 150 grocery stores that we could be activating over the next couple months, Henry said. Well emerge as the solution for grocery stores, bridging physical greeting cards into their e-commerce environment. As far as OPIE, the business works by allowing customers to either place their order at the drive-through itself or online. The company touts its ability to provide groceries in minutes and the fact that it requires no fees or order minimums. Card Isles products were among the offerings that recently received home page promotion on OPIEs website. Henry said the partnership also comes at an opportune time as the pandemic has led to an increased adoption of online grocery ordering. He said many shoppers have enjoyed the convenience of curbside pickup offerings. What I think is cool is we stay true to the spirit of customer discovery, Henry said. Through listening to customer feedback, weve continued to evolve and adapt to a rapidly changing landscape of needs in the retail space. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Not a ballet fan? Gulya Hartwick wants you to know that the Russian Ballet Theatres production of Swan Lake is designed to appeal not only to enthusiasts, but to those who might normally fall asleep after 10 minutes. We added jesters, more entertaining elements, said co-producer Hartwick, in a phone interview while traveling to the next show, in Utica, N.Y. We added a prologue to tell the audience why the evil sorcerer became so evil, why the princess was turned into a swan. We also made sure the sets are vivid and bright. There are over 150 costumes. The flock of 48 dancers, plus crew, alights on Jefferson Centers Shaftman Performance Hall stage Feb. 25 with a production, they say, that lovingly retouches the oldest St. Petersburg version of the ballet. The romance of Swan Lake taps the deepest wellsprings of the human heart. Will I marry the right person? How will I recognize him or her? And what if I make the wrong choice? The beautiful Princess Odette walks along a lake. She meets a mysterious and frightening stranger who asks for her hand and heart. This is the sorcerer, Rothbart. When she refuses, he turns Odette into a white swan. The spell can only be broken if the right man falls in love with her. In a park near the castle, young Prince Siegfried dances with girls who vie for his attention. His mother presents him with a crossbow, a symbol of mature masculinity. The swan queen, Odette, explains that they are the victims of the sorcerer, Rothbart, and only at night, near Swan Lake, can they return to human form. Moved by her beauty and sad story, Siegfried falls in love. But Rothbart is watching. At the castle, a ball is held to celebrate Siegfrieds birthday. His mother demands that he choose a bride. A stranger, Rothbart, appears with his daughter, Odile, who strongly resembles Odette. Convinced that Odile and Odette are the same person, Siegfried promises to marry her. Only when he sees a swan beating her wings against a window the real Odette does the prince realize his fatal mistake. Swan Lake was first produced in Moscow in 1877 with music by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky. But most modern versions, including this one, derive from a revival staged in 1895 in the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. Czar Nicholas II, a ballet fan, had Swan Lake presented at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1903. The legendary Anna Pavlova danced for the doomed Czar, his empress and their bejewelled courtiers. Within a few years, war and revolution destroyed Imperial Russia. But Russian ballet continued. Russian Ballet Theatre formed in 2015. Hartwick said the dancers and crew members hail from 10 countries. The three leads, Olga Kifyak (Odette/Odile), Evgeny Svetlitsa (Prince) and Vasili Bogdan (Rothbart) all trained in Ukraine, according to the companys website. Upcoming performances are mainly in smaller and mid-sized cities in the United States. Music is prerecorded. So far, Swan Lake has been RBTs only production, although a Nutcracker is in the works. Were following a hundred-year-old tradition, Hartwick said. Our sets were made just the way they were made a hundred years ago, hand-painted. But also we invited a special effects professional, Irina Strukova, to create headpieces for our cast, and her background is in movie production. Choreographer Nadezhda Kalinina worked from the oldest St. Petersburg version of the ballet, created by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa. The historical importance of the St. Petersburg premiere is so profound that all of Russian ballet until then can be considered preparation for the Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Petipa, Ivanov, Sergei Korobkov wrote in The Secret of Swan Lakes Magic, for Ballet in Russia magazine. Ivanov created the space of the soul on the shores of the dark bewitched waters. Petipa created a space for true cosmic subjects, where the boundaries are life and death, good and evil, love and faithlessness, faith and doubt, fate and destiny Swan Lake, presented on January 15, 1895, was the starry hour of Russian ballet and represents its classical triumph. It became the model for the black and white contrasts, which each era re-works on its own terms. In the original 1877 production, the lovers drown. The Russian Ballet Theatres version, like most modern re-workings, rewards audience members with a happy ending. Its only fair to the prince, because he made a mistake, and we the audience want to give people a second chance, Hartwick said. And especially now, we all need positive emotions. We want to ensure that our audience walks out of the theater with a smile on their faces. This past year, with Hokie BugFest being held virtually for the second year in a row, Hokie BugFest on the Go was created to provide an in-person entomology experience to area schoolchildren. Students were introduced to the science of entomology, where they learned about insect and arthropod biology, the importance of insects to humans and the environment, and potential careers in entomology. The program consisted of a traveling field trip where live arthropods were brought into the classroom for a one-hour, hands-on, interactive session. Hokie BugFest on the Go visited 11 local schools in Floyd and Montgomery counties, 45 classes, and more than 750 students and 60 teachers or administrators. The experience for the local schoolchildren was made possible through funds donated to the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during Virginia Techs 2021 Giving Day. It was really gratifying and fun to be able to interact with the kids, said Daniel Frank, director of Pesticide Programs in the Department of Entomology. They were very thoughtful and inquisitive, and I was impressed with how much interest they showed. At Floyd Elementary School, students hadnt been on a field trip since early spring 2020. The kids were extremely excited to have this opportunity, said Anne Esterhuizen, a fourth grade teacher at the school. Getting to see all of the insects in person was a huge game-changer for these kids. Getting to see other adults from the real world with jobs that they may not have ever heard of before really helped to broaden their ideas about what careers are out there. Hokie BugFest on the Go started with a brief introduction to the world of entomology before the children rotated through stations for a close-up look at live specimens. A hissing cockroach, a favorite of the kids, gets gently passed to another student. I remember one child in particular, who despite his reservations, wanted to hold a hissing cockroach so badly, said Stephanie Blevins-Wycoff, a Virginia Cooperative Extension associate who works with pesticide safety education. I assured him the cockroach would not hurt him as he reached out his hands. The look on his face was priceless as he felt the insect moving around in the palm of his hands, but he remained calm, and even became more comfortable with the cockroach as time went on. Holding the insects was popular among the kids, with 9-year-olds Riley and William saying it was their favorite part of the experience. One of the arthropods at the event was a scorpion that glowed when under ultraviolet light which was Rileys favorite by far. Williams favorite insects were a little blue beetle and a tarantula because of how active they were. The students still talk about BugFest, Esterhuizen said. It was such an incredible experience that had an enormous impact on them. We are so grateful for it. - Submitted by Zeke Barlow, Virginia Tech China-built roads benefit local residents, boost economy in Kyrgyzstan, says official Xinhua) 16:42, February 20, 2022 Cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and China in the past three decades has seen a lot of achievements in various sectors, including road infrastructure, a Kyrgyz official has said. Ulan Uezbaev, deputy director of the department of transport and road infrastructure development of the Bishkek mayor's office, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that China has supported Kyrgyzstan in building and improving the country's road and transport networks. Uezbaev recalled the first joint project in the capital city in 2001, when China helped Kyrgyzstan reconstruct the central street of Bishkek, Baitik Batyr. "For 30 years, tremendous work has been carried out to improve the road infrastructure throughout the country," he said. The improvement of the traffic network in the capital has helped boost the entire economy of the country, Uezbaev said. "By developing the road infrastructure, it turns out that we are also developing the economy not only of the capital, but also of the entire country," he said. "As the city is developing and the population is getting larger, the infrastructure needs to be expanded." Uezbaev said the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has undertaken many road projects since 2001, praising the company for its professionalism in its field. For more than 20 years, this company has been building major road projects in Kyrgyzstan. Now it is engaged in projects not only of roads, but also communication systems and water supply, he said. "In addition, during the implementation of projects, the company hired citizens of Kyrgyzstan, who learned a lot. I hope that our cooperation will continue," he added. The CRBC's performance has also been welcomed by local residents in the capital. Ilya, a resident who only gave his first name, told Xinhua that the infrastructure has become better, as there are new sidewalks, road markings and fewer traffic jams. "Many thanks to the company that improved the city for us. The most important thing is that they continue to build not only in Bishkek, but throughout Kyrgyzstan," he said. Another resident, 63-year-old Nurbubu Kenzhebekova, also complimented the CRBC on its the work in the capital, mentioning that the progress of the roads has improved her living conditions. "The Chinese company reconstructed the roads. The roads were done well, and the sidewalks were made. We're happy. Everything has been done with high quality," she said. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Flash The German government on Saturday urged its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, while Lufthansa plans to partially suspend flights to and from Ukraine from Monday. "A military conflict is possible at any time... Leave the country in good time," The German Federal Foreign Office said in its security instructions on its official website. Meanwhile, Lufthansa, the flag carrier and largest airline of Germany, announced that it will suspend its regular flights to Kiev and Odessa until the end of February. Certain flights will still operate Saturday and Sunday, in order to offer travel options to those who have already booked. Those affected by the cancellations will be informed and rebooked on alternative flights, the company added. However, Lufthansa said that flights to Lviv in western Ukraine will continue on a regular basis. Today we have an interesting yarn that involves a World War II soldier from New Jersey, a burglary in Arizona, a purloined Purple Heart and a daughter who lives in Thaxton. Her name is Mary Anne Wilmouth, and shes 66. The long-missing military medal belonged to her late father, Gerald Thomas Ryan, of Hackettstown, New Jersey, who died of a heart attack in 1972. Many years previously, in 1943, Ryan enlisted in the U.S. Army as a 5-foot, 6-inch 17-year-old high schooler. According to his military separation papers, which Wilmouth shared with me, Ryan fought as an infantry rifleman in Normandy, in northern France, as well as in an industrial area of Central Europe known as the Rhineland. In April 1943, the U.S. Army inducted him in Newark, New Jersey, and he was assigned to Company A of the 315th Regiment, which was part of the 79th Division. His occupation was listed as STUDENT. Ryans military separation papers show him departing the United States for Europe on April 14, 1944, and arriving in Europe (probably Great Britain) on April 23. Wilmouth said she does not believe her father was part of the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944. If thats the case, its likely he landed in France after D-Day. On Jan. 15, 1945, the military records show, Ryan was wounded in action. Wilmouth said her father was shot in the leg. He was still in the Army the following May, when the Germans surrendered to the Allies. He shipped home for America Nov. 28 of that year and was back in New Jersey on Dec. 10, 1945. The Army granted him an honorable discharge Dec. 14, 1945. And the day after Christmas 1945, that discharge was recorded by the Clerk of Court in Warren County, New Jersey. His separation papers noted that among the medals, badges, ribbons and pins he earned, Ryan was awarded a Purple Heart. Wilmouth was unsure whether her dad had to return to high school to earn a diploma following his discharge, or whether the high school simply granted him one because he was a war hero. Either way, after the war, Ryan took a civilian job at the U.S. Militarys Picatinny Arsenal, near Hackettstown. And in 1950, he married a girl with whom hed grown up, Stella Shimanski. They had three children Wilmouth is the youngest. (Stella died in 2019.) He tested the big guns, Wilmouth told me. Ive seen pictures. The couple had three children. First was a boy, Thomas Ryan, then a girl her name is now Christine Hansler. Wilmouth is the youngest. She was 17 when her dad was hospitalized for a heart attack in 1972. He died after a few weeks in the hospital, Wilmouth said. At some point later in that decade, Wilmouth said, her brother, Thomas Ryan, moved to Arizona and took his dads Purple Heart with him. Some years later, Wilmouth recalled, the brother informed her that his house had been burglarized. And among the items stolen was the medal. Im thinking it was probably, maybe in the 80s, Mary Anne Wilmouth said. It was so long ago. By then, Wilmouth was a nurse who worked for the Red Cross on blood drives. Thats how she met her husband, Bill Wilmouth, a New Jersey civil servant. His fathers family hails from South Boston. The Wilmouths knew and loved Virginia from many years driving down here to visit Bill Wilmouths family, Mary Anne Wilmouth told me. So the couple decided to move to Bedford County in 2011. Christine Hansler, Mary Annes older sister, later moved to Thaxton, too. For the rest of this story, we need to flash forward to 2021, and the coronavirus, and a pandemic limerick contest sponsored by this newspaper. The character behind that was a friend of mine, Gary Hunt. He solicited the COVID-19 limericks, organized them into a book, published it and sold copies. It raised $1,100 for Kids Soar, a faith-based literacy program for disadvantaged youth operated by Trinity United Methodist Church in Roanokes Old Southwest neighborhood. Wilmouth heard about that effort from a friend at her church. And she was among the limerick authors published in Hunts COVID collection, titled: Laughing in the Face of the Virus: Limericks in the COVID age. Last year, Hunt sought to repeat that fundraising success, but on behalf of veterans. So he solicited veteran-related limericks from the same authors who had earlier sent him pandemic poetry. Wilmouth penned three. Taken together, they more or less tell a sad story about her dads service and the long lost Purple Heart. The first and third verses dont quite qualify as limericks, because they were longer than five lines and the rhyming scheme was a bit off. The second verse qualifies. Heres that: Its just a small little medal and ribbon Which our veterans when wounded are given How bravely they fought Our children need to be taught The Purple Heart and the meaning of Freedom. After Hunt read the verses, he called me and said, I think theres a story here. (His dad also served in the U.S. Army, in Germany, at the end of World War II, and Hunt was born there.) He put me in touch with Wilmouth, who told me most of the rest of the details above. Hunt also wondered: Could we help a World War II veterans daughter get a replacement Purple Heart for the one that disappeared in Arizona decades ago? The answer was, maybe. I reached out to the district office of Wilmouths congressman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell. Seth Bare, one of Goods assistants, answered the phone. I told him the story, and he seemed more than willing to help Wilmouth. She just needs to give us a call, Bare told me Friday. Wilmouth will have to fill out and sign a standard privacy waiver, something congressional offices often ask of constituents seeking help Well definitely see what we can do, if you will have her give us a call, Bare said. After Wilmouth signs the waiver, well assign it to a caseworker, Bare said. By the end of the day Friday, Wilmouth had contacted him. I also reached out to John Long, a historian with the National D-Day Memorial Foundation, to decipher the significance of the military medals, pins and ribbons of Ryans that Wilmouth still possesses. Wilmouth told me she got them from a cousin after Stella Ryans death in 2019. She sent me a photo of them. Some dont quite dovetail with whats known about Gerald Ryans military service from his separation papers, Long reckoned. For example, Long said, there were a couple of patches indicating service in an armored division rather than an infantry division, the kind in which Ryan had served. Soldiers often traded those among each other, Long added. Or its possible Ryan got them while serving in the reserves after the war. Among the pins Wilmouth still has is a somewhat famous one known as the Ruptured Duck, Long added. It was supposed to be an eagle, but it quickly got the less-glamorous nickname, Long told me. You wore this after youd been discharged honorably, but were still in uniform, so some overzealous MP didnt arrest you for AWOL. There were also ribbons that signified Ryan had been awarded a Purple Heart, which soldiers typically wore on their uniforms rather than the actual medal, Long said. The process of getting a replacement Purple Heart will likely be vastly simpler because Wilmouth still has her dads separation papers indicating he was awarded one, Long added. Friday, Wilmouth called her brother, Thomas, in Arizona to learn more details about the burglary that claimed their dads Purple Heart. He doesnt remember much, she said. But it sounds like theyre on their way to reclaiming a piece of family history and American history, too. All because of in a strange, random, roundabout way Hunts effort to raise some money and do some good for veterans in 2022. Thank you so much, Wilmouth said. I appreciate the fact that so many people are working on this. Hunt, meanwhile, is still accepting orders and limericks for that tome of veterans doggerel. Interested? You can contact him at bookbagsanta@verizon.net He reckons he needs about 30 more limericks to round out that volume. The person who writes the best one, Hunt added, will win a $50 prize and two tickets to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. The working title is Limericks in Arms: Helping Vets Win the Final Battle Coming Home. For the books cover, Hunt has included an image of a Purple Heart. All proceeds from the book will be donated to Guitars 4 Vets, a national veterans-service organization that offers music therapy classes to returning soldiers. Those can help vets suffering from PTSD and other service connected maladies. The Veterans Administration here in Salem offers those classes. Its a 10-week course, Hunt said. When they finish, they get a free guitar. Contact metro columnist Dan Casey at 981-3423 or dan.casey@roanoke.com . Follow him on Twitter:. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In her Jan. 30 op-ed, Time for innovative thinking, Beth Macy briefly mentions a particularly insidious sequel of the opioid crisis: infectious disease. I think this topic is deserving of more attention in Roanoke and in Southwest Virginia as a whole. Before moving to Roanoke for medical school, I served as an infectious disease epidemiologist in the Division of Viral Hepatitis at the CDC, as well as director of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, a national advocacy organization. I have seen first-hand how viruses like hepatitis A, B, C and HIV can spread like wildfires in communities that do not invest in housing, vaccination and harm reduction. It is often not until a widespread HIV outbreak occurs that communities come to fully embrace our most effective primary prevention strategies. This was the case in Scott County, Indiana, in 2015 and it is the same story that is unfolding in neighboring West Virginia. Our rising cases of hepatitis C are, to me, a signal that we have not sufficiently scaled up harm reduction programming nor testing and treatment of this curable infectious disease. The housing crisis here is of particular concern to me. Unsafe substance use, combined with unstable housing conditions, makes communities ripe for outbreaks of hepatitis A, which can lead to significant hospitalizations and deaths. Housing for people who use drugs is a gateway to improved hygiene, safer drug use, and better engagement in health care (not to mention a greater likelihood of recovery). We are fortunate to have strong and proactive public health leadership. I hope we can rally around it this legislative session by advocating for additional investment in our response to infectious disease consequences of the opioid crisis. I hope, too, that we can work with city council and state leaders to address the dire housing needs of our most vulnerable residents. COVID-19 is not the only infection that is spreading here, and the longer we keep our heads in the sand, the more deadly and costly our problem will be. Readers interested in taking action on this topic may consider joining the community-led Virginia Hepatitis Coalition (www.vahep.org). Lauren Canary, Roanoke Former mayor of Buellton, Judith Dale built her career in education and continues to serve the local community as Santa Barbara County 3rd District representative to the Library Advisory Board and board member of the Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation. She can be reached at judith@hwy246.net " " We bet we know what your lucky number is. Kristin Lee/Getty Images Name a color the first one that pops into your head. Now, pick a number between zero and nine. If you're like many people around the world, you picked blue and seven. In fact, in studies from around the globe, people tended to pick blue and seven so often that it has a name, the blue-seven phenomenon. Advertisement Maybe you're saying, "Wait a minute, I didn't pick blue or seven." Well, of course not everyone does, but proportionately more people make those two selections. For example, in the first such study to identify the phenomenon 1971 in the U.S. 40 percent of people selected blue and 30 percent selected seven. Both choices were also the favorites of people in Kenyan and Australian studies. So, the question is, why? Researcher and professor Miho Saito took a look at some of the existing data and proposed a few explanations in her own 2015 study on Japanese students. Here, 37 percent picked blue and 22 percent picked seven, the top choices. " " Everyone loves the color blue. PeskyMonkey/Getty Images It turns out blue is not considered taboo in any culture, which might help explain its universal appeal. Subjects selected favorite colors that were connected to feelings of pleasantness and described by those surveyed as beautiful, agreeable and bright. Red another beautiful and bright color and white were also popular choices, with white being reported as "clean, chaste, neutral and light," according to Saito's study. When she asked people why they chose seven, she found that seven was considered a lucky number and represented happiness. She also discovered that the other top contenders for preferred numbers were odd numbers too odds were chosen 68 percent of the time. But there were gender differences. Men selected the number one more than women, saying it represented being No. 1 or "top." Women selected five more often than men, for reasons as varied as liking the shape to it representing a birthday. Next up, Saito plans to research whether these preferences are innate or a result of cultural conditioning. Now Thats Interesting Marketers have long been interested in the psychology of color as they try to gain every advantage when selling their products. Take a look at the impact color has on whether you buy and youll never look at ads the same way again. Soybeans are one of the top cash crops grown in South Carolina, but high temperatures during the growing season limit yields and cut into profits. Two Clemson University researchers believe a better understanding of traits associated with heat tolerance in soybeans can help in developing heat-tolerant varieties that can lead to more sustainable crop production. They have received a $649,895 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) to study soybeans efficiency for heat tolerance. This grant continues research in which the researchers are examining traits that lead to heat tolerance in soybeans. Researchers conducting this study are Sruthi Narayanan, an assistant professor and researcher in the Clemson Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, and Sachin Rustgi, an assistant professor and researcher of molecular breeding housed at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center (REC) in Florence. The long-term goal for this project is to improve soybeans climate resilience so that it can produce stable yields under heat stress conditions, said Narayanan, lead investigator for the project. The researchers seek to find soybean genes associated with lipid metabolic changes that contribute to heat tolerance. The researchers plan to identify molecular markers to use in screening soybean plants for heat tolerance. Rustgi will use equipment in the Pee Dee RECs molecular breeding lab to conduct his research. Molecular markers for heat tolerance will be the key deliverable from this project, Rustgi said. These markers will help advance soybean breeding programs in developing heat-tolerant varieties. The project aims to generate information on lipid metabolic changes, physiological mechanisms and their genetic controls that confer heat tolerance in soybean. During the project researchers will evaluate contemporary high-value soybean varieties with high seed oleic acid content and drought tolerance. The data generated will provide producers with information on the heat tolerance of these varieties. Soybeans typically are planted in South Carolina from May 10 to July 11 and harvested from Oct. 20 to Dec. 30. They require a soil temperature of about 54 degrees to germinate. Soil temperatures typically are higher than air temperatures during summer months. Climate data shows the average air temperature from May to July in South Carolina is 89 degrees. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, South Carolina temperatures have warmed by one-half to one degree in the past century. Soybeans are a major crop grown in South Carolina. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 310,000 acres of soybeans were harvested in the state in 2020. In addition to being an important crop for South Carolina farmers, soybeans are important oilseed and affordable source of protein for many people worldwide. Michael Plumblee, Clemson Cooperative Extension Service corn and soybean specialist housed at the Edisto REC in Blackville, said this project has the potential to be very beneficial for the states soybean industry. With our warm summer climate, we often see temperatures more than 85 degrees during the growing season, Plumblee said. At temperatures greater than 85 degrees, we can experience several different issues with soybean such as reduced nodulation, slowed photosynthesis, abortion of flowers and small pods, as well as production of smaller seed. All of these can be yield-limiting. If soybean germplasm can be developed that can tolerate temperatures greater than 85 degrees and then used in breeding programs throughout the Southeastern United States, this ultimately could increase soybean yields across the state and region. This study is funded through Oct. 31, 2026. FLORENCE, S.C. Florence City Councilman William Schofield is going to run again for the seat his father held on the Florence County Council. Schofield, who currently represents District 1 on the City Council, announced his campaign in a letter sent to the voters of Florence County Council District 8. "I was born and raised here in District 8," Schofield says in the letter. "It is where my family home and family businesses were built by my grandparents and great-grandparents. My family has served our community for generations through military service, public office and as members of Saint John's Church." Schofield's father, James, held the District 8 seat from 2006 until his death in 2020. Schofield ran in the special election that coincided with the November 2020 general election to replace his father. He finished second in the Republican primary to Buddy Brand. "I think we deserve a whole lot better than we are receiving," Schofield says in the letter. "The time has come to send back someone with experience, relationships and ability to change the way the public's business is conducted." In the letter, Schofield says it's his objective to ensure that the city and the county continue to provide the best essential services necessary to keep the community safe, healthy and thriving. Issues Schofield mentions in the letter are crime, improving roads and other infrastructure and making sure businesses stay in Florence. "I am very much concerned about planning, construction, and zoning issues specifically the protection of our neighborhoods from commercial encroachment and the appearance of our community as it is being projected by current projects going through the system," Schofield says in the letter. He says he will serve as a champion of the taxpayers interest and he'll work tirelessly and be available to the community. Schofield is the first Republican to represent District 1 on the Florence City Council. He was elected in a 2021 special election that was called when Teresa Myers Ervin left the seat to become mayor. He served in the Navy's Ceremonial Honor Guard after being selected in boot camp. As a member of the honor guard, Schofield conducted over 3,000 funerals, at presidential ceremonies in Arlington National Cemetery and the White House. He also served in the Second and Third Fleets and in the public affairs office of the Pentagon. Schofield and his wife, Caroline, have four children. Schofield's announcement video is here. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 73F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 73F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. (Getty Images) Ralf Rangnicks late substitutions paid off as Manchester United saw off Leeds United in a thrilling encounter at Elland Road on Sunday. Fred and Anthony Elanga scored to put the away side 4-2 up after they had thrown away a two-goal lead in the opening stages of the second-half. In a red-hot atmosphere, the visitors took the lead in the 34th minute, with captain Harry Maguire heading home to score his sides first league goal from a corner all season. As the rain became more torrential, United compounded the home sides woes when Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture earlier this season, squeezed another header into the net in the first-half stoppage time. Seemingly dead and buried, Leeds turned the match on its head with two goals in less than a minute early in the second to lift the roof off Elland Road. Spanish forward Rodrigos cross managed to loop over United stopper David de Gea and into the net before Dan James squared for Leeds substitute Raphinha to level at the far post. The visitors were the ones to get over the line, however, as Fred put his side in front 20 minutes from time before Elanga settled the contest with a late fourth. The result moved fourth-placed United onto 46 points, four behind Chelsea in third, while Leeds stay 15th, five points above the relegation zone. Additional reporting from Reuters Flash China welcomes UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to visit the country, including a visit to Xinjiang, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday. Wang attended the 58th Munich Security Conference via videolink and made the remarks in responses to queries concerning China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Wang said China has long expressed its welcome to Bachelet, and is discussing with Bachelet and her office on the schedule, and Bachelet will see a Xinjiang where peace and stability are maintained and people of all ethnic groups live in harmony during her visit. Noting that Xinjiang is adjacent to an area where terrorist and extremist forces are concentrated, Wang said the local government of Xinjiang, in order to maintain the safety of the people, carried out deradicalization work through education, in accordance with the practices of countries including Britain and France and international practices. Such work has fundamentally eliminated the soil of extremism, and won the support of the people in Xinjiang, Wang said, adding that in the past five years, there have been no violent terrorist incidents in the region. The so-called systematic "forced labour" or "re-education camps" are all lies and fabrication, Wang said. China welcomes foreigners to visit Xinjiang to learn the truth of the matter, Wang said, noting that before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xinjiang had received more than 2,000 government officials, religious figures and journalists from more than 100 countries and international organizations. "But one thing is certain, people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang do not welcome any investigation based on the presumption of guilt, and they firmly oppose all kinds of prejudice and groundless accusations against China's ethnic policies," Wang said. Meetings and events Top O' Morning Toastmasters Club, Mondays, noon to 1 p.m. Contact LeAnn Blankenburg, 712-870-1120, for meeting information. The Siouxland Ostomy Support Group, find us on Facebook. For more information and meeting times contact Dick Lindblom at 712-251-2453. Southside "South Bottoms" former residents, 6 p.m. potluck, second Wednesday of the month at Goodwill Industries cafeteria, 3100 Fourth St. Gert, 258-2227. Siouxland Metal Detecting and Archeology Club, 6:30 p.m., first Tuesday of the month in the Gleeson Room at 4510 Buckwalter Drive. Visitors welcome. Ray Turner, 712-899-2114. American Legion Post 64, 7 p.m. last Thursday of the month at 4021 Floyd Blvd. 712-258-3986. Marine Corps League, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Elks Club on TriView Ave. All marines welcome. For more information, call Cathy Moreno, 712-899-8441. Sioux City Chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 7 p.m. fourth Tuesday of the month at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. 712-203-2052. Sioux City Duplicate Bridge Club, 12:30 p.m. Mondays (open); at the Senior Center. Mary 605-670-9613. Siouxland Fly-Fishing Club, 10 a.m. last Saturday of the month at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center on Hwy 12. All interested in fly fishing; beginners welcome. Monthly programs provided. For more information, call Bob Gillespie, 712-251-9463, or Diana, 402-987-3945. Siouxland Coin Club, 7 p.m. first Tuesday of each month at First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 1915 Nebraska St. Bob, 255-4829. The Siouxland Pride Alliance, peer support group, 5:30 p.m. Fridays; potluck, 5:30 p.m. second Sunday of the month; business meeting. First Unitarian Church, 2508 Jackson. Siouxland Samplers Quilt Guild, 7 p.m. second Monday of the month at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St, door #2. Visitors and new members welcome. Siouxland Sewing Guild, 6:30-8 p.m. first Thursday of the month at South Sioux Public Library, 2121 Dakota Ave., South Sioux City. For anyone interested in sewing. Denise, 402-922-1822. Sooland RC Modelers, 7 p.m. second Thursday of the month at Morningside Lutheran Church. Non-profit club that flies remote control aircraft. Anyone interested in RC is welcome. Retired Educators, 10:30 a.m. third Tuesday of the month, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., door #6. Mid-Step Services for Handicapped, meal at 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., door #6. Confirmation Instruction and Midweek Lessons, 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., door #6. Open to all kids 5 years old through 8th grade. Primetime (Potluck), 12 p.m., second Thursday of each month, at Whitfield United Methodist Church, 1319 W 5th. For more information call 252-3261 Tuesday-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Abundant Life Fellowship, 809 S. Alice St., in Sioux City will distribute food boxes after their 11 a.m. Sunday services. For additional information contact Pastor Bob at 605-205-0718 or Donna at 605-205-0719. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Here's a look at some of today's top COVID-19 news. Average daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are continuing to fall in the U.S., an indicator that the omicron variants hold is weakening across the country. Total confirmed cases reported Saturday barely exceeded 100,000, a sharp downturn from around 800,850 five weeks ago on Jan. 16, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The streets around the Canadian Parliament are quiet now. The Ottawa protesters who vowed never to give up are largely gone, chased away by police in riot gear. The relentless blare of truckers horns has gone silent. But the trucker protest, which grew until it closed a handful of Canada-U.S. border posts and shut down key parts of the capital city for weeks, could echo for years in Canadian politics and perhaps south of the border. People with COVID-19 won't be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the U.K. government has announced, as part of a plan for living with COVID that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ending all of the legal restrictions brought in to curb the spread of the virus will let people in the U.K. protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms. He is expected to lay out details of the plan in Parliament on Monday. As local and state leaders nationwide remove mask and vaccination rules, those at high risk for severe disease say doing away with protections now leaves them more vulnerable, especially as they, or family members, return to in-person work or school. And for some, Covid-19 vaccines are not as effective in staving off a severe bout with the virus, prompting the CDC to recommend a fourth shot for immunocompromised people 12 years and older in October. Roughly seven million American adults are immunocompromised, the CDC estimates. While not all have conditions that leave them severely immunocompromised and vulnerable to severe Covid-19, about 61 million adults -- roughly one in four in the US -- have some type of disability, according to the agency. Check out more top COVID-19 news here: Ive always felt that Sioux City had an abundance of non-profit organizations. I grew up in a small town and the social service issues seemed minimal. Fewer people usually mean fewer needs. Thats clearly not the case these days. Human needs abound in every zip code. As a resident of Sioux City, Ive had the pleasure of working for a handful of non-profits and have served on several boards. The services these organizations provide are critical. We are blessed to have them. Last month, I learned of another non-profit that had just launched and its story is compelling. The new group is called Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). A sixth-grade math teacher at East Middle School gets the credit for addressing an issue that many of us may know nothing about. Meredith Davies-Vogt said she knew some of her students were coming to class hungry or tired or both. Sioux City Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman acknowledges poverty is a real issue in the district. The numbers would tell you that 5,000 to 6,000 school children may not have anything to eat other than what they receive at school or in the weekend backpack program. Hungers twin is fatigue. Thats where Meredith and SHP enter the picture. SHPs mission statement is clear. No kid sleeps on the floor in our town! Meredith says some school children are sleeping on couches, on the floor, in the car, anyplace they can find. Many of these kids have never had a bed. In the giving spirit of the late Fred and Martha Davenport, our former Four Seasons Drive neighbors and Merediths grandparents, Meredith got busy and found a way to help. Her grandpa and grandma would be so proud of her as I know her Mother Julie, must be. Meredith learned of the nationwide group Sleep in Heavenly Peace and decided to start a chapter in Sioux City. The goal was simple. Raise enough money to build beds and get them in the homes of children who had none. What started as social media outreach has turned into an impressive Sioux City success story. Using primarily Facebook, SHP put out a call for donors and volunteers. If your child needed a bed, contact SHP. Corporate support came from all directions including some start-up assistance from Lowes and a generous grant from MRHD. With enough cash on hand and volunteers ready to work, Meredith scheduled the first build for Dec. 11, and the work began to saw, stain, bolt and assemble the lumber into twin or bunk beds. The application process opened the next day and 60 families immediately signed up. A few weeks later, SHP delivered the best Christmas gifts ever to 56 kids their own bed. Since that first distribution, the need has grown. In just three months, SHP has built and delivered over 150 beds, but the wait list has now grown to over 200. The story gets better. SHP provides not only the bed, but also the mattress, sheets, pillow, and comforter. To make it more personal, SHP learns about the childs interests and tries to match up the comforter to the child, meaning a lot of Disney and Star Wars characters are popping up in kids bedrooms. Because of great support from the community and vendors, Meredith says SHP can provide the whole package for just $250 per bed. Like a wedding or baby shower, SHP has established gift registries at Target, Amazon and WalMart where you can purchase a comforter that has been requested by one of the children. The merchandise is sent directly to SHP and is matched up with the child who requested it. The process is seamless. Todays column is not intended as a solicitation. My primary intent is to share the story of a grassroots effort, led by one of our incredible teachers, to make an immediate impact on the life of a child by providing something as basic as a bed. You can check out Sleep in Heavenly Peace IA Sioux City on Facebook and see the latest. Youll find photos and stories that will make you smile. If want to help SHP with your time, talent or treasure, Meredith would welcome your inquiry at Meredith.davies-vogt@shpbeds.org Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a non-profit in its purest sense. No overhead. No office. No salaries. No employees. Just a group of volunteers spending every dollar and every minute to address a compelling need. Beds for kids. Its that simple. Next week: Jim Rixner Jim Wharton, of Sioux City, is a former member of the Sioux City Council and a former mayor of Sioux City. He and his wife, Beverly, have one daughter, Dr. Laura Giese, and four grandchildren. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The sister of Wall Street fraudster Bernie Madoff and her husband were found dead in what law enforcement says was an apparent case of a murder-suicide. Sondra Wiener, 87, was found dead alongside her 90-year-old husband Marvin Wiener inside their home in Boynton Beach, Florida. They both had a gunshot wound. Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division arrived on scene to investigate further. After further investigation it appears to be a murder/suicide, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. The Medical Examiners Office will determine the cause of death. Advertisement After identifying the Wieners in a news release on Sunday morning, the sheriffs office said Marvin Wieners family had invoked Marsys Law. The law allows family members to protect the names of crime victims. A woman who identified herself as Marvin Wieners daughter in law declined to comment and asked the Associated Press for privacy at this time of grief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deaths continue the string of tragedies that seem to have engulfed the family after Madoff was arrested in 2008 for carrying out a massive Ponzi scheme. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 and he died last year while he was 82. After his arrest, Madoffs two sons died as well. Mark Madoff died by suicide in 2010 and blamed his father in a note. His younger son, Andrew, died of lymphoma in 2014. One way to think of this is the scandal and everything that happened killed my brother very quickly. And its killing me slowly, Andrew told People magazine before his death. The Wieners also took a big financial hit from Madoffs Ponzi scheme and reportedly lost around $3 million. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that all signs point to Russia getting ready to invade Ukraine soon. Everything were seeing tells us that the decision we believe President Putin has made to invade is moving forward, Blinken said on CBS Face the Nation. Weve seen that with provocations created by the Russians or separatist forces over the weekend, false flag operations. Now the news just this morning that the quote unquote exercises Russia was engaged in in Belarus with 30,000 Russian forces that were supposed to end this weekend, will now continue because of tensions in eastern Ukraine. Tensions created by Russia and the separatist forces it backs there. Advertisement When asked why there are no massive sanctions imposed on Russia yet, Sec. Blinken says, we don't want to pull the trigger until we have to because we lose the deterrent effect. pic.twitter.com/eFNhqTzLcb Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 20, 2022 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United States is convinced that everything leading up to the actual invasion appears to be taking place, Blinken said on CNNs State of the Union. But it isnt time to impose sanctions yet, as Ukraines president has suggested. We dont want to pull the trigger until we have to because we lose the deterrent effect, Blinken said on CBS. And diplomacy is still possible to avert a possible war as Biden was still willing to talk to Russias Vladimir Putin. We believe President Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are actually rolling, and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward, Blinken said on CNN. Advertisement Advertisement "We believe Pres. Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are actually rolling... we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade" a Russian invasion, says Secy. of State Antony Blinken on Ukraine-Russia tensions. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/FvKcdtlK3z State of the Union (@CNNSotu) February 20, 2022 Blinken was hardly the only one sounding the alarm Sunday, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying that all signs point to Russia preparing for an invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, there are also reports that Russian commanders have received orders to proceed with an invasion, according to U.S. intelligence. The Russian forces are doing everything that American commanders would do once they got the order to proceed, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jean-Luc Brunel, the former head of a modeling agency who was a close associate to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, was found hanged in his French jail cell early Saturday morning. Brunel was behind bars as he faced charges of raping minors and sexual harassment. He was also being investigated for possible human trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation amid accusations that he supplied young girls to Epstein. Brunels death immediately brought to mind the death of Epstein, who hanged himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial. Advertisement Brad Edwards, an attorney who represents several of Epsteins accusers told the Washington Post that the timing of the apparent suicide was striking considering it came days after Prince Andrew settled a lawsuit by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused him of raping her when she was a teenager. Rather than be held accountable, he just checked out, he said of Brunel. Theyre both very selfish people, so if the world isnt going to be what they want it to be, then theres no sense in living. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brunels attorneys insisted that the apparent suicide was not driven by guilt, but by a deep sense of injustice because he never stopped declaring his innocence. Paris police are investigating the death of the 75-year-old, who was found dead in his cell at La Sante, a prison in southern Paris at around 1 a.m. in what appeared to be a suicide. Brunel had been detained in 2020 as part of an investigation that began with the sex trafficking charges against Epstein. He was released on bail in November but then was ordered to return to prison. Advertisement Advertisement Several women have accused Brunel of rape and abuse. And on Saturday a few of them expressed shock and anger that the former model scout will not face trial. The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and young women, ends another chapter, Virginia Roberts Giuffre tweeted. Im disappointed that I wasnt able to face him in a final trial to hold him accountable, but gratified that I was able to testify in person last year to keep him in prison. Giuffre had said in court that Brunel would offer modeling jobs to young girls and then pressure them to have sex with his friends, including Epstein. Giuffre also said Epstein pressured her to have sex with Brunel. Thysia Huisman, a former Dutch model, who accused Brunel of drugging and raping her in Paris in 1991 also expressed dismay at the news. This is a completely different ending without any real justice for his victims, she tweeted. A lawyer representing Huisman and other victims said there was great disappointment after news of the death amid doubt that the investigation would now ultimately lead to a trial considering Brunel was so central to the case. Police in Canada continued their offensive on Saturday to break up the blockade of trucks and demonstrators that have been occupying downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks to protest against the countrys COVID-19 restrictions. Law enforcement officers used pepper spray and stun grenades in an effort to free up the streets of the capital that had been filled with protesters since last month. After making more than 100 arrests on Friday, police made an additional 47 arrests on Saturday as part of the move to kick out the protesters from the front of Parliament and the prime ministers office. Those arrested included four protest leaders. We told you to leave. We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers, police said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the police moved forward, organizers of the Freedom Convoy called for the holdout truckers to leave Saturday, citing what they described as heavy-handed police tactics. But they insisted this wasnt the end and vowed they will regroup and continue demonstrating against the government. What had started as a protest by truckers against vaccine requirements for truckers entering the country quickly grew into a much broader demonstration against COVID-19 regulations in general and the government as a whole. The protests have largely been nonviolent but many Ottawa residents complained of harassment by protesters and complained the blockade had paralyzed much of the city. Canadas Parliament, meanwhile, resumed debate Saturday on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus invocation Monday of the 1988 Emergencies Act, which gives the government broad powers for as long as 30 days. Lawmakers must vote within seven days to approve or reject the use of the act. It is expected to be approved. Authorities have so far used the emergency powers to seize 76 bank accounts connected to the protesters, totaling around $2.5 million. Former President Donald Trumps new social media platform, Truth Social, is set to be released in the Apple App Store on Monday, according to Reuters. That means the former president could make a social media comeback on the Presidents Day holiday. Trump had said in October he was launching the social media platform as a way to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. The New York Times had reported earlier this week that the launch of the app had been pushed back from Presidents Day to March. But now Reuters is reporting that the networks chief product officer told people testing the app that it would be released in the Apple store on Monday. Advertisement Trump Media & Technology Group Chief Executive Devin Nunes confirmed in a Sunday appearance on Fox News that Truth Social will start to be released this week. This week we will begin to roll out on the Apple App Store, Nunes, a former Republican U.S. lawmaker, said on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. Our goal is, I think were going to hit it, I think by the by the end of March were going to be fully operational with at least within the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The launch of the app would mark Trumps return to social media after he was banned from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. But the success of the app is far from assured. After all, there are several other companies that have been trying to launch alternative social media platforms to appeal to those who think their views are censored by the biggest players. But none of them have managed to come close to mainstream success. There is an audience and a market, but it is not huge, Shannon McGregor, a professor of journalism and media at the University of North Carolina, told the New York Times. Most people dont want a version of the internet where anything goes. Russian President Vladimir Putin was supposed to make a major announcement about Ukraines Donbas region on Sunday. He didnt. Also on Sunday, the Russian troops in Belaruson Ukraines northwest border, 100 miles from Kyivwere scheduled to end their military exercises and return to their bases back home. They didnt leave, and in fact, Belarus defense minister said theyd be staying a while longer. There was also anticipation that Putin might invade Ukraine on Sunday. Its possible thats what his announcement was going to be about. The timing seemed right; the Olympics in Beijing would be over; he wouldnt be drawing attention from his best friend Xi Jinpings grand show. But the invasion didnt start either. Advertisement Meanwhile, pro-Russia separatists in Donbas are shelling Ukrainian army positions, as well as populated areas. They claim theyre responding to Ukrainian attacks, but reporters on the ground say the artillery fire is going in one direction only. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats going on? Are the separatists trying to provoke a response, so Putin can cite that as an excuse to send the tanks rolling into Donbasand possibly mount an attack on Kyiv as well, to neutralize what he would label further aggression? Or is Putin stretching out the standoff, hoping that the United States might come up with a better diplomatic deal? Is he continuing to meet with European leaders, hoping to spot and exploit fissures within the NATO alliance? Advertisement Putin might have one other disturbing thought to consider. On Saturday, at the Munich Security Conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations must be respectedand that includes, he pointedly added, Ukraine. Two weeks earlier, Putin and Xi had met at the start of the Beijing Olympics, then issued a statement declaring their alliance on a wide variety of issues. Putin might have come away from the meeting, assured that, if the U.S. and NATO hit Russia with severe sanctions, he could turn to Xi for support. Wangs remark might have jolted that confidence. What happens next then? Of course we dont know. Possibly nobody knows. Does even Putin know? President Biden said on Friday that Putin had decided to invade. The Washington Post reported Sunday that Bidens statement was based on intelligence that Russian officers had received orders to proceed with a full-scale attack. Of course, orders can be rescinded. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to talk with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Europe on Thursdaya meeting reportedly set up by Lavrov. Blinken and Biden have said its not too late for Russia to de-escalate and negotiate a settlement to the crisis. Does this mean no attack will come till after Thursday? Or is the European meeting a ruse? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also on Sunday, Putin met with French President Emmanuel Macron for 90 minutes. Their talk reportedly focused on the Minsk Agreements, a ceasefire accord that Russia and Ukraine signed in 2015 but never implemented, in part because the two sides hold differing interpretations over the clause dealing with the political settlement of the Donbas region, where separatists and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting since 2014 in a war that has killed more than 14,000 people. After meeting with Putin, Macron spoke on the phone for 30 minutes with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainians have resisted resuming the Minsk talks, fearing that Russia holds the upper hand and would press its interpretationwhich would give the separatists, and through them Putin, a voice in Ukrainian national politics and foreign policy. In an impassioned speech on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky pleaded with Western leaders to start imposing sanctions on Russia now, rather than wait for a larger war to start. He also berated them for appeasing Russias annexation of Crimea and incursions into eastern Ukraine in 2014, arguing that the current crisis wouldnt be happening if theyd responded more strongly then. Advertisement Advertisement Clearly Zelensky fears that, for all their supportive rhetoric and arms deliveries, the West will ultimately sell Ukraine out. He once again appealed for membership in NATO, even though several U.S. presidents and other Western leaders have said Ukraine has not remotely fulfilled the qualifications to join. Some Western officials are becoming annoyed with Zelensky. Putins main demand in this crisis is that NATO pledge in a legal document that Ukraine will never join the U.S.-led military alliance. The NATO nations wont do this, both as a practical matter and on principle, refusing to alter the alliances open door policy just because an adversary demands it. However, they fear Zelensky is aggravating the crisis by persisting in bringing up the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These tensions must be satisfying to Putin, who has counted on disunity within NATOand, even more, fissures between NATO and Ukraineto ease his goal of regaining a sphere of influence on Russias western border. At the same time, it could be that, in waiting this part of the drama to unfold, he is putting off the decision to invade. Putin has plenty of time to kill. Belarus president, Alexander Lukashenko, has declared himself fully in Putins pocket; the Russian troops can stay there as long as theyd like. Putins rule in the Kremlin is uncontested; there is no longer even so much as a Politburo. (In 1964, two years after the dare and humiliation of the Cuban missile crisis, the Politburo deposed Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev for his hare-brained schemes. There is no formal entity that could do that to Putin.) Russias parliament, the Duma, has no serious opposition parties. Advertisement There were signs of discontent within the military, but Putin has quashed them. Earlier this month, retired Col. Mikhail Khodarenok, a widely regarded officer and strategist, wrote an article in the Independent Military Review, arguing that invading Ukraine would be a huge mistake and wasnt in Russias national interest. However, last Monday, the colonel appeared on a TV news program to recant, saying Russian commanders have prepared methods that will plunge the enemy into amazement and that the officer corps is completely unified on that score. The recanting was a chilling instance of the sort of ultra-discipline that Stalin used to impose on his critics. It also suggested that Putin was taking critics like Khodarenok as a serious obstacle to his aimsand taking steps to assure that no one else speaks up. Ultimately, it is all up to Putin, and that may be the most unnerving fact of all. https://sputniknews.com/20220219/biden-to-hold-national-security-council-meeting-on-ukraine-sunday---white-house-1093188389.html Biden to Hold National Security Council Meeting on Ukraine Sunday - White House Biden to Hold National Security Council Meeting on Ukraine Sunday - White House WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden will hold a meeting of the National Security Council on the situation in Ukraine on Sunday, White House Press... 19.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-19T23:45+0000 2022-02-19T23:45+0000 2022-02-22T14:00+0000 donbas conflict lugansk peoples republic donetsk people's republic ukraine us joe biden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/18/1092494485_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_aa93a6ca9a1965e5308387e8b95b85d4.jpg "President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in Ukraine, and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team. They reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time," Psaki said in a Saturday statement.According to the White House, Biden has already received an update on the meetings held at the Munich Security Conference, including those with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe.According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kievs sabotage of the Minsk agreements.The self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) in Ukraine's southeast (Donbas) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region on Friday over the escalation of tensions on the contact line. DPR and LPR have been reporting ongoing shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces since Thursday. ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 donbas conflict, lugansk peoples republic, donetsk people's republic, ukraine, us, joe biden https://sputniknews.com/20220220/a-perfect-storm-of-calamities-when-and-wheere-can-we-expect-armageddon-to-strike-1093205195.html A Perfect Storm of Calamities: When And Where Can We Expect Armageddon to Strike? A Perfect Storm of Calamities: When And Where Can We Expect Armageddon to Strike? The exact location of the valley where the forces of Good and Evil will meet in the last battle, after which, according to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T14:46+0000 2022-02-20T14:46+0000 2022-02-20T21:02+0000 jerusalem christianity islam judaism armageddon new testament old testament society /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106081/95/1060819501_0:100:1921:1180_1920x0_80_0_0_be007a16143582bd81b2f4d9a43f0a0a.jpg In Jewish, Christian, and Muslim beliefs about the end of history and the Last Judgment, the end is spoken of in much of the writing and teaching in apocalyptic, frightening terms. Perhaps the most unusual description is offered in the Christian New Testament. Its final book is called the Revelation of John the Theologian, or the Apocalypse.End TimesThe Apocalypse offers a narrative of the events that precede the second coming of Christ to Earth. Of the many images imprinted in the mass consciousness, one stands out that of the Antichrist, who will lead believers astray."and they (demons) gathered the kings and armies of the world together at the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon (Armageddon)," reads the Book of Revelation, also called the Apocalypse of John.Therefore, a little-known toponym became a household name denoting a large-scale catastrophe, prompting theologians to look for the exact place for centuries, but to no avail.In the 19th century, archaeologists took over the quest.In 1838, American professor Edward Robinson, travelling through the Holy Land, relied on a primitive method in his search: he took geographical names from Scripture and compared them with modern ones. However, this was of little help to him, as most of the Jewish names had been replaced by Arabic ones.Once he found himself in the town of Tell el-Mutesellim translated as "The hill of the ruler," in honour of King Solomon, who built a city here in the 10th century BC.This city Har Megiddo is mentioned dozens of times in the Hebrew Bible and in a multitude of other ancient texts. It is especially well-known as the setting in the New Testament for the penultimate battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil," according to Eric Cline, a professor of classical and Near Eastern languages and civilizations at George Washington University, author of the book "Digging up Armageddon: The Search for the Lost City of Solomon."According to Cline, by the Middle Ages, multiple nationalities, languages, and centuries had added an 'n' and dropped the 'h', transforming Har Megiddo to Harmageddon and thence to Armageddon." Edward Robinson suggested that this was the place referred to in the Apocalypse.Place of Fateful EventsMegiddo is an archaeological site that was inhabited between roughly 7000 B.C. and 300 B.C., with numerous battles fought there at the time.The Book of Revelation, which refers to the site as Armageddon, prophesied that the final battle at the end of time would take place precisely there.Only at the end of the 20th century was Megiddo studied thoroughly by scientists, who discovered that in the III century BC a large-scale catastrophe had ravaged the place.According to him, the event was imprinted deeply in people's memory so much so, that it was with Megiddo that they began to associate something ultimately destructive.Not everyone agrees with Cline's version. The fact is, the book was written in Greek, and it is unlikely that its author could know Jewish culture so well.He added that in his opinion, it should be perceived not as an isolated battle, but rather a campaign that extends over the last half of the tribulation period. He aslo wrote that the Greek word "polemo," translated as "battle" in Revelation 16:14, signifies a war or campaign.According to the theologian, hints should be sought in the Old Testament prophecies - for example, in the Book of Joel.Two ValleysThe Valley of Josaphat is a Biblical place mentioned in the Book of Joel (Joel 3:2 and 3:12):However, the map of the Holy Land does not offer a single consonant toponym, and the Scriptures only hint this place is not far from Jerusalem.Biblical scholars have two versions.In line with one, this may have indicated an actual valley euphemistically called by the Jews "valley of blessing," situated in the Judaean Desert, in proximity to Teqo'a, 12 kilometres south of Bethlehem.Another hypothesis lays emphasis on the Kidron Valley, slightly northeast of the Old City of Jerusalem, leading to the Mount of Olives, and traditionally identified by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions as the Valley of Decision, the place of final judgment.According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will ascend to the holy city, first resurrecting all those buried here.Other LocationsAccording to Muslim theories, events related to the end of the world will not take place in Jerusalem at all, although Islamic eschatology (the doctrine of the end times) is very similar to Jewish and Christian.According to popular Muslim belief, near the city of Dabiq in northern Syria, the prophet Isa (Jesus) will fight with Dajjal (Antichrist).There is another legend: the "son of Satan" will be defeated in Lod, also called Lydda, city, central Israel, on the Plain of Sharon (Lydda), which is repeatedly mentioned in the New Testament.In any case, the debate shows no sign of abating, fueling interest among both scholars and laymen. https://sputniknews.com/20220121/doomsday-clock-remains-close-to-civilization-ending-apocalypse---atomic-scientists-1092413891.html jerusalem Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko jerusalem, christianity, islam, judaism, armageddon, new testament, old testament, society https://sputniknews.com/20220220/alec-baldwin-possibly-didnt-pull-the-trigger-in-deadly-shooting-on-rust-set-says-da-1093196866.html Alec Baldwin Possibly Didnt Pull the Trigger in Deadly Shooting on Rust Set, Says DA Alec Baldwin Possibly Didnt Pull the Trigger in Deadly Shooting on Rust Set, Says DA Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died on the set of the film "Rust" last October after Alec Baldwin fired from a weapon that was believed to be a prop. The... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T10:07+0000 2022-02-20T10:07+0000 2022-02-20T10:07+0000 us alec baldwin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0c/01/1091160112_0:88:2953:1749_1920x0_80_0_0_7a2263a10e53b01304e651ad65d33a32.jpg There is a possibility that actor Alec Baldwin may have fired the shot that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust last year without pulling the guns trigger, according to Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.You can pull the hammer back without actually pulling the trigger and without actually locking it. So you pull it back partway, it doesnt lock, and then if you let it go, the firing pin can hit the primer of the bullet, Carmack-Altwies said in an interview for Vanity Fair.Golden Globe-winning Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, who was also a producer on the Western, was pointing a gun he believed was a prop at Hutchins inside a small church during the rehearsal of a scene on the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico on 21 October when it went off, killing the cinematographer and wounding the director, Joel Souza.In his bombshell ABC interview last December, Alec Baldwin had tearfully claimed he did not pull the trigger.I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never, said the star.Assistant director Dave Halls had confirmed to Baldwin the gun was cold (did not contain real bullets) upon handing it to him. Novice armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed had prepped the weapon.In late February, the District Attorneys office is to receive a forensics report from the FBIs crime lab regarding the live round of ammunition that killed Hutchins, which may offer insight into who physically handled it. Meanwhile, Carmack-Altwies is unofficially investigating Baldwins claims that he had only pulled back the hammer of the gun before it went off.I didnt know too much about guns, certainly not about 1850s-era revolvers. So when I first heard that, I was like, Oh, thats crazy, Carmack-Altwies, was cited by VF as saying.However, intrigued, the DA requested that one of her investigators bring in his own old-style revolver to her office. Carmack-Altwies sought to personally test if a mechanical malfunction could have caused the gun to go off.Together with two investigators, who first inspected the gun to confirm it was not loaded, they then carried out the test, to preliminarily reveal that the hammer could have caused the live round to fire.Last October, Santa Fe sheriff Adan Mendoza said at a press conference that about 500 cartridges had been recovered from the set.Dummies are props that only look like bullets, loosely filled with tiny ball bearings (BBs) that rattle. Blanks are brass casings loaded with explosive powder to create a bang but have no projectile. Live rounds, however, shouldnt have been there, Mendoza told reporters.On 15 February the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins sued Alec Baldwin and the movies producers, alleging it was their callous disregard for safety complaints that led to her death.As they announced the wrongful death lawsuit at a press conference, lawyers for Hutchins husband claimed Baldwin had rejected any training for the cross-draw he was performing on the set when he fired the lethal shot. In response, Baldwins lawyer rejected claims the actor was reckless as entirely false.No criminal charges have yet been brought in the ongoing case. https://sputniknews.com/20220217/lawyers-for-hutchins-family-release-video-simulation-of-alec-baldwins-prop-gun-shooting-1093099235.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko us, alec baldwin https://sputniknews.com/20220220/as-israel-and-morocco-ready-to-sign-a-trade-deal-analyst-says-relations-are-still-on-a-low-flame-1093190922.html As Israel and Morocco Ready to Sign a Trade Deal, Analyst Says Relations Are Still on a Low Flame As Israel and Morocco Ready to Sign a Trade Deal, Analyst Says Relations Are Still on a Low Flame Since the two nations agreed to normalise ties in December 2020, they have inked a number of important pacts. Direct flights have been established to boost the... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T05:25+0000 2022-02-20T05:25+0000 2022-02-20T05:25+0000 israel morocco /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/14/1093191122_0:133:3173:1917_1920x0_80_0_0_c48d755ca2238b8ee0b9e0973411e6e5.jpg Israel's Economy Minister Orna Barbivai is expected later today in Morocco in a move that's aimed at bolstering ties between the nations.During her visit, Barbivai will meet with Moroccan ministers, officials and business leaders in Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh. She is also expected to sign a trade and economic agreement with the North African country.Since the two nations normalised ties in December 2020 as part of the historic Abraham Accords, they have inked a number of important agreements. They agreed on direct flights to boost tourism, which had been dealt a blow by the coronavirus pandemic. They reopened their liaison offices and they put an emphasis on broadening economic cooperation.Lately, Morocco has also sealed a deal with Israel according to which it would fork out $500 million for the Jewish state's Barak Air and Missile defence systems, equipment that is set to protect the nation from local and regional threats.Low FlameAmine Ayoub, a Morocco-based economic consultant and educator, says apart from defence and the economy, "nothing new" is really going on.It is difficult to explain why Israel has limited its cooperation with Morocco to these spheres. One of the reasons could be that it'd rather focus on the development of ties with other signatories of the Abraham Accords, namely the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, two Gulf states with significant budgets.Another could be Israel's domestic problems, such as the persistence of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis it triggered. And that means that bolstering ties with Morocco might not be the Jewish state's main priority.Internal IssuesFor its part, Morocco has its own reasons to keep those relations on a low flame.However, the uncertainly over Washington's position regarding the disputed territory is just one of the issues. Another is the Palestinian cause and anti-Israel public opinion.Before Morocco signed its normalisation deal with Israel, a poll -- conducted by the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, revealed that 70 percent of Moroccans believed the Palestinian cause concerned all Arabs, rather than the Palestinians alone.The same survey also revealed that 88 percent of respondents rejected a normalisation pact with Israel.Now, however, almost two years after the historic agreements, opinions have started shifting, with another poll indicating that more than 40 percent accepted Morocco's normalisation agreement with Israel. Ayoub explains this change was due to a shift in the public's set of priorities and the fact that it has bigger fish to fry. morocco Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Elizabeth Blade Elizabeth Blade News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Elizabeth Blade israel, morocco https://sputniknews.com/20220220/bojo-whips-up-scaremongering-rhetoric-accuses-russia-of-planning-biggest-war-in-europe-since-1945-1093194861.html BoJo Whips Up Scaremongering Rhetoric, Accuses Russia of Planning 'Biggest War in Europe Since 1945' BoJo Whips Up Scaremongering Rhetoric, Accuses Russia of Planning 'Biggest War in Europe Since 1945' Boris Johnson, whose cabinet has been mired in domestic problems, has been eager to promote the Wests "Russian threat" rhetoric around an allegedly "imminent"... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T08:49+0000 2022-02-20T08:49+0000 2022-02-20T08:49+0000 uk russia ukraine donbass lugansk people's republic donetsk people's republic denis pushilin volodymyr zelensky /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/0e/1093029770_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_c8fece94762e6f488fb808e718725b2d.jpg UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that evidence suggests Russia is planning "the biggest war in Europe since 1945.""People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail," Johnson continued, as cited by the BBC, pointing to intelligence purportedly suggesting Russia intended to launch an invasion that would encircle the Ukrainian capital Kiev.Western officials have been whipping up hysteria for some time now, spreading falsehoods that Russian troops deployed to its southern regions for drills were a prelude to an imminent invasion of Ukraine, despite Moscow denying the claims, saying its troops were conducting military exercises in the region.The scandal-mired UK Prime Minister, who has been under fire at home over allegations that he and members of his Cabinet had taken part in private parties amid strict coronavirus restrictions in the country, was speaking from Munich, where world leaders are meeting for an annual security conference.Johnson indicated that the UK would slap Russia with even more far-reaching sanctions than previously suggested, with his country and the US stopping Russian companies "trading in pounds and dollars" in a move that would "hit very, very hard".Asked whether a Russian invasion was still deemed imminent, an allegation peddled by the West that UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss recently echoed, claiming that in London's view the "invasion" was both "imminent" and "highly likely", Johnson responded:The PM cited US President Joe Biden as telling Western leaders that intelligence suggested Russian forces were not just planning on invading Ukraine from the east, in Donbass, but also from Belarus and the area surrounding Kiev.In a fit of scaremongering, he urged people to consider the potential loss of life of Ukrainians, as well as "young Russians".Boris Johnson was speaking after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Munich, with the two agreeing upon "joint next steps" while ostensibly pursuing de-escalation and diplomacy.Earlier, addressing the Munich security Conference, Boris Johnson told those gathered that any invasion of Ukraine by Russia would "echo around the world".He also warned that an alleged invasion launched by the Kremlin would be met with sanctions as the UK would "open up the Matryoshka dolls" of certain Russian-owned companies, stripping them of the opportunity to raise money in London.In late January, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had announced new legislation to expand the UK's sanctions regime so that any company of interest to the Kremlin and the regime in Russia" could be targeted in the event of aggression against Ukraine.Russia responded by warning that any threat of more sanctions would result in hurting British companies and shareholders, with the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling the planned move "an undisguised attack on business" and said it would prompt retaliatory measures "based on our interests".The interview comes as tensions on the line of contact between Ukraine and the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) have deteriorated in the past days. Kiev intensified its shelling of the outskirts of the city of Donetsk using artillery prohibited by the 2015 Minsk agreements, said the mission of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination on the ceasefire regime (JCCC) early on Sunday.On Sunday the Ukrainian forces attempted to attack the positions of the People's Militia of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), but suffered losses and retreated, according to the people's police of the LPR.The two self-proclaimed republics announced the evacuation of their citizens on Friday due to the escalation of tensions on the line of contact in southeastern Ukraine and amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces.Over 3,100 people were evacuated on Saturday from the LPR to Russia, while the DPR evacuated 6,600 people, including almost 2,500 children as of Saturday, according to the DPR Ministry of Emergency Situations.The evacuations from Donbass to Russia comes as DPR head Denis Pushilin said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would soon order Kiev forces to launch an offensive in Donbass, in order to implement a plan to invade the DPR and LPR.The recent developments follow months of rhetoric from Western countries and Kiev, accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine.In response, Moscow has denied these claims, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing its concerns over NATO's military activity near Russia's borders, which it considers as a threat to its national security. https://sputniknews.com/20220216/uks-hysteria-over-russian-invasion-is-caused-by-johnson-cabinets-domestic-problems-1093088122.html https://sputniknews.com/20220215/highly-likelyagain-uk-foreign-secretary-claims-kiev-is-certainly-target-for-russia-1093053546.html https://sputniknews.com/20220220/kievs-forces-attempted-to-attack-lprs-positions-sustained-casualties-lugansk-says-1093192710.html donbass Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko uk, russia, ukraine, donbass, lugansk people's republic, donetsk people's republic, denis pushilin, volodymyr zelensky https://sputniknews.com/20220220/cuba-rejects-propaganda-hysteria-against-russia-opposes-nato-expansion-cuban-fm-says-1093191176.html Cuba Rejects Propaganda Hysteria Against Russia, Opposes NATO Expansion, Cuban FM Says Cuba Rejects Propaganda Hysteria Against Russia, Opposes NATO Expansion, Cuban FM Says MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla says that his country is against NATOs expansion eastward and that the United... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T05:06+0000 2022-02-20T05:06+0000 2022-02-22T13:55+0000 cuba russia world /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/14/1093191151_0:465:2049:1617_1920x0_80_0_0_149d7eb0673c70921cfea5b15d3e6bd8.jpg "We strongly reject the media and propaganda hysteria triggered by the US government against Russia, and we firmly oppose NATO's expansion towards the borders of that sister nation," the minister said on Twitter on Saturday.Moscow has expressed strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that Western claims of a looming "invasion" of Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe.The situation on the contact line in southeastern Ukraine (Donbass) escalated this week, with the self-proclaimed peoples republics of Donetsk and Lugansk (DPR and LPR) reporting continuing shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces, in violation of the Minsk peace deal. On Friday, DPR and LPR announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces.Russia published its security suggestions for NATO and the United States in late 2021 as tensions rose around Ukraine. Moscow specifically requested guarantees that the alliance would not expand eastward to include Ukraine and Georgia, to which Washington has replied by insisting it will not allow anyone to slam NATO's open-door policy shut.The US and NATO have since submitted their responses to the proposals but asked Moscow to keep them confidential. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the West has ignored Russia's fundamental concerns and demands, including over the alliance's expansion. Russia delivered its written response to US Ambassador in Moscow John Sullivan on Thursday.On Friday, Der Spiegel reported that a formerly classified document had been retrieved from the British national archive in which Western countries committed to the non-expansion of NATO eastward. The document details the meeting of foreign ministry representatives of the US, the UK, France and Germany that took place on March 6, 1991 in Bonne. The diplomats discussed issues pertaining to the security of Poland and other Eastern European countries. They agreed that NATO's expansion eastward was "unacceptable," according to the report. cuba russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 cuba, russia, world https://sputniknews.com/20220220/dc-authorities-mulling-reinstallation-of-fences-as-us-capital-braces-for-freedom-convoy-protests--1093189554.html DC Authorities Mulling Reinstallation of Fences as US Capital Braces for 'Freedom Convoy' Protests DC Authorities Mulling Reinstallation of Fences as US Capital Braces for 'Freedom Convoy' Protests After three weeks of demonstrations against sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandates, authorities are pushing back against a trucker-led movement by towing lorries... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T03:43+0000 2022-02-20T03:43+0000 2022-02-20T03:41+0000 donald trump us washington dc joe biden us capitol police (uscp) fence /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/14/1093189238_0:339:3022:2039_1920x0_80_0_0_337f2a417764900fe3850b139466cfd2.jpg Familiar fencing may once again be erected in Washington, DC, as authorities prep for 'The People's Convoy,' a collection of US-based truckers demanding rollbacks on COVID-19 vaccine mandates and related masking requirements. The United States Capitol Police (USCP) acknowledged the planned protest in a Friday statement, noting that the demonstrationslated to begin on February 23will likely coincide with US President Joe Biden's first State of the Union (SOTU) address on March 1. The USCP pledged to "facilitate lawful First Amendment activity," with assistance from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including DC's Metropolitan Police Department, the US Park Police, US Secret Service, the DC National Guard, and additional allied agencies. Capitol Police and the Secret Service are collaborating to draft a contingency plan and preemptive measures that can be taken to ensure the demonstration does not mirror the situation in Canada. Authorities throughout the US have recently been put on high alert concerning the possibility of some truckers launching an anti-vaccine mandate demonstration. While DC is the present venue, some far-right protesters attempted to organize a convoy to descend on Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California, but were unable to draw the necessary crowd on short notice.She detailed that the group is expected to include some 1,000 trucks, and will amass more demonstrators as the convoy advances via Interstate 40, from Barstow, California, to DC. "Safety precautions" are being taken in preparation for expected counter-protesters, Steele said. https://sputniknews.com/20220219/protesters-rally-in-central-ottawa-as-canada-hit-by-freedom-convoy-demos-1093183813.html washington dc Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Evan Craighead Evan Craighead News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Evan Craighead donald trump, us, washington dc, joe biden, us capitol police (uscp), fence https://sputniknews.com/20220220/death-toll-from-heavy-rainfalls-in-brazil-increases-to-152-reports-say-1093194588.html Death Toll From Heavy Rainfalls in Brazil Increases to 152, Reports Say Death Toll From Heavy Rainfalls in Brazil Increases to 152, Reports Say BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - The number of people, who have died in the Brazilian town of Petropolis north of Rio de Janeiro as a result of heavy rainfalls and... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T07:55+0000 2022-02-20T07:55+0000 2022-02-20T07:55+0000 latin america brazil flood /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/14/1093194559_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_fe6f279f6b2523574afafc03313b9eb4.jpg On Saturday, media reported about 136 victims. The Brazilian Institute of Forensic Medicine said that 27 minors were among the dead.According to the G1 broadcaster, 165 more people remain missing, 967 were left homeless.Fog hinders the search for survivors, the news portal said.Heavy rainfalls hit Brazil on Tuesday, triggering deadly landslides and flooding. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tasked his ministers to assist the victims of floods in Petropolis.Governor of Rio de Janeiro Claudio Castro calls the rainfall the heaviest since 1932. brazil Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 latin america, brazil, flood https://sputniknews.com/20220220/finnish-president-says-no-reason-to-revise-countrys-position-on-not-joining-nato-1093210950.html Finnish President Says No Reason to Revise Country's Position on Not Joining NATO Finnish President Says No Reason to Revise Country's Position on Not Joining NATO MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said he sees no reason to revise the country's policy of not joining NATO, but acknowledged that such... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T15:59+0000 2022-02-20T15:59+0000 2022-02-20T16:01+0000 russia-nato row on european security finland nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/103893/65/1038936594_0:0:3001:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_957df87ddab1aa195f005f6ea3af01d5.jpg Speaking with CNN, Niinisto was asked whether the current crisis in Ukraine may sway Finland, which has a 130 mile-long border with Russia and, like Kiev, is not a NATO member, to rethink its position on not joining the alliance."There's a lot of discussion on this subject just now, and I think we'll continue that discussion. And depending on what really happens in Ukraine, it might even get a lot more likely," Niinisto said.He added though that at the moment, he does not see the reasons for any dramatic, sudden change, stressing that this issue has to be thoroughly thought.Meanwhile, Niinisto noted that the contemporary international security situation is "colder" than it was during the Cold War.I think that we're actually almost in a 'colder' situation than we were in the traditional Cold War, because then we had at least some agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union, limiting weapons and so on. Now we do not have actually anything, no agreements anymore. This makes the situation much more vulnerable," Niinisto said. finland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 finland, nato https://sputniknews.com/20220220/florida-inmates-death-in-transit-sees-10-prison-guards-placed-on-leave-one-resign-1093190185.html Florida Inmates Death in Transit Sees 10 Prison Guards Placed on Leave, One Resign Florida Inmates Death in Transit Sees 10 Prison Guards Placed on Leave, One Resign A Florida inmates death while in a prison transit vehicle has led to 10 corrections officers placed on leave and one submitting their resignation, according... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T04:03+0000 2022-02-20T04:03+0000 2022-02-20T04:02+0000 florida prison death /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/1c/1090294952_1:0:959:539_1920x0_80_0_0_c663c1eca1094e243c811b8b0c40eb70.jpg The FDC statement did not detail who the prisoner was, why they were being transported, or how they died. The matter, according to a statement released by the agency, is an open and active investigation, and the victim and staff member names cannot be released.The prisoner was being held at Dade Correctional Institution, according to Molly Best, a spokeswoman for the FDC. The individual was pronounced dead while the transport van was stopped at Florida Womens Reception Center, a Florida state prison for women located in the town of Ocala, approximately 345 miles north of Dade.The Miami Herald learned of the death through a source and questioned the FDC on Friday evening before any public statement had been released. The following morning the FDC released a statement and made the death public.The FDC statement revealed that the Dade Correctional Institution warden had recently been replaced, and offered that the new warden is conducting a holistic review of facility operations.Dixon was appointed secretary in 2021. Florida has the United States' third-largest state prison system. The Dade Correctional Institution is a mixed security class prison and is routinely considered one of the most dangerous jails in Florida. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Nevin Brown Nevin Brown News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Nevin Brown florida, prison, death https://sputniknews.com/20220220/ghislaine-maxwell-family-fears-for-her-safety-as-epstein-pal-jean-luc-brunel-found-hanged-in-cell-1093193754.html Ghislaine Maxwell Family Fears For Her Safety as Epstein Pal Jean-Luc Brunel Found Hanged in Cell Ghislaine Maxwell Family Fears For Her Safety as Epstein Pal Jean-Luc Brunel Found Hanged in Cell Jean-Luc Brunel, a former modeling agent who was close to the late convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, and was being held in an investigation into the... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T07:30+0000 2022-02-20T07:30+0000 2022-02-20T07:43+0000 jeffrey epstein ghislaine maxwell prince andrew virginia roberts giuffre /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/1b/1082736184_0:257:2731:1793_1920x0_80_0_0_9a0eb9522e892a8cdb5a2367fe6a85e1.jpg The family of Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted last December for recruiting and grooming teenagers for the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, fear for her safety at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after former model agent Jean-Luc Brunel was found hanged in his Paris prison cell on Saturday, reported the New York Post.Brunel, who had been accused of partaking in the alleged sex trafficking ring run by the tycoon Epstein, was arrested in December 2020 and charged with the rape of a minor by French prosecutors. He was found hanged with bed sheets in his cell at the Sante prison at around 1:30 a.m. local time on 19 February, according to the prosecutor's office. French prison authorities told local media that "no breach" in security at the prison had occurred,An investigation into the cause of death has been opened, entrusted to the French judicial police.Ghislaine Maxwell is the one who is believed to have introduced Brunel to billionaire Epstein, who also died by hanging in his Manhattan cell in August 2019, while awaiting trial for multiple child sex offences. Officials at the time ruled the cause a suicide something that his lawyers had challenged at the time. Epstein had been taken off suicide watch shortly before his death, which is still surrounded by speculation and conspiracies.After her conviction on 20 December, Maxwell was placed in a room at the prison with a psychiatrist and two other cellmates, including a guard. Furthermore, everything is recorded on camera, said her brother, who insisted she was not suicidal.Maxwell found it "ironic" that Epstein and Brunel had not been on suicide watches in their respective prisons.There has been no official comment yet from Ghislaine Maxwells attorney, Bobbi Sternheim.Jean-Luc Brunel, who originally ran Karin Models in Paris and later formed MC2 Model Management after getting funds of "up to a million dollars" in 2004 from Epstein, was detained at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2020 as part of a French probe triggered by the US sex-trafficking charges against Epstein.Epstein and Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre claimed in a 2015 affidavit that the model scout sexually trafficked girls for the tycoon, who had boasted to her that he had slept with over 1,000 of Brunels girls.Brunel was arrested in 2020 on counts of "rape and sexual assault, rape and sexual assault on a minor under 15, rape and sexual assault on a minor over 15, sexual harassment, criminal associations and human trafficking to the detriment of minor victims for the purposes of sexual exploitation."After Brunels sudden death, victims of his alleged abuse expressed dismay that he will never face trial. https://sputniknews.com/20220219/epstein-accomplice-jean-luc-brunel-reportedly-found-dead-in-french-prison-1093173309.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko jeffrey epstein, ghislaine maxwell, prince andrew, virginia roberts giuffre https://sputniknews.com/20220220/going-nuclear-would-be-ukraines-quickest-path-to-pariah-state-status-but-can-kiev-actually-do-it-1093213612.html Going Nuclear Would Be Ukraines Quickest Path to Pariah State Status, But Can Kiev Actually Do It? Going Nuclear Would Be Ukraines Quickest Path to Pariah State Status, But Can Kiev Actually Do It? On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implicitly threatened to revise Ukraines non-nuclear weapons state status, telling attendees of the Munich... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T19:13+0000 2022-02-20T19:13+0000 2022-02-20T19:27+0000 ukraine nuclear nuclear weapons /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/0f/1082640820_0:512:2049:1664_1920x0_80_0_0_37dd2ba2a9eefb5ea8dba254e10436be.jpg Ukraine would risk becoming an international pariah if it attempted to rejoin the nuclear club; at the same time, President Zelenskys threats may be a bluff, since it is far from certain whether his country has the technical and material capabilities to build such weapons, observers tell Sputnik.Presto Pariah StateUkraines non-nuclear status is determined by its participation in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which it joined in 1994. In accordance with that agreement, only countries which developed and tested nuclear weapons are allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Ukraine is not among these countries," points out Alexander Umarov, editor-in-chief of the nuclear power industry portal AtomInfo.If Ukraine goes the other route and withdraws from the NPT, which is its legal right to do, this too will become the subject of a Security Council review, and again mean the threat of sanctions or UN military intervention, the observer notes.On top of that, Umarov notes, the worlds leading suppliers of nuclear technologies are united into the Nuclear Suppliers Group a group of nuclear supplier countries working to prevent nuclear proliferation and implementing a multilateral export control regime which bans cooperation with nuclear states that arent parties to the NPT.In the event of a withdrawal from the NPT, Ukraine will be forced to stop the operation of its nuclear power plants, since it is completely dependent on the import of nuclear fuel, which may be terminated after its exit from the treaty, Umarov warns.Attempts to create a nuclear bomb will undoubtedly lead to Ukraine being in a much worse situation than it is today, and the country will fall into international isolation, the observer sums up.Nuclear No-GoKiev gave up a nuclear arsenal of as many as 3,000 nuclear weapons in the mid-1990s after signing the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances together with Belarus and Kazakhstan (which also gave up their nuke stockpiles), plus Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom. A significant detail, and one rarely brought up by todays Ukrainian political elites, is that Kiev, Minsk and Astana never had operational control over their nuclear forces with the launch codes to the weapons remaining under Russias control after the collapse of the Soviet Union.Ukraine could not have prevented the removal of nuclear weapons by the Russian military, and is in no position to acquire them now, says Dr. Mark Gubrud, an adjunct professor of peace, war and defence studies at the University of North Carolina.Propagandistic GestureI think it would be a mistake to say that this is unequivocally a Ukrainian decision. I think it is not an exaggeration to say that Ukraine is a country with limited sovereignty and that its foreign policy decisions are not necessarily its own, says Dr. Srdja Trifkovic, a Serbian-American publicist, historian and foreign affairs editor for the Chronicles magazine.Trifkovic doesnt believe that Zelensky would have brought up the Budapest Memorandum in his speech had it not been cleared in advance with Ukraines sponsors and Western mentors.Having said this, it will be interesting to observe their reaction, because of course, Ukraine's decision to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty back in 1994 was loudly hailed as a major step towards nuclear non-proliferation, and Ukraine was widely praised for taking it. The practical question, whether Ukraine has the technical ability to reverse the non-proliferation course is frankly open to doubt. I don't think that it has either the know-how or the ready technical expertise and wherewithal, as well as the materials to build a nuclear weapon in a short period of time, Trifkovic says.Andrzej Zapalowski, a former Polish lawmaker, MEP and academic specializing in security affairs, agrees.This is just a form of pressure an attempt to make a political statement on the issue of Kievs admission to NATO. This is a game oriented, on the one hand, toward the West, and on the other, toward Ukrainian society How can it end? The right to nuclear weapons? In reality, President Zelensky does not have an opportunity to gather the other signatories of the Budapest Memorandum together. Ukraine does not have the ability to produce these weapons. It would constitute an act of international adventurism, Zapalowski says.Dirty Bomb?Ukraine might not be in possession of the technology for the full cycle of capability necessary for creating weapons grade uranium or plutonium, but could create a nuclear dirty bomb if it wanted, says Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the Moscow-based Institute of CIS Studies.If, for the sake of argument, Ukraine did somehow manage to obtain nukes, this would come to constitute a massive threat to European and global security, Srdja Trifkovic believes.Now these elements in Ukraine, if the government has not been able to bring them under control over the past eight years, the question arises as to who could guarantee that if Ukraine does rebuild its nuclear arsenal, it would indeed be in adult hands, Trifkovic warns.Poker FaceAitech Bizhev, retired deputy commander in chief of the Russian Air Force-CIS Joint Air Defence System, is confident that Zelenskys veiled warnings are a mere bluff, rather than any kind of statement of political or military significance.Europe is already trying to rid itself of US nuclear weapons stockpiles on its territory, and does not need another source of tensions stemming from a Ukrainian nuclear weapons programme, the retired officer argues.The Ukrainian economy will never pull off doing what it takes to gain the status of a nuclear power. It is a very expensive proposition, from production to delivery vehicles and an entire infrastructure of the military-industrial complex and the nuclear energy complex. The uranium and other materials would need to be mined somewhere. All of this is not so simple; Zelensky does not appear to realize the complexity of this process, Bizhev believes.UN Weighs InIn his remarks before the Munich Security Forum on Saturday, President Zelensky announced that he would be initiating consultations in the framework of the Budapest Memorandum.If they do not happen again or their results do not guarantee security for our country, Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt, Zelensky warned.The United Nations commented on the Ukrainian president's remarks Saturday evening. Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, called on all parties to recall the UN chief's recent statement about public rhetoric surrounding the situation in Ukraine, and how it should be aimed at de-escalating tensions, not fueling discord. https://sputniknews.com/20220219/zelensky-plans-to-initiate-talks-of-parties-to-budapest-memorandum-1093197594.html https://sputniknews.com/20210524/imitation-of-molten-radioactive-mass-crafted-amid-concerns-over-fission-threat-in-chernobyls-depths-1082983941.html https://sputniknews.com/20220219/ukraines-nato-membership-not-on-agenda-wont-happen-in-foreseeable-future-german-chancellor-says-1093172855.html https://sputniknews.com/20220220/stoltenberg-warns-of-alleged-full-scale-attack-on-ukraine-1093189267.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, nuclear, nuclear weapons https://sputniknews.com/20220220/gurugram-building-collapse-chintels-paradiso-residents-in-india-stage-protest-seeking-cbi-probe-1093203644.html Gurugram Building Collapse: Chintels Paradiso Residents in India Stage Protest, Seeking CBI Probe Gurugram Building Collapse: Chintels Paradiso Residents in India Stage Protest, Seeking CBI Probe Earlier, two people died and one was severely injured after the roof of a sixth-floor apartment in a high-rise building in Gurugram city's Chintels Paradiso... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T13:15+0000 2022-02-20T13:15+0000 2022-02-20T13:15+0000 india collapsed roof roof disaster disaster relief building collapse gurgaon haryana india protest /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/0b/1092930059_0:187:1280:907_1920x0_80_0_0_a954e5c04c7daa4c09c17217fc0903d9.jpg Scores of residents of the Chintels Paradiso apartment complex and nearby housing complexes staged a protest on Sunday demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the high-rise roof collapse in India's Haryana states Gurugram city."Two innocent lives were lost, and one fellow resident was seriously injured. Our fellow residents of D tower have been displaced from their homes, and the residents of other Chintels Paradiso towers have been staying in a state of fear and anguish in an unsafe environment, so we need immediate action against those guilty," Lalit Kapoor, a resident, told Indian news agency IANS.Another protesting community resident shared, "We have already invested our savings in this society and are now forced to spend the nights in the open. We are scared to enter the premises. We require stringent action against those who are guilty."Following the tragedy which occurred on 10 February, at least five Gurugram apartment towers were declared unfit for living, with people living in those buildings being asked to move out.Two police cases have been filed against all the directors of the real estate company Chintels India Limited as well asChairman of Chintels India Ltd Ashok Solomon; structure engineer, architect and contractor.While Gurugram police have yet to arrest the accused named in the police case, angry residents took to the streets holding placards and seeking the "immediate arrest" of not just the accused but also the government officials who gave an occupation certificate (OC) for these apartments."The protest was against the inaction of the government and administration, because even after several days, despite all our pleas, the Central Government, Haryana government, and senior administrative officials have nod taken any action, and the builder Chintels India Ltd and other Government officials responsible for this are roaming freely," Sonia, another resident said.The police officials are awaiting the structural audit report regarding the reasons for the collapse of floors of the residential tower and will be taking action accordingly. gurgaon haryana india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sangeeta Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080292803_0:121:960:1081_100x100_80_0_0_7490b319dab9611e309056b177265184.jpg india, collapsed roof, roof, disaster, disaster relief, building collapse, gurgaon, haryana, india, protest, protest rally, public protest https://sputniknews.com/20220220/inquiry-begun-as-meta-exec-clegg-accused-of-getting-hands-on-uk-govt-plan-for-net-crackdown-report-1093203456.html Inquiry Begun as Meta Exec Clegg Accused of Getting Hands on UK Govt Plan for Net Crackdown: Report Inquiry Begun as Meta Exec Clegg Accused of Getting Hands on UK Govt Plan for Net Crackdown: Report Leak Inquiry Begun as Meta Supremo Clegg Accused of Getting Hands on UK Govt Plan for Net Crackdown 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T12:22+0000 2022-02-20T12:22+0000 2022-02-20T12:35+0000 nick clegg meta leak /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102213/53/1022135395_20:0:982:541_1920x0_80_0_0_00ef952375f1e2912b6e55b66020b9a0.jpg Officials at Whitehall have launched a leak inquiry amid concerns that Nick Clegg is using his old government connections to receive classified information about government plans to crack down on Meta and other internet giants by forcing them to track legal but harmful user content.Sources said to be familiar with the matter told the Daily Mail that Whitehall first caught on to Cleggs reliance on information from a mole or moles in Whitehall after Sir Nick mentioned classified government information in a Zoom call with British officials in mid-2020.We dont know if Clegg himself is getting this information, or if the company has other sources, but they seem to know what we are up to almost before we do, a security source complained to the Daily Mail.The leak inquiry is expected to target the Foreign Office, the Treasury, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.A Meta spokesperson dismissed media reporting on the matter, suggesting any claims that Clegg was getting info from a Whitehall mole were absurd and false. The spokesperson said the company was not aware of any leak inquiry.Clegg was promoted by Meta president Mark Zuckerberg on 16 February to the newly created post of president of global affairs, with his new role expecting to focus on regulatory issues. In his announcement on Cleggs promotion, Zuckerberg said the company needed a senior leader at the level of myself (for our products) and Sheryl [Sandberg] (for our business) who can lead and represent us for all our policy issues globally.Clegg will now lead our company on all 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.Along with Facebook, Meta also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus makers of a virtual reality headset Zuckerberg hopes will play a major role in the future of online social interaction.The tech industry executive cited by FT told the newspaper that being forced to monitor legal content would cross a huge red line for internet companies. This seems to go significantly beyond what is done in democratic countries around the world, another tech industry figure said. It feels a bit closer to what they are doing in China, the official warned. https://sputniknews.com/20220219/meta-reportedly-ditches-high-level-facebook-staffer-caught-in-child-sex-sting-op-1093170190.html https://sputniknews.com/20220220/truss-uk-to-create-government-information-cell-to-counter-moscows-fake-narratives-1093190792.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov nick clegg, meta, leak Explosions Heard in Lugansk Outskirts - Sputnik Correspondent LUGANSK (Sputnik) - Another series of explosions were heard coming from the suburbs of Lugansk right after Sunday midnight, a Sputnik correspondent reported. There were no people or vehicles in the city streets at the time when the blasts were heard. A curfew is currently in effect in the city. A total of 66 violations of the ceasefire regime on the part of Kiev forces were recorded in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) in Ukraines southeast (Donbas) in the past 24 hours, according to spokesman for LPR peoples militia Ivan Filiponenko. https://sputniknews.com/20220220/prince-andrew-has-been-secretly-paying-night-visits-to-elizabeth-ii-report-claims-1093194214.html Prince Andrew Has Been Secretly Paying Night Visits to Elizabeth II, Report Claims Prince Andrew Has Been Secretly Paying Night Visits to Elizabeth II, Report Claims Earlier, Queen Elizabeth II decided to strip Prince Andrew, her son, of his royal titles, military affiliations and royal patronages amid sexual abuse lawsuit. 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T07:55+0000 2022-02-20T07:55+0000 2022-02-20T07:55+0000 uk queen elizabeth ii prince andrew /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1d/1092601104_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_bc8089d9157fd34f37823cdd37776e7a.jpg Prince Andrew has been secretly visiting the Queen at Windsor Castle at night, The Sun has reported.According to the report, the Duke of York was driven the five-mile distance from his home to Windsor Castle every night last week for meetings with Queen Elizabeth II amid accusations of sexual assault in a US court.The purpose of Prince Andrews visits was reportedly to discuss his 12 million pound Virginia Giuffre sex case settlement. Also, according to reports, he has apologised to his daughters and the Queen over the scandal.On Wednesday media reported that Prince Andrew will pay 12 million pounds (over $16 million) in an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a US-Australian woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. The parties are expected to file for a dismissal of the case within 30 days. Moreover, Prince Andrew pledged to donate a substantial amount to charity in support of victims of violence. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 uk, queen elizabeth ii, prince andrew https://sputniknews.com/20220220/putin-ready-for-diplomatic-solution-to-ukraine-crisis-johnson-tells-macron---downing-street-1093215124.html Putin Ready for Diplomatic Solution to Ukraine Crisis, Johnson Tells Macron - Downing Street Putin Ready for Diplomatic Solution to Ukraine Crisis, Johnson Tells Macron - Downing Street LONDON (Sputnik) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has discussed the situation in Ukraine with French President Emmanuel Macron, with Johnson telling his... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T21:31+0000 2022-02-20T21:31+0000 2022-02-20T21:29+0000 vladimir putin downing street boris johnson /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/0f/1093042875_0:133:3169:1916_1920x0_80_0_0_b08d9deaa662e55c853a11758ba621da.jpg Johnson spoke to Macron over the phone on Sunday.According to the British government, Macron and Johnson agreed that Ukraine needs to follow through on its commitments under the Minsk peace deal."They also underscored the need for President Putin to step back from his current threats and withdraw troops from Ukraines border," Downing Street said.Earlier on Sunday, Putin and Macron held phone talks at the French side's initiative. The presidents agreed on trilateral group (Russia, Ukraine, OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) talks on Ukraine to be held on Monday, according to media reports. The Russian president also reportedly confirmed to Macron the intention to withdraw troops from Belarus after the joint military exercise is over. downing street Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 vladimir putin, downing street, boris johnson https://sputniknews.com/20220220/russia-belarus-to-continue-joint-checks-of-response-forces-amid-escalation-in-donbass-1093197697.html Belarusian MoD: Minsk, Moscow Have Decided to Continue Drills Due to Escalation in Eastern Ukraine Belarusian MoD: Minsk, Moscow Have Decided to Continue Drills Due to Escalation in Eastern Ukraine The security situation in the Ukrainian breakaways of Donetsk and Lugansk deteriorated significantly in the second part of the past week, with OSCE observers... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T10:05+0000 2022-02-20T10:05+0000 2022-02-20T12:36+0000 donbass /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/14/1093198534_0:148:3115:1900_1920x0_80_0_0_2652f9fa88982cb72755049fdc701c20.jpg Russia and Belarus will continue military drills due to the deterioration of the security situation in the Donbass, Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin has announced.The defence minister specified that the drills will involve operational training issues not covered in the large-scale Russian-Belarusian Allied Resolve 2022 exercises being wrapped up, with their focus remaining unchanged - ensuring the capability to react adequately and deescalate any aggression by ill-wishers.Khrenin warned that the two countries' neighbours have been "pumped up" with modern weapons, and that a priority had been set for offensive arms, as well as the modernisation of military and transport infrastructure."Numerous groupings of troops and forces have been created on the territory of neighbouring states, including in third countries. The level of readiness of joint force group NATO emergency response units has improved from seven to five days readiness time in case of a so-called 'escalation of the situation in Ukraine'," he said.NATO, Khrenin indicated, has "multiplied" the number of exercises near the Union State several times over. "Their orientation against Russia and the Republic of Belarus is also obvious," he said."The idea of the inevitability of war with the 'eastern neighbour' has been firmly embedded in the consciousness of the Western man in the street. At the same time, Russia and Belarus are accused of militaristic aspirations. The West refuses to accept the 'red lines' outlined by Russia in the security architecture of Europe, with these red lines also relevant to Belarusians. We can see how the fundamental principle of the indivisibility of security is being rejected," the minister said.Instead, Khrenin suggested, the West is seeking to "bypass" these red lines, including with concepts about new formats for the military absorption of Ukrainian territory into the Western bloc.Russia and Belarus launched the large-scale Allied Resolve-2022 drills last week, with the exercises wrapping up on Sunday. The defensive drills included exercises simulating efforts to repel aggression against the Union State. The exercises involved tank manoeuvres, artillery and air defence drilling, training involving the redeployment of Russian aircraft to Belarus, and naval exercises involving Russian fleets. The exercises also included the simulated defence of Crimea.Donbass DeteriorationWestern officials and media have spent months accusing Russia of planning to "invade Ukraine," even citing a firm 16 February deadline for the incursion to begin. 16 February came and went without incident, prompting the West to update the "Russian invasion" schedule to some time after 20 February.Instead of a Russian invasion, the past three days have witnessed a dramatic deterioration of the security situation in Donetsk and Lugansk - the self-proclaimed republics which broke off from Ukraine after a coup in Kiev in 2014. On Friday, amid escalating Ukrainian artillery and mortar shelling and sniper attacks, Donbass officials began an evacuation of the civilian population, and called up reserve forces amid fears that Kiev may begin an all-out offensive.As of Sunday, over 40,000 refugees have arrived in Rostov, the Russian region bordering the Donbass breakaways. Multiple civilian and military casualties have been reported to date amid back-and-forth fire across the line of contact, and Donetsk and Lugansk People's Militia units have reported repulsing Ukrainian offensive and sabotage operations.Ukraine has accused Russia of escalating Donbass tensions, while Kiev's Western backers have largely ignored the conflict in Donetsk and Lugansk. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Ukrainian authorities to sit down to the negotiating table with Donetsk and Lugansk representatives as soon as possible to resolve the crisis. https://sputniknews.com/20220220/live-updates-kiev-forces-fire-mortars-prohibited-under-minsk-deal-at-donetsk-suburbs-dpr-says-1093190630.html donbass Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov donbass https://sputniknews.com/20220220/russia-not-trying-to-destabilise-us-or-ukraine-ambassador-says-1093213246.html Russia Not Trying to Destabilise US or Ukraine, Ambassador Says Russia Not Trying to Destabilise US or Ukraine, Ambassador Says WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia is not seeking to destabilise the United States or Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said on Sunday. 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T19:01+0000 2022-02-20T19:01+0000 2022-02-20T19:03+0000 russia-nato row on european security russia ukraine us anatoly antonov /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/01/1d/1081913539_0:0:2903:1634_1920x0_80_0_0_567e0047b9ed63d824becbb4f0d0a2d2.jpg "Russia does not pose a threat to the United States, does not threaten Ukraine. We do not seek to destabilise Washington or Kiev. Americans and Ukrainians are not our opponents," Antonov said, as quoted by the Russian embassy in the US on Facebook.Antonov said that US media "replicate disinformation" on Russia's alleged "invasion" of Ukraine.The ambassador stressed that the fact that Russia deploys its troops on its territory does not affect the interests of the US."The deployment of the Russian Armed Forces on its national territory does not and cannot affect fundamental interests of the United States. I remind you that our forces are not present on the territory of Ukraine," Antonov said.The diplomat also said that Russia and the US have equal rights in terms of security, but NATO has come right to Russian borders."It is impossible to invite Russia to cooperation on arms control and, at the same time, unlimitedly step up NATO's military potential at our borders," Antonov concluded. https://sputniknews.com/20220220/russian-envoy-to-us-moscow-doesnt-plan-to-invade-ukraine-1093211128.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 russia, ukraine, us, anatoly antonov https://sputniknews.com/20220220/russian-foreign-ministry-asks-us-embassy-if-data-on-alleged-attacks-was-officially-sent-to-moscow-1093214560.html Russian Foreign Ministry Asks US Embassy If Data on Alleged Attacks Was Officially Sent to Moscow Russian Foreign Ministry Asks US Embassy If Data on Alleged Attacks Was Officially Sent to Moscow MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked the US embassy in Moscow if it sent the data on alleged attacks in Russia to its... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T20:48+0000 2022-02-20T20:48+0000 2022-02-20T22:18+0000 russia maria zakharova us embassy in russia alert /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/15/1092432024_0:0:3073:1730_1920x0_80_0_0_ec86c7d2617592762aa6694437f541f2.jpg Moments earlier, the US mission in Russia issued an urgent alert that called on Americans to prepare their "evacuation plans" in light of "threats of attacks" in public areas across Russia.Incidentally, the embassy's notice also stunned Michael McFaul, who previously served as the US ambassador to Russia.The Sunday notice to Americans failed to provide any specifics, but stated that "according to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations," among other "major urban areas."It further noted that threats have allegedly been against major Russian cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, and "as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine."In its suggested "actions to take," the embassy called on Americans in Russia to: avoid crowds, notify friends and family of your safety, maintain awareness of one's surroundings and have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance, among other suggestions.The latest came hours after the Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov once again reiterated that Russia has no intention to invade neighboring Ukraine, and that officials are seeking to settle tensions in a diplomatic manner. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 russia, maria zakharova, us embassy in russia, alert https://sputniknews.com/20220220/stoltenberg-warns-of-alleged-full-scale-attack-on-ukraine-1093189267.html Stoltenberg Warns of Alleged Full-Scale Attack on Ukraine Stoltenberg Warns of Alleged Full-Scale Attack on Ukraine BERLIN (Sputnik) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has accused Russia of planning an attack on Ukraine under a fabricated pretext, at the same time... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T02:52+0000 2022-02-20T02:52+0000 2022-02-22T13:58+0000 ukraine nato jens stoltenberg /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/10/1093094858_0:19:3071:1746_1920x0_80_0_0_7325517ccd2a11121e15d3485c4f5a06.jpg "No troops are being withdrawn, as Russia says, but new troops are being added," Stoltenberg told German public broadcaster ARD on Saturday, claiming that all signs suggest Russia "is planning a full-scale attack on Ukraine."According to the NATO chief, there are "indications" that Russia is allegedly preparing to create a pretext for an attack against Ukraine.Stoltenberg said that it was concerning that civilians are being evacuated from the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk (DPR and LPR) amid an increase in ceasefire violations in the southeast (Donbas). However, the NATO chief said that accusations of a genocide taking place in the predominately Russian-speaking Donbas are "false."Stoltenberg also refuted Russias claims of NATO having broken its promise not to expand eastward, citing the alliances founding treaty, without specifically mentioning the document published by the German Der Spiegel news magazine. The NATO chief said that the alliance was still ready for dialogue with Russia.A formerly classified document has been retrieved from the British national archive in which Western countries committed to the non-expansion of NATO eastward, Der Spiegel reported on Friday. The document details the meeting of foreign ministry representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany that took place on March 6, 1991 in Bonne. The diplomats discussed issues pertaining to the security of Poland and other Eastern European countries. They agreed that NATO's expansion eastward was "unacceptable," according to the report.Moscow has expressed strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe.Meanwhile, DPR and LPR announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region on Friday over the escalation of tensions on the contact line in southeastern Ukraine and amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces. https://sputniknews.com/20220219/biden-to-hold-national-security-council-meeting-on-ukraine-sunday---white-house-1093188389.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 ukraine, nato, jens stoltenberg https://sputniknews.com/20220220/switzerland-calls-on-citizens-to-leave-donbas-urges-sides-to-de-escalate-1093189087.html Switzerland Calls on Citizens to Leave Donbas, Urges Sides to De-Escalate Switzerland Calls on Citizens to Leave Donbas, Urges Sides to De-Escalate MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Switzerlands Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is urging Swiss nationals to leave the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in Ukraines... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T02:11+0000 2022-02-20T02:11+0000 2022-02-22T13:59+0000 switzerland embassy donbas conflict /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102598/71/1025987199_0:9:1500:853_1920x0_80_0_0_b9c03b61a0e5da3b5ef9a0af7ca52681.jpg "The FDFA recommends that people of Swiss nationality in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions leave these regions temporarily by their own means. Some airlines have reduced or suspended their flights to Ukraine," the foreign ministry said in a Saturday travel update.According to the FDFA, Switzerland is ready to support dialogue aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict peacefully. The Donetsk and Lugansk self-proclaimed people's republics (DPR and LPR) have been reporting continued shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces for the past several days. LPR and DPR announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region on Friday."Switzerland is concerned about the increase in armed hostilities observed by the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Special Monitoring Mission in eastern Ukraine. We call on all sides to recommit to the ceasefire and actively contribute to de-escalation," the Swiss foreign ministry said on Twitter, adding that Switzerland is ready to support "constructive dialogue."Pierre-Alain Eltschinger, a spokesman for the Swiss foreign ministry, told Sputnik on Friday that Switzerland is ready to host a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Earlier this week, Blinken proposed to Lavrov to hold another meeting next week.Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe.According to Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kievs sabotage of the Minsk agreements. switzerland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 switzerland, embassy, donbas conflict https://sputniknews.com/20220220/truss-uk-to-create-government-information-cell-to-counter-moscows-fake-narratives-1093190792.html Truss: UK to Create Government Information Cell to Counter Moscows Fake Narratives Truss: UK to Create Government Information Cell to Counter Moscows Fake Narratives LONDON (Sputnik) - British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss plans to establish a new government center with the aim of fighting Russias alleged disinformation... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T04:52+0000 2022-02-20T04:52+0000 2022-02-22T13:56+0000 world uk information liz truss /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1a/1092523188_0:0:3042:1711_1920x0_80_0_0_1ddc4d07f4bd05604aa536067dd43f3f.jpg "At the end of the Cold War we disbanded our information unit, but the Russians didn't disband theirs, so we faced years and years of Russian disinformation," Truss claimed in an interview with The Mail on Sunday.She alleged that since the start of February, there have been "40 pieces of Russian false information that have been put out" and that she plans to establish a new Russia-Ukraine Government Information Cell (GIC) that will focus on exposing "fake narratives."In the past few months, Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe.According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the ongoing turmoil is being deliberately promoted by the West to cover up Kievs sabotage of the Minsk agreements. Russia has repeatedly warned that the weapons supplied to Kiev by the West could end up being used against the people of the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Donbass.The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russias Rostov Region on Friday over the escalation of tensions on the contact line in southeastern Ukraine and amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces. DPR and LPR have been reporting continuing shelling of Donbas settlements by Kiev forces, in violation of the Minsk peace deal. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, uk, information, liz truss https://sputniknews.com/20220220/ukraines-president-reportedly-calls-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-donbass-1093205915.html Ukraine's President Says He 'Supports' Immediate Ceasefire in Donbass Ukraine's President Says He 'Supports' Immediate Ceasefire in Donbass The announcement comes after days of escalating military activity, including intense artillery and mortar shelling of territory along the contact line. On... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T13:28+0000 2022-02-20T13:28+0000 2022-02-20T15:11+0000 ukraine donbass volodymyr zelensky ceasefire /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/1c/1092575332_0:26:1043:614_1920x0_80_0_0_299198a5040062e784c64ea22b83c931.jpg Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed "support" for an "immediate" ceasefire in the Donbass.Zelensky and Macron spoke by telephone for about half an hour on Sunday, according to French media. No details about the conversation have been publicised. The call followed Macron's telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day, which is said to have lasted 105 minutes. The Elysee Palace characterised those discussions as "the final possible and necessary efforts to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine."On Saturday, Zelensky spoke at the Munich Security Conference, where he called on the West to stop its "policy of appeasement" toward Russia, and demanded Western preemptive sanctions against Moscow, citing an "invasion" threat that he previously downplayed.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed "alarm" over the deteriorating security situation in the Donbass on Friday amid reports by local militia that they were being shelled and sniped by Ukrainian forces. President Putin called on Kiev to "sit down at the negotiating table with representatives of the Donbass and agree on political, military, economic, and humanitarian measures to end this conflict.""The sooner this happens, the better," Putin said.Russia, France and Germany serve as guarantors to the Minsk Agreements - a comprehensive package of measures signed in February 2015 by Ukraine and the three countries aimed at putting an end to the civil war in the Donbass. The Minsk deal proved successful in turning a full-blown war into a frozen conflict and led to heavy weapons being pulled back while Organisation for Security Co-Operation in Europe monitors were put in place to prevent an escalation.However, the Minsk deal's political portion, which called on Kiev to introduce constitutional reforms to grant the Donbass breakaways broad autonomy, has not seen any progress, with Moscow consistently prodding Ukraine to move forward with the reforms. Shortly after his election in 2019, President Zelensky briefly flirted with making headway on the Minsk-mandated constitutional reforms. However, these efforts were halted after tens of thousands of Ukrainian ultra-nationalists took to the streets of Kiev and threatened to overthrow his government over its "capitulationist" plans.On Sunday, Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that Belarus and Russia would continue exercises of the response forces of the Russian-Belarusian Union State amid heightened NATO activity "and the aggravation of the situation in the Donbass." https://sputniknews.com/20220220/live-updates-kiev-forces-fire-mortars-prohibited-under-minsk-deal-at-donetsk-suburbs-dpr-says-1093190630.html https://sputniknews.com/20220220/thousands-of-women--children-flee-to-russia-as-tensions-flare-in-donbass---photo-video-1093201342.html ukraine donbass Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, donbass, volodymyr zelensky, ceasefire https://sputniknews.com/20220220/venezuelans-reject-claims-that-diplomat-alex-saab-was-dea-informant-on-international-day-of-action-1093187930.html Venezuelans Reject Claims That Diplomat Alex Saab Was 'DEA Informant' on International Day of Action Venezuelans Reject Claims That Diplomat Alex Saab Was 'DEA Informant' on International Day of Action With the US governments so-called 'extradition' of Alex Saab back in the headlines, a group of anti-war activists gathered outside the US Department of... 20.02.2022, Sputnik International 2022-02-20T00:03+0000 2022-02-20T00:03+0000 2022-02-20T00:01+0000 venezuela protest dea /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/13/1093188098_0:127:3189:1920_1920x0_80_0_0_c798ef8af9be7ec13b5fe86a9aace1f4.jpg Saab was reportedly tapped by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to help the countrys food and housing social programs overcome the impact of deadly sanctions unilaterally imposed by the US government over the past decadeuntil the former was arrested in Cape Verde in June 2020, when his jet stopped to refuel en route to Iran. Ultimately, Saab was extradited to the US one day before the current Cape Verdean administrationwhich had promised his releasetook power. Saabs supporters describe the ordeal as a political prosecution aimed at sending a message to anyone thinking of helping the victims of unilateral US sanctions, and say theyll continue to protest until the Venezuelan diplomat is released from US custody.Fresh accusations that Saab is secretly a DEA informant have appeared in the major corporate US media outlets, a conclusion seemingly encouraged by documents leaked by the prosecution team, further complicating the case. Saabs lawyers have publicly corrected the record, explaining that the sole purpose of the meetings with the Department of Justice and law enforcement officials was to confirm that neither he nor any companies associated with him had done anything wrong."Despite lawyer David Rivkins insistence that any communication Saab may have had with DEA officials was simply to clear his name and would have been undertaken with the full knowledge and support and with the consent of Caracas, mainstream outlets have largely declined to include the context, electing instead to present the leaks as an incontrovertible truth. Colombian close to Maduro worked as 'DEA informant, reads a typical headline in the Miami Herald.Serious questions remain about both the legitimacy of the leaked documents and their timing. In the succinct words of Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez Gomez: If Alex Saab is working with the DEA, why was he tortured until his teeth were knocked out?CODEPINK Latin America coordinator Leo Flores has questions of his own. In recent comments given to Sputnik News, Flores asks: if [Saab] was a DEA informant, why isnt he being charged with drug trafficking?The one charge under which US authorities are still prosecuting the Venezuelan diplomat, Flores notes, is conspiracy to commit money laundering with funds the US alleges were taken from Venezuela's public housing program; a far cry from accusing Saab of actual participation in narcotics trafficking.As Flores points out, the apparent campaign to divide Venezuelans has precedent. In 2013, as former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez began to succumb to health issues, similar accusations of US government collaboration were leveled at his replacement. Maduro negotiates with the US the return of the DEA to Venezuela to corner Cabello, read a 2013 headline from ABC Espana, one of Spains top newspapers.Flores also questioned the timing of the leaks at a Free Alex Saab rally held Wednesday outside the US Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, DC.Describing the leaks as character assassination, Flores suggested the documents were leaked today [] because Alex Saab has a preliminary status hearing in Miami, where an accusation of police collaboration could sour the potential pool of jurors.Beyond Saabs freedom as an individual, Flores points to the multiple rallies held throughout Latin America on the same day, which organizers held as part of an international day of action for the incarcerated diplomat. Beyond the nation's capital, activists have also rallied in San Francisco, California, and Austin, Texas.As Flores explains, Washingtons idea was to nip a growing social movement in the bud. Despite the allegations, Flores says organizers will continue drawing attention to the jailed diplomats predicament, until justice is done. venezuela Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Wyatt Reed Wyatt Reed News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wyatt Reed venezuela, protest, dea A team of Chadron State College students returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the coveted Rangeland Cup. The team consisted of Emma Pendleton of Hemingford, Brolin Morgan of McCook, Hayden McGinnis and Sage McGinnis of Buena Vista, Colorado. The group was led by CSCs Anthony Perlinski, associate professor of agriculture and rangeland management. They competed against six other teams on Feb. 8 placing first to return the Range Cup to the CSC campus, where it was once before in 2009. The traveling cup is awarded by the International Society for Range Management (SRM) at their annual conference. The society supports managing a combination of rangeland uses including livestock grazing, water management, wildlife management, aesthetic value and recreational use of rangelands. SRM members are a diverse group with a strong ethic to preserve rangeland. The competition is open to all North American colleges or universities, and teams are asked to design a poster that will represent their approach to a designated topic. The poster presentation is both creative and innovative while also being realistic and achievable in the topic scenario. The 2022 topic addressed rangeland sustainabilitys delicate balance of preserving previous generations and cultural-sensitivity relative to the land and the need for innovation of rangeland management. Teams were asked to identify a prominent culturally-sensitive rangeland location and address historic and present practices that sustain and may innovate rangeland while preserving cultural integrity. As we progress in our careers, much of our work is performed as part of a group, Perlinski said. The Rangeland Cup competition is intended to build skills in interpersonal communication and group-problem solving, both of which are highly desired qualities in the workplace. Perlinski said the students were given the particularly challenging topic before the semester break, giving them about two months to conduct research and create their poster and presentation. The problem-solving competition is designed to promote critical thinking and collaborative work on current topics or topics of historical importance to rangeland ecology and management. The CSC teams winning presentation dealt with urban expansion and its impact on a traditional cow-calf operation located in central Colorado. According to a previous statement by Hayden McGinnis, the area highlighted by the team has witnessed a rapid influx of people and a significant increase in recreation use presenting challenges to an established ranch. The proposed solutions by the CSC team focused on aspects that were within the ranchs control and feasible to accomplish. I believe the most important part of the project was our ability to present and convey the information, Hayden McGinnis said. All posters there had good content, but ours was able to effectively exhibit what is a very passionate issue in the western United States today. The entire group did an excellent job showcasing the challenges, selling potential solutions and emphasizing the importance of the issue and project in a personable way to the judges. Local team member, Emma Pendleton, said it was wonderful to represent CSC and its range management program by advocating on an international level for a passionate rangeland issue. I also feel honored to be included in a group with the other competitors from various colleges who showed up to the Range Cup to present with equal passion for rangeland and motivation for solving problems to further the future of this field, Pendleton said. Perlinski commented that it is great to have the Rangeland Cup back at CSC and he has a motivated group of students excited for next years SRM competition topic to be announced. I was really proud of the way all of our students performed, Perlinski said. Research and travel expenses for the Rangeland Cup presentations and the students were funded by the CSC Coffee Foundation. Nicole Heldt is a reporter with the Star-Herald, covering agriculture. She can be reached at 308-632-9044 or by email at nheldt@starherald.com. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Nebraska Extension, Lallemand Animal Nutrition and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are hosting the fourth Silage for Beef Cattle Conference on March 17. The meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Registration is free and producers have the option to either stream the conference online or attend in-person at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center in Ithaca, Neb. Pre-register to join in-person or virtually by March 2 at https://go.unl.edu/silageforbeef2022 Topics and speakers will include: - Agronomic management of small grain for silages, led by Daren Redfearn, Ph.D., Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln - When to harvest small grain silage, led by Mary Drewnoski, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Sorghum silage: A solution for limited water, led by Renato Schmidt, Ph.D., Technical Services Forage, Lallemand Animal Nutrition - Why fermentation analysis is important and what it means for your operation, led by John Goeser, Ph.D., Director of Nutritional Research & Innovation at Rock River Laboratory and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison - Fundamentals of silage harvest management, led by Becky Arnold, Custom Harvest Business Development Manager, Lallemand Animal Nutrition - Inoculants for small grain silage with Limin Kung, Ph.D., Professor at the University of Delaware - Economics and ROI on quality forage in grower and finishing rations, led by Jhones Sarturi, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Texas Tech University - Making small grain silage work, a producer and nutritionist panel discussion led by Dan Loy, Ph.D., Director of the Iowa Beef Center and Professor at Iowa State University SIDNEY The University of Nebraska Lincolns Center for Agricultural Profitability has scheduled a training workshop in Sidney for its new online Agricultural Budget Calculator tool from 1-4 p.m. on March 7 at the Cheyenne County Community Center, 627 Toledo St. The Agricultural Budget Calculator (ABC) is a free enterprise-budgeting and decision-making tool that is designed to assist agricultural producers in determining their cost of production and projected cash and economic returns for various farm or ranch enterprises. Knowing the cost of production for our agricultural enterprises is even more critical now, with a larger investment due to higher input and operation costs, said Glennis McClure, an extension educator and farm and ranch management analyst with the Center for Agricultural Profitability. Estimating your cost of production can assist in making important management decisions now and throughout the production and marketing year. McClure, who works closely with the ABC tool and university commodity budgets, will host the workshop. She will explore the programs features and demonstrate how to get started. A hands-on practice session will offer users the opportunity to use the program to create their own enterprise budgets. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptop, but mobile lab computers will be available as needed. McClure will also cover how to download and use university crop budgets as a guide; how to create customized crop budgets for owned and rented farms; how to enter field operations and material inputs and determine costs on a per-field basis; how to generate enterprise reports that include cash costs, economic costs and anticipated returns; the use of analysis features, including the risk module; and more. The workshop is free to attend, but registration is required by one day prior to the workshop at https://cap.unl.edu/abc or by calling 308-254-4455. Scottsbluff City Manager Dustin Rief could receive a pay raise as he approaches his first-year anniversary heading western Nebraskas largest city. That is one of the action items the Scottsbluff City Council will discuss when they convene for a regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. in city hall, located at 2525 Circle Dr. The council will conduct an evaluation of Riefs job performance during his first year of employment, according to the council packet published Friday. Their evaluation forms had to be completed and returned to Clerk Kimberley Wright by Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. Riefs anniversary date is March 1. He was hired in December 2020 at a base salary of $150,000, as well as set compensation for use of his vehicle for city business, a cell phone allowance, and 20 days of vacation annually. The council approved a 5% increase in pay, equaling $7,500, for Rief during its Oct. 4, 2021, meeting. Rief told the council he had understood he would be eligible for a 5% increase after six months and an additional 5% increase after one year of employment. Such increase would be consistent with the handling of other city staff, who receive merit increases following the probationary period and is outlined in the citys personnel manual, he said. During Riefs six-month evaluation, the councils written evaluations did not present any issues that seemed out-of-the-ordinary for a city manager review. Council members ranked Rief from 1 to 5 on points under headings such as individual characteristics, professional skills and status, relations with elected members of the governing body, policy execution, reporting, citizen relations, staff, supervision, fiscal management and community. The city managers contract also includes a 2% cost of living increased approved by the council. If the council deems Riefs job performance as satisfactory upon review, Rief could receive a 12% salary increase after the first year on the job, which is $18,000. Gerings City Administrator Pat Heaths starting salary was $102,000 and former Gering City Administrator Lane Danielzuk was paid $118,289. Interim City Manager Rick Kuckkahn made $120,000, and the most recent City Manager, Nathan Johnson, was at $118,000, prior to leaving his position. On average, city managers are compensated $83,000 a year according to Zippia, the career expert, website. Within the state, Zippia reports the average salary is $70,633, which is $33.96 an hour. The Star-Herald made a request for the reviews submitted by councilmembers and Mayor Jeanne McKerrigan prior to the Feb. 22 meeting. The request has not been fulfilled as of Friday as it is unclear whether Rief will request to have his evaluation in open or closed session. The council meeting was moved to Tuesday in observance of the Presidents Day holiday Monday. The public can attend the meeting in person or watch via the citys YouTube channel at tinyurl.com/SBcitycouncilYouTube. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After a few months without a publisher, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald, Gering Courier and Hemingford Ledger have a new captain of the ship in Lansing, Michigan-native Kevin Austin; however, instead of publisher, Austin will hold the title of president. Im excited, Austin said. I want to get immersed into the community, get involved in a lot of things, meet with local businesses and community leaders. Austin, who came to the Star-Herald from a similar sized market in Indiana, began work at the Scottsbluff office on Monday, Feb. 14. Prior to being named president of the Star-Herald and Trails West Media Group, he was the publisher at Register Publications group in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, a news and advertising publisher of four weekly newspapers, two monthlies, and a plethora of magazines, as well as our digital platform. Austin brings 29 years of experience in the media industry to the Star-Herald and has worked for large media companies such as Gannett, USA Today, New York Times Company and Cox Media Group, as well as private media companies. Hes held positions such as vice president of advertising and advertisement director, and hes even run his own advertising agency for a few years, in which he launched a couple of magazines, community newsletters, launched and built websites and placed media buys locally and nationally. Now, Austin is looking forward to bringing his media and advertising expertise to the Trails West Media Group, helping it to grow and flourish right alongside its Star-Herald, Gering Courier and Hemingford Ledger newspapers. Were no longer (just) a newspaper; were a digital media company, he said. Trails West Media Group is our branded name. Regarding audience and content, we will continue to provide the very best local news, sports, state and national news coverage for our readers. Were going to continue delivering our local papers and find new ways to reach new readers for years to come. As president and publisher, we wont compromise from our core principles for our readers with integrity and being the trusted source for local breaking news and information. Now we can create print and digital experiences that inspire action. While he took his post in Scottsbluff on Monday, he began virtual training with Lee Enterprises through Lee University on Feb. 7. Now settling into his new home in western Nebraska, Austin has spent the past week taking the time to learn the ins and outs of the local media company, as well as the community. Ive had some great conversations with a few business leaders, learned a lot about their opinions and what they think about our papers and e-editions, he said. Its great listening to hear what people have to say; its always good to hear from customers and readers I want to spend time getting out and seeing, obviously, as many local businesses as I can and understand the local issues impacting our communities. Austin wants to use the time he gets with local business and community leaders to really explain what Trails West Media Group is about, particularly on the advertising side. To him, the media company is there to come up with the right advertising and marketing solutions for each individual business. We want to help build local businesses brands beyond the ordinary. I love challenges that allow us to invent, build and launch solutions to help local customers overcome print and digital obstacles and take their marketing to the next level, he said. Through digital, customers are now local and can be everywhere. Were going to help local businesses develop a strong digital presence and identity and provide strategic digital marketing, media planning, consulting and analytics to help them grow. We offer website development, social media management, pay per click, video. We can buy other media, too radio, billboard, TV, direct mail and more. At Trails West Media Group, we are ultimately a one-stop shop media agency. Our goal will be to help all local businesses meet their strategic goals in a very tactical way, delivering customers and results. After having spent nearly a full week in western Nebraska, Austin said he has enjoyed learning about the area, but the weather swings are something he still needs to get used to. The weather thats interesting, he said, with a laugh. Its 58 degrees one day, 31 degrees and snow the next. So, thats been an adjustment. Someone told me that you can get all four seasons in one day. Despite the interesting weather, hes looking forward to getting outside, doing some fishing, and even bringing his three kids 21-year-old son, 17-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son out to visit at some point. I just enjoy being outdoors. I ride my bike, and I play golf. Im into sports big time, love college football. I also officiate youth and adult basketball and football and some youth soccer. He said hell root for the Huskers, but "coming from southeast Indiana, he still likes his Fighting Irish. Nevertheless, hes excited to be a part of the western Nebraska community and the Star-Herald family. (I want to) come out here and develop the same types of relationships that I had back there (Lawrenceburg) here and find ways to make sure we have a good balance in the newspapers and make a difference in the community and impact businesses for growth, he said. Im looking forward to working with everybody. I feel weve got a really strong team across all departments. I look forward to leading the Trails West Media Group to new heights, and the next level. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. For now, Nebraska shows up as a blank box on the wastewater surveillance page the federal government launched this month to monitor COVID-19 levels. But that's expected to change early next month, when the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and its partners hope to begin reporting Nebraska's wastewater surveillance data to the National Wastewater Surveillance System. Nebraska is among 37 states, four cities and two territories receiving funding for the program through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 400 testing sites across the country already have begun surveillance efforts, according to Amy Kirby of the CDC. Some 250 more are expected to come online in the coming weeks. Fueling the push for wastewater surveillance is researchers' discovery early in the pandemic that some people infected with the coronavirus between 40% and 80%, Kirby said shed the virus' genetic material in their stool. Because increases in virus levels in wastewater generally occur before health officials see increases in cases, Kirby said, the system can serve as an early warning system for coming surges and for new variants. "These data are uniquely powerful because they capture the presence of infections from people with and without symptoms," she said. "And they're not affected by access to health care or availability of clinical testing." The new dashboard, which is updated daily, provides a color-coded look at how virus levels in wastewater have changed in the reporting communities over the previous 15 days. Spencer Perry, a research engineer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the Nebraska partners currently have 20 sampling sites across the state and are looking to add up to half a dozen more. That will give the group at least one site in each of the state's public health districts. "Sometime in the next few weeks, we should have our little net cast across the state," said Perry, who is handling the logistics of the statewide program. Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, professor and chair of civil and environmental engineering at UNL, said most collection sites are at wastewater treatment plants. The group started getting data from Omaha and Lincoln beginning in mid-December. The cities were among those that Bartelt-Hunt and researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center worked with last year to establish the processes needed to conduct wastewater surveillance. The CDC has acknowledged that the national system it launched in September 2020 grew out of grassroots efforts by academic researchers and wastewater utilities. In their latest data, the researchers saw the omicron variant spike and later decline in Omaha and Lincoln. "It really seems like it is a week to 10 days ahead of case data," Bartelt-Hunt said. Also on the list of sampling sites are a couple of Lincoln schools and a location at Eppley Airfield. State health officials suggested the Eppley site, she said, because the UNMC lab that processes the samples can look for variants there. If the researchers opt to look for variants, samples from Eppley might tell them what travelers are bringing or taking with them. And while Nebraska's wastewater data isn't yet publicly available, some of the data has begun to make its way to decision-makers. Researchers earlier this year began sharing some of the data with officials at Nebraska Medicine. Dr. Michael Ash, a Nebraska Medicine vice president, said he had heard about wastewater surveillance from friends and former colleagues in Houston and Missouri, where the data already was being used to help predict and confirm surges and other trends. Ash didn't get the data until after the first of the year. But he said the figures show that the amount of virus in wastewater started increasing right before Christmas and that a large increase followed at the start of the year. Current data shows a 98% reduction since the peak, he said. Ash said the data helped the health system confirm what it was seeing through other measures. Ideally, if the data signals another spike in the future, the health system would have an early warning and be better able to respond and, potentially, be able gauge how bad the surge is going to get. During the omicron surge, the state's hospitals had to juggle staff shortages because of COVID infections along with a surge in COVID patients and those with other ailments. Said Bartelt-Hunt, "It was really great to see how this data will be used more broadly once we get it out to the public." Lincoln-Lancaster Health Director Pat Lopez recently cited declining levels of virus particles in wastewater among the data she is using to guide the department's COVID-19 response. Bartelt-Hunt said one goal for the program is to work with hospitals and others to correlate the wastewater data with other measures, such as seven-day rolling averages of new cases. "I think this is a great thing for the state," she said. "I'm super excited we're doing it." What can occur when COVID turns cruise vacations into nightmarish voyages? Like the twilight zone Unexpected postcruise adventure Stranded in St. Maarten Cruise FAQs Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the average U.S. firm spends the equivalent of 21 percent of its payroll every year just to comply with government regulations. For context, the average manufacturing worker in the United States makes nearly $65,000 per year according to the U.S. Census Bureau and pays an estimated 15.2% of their income back out in federal, state, and local taxes. If Congress attempted to double taxes on working families, it would be front page news. Yet, every year regulations silently reduce employer payrolls by even more, and nothing is said about the cost to workers and small businesses. Regulations play an important role in the health and safety of American workers and help prevent bad actors from putting our workforce and environment at unnecessary risk. However, it is equally important we balance the need for commonsense regulations against the devastating impact too much bureaucracy can have on Americans daily lives. To restore this balance, last week I introduced bipartisan legislation to repeal a regulation which, if enforced, would interfere with patients and their doctors and make it harder for patients in rural areas to access health care when and where they need it most. This little-known Medicare rule requires health care providers at Critical Access Hospitals to certify, upon admission of a patient on Medicare, the patient will not remain an inpatient at the hospital for longer than 96 hours. Hospitals which fail to discharge or transfer such patients before the cut off face non-payment. There are over 60 in-state Critical Access Hospitals Nebraskans rely on for care. While the Trump administration recognized the burden this rule placed on rural hospitals and, under a COVID relief provision, instructed Medicare not to enforce it, it could be restored at any time. Fully repealing this 96-hour rule will ensure seniors can access care and providers can focus on what matters most: caring for sick patients. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of obstructive regulations just like this. This is why I supported President Trumps One in, Two Out executive order (EO) which required two existing regulations be repealed for each new regulation proposed. This executive branch self-check forced federal agencies to carefully deliberate whether a regulation was truly needed and, if so, identify other regulatory burdens they could remove. Much to my disappointment, one of President Bidens first actions the day he took office was to undo One in, Two out. He then proceeded to sign more EOs in his first year than any president since President Ford. According to estimates from the American Action Forum, these EOs added more than $201 billion in regulatory costs and 131 million hours in new paperwork yearly. Doubling down on big government bureaucracy is not how you grow an economy. Fortunately, Congress has a tool at its disposal called the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA allows Congress to take an up or down vote on regulations proposed by the executive branch andif both the House and Senate vote to disapprovethe regulation is nullified even if it has already taken effect. At the beginning of the Trump presidency, Republicans in Congress utilized the CRA to overturn over a dozen rules put forward by President Obama, who said he did not need to work with Congress because he had a pen and phone. In 2015 and 2016, I led the effort in the House to use the CRA to block the EPAs oppressive Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule which sought to unconstitutionally enlarge EPA authority over land and water. After my resolution easily passed both the House and Senate, it was vetoed by President Obama. Much to the relief of farmers and ranchers across the country, in December 2018, President Trumps EPA announced a replacement rule which both honored relevant court decisions and included a more appropriate definition of navigable waterways. Last year, contrary to clear messages sent by the American people, President Bidens EPA proposed a new WOTUS rule. President Biden would be wise to learn from President Obamas mistakes and put down his pen. My preference is always to pursue policy changes through the legislative process, and I will use every tool at my disposal to rein in out-of-control rulemaking. When clients walk into local attorney Dustin McCrarys office, they are usually under stress. After all, McCrary largely deals with divorce, child custody and other stressful situations. However, McCrary has a secret weapon to help those folks through the stressful times in the form of a Boston terrier named Max. Everybody likes a dog, McCrary said, and thats certainly true about Max. Whether its sitting on a clients lap and being petted or just his presence in the room, McCrary said, it helps alleviate some of the stress and anxiety. Becoming a calming presence didnt seem in the cards for Max, at least at first, McCrary said. He and his wife, Katie, brought Max home as a puppy to be a companion for them and their other dog. It was during the early days of COVID and Katie was able to work from home and be with Max a great deal of the time. He was always with Katie, McCrary said. He was not used to being alone. After Katie went back to working from the office, McCrary said, they noticed some behavior that might be a result of separation anxiety. He would urinate and was showing signs of being afraid of people other than Dustin and Katie. A veterinarian suggested anti-anxiety medications for Max but McCrary said that was not an option. I thought theres no way Im doing that, he said. Instead the McCrarys ended up contacting Highland Canine, a dog training facility in northern Iredell County. Max spent six weeks working with a trainer at Highland. He was a new dog from day one, McCrary said. He is so obedient and he isnt all over the place like he was. The trainer suggested Max might gain additional confidence by spending the day at the office with McCrary. He checked with the lawyers that he shares an office with, James Mallory and Pressley Mattox, and they were on board with the idea. McCrary said Max also seems to be thrilled with coming to the office every day. He absolutely loves it. He knows when its time to go to work, he said. McCrary said he starts counting down the minutes until its time to leave, and Max is ready to go. As soon as I go down the steps, hes ready to go out the door, he said. And at the office, at 102 W. Broad St., hes headed toward the door as McCrary gets out of the vehicle. He said clients come into the office dreading the process of divorce and mediation but Max helps allay those fears. McCrary said clients come into the office for divorce proceedings or mediation, which can last several hours, and Max is a comforting presence. Some people want to pet him and others like for him to sit in their laps and pet him. Either way, McCrary said, Max seems to know exactly what people need from him. McCrary recounted one recent mediation session. A client came in nervous about the legal terms of the separation and emotional about the divorce in general. Max, he said, was a great help in calming her nerves by sitting on her lap and resting beside her for nearly eight hours. McCrary said the client told him Max was the best part of the mediation and that she wouldnt have made it through without being able to pet and cuddle him. Max is such a hit that clients look for him. They ask wheres Max, he said. McCrary said the natural conflict that comes with divorce and mediation is eased somewhat by the presence of Max. He said couples that come in disagreeing about nearly everything can usually agree on one thing a desire to pet Max. That gives them something in common, which helps get the discussion off on the right foot, he said. Maxs affinity for his calming presence is not due to any type of formal training. Hes not a trained therapy dog, McCrary said. But he seems to know what to do. Ive seen the effects with my clients, he said. It diffuses the situation and brings the drama down. Not only is McCrary utilizing his pup to help clients deal with the divorce process, hes also written a book to help guide people through it. Lets face it, divorce is tough, he said. McCrary is publishing A Better Divorce and it will be on shelves later this spring. It can be downloaded via Amazon. The book, he said, is a guideline for divorce laws in North Carolina. People can use it as a cursory overview of the process, he said. It tells people what to expect and what the process is like. While the book is intended to help people through the divorce process in a black-and-white manner, Max is there to provide hands-on comfort. And his comforting nature isnt just for the clients, McCrary said. The staff, including McCrary, enjoys having the little guy around. McCrary said seeing Max on his bed or in McCrarys chair relieves some of the stress he and the members of the staff deal with in the office. Hes also proven to be an extension of McCrarys life outside the office during the day. I take him out for walks and he meets new people every day, he said. But its in the office where Max really shines and makes a difference, McCrary said. Hes happy to be here. German engine manufacturer MTU builds diesel engines for ships and is now in trouble because some of their engines have been used in Chinese Type 53D destroyers and Type 39 diesel-electric submarines. This became an issue recently when Thailand revealed that its new Chinese S26T submarines, an export version of the Type 39 being built in China, was going to use MTU engines. This became an issue for MTU because use of their engines in warships was forbidden by sanctions and Thailand was reporting that China was violating those sanctions. China responded by contacting MTU to see if an agreement could be reached to deal with this problem. Legally, there isnt and for now the Thai S26Ts are on hold. This is not a new issue because German media have been reporting this issue since mid-2021 and MTU denied the allegations, insisting that it only supplied diesels for Chinese commercial ships. MTU explained that they do not supply engines for Chinese warships but that some of their maritime diesels are also used for commercial ships and are thus dual-use technology. While technically true, the engines used in warships are distinct variants of the engines used in commercial ships and as early as 2002 another German engine builder posted on its web page site that MTU supplied the Chinese navy with military-grade diesel engines. After MTU established a joint-venture in 2010 with a Chinese engine manufacturer to build MTU maritime diesels in China, the head of the Chinese firm acknowledged that it supplied military versions of the MTU engines for the Chinese navy and coast guard. In an effort to placate Thailand China offered to donate two older Type 35 submarines that are Chinese copies of the Russian Romeo-class subs which were built in China from 1962 to 1984. The Type 35 was an upgrade of the Romeo built from 1974 into the 1990s. These older subs used Russian diesels or Chinese copies. These older subs are less capable than the S26T and more expensive to operate and maintain. Thailand did not feel placated. Russia cut economic and military cooperation with China in 1969 over a border dispute, and those links have never been fully restored because of continued Chinese theft of Russian military technology. Until 1991 Russia was the Soviet Union, a communist state that did not pay much attention to patents and intellectual property rights. After 1991, with the communist state gone, Russia agreed to play by the rules and was able to obtain worldwide patents for some of its best tech. Eventually China did as well, but has become known as a chronic cheat when it comes to other nations patents. Some Western firms go along with this, unofficially, by using the dual-use defense. When you get down to details, that excuse does not work and it is difficult to get around this when a Chinese sub with an MTU engine is being exported to another country. China still does not export military equipment containing too much Russian technology that Russia refused to give China permission to use. Dual-use technology exports to nations sanctioned from receiving military versions has always been a problem. In the 1980s a German firm sold Iran technology to build an insecticide plant, which the Iranians promptly modified to manufacture nerve gas. That was simple to do because many insecticides are nerve gas optimized to kill insects. It is not difficult to modify that to produce a similar insecticide that kills mammals. Washington state and Cowlitz County are offering free online training to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses. The nine-week online course includes live instruction, as well as self-paced work that can be accessed anytime, including after the course is completed. The Washington State Department of Commerce says the class usually costs $1,599, but is free for Washington state businesses through 2022 thanks to the department in partnership with the Cowlitz Economic Development Council. Learn more at scaleupwashington.org. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Capitol Dispatch is a weekly politics feature focusing on the actions of our local representatives during the 2022 legislative session. It will run every Sunday during the session. The years legislative session passed yet another benchmark this week as it rumbles toward the early March end date. Feb. 15 was the deadline for bills to get voted out of the chamber they originated in. Anything that didnt get a vote in time is off the table for the rest of the session for the most part. I never pronounce anything dead, Sen. Jeff Wilson said. There are miraculous ways through seances and Frankensteined maneuvers to bring back bills. For example, Wilsons Senate Bill 5495 bill addressing catalytic converter thefts did not receive a floor vote before the cutoff. However, a catalytic converter bill from Rep. Cindy Ryu passed the House on Feb. 12. Differing elements from the Wilson version could be added as amendments or substitutions as it begins moving through the Senate. A bill heavily supported by Gov. Jay Inslee to criminalize false statements by elected officials about election outcomes appears to be kaput after not getting a Senate vote. The Senate did approve bills making it a felony to threaten or harass election workers and limiting the use of synthetic media such as deep-fake videos during campaigns. The outcome of the effort to rein in the governors emergency powers remained a point of contention after the cutoff. Senate Bill 5909 passed the day of the cutoff and would allow emergency declarations to be ended by the Legislature after 90 days. After pushing for emergency power reform for nearly two years, Senate Republicans largely voted against the proposed bill. Senators said the measure would not actually change anything because it required all four major legislative leaders to agree on any changes. Two of Southwest Washingtons Republican members of the House felt the same result would happen as the measure arrived in their chamber. We should have the default be that executive powers and orders should terminate at a certain date, and its up to the Legislature to put together any response that remains, Rep. Ed Orcutt said. Workers comp debate stretches past midnight Among the final measures that made it through the House was a bill that expanded workers compensation claims for ergonomic injuries. Debate on the bill started in Mondays session and lasted into the early hours of Tuesday morning. It ended up passing 50-48. The bills proponents said information about the cost of not regulating those injuries and methods to prevent them had advanced over the last 20 years. Rep. Jim Walsh said the major objection to the bill was that it overturned a 2003 voter initiative which had explicitly prevented the Department of Labor & Industries from regulating these types of work-related injuries. I am not opposed on principle to an ergonomic standard but I am opposed to overturning the will of the people, as expressed in an initiative, Walsh said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Amid the many unknowns at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became quickly apparent that elderly people and those with underlying health conditions were at higher risk of severe illness and death from the virus. In the past two years, the virus spread and changed, putting everyone at some level of risk. But many people who are in greater danger of hospitalization or death may not consider themselves in that category, said Dr. Steve Krager, Cowlitz County deputy health officer. People may have a narrow idea about who is at high risk because of how the pandemic began in the United States, with deadly outbreaks at Puget Sound nursing homes, Krager said. I think in general theres a misperception that only really fragile people who are elderly with multiple medical conditions are at risk, but weve found thats just not the case, he said. Those older and with more conditions are more at risk but that doesnt mean youre not at risk if youre at a lower end of the spectrum. Downplaying the risks because they mostly affect a certain group of people dismisses the danger and loss they face, Krager said. Where is our compassion for even the people that we all recognize as higher risk? he said. Who is at risk? The Center for Disease Control and Preventions list of nearly two dozen risk factors includes rare diseases such as HIV or tuberculosis, as well as more common problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart conditions. Poor mental health, smoking, and drug abuse also increase the danger from COVID-19. The chance of you knowing someone or you, yourself, having at least one of these is really high, Krager said. Thats true throughout the U.S., but is more true in Cowlitz County and explains a little bit of why weve seen higher death rates of COVID-19. Cowlitz County Health and Human Services estimates more than half of the adults in the county are overweight or obese, making them more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. The county has above-average rates of other conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and smoking, according to the state Department of Health. Census data shows Cowlitz County had a higher population of people 65 years old and older and those with disabilities than the state average, according to the American Community Survey. The Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washingtons client base has changed over the last 10 to 15 years to include more younger disabled clients and clients who are dealing with mental health problems, said Mike Reardon, director. About 40% of the agencys clients are younger than 60 years old but require some in-home assistance to remain independent, he said. Leading cause of death The county health department doesnt have complete enough data on underlying conditions among cases and hospitalizations to draw conclusions, said Stefanie Donahue, communications manager. People do not respond to attempts to contact them, do not want to share information and a high caseload often exceeds staff capacity, she said. The department has more confidence in its death data because public health nurses review the medical charts of each person who dies from COVID-19 and thoroughly document their health history, Donahue said. About one in five COVID-19 deaths among Cowlitz County residents were associated with a long-term care facility, according to the health department. More than 95% of the countys COVID deaths as of Feb. 17 had at least one underlying condition. People 65 and older made up 67% of the countys total COVID-19 deaths from 2020 and 2021. About 10% of deaths were among people 49 and younger, and Cowlitz County has not recorded any COVID-19 deaths among children. Krager said its likely some county residents who died of COVID thought of themselves as fairly healthy but were at a higher risk for reasons that may not have been obvious to them. Most of Cowlitz Countys COVID-19 deaths occurred in 2021, with 257 recorded so far, compared to 31 in 2020, according to the health department. More than half of the 288 deaths recorded in 2020 and 2021 happened during the delta wave in August through October. COVID-19 will be the second or third leading cause of death in Cowlitz County in 2021, behind cancer and/or heart disease, Krager said. For residents 35- to 49-years-old, COVID overtook unintentional injuries as the leading cause of death last year, Krager said. Usually about 10 of the 45 deaths per year in that age group are from injuries. In 2021, 23 residents in that group died from COVID-19. A loss of compassion Older adults with medical conditions or disabilities are at higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, according to the CDC. Stating this as a good thing devalues people in this group, according to disability-focused organizations. In January, nearly 150 organizations, including the American Association of People with Disabilities and The Arc of the United States, sent a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky following her comments on the results of a research study in which deaths among vaccinated people were mostly those who had four or more comorbidities. Even in full context, describing the deaths of people with four or more comorbidities as encouraging because they were unwell to begin with encapsulates the exact problem that we, people with disabilities and our family members and allies, have faced the entire pandemic: The public health response to COVID-19 has treated people with disabilities as disposable, the organizations wrote in the letter. Considering the risk for those populations as not a big deal is frustrating to many health professionals, Krager said. Why are we not valuing people who are elderly or have medical conditions? he said. It seems like a loss of compassion for those who are most vulnerable. Some may want to think that they and people they know are not at high risk, when thats likely not the case, Krager said. People may also be tired of mandates and restrictions, but from a public health perspective a much larger group than people realize is written off, he said. Cowlitz County residents need to take a better look at themselves and those around them to understand who may truly be at higher risk, Krager said. Many people at high risk are vaccinated, better protecting them from severe illness and death, but some immunocompromised people cannot be vaccinated or dont respond strongly to the vaccine, Krager said. The idea that everyone will get COVID-19 or should become infected to gain immunity gambles with severe disease and long-term effects, Krager said. Some people infected with COVID-19 can experience ongoing symptoms for weeks or months, according to the CDC. Studies have found a significant number of people with chronic fatigue, and some with changes in cognition, Krager said. That works if you survive the infection, which yes, a lot of people will, but what weve learned a lot more about is long-term symptoms of COVID and potential effects on the body, he said. Its frankly scary to me what we may be looking like in the longer term. Krager said although the long-term picture is unclear, its not necessarily true everyone will get COVID-19. Even if infection becomes more inevitable, postponing it for as long as possible likely will give someone a better chance of getting a medicine that works at preventing all side effects, he said. Everyone can take steps to reduce their own risk, but Krager said he worries for people with less control over their environment. When considering precautions like wearing a mask or getting vaccinated, Krager encouraged people to look outside ourselves a little sometimes. Safety and precautions Throughout the pandemic, Life Works was forced to rethink safety. The Longview-based organization provides services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including operating residential homes. The biggest hurdle weve had is keeping people safe, as safe as they can be, from the virus, especially when it first began not knowing exactly what was happening, said Wendy Keegan, director of development. The organization added protocols for employees, including masking and going through a checklist before they step foot in the facility, Keegan said. Keegan said she worries about staff getting sick outside work or spreading the virus. Since the organization cant control what staff do on their own time, it has tried to ensure they are closely following protocols at work, she said. As many people are gearing up for lifting of restrictions, those at higher risk or who care for those populations will continue to take more precautions. Reardon, Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities director, said a percentage of clients, mostly older with underlying conditions, wont go to the store or out to lunch because of the risk. The pandemic has made it difficult for families to see loved ones living at Life Works facilities because of limitations to prevent virus spread, said Keegan. Staff became much better at Zoom and got creative, meeting families in the park or doing drive-bys, she said. Some folks we serve definitely miss being out in the community like they once were because were keeping them healthy and theyre at higher risk for not just COVID but anything, she said. Keegan said the mask mandate and other restrictions are likely to continue for Life Works and similar settings even as they lift for most public spaces. Everybody has the potential to get this even if vaccinated, she said. Everybodys just got to take care of themselves and do the best they can to keep themselves healthy. Were the stewards of these peoples health and just have to do what we can. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Want to indulge your love of chocolate while supporting chocolate producers with sustainable practices? Check out these seven companies offering delicious, eco-friendly and ethically produced treats. Two-time recipient of best-in-world recognition at the Cocoa of Excellence Awards in Paris, France, Lydgate Farms is not only producing some of the nations most delicious chocolate, but theyre doing it in an environmentally-focused and socioeconomically-conscientious way. Fifth-generation farmers hailing on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the brother and sister duo uses organic fertilizers and regenerative practices to grow sustainable cacao trees. Chocolove makes organic and Fair Trade-certified chocolates with cocoa beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified farmers. The Colorado-based companys products are also made with GMO-free, kosher and gluten-free ingredients. A member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Chocolove is also dedicated to minimizing palm oil cultivation. Theos bean-to-bar business model includes annual third-party verifications, stable pricing and business-impact transparency. Founded in 2005, Theo was the first organic, Fair for Life-certified chocolate maker in North America and continues to advocate for the use of sustainable and healthy ingredients. Redefining quality and sustainability standards in the chocolate industry, bean-to-bar chocolate maker Beyond Good works directly with cacao farmers, cutting out the middlemen. This approach provides 100% transparency in the chocolate-making process and allows farmers to earn significantly more money. The company sources and produces chocolate in Madagascar and has started developing a supply chain in Uganda. Beyond Goods products are Direct Trade-certified, USDA Organic, kosher, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free and soy-free. A Fairtrade-certified company, Endangered Species supports independent cacao farmers and their families in West Africa by paying Fairtrade premiums for cacao harvests. And with a commitment to supporting conservation efforts around the world, the company donates 10% of their annual net profits to organizations like the National Forest Foundation and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. All of Endangered Species products are certified gluten-free, Non-GMO, kosher and Green-e made, and the majority are also vegan-certified. Stone-ground organic cacao beans are at the heart of Tazas unrefined, minimally processed, organic products. The company maintains in-person relationships with growers and adheres to environmental and fair labor practices. Taza Chocolates is a Direct Trade business and publishes an annual transparency report. Honeymoon Chocolates was founded in 2016 and specializes in bean-to-bar craft chocolate sweetened solely with raw honey. The brand was started because the founders, Cam and Haley, wanted to help stop the decline of honeybees in America and address the decreasing supply of cacao nationwide. (Cam and Haley also wanted to help consumers to remove refined sugar from their favorite foods. You gotta love that!) Not only does Honeymoon give a portion of its proceeds to support honeybee research, it also purchases directly from beekeepers, which allows it to support apiarists and local economies. Another reason we love Honeymoon? Its packaging is 100% compostable which includes sugar cane labels and sustainable paper stock wrappers. Get Honeymoon Chocolates in the Feast and Field Shop: The Brazos County Master Gardener spring plant sale is set for March 26 at the Brazos County Extension Office, 4153 County Park Court in Bryan. The sale, from 8 to 11 a.m., will include native plants, perennials, shrubs, herbs, vegetables and bulbs. All plants are suited for growing conditions in the Brazos Valley. For more information, email brazosmg@brazosmg.com. SUNDAY EVENTS Hands-On History, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Museum of the American GI, 19124 Texas 6 in College Station. Fund and educational activities for children of all ages, including a behind-the-scenes look at the museums historical weapons collection. Living historians will be on hand to provide a tour of Gen. Pattons mobile headquarters. Adult admission is $7; children are $5; seniors and military service members and veterans are $6. The Wizard of Oz, 2 p.m. performances at The Theatre Co., 3125 S. Texas Ave., Suite 500 in Bryan. Tickets are $10 to $20. theatrecompany.com. Silent Sky, noon at Sunny Furman Theatre, 104 W. Washington Ave. in Navasota. Tickets are $14 for adults, $7 for children, and $12 for students and seniors. go.theeagle.com/sky. Now and Then, 4 p.m. at Unity Theatre, 300 Church St. in Brenham. Tickets are $27; student tickets are $15. unitybrenham.org. Jeeves Takes a Bow, 2 p.m. at StageCenter Community Theatre, 218 N. Bryan Ave. in Downtown Bryan. Tickets are $15; student and senior tickets are $12. stagecenter.net. Grief Share, 4 to 5:45 p.m. in the Peace Lutheran Church library, 2201 Rio Grande Blvd. in College Station. A weekly support group that provides help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, family member or friend. There is no cost. Email rhonda@peacelutheranbcs.org for more information. Focus Weekend Hauling with Oxen, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Barrington Living History Farm at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park. Learn how early Texas settlers used a team of oxen to help drag logs to split for firewood. Adult admission is $8. Turkey shoot, 1 to 4 p.m. at Bottlenecks, 1789 F.M. 60 in Deanville. $60 entry fee for 10 money rounds with 12 or 20 gauge shells. Dart tournament, starting at 4 p.m. at Bottlenecks, 1789 F.M. 60 in Deanville. LIVE MUSIC Element Jazz Trio, 7 to 10 p.m. at Luigis Patio Ristorante, 3975 Texas 6 in College Station. Ricky Montijo, 2 to 5 p.m. at Brazos Valley Brewing Co., 206 S. Jackson St. in Brenham. Free. Food will be available for purchase. Guthrie Jones, 2 to 5 p.m. at West Sandy Creek Winery, 1773 F.M. 1791 in Richards. Free. Kyle Mathis, 2 to 5 p.m. at Threshold Vineyards, 14615 County Road 318 at Texas 6, south of Navasota. Free admission. 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. 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. In Actuality: Social Realism and Its Legacy, through April 10 at the Forsyth Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The exhibit features more than 40 images by nine photographers, highlighting their contribution to the social realism movement. 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/inactuality. Pulped Under Pressure: The Art of Handmade Paper, through March 20 at the J. Wayne Stark Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The exhibit features art with traditional papermaking at its core. 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/pulped. Soon after Buddy and Jeane McGown first met in 1950, Jeane had long-term plans for the both of them. Buddy was 25 and Jeane 20 when they met in Mexia, Texas. Jeane met Buddys mother at a wedding soon after and got to know each other well. Later his mother said he should meet Jeane, and the next week Jeane was invited to go dancing with Buddy and his family in Waco. We had a wonderful time dancing, I thought Buddy was wonderful, Jeane said. That night when I came home I told my sister, Ive met the man I am going to marry, he just doesnt know it yet. Come June, the pair will have been married 72 years. Being in love is when you want to be with that person all the time; you dont care about the rest of the world and you just want to be with them, Buddy, 97, said. When they met, Buddy had been dating a young woman for a couple of weeks, while Jeane was in a five-year relationship. We really talked a lot that night while we were out dancing. I had in my mind all along the kind of person I wanted to marry. He was handsome, but that wasnt the main thing, Jeane said. I wanted somebody that was a close family person, a Christian, and I always said he didnt have to be rich but I wanted him to be ambitious, and he was. She said yes to another date even though she had a date with her boyfriend the following day. On their fifth date, only eight days after they met, Buddy proposed to Jeane and she said yes. However, before Jeane went out with him again, she had to let her current boyfriend know she was ending their relationship. She wrote him a letter and he understood, and they went their separate ways, she said. She felt in heart she was meant to be with Buddy. Buddy said he knew Jeane was meant for him, too. After meeting Jeane, he visited his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend and turned his class ring around to where the band was showing on the outside, and told her he couldnt date her anymore because he was getting married. Buddy and Jeane soon moved to Denton and then later to Bryan after the wedding. They have two children, Karen and Michael; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren with one more on the way. The couple have been Bryan residents for the last 50 years, and currently live in Arbor Oaks at Crestview retirement community. They both served as educators for Bryan ISD. Buddy grew up in Mexia and wanted to fly planes. At the age of 16 he graduated high school and took a job at an airport and was able to pay for flight lessons. He attended Sam Houston State University in 1941 and during that time enlisted in the military. He was in school during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and knew he was going to be drafted so he wanted to enlist as as Air Force pilot. He was unable to join at the time because his eyesight was not strong enough. However, he enlisted in the Army infantry when he turned 18 and served three years as a machine gunner, and radio and Jeep operator. He was discharged in March 1946, and then completed his bachelors degree in music the following year. He attended Texas A&M University and graduated with his masters degree in school administration. During his career in Bryan, he served as a band director for 13 years at Stephen F. Austin High School. The high school is currently the Administration Building which is connected to the SFA Middle School. He later served as a principal for two Bryan elementary schools, Bonham and Henderson; and served as an assistant superintendent and director of personnel for BISD. He took his schools marching band to march in three Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. I remember seeing the crowds fill the streets and surround the band as we played and marched. It makes me emotional when I remember everyone cheering around us, Here comes that great Texas band! Buddy said. His students still keep in touch with him over the years and he is fondly remembered. As a principal he said he made sure his teachers were taken care of. I would have rocking chairs placed in the restrooms of my schools so the teachers would be able to take a break when they needed it, he said. During faculty meetings I made sure everyone had a Coke to drink at their seat. I had high expectations of them to be great teachers and they were. Jeane, now 92, grew up in Hubbard, Texas, and knew as a young child that she wanted to be a teacher. I always felt it was my calling to become a teacher, she said. At 20, she graduated from the Texas Womens University in Denton with a degree in business. After graduation she started to teach in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Later she started teaching at SFA High School where she taught typing, shorthand, business and accounting. Buddy and I would host open houses for our students and have them come over and we would cook dinner and it was always really special, she said. She raised two children while teaching, and later attended Baylor University in Waco where she received her masters degree in elementary education in 1957. Many of her students over the years kept in touch with her, and this Valentines Day she received a letter and box of chocolates from one of her former students, an 86-year-old attorney. It was so beautiful to see that one of my students reached out to me. All of my students over the years meant so much to me. Bryan ISD is such a great district and has such wonderful schools. I was so happy to teach here and be a part of this town, she said. In 1986, Buddy and Jeane retired together. Buddy continued flying planes until he turned 91. He and Jeane bought two planes, a 140 and 170 Cessna aircraft. Buddy took Jeane on many trips, and he said he enjoyed being able to fulfill his flying dream. This Valentines Day, the couple shared a special card in which Buddy wrote to his wife, I hope you have enjoyed this marriage as much as I have. Jeane said she has because she knew the moment she met him he was the one. They both agreed that marriage can be difficult and has its ups and downs, but they never went to bed without saying they loved each other and sharing a kiss, Jeane said. It is a commitment and there are things that arent going to go right every day, but you know it is the next day, she said. Dont let something little destroy something that has been great. Buddy advised young people who are in love and want to go after their special person to take their time and not rush into anything. Dont wait and take eight days like I did, he said. Take nine days. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Clute, TX (77531) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 76F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 76F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Nebraskas Natural Resources Districts celebrate 50 years in 2022. With more river miles than any state, the sandhill crane migration, the deepest depths of the Ogallala Aquifer, and the one-of-a-kind Nebraska Sandhills, its no wonder that Nebraskans are longtime conservation leaders. In March 1935, a gritty cloud of midwestern topsoil hovered over Washington, D.C., as legislators were preparing to discuss soil conservation. The Great Depression and Dust Bowl were raging, and Americans were suffering. Within weeks, Congress enacted the Soil Conservation Act and directed the secretary of agriculture to establish the Soil Conservation Service to implement the legislation. In 1949, Nebraska became the first state west of the Mississippi River to merge all its counties into Soil Conservation Districts the predecessors of todays NRDs. Decades later the Unicameral passed LB1357 and Gov. Norbert Tiemann signed Nebraskas NRDs into existence. The nations first Natural Resources Districts organized along watershed boundaries instead of political boundaries began operating on July 1, 1972. Not everyone agreed with the creation of the NRD system. Court challenges questioning the constitutionality of the NRD law continued until 1974 when a ruling from the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the legislation. Twenty-three NRDs serve Nebraskans statewide today. The 7,932-square-mile Lower Loup NRD is Nebraskas largest, stretching from the Sandhills 156 miles to just east of Columbus. Along the way it includes all or parts of 16 counties including Hall, Howard, Merrick, Buffalo, Greeley, Nance and Sherman. Whether they are knee-deep in a wetland teaching children why wildlife needs clean water, or helping with high school land judging contests, each NRDs Information and Education professionals know ecosystems benefit when youngsters learn about conservation. Conservation education helps students understand and appreciate our natural resources and offers information on how to conserve those resources now and for future generations, said Larry Schultz, the Lower Loup NRDs information and education coordinator. NRDs also develop and manage fish and wildlife habitat, and parks and recreational facilities. Outdoorsy types can explore more than 80 recreational areas, parks, trails, lakes and wildlife management areas owned by Nebraskas NRDs. The NRDs often use the creation of flood control structures, sediment control activities, or wetland renovation projects as opportunities to create or expand recreational opportunities for the public. Regionally, the Central Platte NRD owns sandhill crane viewing sites near Alda and Gibbon and maintains hiking paths around B-1 Reservoir near Lexington. Davis Creek Recreation Area near North Loup and Pibel Lake Recreation Area in Wheeler County are both owned and operated by the Lower Loup NRD, as well as an 11-acre arboretum with a paved walking trail adjacent to the NRDs headquarters building in Ord. Learn more about Nebraskas Natural Resources Districts and recreation areas at nrdnet.org/recreation. KEARNEY Nebraska high schoolers can win cash prizes and college scholarships during a statewide business pitch competition. The University of Nebraska at Kearneys Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development is accepting entries for its second annual Big Idea Nebraska High School Competition. Open to students in grades nine through 12, the virtual event is an opportunity to learn more about entrepreneurship and business resources while competing for up to $2,000. To enter, students must create a two-minute video pitching their business idea and upload it to YouTube, then submit the URL at unk.edu/bigidea. Entries do not have to be complete business models, but they should include: A description of the product or service, what problem it solves, the target audience and how it might be made available to customers The submission deadline is March 1. There is no cost to participate. The top 10 finalists, determined by a panel of expert judges, will present their ideas at 9:30 a.m. March 30 during a virtual event livestreamed on Zoom. That event is open to the public. After judges narrow the final group to five contestants, the online audience will vote to determine the winners, who receive $1,000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third. The cash prize winners will also receive matching scholarships to UNK. Fifty high schoolers participated in the inaugural Big Idea Nebraska High School Competition, with students from Omaha, Red Cloud and Wayne winning the top prizes. This years event is sponsored by the UNK College of Business and Technology, Nebraska Public Power District, Omaha Public Power District, Black Hills Energy and Metropolitan Utilities District. For more information or to request assistance with an entry, contact Aliese Hoffman at 308-865-8199 or hoffmanal2@unk.edu. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Darko Horvat (L), Croatian minister of Construction, leaves home accompanied by police in Donja Dubrava, Croatia, on Feb. 19, 2022. Horvat was arrested on Saturday for suspected abuse of power when he was minister of economy in 2018. (Vjeran Zganec Rogulja/PIXSELL via Xinhua) ZAGREB, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Croatia's Minister of Construction Darko Horvat was arrested on Saturday for suspected abuse of power when he was minister of economy in 2018. Following the arrest, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic held an impromptu news conference and called on the Office of the State Attorney General (DORH) to explain the case in greater detail. "I expect the DORH to inform the public why it is so urgent to arrest the minister," Plenkovic said, urging the DORH to provide supporting evidence for its unusual move. "We will examine this topic in detail, and I expect the State Attorney's Office, which alone knows what this is about, to explain the haste," Plenkovic said. "At the moment, this move seems disproportionate to me, but I am sure they are taking care to work legally," Plenkovic added. Plenkovic acknowledged that if a minister gets arrested, he or she cannot remain in the post. Alongside Horvat, Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milosevic and former Minister of Agriculture Tomislav Tolusic also face criminal investigations, according to local media. Concerned about soil conditions surrounding underground fuel storage tanks at a former Shell station, Lamar County Commissioners Court on Monday again stalled on a contract to purchase about 7 acres at 2805 N. Main St. but were in agreement for the need of a roughly $4.5 million facility for a backup emergency operations center/ classroom, office space and storage facility. You voted: CHICAGO - A little-known provision in Illinois sweeping criminal justice reform legislation is sowing chaos in the race for Cook County sheriff, with at least two would-be challengers to incumbent Tom Dart furious over the prospect that they could be deemed ineligible to run. Tucked into the end of the 700-page bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February 2021, the new law that went into effect this year requires all candidates for sheriff to be certified law enforcement officers, starting this year. Sitting sheriffs are exempt. But at least two of Darts potential challengers fellow Democrat Carmen Navarro Gercone and Chris McCluster, who says he hasnt decided if hell seek to run with a party affiliation are worried. They fear that even if they secure the required number of signatures in candidate petitions, the law could unfairly knock them off the ballot because they are trained correctional officers, which are considered distinct from certified law-enforcement officers. In a statement, Darts campaign distanced himself from the new rule. Sheriff Dart was not aware this new law was being considered or that it was introduced, the statement says. He only became aware of it when reviewing the lengthy legislation after it was passed and signed into law. It was a surprise to him and he has always welcomed competition and believes deeply in the democratic process. Were he not grandfathered in, Dart himself would not have qualified to be sheriff under the new provision, except that state records show he received a law enforcement certification late last year, after the new law was signed. Dart, whos held the office since 2006, formerly was a prosecutor, a state lawmaker and chief of staff to former sheriff Michael Sheahan. Navarro Gercone, now a top official at the Cook County Circuit Court Clerks office, first rose to the rank of first assistant executive director under Dart, overseeing 1,300 employees in courthouse security, evictions and other operations. She has served as a sergeant, lieutenant and assistant chief at the sheriffs department before that. But she has never worked as a certified police officer, and now shes concerned she wont make it on the June 28 primary ballot. From the start of my campaign for Cook County Sheriff, I have been shocked by the antics of machine politics, Navarro Gercone wrote in a statement to the Tribune. They seem to deny the fact that voters are terrified by the violence in our communities and are desperate for change. Instead, they are actively working together to ensure that voters do not have a choice on the ballot. The law says a sheriff must have completed a law enforcement officer training course that meets the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Boards requirements or the equivalent at another state or the federal government. Though Navarro Gercone is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, that does not qualify as a law enforcement certificate, according to the board. Both Navarro Gercone and McCluster said they have sent out a flurry of messages to leaders in Springfield, including the crime bills sponsors, but have received no explanation. One of the chief sponsors of the legislation, state Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, told the Tribune that the provision in the bill was more to honor the wishes of the Illinois Sheriffs Association. But he said there have been several questions, which I think to be honest with you need to be sorted out. I think (one) sort of question ... that has surfaced is, how do you get this training? Do you have to apply to a police department and get through the stages of applying and then get the training? said Slaughter. Me, personally, I have gotten some questions posed to me about that. But Slaughter acknowledged that its not unusual for the legislature to revisit omnibus bills, like the criminal justice package, that were signed into law to see whether there are any changes that need to be made. Well continue to monitor how this is going to play, Slaughter said. Essentially, this is sort of the first election cycle when that provision becomes paramount. In fact, one proposal sitting in an Illinois Senate committee would amend the law to exempt counties whose population is above 3 million, which would apply only to Cook County. Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the states sheriffs association, said his organization has lobbied for such a provision for years and worked with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to get it baked into the criminal justice reform bill, a package that the association does not support as a whole. Most people have the expectation that a sheriff is a cop, Kaitschuk said, declining to comment on the specifics of the controversy in Cook County. Im certainly not trying to take anything away from people that work in corrections because they obviously have a significant role but the way the law is is the way the law is at this point in time. Raoul spokeswoman Annie Thompson said the offices priority was to improve police certification and agreed to the language of the provision at the request of the sheriffs association. In Cook County, correctional officers far outnumber certified cops within the sheriffs department, which runs Cook County Jail. Under the 2022 budget, there are at least 500 positions for police officers and 3,900 for deputies, most of which are correctional officers assigned to the jail, while others handle courthouse security. Howard Buffett, the son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, ended his campaign last year for sheriff of Macon County in central Illinois, citing the changing qualifications, despite holding the office previously without police bonafides. His case, however, was marred in controversy when it was revealed the training and standards board granted Buffett a certification after he had donated millions of dollars to police training efforts. Brent Fischer, who headed the agency at the time, was fired over those revelations. In Cook County, McCluster, a correctional lieutenant at the Illinois Department of Corrections Stateville prison, said he almost gave up his bid to unseat Dart in January after learning of the new law. McCluster ultimately decided to pursue a run because he believed there was still a chance the criminal justice legislation with the provision gets repealed a longshot possibility. In the meantime, McCluster said, theres one way Dart can be part of the solution: Dont use the new law to quash his opponents. If he wants a healthy competition, dont challenge the bid, McCluster said. Because I know that Carmens going to keep running. Im going to keep running. In response to a Tribune question on whether Dart will utilize the new law during petition objections, the incumbents campaign responded: The General Assembly passes hundreds of laws a year and we are required to follow them. Their argument is with the General Assembly, not Sheriff Dart. Jeremy Gorner reported from Springfield. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON The American agricultural industry posted its highest annual export levels ever recorded in 2021, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced. The final 2021 trade data published by the Department of Commerce show that exports of U.S. farm and food products to the world totaled $177 billion, topping the 2020 total by 18% and eclipsing the previous record, set in 2014, by 14.6%. These record-breaking trade numbers demonstrate that U.S. agriculture is incredibly resilient as it continues to provide high-quality, cost-competitive farm and food products to customers around the globe and that the Biden-Harris Administrations agenda is working for American farmers and producers, Vilsack said. This is a major boost for the economy as a whole, and particularly for our rural communities, with agricultural exports stimulating local economic activity, helping maintain our competitive edge globally, supporting producers bottom lines, and supporting more than 1.3 million jobs on the farm and in related industries such as food processing and transportation. The United States top 10 export markets all saw gains in 2021, with six of the 10 China, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, the Philippines and Colombia setting new records. Worldwide exports of many U.S. products, including soybeans, corn, beef, pork, dairy, distillers grains and pet food, also reached all-time highs. China remained the top export destination, with a record $33 billion in purchases, up 25 percent from 2020, while Mexico inched ahead of Canada to capture the number two position with a record $25.5 billion, up 39 percent from last year. Its clear that our international trading partners are responding favorably to a return to certainty from the United States, Vilsack said. We owe our thanks to Americas agricultural producers who always work hard to be reliable global suppliers and the Biden-Harris administration and USDA are fighting hard on their behalf to keep our home-grown products moving around the world. Were strengthening relationships with our trading partners and holding those partners accountable for their commitments. "Were addressing transportation and infrastructure challenges through the work of the Administrations Supply Chain Task Force and calling out ocean carriers that are putting profits above their responsibility to serve both importers and exporters. And were expanding opportunities for agricultural exports by knocking down trade barriers and partnering with industry on marketing and promotion efforts worldwide. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES, Iowa Without much fuss and even less public attention, the nation's egg producers are in the midst of a multibillion-dollar shift to cage-free eggs that is dramatically changing the lives of millions of hens in response to new laws and demands from restaurant chains. In a decade, the percentage of hens in cage-free housing has soared from 4% in 2010 to 28% in 2020, and that figure is expected to more than double to about 70% in the next four years. The change marks one of the animal welfare movement's biggest successes after years of battles with the food industry. The transition has cost billions of dollars for producers who initially resisted calls for more humane treatment of chickens but have since fully embraced the new reality. Pushed by voter initiatives in California and other states as well as pressure from fast food restaurant chains and major grocers, egg producers are freeing chickens from cages and letting them move throughout hen houses. "What we producers failed to realize early on was that the people funding all the animal rights activist groups, they were our customers. And at the end of the day, we have to listen to our customers," said Marcus Rust, the CEO of Indiana-based Rose Acre Farms, the nation's second-largest egg producer. Josh Balk, vice president for farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States, noted the abruptness of the about-face. This is "an entire industry that at one point fought tooth and nail not to make any changes," he said. To a great extent, the industry concluded it didn't have another choice. Beginning in about 2015, McDonald's, Burger King and other national restaurant chains as well as dozens of grocers and food manufacturers responded to pressure from animal welfare groups by announcing their commitment to cage-free eggs. That was followed by laws requiring cage-free housing in California and similar rules in at least seven other states Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. McDonald's, which buys about 2 billion eggs annually, said it gradually shifted to cage-free after concluding it was wanted by customers. Many companies widely promoted their move to cage-free as good for their brand's image. Earlier, animal welfare groups, especially the Humane Society, had organized shareholder campaigns, conducted undercover investigations of chicken farms and filed federal complaints. A Gallup poll from 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of Americans thought animals deserved protection from harm and exploitation. Animal rights groups have made allowing animals room to move a priority in their campaigns but the results have been mixed. The pork industry is fighting to block the California initiative that required more space for breeding pigs and veal calves, and a state judge recently delayed implementation of new rules. The egg industry also initially sought national standards that would allow larger cages but ultimately relented, said J. T. Dean, president of Iowa-based Versova, a leading egg producer. Egg companies house about 325 million laying hens, so shifting many out of cages where they couldn't move and into spaces where they could walk and roost was an expensive proposition, Dean said. Besides building structures with more space, companies had to figure out how to feed birds that could move about and how to collect their eggs. More workers and more feed were also needed because hens moving around would work up more of an appetite. The key, said Dean, was getting long-term commitments for guaranteed buyers of eggs at a higher price and then finding financing that would work for his company. "When you start talking about needing billions of dollars, you have to try every avenue you can," Dean said. The exact cost of the switch on egg producers is hard to estimate, in part because some updating of buildings and equipment is done periodically anyway. The cost to people at grocery stores is clearer. Jayson Lusk, who heads the Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University, found that after a mandatory shift on Jan. 1 to cage-free in California, the price of a dozen eggs in the state jumped by 72 cents or 103% over the average U.S. price, although the gap could shrink as the market adapts. At Des Moines' Gateway Market, which specializes in organic and specialty food, shoppers said they think it's worth paying more for eggs if it improves lives for hens. "I feel as though I want the chicken to be happy," said Mary Skinner, of Des Moines. "How would we feel if we were stuck in a cage?" Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Calhoun County will be replacing its heating, ventilation and cooling system at its administration office building. The county is contracting with The Greenway Group to spend $228,880 for the project. Calhoun County Council unanimously approved the contract on Feb. 14. The new units are expected to be installed within the coming weeks. "We got this budgeted," Calhoun County Administrator John McLauchlin told council. "We knew we were going to have problems. We have been having problems for the last several years. We have been accumulating this budget to try to take care of this." The project includes the installation of five 4-ton units and five 4-1/2 ton units of a LG Multimax split heat pump system. The contract will include removing the current system and installing the new one, McLauchlin said. The majority of the current units for the building have been in place since the middle 1980s, McLauchlin said. "We have had to switch out some parts and pieces through the years but for the most part, this is the original," McLauchlin said. McLauchlin said the county has gone through the state's energy office vetting process to ensure the matter is handled appropriately. McLauchlin thanked county staff for "hanging in there with us" during the hot summers and cold winters as the aged HVAC system struggled. The transition to the new system is expected to be relatively seamless. "We feel like it is going to last longer and actually be more comfortable to employees and citizens coming in and out of the the building," McLauchlin said. "You can set up different zones." McLauchlin said the project will "definitely" mean savings due to the more modern and energy-efficient units. He said a dollar amount in savings has not been determined, but the matter will be researched and information provided to council. In other matters, South Carolina Association of Counties Risk Manager Van Henson presented the county a plaque recognizing it as the first runner-up for 2021-22 "Best Experience Modifier Rate" of .58. The county received the award at a recent statewide meeting of the South Carolina Association of Counties. Henson explained the experience modifier rate is a formula used to look at a county's historical cost of injuries and future risk chances. Henson said the county's expected workers compensation premium loss is 1.00, which means that the county's .58 modifier rate is 42% lower than expected workers compensation premium losses. "Anything below a 1 is a great job," Henson said. "To be that significant amount below is astonishing." Hanson said due to its rate, the county saw a 42% savings in insurance premiums, which correlates to about $102,000. "Calhoun County can do a lot more with $102,000 rather than pay insurance premiums," Henson said. "Safety does pay." "It shows the dedication as far as staying ahead of these key programs in place mitigating hazards and risk factors," Henson said, noting the county has been proactive in ensuring reducing employee risk. In other business: Council gave unanimous first reading to an ordinance that would adopt the Calhoun County Council electoral districts based on the 2020 census. Council expects some small changes to districts. Council was informed the Calhoun Industrial Park has received Palmetto Site Certification. This is to confirm that all diligence such as engineering and wetlands and environmental work has been done at the park. "It puts us in line from a certification standpoint so when an industry or a company comes to look at Calhoun County and they have specific details they want and need they can pull this certification that has already been done and it gives them everything they need to know," McLauchlin said. "It streamlines the time, it streamlines the money." Council gave unanimous first reading by title only to an ordinance placing the Tri-County Electric Cooperative's $10 million to $12 million broadband expansion project in the county within a joint county industrial park with Orangeburg County. The joint county industrial park is not a physical park but an incentive used to encourage industries to locate, expand or invest in the region. The county had previously given three readings with plans to partner with Lexington County in the incentive package, but due to conflicts about the project Lexington has chosen to bow out of the project. Council adopted a magistrate appointment letter sent from Judge Jeffrey Bloom asking for the governor to renew the terms of Bloom; Joseph D. Teague and Cassandra Keller. The judges serve four-year terms. Council unanimously approved a resolution to amend an agreement related to a joint county industrial park with Lexington County. The project is related to Bentley Pontoons in Lexington County. Council will now allocate a place on its agenda to allow the public to provide comments on agenda items and non-agenda items. Public comments would be kept within a reasonable time limit. The public comment period will be for commenting purposes only, with no action being taken by council. Individuals wanting to make a formal appearance before council need to contact the Calhoun County Council clerk on the Thursday before the council meeting. Council went into closed session to discuss economic development matters related to Project Cloverleaf and Project AD. Council also received legal advice on opioid legislation and discussed contractual matters related to E-911 Communications. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Orangeburg County School District (OCSD) is hosting an educator career fair for certified employees on Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m. until noon at the new Orangeburg County Library on Russell Street. Interviews will be conducted on-site, and top candidates may even walk away with an employment contract in hand for the 2022-2023 school year. Both recent graduates and more seasoned certified teachers, media specialists, counselors and reading/math interventionists are invited to join for an opportunity to learn more about the newly consolidated district, the schools and supportive community. The district will also be offering H-1B Visa sponsorships for international candidates. Career fair attendees will be able to speak directly with leaders representing the districts 32 public schools at individual booths. Department leaders, members of the districts senior leadership team and human resources staff will also be present to meet candidates and answer questions. Were fortunate to offer both in-person and virtual options this year and are hoping to have a good turnout, Ernest Holiday, assistant superintendent for human resources, commented. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and meet current members and leaders of the OCSD team. We know there are many people looking for something more than just a job, and they can find meaningful work, a supportive culture and a career path here at OCSD. Candidates are encouraged to pre-register and bring copies of their resume/curriculum vitae (CV) to the event. Walk-ins will also be welcome but cannot be guaranteed a same-day interview. Individuals who wish to participate virtually must pre-register. Those participating in the career fair virtually will learn more about the district and schools and be prescreened for virtual interviews to be held later in March. To register for the event, visit tinyurl.com/OCSDcareer and select your preference to attend in-person or virtually. After registering, the candidate will be prompted to view job openings. Candidates are encouraged to apply for the specific positions of interest prior to attending the career fair on March 5. The address of the new Orangeburg County Library is 1645 Russell St, Orangeburg. Directional signs will point individuals to the career fairs location inside the library. Attendees should note that masks are required while inside the countys building and at all times throughout the event. As the district plans staffing for the 2022-2023 school year, additional career fairs will be held, including a recruitment event for non-certified staff. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TEHRAN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Saturday that the time has come for the Western countries to prove they have the "real will" to reach an agreement in Vienna, official news agency IRNA reported. Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with Josep Borrell, the European Union foreign policy chief, on the sidelines of the 58th Munich Security Conference in southern Germany. He said Iran has submitted all possible initiatives and proposals, and now it is time for the United States, France, Britain, and Germany to make the required political decisions and demonstrate their intention to reach an agreement as soon as possible. Iran, Amir Abdollahian noted, is determined to end the Vienna talks on the restoration of a 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with a "good agreement," but the other side has to know that "Tehran will not back down on its red lines." He also hailed Borrell and Enrique Mora, the EU coordinator in the Vienna talks, for the role they have played so far in the negotiations. Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed 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 Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal. DENMARK Voorhees College is part of the 2022 South Carolina Relentless Challenge grant program, Expanding SC Underrepresented Minorities Footprint in the Cyber Security and Computer Science Workforce. The $150,000 grant was recently awarded to SC Advance Technology International by the South Carolina Department of Commerce. By way of a nine-month virtual mentor relationship, a one-week immersion-style internship, and a hackathon, students will grow as computer scientists and as professionals, increasing their interest in the field, expanding their skill sets, and gaining valuable real-world experience. This initiative will address the lack of skilled software programmers and engineers in South Carolina by building activities that support students in gaining experience in the computer science and cyber security industry. It also will connect organizations with local talent to meet their long-term workforce demands and help instill a passion for the field. Zhabiz Golkar, associate professor and dean of the School of Science, Technology, Health and Human Services, will lead the effort at Voorhees. She will serve on the advisory council board with ATI. Xiaohua Jin, assistant professor of computer science, is the point of contact and will assist with the student nomination and selection process. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students and faculty to benefit from exposure to cutting edge technology, networking, experience and future connections and provided internship to our students. We are excited to implement the SC Computer Science and Cyber Security mentorship here at Voorhees, Golkar said. Funding will be used to assemble a group of 16 underrepresented students from the eight South Carolina historically black colleges and universities and from Trident Technical College to gain firsthand insight into the computer science field through a guided program with the South Carolina-based cyber and information security industry. University and college participants include Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Clinton College, Denmark Technical College, Morris College, South Carolina State University and Trident Technical College, along with Voorhees. Industry and S.C. participants are Charleston Defense Contractors Association, the S.C. Commission of Minority Affairs, S.C. Council on Competitiveness Initiative, S.C. Tech, National Science Engineering Alliance and Naval Information Warfare Center-Atlantic. The grant to SC Advanced Technology International is among 10 grant awards totaling $500,000. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A white marble cross marks the grave of Sgt. Verdun Durant Smith of Orangeburg, one of more than 5,000 Americans who died in World War II and are interred at a cemetery more than 4,000 miles away. Smiths ultimate sacrifice is perpetually commemorated in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium. Dedicated in 1960, the cemetery contains 5,329 American war dead and covers 91 acres. It is very heartwarming The Netherlands-based Fields of Honor Foundation has for more than a decade had a goal to honor the more than 30,000 American soldiers who have either been buried or listed at the Walls of the Missing at the following American WWII cemeteries in Europe: Ardennes, Epinal, Henri-Chapelle, Lorraine, Luxembourg and Margraten. The goal of the nonprofit is to honor American World War II servicemen who fought and died for the freedom of others and who have been buried in overseas American cemeteries. Through a partnership between the South Carolina State Library and the Fields of Honor Foundation, work began to add photographs and other memories to the headstones, including those soldiers from South Carolina such as Smith. Smith was a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Force and served in the 340th Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group. He died on Sept. 13, 1944 after his B-17 plane was shot down over Blechhammer, Germany, and crashed during World War II. Sebastiaan Vonk, chairman of the Fields of Honor Foundation, had collected soldiers photos and records in an online database but soon began to put a framed photo of them next to their headstones. That process started in 2014 in the Netherlands American Cemetery in the town of Margraten, when the Faces of Margraten program was started. The Fields of Honor Foundation is a group of people primarily from the Netherlands and Belgium, but we also have people from the United States who have volunteered their time to further our mission, Vonk said. Our mission is to put a face to each and every soldier either buried in or memorialized at the six cemeteries that our foundation covers. Our key project is the Field of Honor Database, which now has a memorial page for over 30,000 U.S. WWII soldiers. Another project is the Faces of Margraten, a biennial tribute at Netherlands American Cemetery. During this tribute, we put photos of the men and woman buried and memorialized there next to their graves and the Walls of the Missing at the cemetery, he said. Hannah Majewski, a reference librarian at the S.C. State Library, was contacted by a gentleman from the Netherlands in 2020 about finding a photo of a South Carolina soldier whose grave his family had volunteered to look after. The soldiers name was James Wise. ... Once they got the photo, the Faces of Margraten organization reached out to us and wanted to know if we would be interesting in researching the soldiers who are buried over there from South Carolina and try to put a face with a name over there, and we did, Majewski said. It was a project she had a vested interest in. My father served in World War II, and he was a prisoner of war in World War II. So, of course, this was very interesting to me at the time. So I took on the project and was able to find several photos of soldiers and send them over to the cemetery, where they are now able to actually put a face with a soldier who was buried over there, Majewski said. I first started with Margraten. So they said, Would you mind doing some of the other cemeteries? Of course, I was happy to do. Verdun was one of them, she said. I just happened to reach out and did a little bit of research. The research included, first of all, starting to look at newspapers articles. Sometimes back then they would include a picture of a soldier. They would have an article that this person is deceased or died in battle, and they would put a photo. A lot of time, they didnt because maybe the family couldnt afford a photo, Majewski said. It is not unusual for graves or names the Memorial Wall at the Ardennes and Henri-Chapelle cemeteries to be adopted and cared for by a family in Belgium, with the family encouraged to attend ceremonies to honor the soldiers and conduct research on them. While Smiths grave has not yet been adopted, Majewski said reaching out to his and other families has been an amazing project to work on. Exhilarating is not really the right word, but its very heartwarming. It is very heartwarming to me because I am bringing some kind of closure sometimes to these people, or at least letting them know that what their family member sacrificed is not forgotten, she said. Im happy to help with other soldiers as well. As matter of fact, Im also helping research soldiers from both Alabama and Georgia who are buried at the Margraten cemetery. This research is something I enjoy, and it really brings some proud and strong emotions to know Im helping to provide honor and respect to these soldiers who so willingly sacrificed their lives for not only their county, but for the country of others, Majewski said. Its great that they honor them Smith and two of his brothers, Emmett and Blake, moved to Orangeburg from the Horry County town of Conway and worked at Jeffords Machine Shop. Billie Smith married Blakes son, John J. BoBo Smith, and worked with other family members to help Majewski gather photos and other information on Verdun. Durant and Mr. Blake both served in WWII. Mr. Blake passed away a number of years ago, but always said on one of the missions, he saw a plane go down. When they got back to base, he was informed that his brother was killed when they were shot down and thought all the rest of his years that he saw his own brother die, Billie said in an email. She continued, We are so gratified by the honor being paid to these servicemen who gave their lives. I hope one day my husband and I will be able to travel there to visit the grave. Some family members traveled there a number of years ago to visit his gravesite and said it was well cared for. According to its website, the American Battle Monuments Commission administers and maintains 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 32 federal memorials, monuments and markers which are located in 17 foreign counties, the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the British Dependency of Gilbraltar; four of the memorials are located in the United States. There are 207,621 U.S. war dead from World War I and World War II commemorated at ABMC sites; this includes 30,793 interments and 4,456 memorializations for World War I and 92,958 interments and 78,985 memorializations for World War II. Smith had one daughter, Carol Ann Harward. He was the grandfather of three, including Trey Hinson of Davidson, North Carolina. My mom still lives in Charlotte in the same house she bought when I was born. Basically, my moms stepdad would be the gentleman that raised her. ... She never knew her real dad. She basically had given me everything she had on him. I have his Purple Heart. There is some kind of air medal that Im missing, Hinson said. I have some of the letters that he wrote to my grandmother. I have the flag that was presented to my grandmother and a couple of pictures, but thats about it. To me, I think its great that he served his country, he said. We never really talked a lot about him. My mom only knew what my grandmother had told her, and I really dont know how much my grandmother told her, Hinson said, noting that hes pleased that his grandfathers remains are being kept sacred in Belgium. I think its great. I honestly wish that he was here on American soil. Since so many Americans were buried over there, its kind of considered American soil. I think that its great that he is put somewhere with other people, the people that he passed with. I think its great that they honor them, Hinson said. My plan one day is to go over there if I can ever slow down at work and COVID can ever slow down. Vonk said it is important to honor and remember Smith and other soldiers who have given so much of themselves in service to their country. This is why the Fields of Honor Foundation work continues. I think what drives us is that we believe that nobody deserves to be forgotten. Everyone has a story. Everyone played their part during the war. So we try to at least find a photo for every soldier, put a face to their name. Hopefully, we can even reconstruct a part of their life story, he said. Vonk continued, While we primarily do this to honor the soldiers ourselves, it also helps the public both here in Europe and in the United States to connect with them on a very powerful, emotional level. So ultimately, it helps to pass on the stories to others. As foundation chairman, he said his work involves much coordination, but we have over 25 people regularly devoting their time to the foundation. It is probably not a surprise that for most of them, a lot of time is spent on researching -- including reaching out to the soldiers' families -- and adding the fruits of that research to the database. It is probably a never-ending process. New information continues to become available now more and more archives are being digitized, Vonk said. Moreover, we are revisiting soldiers we have researched years ago to not only see what new information has been put online since, but also to make another attempt to locate the family if we did not succeed before. Many thousands of soldiers have not even been researched yet by us at all, he said. Vonk said the mission is meaningful. I think we all feel that we are able to do something meaningful here, not just for the soldiers themselves, but also for the loved ones they left behind, he said. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. South Carolina State Universitys Dr. Jessica Berry has been named vice president for higher education for the South Carolina Speech & Hearing Association (SCSHA). Berry is acting chair of SC States Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology, where she also is graduate coordinator and an assistant professor. I hope to help students foster an interest in service within the profession by encouraging their participation in the state association initiatives, Berry said. I look forward to continuing to keep abreast of certification standards and other standards that affect training to ensure that the future speech language pathologists in our state are informed and prepared. The vice president of higher education serves as a representative to the SCSHA Executive Board for a two-year term. Berry is tasked with keeping the board up to date on changes in certification standards and other standards that affect the academic and clinical training of students, as well as practicing speech-language pathologists and audiologists. She is further responsible for communication to programs regarding SCSHA events and opportunities and for promoting ethical practice. Berry joined SC State as an adjunct professor in 2015 before becoming an assistant professor in 2017. She has been acting chair of the Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology since March 2020. She received her bachelors degree in communication sciences and disorders from Winthrop University in 2008, her masters degree in speech pathology and audiology from SC State in 2010, and her doctorate in communication sciences and disorders from Louisiana State in 2015. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She is the author of The Little Gullah Geechee Book: A Guide for the Come Ya, a book available on Amazon. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 COLUMBIA Agency directors, legislators and other leaders today joined Gov. Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette at a State House press conference to unveil a comprehensive plan for strengthening South Carolinas early childhood system and announced First Five SC, a new interactive website for families with young children. Our goal is, and always has been, to make sure all of our children enter kindergarten ready to learn, and Im grateful for the South Carolinians who came together to develop this plan that will help us realize that goal, said Gov. Henry McMaster. Part of that is understanding that parents are busy and that they dont always have the time to search dozens of websites, hoping to find the appropriate services for their child. Now, weve addressed that by establishing an online portal that will serve as a one-stop shop to match families with programs and services that will help with their childrens development. At First5SC.org, families can find information about 60 early childhood programs from 10 state agencies and other statewide entities, including child care, health, early intervention, nutrition, and parenting support services. Using a secure online form, they can instantly check their childs eligibility for 44 of these programs. Development is currently underway for a common application, where families can enter information into one online form to apply at once for all participating early childhood services. Our family knows firsthand how valuable our early intervention services have been, said Katie Alice Walker, parent of a three-year-old child with special needs. To know that families will now have access and the ability to apply for services they think they may need in one easy place will be such a gift and only benefit the children of South Carolina. The SC Early Childhood Advisory Council developed the First Five SC portal together with For Our Future: South Carolinas Birth through Five Plan. The 32-page document provides policymakers and state leaders with a roadmap for improving early childhood health, well-being, and school readiness, including 19 objectives and 62 strategies under four key goals: 1. South Carolinas youngest children are healthy and safe. 2. South Carolinas youngest children are actively supported by their families and communities. 3. South Carolinas youngest children arrive at school ready to reach their highest potential. 4. South Carolinas early childhood system is aligned, coordinated, and family-centered. The document highlights the states previous early childhood investments and policy innovations, while addressing some of the persistent challenges facing young children and families. This plan serves as our call to action, said David Morley, chair of the SC Early Childhood Advisory Council. With strategic investment and continued collaboration, we can expand access to the programs and services that work and ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Both the strategic plan and First Five SC were developed with the input and involvement of thousands of South Carolinians, including more than 1,200 parents and caregivers of young children who provided feedback through surveys and focus groups. Families understand what they need and want better than anyone else, said Georgia Mjartan, executive director South Carolina First Steps, which operates the ECAC. In South Carolina, we have great choices for families. First Five SC makes it easier for families to understand their options and find the support they need, want, and deserve programs that ensure babies are born healthy, parents have great, affordable, child care options, and preschoolers are given the learning opportunities they need to be ready for success in school. This is the most comprehensive early childhood portal in the nation. For Our Future: South Carolinas Birth through Five Plan is available at earlychildhoodsc.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In a move reminiscent of Adolf Hitlers need for Lebensraum, Russian President Vladimir Putin is exhibiting an egomaniacal desire to regain the glory of the vast empire of the Soviet Union. Theres little else to explain his actions. Putin controls executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. He also controls television, print and online media. Hes the undisputed dictator of the economy to whatever extent he chooses. Whats left for him? He now wants a Soviet-style dictatorship, the one that he wept for the day the wall fell in Berlin where he was based as a KGB leader, that has him surrounded by Russian puppets. In 2014, he invaded Ukraines easternmost region. He also manipulated a public referendum in Crimea that allegedly resulted in 97 percent of residents voting in favor of secession from Ukraine. He likely envisioned a total collapse of Ukraines government, but when that did not happen, he settled on installing local leaders in the regions he gained. What he seems to be up to now is merely the continuation of his initial effort in Ukraine in the hopes that it ends with a fawning, obedient government in Kyiv and then on to the next conquest. One limiting factor, hence the need to move quickly, is that taking over NATO members would prove a bridge too far even for Putin. Ukraines possible membership in NATO would almost permanently make invasion far too painful. It is not at all assured that Ukraine is likely to gain membership in NATO. No matter, the possibility alone is enough to drive this action. (Ukraines leadership does indeed aspire to NATO membership). We should note that Ukraine poses no independent threat to Russia. Ukraine has not acted in any way that indicates military, economic or other actions against Russia. This entire affair is a Putin invention. Putin is also in need of ego-stroking and taking action that would adversely affect the relative respect of NATO nations, especially the U.S. of course, would boost his delusional need for increased power. It remains to be seen what kind of response the West, and again, especially the U.S., would offer should Russia invade. But in no case would such a move engender marked advancement of Putins image abroad. He would face widespread disdain from almost all nations, save China, a nation also led by a tyrannical regime. It is possible he does not care. Major exercises in Belarus could clearly lead to a Russian invasion of Ukraine and that movement is the quickest, shortest route to Kyiv. Troops from Russia proper are available in the northeast and could pour in as follow-on forces in an endless stream. Forces based in the aforementioned Crimea are available from the south. Ships in the Black Sea can attack without hope of being repelled by Ukraine. At least 130,000 Russian forces in the area stand at the ready, and there are many more that could be moved to Ukraine with ease. The U.S. has said an attack is coming. The announcement was likely an attempt to thwart a false-flag attack that Russia would use to precipitate an attack (see Hitlers use of fake Polish troops used to stage an attack that led to an invasion and ultimately draw the world into a calamitous war). That is where things stand. What would Putin do after an invasion, assuming a quick victory and occupation (although a quick win is not assured)? His likely aim is not to move Ukraine immediately into the fold of Russia. He would want to install his kind of leaders in Kyiv and throughout the country and then slowly withdraw all but a small contingent of Russian troops. His goal is control, not direct ownership. We have seen this scenario before. Putin has the clear advantage of location, military might available, and the secure knowledge of the already stated limits by the west (i.e. no troops to support Ukraine) on what can happen. Whether he believes economic or diplomatic sanctions or if he believes their potential impact on his country is unknown. No attack is inevitable, but the world watches as a tyrant readies his force. James Hutton is a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 The City of Orangeburg has decided to extend through at least April 16 its mask ordinance requiring people to wear face coverings in restaurants and stores, and at large gatherings. And Orangeburg County continues to have a mask mandate in place for government buildings and vehicles. The governments contend the wearings of masks is important still because of the variants of COVID-19 and the number of cases locally. Many people will support the mandate for wearing masks whether they agree doing so is necessary or even a good practice. As with most laws, a vast majority of people obey. But it doesn't take but one trip out and about to businesses and public places, and even large gatherings such as funerals, to know that a lot of people are no longer wearing masks. It appears there is no fear of being fined for not obeying the local mask ordinances. Statewide, South Carolina leaders have resisted mask mandates throughout the pandemic, going so far as to pass a law that masks cannot be mandated in schools. Increasingly, their position is being adopted by other states, including those "blue" states previously having some of the most restrictive COVID mandates. Oregon health officials announced this past week that mask requirements for indoor spaces will end by March 31. Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey made the same announcement with a similar timeline just a day before. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, also a Democrat, rescinded public schools' state mask mandate last month. The Democratic governors of Connecticut and New York have stated they are "re-evaluating" whether to reinstate their own soon-to-expire mask mandates. Writing for The Fordham Political Review, Teagan Angell states: "Nearly two years into the pandemic, many experts are arguing that it is time to return 'back to normal,' especially in public schools where the emotional toll of COVID-19 on students has been great. Is it better to enact stringent measures to completely wipe out COVID-19, or accept that people will still suffer under loosened restrictions if their suffering is less with access to vaccines?" Angell explains the justification for ending indoor mask mandates stems from several beliefs held by health officials. One is a predicted drop in serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths among COVID-19 victims due to the high vaccination rates, especially in federal positions that mandate vaccinations for employees. "Another reason for ending mask mandates is not because of physical health, but mental health, especially in public schools. Several scientific studies have proven the effectiveness of masks in reducing transmission of COVID-19, including among children two years and older, but health experts have begun to argue that the emotional toll on children overshadows the physical benefit of prevention," Angell writes. A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that adolescents sent to the emergency room for suspected suicide attempts increased by 31% compared to 2019, and last October several pediatric health organizations declared the pandemic's impact on mental health among children and adolescents to be a national emergency. People increasingly do not support mandates to wear masks and are their feelings are being respected with changes in policies. As noted, many people will support the local governments here in their orders to wear masks, but the time is fast coming when continuing the mask ordinances will be counterproductive. As noted in the Fordham Political Review report, mask mandates may be doing more harm than good overall. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047. (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. Two of three critical race theory bills survived their first week in the Wyoming Legislature. One measure more overtly seeks to bar the theory from being taught in school. The second requires school districts to publish their educational materials online. A third, which contained an outright ban on critical race theory, did not survive introduction in the House. Critical race theory is an academic framework for examining how racism has historically been endemic in U.S. institutions and society. Keeping it out of schools has become a right-wing focus in the past year. It is not currently taught in Wyoming classrooms. The main critical race theory bill left in the Wyoming Legislature cleared its latest hurdle Friday, but only after all references to critical race theory and critical theory were removed except for the title. The bill is still called, Education-limitations on teaching critical race history. Senate File 103 passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously. It will move on to be debated on the Senate floor next. Debate in committee went on for over an hour and a half. The bill drew criticism from the Wyoming Education Association and the Wyoming School Board Association. The education association has questioned the legality of the bill and argued that schools should not shy away from difficult subjects. Before the bill was amended, the School Board Association harped on the vague language of the draft. Im not speaking on the philosophical argument, but to the specific text of the bill, said Brain Farmer, lobbyist for the association. It has vague language that has to be operationalized by a school district. Those lawsuits that are brought are brought against the district and the district will have to defend whether they acted in accordance with the vague language. The bulk of the bill reads, American institution and ideals shall not include tenets that promote divisions or hatred on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin. That language was the result of debate and amendments. Prior to amendments, the bill stated, As used in this section, American institution and ideals shall not include divisive tenets often described as critical race theory or a social philosophy of critical theory that inflames divisions on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin or other criteria in ways contrary to the unity of the nation and the wellbeing of the state of Wyoming and its residents. Before the bill was amended, Farmer took particular issue with the vagueness of language that read divisive tenets often described as critical race theory. The proponents of the bill were mainly concerned that teachers would be teaching opinion as opposed to fact, namely in the form of critical race theory. Backers also say Wyoming school districts should not teach that people or groups are inherently racist because of their identity. Zane Rothfuss, a 10th grader at Laramie High School and son of a member of the education committee, spoke in opposition to the bill. He expressed concern that many important classes would not be taught because theyre inflammatory. It would rob me and my peers of a lot of higher learning opportunities that we have in our school right now, Rothfuss said. Senate File 62, the second bill tied to critical race theory, never mentions the actual phrase. The Civics Transparency Act passed the two-thirds introduction vote 24 to five. One member was excused. The bill would require Wyoming school districts to publish online an annual list of material and activities organized by school, grade and subject area, in addition to policies employed to approve those learning materials. If the bill is passed in its current form, the online materials will have to be updated on an ongoing basis over the course of the school year. The main backers of the bill see it as a critical race theory bill to varying degrees. The prime sponsor, Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, denies that it has anything to do with the topic. He stands by the idea that its a very simple bill because all it does is create increased transparency. Controversial materials are a good thing for our students to see, Driskill said on the floor. But they need to be balanced. His co-sponsor and Senate President Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, said Friday morning that its somewhat related to critical race theory, then attempted to backtrack slightly a couple minutes later. At a press conference held for the bill last fall, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow directly linked it to critical race theory. Nationwide, weve seen K-12 school board meetings engulfed in hostile debate about critical race theory in classrooms, Balow said. It is time that we take a stand and action in Wyoming to address this very topic. Balow has since resigned to take the same job in Virginia. Her temporary replacement, Brian Schroeder, testified earlier Friday morning in favor of a bill that more explicitly bans critical race theory. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Rocky Mountain West voters expect their political leaders to take conservation and climate change seriously, according to the latest edition of the State of the Rockies poll. We are seeing a perfect storm of threats that are driving higher levels of concern than ever before for the state of our lands and water in the Mountain West, said Katrina Miller-Stevens, director of the State of the Rockies Project and an associate professor at Colorado College. Not surprisingly, most voters are aligning behind policies that would help mitigate threats by conserving and protecting more outdoor spaces. Voter concern about conservation issues has grown more strident over the years, according to Lori Wiegel of New Bridge Strategy, a Republican polling firm thats co-led the survey for the past 12 years. The slice of people holding a hopeful view of the future of nature fell from 36% in 2011 to 28% this year. Those with a worried view grew from 61% to 69% in the same time frame. Climate change was a serious problem to 55% of respondents in 2011. By 2022, that figure rose to 77%. Within that issue, 86% were concerned or very concerned about drought and reduced snowpack. And 82% felt that way about more frequent and severe wildfires. Perhaps not surprisingly, Montana and Colorado voters expressed the most concern about wildfires, given the neighborhood-destroying December fires each state experienced just before the poll was taken. The issue got a very or somewhat concerned response from 92% of Montanans and 88% of Coloradans. Only Idaho and Wyoming had fewer than two-thirds of their voters concerned about the future of nature. Idaho posted 60% and Wyoming was the lowest of the Rocky Mountain states with 58%. Montanas voters fell 68% in the worried category. The biggest drivers for that concern were inadequate water supplies, poorly planned growth and development, pollution of water systems, loss of family farms and ranches, loss of wildlife habitat and climate change. Each of those was considered extremely serious by more than half the respondents, and all of them were considered serious by at least three of every four voters. Worries about water supplies have increased by 30% since the question was first asked in 2011. Likewise, the slice of people worried about climate change has grown from 27% in 2011 to 52% now. Voters expect their elected representatives to share those concerns, the poll found. When the question was first asked in 2016, 75% of Rocky Mountain voters said water/wildlife/public lands issues were important or very important when considering who to vote for. In 2022, that had grown to 86%. More significantly, the share of voters who thought those issues were the primary factor in their choice rose from 31% to 41%. Montana was second only to Colorado on that score, with 87% saying they considered a public officials stance on the environment as an important part of their choice. Other options for voter choice were the economy, health care and education. And the question cut across the political spectrum. When checked by party affiliation, 76% of Republicans and 96% of Democrats said a public officials position on conservation issues was an important factor in their choice compared with other issues. The numbers are among the highest weve ever seen, said Dave Metz of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates, the Democratic polling firm that pairs with New Bridge on the annual poll. Voters are watching and these issues are likely to drive their decision-making in the West. For example, the Biden Administrations 30x30 conservation plan proposes protecting 30% of the nations land and water assets by 2030. While it has drawn fire from many western county governments and the Republican-dominated Congressional Western Caucus, Rocky Mountain voters appeared more uniformly supportive. This distinguishes this part of the country from the rest of nation, Metz said of the prominence of conservation and environmental issues to Western voters. He added that interest had not changed much in polls before and after the 2020 presidential election, for people of either Democratic or Republican party affiliation. When you talk about the grass tops the partisan organizations and interest groups with more hardened opinions they tend to be very different from where voter opinion stands, Metz said. Conservation issues also mattered across most of the prime demographic voter categories. At least 86% of rural women, under-35-year-olds, people new to the West, sportsmen and moderates all ranked conservation as important compared with other issues in choosing to support an elected official. The annual poll took place during January. It reached 3,440 registered voters by cell and landline phone calls in eight states: Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The margin of error for the overall poll was plus or minus 2.4%, while individual state results had a margin of 4.8%. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JERUSALEM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that Iran may soon sign a new nuclear agreement with world powers but the new deal is "weaker" than the previous one. Referring to the negotiations in Vienna between Iran and world powers, Bennett told his weekly cabinet meeting that "the talks are advancing quickly ... We may see an agreement shortly." But "the new apparent agreement is shorter and weaker than the previous one," he said. The Israeli leader warned that the lift of sanctions against Iran will provide the country with more money to build weapons. Israel is prepared to protect its citizens' security, on its own, in any scenario, the prime minister noted. Also on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in Germany addressed the Munich Security Conference and urged the international community to use the emerging deal to tighten the oversight over Iran's nuclear program. "Action must be taken to ensure that Iran does not continue enrichment in additional facilities, and oversight must be increased," he told the conference. Israel has been a staunch opponent of the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which offered Iran sanction relief in return for restrictions and oversight over its nuclear program. Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear program. Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal. For a nation grounded on the republican values of self-government and freedom of expression, both of which are served and constitutionally fortified by freedom of the press, the Supreme Courts ruling in the landmark case of New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) provided all the reassurance that even the most demanding citizens could seek. The central meaning of the First Amendment, Justice William Brennan declared in his opinion for a unanimous Court, is the right to criticize government and public officials. The integral role of the press in our democracy, enshrined in First Amendment constitutional protection Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of the press commands respect for the right and duty of the press to inform the American citizenry and engage in public discussion. Freedom of the press, after all, was characterized by Thomas Jefferson as the peoples right to know. That newspapers might make mistakes and misstatements in various stories and editorials, and even publish advertisements that include errors, which formed the basis of Montgomery Police Commissioner Sullivans libel suit against the Times, is to be expected. Justice Brennan noted that the advertisement contained uncontroverted errors. No profession or industry is free of errors, of course, but newspapers stand virtually alone in issuing corrections and apologies when they do make mistakes. Such principled behavior is befitting of the only profession mentioned in, and protected by, the Constitution. The constitutional status of the free press, and its essential role in our democracy, explains the Courts ruling in Sullivan, and its introduction of a new test to govern actions for libel brought by public officials. In place of actual falsity as the basis for liability, a public official could recover damages for a defamatory falsehood relating to official conduct only by showing that statement was made with actual malice that is, with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not. This new testreckless disregard of the truth raised the bar of protection afforded the press. Without this more rigorous standard, plaintiffs could, and did, threaten newspapers with libel suits which, if successful, could bankrupt newspapers and undercut their essential role in our democracy. The new test did not leave public officials without means to protect themselves. High office provided a suitable platform to contest and denounce newspaper stories that offended their reputations, well before commencing a lawsuit. Their response, moreover, might generate a correction from the newspaper. The Court, as Justice Brennan explained, was persuaded that the low bar for winning libel suits actual falsity of the claim resembled in its punitive characteristics the law of seditious libel, which at the time of Americas founding, imposed a chilling effect on criticism of governmental officials. Under that dark and infamous doctrine, as reflected in the Sedition Act of 1798, heavy fines and lengthy prison sentences awaited those convicted of unduly harming the reputations of a public official. The net effect, Justice Brennan reasoned, was to undercut freedom of expression. A low threshold for winning libel actions, and the pain of paying costly libel judgments, would impose a similar chilling effect on the citizenry and result in self- censorship. Those newspapers that believed their criticisms of officials to be true but feared the difficulties of prevailing in court and the consequent financial ruin that would attend such failure, might well withhold their reports and commentary which, as Justice Brennan said, thus dampens the vigor and limits the variety of public debate. Justice Brennan envisioned the First Amendment as promoting and protecting open and robust public debate which, in turn, required tolerance of errors, particularly when the mistakes involved public officials. He observed, erroneous statement is inevitable in free debate and it must be protected if the freedoms of expression are to have the breathing space that they need to survive. For support, Brennan invoked his patron saint, James Madison, who introduced the Bill of Rights and championed freedom of the press, despite his own misgivings about occasional newspaper errors. Madison declared: Some degree of abuse is inseparable from the proper use of everything; and in no instance is this more true than in that of the press. In this Madisonian spirit, Justice Brennan wrote that constitutional protection cannot turn upon the truth, popularity or social utility of the ideas and beliefs which are offered. The inevitability of errors in freedom of debate requires their protection if the freedoms of expression are to have the breathing space that they need to survive. The defense and preservation of democracy in America requires protection of that breathing space. Let us hope that courts agree to preserve the Sullivan standard and the protection it affords the robust and spirited debate essential to our freedoms and liberties. David Adler, PHD, is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Presidential power. His scholarly writings have been cited by the US Supreme Court and lower courts by both Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress. Adlers column is supported in part through a grant from Wyoming Humanities funded by the Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Adler can be reached at david.adler@alturasinstitute.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Each Sunday we ask you a question about an issue important to Wyoming, then print what you think the following Sunday. We call it Open Air because its a chance to examine a topic from all sides wide open like Wyomings sky. You can reply through our website or by email, postal mail, Facebook or Twitter. Be sure to specify youre responding to the Open Air question. Please keep your responses to 350 words and include your full name, town and contact information so we can verify your submission. 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. Cuba unveils food security plan Xinhua) 16:42, February 20, 2022 Cuba on Friday unveiled a national program for food security, including increasing production to reduce its reliance on imports. "We are taking steps towards developing the agricultural sector amid the intensification of the U.S. blockade against Cuba, the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of climate change on the island," Agriculture Minister Idael Perez said. "By doing so, we are making a strategic contribution to the country's national security," he added. The program is expected to be presented to the parliament for debate later this year. The island nation, home to 11.2 million people, imports over 60 percent of the food it consumes, according to official statistics. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) SAO PAULO, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from landslides and floods that occurred Tuesday in the city of Petropolis in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state rose to 146 on Saturday, as rescue efforts had stretched into their fifth day, the Civil Defense has said. The number of missing stands at 191, with 24 people rescued since Tuesday, the Civil Defense said. Attempts to find survivors under the mountains of mud that swept through neighborhoods Tuesday were temporarily suspended on Saturday due to more rain and the risk of further landslides. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the region on Friday and described what he saw as a "war scene." Several hills collapsed during the heavy rains, carrying away homes and vehicles, as residents continue to dig through the mud to search for their missing loved ones. About 14 states of the country have sent tracking dogs and rescue teams to aid the search for survivors. Those with authority over others often become wolves because the people under their charge The Pima County Attorney's Office is stepping up its efforts to support LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual assault, with a newly designated, queer-identifying victim advocate and a partnership with a local anti-violence program. Together with the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation's Anti-Violence Project, the county attorney's office is hoping to get the word out to the LGBTQ+ community that there's a safe space in the local criminal justice system for survivors to talk about what they have experienced and to seek support services. In 2019, Pima County was awarded a $2 million grant to inventory and test cold case sexual assault kits, as part of the Bureau of Justice Affairs' national Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, also called SAKI. A portion of the funds was earmarked to address the disparity in response to people in underserved communities, including Spanish speakers, as well as people who identify as LGBTQ+. 'Mistrust in the system' While work has been going on for years to help engage Spanish-speaking survivors, it's been a little more difficult to get the LGBTQ+ engagement off the ground, said lead victim advocate Colleen Phelan. "Two years into the grant, we were struggling to find anyone to participate in the process, which is fair," Phelan said. Many LGBTQ+ individuals have historically faced a range of negative experiences with law enforcement, ranging from lack of understanding, to discrimination, hostility or violence, according to an International Association of Police Chiefs strategy and consideration guide for responding to sexual violence in LGBTQ+ communities. These interactions have influenced levels of trust within LGBTQ+ communities, which exacerbates the issue of underreporting of sexual assault, the guide said. On top of that, data shows underserved communities are among the most at risk, it noted. In 2013, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first study on the prevalence, by sexual orientation, of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking. The study, which is also the most recent, found that lesbians, gay men and bisexual men reported experiencing sexual violence at higher rates that heterosexual people, and bisexual women reported a higher rate of sexual assault than both lesbian and heterosexual women. Transgender people experience much higher rates of sexual assault than most other populations, with nearly half 47% of respondents in a 2015 U.S. transgender survey reporting having been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. In addition to that increased risk, members of the LGBTQ+ community face a number of other challenges to reporting sexual assault, including not seeing the law enforcement agency as being reflective of their community. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have difficulty accessing services following a sexual assault for a variety of reasons, including unpleasant experiences in the past, a system that is largely designed for heterosexual people, and the fear for some of outing themselves, she said. "Transgender or gender-nonconforming are at higher risk than any other portion of the population and less likely to seek support from traditional sources because they have been failed in the past," Phelan said. It helps to demonstrate that even if a government agency has not done it right in the past or all of the time, they are trying. Helping people feel safe That's where Blue Norush comes into play. Norush recently joined the county attorney's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative team as its queer-identifying advocate, working to bridge the gap between survivors and the system. Norush, who uses the pronoun they, started working as a volunteer victim advocate at the prosecuting office in 2014, then joined the staff for a few years. They took a break to go back to school, while still working as a victim advocate with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and recently returned to the county attorney's office. "Outreach to the LGBTQ community from a government agency is particularly difficult, given the warranted mistrust for the system," Norush said. "It's difficult to encourage people to seek help and feel heard when they don't feel like they're safe." Helping people feel safe means having queer-identifying people like Norush within the system to form those connections and pass along resources, they said. "We're starting with me as the queer person at the Pima County Attorney's Office for queer-identifying folks to come to with questions about the system, questions about ongoing cases and more," Norush said. Free resources available Around the same time Norush moved into their position in the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative team, Carrie Eutizi became program director at the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation's Anti-Violence project. It works to prevent, respond to, and end violence against and within the LGBTQ+ communities of Southern Arizona. The project advocates for survivors of all types of domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual assault, hate violence, and stalking, providing survivors with resources, safety and support. It also offers referrals and resources to friends, family members and other callers who may not qualify for services from the project but still need assistance or direction. Eutizi began reaching out to agencies to provide information and training and to build connections. When Eutizi suggested holding training for staffers at the county attorney's office, a partnership formed, said victims services director Virginia Rodriguez. "She really can let us know what she'd like to see and the needs of the population," Rodriguez said. Norush and Eutizi started brainstorming on work to do together. From there, it's been a matter of letting people know who they are and what they do. The Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation "created an LGBTQ+ outreach department to be one of the subject matter experts in Tucson on these issues and to provide resources for free," Eutizi said. Since it's a tight-knit community, word of mouth can travel fast, especially when that word is that there's a safe person or group to talk to and a place to access services. Community interest Norush has updated the county attorney's office's literature to make it more inclusive toward LGBTQ+ people and to add the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation's resources. "We want to get more education into the system, as well," they said. "Not only with law enforcement, but also with hospitals and their staff." They recently taught an "LGBTQ 101" course with the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault's newly graduated survivor advocate team, hoping to equip the call takers with tools they need to be more inclusive when dealing with survivors. Many local behavioral health providers, shelters and other community partners are expressing interest in ensuring they're being inclusive, Eutizi said. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said that after a year of inviting local organizations to provide input on changes they'd like to see in the criminal justice system, she's pleased that groups are starting to feel comfortable to reach in, knowing they'll find a receptive audience. Here to get 'stuff done' With the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant expiring on Oct. 1, the county attorney's office's Phelan and Norush are working quickly to create resources. "There's a lot of frustrations with the movement toward the LGBTQ community outreach just on an institutional level that a lot of it is performative and not a lot of action," Norush said. "We're here to start getting stuff done." For April's Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the office will distribute education pieces about specific at-risk populations, some of which includes simple messaging about pronouns. "We're pushing some of the more formal institutions and explaining that it will be slow, but we're trying," Phelan said. On a Thursday in early February, evidence of planning for April's awareness month was on display at the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation's Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th, a place for LGBTQ+ and allied youths ages 13-24 to visit and access a variety of services. Earlier in the week, a group of University of Arizona students held a planning session to brainstorm slogans and campaign ideas to use during campus and citywide events throughout April. Advocates and others will be working to break myths about sexual violence through facts and community education. "We're inviting people in who do have voices that want to be heard," Phelan said. "Tucson has a pretty strong LGBTQ community, and people within that community tend to look out for each other, because they're not offered the same safety nets that cisgender and heterosexual people have been throughout time," Norush said. "We can't change the system as a whole, but we can try to make it more comfortable, inviting and a little easier at any chance we get." Caitlin Schmidt is the Star's solutions reporter. Solutions journalism is rigorous reporting on responses to social problems. It intends to rebalance the news and focus not just on problems, but on potential solutions to those problems. Contact Schmidt at 573-4191 or cschmidt@tucson.com. On Twitter: @caitlincschmidt Finding help Resources for LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual assault: To reach the Pima County Attorney Office's victim advocate for LGBTQ+ survivors, call Blue Norush at 724-4031. To reach the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation's (SAAF's) Anti-Violence Project, call 547-6190. SAAF's 24/7 crisis line can be reached by calling 1-800-553-9387. For more information about SAAF and the Anti-Violence Project, visit saaf.org/care-services/avp/ or email avp@saaf.org Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Arizona Daily Star kicks off its summer camp fundraiser on Thursday with a donation envelope in the Star. The Arizona Daily Star Sportsmens Fund raises money so children from low-income households and military families can attend summer camp at little or no cost to their families. This is our 75th year of raising money to help local boy and girls do more and be more. Since 1947, the Sportsmens Fund has helped pay for 43,081 children to go to camp. Were one of the oldest 501(3) charities in Arizona and one of the most efficient, with 98 cents from every dollar going to send kids to camp. Our is to raise $225,000 to send up to 700 local boys and girls to camp. Your contribution qualifies for the Arizona tax credit of up to $800 for donations to qualifying charitable organizations. Our code is 20450. Donations are welcome throughout the year. Recent 2022 donors include: The Borozan family, in memory of the Swindle Brothers, Mike and George, $200. Jenine Dalrymple, in memory of Irwin Blum, $500. Mikala Jansen, $400. Jerry Moss, $100. Teresa Westhoff, $50. One anonymous donation of $2,500. Con tact Debbie Kornmiller at 520-573-4127 or dkornmiller@tucson.com. How to give year-round Credit-card donations: azsendakidtocamp.org/donations Send checks, payable to Sportsmen's Fund, to: Send a Kid to Camp, P.O. Box 16141, Tucson, AZ 85732-6141 For more information: Senior Editor Debbie Kornmiller at 520-573-4127 or dkornmiller@tucson.com Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Tumamoc Hill looks out over a sprawling city ringed by desert and mountains, without a single, substantial body of water in sight. So why does the hill have its own boathouse? The answer goes back more than a century to a massive, human-caused flood event along the Colorado River that altered the geography of California and drew the interest of a new research institute that had just started up in Tucson. In 1905, heavy spring runoff on the Colorado broke through the headgates of a newly constructed irrigation canal, sending the bulk of the rivers flow west into the Salton Sink, a once-dry lakebed perched atop the San Andreas Fault in one of the lowest spots in North America. It took two years to repair the breach and return the Colorado to its normal course. By then, the river had created a 500-square-mile terminal lake known as the Salton Sea in the California desert. Among the first to study the inland sea and map its 150-mile coastline by boat were researchers Daniel T. MacDougal and Godfrey Sykes from the Carnegie Institutions Desert Laboratory, which opened on Tumamoc Hill in 1903. By then, the British-born Godfrey had already explored the Colorado River Delta and helped build the telescope domes at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, where he lived for decades. He was a renaissance man and jack of all trades a builder and also an explorer, said Ben Wilder, director of the University of Arizonas Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill. Wilder said Sykes used to build his boats right on the bank of whatever river he wanted to explore, then abandon the vessels at the end of the journey. The workshop at Carnegies Desert Laboratory gave Sykes the luxury of being able to store, maintain and reuse his boats, Wilder said. The UAs 2008 management plan for Tumamoc Hill describes the history of the building. The 20-by-40-foot boathouse was designed by Sykes and built at the foot of the hill in 1908 by Tucson construction contractor F.M. Welsh. It is made from two layers of red brick covered with volcanic stone collected from the area, with a slate roof, wood floors and a fireplace like other Carnegie-era buildings at Tumamoc. It was used as a workshop and storage space at least until Sykes retirement from the lab in 1929 and probably until Carnegie turned the property over to the U.S. Forest Service in 1940. A few of the bricks high on one wall still sport graffiti from 1935. The building has been largely locked up and neglected ever since, Wilder said. Im not aware of it being used for any clear purpose since the Carnegie days. Its basically been mothballed or (packrat) middened. According to the management plan, the boathouse was renovated in 1982, but by the time Wilder unlocked the doors and opened it up in 2016, the floor was almost completely covered in pack rat droppings and other debris. Late last year, the Desert Lab used $35,000 in state tax funds that were set to expire to get the boathouse fixed up enough to welcome visitors again. The building needed a new main door, roof stabilization, electrical upgrades, landscape cleanup and some minor repairs to its wood floor. The work ended up costing a lot less than Wilder thought it would. Its amazing how you can really reactivate these spaces without spending a lot of money, he said. Three public events have been held at the boathouse since it was officially reopened in late November, but quite a bit of work remains to be done. Wilder said the building lacks indoor plumbing or restrooms, and the roof is still so porous, its not safe to leave artwork or anything else inside that might be damaged by the elements. Two weeks ago, they opened the doors to find a Coopers hawk perched on a table in the middle of the room, making a gruesome meal out of a dove. Once the building is sealed better, Wilder would like to see it used as a rotating gallery and gathering space, available to rent for weddings and other events. Its such a cool structure, and its so fun putting life back into it, he said. Upcoming events include a March 14 panel discussion on land conservation by experts from the UA and the French National Centre for Scientific Research, followed on April 28 by the kickoff celebration for the Tumamoc Hill portion of Tucsons annual Agave Heritage Festival. On Monday, the boathouse hosted a performance by Small Island Big Song, a music collective and advocacy group from island nations in the Pacific and Indian oceans threatened by rising sea levels and other impacts of climate change. The event, put on by Arizona Arts Live, also featured a workshop where children could make their own drums out of recycled material. Ive never seen so many kids with power tools, Wilder said with a laugh. I doubt theres been so much energy in this place for a hundred years. It was just jumping. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@tucson.com or 573-4283. On Twitter: @RefriedBrean Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Much hardship was preventable Re: the Jan. 28 letter A tired Tucson becomes careless. Yes, it would be great to have some official in every store or venue to enforce public health safety measures. Not gonna happen. Many stores have no mask policy anymore. We have a pro-COVID governor fighting public safety measures tooth and nail. I recently had to enter a drugstore, glad to see a mask required sign. I saw a woman have a coughing spell while checking out, pulling her mask away from her face. Seriously? Then I saw a delivery guy walk through the store unmasked. All the while, the stores public service announcement about masking and social distancing was playing. The experience totally reinforced why I make as few trips into stores as possible. Ultimately, its up to each individual to make choices for the public good; however, many refuse to cooperate and/or just dont take COVID seriously. Thats why we are entering Year 3 of this pandemic with all its limitations, hardships, ongoing illness and unnecessary deaths. Deb Klumpp Oro Valley 2-party system doesnt work Re: the Jan. 27 article Moderates no longer have a voice in the US political system. The two-party system in American politics no longer works for the majority of us. The writer is right on: as stated, Gallup polls consistently indicate that about 40% of Americans consider themselves independents, and a whopping 76% believe that the existing polarization in politics is a threat to democracy and majority rule. Whats needed are more independents on the ballots. Regardless of party, stop sending money in response to those daily requests we all receive the money only helps reelect an incumbent or newcomer of like mind. Given the opportunity to serve, there are intelligent people who would pledge to use their natural gray brains in lieu of exchanging them for red or blue ones when they take the oath of office. Jim Merry SaddleBrooke Science deniers a threat to all Republicans faith in science is falling and people would rather put urine or cleaning chemicals in their body, per polling on this issue. They didnt mention that even a president suggested the same as an answer. Now you throw in civil rights, QAnon, conspiracies, white supremacist groups and taking books and people out of education because they may hear a truth they dont want to hear and you can see how errant this party has become. Conservatives and liberals have legitimate stances that should be argued and decided, but not through denying science or education or the rights of others. This all reminds me of those stories of families that refuse medical help for their child who, as a result, ends up dying. I believe this is more attributable to politics than most let on. Oh! The tragic results for such cognitive dissonance! How often do we see that story now I wish Id gotten the vaccine as they lay dying? Richard Broderick Vail Activist court out of control For decades now, Republicans have railed against the activist Supreme Court who were accused of distorting the originalist vision of the Constitution held by conservatives. In the past four years, however, they now have their court locked up and have turned loose a court that, in my opinion, pursues activism with a vengeance. It appears that no precedent will be respected. And, perhaps more dangerous, the court now passes decisions on almost every law that is passed or executive order that is issued. With lawsuits filed against these actions, they eventually rise to the Supreme Court, which may have become the most political and powerful branch of our government. Bruce Hilpert North side Fake electors should pay Now that Arizonas Republican Party has shown itself to be involved in the attempted overthrow of our elected president, I think it is time for the FBI to investigate our state officials for their part in the seditious conspiracy to keep Donald Trump in office. At a minimum, they should be tried for violating their oath of office. Jon Cooper Marana Sinema focused on constituents Id like to say Sen. Kyrsten Sinema supports her constituents, not what the Democrats want, because they are not supporting what the people want. Democratic members just go along with party issues, not constituents issues. Sinama does not work that way. I am a Republican and I support Sinema because she stands for the people, not a political party. All political parties should stand for the people and the country, such as: Protect our borders, stop undocumented immigrants crossing, delete the death tax, install term limits for House and Senate. The filibuster should remain as it has worked for years. Stop the defund the police policy. Democrats and Republicans, stop your nonsense and support your constituents. Concepcion Young Sahuarita The core idea of defunding I write in strong opposition to HB 2624 and any corresponding Senate bill. The experiments in defunding the police to which Rep. Walter Blackman refers dont reflect the core idea of defunding. The idea isnt just to reduce the number of sworn officers, but to add a range of social workers to public safety rosters, so that police arent called upon to go beyond their training to address community problems. HB 2624 not only ignores this, but also disenfranchises (and disregards the budget sovereignty of) cities and towns that prefer to take a less militant approach to their communitys welfare. Ashleen OGaea Northwest side Allow your cops to be proactive Why is crime out of hand in most U.S. cities? No support from all local officials. From my experience as a police officer, no situation or investigation is without some mistakes. After any major event, some group will dissect the officers action and try to nail them to the cross. They will try to convict them of a crime or civil action. Remember, no investigation is without a mistake. Culture demands that a police officers action must be perfect. It cant happen. If you want to reduce crime, give police officers some slack. As of now, the police are only reactive. Support them and let them go back to being proactive. Today being proactive is only trouble. Support them and crime will be reduced. Remember that most are good people, but are human. If an error is troubling, let the civil process take over and administrative action taken. Robert Brandt West side Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Saturday warned against guessing or assuming Russia's decisions on Ukraine, after the United States warned of an imminent invasion. "We do not know yet if an attack has been decided on," said the minister on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. "My urgent appeal to all is that we look closely at the facts on the ground," Baerbock said, warning against the risk of "targeted disinformation." "In crisis situations, the most inappropriate thing to do is to somehow guess or assume," said Baerbock, in response to a question on whether Germany shared U.S. President Joe Biden's assessment. Biden said Friday that he was "convinced" that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "made the decision" to attack Ukraine in the coming days, raising fears that a major conflict could break out in Europe. For many people, their pets are one of the most important parts of their lives, to the point that theyd rather face danger themselves than leave their animals in harms way. Victims of domestic violence routinely make the decision to stay in abusive environments out of the fear of what might happen to their pets if they were to flee without them. Only 15% of domestic violence shelters in the United States today allow pets, yet 48% of abuse victims will delay leaving their abuser if they can't take their pet with them, according to RedRover, a national organization dedicated to helping pets in crisis. But RedRover has an ambitious goal to change all that. The organization partnered with Purina in 2019 to launch the Purple Leash Project and set a goal of making 25% of domestic violence shelters pet-friendly by 2025. A Sand Springs-area shelter is one of its newest successes. The Spring had the need, said Executive Director Leslie Clingenpeel, pointing to several clients whose pets have had to be housed elsewhere. And The Spring even had the perfect place an existing 24-by-14-foot metal building on site at its secure location just crying out to be converted into pet lodging. What it didnt have was the money or the skills to make such a transformation. We wouldnt have been able to accomplish it on our own, Clingenpeel said. So RedRover contributed $30,000, and Greater Good Charities absorbed the remainder of the cost of the roughly $100,000 project. They told us with that (building) already here, the money could go so much further, Clingenpeel said. Rescue Rebuild, a program of Greater Good Charities, and RedRover provided the on-site, hands-on support, with Rescue Rebuild leading the renovations. A team of four RedRover Responder volunteers and a team leader traveled from New York, Maryland, Arkansas and Texas for the job. Clingenpeel said the effort resembled an extreme makeover reality television show. But at the end of the roughly 10-day project during some of the coldest days the area has seen this year The Spring had everything we could possibly need to get this started, she said. The reimagined facility is the perfect combination of utility and comfort, with six stainless-steel indoor dog kennels, each with a bed and a separate doggie door that leads to a private, fenced outdoor kennel and relief area. Behind the six outdoor kennels is a fenced outdoor play area with a shaded bench for the humans, toys and plenty of grass for the pups, and a waste station with poop bags so the owners can easily clean up after their dogs. Back inside, the cat room has a series of shelves and wooden, hexagon-shaped climbing boxes to provide innumerable perch opportunities, along with a couple of soft beds, seating for the humans and a litter box disguised as a potted plant. An open ceiling covered with fencing material will let light, heat and air conditioning in without letting the cats out. Although several cat cages are available, the cats can roam freely in that room, provided that everyone gets along. And last but hardly least, two separate visitation rooms one for dogs, the other for cats will allow owners to relax on a comfortable sofa with their pets, perhaps while catching up on some shows on a wall-mounted flat-screen TV. The project included an ample supply of dog and cat beds, litter boxes and toys, and The Spring will be providing pet food and cat litter. But even that cost will be more manageable, thanks to a $1,000 gift card from Purina. Our furry friends will definitely not have bad living accommodations, Clingenpeel said. For a while, at least, perhaps both humans and pets will be able to forget the circumstances that brought them here. Unfortunately, with domestic abuse, we come up against a lot of different barriers, Clingenpeel said. And many of them have to do with power and control. Pets are one of those barriers, she said. They stay in a dangerous situation rather than leave the pet to be killed by the abuser as retaliation. Being able to get out of an abusive environment and take their pets with them allows them to be able to say, I dont have to choose my life or my pets. Any day now, companion animals will start arriving at The Spring. Clingenpeel said the goal is to launch in early March, a date that cant come soon enough for some residents. We have a couple of guests that have been waiting for this, she said. We have been helping them house their pets somewhere else, and they have been champing at the bit to get their pets here. She said the electrician and HVAC workers are finalizing their work while her staff is finalizing the facilitys intake policies. For example, only clients with preexisting pets will be able to bring them along. The idea is not for any resident who wants a pet to go out and get one. But clients will not be required to have already had their pets spayed or neutered and have them current on their vaccinations before coming in. That would just be another barrier to someone needing assistance. Shawna Howard, an employee who has spearheaded the project for The Spring, said clients will be asked on intake whether pets have been spayed or neutered and are current on their shots. If so, staff members can help the client retrieve those records, which would confirm compliance with the citys pet ordinances. But, of course, we expect that many of them will need assistance to get at least some of these things accomplished once the pet is here, Howard said. For such an extensive renovation, all of this building of walls has accomplished an ironically opposite goal. We want to tear down any possible barrier that would keep someone from getting out of an unsafe situation, Clingenpeel said. This pet facility will help us do that. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Chamber Music Tulsa will present the acclaimed Catalyst Quartet in a series of performances Feb. 25-27 that will celebrate music by composers who have been overlooked and sidelined in classical music, especially because of their race or gender. The concert programs grew out of the ensembles current project, Uncovered, a multi-volume set of albums to be released on Azica Records that highlight the works of Black composers such as Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Arkansas-born Florence Price and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson. The quartet will also be performing works by two contemporary American composers, Libby Larsen and Jessie Montgomery, a former violinist with the Catalyst Quartet. The ensembles credo, as stated on their website, is: We believe in the unity that can be achieved through music and imagine our programs and projects with this in mind, redefining and reimagining the classical music experience. The Catalyst Quartet violinists Karla Donehew Perez and Abi Fayette; Paul Laraia, viola; and cellist Karlos Rodriguez will perform works by Price and Montgomery, along with arrangements of American folk songs, at its Friday, Feb. 25, concert, 8 p.m. at ahha Tulsa, 101 E. Archer St. The Saturday Salon concert, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Tulsa PACs Westby Pavilion, 110 E. Second St., will feature works by Coleridge-Taylor, Price and Perkinson. The Sunday concert, 3 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Tulsa PACs Williams Theatre, will have an all-female program, with two works by Price, including her Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, as well as Montgomerys Strum and Larsens Sorrow Song and Jubilee. Chamber Music Tulsa requires proof of full vaccination to attend its concerts. For tickets and more information: 918-587-3802, chambermusictulsa.org. Heroes of the Fourth Turning Days after the white-supremacist riot in Charlottesville, four old friends gather for a reunion at their conservative Catholic alma mater in Wyoming. As the party stretches late into the night, they grapple with their beliefs and their place in the world, the conversation spiraling into spiritual chaos, clashing politics and furious debate that reveals the heart of a country at war with itself. Will Arberys play, Heroes of the Fourth Turning, was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the winner of the 2020 Obie Award for Playwriting. Theatre Tulsa brings this witty and challenging play to Tulsa, as part of its 99th season. The play takes its title from the StraussHowe generational theory, which describes a theorized recurring generational cycle in American history and global history. The characters see the Fourth Turning as a future war in which the strong and faithful will eventually rise from the ashes victorious. This show is an amazing piece of highly charged drama, said Jarrod Kopp, executive director of Theatre Tulsa. Although Theatre Tulsa is well-known for its larger musicals, we appreciate the opportunity to tackle more challenging work, too. Theatre Tulsas production is directed by Norah Sweeney and stars Kathleen Hope as Gina, Emily Peterson as Emily, Amanda Berry as Teresa, Robert Young as Kevin and Steve Barker as Justin. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 25-26 and March 4-5; 2 p.m. Sunday Feb. 27 and March 6, at the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. Tickets are $24-$39. 918-596-7111, tulsapac.com. OSU hosts Greenwood lecture The McKnight Center at Oklahoma State University, as part of its National Geographic Live Speaker Series, will host Tulsa native and African diaspora archaeologist Alicia Odewale, who will talk about how archaeology can be used as a tool in the search for answers about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The lecture, Greenwood: A Century of Resilience, will be given at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24 at the McKnight Center, 705 W. University Ave. in Stillwater. Odewale, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Tulsa, focuses her research on the communitys trauma and triumph in its aftermath of the massacre. Herself a descendant of a Tulsa Race Massacre survivor, Odewale said, Every time we talk about Greenwood, we want to highlight that this is a resilient community that has been here for generations and will continue to be here. Greenwood never left. Were trying to disrupt the myth of Greenwood being destroyed in 1921, and that being the end of its story. Masks are required for this event. For tickets and more information: 405-744-9999, mcknightcenter.org. Featured video: Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The spark that ultimately produced the book A Life on Fire was kindled some 40 years ago. Tulsa author Connie Cronley recalled a conversation she had with historian and writer Angie Debo, whose books such as As Still the Waters Run and Tulsa: From Creek Town to Oil Capital focused a clear eye on Oklahomas highly checkered past. She said to me, I wish you would write the story of Kate Barnard, Cronley recalled. And so I said the obvious thing Who is Kate Barnard? Barnard was a seminal figure in Oklahoma politics in the early 20th century. A passionate advocate for social reform, Barnard was a staunch advocate for all manner of marginalized people, working to improve education, ending child labor, championing humane care and treatment for those with mental illnesses, and reforming the criminal justice system. She helped draft the states constitution, working to incorporate her ideals into the very fabric of the states government. Barnard also became the first woman in Oklahoma history to be elected to state office, as the commissioner of charities and corrections. It wasnt long before the woman most Oklahomans referred to as Our Kate was seen as the single most popular and respected official in the states government. But then, as one politician put it, She stopped preachin, and started meddlin, Cronley said. Specifically, Barnard confronted what was euphemistically called The Indian Question which was, in fact, a question of how much graft and corruption would be necessary throughout all levels of the state and federal government to steal back the moneys earned by Indigenous people from their oil, mineral and timber rights. And it was this battle and the threat that Barnard posed to those determined to loot and decimate the states Indigenous population that led to Barnards ultimately tragic end. Cronleys A Life on Fire: Oklahomas Kate Barnard, published by the University of Oklahoma Press, is the first major biography of Barnard written for a general audience. That was one reason why Dr. Debo said I should write this book, because I wasnt a professional historian, and that I would write it for a general audience, instead of an academic one, Cronley said. Cronleys book has earned high praise since its publication, including winning the E.E. Dale Award for Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History from the Oklahoma Historical Society. Cronley will be presented with the award at the Oklahoma Historical Society Awards Banquet, Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. Dr. Debo, as a young woman, happened to hear Kate Barnard speak, and her charisma, passion and idealism made a profound impact, Cronley said. She followed Kates career from its peak to the end, when all the powers that be turned against her. Cronley said she began researching Barnards life soon after that first conversation with Debo, who helped her by sharing some of the reams of materials Debo had accumulated over the years. She worked at a time when there were no photocopiers, or smartphones to make photographs of documents, Cronley said. She made notes by hand, and then would type them up on a manual typewriter. Dr. Debo gave me nine bankers boxes full of material that Ive moved around with me over the years, Cronley said. I began drafting the book the opening paragraph, for example, is as I wrote it some 40 years ago but then life got in the way. Cronleys career has included serving as the restaurant critic for the Tulsa Tribune, general manager of Tulsa Ballet and executive director of the Iron Gate Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry. She also published three books of essays and co-authored Mr. Ambassador: Warrior for Peace with Edward Perkins. It was during what Cronley called a dark time, following leaving her job at Iron Gate and the death of her former husband, Tulsa World columnist Jay Cronley, that prompted her to return to the Barnard book. I had lost the job that had given my life structure, and I had lost the person who gave me support, she said. Coming back to this book after so many years, I realize I knew more than I wanted to know about loss, disappointment and insurmountable opposition. That gave me a more complete understanding of Kates life, battles and work, Cronley said. I was able to see her life from another angle that I would not have access to, if I had written the book when I was young and more idealistic. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The midtown Tulsa community is coming together to show their love for a well-known local personality whose granddaughter said was hurt in an alleged assault Wednesday night. Kenneth Maddog Penn, renowned for selling roses, was hospitalized after an altercation Wednesday night, Raniesha Penn said in a Facebook post. Told her grandfather had a serious injury but would be OK, she started a crowdfunding campaign for Maddog. In less than two days, after a goal of $5,000, enough donations had flooded in to surpass $25,000. He goes out every single day to sell roses because thats the only way he is able to make money to take care of him & his wife, Raniesha Penn said. He is the most loving person in the world. As well as the donations, several people shared their love for the icon on the fundraising site. Hes a part of the tapestry that is Tulsa Midtown, Ramsey Oklah said. We support our own. Many people also said Maddog with the catch phrase Buy your lady a rose? always put smiles on their faces. Even local businesses are joining in the support. The Pearl Beach Brew Pub in the Pearl District said on Facebook for the rest of the month, it is donating a dollar of every purchase of Maddogs namesake drink, the Maddog Stout, to help with his bills. Mad Dog is special in our hearts, the pubs post stated. We figured the least we could do for the big guy was drink a beer in his honor, and put aside a little coin to lighten the load of his medical bills. Featured video: Guns could be more prevalent, although not necessarily more evident, at the next Tulsa State Fair. In a surprise move last week, the chairman of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee shucked House Bill 4138, which had already been shucked once, and inserted new legislation that would allow concealed firearms at the Oklahoma and Tulsa state fairs. Firearms are currently illegal at both events. Chambers of commerce, fair boards and other organizations that host or promote large gatherings generally oppose such measures, both on public safety grounds and because they fear that such laws will keep visitors and participants away from their events. This year, though, as part of a joint legislative agenda, the State, Tulsa Regional and Greater Oklahoma City chambers of commerce said they oppose legislation that would negate the rights of businesses, property owners and event hosts from prohibiting firearms. Tulsa County owns Expo Square, where the Tulsa State Fair is held, and County Commission Chairwoman Karen Keith said she thinks the legislation is unwise. As a member of the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, which oversees the Tulsa County Fairgrounds, security and safety are a top priority year after year. ... In my opinion this legislation appears to allow unknown attendees to conceal handguns, which would introduce more risk into an already safe environment and risk loss of business, Keith said in a written statement. But Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, who is in charge of security for the fair, said hes OK with HB 4138. He said serious crimes are rare at the fair, but fights and armed robberies are not uncommon just outside Expo Square. Ive read the bill, Regalado said. Would I support it? Yes. Are there issues with it? Yes. But you cant legislate common sense. Regalado said he believes an individuals right to protection overrides any negatives to allowing concealed weapons during the fair. There are guns at the fair now, he said. Regalado said his deputies confiscated 10 guns from nine individuals, whom he described as crooks, at the 2021 Tulsa State Fair. Asked to elaborate, Regalado said the people arrested were mostly gang members. When asked if legalizing concealed weapons might make it more likely for bad guys to bring guns to the fair, Regalado said his deputies would be on the lookout for them. He gave a similar answer about the possibility of what are now fistfights at the fair turning into gun battles. He said deputies are already on the alert for altercations and know how to intervene before they turn violent. Besides, Regalado said, there is no data that gun violence in Oklahoma has increased since the state adopted looser gun laws. To some extent, that depends on who is asked and to which data set they refer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oklahoma recorded 18.6 gun deaths per 100,000 residents in 2019, which was 11th-highest nationally. That rate is comparable to recent years but noticeably higher than the 13.2 in 2005. The national rate is currently 13.6 deaths per 100,000 residents. According to the Pew Research Center, gun deaths hit an all-time high in 2020. Pew said the gun death rate has also been rising but remains well below rates of the 1970s. Earlier this year, gun control advocates Everytown for Gun Safety issued a report the group said shows gun deaths are significantly lower in states with stricter gun laws. It rated Oklahoma in a group labeled National Failures. But gun rights activists wear such a badge with honor and say rising gun deaths are arguments for measures like HB 4138. Regalado said his first consideration with such measures is what most benefits law-abiding citizens. And there is the Second Amendment, which many view as sacrosanct. The right to bear arms is a constitutional right and one that I take very seriously, 2nd District Congressman Markwayne Mullin said recently in an email to constituents. It is not a second class right.The Second Amendment in our Constitution clearly states, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The future of HB 4138 is uncertain. It passed the committee 4-1 on a party-line vote but seems likely to encounter opposition before it reaches the House floor. HB 4138 originally dealt with regulation of firearm suppressors and then mandated 15-minute breaks for corrections officers before the second and final substitution by House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee Chairman Justin Humphrey, R-Lane. Humphrey has a bit of a history in that regard. The double switch may peeve some lawmakers and suggests that Humphrey might not have been able to get the bill heard except in his own committee most gun bills go through the Public Safety Committee but hes had some success with such tactics in the past. Video: BMX headquarters opens in Tulsa Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After the oversight agency for Oklahomas medical marijuana industry found a hazardous substance not yet included in testing regulations, laboratory professionals have been trying to help figure out a legislative solution. As lawmakers start to consider bills in the 2022 session, cannabis testing pros have expressed hopes they would approve a six-month study to inform standard operating procedures and best practices for labs across the state. The team at Genesis Testing Labs has already presented a lot of the information during an interim House study hosted by Rep. Kevin McDugle, a Republican from Broken Arrow, where the company is preparing to open a second location. Joseph Lantz, vice president for Genesis Testing Labs, said McDugle asked for proposals that could be considered in the Oklahoma Legislature. The teams goal was to identify a list of compounds in cannabis that shouldnt be able to pass a lab test, but arent yet regulated, as well as create consistency across the states limited number of licensed labs. Our main proposition is to identify those contaminants, and then on the second phase to come up with means, standardized operating procedures, that anybody can use and all use the same materials to generate the same results, said James Rhudy, Genesis Testing Labs medical lab director. Among concerns regarding regulatory changes is the sheer number of growers and producers compared to labs, so Genesis Testing Labs President Tony Brixey said they appreciated being able to share the concerns of a smaller industry with less lobbying power. Their first proposal comes from Genesis Testing Labs own work on the ground finding THC-O-acetate and other compounds that may not be on other labs radar. The team at Genesis wanted to use their experience to help ensure other labs arent giving those contaminated samples a passing test only because they dont have the same know-how. At the end of the day, its incumbent upon us to make sure that a passing (certificate of analysis) is really passing, Lantz said. Ultimately what will come out of a second proposal is consistency, the team at Genesis said. One of the greatest challenges of being a cannabis lab is our customers dont believe in us because all the other labs have different numbers because were not standardized, Rhudy said. The director of lab oversight for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, Lee Rhoades, said the agency has done an analysis to determine the priority for the industry: Is it in contaminants, or is it in THC potency? And of course weve been hearing quite a while that THC variability is the big issue; the data bore that out, Rhoades said in a Tulsa World interview last month. One of the issues with variability in potency test result could stem from THC analogues, according to Rhoades and the team at Genesis. These not-often naturally occurring compounds, such as THC-O-acetate, were developed in spray form during post-World War II U.S. military research, Brixey said. His team theorizes that some chemist-opportunists have been spraying medical marijuana plant material with the cannabinoid because it can result in a higher THC potency result. Growers sometimes choose to pay a different lab that generates better results to get more in payment for their harvests. But the legislation thats needed to effect change has to go beyond THC potency and analogues, Rhoades said, to anything that might be detected that might be detrimental to a patients health. Echoing concerns from the Genesis team, Rhoades said medical marijuana patients who are sick to begin with and finding relief rely on labs to be the gatekeeper from something harmful they dont know. The hope of those working on the proposals, which havent yet made their way to a numbered bill before the Oklahoma Legislature, according to Lantz, is to effect change in the correct venue. Going back to OMMA and saying This isnt right they cant do anything. They dont write the rules, they just enforce them, Brixey said, adding thats what drove his desire to connect with lawmakers. Thats where we felt like we could make an impact. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Anna Codutti Breaking News Editor After earning a master's in news editing from the University of Missouri, I joined the Tulsa World copy desk in 2010. Send news tips to news@tulsaworld.com. Phone: 918-581-8481 Follow Anna Codutti 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 Deaths from suicide, alcohol and drugs collectively called deaths of despair by some researchers are trending up in the state since the beginning of the pandemic, prompting some to sound a sadly familiar alarm. The three types of death causes, together used to describe so-called despair-related deaths, increased by 12% from 2019 to 2020 in Oklahoma, according to a Tulsa World analysis of U.S. Centers for Disease Control data. Dr. Jason Beaman, an expert in addiction medicine, said despair-related death by suicide, chronic liver disease or accidental drug overdose is a real phenomenon that has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and is self-perpetuating. Every time you see a death of despair, you have to look at that as amplifying and creating a disease of despair in that social network of that person, said Beaman, executive director of training and education at Oklahoma State Universitys National Center for Wellness & Recovery. So if we dont get a handle on this, this is going to be bad, bad, bad, Beaman said. And I think thats what the studies are showing is that every year is getting a little bit worse. Public safety alert The phrase deaths of despair is attributed to Princeton University economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton, credited with linking rising mortality rates in America to the three types of death causes and their relationship to capitalism. In Oklahoma, the largest numeric and percentage increases among the three types of deaths were drug overdose deaths: up 21% between 2019 and 2020, or from 607 deaths to 735 deaths, according to CDC data. Fentanyl-pressed pills is a big problem, but also methamphetamine, Beaman said, referring to two types of illicit drugs prevalent in Oklahoma. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in September issued a public safety alert regarding the influx of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine. The alert, the first in six years by the agency, noted that fake prescription pills laced with the two drugs are killing Americans at an unprecedented rate. Death by suicide, meanwhile, remains No. 1 among the three types of despair-related death causes in Oklahoma, accounting for 872 deaths in 2020 compared to 821 in 2019. The 6% increase is the smallest percentage gain among the three types of despair deaths in the state. A connected concern came from last week from the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information, reporting a spike in poisonings with self-harm intent among adolescent girls. The agency said it saw an alarming 51 cases during the first 10 days of February, which was more than double reported during the previous 10-day period. Many of the poisonings involved over-the-counter medicines, the Oklahoma Poison Center said in a message urging residents to keep medications secure. Many people dont know that taking too much of an OTC pain reliever can have life-threatening consequences, said Scott Schaeffer, Oklahoma Poison Center managing director. Beaman said the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has been making strides in suicide prevention and substance abuse treatment. He credits a program in which patients who visit their primary care physician are screened for suicidality as one tool to help prevent self-harm. Meanwhile, deaths from alcohol-related liver disease also increased in Oklahoma, up 12% from 659 in 2019 to 737 in 2020, according to CDC data. Forward-thinking solution Beaman said the increase in despair-related deaths is discouraging, but he was encouraged by the community response to the problem. Im actually really proud of what they are doing at David L. Moss (Tulsa County jail), Beaman said. I think Sheriff (Vic) Regalado is pretty forward-thinking in the mental health pods and in addiction treatment for people who are in jail. The jail operated by Tulsa County Sheriffs Office is the first in the state to implement a medicine-assisted treatment program for pre-trial detainees. Launched around 2019, medicine-assisted treatment in the jail has been critical in helping treat addicts who are detoxing while behind bars, Regalado said. The Tulsa jail has 106 beds available in its mental health unit, the sheriff said, and they stay full pretty much all the time. The program offers three types of drugs to detainees to help overcome opioid addiction, he said. Regalado said 1,639 detainees have received the drug Subutex, used to treat opioid addiction. He said another drug, Suboxone, has been used to treat 9,826 detainees for methamphetamine and opioid use, as well as for pregnant women who have illicit drugs in their system. A third drug, Vivitrol, has been prescribed only 18 times, but when it is given, it is pretty successful, Regalado said. Vivitrol, which Regalado said costs about $1,000 per shot, is given on the eve of a detainees release from custody, who must be narcotic free at the time. What we have found is that the most dangerous time for an addict is when they get out of jail, Regalado said. And that craving just comes right back and of course it leads them right to their dealer or wherever they get their drugs. Vivitrol, Regalado said, removes that craving for opioids, allowing them to more easily access intense therapy or mental health services upon release. The program is financed through a legal settlement with opioid drug manufacturers that is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The state agency is in the process of establishing a system to track and support detainees who participate in the MAT program following their release from jail. The program will feature a mobile application that will provide support to MAT participants with the goal of reducing the number of detainees being released with untreated substance abuse issues, said Teresa Stephenson with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. If we can get them the therapy that they need, they will more likely get jobs, they more likely will have productive lives without further involvement in the criminal system, said Stephenson, the agencys senior director of adult substance abuse treatment and recovery services. The MAT program, operated through a private jail medical provider, is also being offered at detention facilities in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Oklahoma, Payne and Rogers counties, Stephenson said. The state should have data within the year to see how detainees in the program are faring after their release, Stephenson said. It is not all related to just despair The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an increase in anxiety and depression, said Zack Stoycoff, executive director of the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, a Tulsa mental health policy and action group. The increase in anxiety and depression in turn has contributed to increases in suicide and accidental drug overdose, Stoycoff said, who said he avoids use of the phrase deaths of despair. Personally, I try to not use that phrase, because they are mental-health related deaths, Stoycoff said, referring to suicides and unintended drug overdose deaths. Some people will argue that it is not all related to just despair. Early in the pandemic, during the height of COVID-19-related shutdowns, about half of Oklahomans reported experiencing anxiety and depression, Stoycoff said. And while newer data is lacking as yet, Stoycoff said he believes suicide and drug-related deaths may have peaked about six months ago. But they are still higher than pre-pandemic numbers, Stoycoff said. He said the state needs to continue to improve mental health and substance abuse programs and their availability in the state. With the trauma of the last two years, with 50% of us having experiencing anxiety and depression, so even if deaths do go down there will still be deaths, there will still be people in need, and we certainly have to be aware of that, Stoycoff said. Regalado said the treatments offered in the jail are much needed, but they arent enough. Something needs to be done because these are things that are happening in the jail, and what I often say is that anytime you say that addiction services, mental health services are being done in a jail, theres a problem, Regalado said. Well its a problem in the jail because we dont have the capacity in which to treat everybody. Beaman agrees with the Tulsa County sheriff that more needs to be done. But Beaman believes the problem is not so much a need for more money to fix the problem, but rather a reassessment regarding how it is spent. In Oklahoma we spend a lot of money reacting to things, Beaman said. We arrest and prosecute, and that whole cycle is very expensive. We dont do a lot of prevention to prevent the criminal behavior in the first place. We are putting out fires in Oklahoma, and thats what we have always done. We wait for a problem to happen, and then we try to fix it. The fix is very, very expensive, compared to preventing it in the first place. He envisions a day when prevention clinics are seemingly on every street corner. In health care, especially in mental health and addiction, you have to remove all barriers, Beaman said. You need to meet people where they are at. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Back to the USSR: There are several theories about what Russian President Vladimir Putin is up to, and U.S. Sen. James Lankford has picked one. Last week, Lankford said hes convinced that Putin is trying put the band back together except in this case its the former Soviet Unions republics. Putins intent, said Lankford, is to make sure the whole world pays attention to him and show that hes a powerful man and distract attention from a Russian economy that is literally in tatters. Were all extremely aware of Putins focus on trying to be able to push out and recreate the USSR again, said Lankford. We should pay attention. We should not pretend this wont affect the world. While some Republicans and conservative commentators have voiced sympathy for Putin in his dispute with Ukraine, Lankford did not. Weve seen oil prices around the world already accelerate based on just Putins actions right now. Weve seen what hes tried to be able to do to manipulate oil prices for the benefit of Russia but to the detriment of everyone else. We can see that. The issue is: What are we going to do about that? How are we going to actually engage? Dots and dashes: The House was out last week, but the Senate met; this week the House is in Washington and the Senate is recessed. Inhofe and Lankford opposed the confirmation of U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf, whom Inhofe called anti-life because of Califfs support of nonsurgical medical abortions. Inhofe and Lankford continued to bitterly complain about the Biden administrations military vaccine mandate. Inhofe said the Biden administrations recently announced Indo-Pacific strategy is OK in theory but that he suspects that the White Houses actions will not match its rhetoric. Third District Congressman Frank Lucas was one of four members of Congress honored by the Science Coalition, a consortium of leading research universities. Shane Hand was named 4th District Congressman Tom Coles legislative director. Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World Featured video: Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LAGOS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of nine people lost their lives and eight others were injured on Sunday in a road accident in Nigeria's central state of Kwara. The accident, which involved a car and a bus, occurred around 8 a.m. local time along the Ilorin-Ogbomosho highway as a result of overspeeding, Jonathan Owoade, the sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Kwara told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital. "A car coming out of the airport ran across the road, thinking it could have crossed the road before the bus got to it," he told reporters. According to him, passers-by helped to ferry the injured to a state-owned hospital He warned motorists against violating road safety guidelines and other road users, particularly commuters, to always caution commercial vehicle drivers against overspeeding. Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving. LONDON (AP) Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace said, adding that she still plans to carry on working. The diagnosis prompted concern and get-well wishes from across Britain's political spectrum for the famously stoic 95-year-old. Britain's longest-reigning monarch and a fixture in the life of the nation, the queen reached the milestone of 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6, the anniversary of the 1952 death of her father, King George VI. She will turn 96 on April 21. The palace said the queen, who has been fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, would continue with "light" duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week. "She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," the palace said in a statement. People in the U.K. who test positive for COVID-19 are now required to self-isolate for at least five days, although the British government says it plans to lift that requirement for England this week. Both the queen's eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor Castle, where the queen is staying. Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said the queen would likely be given one of several antiviral drugs that have been approved in the U.K. to treat COVID-19. "If you do get them early enough, it does reduce the risk of severe disease developing, so I would imagine any doctor for a patient in their 90s would be considering giving these antivirals," he said. A host of senior British politicians sent get-well messages on Sunday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "I'm sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health." Health Secretary Sajid Javid wrote that he was "Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery," while opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer wished the queen "good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Ma'am." Elizabeth has been in robust health for most of her reign and has been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year she has been seen using a walking stick, and in October she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests. The queen's doctors ordered her to rest after that and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November. This month she returned to public duties and has held audiences both virtually and in person with diplomats, politicians and senior military officers. During one exchange caught on camera last week, she walked slowly with a stick and said "as you can see I can't move" in apparent reference to her leg. The queen delivered two televised messages to the nation early in the pandemic in 2020, and has sought to lead by example. She let it be known she had been vaccinated, and last year sat alone during the funeral of her husband of 72 years, Prince Philip, because of coronavirus restrictions. Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said members of the royal family are probably more concerned than the queen about her situation. "I would guess that she will be matter-of-fact about the diagnosis in a way perhaps that the people around her are less matter-of-fact," he said. The queen has a busy schedule over the next few months of her Platinum Jubilee year, and is scheduled to attend in-person public engagements in the coming weeks, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor on March 2 and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14. On March 29, she has a remembrance service at Westminster Abbey for Philip, who died in April 2021 at 99. Public celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee are scheduled over a long weekend June 2-5, with festivities including a military parade, a day of horse racing and neighborhood parties. The queen is the latest monarch from around the world to catch COVID-19. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, and Spain's King Felipe VI, 54, both tested positive for the illness earlier in February and had mild symptoms. Her diagnosis comes after a difficult week for Britain's royal family. On Tuesday the queen's second son, Prince Andrew, settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed he had sexually abused with her when she was 17 and traveling with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew strenuously denied the claim by Virginia Giuffre. He agreed in a settlement to make a substantial donation to his accuser's charity. On Wednesday, London's Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into allegations that people associated with one of Prince Charles' charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure honors and citizenship in return for donations. ___ Follow AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic The outcome of an upcoming federal trial will have long-lasting implications for the death penalty in Oklahoma. A nearly 8-year-old lawsuit, filed by a group of Oklahoma death row prisoners who claim the states lethal injection protocol causes unconstitutional pain and suffering, will proceed to trial Feb. 28 at the federal courthouse in Oklahoma City. U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot will preside over the hearing, which is expected to last one week. Oklahoma Watch analyzed court documents and interviewed death penalty experts to better understand legal arguments and potential responses depending on the courts ruling. Heres background on the lawsuit and what to expect when the trial begins: How we got here On June 25, 2014, a group of Oklahoma death row prisoners filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court challenging the states execution protocol as unconstitutional. The prisoners, citing the problematic execution of Clayton Lockett on April 29, 2014, argued that the states execution process was likely to cause severe pain and suffering that violates the Eighth and Fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit advanced to the Supreme Court in June 2015. In a 5-4 decision, justices ruled that prisoners had not met the burden of proof to show they would be subject to an unconstitutional level of pain. The court also ruled that condemned prisoners who challenge their execution method must present a known and available alternative. The lawsuit returned to district court, where it was administratively closed in October 2015 after state officials imposed an execution moratorium. Further details of state execution mishaps followed. In May 2016, a multicounty grand jury released a report citing dozens of errors by state officials and systemic failures during executions, including former corrections director Robert Patton verbally modifying the protocol without authority and a pharmacist ordering the wrong execution drugs. The case reopened on Feb. 27, 2020, weeks after former Attorney General Mike Hunter and Corrections Director Scott Crow announced the state had secured an adequate supply of lethal injection drugs and developed new execution protocols. Hunter had pledged not to seek execution dates with the lawsuit pending. His successor, John OConnor, in August asked the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to schedule execution dates for seven prisoners. Six were removed from the federal lawsuit because they failed to identify an alternative execution method; the remaining prisoner, Bigler Stouffer, was pursuing a separate legal challenge. Oklahoma ended its six-year execution moratorium on Oct. 28, putting John Marion Grant to death by lethal injection. Media witnesses say Grant convulsed dozens of times and vomited on himself after midazolam was administered. Dr. Jeremy Shelton, a state pathologist, wrote in an autopsy report that Grants lungs were heavy with fluid and that he breathed in vomit. The state has since executed three other men Bigler Stouffer on Dec. 9, Donald Grant on Jan. 27 and Gilbert Postelle on Thursday without similar complications. In an August court filing, Friot said a series of executions could produce evidence to be presented during the trial. Attorneys representing the state and death row prisoners will call witnesses who attended the executions. The prisoners argument The condemned prisoners claim the sedative midazolam, the first of three drugs administered in Oklahomas execution process, causes fluid to rapidly build in the lungs and creates a feeling of suffocation. The second drug, potassium chloride, causes extreme pain similar to being burned alive if the person being executed maintains consciousness, they claim. Midazolam does not induce and maintain prisoners in a state of unconsciousness and they will experience the pain caused by the second and third execution drugs. They will feel like they are drowning, said Jennifer Moreno, an assistant federal public defender representing the prisoners, in a written statement. In addition, Oklahomas use of a paralytic as the second drug exacerbates the risk inherent in this protocol. The paralytic serves no legitimate purpose other than to make it appear as if death is occurring peacefully while hiding any suffering and expressions of pain that occur. Autopsy reports from the state medical examiners office show John Grant and Bigler Stouffer had pulmonary edema. That condition, caused by excess fluid in the lungs, can make it difficult to breathe at the time of death. The office has yet to release autopsy reports for Grant and Postelle. Federal public defenders also plan to argue the execution team lacks the training necessary to address issues during executions, Moreno said. The states argument The state maintains previous execution problems were caused by inadequate training and lax protocols, which have since been updated and corrected. Dr. Ervin Yen, an Oklahoma City anesthesiologist and former state senator hired by the state as a paid witness, told Friot midazolam will render a prisoner unconscious in 30 to 45 seconds and they will not feel pain after that. The Department of Corrections released its current lethal injection protocol in February 2020. The protocol lists processes for verifying lethal injection drugs and details who may participate in executions. ODOC continues to use the approved three-drug protocol which has proven humane and effective, the agency said in an October statement. Extensive validations and redundancies have been implemented since the last execution in order to ensure that the process works as intended. If the court rules for the prisoners Oklahoma would have to find and use other drugs to carry out executions by lethal injection or attempt an alternative execution method. Executions would likely be put on hold. The state constitution authorizes execution by nitrogen asphyxiation as a second option and by firing squad as second and third options. The attorney generals office and Department of Corrections announced plans to conduct executions by nitrogen suffocation in March 2018 but struggled to find a willing supplier. Alabama is poised to become the first state to execute a prisoner by nitrogen suffocation. Last month, an attorney representing the Alabama attorney generals office told a federal judge the state would release protocols this spring. Alabamas plan could become a model for Oklahoma state officials. Oklahoma, for whatever reason, has not been able to develop its own (nitrogen suffocation) protocol, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the nonpartisan Death Penalty Information Center. But that doesnt mean once another state has developed its protocol that Oklahoma cant adopt something very similar. In a nitrogen hypoxia execution, the prisoner would likely be fitted with a mask and breathe in pure nitrogen. Their body would quickly be deprived of oxygen, resulting in unconsciousness and ultimately death. Proponents say nitrogen gas executions would be quick, painless and less prone to complications than lethal injections. Critics note there has been little research on nitrogen gas and the method remains susceptible to error. For example, the nitrogen could be diluted by a poorly fitted mask, prolonging the execution and increasing the likelihood of pain and suffering. Any proposed nitrogen suffocation protocol would likely face intense legal scrutiny. If the court rules against the prisoners Oklahoma could proceed with its current lethal injection protocol, assuming state officials are able to maintain a supply of the drugs. At least 26 death row prisoners have exhausted their post-conviction appeals and would be eligible to receive an execution date. Expect the losing party to appeal to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. From there, the case could advance up to the Supreme Court. The appeals court agreed to temporarily stay two executions in late October, noting the prisoners had made a strong showing that the states execution protocol would cause an unacceptable level of pain. That ruling was overturned by a 5-3 decision in the U.S. Supreme Court. If Friot rules against the prisoners, state officials could look to schedule new execution dates as the appeals process plays out. The national impact Lawsuits challenging lethal injection protocols are ongoing in 11 states, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. If the court declares the method unconstitutional, theres no question that prisoners lawyers in other states that are using the three-drug protocol are going to be relying heavily on the ruling, Dunham said. And if the judge rules for Oklahoma, the prisoners lawyers will be looking for ways to distinguish the facts and circumstances in their case. School ties: Conservative organizations brought their influence and/or pressure to bear last week in support of state Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treats Senate Bill 1647, which would give parents public money to spend on private schools or homeschooling. Historically, that was known as a voucher system, but the term has fallen out of favor in some circles, and Treat and the bills supporters insist that it is not a voucher bill, although it essentially would do the same thing. The Washington-based Heritage Foundation offered reporters its experts on the matter, and Americans For Prosperity-Oklahoma the state affiliate of a leading national school choice organization issued a statement by Jennifer Carter, who is well-known in state education circles as a proponent of vouchers and similar programs and a critic of the public school system. Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts will put parents back in charge of their childrens education, making it clear that in Oklahoma we fund students, not systems, said Carter. The senators who voted yes today should be applauded for siding with parents and empowering them to choose the best school for each child. The opponents of SB 1647, and of school choice in general, are regurgitating misleading talking points from both national teachers unions and the Biden administration designed to scare voters, she continued. It wont work in Oklahoma, where voters have made it very clear that they want more choices, more freedom and less bureaucracy. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, where Carters husband, Ray Carter, works, went after Speaker of the House Charles McCall, R-Atoka. McCall says his caucus is not interested in hearing Treats bill, and last week an Oklahoma City television reporter quoted McCall as saying no one from his district has contacted him in support of the measure. OCPA President Jonathan Small said his organization has provided contact information to supporters from McCalls district. While I cannot guarantee that Speaker McCall reads his email or listens to his voice mails, I can say without a doubt that people from his district have contacted Speaker McCall in support of SB 1647, Small said. All of this could be a heavy load for Republican incumbents caught between some major Republican machines and local school patrons who are worried about their districts and how the Legislature proposes to keep track of all the money it would be handing out. Democrats have no such qualms. Outnumbered and outmoneyed, theyre yelling for all theyre worth. Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairwoman Alicia Andrews called Treats bill a hoax that will funnel money away from public schools without providing more choices for most Oklahomans. It doesnt matter what Republicans try to label it, Andrews said. Whether they call it a voucher program or Education Savings Account, its the same concept. Remove public education money from public schools and feed it into private education. Its as simple as that. shroomin: HB 3414, which would authorize the states colleges and universities to engage in psilocybin research, advanced through a House committee. Psilocybin is the chemical that makes some mushrooms magic. The bills sponsors, though, say the intent is research on the use of microdoses to help people with post traumatic stress disorder or similar conditions and those in end-of-life palliative care. Spam, spam, spam: The House Technology Committee advanced legislation aimed at spam calls, but its author says the Legislature is limited in its ability to stop random calls about nonexistent car warranties and other solicitations. About 70% of the spam calls are coming from outside the United States, said Rep. Logan Phillips, R-Mounds. This bill will not affect them because, simply put, we do not have the reach. The out-of-area solicitation calls that display in-state phone numbers use a technique known as spoofing to fool caller ID software, but Phillips said technology exists to track the true origination point. But we do what we can, where we can, how we can, he said. For those companies that operate in the United States or in Oklahoma that are spoofing numbers, this will have a direct impact on their business models. So fix it, no; but definitely help. Pro tem retained: Senate Republicans voted unanimously to retain President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, for the 59th Oklahoma Legislature, which meets in 2023-24. It will be Treats third term at the helm. Remember us? The House Democratic caucus may be small, but its still feisty. Last week it charged the ruling Republicans with ignoring Oklahoma issues while catering to a national audience. We continue to see a focus on anything but Oklahomans and their needs, said House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman. We see a lot of political pandering in this building. We see a lot of people who are campaigning for their next primary election. We dont see enough focus on the actual needs of Oklahomans. Furthermore: Among measures advancing from committee last week: SB 1568, by Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, which would add domestic violence to the violent offender registry; HB 2969, the latest iteration of the digital privacy bill from Reps. Collin Walke, D-Oklahoma City, and Josh West, R-Grove; SJR 1, by Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, a proposed constitutional amendment carried over from last year that would allow common, career tech and higher education employees to retain their jobs while serving in the Legislature. Choice words: State Democrats mocked Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnors remark (about COVID mandates) that medical decisions should be between doctor and patient. Maybe OConnor is on to something, said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairwoman Alicia Andrews. Health care decisions should be between a patient and their physician? What a concept. The hypocrisy of Republicans wanting freedoms and my body, my decision mocking mask mandates, while at the same time wanting total control of a womans body is frightening, she said. Campaigns and elections: U.S. Sen. James Lankfords reelection campaign has what portends to be a high-dollar fundraiser this week at the home of prominent attorney Steve Stodghill, an associate of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Hosts also include financier Roy Bailey, who was National Finance Committee co-chairman of Donald Trumps successful 2016 presidential campaign. Jackson Lahmeyer, who was been working feverishly to get Trumps endorsement in the June 28 GOP primary with Lankford and state Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, also has a fundraiser this week with Trump allies Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. Lankfords campaign said hes been endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council, which is the union for Border Patrol employees. Meetings and events: Second District Congressman Markwayne Mullin has two public events scheduled for Wednesday in southeastern Oklahoma: 10:15am, Spaceship Earth Coffee, 345 E. Choctaw Ave., McAlester. 1:30pm, The Vault, 314 E. Court St. Atoka. Bottom lines: State Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, and several other Republican lawmakers have scheduled a Wednesday press conference to discuss their efforts on behalf of death-row inmate Richard Glossip. Tulsa County reported its recycled medication program provided more than $1.1 million in medications to county residents last year. State Attorney General John OConnor joined a Florida lawsuit against the federal contractor vaccine mandate. Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World Featured video: Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. State Rep. Justin Humphrey introduced two animal related bills this session: House Bill 3281 to weaken Oklahomas cruelty-to-animals statute, and House Bill 3283 to eviscerate our voter approved cockfighting law. HB 3281 would exempt the use of bullhooks from the current cruelty-to-animals law. Training elephants with bullhooks is extremely painful and stressful for the elephants and should not be exempt from our cruelty-to-animals code. HB 3283 guts Oklahomas 2002 voter-approved cockfighting law. Humphrey says the penalties in Oklahoma are too high for raising a chicken. HB 3283 lowers felonies to misdemeanors and redefines cockfighting as only when birds are fitted with artificial spurs/knives/gaffs. It removes training fights and advertising a cockfight as offenses and it lowers fines and removes any jail time, making the penalties essentially the cost of doing business rather than deterrent. Cockfighting is a vicious blood sport set up for amusement, narcotics and illegal gambling. Humphrey wants to make it easy for game fowl breeders to export their fighting birds and maintain fighting venues in Oklahoma, all under the guise of criminal justice reform. Please contact state legislators and ask them to vote no on HB 3281 and HB 3283. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to tulsaworld.com/opinion/submitletter. Featured video: Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Canadian police on Saturday used pepper spray and stun grenades, and made dozens of arrests as they cleared demonstrators from the street in front of parliament, where they have been camping for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions. A total of 170 arrests have been made in two days, Ottawa's interim police chief, Steve Bell, told reporters. Police by afternoon had dispersed the main portion of the blockade in front of parliament and the prime minister's office. After nightfall, police sent a message on Twitter to demonstrators saying: "Get out of the cold and cease further unlawful activity" or risk arrest. City crews were now engaged in cleaning up and towing away remaining vehicles, Bell told a news conference. But other pockets around the city had yet to be cleared, and there was a risk that demonstrators might change location, he said. "We are aware of protesters leaving the parliamentary precinct moving to surrounding neighborhoods. We are not going anywhere until you have your streets back," Bell said, addressing Ottawa citizens. Canadian Police officers move protestors towards parliament hill, as they work to restore normality to the capital while trucks and demonstrators continue to occupy the downtown core for more than three weeks to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters Using bullhorns, police warned the crowd to disperse or face arrest. For a second day, police also urged protesters to remove young children from the area. "This is dangerous and is putting young children at risk," Bell said. Protest organizers for the so-called Freedom Convoy said they had asked trucks to withdraw because of what they called heavy-handed police tactics, and many trucks did exit the downtown core on Saturday. Fifty-three vehicles have been towed, police said. Officers smashed vehicle windows to arrest people locked inside. Some of those arrested on Saturday wore body armor and had smoke grenades and other fireworks in their bags and vehicles, police said. Police confirmed the use of stun grenades and pepper spray. Protesters threw smoke canisters, but no tear gas has been used, police said. Canadian Police officers move protestors towards parliament hill, as they work to restore normality to the capital while trucks and demonstrators continue to occupy the downtown core for more than three weeks to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters As part of the ongoing protests, several border blockades had been put in place in recent weeks, but all had reopened until Saturday, when demonstrators again closed the Pacific Coast Highway border crossing south of Vancouver. Many of the main organizers in Ottawa have been taken into custody, and some have reportedly left. On Saturday, organizers said on Twitter they were "shocked at the abuses of power by the law enforcement in Ottawa" and so had "asked our truckers to move from Parliament Hill to avoid further brutality." The protest organizers said protesters had been "horse-trampled" on Friday, which police deny. "We hear your concern for people on the ground after the horses dispersed a crowd. Anyone who fell got up and walked away. We're unaware of any injuries," police said on Twitter. The protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers, but the blockade has gradually turned into a demonstration against the government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canadian police officers clash with protestors, as they work to restore normality to the capital while trucks and demonstrators continue to occupy the downtown core for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters "This is our final stand. ... When it ends, it ends and it's in God's hands," said Jeremy Glass, a protester from Shelburne, Ontario. Trudeau on Monday invoked emergency powers to give his government wider authority to stop the protests. He authorized banks and financial institutions to temporarily freeze the accounts of those suspected of supporting the blockades, without obtaining a court order. "An ongoing effort to blockade that port of entry (south of Vancouver) really shows why the Emergencies Act continues to be a necessity," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp on Saturday. Financial services providers have used the emergency powers to freeze at least 76 accounts with a total of C$3.2 million ($2.5 million), Mendicino told reporters earlier in the day. Canadian police advance push protestors back in front of Parliament Hill as police work to restore normality to the capital as trucks and demonstrators continue to occupy the downtown core to protest COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters The federal government said on Saturday it would provide up to C$20 million to Ottawa businesses that have suffered losses due to the blockades. Debate in parliament over the emergency powers resumed on Saturday, and a final vote is scheduled for Monday. Trudeau's Liberals and opposition New Democrats have indicated their support, which should ensure its passage. Protesters, who have been filmed by police, will be held accountable, Bell said. "If you are involved in this protest, we will actively look to identify you and follow up with financial sanctions and criminal charges. ... This investigation will go on for months to come." About 2.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by Australia arrived in Vietnam on Saturday, completing the countrys commitment to share 7.8 million vaccine shots with Vietnam. Australia has delivered 3.6 million Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam over recent weeks through a procurement agreement with UNICEF and in partnership with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, UNICEF said in a press release. The final 2.2 million doses touched down at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, which completed Australias commitment to share 7.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with Vietnam. In addition to the Pfizer-BioNTech doses procured through UNICEF, Australia has shared 4.2 million AstraZeneca jabs from its own supply since August last year. The Pfizer- BioNTech doses were purchased with UNICEFs support through Australias AUD60 million (US$43 million) package of support for Vietnams COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Along with purchasing doses, Australia is partnering with UNICEF to ensure vaccine distribution is safe, effective, and equitable. Australia is a close friend and partner of Vietnam and we continue to unite in our shared fight against COVID-19, said Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie. Vietnam has made tremendous progress with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout and I am proud that Australia could contribute towards this important work. We are grateful to the Government of Australia for sharing these life-saving vaccine doses with the Vietnamese people, said UNICEF representative Rana Flowers. These vaccines will help Vietnam in its effort to reach all, extending over time to children, and ensuring the rollout of booster doses. Vietnam has registered 2,740,293 patients in total since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country in early 2020. More than 174 million doses have been given to the adult demographic of the countrys 98 million people, and above 16.7 million shots have been injected into children aged 12-17, according to the Ministry of Health. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: COVID-19 Updates -- Vietnams Ministry of Health reported 41,980 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, raising the national tally to 2,740,293, with 2,268,020 recoveries and 39,423 deaths. -- The number of COVID-19 cases has been rising in Ho Chi Minh City over the past days, which led to a slight increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, the citys Center for Disease Control said, adding that a new infection cluster has been detected at a monastery in Go Vap District. Society -- An extremely strong cold spell has caused temperatures in northern Vietnam to dip to eight degrees Celsius across the Red River Delta and around three degrees Celsius in mountainous areas. -- Police in southern Binh Phuoc Province confirmed on Saturday they were investigating a case where a ninth grader was stabbed to death by some unidentified men in front of his school earlier the same day. -- Officers in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang arrested on Saturday a 31-year-old man for robbing a local bank with a plastic gun on Wednesday. -- A tanker truck driver was able to prevent disaster as he managed to steer his vehicle out of a filling station after it caught fire in Tien Giang Province on Saturday afternoon. -- A 40-year-old man from northern Yen Bai Province along with his motorbike was swept away by floodwaters after trying to cross a flooded bridge despite authorities warning on Saturday. -- Competent authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are finalizing a plan to renovate the iconic Ben Thanh Market in downtown area. The plan is expected to be presented to the municipal administration for approval in late February. Sports -- Vietnam beat Singapore 7-0 in their group-stage battle at the 2022 AFF U23 Championship in Cambodia on Saturday evening. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The European Union (EU) has announced a maximum grant of 210 million euros (US$238 million) as non-refundable aid for Vietnam for the 2021-24 period to consolidate and realize their bilateral cooperation in a number of prioritized areas. The announcement was made during a three-day visit to Vietnam by Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, starting on Thursday at the invitation of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh. The visit was aimed at further discussing Vietnams commitments made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) last year, as well as the EUs possible support for Vietnam in its efforts to quickly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. During his talks with Deputy PM Thanh on Friday, Timmermans affirmed that the EU attaches importance to its comprehensive partnership cooperation with Vietnam. This $238 million aid is part of the Multiannual Indicative Program (MIP) that concretizes the cooperative relationship between the EU and Vietnam, enabling the two sides to work together on programs and projects built on common goals, principles, and values. The aid is also intended to boost the EUs cooperation with Vietnam in three priority areas including climate-responsive digital circular economy, responsible entrepreneurship and enhanced skills for decent employment, and strengthening governance, rule of law, and institutional reform. The EU stands ready to continue supporting Vietnams green transition and seeks deeper cooperation with the Southeast Asian country in climate areas to help realize the countrys COP26 commitments, Timmermans said. He added that Vietnam has tremendous potential in the development of green, renewable energy and the two sides have recently discussed ways to apply European experience, expertise, and financial support to accelerate this transformation. Currently, Vietnam is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and its Mekong Delta region, with a population of 20 million people, is subject to many risks such as land subsidence, extreme weather conditions, groundwater salinity, and sea level rise, Timmermans pointed out. There is an urgent need for investment in climate resilience and adaptation to climate change, including nature-based solutions, he said. Commenting on Vietnams commitments made by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at COP26, Timmermans said the country has set an ambitious target to reduce net emissions to zero by 2050. This important goal first requires new plans to be drawn up for coal-fired power projects without CO2 capture technology, while coal power production will be phased out, in line with Vietnams commitments to the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement at COP26, the EU official stated. During his Vietnam visit, Timmermans also met with PM Chinh, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, and some representatives of NGOs in Vietnam to discuss issues of mutual concerns. Talking to the press on Saturday afternoon, Timmermans said his meetings with the Vietnamese officials showed that Vietnam is well aware of the importance of climate and environmental protection for sustainable and long-term development. He added that the Southeast Asian country has achieved high economic growth in recent decades. The EU is currently an important economic and development partner and the biggest non-refundable aid provider of Vietnam, according to the Vietnam News Agency. It is also the countrys third-largest importer and sixth-largest investor. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade between Vietnam and the EU has reached $57 billion after 18 months of implementing the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the agency reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ho Van Dung, a farmer in Kien Giang Province has been blind since the age of three. Despite his disability, Dung has a reputation for his incredible farming and eel-catching skills. Dung's incredible skill has grown to such proportions that people travel from across the province, located in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, to his home in Hamlet 9, Vinh Hoa Hung Bac Commune, Go Quao District, Kien Giang to find out whether he is truly blind. The family breadwinner According to Dung, he lost his sight at the age of three due to an unknown disease. "My parents were very poor at the time and tried their best to treat my disease, but nothing they tried worked, he divulged. Despite his disability, Dung has spent his life excelling at skills normally reserved for the sighted, namely farming and eel-catching. Catching eels in a rice field is no easy task, and according to Dung, "there are no secret tips." "As a blind man, I have my own way of setting the trap," he said. "I use the same tools as everyone else, but I seem to be more lucky. "I never go home without eels." For Dung, the journey to catch the eels is more difficult than actually catching the slithery creature. "I can't see the way, and I often fall over in the field," he said. "Sometimes I cut my feet on nails, plants, and broken glass. He works in the fields every day, typically catching at least a kilogram of small eels that can then sell for VND80,000-120,000 (US$3.5-4.4) in order to support his family. Much of his success in farming and eel-catching is owed to his heightened senses of smell, hearing, taste, and touch, according to Dung. In fact, his senses of hearing and touch are so sensitive that he can pinpoint the time simply from the sounds of birds chirping or the feel of sunlight on his skin. "The birds often sing loudly in the morning and I know its about noon when the wind starts to blow a certain way, Dung said. Although he is blind, Ho Van Dung has been making a living for his family of five for about 40 years in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre A supportive family While Dung works the fields, Anh, the love of his life, prepares meals for their family. "My wife is really good at cooking," Dung proudly shared. Anh, 40, is a strong, resourceful, sighted woman who met Dung in 2000. The two fell in love immediately. "It seemed to be destiny for us. I fell in love with him the very first day we met," she recounted. Now, years later Dung still seems surprised to have found such an affectionate love. "I thought Id never find love because I am blind, but she loves me and became my wife, Dung said. "We live with many difficulties because we are poor, but we will always be together. "My life is simple but I am incredibly happy." Between catching eels, diving to collect soil, and spraying pesticides, the couple earn VND100,000-200,000 ($4.4-8.8) a day. They also raise pigs. "I am illiterate but my children should not be," Dung said. "My two oldest children dropped out of school to become workers because they didnt want my wife and I to have to work so hard. "Now I am determined to give my youngest daughter the best chance to learn." Tran Van Trieu, Dung's neighbor, praised him for his cleverness and professional skills. Trieu said that many people want to hire Dung to work on their farms because of his thoroughness and attention to detail. "He knows exactly whether there are eels in this area or not," Trieu said. "I admire him a lot. "He is capable of anything, just like anyone else. "I am not blind but I cannot catch eels as well as he can. "He seems to have such a happy family." The eels are caught by blind man Ho Van Dung. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre Enjoying music after work Dung has a fondness for traditional music. He can play the guitar and sing both folk songs and 'cai luong,' traditional type of music from southern Vietnam. Many people enjoy listening to him during their breaks from work. Dung learned to play the guitar all by himself by listening to others and practices it every day . He used to make a living by playing music at weddings for a fee of VND200,000-500,000 ($8.8-22). Now he only plays the guitar as a hobby after work. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Olympian Sally Pearson will join the Seven News Gold Coast desk to present sport alongside Amanda Abate and Steve Titmus. Pearson is the fourth fastest hurdler in history, who became the 10th female Australian track athlete to win a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Two years later, she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal. I have loved my time working with Amanda, Steve and the 7NEWS Gold Coast team in various guest roles and I am excited to make this role a permanent one. As a proud Gold Coast local, I look forward to delivering the best local sporting news to our viewers, she said. What better way to kick things off than with some headline-making news of my own! Kieran and I are absolutely thrilled to be bringing another little one into the world, as is Ruby, who is already taking the big sister role very seriously. In further news she and husband Kieran are expecting their second child in August. Director Seven News Brisbane and Gold Coast, Neil Warren, said: Firstly, a big congratulations to Sally on her baby announcement. What wonderful news. Sally will be a great addition to our strong Gold Coast team, joining Amanda Abate, Steve Titmus and Paul Burt on the local news at 5.30pm. Ive got great confidence in Sally, who displayed unbreakable drive and determination as an Olympian, and shes already showing those same characteristics with us. She begins her new role on Monday 28 February. HANOI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam registered a fresh record of 47,200 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, an increase of 4,761 cases from the previous high reported on Friday, according to its Ministry of Health. The new infections, logged in 63 localities nationwide, included 47,192 domestically transmitted and eight imported. The epidemic hotspot, the capital Hanoi logged over 5,100 daily infections on Sunday, marking its highest single-day tally, remaining the locality with the highest number of COVID-19 cases. Other northern localities with a high number of cases included Bac Ninh province with 2,360 cases and Phu Tho province with 1,981 cases. The infections brought the total tally to 2,787,493 with 39,501 deaths. Nationwide, as many as 2,281,434 COVID-19 patients, or 82 percent of the infections, have so far recovered. Around 191.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the Southeast Asian country, including 174.6 million shots for people aged 18 and above, said the ministry. Vietnam has by far gone through four coronavirus waves of increasing scale, complication, and infectivity. As of Sunday, the country has registered nearly 2.8 million locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since the start of the current wave in April 2021, according to the health ministry. Tyler, TX (75702) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Johnson said there was 'not a jot' he could say about the Met's investigation into alleged Downing Street parties. (Photo: BBC Sunday Morning) Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to say whether he will resign if he is fined over partygate despite one minister suggesting he would not quit. The prime minister has now handed a questionnaire into the Metropolitan Police as part of its inquiry, named Operation Hillman, into the alleged parties in Downing Street that have rocked his premiership. Scotland Yard announced that it was sending a questionnaire to approximately 50 people who are thought to have attended events during the pandemic, when gatherings were illegal. Among them is Johnson, who admitted he attended a bring your own booze event on May 20, 2020, while No.10 also confirmed he attended a small celebration to mark his birthday in June the same year. But in an interview with the BBC, Johnson repeatedly refused to answer questions on the investigation and what it might mean for his premiership. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to give you full and detailed answers on all this stuff, he told the BBCs Sunday Morning Programme. I genuinely cant because weve got a process under way there is not a jot I can say until it is done. Boris Johnson refuses to say whether he will resign if he is found to have broken the law by police investigating No 10 parties The PM tells #Raworth I cant comment about a process that is underwayhttps://t.co/oFF85Wy8RApic.twitter.com/eaa0rGwqI8 BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) February 20, 2022 I understand your curiosity, I totally accept it, but youre just going to have to accept for the time being and you wont have long, I hope but for the time being youre going to have to contain your interest. I will be saying a lot more about it in due course. Story continues Pressed on whether he was burying his head in the sand over the scandal that has led some MPs to demand his resignation, Johnson attempted to move the conversation on to the crisis engulfing Ukraine. I am fortunate to live in a democracy, he said. I am fortunate to be the PM of a free independent democratic country where people can take that sort of decision, and where I do face that sort of pressure, thats a wonderful thing. His comments come as Europe minister James Cleverly indicated the prime minister would not quit if he was found to have broken the law. Asked whether Johnson would resign if he received a fixed penalty notice from the police, Cleverly told Trevor Phillips on Sky News: I dont think what the country needs at the moment is a vacuum at the centre of government when we are dealing with our recovery from Covid, the accumulation of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, making sure that the the health service is able to deal with the sad, the unfortunate but nevertheless obvious, backlog thats been created by Covid. Thats what the country needs. Thats what I believe the prime minister should be doing. Phillips said: Im taking that as a no, minister. Thats exactly how you should be taking it, Cleverly replied. This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated. Related... Mona in the premises on Walmgate A NEW restaurant in York is preparing for a 'soft opening' tomorrow - after overcoming a vandalism setback in December. Yemen Heaven, set up by Mona Al Maflehi and her family, will open in Walmgate at 10am tomorrow - in the former premises of The Spread Eagle pub. The restaurant was due to open in December, but this was sadly put on hold after tens of thousands of pounds of damage was done during a vandalism incident, leading to a fundraising campaign to help the "devastated" family. During the incident, there was extensive damage, water damage, radiators were punctured, wallpaper was ripped off the walls, paint splattered on the walls, furniture broken and equipment broken. The roof at the back was also damaged. But, the fundraising page managed to raise more than 21,000 to help the family repair the damages. Family friend and business partner Rob Foxon said the help was magnificent and they did not expect so much. Now, the family has announced that Yemen Heaven will open tomorrow at 10am. They shared this on Twitter: "Due to issues cause by the vandalism that are yet to be resolved, we have opted for a soft opening. "We look forward to welcoming you and treating you and your family to a unique experience with our special Yemeni menu." Mona, who is from Yemen and has lived in York since 2017, previously had a restaurant by the Watergate Inn. Then, she opened the Yemeni Heaven in Holgate Road. It closed due to Covid, leading to this new venture in Walmgate. BANGKOK, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Thailand on Sunday reported 18,953 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, with the daily case tally rising for the fifth consecutive day to reach its highest level since Aug. 22, 2021, official data showed. The new cases brought the number of total infections in the Southeast Asian country to more than 2.71 million, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), the country's COVID-19 task force. The country also reported 30 new deaths over the last 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 22,624, according to the CCSA. The capital Bangkok logged 2,690 new cases during the last 24 hours, the most among regions, followed by the surrounding provinces of Samut Prakan and Chonburi. As of Saturday, Thailand has administered more than 121.58 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with some 71.1 percent of its nearly 70-million population having been fully vaccinated while 27.4 percent have received booster shots, according to the CCSA. HomeGoods opened Thursday at Central Texas Marketplace, and the crowds around lunchtime were about what one would expect: large. Not since the Christmas holidays has this reporter seen as much traffic there. Elsewhere in the marketplace, Kohls will be adding the new Sephora at Kohls concept, joining 200 Kohls that received the Sephora treatment last year and another 400 scheduled to join the cause this year, according to a press release. The chain hopes to expand Sephora to 850 stores total by 2023. Sephora at Kohls features a 2,500-square-foot, fully immersive beauty experience that mimics the look and feel of a freestanding Sephora, the release says. Sephoras product line includes makeup, haircare and skincare products, fragrances, and innovations in clean beauty and self-care. Kohls has promised an announcement soon on when Sephora will open. The JC Penney store in Richland Mall also has a Sephora presence. Waco Convention Center After slipping into the COVID-19 doldrums, the Waco Convention Center is bouncing back with a vengeance. Its March schedule looks intriguing. The 37th annual Dr Pepper Collectors Convention is scheduled March 9-12. No word yet on whether daily events are set for 10, 2 and 4. Gideons International, the organization that places Bibles in hotel rooms, will convene here March 31 through April 2. A hardened group, the Managing Asphalt Pavements Conference and Tradeshow, will hit town March 8-9. Team Flower Launch Workshop will hold court March 14-16, guests talking shop about opening flower shops, undoubtedly a budding industry. The biggie, literally speaking, will take over the convention center March 25-27. Jurassic Quest will feature life-size dinosaurs and simulated digs for future paleontologists. Beer awards Local craft breweries no doubt were bubbly over their performances at the inaugural Texas Craft Brewers Cup contest in Austin recently. The competition attracted 755 Texas-made craft beers in 27 categories. Brotherwell Brewing in Waco won a gold medal in the Barleywine and Strong Ale category with its Churchwarden blend. It also received a bronze for its Shelter in Haze in the Hazy IPA category. Balcones Distilling, the award-winning maker of whiskey, took a silver for its Balcones Cold IPA in the American IPA category. Pep Boys A $200,000 building permit will allow interior alterations to the Pep Boys auto service center in Westview Village, Valley Mills Drive and New Road. Pep Boys no longer operates a retail store there selling auto-repair and auto-maintenance products, choosing instead to focus on service. Gas prices Gas prices are on the rise, the statewide average moving from $3.15 to $3.22 a gallon for regular unleaded during the seven-day stretch ending Thursday, according to AAA Texas. The average locally moved from $3.11 to $3.14 during that period. Refresco buys Coke plant Refresco, which touts itself as the leading independent bottler of beverages in Europe and North America, has made good on its promise to buy the Coca-Cola/Minute Maid plant at Imperial and Hewitt drives. Coca-Cola previously entered an agreement with McLennan County to make about $1.25 million in real property improvements to the plant, and to invest about $30 million in personal property. For that, the county approved a package of tax abatements and a business grant. McLennan County commissioners last week voted to allow Refresco to assume Coca-Colas obligations and to pursue the tax breaks and grant. Refresco offers product and packaging combinations from fruit juices to carbonated drinks, mineral waters and alcoholic beverages. Its client list includes retailers and so-called A-brands, including Coca-Cola. Luna Juice Bar Summer Shine founded Luna Juice Bar in 2013, sold the business two years ago, and recently repurchased it, according to a press release. Luna Juice Bar has a storefront at 1516 Austin Ave., where it serves juices, smoothies, salads, soups and toasties. It also operates a truck at Magnolia Market at the Silos. Samples on the menu include The Big D, priced at $7, which features banana, peanut butter, oatmeal, unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, maple, cashew milk and cold-brew coffee. The $6 Basic include strawberries, bananas, almond milk and agave, according to the Luna Juice Bar website. Abbott school roof The Abbott Independent School District is getting a new roof for its high school thanks to Blattner Energy and Engie North America, two giants of renewable energy placing the Sun Valley Solar project in Hill County. A $21,400 donation will buy the roof and school supplies, and make possible training for students considering a career in renewable energy. A press release says Sun Valley Solar will feature 650,000 bifacial panels, 21 miles of roads and a substation, all to be completed later this year. Knauf visit Executives with Knauf Insulation, an international company specializing in weatherproofing products, continue to press the flesh locally. Company President and CEO Matt Parrish served as keynote speaker at Thursdays McGregor Chamber of Commerce banquet. Parrish and fellow executives recently visited the Tribune-Herald offices for a Q-and-A session. Knauf has announced it will place a 600,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in McGregors industrial park, with groundbreaking scheduled in April. It represents a $750 million investment and will employ 150 to 200 people. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Music professor and orchestra conductor Stephen Heyde will close out his 38 years as leader of Baylor Universitys orchestral program this spring, announcing his retirement at the end of the spring semester in May. Heyde, 72, said his decision is largely a matter of timing. With age came diminished energy and eyesight. I always felt I owed the orchestra and my students my very best. Things arent quite the same as they were, he said. I never wanted to stay past my prime. This is the time and its the right thing to do. While goodbyes and well-wishes likely will mark Heydes next three months, Baylor officials also are ready to welcome his successor, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, who led the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2020. Landing Harth-Bedoya for Baylor proved a coup that delighted Heyde as much as School of Music Dean Gary Mortenson, who found administrative support from Provost Nancy Brickhouse and President Linda Livingstone to secure the conductor as an opportunity hire, where circumstances allow a fast-track hiring of a qualified candidate. Ive been a big fan of Miguel and have admired his conducting and his teaching of conducting. He has lots of integrity, but with a real heart for teaching, Heyde said. Hes uniquely qualified to take the program over and lead it to ascendency. The 54-year-old Harth-Bedoya, on a phone call after finishing a concert in Poland, said he is looking forward to joining the Baylor faculty in August. I am truly honored and humbled. Its an amazing job Stephen has done for decades, he said. Those are big shoes to fill, but I feel it was providentially presented to me. Heyde also has led the Waco Symphony Orchestra for 35 years as its music director. His retirement from Baylor will not affect that position, but he said he has asked Waco Orchestra officials to form a search committee to look for his successor. Waco Symphony Association Executive Director Carolyn Bess said conversations are underway. There are some ongoing discussions about Maestro Heydes retirement date, but nothing concrete has been decided at this time, Bess said. Heydes wife, Susan Taylor, retired this summer after 44 years as director of the Waco Symphony Association, and Heyde said that decision was a factor. You have limited time and theres only a certain period of your life you can do some things, he said. Heyde, 72, will close an illustrious career at Baylor which started in 1984 when he left West Virginia University to join the music school faculty as director of orchestral studies under then-Dean Robert Blocker. Heyde took over the Baylor Symphony Orchestra that year and has led it since then. Heyde and former Baylor music Dean Emeritus Daniel Sternberg, in fact, have been the orchestras only permanent conductors in its 76-year history. Heyde, a violinist by training, also played in the Waco Symphony Orchestra for three years before becoming its music director after Sternbergs retirement in 1987. Under Heydes leadership, the Baylor orchestra program and student symphony grew in size and financial support, winning attention on both regional and national levels. The orchestra has won the American Prize in Orchestral Performance five times in the last six years. It has been invited to perform at the Texas Music Educators Conference eight times as well as national meetings of the American String Teachers Association and College Orchestra Directors Association, plus the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. The orchestra has toured internationally in Costa Rica and Belgium. Mortenson, the music school dean, said the orchestras reputation and sound played a part in his coming to Baylor from Kansas State University seven years ago. The Baylor Symphony Orchestra is, quite simply, one of the finest collegiate symphonies in the country, Mortenson said. Stephen Heyde is a legend here and rightfully so. Heyde, Mary Franks Thompson Professor of Orchestral Studies and conductor-in-residence, was quick to say the programs growth also resulted from faculty members with a shared vision, sustained student recruitment, increased financial support for scholarship and support from donors and alumni. Shortly after Heyde met with Mortenson earlier in the year to talk about retirement, Mortenson started thinking of possible replacements. Harth-Bedoya came to mind, partly because Mortensons wife, Kristin, a professional violinist, had substituted in the Fort Worth orchestra for some four years. Not only did the former Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conductor have a sterling reputation as an orchestral conductor with international experience and reputation, but had lived in Texas for many years and counted Heyde and other Baylor musicians among his professional contacts. Harth-Bedoya also had an interest in teaching and training new orchestral conductors, joining the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2020 to start an undergraduate program in orchestral conducting. The Fort Worth resident holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School and has experience as music director for the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in New Zealand and the Eugene Symphony in Eugene, Oregon. In Miguel, we had a professional of the highest order who is dedicated to the training of the next generation of conductors, Mortenson said. Hes also a great human being with a faith commitment. It also did not hurt that Harth-Bedoyas daughter, Elena, is a Baylor music education student in her sophomore year, with two more children in high school in Fort Worth. While discussions with Baylor were underway, Harth-Bedoya and his wife, Maritza Caceres, came to Baylor for a School of Music Collage concert in which Elena was singing. The concert, which featured groups and individuals from across the music school, gave Harth-Bedoya a sampling of Baylor student musicians and he liked what he heard, he said. He will close his responsibilities with the University of Nebraska this spring and begin at Baylor in the fall, with plans to expand the schools conducting offerings and training for undergraduates. Im really delighted hes coming to Baylor, Heyde said. The students are going to love him and he will challenge them and expect good things from them. Heyde will lead the Baylor Symphony Orchestras spring concerts this year with works by Richard Wagner, Ravel and Brahms on the March 22 concert program. A May 3 finale will feature former Baylor music Dean Robert Blocker on piano, performing the Mozart Piano Concerto 23, and an original symphony written by Baylor composition professor Scott McAllister for the School of Musics 100th anniversary and one dedicated to Heyde and the Baylor Symphony Orchestra. Heyde said his years of teaching students and leading orchestras at Baylor have been deeply rewarding. I dont feel like Ive worked a single day of my life at Baylor, he said. Ill be leaving with a tinge of sadness, but also joy, honor and appreciation. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Retired Limestone County Sheriff Dennis Wilson, 66, is one of two Republican candidates competing in the March 1 primary election to serve as state representative of newly drawn Texas House District 13. The Groesbeck native touts 46 years in law enforcement, including presidency of the Sheriffs Association of Texas and his 2013 appointment by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. More recently, Wilson has led the Texas Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services, a group of advocates, law enforcement representatives and policy experts tasked with addressing colossal mental-health needs in Texas by pressing state leadership to provide more mental-health beds statewide rather than abandoning troubled individuals in need of treatment in county jail cells. He also serves on the Heart of Texas Region Mental Health Mental Retardation Center Board of Directors, helping steer development of an ambitious new mental-health crisis facility on a six-acre Southwest Waco site serving McLennan, Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill and Limestone counties. Question: This could be a painful question: Are you or have you ever been affiliated with the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association? [NOTE: This is an anti-government political organization of local law enforcement officials in the United States who contend that federal and state government authorities are subordinate to the authority of county sheriffs and that sheriffs can decide which laws qualify as constitutional rather than the judiciary.] Dennis Wilson: I dont have a membership with them. I know who they are. There have been discussions while I was sheriff a number of years ago about being able as a sheriff to enforce our oath of office, which was to support the Constitution and the laws of this state and the United States. As a sheriff, I would never back away from our constitutional responsibilities to protect and defend the Constitution and whats in the Constitution. Q: In other words, if Congress passes something, thats the law so far as youre concerned. Wilson: That was my oath to stand and protect and defend the Constitution and the laws of this state and the United States. My, these are hardball questions. Q: Tell us a little about new Texas House District 13, which you hope to represent. Wilson: Well, its a unique and large district. It includes Bosque, Hill, Limestone, Leon, Freestone, Falls and the eastern portion of McLennan County. Its really interesting how the lines were drawn, particularly into McLennan County, and how the population there had to be moved around to accommodate redistricting. Its 74 percent Republican. Its a rural county, and I love rural, I love living in rural areas and I dont want to live in the big city. However, we also know were living in changing times and were seeing the makeup of our communities change dramatically. I believe the state has a population of 29 million and it continues to grow daily. People are moving to our state and its having a tremendous effect on what we do at the state level. It has an effect in your local communities. A lot of our younger people want to make money and they have to get away from their hometown basically to be able to make a decent living. It comes down to local economics what you pay and what you get paid. Q: So what are some issues folks in our rural stretches face? Wilson: Obviously, water is an issue. Everybody wants to talk about water and the lack of water and where is our water reserve and how are we to supply water in the future. Its always critical we talk about water issues. And I dont care where you go, everybody loves their little school district and wants to contribute to their little school district. Education of our children is critical. The future of our country boils down to our children, what we educate them, and how we educate them and prepare them for whats ahead. So I think you have to have an emphasis on what were doing in our educational system and how you get support, particularly at the state and federal levels, as well as at the local level. I mean, you guys already know this, but I read a statistic the other day that said that at the five-year mark you have young teachers leaving the education system in droves. And I understand that because I look at the law enforcement side of it particularly in rural areas and Im concerned about where our next level of law enforcement is coming from. Law enforcement people are not lining up to go to work in the rural areas. And you have the same thing in our county jail. Its very hard to get people to go into the professional officer business. Q: Your district includes 60,600 residents of East Waco, an area heavily African American in demographic makeup, as well as the city of Marlin, where nearly half of residents are African American. They may well demand other priorities from their representative. What can you offer constituents who may not be white and rural? Wilson: I strongly believe this and this is the way I have always operated. I believe we all serve one God. He made us all. I never look at color when I deal with people and their problems. I dont care what color you are because were all Gods people. You have to be willing and I am to sit down and talk to people, no matter where you come from, and try to find out what the problem is and what the issue is, and then see if you can find a workable solution. I understand a lot of contributing factors come into play, especially when you start talking about equality, income, education. I mean, any number of issues may come into play that you have to weigh in gauging whats going to be best for everybody. Q: February marks Black History Month, but Republican legislation banning critical race theory has fueled racial battles at some of our school board meetings. As a candidate for the Texas Legislature, can you define critical race theory? [NOTE: The Brookings Institution says critical race theory does not attribute racism to white people as individuals or even to entire groups of people but states that U.S. social institutions such as the criminal justice system, education system, labor market, housing market and health-care system are laced with racism embedded in laws, regulations, rules and procedures that lead to differential outcomes by race. Sociologists and other scholars have long noted that racism can exist without racists.] Wilson: Im going to claim a lot of ignorance on what you just said. I only know the top part of what theyre doing on CRT. Its my understanding critical race theory is we as one race are responsible for the shortcomings and the bad things that happened years and years ago, and Im told that the students in our school districts are being taught that were the bad guys. I mean, youre talking about our history and we should learn from our history and move on. I dont think we should go back in history and try to make us the bad guys. I dont know the correct way to say it. Do you know what I mean? Q: Well, should Wilson: If I truly understand the definition of critical race theory promoted at the legislative level if thats what is taught in schools, then I think we should retool that and go a different direction. I think history is very, very important and we should learn from it and make corrections in our history. If we make errors in history, then we should make corrections in history. But history is history, and you have to be able to learn from your mistakes so you cannot go back to a bad period or do things that arent [appropriate]. Q: Ive spent more than a few hours listening to testimony on critical race theory at the state legislative level. Some of the folks testifying feel the problem is were teaching history that is not completely accurate. For instance, what was the cause of the Civil War? Wilson: Well, the Civil War was about slavery, trade. Q: Do you believe we should teach about white supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan? Of course, we have a lynching history here in Waco and were not proud of that. Wilson: Thats a bad part of history thats out there and so if we say were going to teach about that, how are we going to teach about it? Im not in the education part of it. Q: But how do you think we should teach about it? Do we just ignore it? Wilson: I dont think you can ignore it. Thatd be sweeping it under the rug. But I dont think when youre teaching it we need to point out that our [generation is] responsible for what another did. That makes me a bad guy because some guy was in the Klan and did something [wrong]. I wasnt there and I didnt have a chance to pull him off to the side and say, You cant do that. I dont want to be blamed, and I certainly dont want my children or grandchildren to look at me one day and say, Well, youre the cause of that. Thats a sad part of our history that happened. And I dont think you should ignore that, but I dont think you should be teaching it to the point of saying that its my fault that it happened and Im the bad guy because it happened. And Im talking about me as a citizen today. Q: I compliment you on your work with the Texas Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services, helping bolster the Texas Health and Human Services mental-health mission. You were pretty angry recently when you stated before the HHS commission: As of [Jan. 24], there were 2,127 individuals sitting in county jails court-ordered by a district judge to receive state services. The workforce at the county level is getting weaker and weaker and weaker, and when they bring them to the back door of the county jails, we cannot say no, they have to come into our county jails. And Im telling you up front, the system is going to break soon because the counties cant find the employees to give the services that are court ordered from the state. What on earth is the problem with the Texas Legislature in adequately funding expansion of mental-health services? Wilson: First, the last couple of sessions weve begun to make movement in the right direction because were starting to appropriate funding. However, that funding is never enough to do the total job. The crisis is in availability of [mental-health] treatment beds. The state of Texas has only 2,300 beds total in the state hospital system. And on any given day, 30 to 35 percent of those beds are offline due to maintenance or staffing issues. You also have a certain number of beds occupied 10 years or longer by someone in the state hospital. And theres no step-down facilities that is, no way to transition some of them out of the state hospital system. In the criminal justice system, we deal with people we see over and over and over. Once we finally identify a person as someone needing mental-health treatment and Ive been preaching this sermon many years well, were doing it backwards in Texas and were doing it backwards in the United States. We put these people in our county jails, they stay there a year, a year and a half, two years, and we finally get them through the criminal justice system. And guess what? Within a matter of months, theyre right back in the system because we havent done anything other than cost our counties millions of dollars because these people are simply housed in our county jails. What bothers me is that everybody I run into who suffers a mental-health crisis is a human being. They dont have a lot of voices telling their stories. A lot of these people have nobody to stand up and speak for them. Ive always prided myself as the guy who stands up in defense of them. I want to be the guy who gets them the help they need because Ive seen what happens. If youve ever been to the county jail and seen somebody who has deteriorated [mentally] right before your eyes, if you spend 12 hours a day, five days a week with these people Ill tell you, your heart will break. And theres this: It costs about $600 a day to keep someone in a state mental hospital and on average its about $100 a day [to keep someone in county jail]. So do you think the state of Texas is not in favor of saving a ton of money by keeping them in county jail as opposed to putting them in a state hospital when the local county taxpayer is paying the bill for that person in county jail? Maybe thats not important. But here we have these people in jails and being denied medical treatment I mean proper behavioral health-care treatment in a state facility to address serious mental-health needs. Instead we let them deteriorate in our county jails. Whats fair about that? Well, heres the answer: Theres nothing fair about that. Q: Well, what Wilson: Our county jails can never say no and thats because were on the receiving end of whats happening on our streets. The police departments get a call about someone whos having a [mental-health] crisis, but they cant take them to a proper facility [treating mental-health issues] because there are [so very few] facilities. Sometimes if theyre having a mental-health crisis, you can sit in an emergency room for days waiting for a bed to become available. And so the next best thing is, Oh, well, well just charge ol Bill with criminal mischief or criminal trespass and throw him in the back door of the county jail and drive off. And now the sheriffs got him. And he cant get rid of him. Q: This highlights a major gap between what law enforcement sees and what our state legislators are doing and not doing in Austin. Our community leaders hoped our state legislators [Republicans Charles Anderson and Brian Birdwell] could press into reality an ambitious plan to turn the abandoned, 14-acre Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center campus in North Waco into a state-run, 339-bed mental-health hospital for patients whose treatment is almost complete. Why did that die? Wilson: Want me to shoot straight? That was an act of political failure in Austin because money was appropriated for that to move forward partially and then somewhere in the mix it got rerouted. That had to be a decision made over at Texas Health and Human Services about how they were going to distribute the money they got from the Legislature. And thats been one of my concerns for a long time. Q: And this would have been a step-down facility, which is what you say we need. Wilson: Listen, we have a lot of good things going on with our local mental health authority, MHMR. We just changed the name of it. I sit on that board as well and have for years and weve rebranded. Were trying to change our image in the community. [NOTE: The new name is Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network.] I want to make sure people in McLennan County reading this know we have here a very supportive county commissioners court and city council turning wheels every day to try to make our region the best it can be in this matter. Weve bought property out in the industrial park and were going to build a new [mental-health] crisis hub. [NOTE: As the Trib has reported, this effort would involve a complex of buildings at 6400 Imperial Drive providing a range of specially integrated services for people with mental-health problems, including referrals, a 16-bed facility for overnight or short-term stays, counseling and more.] Q: Given your concern for your fellow human being, is Medicaid expansion something you favor in Texas? Wilson: Im certainly no expert in it, but Medicaid expansion would allow you to bring more people in and more services such as treatment and medication and that kind of thing. Heres the deal: If you came to me and said, I have a mental-health situation or someone in my family does, and I need help, I havent got anywhere to send you unless youve got insurance. If youve got insurance, I can find you a place to get help. But if you come in off the street, you dont have any insurance, and if youre counting on the state, youre limited [in options], very limited, on where you can go for help. To me, expansion would be a good thing simply because you would broaden availability of services, particularly for people who dont have anything, who dont have any insurance, yet end up going to places where you and I still wind up paying for their health care [through higher medical bills and insurance premiums]. I know Im going to get into trouble for saying this I understand Im not supposed to say it but I cant. Im sick of it because I think people are human beings and its hard for me to turn my back on a human being when theyre lying on the floor and need help. How do you walk away from that? Ive dealt with thousands of people with mental-health crises. I have never, ever, ever had to ask that woman or that man, How did you vote in the last election? Ive never asked that question and I shouldnt have to ask that question. This interview with the Tribune-Herald Editorial Board was conducted by Editor Steve Boggs and retired Opinion Editor Bill Whitaker. It has been edited for clarity and brevity. 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. Editors note: IowaWatch in a year-long investigation found that although each state is required to identify the bottom-scoring 5 percent of Title I schools every three years, it doesnt mean these schools are failing, as some Iowa policymakers label them. Iowas 34 schools are on a comprehensive list. IowaWatch is featuring some of them. Before tackling academics, staff at Fred Becker Elementary School in Waterloo had to zero in on what was standing between their students and learning. A lot of elementary kiddos, they dont know how to use their voice, so a lot of times it comes out as escape, or sometimes an aggressive act, said Alex Hansen, principal at Fred Becker Elementary school. Hanson took over as principal after the Waterloo school was listed as comprehensive, and it was clear that behavior was getting in the way of academic growth. We had close to 4,000 major behavioral incidents as a building in the 18-19 school year, Hansen said. Even though we get measured on academics, that many behavioral concerns has a detrimental impact on the learning environment. Becker Elementary, serving kindergarten through fifth grade, was listed as comprehensive, but has met its comprehensive status within two years. Iowas 34 comprehensive schools are the Title I schools that score in the bottom 5% in the state based on students performance on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress test, and/or for high schools, have a graduation rate below 67.1%. Based on scoring outlined by the Every Student Succeeds Act, the average score for schools in Iowa is 54.94. Becker Elementary has an overall score of 53.21. Before teachers and staff could help children struggling to express their emotions, the adults had to completely change their mindsets in how to handle flareups. When anything uncomfortable would happen in the classroom, the gut reaction is to remove that situation from the classroom so you can keep teaching. By removing [the child] youve taught them when youre stressed, you can run from a problem, he said. And, youre training your staff to not take social-emotional learning seriously or to make it a priority. The school implemented a strategy that anytime a non-aggressive situation pops up in class, the teacher stops teaching and the class has a five-minute meeting. Not only will that student learn healthy ways to process through their emotions, but the rest of the students, if you have a collaborative meeting, will learn indirectly from that situation, too, Hansen explained. The positive consequences for sharing your feelings [are], youre able to develop solutions, youre able to develop new skills. Just a year later, the school had 300 major incidents in the 19-20 school year before the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020. At first, staff was worried about losing five or 10 minutes of instruction time. No, five or 10 minutes of investment now will gain you so much in the long run. So our whole first year was a mindset shift. Once we got that, now we have a continuum, Hansen said. If children do need to leave the classroom, the school has added a social-emotional room where trained staff talk to them about what is upsetting them or causing frustration. A sensory hallway has also been added where kids can take a moment to do things like stretches or pushups. Another structural change is how major transitions during the day are handled. Instead of coming back from lunch or recess and jumping into the next thing, or switching from one subject right into the next, teachers take mindful moments with the kids. What that looks like in each class is different, because each teacher has to do what theyre comfortable with. So for some that can be breathing exercises, for others it might be a video they can engage with, a movement activity that just basically helps them disconnect from any stressors. Its fun, its resetting, he said. The school has a higher percentage of students on free and reduced-price lunches than the statewide average, at 71.1%, higher than average percentage of English-language learners (9.2%) and students on individual education programs (16.2%), and a higher percentage of minority students, at 55.5%. Figuring out the underlying causes of academic struggles wasnt a great mystery for Hansen, who grew up in poverty in Waterloo. I had very involved parents, but when I went to school every day, there were things on my mind that non-poverty households didnt have to worry about. I didnt know if I was going home to a meal. I was already emotionally wound up before I walked through the door, he said. Im just using me as an example, but thats a reflection of Becker and Waterloo, a big chunk of our dynamic. Kids in poverty can still function at a high level. If youre not in tune with [poverty] it can be a barrier. If you are in tune with it, you can remove those barriers. Not being in tune with poverty also creates its own barriers for those financially more well off who may see it only as something to run from. Theyll take that opportunity to run and not realize how those very things that theyre running from can also be the things that their child can grow the most from. If you think about the workplace, in any workplace I go to nowadays, if you dont know how to function in a level of diversity, youre not going to be as successful as you potentially could be. But if you learn how to function in that diversity that you see within the public education world, man, thats a golden opportunity. I would hate to see parents who see those as negative stereotypes leave that and deprive their children of life learning opportunities. Its difficult to hear the word failing used by lawmakers to refer to comprehensive schools. It is a true lack of understanding, Hansen said. I know our governor is probably very busy and cant get into all the schools to see, but even within Waterloo, I think were a perfect reflection of the state of Iowa, because you have high economic areas, just within the 11 Waterloo elementaries that are clicking on all cylinders and knocking academics out of the park, and you have other areas that are in high poverty and, while academics is our priority, were also working on so many other foundational things and making a ton of growth in those areas, but that doesnt reflect on school report cards, which is sad. If [you] could walk through those schools and see the insanely amazing things theyre doing for the citizens of the world, youd be so excited. Leah McBride Mensching is a freelance reporter for IowaWatch. She has worked as a reporter, editor, photographer and media researcher over the past 15 years, both as an independent journalist and as an editorial manager for WAN-IFRA, the global organization of the worlds press. She earned a bachelors degree in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University and a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO Black Hawk County Supervisor Craig White repeatedly has been accused by county employees of boorish and abusive remarks within the last 14 months, according to documents provided by the county after another supervisor made reference to the incidents. White has served on the board since 2002 and is up for reelection in November but has not said whether he will seek a sixth term. The complaints were brought to light Jan. 3 when Supervisor Chris Schwartz mentioned them during a discussion of whether White should be named board chair. Over the course of this past year, (White) has racked up multiple harassment complaints from his treatment of our guards in the building, Schwartz said. He often just speaks without thinking about the consequences of his words, whether he is belittling department heads or talking about how employees should be ashamed about cars sitting outside. On Jan. 4, The Courier requested the county provide documents regarding security guard complaints as well as other complaints pertaining to White within the past year under the Freedom of Information Act. On Feb. 3, Assistant County Attorney Mike Treinen sent 15 pages of documents, dating back to November 2020, which The Courier then shared with White. Most of the documents relate to alleged remarks made by White to guards working for Per Mar, which is contracted by the county for courthouse security services. One involves remarks White allegedly made to employees of an unnamed county department, and another allegedly involves remarks White made to the county sheriff. Some of it isnt accurate a lot added but Im proud of my service and my involvement in the community, White responded. (I) know if youd ask the employees, Im sure they would say Im kind, thoughtful and caring, and treat them with respect. Sometimes a supervisor has to make some tough calls, White added. Those documents are as follows: An undated memo with redacted names referencing a Nov. 17, 2020, incident. The unnamed author alleges White came into their office and said they and another unnamed employee were both out of compliance because we were not wearing masks per county policy at that time. The author said it was my understanding that if we were at our desks and not interacting with others/public that we could remove the masks. The author alleges White then began yelling that he was about ready to quit, that he would not be running again and that he had had it with her and pointed to [redacteds] office after not being invited to an unnamed meeting. White then noted he was sick and tired at how much this department spends, and said if he ran for office again he would let people know what goes on in this department. The employee then said White told them, You guys sneak around down here and it is bullsh. White had made comments in the past regarding our departments spending, the memo stated, and when they tried to discuss such spending with White it end(s) with him getting loud with me and walking away from me. This interaction was entirely inappropriate and disrespectful to [redacted] and our department, the employee wrote. It felt like a personal attack. My concern with reporting this incident is that I fear retaliation. A June 1 memo from maintenance supervisor Rory Geving to county supervisors regarding an incident involving Per Mar, and a corresponding incident report from April 28. Geving stated the April 28 incident involved a Per Mar guard stationed at the courthouse, and noted the countys human resources department was involved. Once I was aware that our HR department received it, I reached out to [redacted] and expressed that, given this complaint came from one of our contracted vendors, I would pass it on to the Board. That incident, labeled by an unnamed Per Mar guard as abusive [unreadable], alleges White confronted the guard while he was trying to write parking tickets in the courthouse lot. He accused me of not doing my job and said bullsh to me when I told him I was, the guard wrote. He then stated that if I cant do my job right, I would be let go. An Aug. 4 memo with redacted names. It notes a county employee received a parking ticket for not parking in the last two rows in the courthouse parking lot, and complained to a security guard because Craig White told him he could park anywhere. The guard noted White had been pushing us to issue tickets for employees who have passes that are not parked in the last two rows, and relayed that to the employee. Around 10 minutes later, another person whose name is redacted told the first guard that he and White were screaming and swearing at each other in the Board room. He said Craig told [redacted] to do his fn job. Sept. 15 meeting minutes from the courthouse and public building security committee. Minutes indicate Per Mar Security Services general manager Todd Parman expressed concern that White has approached security staff and told them that ticket writing is needed to supply revenue for their wages. Parman added that comment was very confusing for his staff, as they are told their primary role is protecting the building from weapons." Geving did acknowledge that there have been confrontation incidents regarding the security staff and Supervisor White regarding parking tickets. A Sept. 21 email with redacted names and email addresses, which appears to reference the Aug. 4 incident. The emails author demanded a meeting with White because White allegedly started cussing at [a guard] about how were not doing our job right. This is getting to be ridiculous, the emails author said. Something needs to be done or Im pulling our officers office [sic] account. A Sept. 27-29 email chain involving White, human resources and the security company to set up a time to meet about the incident. After Per Mars demand for a meeting, Geving on Sept. 27 sent an email asking to set up a meeting time Sept. 29. He later sent another Sept. 28 noting White was unable to meet Sept. 29, and asked if Oct. 1 would work instead. White replied Sept. 29 that he had a meeting in Waverly at that time. A Dec. 2 email from Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson. Thompson, who sent the email to White and copied the rest of the supervisors, alleged White made idiotic comments and questioned my absences on Fridays at the Nov. 30 board meeting. Thompson explained his reduced hours as a result of a brain injury, while noting he continued to work a minimum of 44-60 hours per week Monday-Thursday and remain on call, and invited White to shadow him. But he also mentioned the previous Per Mar incident. I remember having my deputies investigate Craigs assertions regarding Pinecrest security last year, which were found to be absolutely false, Thompson wrote, adding that he will not say that Craig lies, but that Whites rhetoric simply does not keep with reality. The sheriff was referencing a November 2020 investigation conducted after White told supervisors a security guard at the Pinecrest Building had faced threats from people frustrated by COVID restrictions at the facility. In response to inquiries regarding this article, White sent The Courier a personal and professional biography of himself, noting he is a U.S. Army veteran who served a two-year tour in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and has served on more than a dozen community boards, including as co-chair and a founding member of the local Honor Flight board. I love my community and being involved, White wrote. I enjoy the diversity and all this community has to offer. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 7 WATERLOO As a timer sounded indicating her two minutes of speaking time were up, state Sen. Liz Mathis running for the U.S. House of Representatives tried to wrap up her speech at the Black Hawk County Democratic caucus Feb. 7. I decided to run when I saw that (U.S. Rep.) Ashley Hinson was taking some bad votes, she told the crowd. She specified votes against the Jan. 6 committee, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Violence Against Womens Act, COVID recovery and the infrastructure bill. Who would vote no? She did, Mathis said. And were gonna hold her accountable for that. Thats why we want you, Liz! someone in the crowd yelled, eliciting cheers and prompting Mathis to speak for an additional two minutes. Its that kind of energy Mathis, a Democrat running for Hinsons seat in Congress, hopes to unleash as the campaign between the two well-known former television anchors heats up. Mathis said she had been approached to run for higher office before, but it was Hinsons vote on the Jan. 6 committee that really, really hit the nail on the head for me. I just thought, OK no more excuses, she said in an interview with The Courier. I dont want my congressional representative voting this way for me, and I dont want her to vote this way for anybody else. So its time to step up and do it. The biggest part of her job in the Iowa Senate for the last 10 years, she said, wasnt problems within the state capital, but more problems at home, like someone needing help with Medicaid payments or other resources. She thinks itll work similarly in Washington, D.C. Shes been to 21 of the districts 22 counties so far, Mathis noted, learning what peoples lives are like, and then talking with them about prescription drug costs and education and the teacher shortage, she said. They dont want conflict any more between the two parties, Mathis said. They want somebody whos gonna solve some problems, who is going to navigate through those problems and try to bring people together, and thats what I hope to do. Most of the former 1st Congressional District is now the 2nd, with a few counties added or removed, and its known to swing. Republicans took it in 2020, the year Trump also won the state, but Democrats won it in 2018. Though most pollsters think the district will stay red, Mathis said her campaigns internal poll of 623 voters indicated she had 42% support to Hinsons 43%. Were at a dead heat. We havent even started campaigning, she told the crowd. So its a huge, huge ground game this summer. Mathis said there are 18,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in the district, though according to county-by-county numbers of the newly drawn Second District, Democrats only hold an active voter registration lead of 8,211, as of the most recent numbers from January provided by the Iowa Secretary of States office. Districtwide, there are 162,484 registered Democrats, 154,273 registered Republicans and 157,876 voters who are not registered with any party. Another 3,793 are registered with a third party. Black Hawk is one of just three solid-blue counties Dubuque and Linn are the others in the 22-county district, though as the most populous counties they make up nearly 57% of the districts total registered voters. All three voted for Democrat Abby Finkenauer in 2020 over Hinson. But there are eight counties Benton, Bremer, Buchanan, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Howard, Poweshiek and Tama where the no party crowd dominates. Those counties, which hold more than 22% of the districts voters, were all won by either Hinson or fellow Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra, as well as by Trump, in 2020. This year, the biggest race on the ballot may be the governors, with Deidre DeJear the likely Democratic nominee to face Gov. Kim Reynolds and her $4 million campaign haul thus far. Mathis said shes not worried about who is on the top of the ticket. I cant change any of that. I just have control over what I can do with the resources that I have, Mathis said, noting shes raised nearly $1.3 million so far. Im hoping as we gain momentum there will be more attention on this race, and that voters will be able to compare the two of us. And, hopefully, theyll decide that Im the better candidate. Hinson campaign manager Sophie Crowell agreed there is plenty to divide the candidates. Liz Mathis is a liberal and her record proves it. She voted against the largest tax cut in Iowa history and supported keeping Iowas schools and businesses locked down, Crowell said when asked for comment. The last thing Iowans want is another ultra-liberal who will take orders from Nancy Pelosi. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 CEDAR FALLS Monday will be the first time since the November election the City Council will extensively discuss the direction of its public safety department. The 5:10 p.m. work session will allot 100 minutes to the topic. Public Safety Director Jeff Olson and the two assistant directors, Police Chief Craig Berte and Fire Chief John Bostwick, will speak about public safety services and field questions from councilors. The elections top issue was the Public Safety Officer program, its overall effectiveness, and purported cost savings. The work session comes as the city seeks job applications from potential replacements for Olson, who retires March 11. Right now, with the way the public safety program is and the controversy thats been publicly displayed, I dont want to actually start advertising right now if the councils going to discuss it and discuss the future of it, because I dont believe that we would get qualified applicants, City Administrator Ron Gaines told the council last month. A sneak peak of Mondays presentation can be viewed at: www.cedarfalls.com/852/Public-Meeting-Agendas before the work session at the Community Center at 528 Main St. and the regularly scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. Work sessions dont offer a public comment period. Down the road, its likely residents will be able to voice their thoughts. The public safety model was briefly broached at the first meeting of the year, when the council voted 6-1 to take up the topic again Monday night. Councilor Susan deBuhr cast the lone vote against the motion. At a council goal-setting session in December, a discussion on the PSO model and whether to open it up for possible changes, saw unofficial votes cast by deBuhr and Councilors Kelly Dunn and Daryl Kruse against that consideration. While formally adopting the goal-setting document Jan. 18, Councilor Dustin Ganfield received enough support for his motion to replace the goal continue the citys PSO model, which hires Public Safety Officers for cross-training in law enforcement, firefighting, and rescue operations with his newly proposed, less restrictive language: Continue to evaluate the citys public safety model ensuring cost effective law enforcement, firefighting and rescue operations. Councilor Dave Sires made a separate motion to strike all the goals related to the PSO model out of belief it would be the first step in returning to a separate police and fire department. His motion failed 6-1, and left the former 2021 mayoral candidate frustrated with the lack of support from councilors who previously campaigned on making significant changes to the program. Ive given up, said Sires in a telephone interview at the time, Why bother? Why continue this fight? I got no backup. It was voted down six to one. Woman arrested for attempted murder in Independence road rage incident An Oelwein woman has been arrested for allegedly trying to kill someone during a road-rage incident and a fight in Independence. Mayor Rob Green, who defeated Sires in a November run-off election, has said hes interested in addressing concerns and possibly making changes to the PSO program, but not getting rid of it entirely. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO One person was found by firefighters and taken to the hospital after an early morning apartment fire Saturday, while officials continued to investigate a separate house fire that caused considerable damage late Friday. The first fire happened after 11:30 p.m. Friday, when Waterloo Fire Rescue was called to 1232 Beech St., a single-family, split-level home built in 1969 and owned by Reed Roberts. Roberts watched firefighters continue to remove siding and insulation from his home Saturday afternoon and marveled that he and his family got out of the home alive. He said he did not hear smoke detectors sound, and his daughter woke him up, along with her daughter. The three then escaped out of Roberts front bedroom window. My daughter lifted my granddaughter down to me, and then my daughter jumped down. We got out of there, he said. A neighbor who lives across the street said he saw big flames coming out of the windows, fueled by the high winds Friday night. It was a miracle, the neighbor said. If he would have had to look around in the house for them first ... Six fire trucks and an ambulance responded. A fire official said firefighters werent yet sure where or how the fire started, though it caused considerable damage to the house, and the Red Cross is assisting the family. The second fire happened at 3:30 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters were called to 2759 St. Francis Drive, a 12-unit apartment building built in 1979 and owned by Covington Properties, according to online records. The fire was confined to a bedroom in Apartment 3, where one person was found by firefighters and taken to a hospital. Officials wouldnt say if that persons injuries were life-threatening, and werent sure how the fire began. Smoke detectors sounded and the rest of the apartment buildings residents escaped unharmed, the official said. They were able to go back into their homes Saturday morning. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CANBERRA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Australia reported more than 15,000 new COVID-19 cases and 33 deaths on Sunday, one day before the country's borders open to fully vaccinated tourists. From Monday Australia's strict border restrictions will ease, allowing international tourists to enter the country for the first time since March 2020. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, tourism was worth about 60 billion Australian dollars (43 billion U.S. dollars) a year to the Australian economy, employing more than 650,000 people. The industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, with international visitor numbers falling by about 99 percent. More than 50 international flights are expected to land in Australia within 24 hours of the border reopening. International arrivals will have to prove that they are either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a valid medical exemption. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday the number of arrivals would increase as a result of a 40 million AUD (28.7 million U.S. dollars) Tourism Australia advertising campaign. "I know the tourism industry has been getting ready. I know the airlines have been getting ready. So all the readiness puts us in a strong position to go forward from tomorrow," he said. Representatives from area businesses are invited to attend and meet experienced job candidates who are ready to share their skills and abilities at local companies. Interns have been learning various skills at Allen Hospital over the last 10 months and are eager to bring diversity and dedication and skills to their next workplace. DES MOINES Gov. Kim Reynolds private school tuition assistance and E15 ethanol requirements are still alive. A restriction on the use of eminent domain is dead. The first funnel a self-imposed deadline designed to force state lawmakers to stay on target and put aside proposals that dont have enough support was reached this week. Moving forward, only bills that have at least passed through the first two steps of the legislative process a subcommittee hearing and full committee vote can still be considered for the rest of the session. Any bills that did not reach that benchmark are ineligible for the remainder of the year. There are exceptions: budget and tax policy bills are not subject to funnel deadlines. And leaders can make legislative maneuvers if they truly wish to resurrect a proposal from the dead. Here is a look at some of the bills that did survive this weeks funnel, and some that did not: Survived Income tax cuts: Both the House (House File 2317) and Senate (Senate Study Bill 3074). Ethanol: Reynolds proposal to require the E15 ethanol blend at most Iowa gas stations, House File 2128 School choice: Reynolds bill, Senate Study Bill 3080, would give taxpayer funds to families wanting to place their student in a private school. Last year, the bill faltered in the House over concerns from legislators with rural school districts in their district. School books: House Study Bill 706 is House Republicans proposal to address parents who want some books or other materials removed from school libraries or classrooms. The bill requires schools to post all educational materials online for parents to review along with the districts policy for how parents may challenge materials. The Senates version, Senate File 2198, goes further: It creates legal recourse for parents who disagree with a schools decision by allowing them to sue the district or teachers. Transgender sports: Both the Senate (Senate Study Bill 3146) and House (House File 2309) have advanced bills that would ban transgender girls from competing in girls sports. Vaccines: House Study Bill 647 would ban all businesses, schools and government agencies from requiring any vaccination for workers or students and prohibit them from requiring face coverings. Abortion: House File 2119 would ban the dispensation of telemedicine abortion drugs. Traffic cameras: Senate File 2078 would prohibit law enforcement in cities of 12,000 or fewer residents from ticketing speeders unless they are going 20 miles per hour over the speed limit or more. Senate Study Bill 3012 would outright ban all such cameras. Mobile devices: Senate File 30 would ban the hand-held use of mobile devices while driving. House Study Bill 561 calls for a partial ban in school and construction zones. Teachers: House File 2085 is a part of House Republicans plan to help schools find more teachers. It would create a temporary teachers license for anyone with a bachelors degree who completes an alternative teacher certification program and a praxis subject assessment. Groups representing teachers and school boards are opposed. Public assistance: Senate Republicans have been driving the legislation on increasing verification measures for individuals who qualify for public assistance, in House Study Bill 698 and Senate Study Bill 3093. Solar panels: Solar panels could not be installed on farmland deemed to be of high agricultural value under Senate File 2127. Bottle bill: Changes to the bottle bill are still alive, in House Study Bill 709. Is this the year legislators finally address Iowas recyclables law? Stay tuned. Did not survive Eminent domain: A proposal to limit the states use of eminent domain the practice of the government claiming private land for private business projects. (Senate File 2160) Classroom cameras: A proposal to require cameras in all K-12 classrooms in order to livestream instruction. (House File 2177) Vaccines: Insurance companies would have been prohibited from offering financial incentives for vaccinations. (Senate Study Bill 3037) Sports: Would have required Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa play each other. (House File 2039) Farm: While virtually all bills introduced by Democrats failed to advance Republicans have agenda-setting majorities in both chambers one noteworthy inclusion is the Democrats proposal to place a temporary moratorium on large-scale animal feeding operations. (House File 2305) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As I travel across Northeast Iowa on my 20-county tours, I consistently hear about the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, particularly insulin. Iowans deserve accessible health care they can depend upon and afford folks shouldnt have to choose between buying their groceries and medications they need. And, if weve learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic and the success of Operation Warp Speed, it is that unlocking American innovation saves lives. Congress should work in a bipartisan way to bring down the cost of prescription drugs and help deliver more treatment options to those who are sick. From diabetics who cannot afford to take their daily insulin to those who are suffering from rare diseases, Americans from all walks of life are waiting on Congress for a solution and hoping politics wont get in the way of one. That is why I support the Lower Costs, More Cures Act. This legislation made up of bipartisan provisions promotes low-cost options for Americans, stops drug companies from taking advantage of the system, and will get new cures out of the lab and into patients hands. So many working families and older Americans on fixed incomes cannot afford the medications they need its wrong, and Congress needs to pass the Lower Costs, More Cures Act to ease this financial and emotional burden. By incentivizing competition in the marketplace and closing loopholes pharmaceutical companies and middlemen use to artificially drive up prices, Americans will finally have more options and pay less for prescription drugs. Additionally, this bill works to remove any surprises at the pharmacy counter by making information about drug costs more readily available if youre expecting a prescription to cost $30, you shouldnt be blindsided by a $300 charge. This legislation includes multiple provisions that target the exorbitant cost of insulin, medication that at least nine million diabetics across the United States need daily to survive. The cost of a vial of insulin has sharply increased over the past decade Ive heard from many diabetic Iowans who are forced to ration doses or have foregone other basic needs to fill their prescription. To address this, the legislation provides the first ever out-of-pocket cap on insulin for seniors in the Medicare Part D program and allows insurers to cover additional costs for those in high-deductible health plans. Enacting these bipartisan provisions is even more important now that the Biden Administration paused a Trump-era policy that required community health centers that primarily serve rural communities to provide patients insulin at a discounted rate. Our health care system should be patient-centered. We have to do more not only to make every day medications more affordable, but to make groundbreaking treatments more accessible. American scientists are at the forefront of medical research. This ingenuity is what delivered three safe and effective American COVID-19 vaccines to the market in under one year. The Lower Costs, More Cures Act will channel this same innovation to make other lifesaving treatments available and provide hope to those struggling with disease and illness. Research breakthroughs cant become a cure until Americans can access them. While we may not agree on much in Washington right now, we should focus on the polices we do agree on like the 40 bipartisan provisions that make up the Lower Costs, More Cures Act that will bring down the cost of medication like insulin and usher more lifesaving treatments to the market. Americans are relying on us to put aside our differences and pursue bipartisan solutions to improve our health care system and put patients first. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson represents Iowas 1st Congressional District covering most of Northeast Iowa. Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage, against the dying of the light. (Dylan Thomas) Years ago, I managed a Section 8 Housing for the elderly, Horizon Towers, still at 2724 Bicentennial Drive in Cedar Falls. Part of my job was interviewing potential tenants. One of the criteria to be eligible for the program was, of course, age. At that time, the candidate had to be at least 58 years old to be considered. A good many of those who applied were exactly 58; they had called months in advance to arrange an interview the very day they officially arrived at that half year mark. As I went through the questions for their intake interview I thought most of the candidates seemed more than ready for a move to elderly housing. They had retired, and not just from their jobs, but from life. As I took in applications I became more interested in the vast differences between people of the same chronological age, and how age, does, or does not, define a person. The day that brought my ruminations to a close was the day Eddie Bowles walked into my office. Or rather, the day he was dragged into my office by his friends and family members, vehemently protesting he did not want to be in a retirement home with a bunch of old people. Eddie Bowles was almost 97 years old, nearly 40 years older than many of the potential tenants I had interviewed. He did not seem anywhere near his actual age. In fact, he seemed appreciably younger than anyone I had previously interviewed. Mr. Bowles told me about his life. He was born in Lafayette, La., in 1884 and married Sarah Blanche in 1911. They left the South around 1914 to find work and moved to Cedar Falls, where he took a job as a brick-paver. After that, he worked many other jobs, among them at Deere for 22 years. He and his wife lived on the north side of the Cedar River in a one-room house, and he took care of her until she died at 95. He told me of his great love of music and said he was a ragtime finger-pickin guitarist, describing some of his early gigs in New Orleans and saying he still loved to play. That was evident enough by the light in his eyes when he talked about his music. I did not want the interview to end; I didnt want Eddie Bowles to leave. He whispered to me on the way out to take my time finding him a spot at Horizon Towers. He wasnt ready yet. I admired him; I was inspired by him. Although I hardly knew him, I might even say I loved him. Everyone loved him. It was impossible not to. Here was a man with none of the traditional advantages, who had lived a long and productive life and done so joyfully. Eddie Bowles was not giving up his music, or on living. He was most certainly not going gentle into that good night. I had the answer to my age-old question, and it had nothing to do with the number of candles on a birthday cake. Eddie Bowles became a tenant at Horizon Towers, where he frequently gave concerts. He later told me he did not mind living there, and that he got a lot of pies. One of the advantages for a man living into his 90s: he will never be without home-baked pies. While still a young man living in Louisiana, Eddie Bowles played with many of the greats, among them Louis Armstrong. Perhaps he would have been one of the greats himself if he hadnt come to Cedar Falls instead. I would argue he was one of the greats. Eddie Bowles lived to be more than 100. One of Armstrongs most beloved songs, What a Wonderful World, could have been his epitaph. Eddie Bowles fully lived each bright blessed day and dark sacred night. What a wonderful life. Amy Lockard is a parent in Cedar Falls. What one word do other Americans associate the most with 21st-century Iowa? The possible answers certainly include ethanol. The biofuels research and production boom that took off in the 2000s was transformational for Iowas agricultural economy. Iowans could rightfully take pride in the farmers, agribusiness people, scientists and investors who built a homegrown industry that lessened the nations reliance on foreign oil. Ethanol wasnt a new idea, but large-scale use of corn for a domestically made gasoline blend meant huge new markets for crops and potential benefits for the environment. It also catalyzed hopes that research could produce even bigger things, such as cellulosic-ethanol production methods that could use plants grown on land not suitable for food production. The largest ambitions havent been achieved, however, and biofuels warts have become only more prominent. That is hardly a revelation scientists and other experts have pointed for years to such problems as overproductions devastating cost to water quality and the industrys inability to wean itself from tax credits and other artificial incentives. And now, its difficult to credibly dispute that electric vehicles are the next big thing. But neither of the main political parties in Iowa is acting on that message. Rather than using the states pocketbook and policies to push for ideas on what should come next for the states farmland and biofuels workforce, Democrats and Republicans seem poised to make sure they send Gov. Kim Reynolds a measure promoting biodiesel and requiring gas stations to install pumps that can dispense higher blends of ethanol. Perhaps a case could be made that interfering in retailers market choices is worth the expense to help support farmers and producers during a transition away from an economy so reliant on biofuels. But that certainly wasnt the message lawmakers delivered on the House floor and in the Senate Agriculture Committee recently. House Democrats support renewable fuels, we always have, we always will, and we absolutely support Iowas ethanol industry, said Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton. Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, thanked President Joe Biden for his commitment to renewable fuels. Observers of Iowas presidential caucuses could be forgiven for concluding that ethanol is the only issue on which voters vet candidates. This bill is about doing what Iowans do, and thats supporting Iowans, said Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan. It helps make corn and soybeans worth more dollars. This suburban legislator is also proud to stand with Iowa farmers, said Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights. Ten representatives voted against House File 2128, seven Republicans and three Democrats. The Senate committee moved the bill forward without dissent. Instead of tossing more eggs into the biofuels basket including both this bill and the wrongheaded proposals to crisscross carbon pipelines all over the state Iowa and its leaders would be better served to figure out what comes after ethanol. The state wont be able to use its own laws and influence in Congress to perpetuate the need for biofuels forever. We have to find another way. Reynolds tweeted Dec. 10 that Biden is again pouring taxpayer dollars into EV charging stations while ignoring a readily-available renewable energy source grown here in IA. This is why we need increased access to E15. In 2007, we would have applauded her. In 2022, this sentiment is myopic. We need to pivot and, at the very least, talk about when and how to rip off the Band-Aid. Numerous hard questions need answers. What can soften the blow of a seemingly inevitable reduction in demand for corn and soybeans? How can monocultured farmland be restored to greater soil health? How can we avoid falling into greenwashing traps and prioritize real environmental benefits over profit-making? Were confident Iowas farmers, agribusiness people, scientists and investors can think, work, experiment and innovate their way to finding the answers. But Iowans cannot afford for their elected officials to avoid those questions in favor of propping up bottom lines until the bottom falls out. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Editors note: The Journal continues Whats in a Name?, a twice a month column in which staff writer Elaine Briseno will give a short history of how places in New Mexico got their names. Well-used roads reinvent themselves over and over again, existing for decades, sometimes centuries, and changing to meet the needs of their travelers. Route 66 is one of those roads and it holds a special place in American pop culture. The route became know as the Mother Road in the early 20th century when travelers began using it for cross country adventures. In Albuquerque, motels began springing up all along Central Avenue, which became part of Route 66 in 1937. One such place was the De Anza Motor Lodge, opened by Charles Garrett Wallace in 1939. Several customs influenced the design of the motel paying homage to New Mexicos unique cultural soup of Native, Hispano and Anglo traditions. Wallace named the lodge for Juan Bautista de Anza II, the Spanish governor of New Mexico from 1777 to 1787. The hotel was also listed in the Green Book travel guide, designating it as one of few places a Black family was welcome to lodge during the time of segregation. Wallace himself was a prominent trader with Zuni Pueblo people. The Great Depression had made it harder to trade, and Wallace saw Route 66 and his lodge as a way to bring Zuni goods to a larger swath of society, including tourists. The De Anza gift shop served as a sales outlet and he stored his own private collection of American Indian goods at the motel. Later in his life, he donated a portion to a museum and auctioned off the rest. But underneath the lodge was a hidden treasure. Painted along two walls of the basement conference rooms were murals by Zuni artist Tony Edaakie Sr. depicting figures participating in the pueblos winter Shalako ceremony line. The 15 figures are seen following each other from east to west. Two centuries earlier de Anza was born into a military family sent to the New World to protect Spanish outposts from Native tribes and settlers from other nations. His father Juan Bautista de Anza had been killed by Apaches in 1740 when he was only 3. Upon becoming governor of New Mexico, de Anza set out to intimidate the Comanche Indians, who had become a fearsome force on the eastern edge of the Spanish province, in hopes of pressuring them to enter into a treaty, according a newmexicohistory.org essay by Richard Flint and Shirley Cushing Flint. As one might expect, the Comanche people werent exactly on board with this idea. De Anzas massive military force of 800 men, many of them Pueblo Indians, attacked the Comanches near Pueblo, Colorado, in 1779. Eighteen Comanche men died that day and many women and children became captives. (De) Anza returned to New Mexico in triumph, showing off the distinctive green horn headdress of the defeated Comanche leader (Cuerno Verde). The following year, and for at least one more after that, Comanche bands throughout the southern Plains were ravaged by European-introduced smallpox. By 1785, one of the three major divisions of Comanches, the Cuchanec, actively sought peace with Spanish New Mexico. A treaty, which would last 30 years, was eventually reached in 1785. New Mexico isnt the only state to honor de Anza. You will also find de Anzas name scattered throughout California, where he made his mark before coming to New Mexico. De Anza gathered families willing to travel with him to California to settle San Francisco in 1776. He led more than 240 colonizers on an 1,800-mile journey from Mexico, which was still New Spain, up through what is now Arizona to the California coast and then headed north. They were the first group from Mexico to come to the Bay Area overland. Before that, explorers had to travel by sea to reach the Bay Area. They encountered several Native American tribes during their travels who helped them, especially when it came time to cross the Colorado River. The National Park Service has designated their route a historic trail. De Anza died in 1788 and is buried in the Templo de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion historic church in Arizpe, Mexico. Where exactly hes buried in the church is somewhat in dispute. In 1963, California scientists discovered bones beneath the church they believed belonged to de Anza. A glass plate was placed over the remains and encircled by a rail. However, a few years ago, a priest at the church said de Anzas remains were actually buried to the side of the cathedral and that the mix-up occurred when the scientists used the wrong copy of a death certificate to identify de Anza. In Albuquerque, the De Anza building has been placed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties, National Register of Historic Places and designated a Historic Landmark by the city of Albuquerque. Wallace owned the motel until 1983 and it changed hands several times after he sold it. The east Nob Hill area went through a period of decline and Central Avenue transformed into a motel graveyard. The abandoned buildings became the discarded bones of an era that died with the advent of the interstate. A few years ago, developers demolished most of the site and turned into an upscale apartment complex with studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms called The De Anza. The building containing the murals survived the wrecking ball in order to preserve the cherished art work. Its now the front office and the murals still grace the walls of the basement today. The neon sign bearing de Anzas name and likeness survived as well and continues to illuminate the night sky along Central Avenue, although tired travelers in need of food and a good nights sleep will have to look elsewhere for lodging. Curious about how a town, street or building got its name? Email staff writer Elaine Briseno at ebriseno@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3965 as she continues the monthly journey in Whats in a Name? Katie Stone has been working with the radio program The Childrens Hour for more than two decades. In 2018, she started The Childrens Hour Inc., a nonprofit that produces the internationally syndicated kids public radio program and podcast. Beginning at 10 a.m. March 14, the radio program will begin a six-part Southwest history series online called, A Brief History of the American Southwest for Kids, with a virtual field trip to White Sands National Park. We are blessed that we can talk and work with guests on this program, Stone says. I have expanded what The Childrens Hour is and I can partner with teachers in making radio programming together. Stone says she works with Title I schools and works with at-risk children. The skills that they can take away from working on the program are ones that help build confidence, she says. Stone says the upcoming project is about partnering with Indigenous students so that New Mexico history can be explored through their stories. In the first episode, Stone says the story begins some 23,000 years ago at White Sands National Park, with a series of fossilized footprints. Finding of these footprints puts humans in this area way before we originally thought, Stone says. Whats great about this is, the footprints that were found near White Sands are those of a teenager. Stone will be joined by White Sands National Park Resource Program Manager David Bustos and archeologist Mary Weahkee from the New Mexico Office of Archeological Studies. Teachers and students from the Native American Community Academy, and the Native American Community Academy (NACA)-inspired schools network will participate, with plenty of opportunities for questions and discussion with our experts, as they lay out the human history of our region, evidenced by footprints deep inside White Sands National Park. The public will be able to view the events on a live YouTube feed. Its our hope that this project will connect children with the rich and enduring history of the American Southwest, says Stone, who is also executive producer of The Childrens Hour. We want to create a durable curriculum to share the remarkable stories of endurance, perseverance, resilience and ingenuity which has created the place we call home today. Each episode will include a learning guide that will meet New Mexico and National educational standards. Find the full schedule and more information at childrenshour.org/history. Stone says children are an integral part of the production of The Childrens Hour and participate each week in the broadcast arts training program. The radio show airs on more than 120 stations worldwide. The Childrens Hour airs at 9 a.m. Saturday on KUNM-FM. ON THE RADIO The Childrens Hour airs at 9 a.m. Saturday on KUNM-FM. Viewers have called Larry Blissett everything from the Chicano Basquiat to a watered-down Picasso. The Santa Fe artist and former contractor laughs at the labels and shrugs off any criticism with, Some people dont think its artwork, but I dont care. Blissetts work is available at Santa Fes Blue Rain Gallery, 544 S. Guadalupe St. Completely self-taught, he paints raw, expressionist portraits using bold colors in a style described as art brut, outsider art and neo expressionist. He paints with a vigor verging on Basquiat sans the graffiti. He calls it loner art. Born in Texas, Blissett worked as a contractor for 25 years before a heart attack led him to paintbrush and palette. I was doing a remodel for my daughter in California, he said. They had an apartment for me and every night Id go veg out and watch television. Toward the end of it, I decided I had to do something else. He headed to the nearest art supply store. It was 2009 and the first time he had painted anything since school. I did take one art class, he said. I didnt to anything the teacher told me to. I got in trouble. I think I got a D in that class, he added, laughing. Living in Santa Fe for the last 30 years, Blissett was first invited to show his art in an Amarillo, Texas, gallery. But the owner died before the opening. Then a Sedona, Arizona, gallerist came calling. She was kind of a shyster, Blissett said. She made a lot of artists mad. We had a falling out. Six months later, she called, begging me to bring my stuff back. Within six months, she was out of business. He got the call from Blue Rain 30 years ago. He also has showed his work at Santa Fes Contemporary Spanish Market. I just start putting paint on a canvas or a piece of Masonite, Blissett said. When it starts to turn into something, I take it from there. He listens to ZZ Top, the Rolling Stones, Link Wray, the Doors and various blues artists as he works. He cites influences from New Mexico artists such as John Nieto, Mateo Romero and James Havard to Fritz Scholder and John Axton. He says his acrylic painting Radiant Child, his vision of a shocked or terrified face sprouting a halo of dreadlocks, stems from the genre Basquiat. It started as three or four different paintings, Blissett said. I just kept adding to it. Some of the stuff I think will never sell, sells, he added. Wolf Eyes appears to be a Native American bedecked in war paint. Preciosa, Miss Persimmon Lips represents every uptight woman you ever met in your life, Blissett said. A lot of those titles are humorous. I like to have fun with it. None of his imagery can be confused with photography. He marries abstraction with representationalism. Replications remain rare. His hand turns to color, bold daubs of paint and texture, driven by instinct. Ever the contractor, when he and his wife moved to Santa Fe, he built their home. The house is my crowning achievement, I guess, he said. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Detectives tracked a man to the West Coast and charged him in connection with a fatal shooting outside an East Central gas station last year. Frank Porras, 35, of Albuquerque, is facing an open count of murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the Jan. 20, 2021, death of 34-year-old Matthew Werth. Porras was arrested days after the homicide in Long Beach, California, when he allegedly shot a gas station clerk in the face during a robbery. Detectives tested the gun from that shooting and found it matched the bullet casing from the scene of Werths death. Porras is currently behind bars at the Los Angeles County Mens Central Jail. Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said an officer who recently graduated APDs detective academy was tasked with following up on the case and developed new evidence linking Porras to Werths death. An online obituary for Werth described him as a father of two who was kind, loving and caring, stating family and friends will miss him more than words can say. According to the arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court: Officers found Werth dead from a single gunshot wound in the parking lot of the Quick Track at Central and Western Skies around 10:45 p.m. Security video showed a man walk up to Werth and the two speaking briefly before the man shot Werth with a purple and black gun. Police learned Porras booked a one-way Amtrak ticket to California two days after Werths death. On Jan. 28, Porras tried to rob a gas station and carjack a person before shooting the clerk at another gas station in the face during a hold up. In a call from jail, he told a woman he would have a needle in his arm for what he did there and in New Mexico. In December, the casing from the scene of Werths death came back as a match to a purple and black gun found on Porras after his arrest in California. Police traveled to California to interview Porras on Wednesday. He told police he lived in Albuquerque between 2016 and 2021, homeless for much of the time. Porras said he fell into a bad methamphetamine habit after his father died, making him paranoid, fearful and hyper-vigilant. Using meth, it just gets ugly, he allegedly told police. Once you get that high, eyes are everywhere. Everybody is a suspect. When he learned police were there in relation to Werths shooting, Porras looked down and became quiet. Porras asked if Werth died and began silently crying, his head in his hands, when he was given an answer. Porras asked for an attorney and told police he feared spending his life in a California prison, mentioning he was lucky enough the gas station clerk survived. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Shannarose Martinez said for the rest of her life shell have nightmares about the moment she laid her son, 1-year-old Matteo Baca, on a table so doctors could intubate him. She gets emotional picturing him reaching out for her as the tube went down his throat, and when she recalls being dragged out of the room as doctors swarmed her son to try to revive him when his breathing deteriorated. Matteo, who is now 15 months old, is one of 215 children under 5 in New Mexico who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, according to state epidemiology reports. He was the first from that age group in the state to be put on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, to give his tiny lungs time to heal. The very young are the only age group not yet eligible for vaccines, and there has been an increase in hospitalizations of children under 5 during the most recent surge. While many youngsters who catch COVID have only a mild case, some others are not so lucky. Matteo spent more than a month at the University of New Mexico Hospital and needed intense medical interventions. He has since returned to his home in Albuquerque and is back to his normal, playful self, Martinez said. COVID does not discriminate. You could be healthy, you could be sick, you could be young, you could be old, rich or poor. COVID doesnt care, she said. COVID doesnt care if you have this healthy, beautiful baby. It doesnt give a damn. Matteos medical team also described their efforts to save the boy. They said determining which children will get seriously ill from COVID and which wont is a shot in the dark. Unfortunately its kind of a lottery draw, said Dr. Gloria Lopez, who admitted Matteo to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. We dont know which kids are the ones who are going to progress and be as sick as Matteo and who are the ones who are going to recover at home from a bad cold. Thats what makes it so scary. Hospitalization Martinez, who lives in Albuquerque, said her son caught COVID the weekend after Thanksgiving and was diagnosed on Dec. 1. Contact tracers determined how he caught the virus, but Martinez said its become a difficult subject within her family and didnt want to discuss it. The diagnosis came as a shock. Martinez and her father are immunocompromised, and she said her family was extremely cautious throughout the pandemic. She frequently wore two masks, limited trips to the store, got fully vaccinated and shied away from family gatherings. But the night of Nov. 30, Matteo started to get fussy and cough. Every time he coughed he cried so much, she said. He just wasnt himself. She took him to UNM Hospital, where he was ultimately admitted because of a high heart rate and low oxygen levels. My heart dropped. I felt like I failed. I felt like I did something wrong and didnt protect him, she said, describing how she felt when her son was diagnosed. It was extremely devastating. Originally treated in the hospitals pediatric ward, Matteo continued to get sicker. When he was decompensating in the pediatric ward it was clear he was going to need a much higher level of support, which is what he got, Lopez said. Matteo was hospitalized for more than a month. On Dec. 9, doctors had to intubate him. On Dec. 12, he was put on ECMO until the 20th, and he was taken off the ventilator on Dec. 24. Agreeing to have her son placed on ECMO was terrifying, Martinez said. She originally declined, but said she agreed to the procedure when Dr. Alia Broman told her that while there was no guarantee he would survive, it was the only treatment left to offer her son. She basically said if I didnt do this I was going to lose my son, Martinez said. I had to put all my faith in them and trust their decision. He saw his mom Doctors described the machine as a sort of pump where big tubes transfer blood out of the body and through a machine where carbon dioxide is removed, the blood is oxygenated and then pumped back into the body. Essentially, the machine replaces the heart and lungs and gives the patient time to recover. We like to think of it as a dialysis machine but instead of using it for the kidneys we use it for the heart and lungs or both, said Dr. Senan Hadid, a pediatric critical care specialist. This machine has saved many lives in the past, of all ages and from many diseases. But it carries risks. Because there is a procedure where really big tubes need to be inserted into the body and complications can happen from this procedure at any time. Eventually doctors weaned Matteo off ECMO. On Christmas Eve, Lopez said Matteos eyes opened wide when she took him off a ventilator. You dont need language, you dont need words, Lopez said. You saw he saw his mom, grabbed her hand and didnt let go. It was one of those moments where you say, OK, this kid is going to be OK.' Matteo returned home on Jan. 6. Recent threat The omicron variant, which recently ripped through New Mexico but is now on the decline, appeared to pose more of a threat to young children than previous variants. During omicrons peak, about 15 children under age 5 were hospitalized with COVID throughout the state per week, according to state pediatric hospitalization reports. Thats about a threefold increase compared with the previous peak of hospitalized young people, which happened during the states initial coronavirus surge in late 2020, according to reports. Hadid said there are likely two reasons for the increase. One, vaccines are only approved for people over the age of 5, so no one in the youngest age group is vaccinated. He also said the latest variant is likely more of a risk to children. During prior surges of COVID hospitalizations, Hadid said it was rare to find a child with COVID in UNMHs Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. But during the latest surge, he said young children were taking up as many as six of the units 20 available beds. I think the variant has something to do with the increase in the kids who are hospitalized that we are seeing right now, he said. There have been a total of 507 children under the age of 18 who have been hospitalized with COVID in New Mexico. Of those hospitalizations, kids under age 5 account for more than older children. That age group accounted for 42.4% of the child hospitalizations, while 5- to 11-year-olds made up 18.3% of those hospitalizations and 12- to 17-year-olds made up 39.3%, according to pediatric case reports. Its not yet known when a vaccine will be available to the youngest age group. The worst part of all is not having a vaccine available for that age range as well, said Broman. Any kid getting COVID thats not eligible for a vaccine, that shouldnt be happening. That just means they were exposed to someone who probably was eligible and didnt get the vaccine. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Journal investigative reporter The process of taking away someones liberties in New Mexico, at least temporarily, sometimes has been as simple as alleging they werent capable of making their own decisions and were in danger or being exploited. A temporary guardian could be appointed by a judge without the alleged incapacitated person or their family being notified; they could be forced out of their homes, their bank accounts transferred and their property liquidated. And all this could occur before they ever appear before the judge, who would eventually evaluate the evidence and decide if, in fact, they needed a guardian. Now, under the latest reform to the states adult guardianship system, the state Legislature has unanimously approved a bill to provide better protections to New Mexicos most vulnerable citizens by tightening up the emergency process. Right now, its too loose, frankly, said state District Judge Nancy Franchini of Albuquerque in recent legislative testimony. We want to ensure that protected people are part of the process sooner rather than later, and are seen by a judge sooner rather than later. Franchini chairs a new 25-member guardianship study group that proposed the measure, which still needs the approval of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The bill requires judges who approve a temporary guardianship to hold a hearing within 10 days to listen to the evidence. Currently, state law requires hearings to be held as soon as possible. But sometimes months elapse before a hearing is held. This is an emergency proceeding that should have a hearing very, very quickly because were taking somebodys fundamental liberties away, said state Supreme Court Justice Shannon Bacon during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Another key feature of the bill: temporary guardians would be barred from liquidating the protected persons property, or moving them out of their residences without express approval from the judge. There is no such prohibition in current law. And families, or even a friend or neighbor, would have standing to appear at the 10-day hearing and ask the judge to modify or dissolve the temporary guardianship. The measure was placed on this years legislative agenda by Lujan Grisham. Under the current system,Theres no oversight over the temporary guardian (prior to a hearing in the case) and this leads to an abuse in the system. We have lawyers who get temporary guardianships, and then just kick the can down the road Franchini told lawmakers. Typically, family members, friends or interested parties have been able to petition the court, through an attorney, to place someone under a temporary guardianship by alleging immediate or irreparable harm would occur if the guardianship werent granted. That can be necessary to protect a person from harm or their bank accounts siphoned, but abuses have occurred. I have heard of a guardianship that happened in this state where a person was put under a temporary guardianship and the temporary guardian never went to see the protected person. And during that time, the protected person passed away without ever seeing the guardian, said Franchini, in recent legislative testimony. That just cant happen; that just cant happen. Moreover, some hospitals in New Mexico have abused the process by going to court when the alleged incapacitated person isnt able to pay their bills, Franchini said. What the hospital is doing is filing for a temporary guardianship to get the person out of the hospital so they can get money basically. Narrowing the scope Lawmakers and the states judiciary have been overhauling the adult guardianship system since 2018, after the Journal began an ongoing investigation into the legal process that critics complained was ripe for corruption given the power granted to court-appointed guardians and conservators. Some families of incapacitated adults contended they were barred or restricted by guardians from visiting their loved ones. With the federal criminal fraud indictments of principals of two major guardianship firms fueling the debate, lawmakers and the judiciary adopted numerous reforms aimed at transparency, accountability, more family involvement and more oversight. But issues with temporary guardianships had not been addressed until now. Bacon, who has spearheaded the yearslong guardianship reform efforts for the judiciary, said temporary guardianships are meant to be the exception to the usual process of appointing a permanent guardian. She told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month that the number of temporary guardianships filed annually in New Mexico is in excess of 800. It should be about eight. She said by narrowing the scope in which such temporary guardianship proceedings can occur, judges should have the time to hear such cases within 10 days. And she said training judges statewide will occur to let them know this is a hard and fast rule. Jim Jackson, former executive director of Disability Rights New Mexico, told lawmakers that temporary guardianships have unfortunately been occasionally used or misused to speed up the process, or lock in the selection of a guardian or simply extend the process way beyond whats been usually intended. Its really important to have these new protections, Jackson said, given that under the current system, a temporary guardian can be appointed just based solely on the allegations of a petition thats filed without an opportunity for the allegedly incapacitated person to present any kind of rebuttal. One of the bills sponsors, state Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, told the Journal the bill is important because it requires for the first time that temporary guardians and conservators account for the decisions they make and the actions they take. A report must be filed with the judge in the case within 15 days of an appointment. Plugging two important holes Gregory Ireland, a private guardian and conservator who serves on Franchinis guardianship study commission, said the group is continuing to look for weaknesses in the system. And this bill plugs two very important holes, Ireland said. It stabilizes the situation so that any temporary guardians cannot dispose of property quickly, he said. Ireland said the measure also sets up important timelines. I was a prior court official, and we had an axiom in the courts that what gets scheduled gets resolved.' The bill was also endorsed by the states AARP chapter and the New Mexico Guardianship Association. State Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said during the Feb. 5 hearing, Its been a concern locally. Theres been some high-profile cases and individuals who have been concerned about the (temporary guardianship) procedure and process being properly followed. In two cases profiled by the Journal in recent years, temporary guardians were appointed for two retirees in Las Cruces without the knowledge of their families. In each of the cases, it took several years and thousands of dollars in legal fees for the womens sons to convince the judges in the cases to remove the corporate guardians and permit the sons to serve as guardians. SANTA FE New Mexico is expected to expand one of the countrys most generous free college programs for nearly all adults. Last week Democratic majorities in the Legislature approved one-time funding of $75 million for a yearlong program intended to help residents return to college if they couldnt finish in the past, start even if theyve been out of high school for a while, and have more help covering costs of school like fees and living expenses in addition to tuition. If New Mexico can afford to keep paying for the program after the first year, people would be able to move to the state, establish residency, and get a free degree. New Mexicos Lottery Scholarships already offer free tuition to two and four-year colleges for residents who are also recent graduates of local high schools, but only if they can pay for their first semester and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA. The new funding, stacked on top of state and federal subsidies, would cover that first semester for Lottery Scholarship recipients as well as expand the Opportunity Scholarship program, which began as a small pilot project during the pandemic to pay for more than just tuition. Supporters of expanding the Opportunity Scholarship say its the most generous program in the country, with the widest eligibility. Its estimated to be able to fund up to 35,000 students to pursue two- and four-year degrees, as well as college certificates in high-demand areas like nursing, computer science and construction. Tuition and fees will be covered, even if theyre only studying part-time. The Perks Around 20 states in the U.S. cover the cost of college tuition, but that doesnt make it free. Fees, books, housing and food usually add to what families have to pay to send their kids to college, or the debt they have to take out. New Mexico is the first to help pay for those other costs of college, and is also the first to fund certificate programs. The program also funds living expenses for students with financial need, albeit indirectly, and only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The Opportunity Scholarship grants kick in before federal awards, allowing them to flow directly to the students and further reduce college debt. With tuition and fees covered, federal awards of between $500 and $6,000 per year can go toward the cost of books, rent and food. Eligibility The law is intended to help residents who didnt go to college right after high school, didnt finish their degrees, or cant access grants due to the typical requirement of attending full time. While federal aid is restricted to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, New Mexicos college subsidy programs are open to all residents, including foreigners on temporary visas and those in the country without legal permission. Pretty much any adult who has lived in the state for 12 months and wants to earn college credits will be eligible for the new program, as long as they dont already have a bachelors degree. Both major scholarship programs require students to maintain a 2.5 GPA, with some exceptions to make up classes or due to family or medical hardship. Funding Anyone thinking about moving to New Mexico for the college perks should know that the Legislature only approved funding for the program for one year, starting in July. Even lawmakers who voted to support the scholarship have expressed concerns about its funding sustainability because $52 million comes from one-time federal pandemic relief. If oil prices drop before the Legislature meets again in January or if the political winds shift following the midterm elections in November, the Opportunity Scholarship could be eliminated or scaled back. Those who voted against the program pointed out that broad eligibility has made similar programs expensive and often unsustainable. New Mexicos Lottery Scholarship for local high school graduates offered free tuition between 1996 and 2016, but its been touch and go since then, with the state adjusting benefits each year based on state budgets that fluctuate with oil and gas prices. The Lottery Scholarship is fully funded for the next four years, according to state higher education officials. For the Opportunity Scholarship, theres no guarantee, though at least some of the funding is recurring. KYIV, Ukraine Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraines northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraines capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace. Russias action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraines neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraines borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel. The continued deployment of the Russian forces in Belarus raised concern that Russia could send those troops to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, a city of about 3 million people less than a three-hour drive away. In what appeared to be a last-ditch diplomatic gambit brokered with the aid of French President Emmanuel Macron, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to a meeting with Russias President Vladimir Putin as long as he holds off on launching an assault that U.S. officials warn appears increasingly more likely. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been clear that we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on Thursday in Europe as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand. We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war, Psaki said in statement. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon. In Kyiv, life outwardly continued as usual for many on a mild winter Sunday, with brunches and church services, ahead of what Biden said late last week was an already decided-upon Russian attack. Katerina Spanchak, who fled a region of eastern Ukraine when it was taken over by Russian-allied separatists, was among worshippers crowded into the capitals St. Michaels monastery, smoky with the candles burned by the faithful, to pray that Ukraine be spared. We all love life, and we are all united by our love of life, Spanchak said, pausing to compose herself. We should appreciate it every day. Thats why I think everything will be fine. Our joint prayers will help to elude this tragedy, which is advancing, said another worshipper, who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh. A U.S. official said Sunday that Bidens assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive intelligence. The United States and many European countries have charged for weeks that Putin has built up the forces he needs to invade Ukraine a westward-looking democracy that has sought to move out of Russias orbit and is now trying to create pretexts to invade. Western nations have threatened massive sanctions if Putin does. U.S. officials on Sunday defended their decision to hold off on their planned financial punishments of Russia ahead of any invasion, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called passionately Saturday for the West to do more. If you pull the trigger on that deterrent, well then, it doesnt exist anymore as a deterrent, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox on Washingtons sanctions threat. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday as well as the conventional exercises in Belarus, and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea. The announcement that Russia was reversing its pledge to withdraw its forces from Belarus came after two days of sustained shelling along a contact line between Ukraines soldiers and Russian-allied separatists in eastern Ukraine, an area that Ukraine and the West worry could be the flashpoint in igniting conflict. Biden convened the National Security Council at the White House on Russias military buildup around Ukraine. White House officials released no immediate details of their roughly two hours of discussion. Were talking about the potential for war in Europe, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier Sunday at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that saw urgent consultations among world leaders on the crisis. Its been over 70 years, and through those 70 years there has been peace and security. Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed on Twitter for a cease-fire. Russia has denied plans to invade, but the Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyys offer Saturday to meet with Putin. After a call with Macron, Putin blamed Ukraine incorrectly, according to observers there for the escalation of shelling along the contact line and NATO for pumping modern weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. Macron, a leader in European efforts to broker a peaceful resolution with Russia, also spoke separately to Zelenskyy, to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Biden. Blinken intentionally raised the prospect of a Biden-Putin summit in interviews with U.S. television networks on Sunday, in a bid to keep diplomacy alive, a senior U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. reasoning. Blinken said that Biden was prepared to meet President Putin at any time in any format if that can help prevent a war and the U.S. official said Macron had then conveyed the offer of talks to Putin conditioned on Russia not invading in his phone calls with the Russian leader. Tensions mounted further, however. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory urging greater caution by Americans in Russia overall. Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance, it warned. Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. In the eastern Ukraine regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, separatist leaders have ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. Officials in the separatist territories claimed Ukrainian forces launched several artillery attacks over the past day and that two civilians were killed during an unsuccessful assault on a village near the Russian border. Ukraines military said two soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday. When tension is escalated to the maximum, as it is now, for example, on the line of contact, then any spark, any unplanned incident or any minor planned provocation can lead to irreparable consequences, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview that aired Sunday on Russian state television. On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. Right now, we dont respond to their fire because the soldier said before the sound of an incoming shell interrupted him. Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post. ___ Heintz reported from Moscow and Miller from Washington. Mstyslav Chernov in Zolote, Ukraine, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Aamer Madhani in Munich, Ellen Knickmeyer, Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv contributed to this story. ___ Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine FX Networks/Quantrell D. Colbert TV When detailing the ordeal, the show's co-writer Stephen Glover reveals that a group of people approached him and his team as they accused them of bringing guns. Feb 20, 2022 AceShowbiz - Donald Glover and the "Atlanta" crew had such an unpleasant experience while filming in London. During a TCA press conference, co-writers Stefani Robinson and Stephen Glover divulged that all of them were racially harassed by a group of people. "It was the first night there," Stephen, who is also the younger brother of the rapper/actor, began. "This group of people walks up. And maybe one of them kind of notices Donald or recognizes him. And she stops and they start asking if they know anywhere around here to get something to drink. I think we were talking to them for a second. It's this girl and two or three guys." One of the men allegedly said the crew could break into a closed bar because "you guys all carry hammers," slang for guns. "Mind you, all of the writers on 'Atlanta' are Black. So, he's making a reference that we all have hammers, and we can just break into this place, which we kind of ignored," Stephen argued. Stefani then chimed in, "It was so insulting but not insulting at the same time because it took us five minutes to fully understand." The screenwriter continued, "He got to a point of like if the insinuation was lost on us, he got specific and he was like, 'You guys are Black, you've gone to jail and you do things like that.' Like he kept doubling down on it." Stephen added, "She's talking to us. And then, after a minute, the guy just runs back down the street and grabs her and throws her over his shoulder, and he's like, 'Run. They are going to rape you, like, rape you.' " He further shared, "The girl was literally, like, 'I'm sorry,' as she's being taken away. So, it was pretty bad. We are just standing there, like, 'What just happened?' " During the panel, Donald announced that "Atlanta" would end with season 4. "Death is naturalwhen the conditions are right for something, they happen, and when the conditions aren't right they don't happen," he pointed out. "Things start to get weirdyou can't do too much. The story was always supposed to be what it was and the story, it really was us." The Western Farm Show is back at the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri, this year after last years show was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. This years show is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25 through Sunday, Feb. 27, and will be the 60th edition of the show in Kansas City. Jami Applegate, the new show manager, says show organizers are looking forward to bringing the event back, and that it features the latest in agricultural equipment for farmers and ranchers to see. Were really excited about it, she says. Were just glad to be back in person. Applegate says the farm show is also a good opportunity for exhibitors and salespeople to hear what people are interested in buying. They can talk to attendees and get an idea what their first-quarter sales will be, she says. The Western Farm Show, which is produced by the Western Equipment Dealers Association, will again feature the popular low-stress livestock handling demonstrations, led by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension livestock specialist Ron Gill. The demonstrations will feature some new methods and information. Dr. Ron Gill comes in from Texas, and he does a phenomenal job, Applegate says. The livestock handling demonstrations will be held in the Scott Pavilion, adjacent to the American Royal, and are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday of the show weekend. Another popular part of the farm show is the Family Living Center, which will have a lot more information and exhibitors this year. Applegate says this part of the show has been doubled, almost tripled in size. The center includes activities for kids, including painting opportunities and classes. Applegate says variety is a key part of the show, and organizers try to mix in new approaches with the annual favorites. I think our show offers a little bit of creativity in some of the aspects, she says. The farm show also has a Health and Safety Roundup, which features interactive health and safety exhibits, as well as free health care screenings. Different days of the show have themes. Friday is FFA day and features the Battle of the Border food drive, and Sunday recognizes first responders and military personnel. The Western Farm Show gives attendees a look at a broad range of new ag products, equipment and services, Applegate says, with over 400 exhibitors scheduled to be at the show. Theres going to be quite a variation of some exhibitors coming in, she says. Among these exhibitors are several new ones, Applegate says, adding to the freshness of the show. Theres going to be a lot of new faces, a lot of new opportunities, she says. The Western Farm Show has had a longtime home in the West Bottoms region of Kansas City, which has deep agricultural roots and was home to the Kansas City Stockyards for over a century. Its nice to be in an area where ag has been a staple for so many years, Applegate says. The show draws in visitors and exhibitors from several states, and Applegate says people are excited to get back to their tradition of making the trip to Kansas City for the show. People want to get back to the sense of normalcy, and our show is giving them that, she says. More information about the show is available at westernfarmshow.com. The Western Farm Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25-26, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27. Applegate grew up in rural central Kansas, and she says she is eager to play her role in helping put on a show for visitors. Im really just looking forward to the success of it coming together on opening day, she says. Midwest Messenger Weekly Update Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox from the Midwest Messenger. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SINGAPORE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Singapore reported 15,283 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total tally to 582,638. Of the new cases, 3,114 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 12,169 through ARTs (antigen rapid tests), according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health. Among the PCR cases, 2,958 were local transmissions and 156 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 12,113 local transmissions and 56 imported cases. A total of 1,523 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 39 cases in intensive care units. Four deaths were reported from COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian country on Sunday, bringing the coronavirus death toll to 945, according to the ministry. A woman from Cherokee was arrested in Alva following a traffic stop and later charged with a felony. Reports show on Feb. 12 at 1:16 a.m. Alva Police Officer Jack Hiel performed the traffic stop on East Oklahoma Boulevard (US-64) in Alva. Several minutes earlier he was traveling eastbound on Oklahoma Boulevard just past Walmart when he observed a white Ford Fusion heading westbound and crossing over the fog line. After the vehicle passed, Hiel turned his patrol unit around to follow. As he was catching up, he observed the vehicle weaving, crossing the lane divider twice and driving on the... From left are: Rose Kline Blunk and her daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Katie Blunk and Michael Horntvedt. Credit: Lazy KT Ranch. The Lazy KT Ranch of Freedom has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award. Owned and operated by Farm Bureau member Dr. Katie Blunk and her family, Lazy KT Ranch is in Woods County in the northwestern part of the state. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the prestigious award recognizes farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat resources in their care. "The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is honored to help recognize Dr. Katie Blunk and her family for the work they do to care for the land and resources entrusted to them," said David VonTungeln, OKFB Foundation for Agriculture president. "The Lazy KT Ranch is a great testimony to the effects of modern conservation practices and the importance of responsible land stewardship." Lazy KT Ranch's story is one of resilience. A mother and daughter's land ethic has revived the native grasslands of a ranch located a few miles east of the Dust Bowl's epicenter. As a child, Rose Kline Blunk took shelter at a neighbor's home on Black Sunday. The bank took her family's cattle as they struggled through the Great Depression. During a severe drought in the 1950s, she vividly remembers the sky turning gray and the wind feeling like a sandblaster. Since then, the importance of caring for the land has never left her. Rose's daughter, Katie Blunk, grew up on the Blunk family ranch. Her time with horses, cattle and dogs influenced her decision to become a veterinarian. When Katie's father died in 1995, Rose inherited what would later become Lazy KT Ranch. Drought, cedar trees and over grazing had ravaged the ranch's landscape. Although Rose was overwhelmed by its decline, she shouldered the task of preserving the land for the next generation. She cut cedar trees and brought prescribed fire management to the ranch with the financial and technical assistance of the local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office. In 2012, after retiring from her veterinary medicine career in Nevada, Katie came home to her ranching roots with her husband, Michael Horntvedt. She embarked on her life's next journey, an immersion into conservation and cattle ranching. A decade later, the Lazy KT Ranch is thriving from an ecological and business perspective. Rose set Katie and Michael up well to take the reins, but it was a slow, deliberate, well-thought-out start. "We had to rest the land for three years before we could even entertain the notion of bringing livestock back on to it," Katie said. For Katie and Michael, good land stewardship practices go hand in hand with good stockmanship practices. Whether selling quality Black Angus cattle as seed stock to other ranchers, or selling beef directly to consumers under their "Jackass Ridge Beef" label, they provide their customers with assurances that their cattle have been raised in a low stress environment. To reduce erosion and protect water quality and quantity, the family fenced off riparian areas, built ponds and installed pipelines and water storage and solar powered watering systems. Grazing cattle helps meet their rangeland restoration goals. "Cattle are the best up-cyclers of vegetation that would otherwise go to waste. They can take [vegetation] and convert it into really nutritious protein. At the same time, their activity on the land helps to benefit the soil health after a prescribed burn is done," Katie said. A cycle of prescribed fire, rotational grazing and a period of rest mimics the days when bison roamed prairies that were reinvigorated by wildfires. Katie says the best and most economical conservation tool for their ranch is the strategic application of prescribed fire and grazing. This combination has restored the prairie ecosystem while producing quality forage for cattle and habitat for wildlife. She credits the Cimarron Range Preservation Association with encouraging this approach. Katie serves as president of the association, which brings neighbors together with neighbors to help with beneficial prescribed fires. Serving in that role and as a local conservation district board member are ways she helps educate and inspire others to address conservation issues. Katie encourages landowners to adopt pollinator-friendly stewardship practices through her involvement with the Okies for Monarchs campaign. Wildflowers and native grasses have been seeded across the ranch's 1,525 acres to provide habitat for native pollinators, Monarch butterflies and lesser prairie chickens. The reemergence of the prairie, wildlife and cattle to the Lazy KT Ranch are all testaments to the landscape's recovery, regenerative ranching practices, and the land ethic of its stewards. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's President Arif Alvi said on Sunday that the government has been taking measures to support the country's information technology (IT) sector to promote economic and scientific development. "The incumbent government is extending all kinds of support to the IT sector of the country and various laws have been made to facilitate the growth of the sector," Alvi said while addressing a ceremony related to the Presidential Initiative for Artificial Intelligence and Computing in the southern port city of Karachi. Noting that countries which focus on artificial intelligence and computing are developing rapidly, the president said that the Pakistani youth should focus on the information technology education to make use of the opportunities in the sector across the world. He said that to help the young people, the Pakistani government has initiated several programs, such as the digital skill program which is free and imparting IT education through online classes. After completing the education, the students would not only have job choices but also entrepreneurship opportunities, said the president, adding that the government would provide them with financial support for starting entrepreneurship. Joe Parsons talks about the Salt Fork June Jam scheduled for June 4 in Alva. Freedom West CDC sought some Alva tourism funding for the event. The Alva Tourism Tax Committee heard from three people about four events seeking funding. The committee met Wednesday with Chairman Norville Ritter and members Terri Parsons, Connor Martin and Melinda Barton present. Alva Chamber Executive Director Jodie Bradford presented the financial report. Only two approved events have not been paid the promised funds, the Alva Arena Authority and the Alva Bull Battle VI. With those subtracted, the committee has $423,569.66 available in tourism tax funding. Salt Fork June Jam Last year with the Nescatunga Arts Festival postponed due to Covid-19, Dr. Kay Decker and Freedom West CDC proposed a new Alva event. The Salt Fork June Jam was held the first Saturday in June, the usual art festival date. The afternoon and evening concert featured a headliner band with other local talent performing. Joe Parsons, who helped with last year's event, spoke to the tourism committee about plans for this summer's event. Set for Saturday, June 4, from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., the program will feature Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road at 7 p.m. Other local musicians will also perform. Booths will be set up around the square on the sidewalks with vendors, crafts and artists. There is no charge for the booths. Food trucks are also invited to participate. Last year an estimated 400 to 500 people attended. Parsons said he talked with people who came from Woodward and Enid. Ritter noticed the expenses made no mention of sanitation. Decker said the Graceful Arts Gallery will be open and people may use the restrooms there as they did last year. Since scheduling the event, Decker has learned the art festival is also planned for that weekend. She expects to cooperative with them on scheduling events. Freedom West requested $3,500 in tourism tax funds to pay for the headliner band. The remaining expenses will be covered by Oklahoma Arts Council funding. Martin made a motion to approve the $3,500, seconded by Barton, and the motion carried by a unanimous vote. Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contests Alva Police Chief Ben Orcutt told the tourism committee that plans are still fluid for Cars, Concerts and BBQ Contests. The event is being sponsored by the Alva Police Department with funds raised going to purchase police equipment. The main focus is the barbecue contests held during the two-day event which is set to coincide with Alva High School graduation. The people's choice contest will be held on Friday with contestants cooking ribs. People will visit each contestant to receive a sample. The winners will be determined by votes cast by the attendees. The Friday BBQ contest will be followed by a concert. R.A.C.E. is also participating in the event with possible plans for a cruise on Friday night and a small car show on Saturday. Saturday morning will be the EMS 5K run. The Saturday BBQ contests will feature ribs, chicken and desserts. Judges will award prizes in each category. In each of the contests, the first place team gets a trophy to take home. The BBQ contests are sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society which will also publicize the event. With minor social media postings, Orcutt said they are already receiving inquiries from BBQ teams from as far away as Kansas City. Since this is a first time event, Orcutt says the number of BBQ contest teams could be anywhere from 15 to 50. Attendance at similar contests is from 500 to 1,000 people. Orcutt has contacted local metal artist Chris Green about designing a unique trophy that will stand out. Ritter asked about entry fees for the contests. Orcutt said the fee is $100 per team for the two-meat contest, $50 for the people's choice and $25 for the dessert. Parsons said when she first learned this new event was requesting $14,250 she was against it. However, as she learned more about it she thought it was worth giving it a chance. Parsons made a motion to grant the funding, seconded by Martin. The motion was approved unanimously. Northwest Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association Marione Martin Tyler Ricke presents information on June and July Northwest Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association events to be held in Alva. He asked about some funding help for the youth rodeo events. Tyler Ricke of Attica, Kansas, presented the funding request for the Northwest Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association (NWOJR). The organization has presented youth rodeos in Alva since 2018, requesting $6,000 for each event. Ricke said the participants like Alva's central location. The two-day rodeos attract a large number of contestants and their families from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Last year the group had 110 members and gave away 46 saddles. The organization has been active since 1990. Ages six and under will have four events. The older age divisions will have five or six. The other groups are age 7-10, 11-14 and 15-19. The two events are scheduled for June 11-12 and July 30-31 at the NWOSU practice facility just north of Alva. When asked about the negative budget balance, Ricke said it was up to the NWOJR board "to make it happen." They will sell sponsorships to make up the difference. Both events were approved for $6,000 each. Overview: A federal judge will decide if Oklahomas lethal injection protocol is likely to cause unconstitutional pain and suffering. The outcome of an upcoming federal trial will have long-lasting implications for the death penalty in Oklahoma. A nearly eight-year-old lawsuit, filed by a group of Oklahoma death row prisoners who claim the states lethal injection protocol causes unconstitutional pain and suffering, will proceed to trial on Feb. 28 at the federal courthouse in Oklahoma City. U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot will preside over the hearing, which is expected to last one w... KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman while she was a patient at a Kansas City hospital, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office said Saturday. Elisha Beraiah, 31, was charged with first-degree attempted rape and first-degree sodomy after he was arrested Thursday at University Health Medical Center. According to a probable cause statement, the woman, who is visually impaired, said she was in her hospital bed when she felt someone get into her bed. She tried to fight him off and yelled for help. A staff member entered the room and saw Beraiah in the... In our current age of woke domination and historical ignorance, the words of Joseph Noyes speak to us through the centuries. By the "middle of the 18th century, Yale College was beginning to show the effects of the religious toleration that was gaining ground everywhere in the colonies. When President Thomas Clap, in an effort to create a sectarian institution, tried to expel the Reverend Joseph Noyes from the Yale corporation, he was met by opposition both from Noyes himself and from another spokesman of an opposing Congregationalist faction. Noyes, whom Clap suspected of having fallen from the faith, was asked to submit to an examination by other members of the corporation." Noyes absolutely refused this request.[1] On September 14, 1757, Noyes asserted that [t]he law or resolve upon which my examination is founded is arbitrary; for a man to be subjected to an examination, on suspicion only, is contrary to all reason. Said law or resolve is manifestly unjust, as it subjects a man, though innocent, to suffer in his character and influence, and leaves him without remedy. Said law or resolve is singular and unprecedented, there having never been hereto any law or rule of the like nature in this Corporation, or any other Christian community, except the Courts of Inquisition and Star Chamber [emphasis mine]. Said law or resolve is inconsistent with the ecclesiastical constitution of this colony. I am accountable to the consociation to which I belong, touching my principles, and not to this board. Noyes reminded his audience that "all legal processes, according to the common law, must be built upon some express accusation or charge, to be supported by proper and sufficient evidence; but suspicion and surmise are always discountenaced." Yet, 265 years later, in the Age of COVID, we see students and faculty deprived of their jobs and/or education because institutions of higher learning have decided that they are now the modern-day Star Chamber. It now appears that comparing COVID restrictions to Nazism is quite apropos. At Penn State, employees who refuse vaccination face re-education and counseling. Consequently, "non-compliant faculty must meet with an executive ... to discuss their intent to be fully compliant. Further administrative actions will be discussed ... and will include expectations for progress toward compliance, potential for unpaid administrative leave, and other disciplinary steps up to, and potentially including, termination." In Maryland, "Loyola Marymount University does offer the religious exemption option for students. That opportunity, like many universities, came with a deadline for enrollment for the fall semester, according to the university website." Yet, law professor Jessica Levinson,[2] "when asked whether religious exemptions should inherently exist at religious institutions of higher education," maintained that "Covid vaccines should be treated like any other vaccine, and thus be mandatory in spite of religious liberties." Thus, the law professor "argued that the larger issue is that people who are not religious will take advantage of the exemptions citing a faux devotion to a certain faith in order to avoid receiving the vaccine based on personal choice, and thus for personal reasons." In other words, "to Levinson, the religious exemption law is merely a loophole: 'Certain members of our society are seeking to avoid [vaccine mandates] by seeking religious exemptions.' She emphasized that '[t]herefore, we should abolish religious exemptions for vaccine mandates. Religious objections to vaccines are not a license to kill.'" Those who oppose the vaccine mandates explain their case. Peter Cordi[3] of Rutgers University, New Jersey wrote in August of 2021 that "never in [his] four years at Rutgers [had he] received such vicious, vulgar and venomous personal attacks ... since taking a stand against my school's vaccine mandate." He has been called "a monster, a fake Christian, a murderer, stupid, irresponsible, a liar, and better off dead." I believe anyone who wants to be vaccinated should do so, but those who do not want to be vaccinated should be free to abstain without being denied their education and without being discriminated against and segregated based on their vaccination status. As a healthy, 22-year-old male with no underlying health conditions, I have chosen not to be vaccinated, and believe the FDA warning of the myocarditis risk as well as potential long-term health risks associated with spike protein accumulation in the bone marrow outweighs the potential benefit of the shot in my case. As a Christian, I believe my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and I should not ingest unnecessary and potentially hazardous pharmacopeia, especially those manufactured and tested using aborted fetal cell lines. In addition, the lawsuit filed against Rutgers "argues the vaccine mandate is unconstitutional and discriminatory as it violates [people's] rights under the 14th Amendment, which defends against onerous dictates that violate Americans' right to liberty and personal freedom." One point that especially unnerves Cordi about the mandate is "that the vaccine manufacturers cannot be held liable for any injuries or deaths caused by their drug." So if Rutgers is mandating us to get the vaccine and something happens to one of the students as a result, who is responsible here? We already know from the VAERS data there has reportedly been some 600,000 adverse effects and 13,000 deaths, so it seems like a question that deserves an answer. And then there are the so-called medical exemptions. Yet,"[t]he narrow scope of these medical exemptions is alarming: the exemptions are so medically unsound and unduly restrictive that they create a clear and present danger to the health, and potentially, the lives, of students subject to these mandates." Respected medical authorities (Andrew Bostom, et al.) concur that "[n]one of the schools whose published criteria we have examined include the most elementary medical ground of all: natural immunity from a previous Covid infection." In addition: The CDC is not a medical institution; it is a public health and disease prevention body. According to the CDC's own mission statement, the agency focuses on 'disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and health education activities.' It is not qualified and usually does not purport to offer professional medical opinions applicable to specific patients. From time to time, the CDC offers findings and recommendations that competent medical practitioners often will consider in arriving at a professional medical judgment for a particular patient. In this respect, CDC guidelines are analogous to guidelines from other public health associations or medical societies: they are guidelines, not prescriptions. Furthermore, "none of the current vaccines have passed fertility, teratogenicity, or mutagenicity testing, thus may be contraindicated in women of childbearing potential or those about to become pregnant." And, finally, "several published rubrics include a limitation that is eminently sound in itself, but which is, in an important way, quite dangerous. It is that exemptions are available where there is 'a documented anaphylactic allergic reaction or other severe adverse reaction to any Covid-19 vaccine e.g., cardiovascular changes, respiratory distress, or history of treatment with epinephrine or emergency medical attention to control symptoms.'" In other words, "put yourself in danger to find out if you're in danger." Tell that to the mother whose three-year-old died of a heart attack after being required to receive the vaccine to enter kindergarten. Explain this to the families of two teenage boys where heart inflammation was the primary cause of death after being injected with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. In reality, why are any exemptions necessary? Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com. One of the most challenging obstacles working against ordinary citizens in the West is the self-satisfying presumption that Western institutions and philosophies are inherently immune from the rise of totalitarianism. This is an understandable blind spot. Their identities have been forged, to various degrees, in the great traditions of Enlightenment notions of liberty, free speech, and natural rights. Surely the victors over communism, fascism, and Nazism cannot then fall victim to the madness of those same philosophies collapsing their systems from within. This "Us/Them" self-delusion has kept the citizenry from recognizing tyranny inside its gates. It is good for people to take pride in the achievements and histories of their nation-states. It is natural for the inhabitants of countries founded in fights for freedom to assume that the costs of obtaining that freedom are behind them and not ahead. It is easy to self-define the victors of WWII as cultures standing firmly opposed to authoritarianism, to believe that nations not bound by the Iron Curtain would never choose to build their own and to assume that millions of graves and monuments attesting to the great human sacrifices over the last century in the defense of freedom are sufficient safeguards against future generations ever detouring from the blessings of human liberty. But all of these good and natural and easy mental prisms become mental prisons when they keep us from seeing what is happening in our own backyards. The growing tyranny in the West has not happened overnight. It did not suddenly arrive at our doorsteps with the Chinese Flu. It has been a nightmare decades in the making. The difference today is that previously slumbering citizens once sublimely content in the normal humdrum of their lives are waking up to realize that the enemies from our past have returned with a vengeance. Free speech is treated as dangerous. Western governments, corporations, and social media platforms engage in rampant censorship. Race and sexual identity are used as the defining attributes of a person to the exclusion of talent, character, and achievement. Teachers' unions openly demand the right to indoctrinate children according to the interests of the State. Parents are threatened for believing that their children belong to them. The criminal justice system is used as a place to punish political opponents and to protect political friends. Religious expression is outlawed. Leftists' "secularized religion" is imposed. Freedom is disparaged as "right-wing." Coercion has replaced consent. Victimhood has replaced virtue. Conformity has replaced individuality. "Correct" thinking has replaced freethinking. "Social justice" has replaced real justice. And the protection of government has become more important than the protection of human rights. For the newly awakened, there is a tendency to see all this carnage for the first time with fresh eyes and become overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the rot. The corruption, criminality, and chaos have infiltrated everything once held dear, and the future seems hopelessly lost. That hopelessness, however, is not based in reality but rather the "Us/Them" self-delusion that tyranny could not happen here. It's not easy to accept that the great sacrifices of the past made in the struggle for human freedom have once again been squandered by a new generation of despots. It is a necessary first step, though, before the righteous can throw themselves into the fight and get back to work. And once people come to terms with the fact that tyranny not only could happen here but that it is happening here, then they will realize that the struggle has only really begun in earnest. Does anyone think the perverse and heavy-handed responses by the American government to the January 6 election protesters is a sign of strength? Does anyone believe that the Canadian government's decision to enact emergency powers and martial law to manhandle peaceful demonstrators protesting medical mandates showcases institutional confidence? Do the U.K. government's attempts to paint Brexit as a "Russian operation" project healthy trust in elections? When French president Emmanuel Macron feels compelled to go politicking with tear gas and heavily armored vehicles near his side, does he strike yellow-vestwearing Europeans as fully in control? Does the Department of Justice's habitual harassment of conservatives across the United States for their beliefs or its repeated attempts to put President Trump in criminal jeopardy really seem like the actions of a federal system secure in its future? Of course not! Western governments are terrified of their people today. They are terrified of what their people believe, or else they wouldn't feel compelled to criminalize thoughts as "hateful." They are scared to death of what their people might say to each other, or else they wouldn't engage in mass surveillance and blatant censorship. They are fearful of free and fair elections, or else they wouldn't work so hard to manipulate and undermine them. And they are absolutely petrified of a future where cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies free their citizens from the consolidated control imposed by central banks and spendthrift treasuries. If discouraged and demoralized Westerners doubt that they have more power right now than their governments could ever possess, then take a hard look at the obscene lengths to which those governments have gone in order to maintain and preserve their jurisdiction. Embracing tyranny under the sickening pretense of "preserving democracy" betrays just how weak these governments have become! Vaclav Havel dissident, political prisoner, and eventual president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic wrote a sledgehammer of an essay in the late '70s entitled "The Power of the Powerless." In that indictment against the oppressive nature of communist regimes, he demystified totalitarianism as a system that forces citizens to "live within a lie." What each citizen secretly believes does not matter. Whether a citizen privately contests in his mind the State's constructed truths is irrelevant. What is crucial for totalitarianism, however, is that each citizen repeats the State's lies, lives within the system based on those lies, and perpetuates that system of lies in everyday life. He uses the example of a grocer displaying a Workers of the World, Unite! sign because failure to do so could be seen as a sign of disloyalty to the State. By displaying it, the grocer isn't expressing truth or personal enthusiasm for a cause, but rather proving his humiliating submission to a system of control. Now consider all of the slogans we daily encounter from government and corporate mouthpieces alike: Black Lives Matter!; Build Back Better!; Trans Rights Are Human Rights!; The Science Is Settled!; Save the Earth!; Stop Global Warming!; The War on Women Is Real!; We're All in This Together!; Abortion Is Health Care!; My Body, My Choice! It doesn't matter how vapid, factually incorrect, or contradictory the political slogan. What matters is that all of us repeat them obediently to prove our allegiance to and faith in the system. And therein lies the key to our salvation. Question the lies, and you question the system. Push back against the State's monopoly over truth, and you cripple the State's legitimacy. Celebrate individuality, and you fracture the mental prison of groupthink. Live "in truth," and you erode the control of State dogma. When people realize that they individually strengthen the State by submitting to its lies, people then understand that the whole artifice of the system survives purely through their individual consent. At that point, it becomes obvious that the small number of people at the top of the system is not really in control at all. It is the large population psychologically abused and tormented by their government that wields power when it chooses. Once the powerless have this epiphany, they alone control their destiny. Identify tyranny. Question lies. Resist oppression. Assert truth. Empower the powerless. Destroy the system's illusion of control. Be not afraid. It's that simple. Image via Pexels. From the 18th of this month through the 25th, national leaders are meeting in Munich in an apparent effort to deescalate the situation in Ukraine. The administration has pulled together its putative allies to forestall what it claims is an imminent threat by Russia to invade Ukraine. In fact, it discouraged (apparently unsuccessfully) Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky from attending on the ground that war could start any minute and his absence from Ukraine would be taken as flight. Heading the U.S. delegation is Vice-President Kamala Harris, which hardly comforts me. She threatens severe economic sanctions against Russia if they invade. (But this is from the very same administration which has done so much to strengthen Putins hand -- for example, by scotching the Israeli gas pipeline to Europe, giving a thumbs up to the Russian gas pipeline to Europe, and reducing in every possible way U.S. energy production, all of which enriches Russia. President Trump used economic warfare and would have allowed completion of the domestic and Israeli pipelines and prevented the construction of the Russian pipeline to limit Russian power over Europe, as opposed to the saber-rattling from the present White House.) The one thing you can count on with the Biden-Harris administration is inconsistency and incoherence. Critics claim the entire business is a wag-the-dog scenario -- a distraction from the Democrats' (and the Presidents) tumbling approval and disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. They assert the contretemps on the eastern Ukraine border is a legitimate effort by the mostly Russian settlers there to rejoin Russia and not a false-flag operation. Moreover, they agree with Putin that we agreed not to expand NATO to Ukraine. This week the critics of the administration got a bombshell that supports Putins position. It was discovered by a professor at Boston University, unveiled by the German media, and is a clear indication that Germany will not be onboard whatever nitwittery Biden-Harris propose. David Goldman (Spengler) has done some significant coverage. Like me, he thinks NATO has gone far beyond its intended purpose and actual power. He tweets: The damage from Ukrainistan will be much worse than Afghanistan: Biden frog-marched our NATO allies into this one. Theyre looking for excuses to bolt and when they do, NATO will be a grease patch on a side road near Fulda. With a defensible perimeter we could keep NATO. The Bombshell Contemporaneous records found in the UK national archives by Boston University political science professor Joshua Shifrinson and given to the German magazine Der Spiegel showed that on March 6, 1991, U.S., UK, French, and German foreign ministries indeed promised the then-Soviet Union that we do not intend to benefit from the withdrawal of Soviet troops from eastern Europe and that NATO should not expand to the east, either officially or unofficially. This account with the copy of the document appears in the Soviet news service The story was first carried in Der Spiegel and Die Welt. As Die Welt notes, the document supports the Russian claim. That the document account surfaced on German media during the security conference is a sure bet to my mind that the Germans will have a political fight on their hands if they join in slouching with Biden-Harris to war over the right of NATO to expand by adding Ukraine to its ever-larger grab bag of weak states we defend. The 1991 protocol just released this week is in direct conflict with NATOs 2008 commitment to Ukraine and Georgia that one day they, too, could become alliance members. Thats Russias position. Missiles stationed there would be able to hit Russian targets within minutes and the protocol, if accurately reflecting the agreements made -- and theres no reason to believe it does not -- conflicts directly with NATO and U.S. contentions about our agreement with Russia. We claim, as Reuters summarizes, that Russia is demanding an effective veto on NATO membership; NATO Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg parroted our claim: It is a fundamental principle that every nation has the right to choose its own path including what kind of security arrangements it wants to be part of. Maybe. But if the countries that make up NATO already told a neighboring country they would not admit Ukraine to its rolls, it should drop the idea of breaking the agreement. Goldman was there and vouches for the narrative in the protocol, though until this week he had not seen the documentation. He calls Secretary of State Anthony Blinken a liar. What is the Contrary Evidence? Theres Blinken and theres Steven Pifer. He was our ambassador to Ukraine from 1998 to 2000. Writing in 2014, he denies any promises were made to the Soviets about not enlarging eastward. Pifer wasnt there in 1990 and claims as his basis for contention an article in the Washington Quarterly by Mark Kramer (who did not see the formerly marked secret document in the UK archives) to argue we had only promised that "no additional troops would be deployed; no weapons of mass destruction would be placed" in the former German Democratic Republic. This pledge was, in fact, incorporated into Article 5 (signed September 12, 1990). Pifer also quotes a publication (Russia Behind the Headlines) of a purported interview with former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev was reportedly asked why he had not insisted that U.S. Secretary of State James Bakers promise that NATO would not expand into the East be legally encoded and responded, according to that report, NATO expansion was not discussed at all. He did, however, call NATO eastward expansion a violation of the spirit of the assurances given Moscow in 1990. Eight years after the agreement detailed in the newly-found protocol, NATO did move eastward, admitting Poland, Hungary, and Czechia. Fifteen years later in 2004, it added Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Russia grumbled, but perhaps felt it was in too weak a position to do much than to halt NATOs eastward expansion. Russia now draws the line on NATO expansion into Ukraine and Georgia. It might be useful for a reporter who might care to ask James Baker about the protocol and any assurances made to the Soviets by him and other NATO members. If this were a legal case in the U.S., I believe the protocol could be entered into evidence under the Ancient Documents Rule even if the purported agreement had not been formalized in writing, although Russias acquiescence over the years to NATOs eastward expansion would also be considered to weaken its case. But all this business about the credibility of the various parties and legalisms seems somewhat extraneous to me at this point. I think the German media has forced Germanys hand and it will bolt and not stand with us. If it doesnt go along, others will follow and the wag-the-dog effort will fail. Correction: 2204 corrected to 2004 Two videos have been kicking around for a few days but not getting the traction I feel they deserve. They were taken at a school board meeting, apparently in Virginia, and they show a mom shaming a school board member who apparently believes that children must remain masked even as she doesnt wear masks herself. The school board members over-the-top reaction is very telling. She knows shes been caught and, after trying to bluster it out, she runs away. Unfortunately, the two videos have very poor sound quality. Part of the problem is that the offended board member is speaking so loudly and stridently that she drowns out all other voices. Let me walk you through it. Because this is apparently in Virginia, masks should be at the parents discretion. This became so in January because of an executive order that Governor Youngkin issued. Then, last week, the Virginia legislature made parental choice a matter of state law. Some school districts, though, at least during the period of Youngkins executive order, have insisted that students must wear masks. Its patently clear that this school board meeting occurred in a district that still insists masks are mandatory. The parent standing before the board has on her phone pictures of one of the school board memberspresumably one fully in favor of continuing to put useless face diapers on childrenappearing in crowded places without a mask. Just listen to that school board member stridently trying to shut the mother down, insisting that the mother may only talk about the children. But of course, the mother is talking about the children by showing that the school board member exists to serve the teachers union and, personally, couldnt care less about masks. Eventually, when the mother refuses to be silent, the school board member demands that she be arrested. A diffident, obviously uncomfortable officer goes up and talks to the mother. We can only assume that calmer heads prevailed because the mother was not arrested. Instead, she appears in a second video and states, quite clearly, that she and the other parents are coming to take away the jobs of these petty tyrants. We are coming for your seat! At which point the hypocritical board member announces, You can have my seat, and walks out. Its gorgeous to watch: Wow! School board freaks out as mom whips out phone to show pictures of the board members maskless online. Love this. pic.twitter.com/cvi6rnHCjL Justin Hart (@justin_hart) February 17, 2022 School boards need to be brought to heel and exposing their members hypocrisy is a great way to do it. Image: TikTok screen grab. It's just this one little sliver of Sudetenland. It's just ten days to stop the spread. It's just some street clearing in Canada. And now we have this from the Trudeau regime, seeking to make its highly questionable power grab against the truckers protesting Canada's vaccine mandates a part of its permanent powers: Just now Chrystia Freeland details how some Emergency Act powers will be made permanent. (we actually thought she might wait a few days before enacting a permanent police state) pic.twitter.com/HavsTUeo0P not inklessPW (@inklessPW) February 18, 2022 The hamfisted crackdown, which involved confiscated bank accounts, the targeting, and removal of children and pets, the doxxing of donors, the stealing of large crowdfunding takes, the arrests of leaders, and horses trampling people (any talk about 'whips' there?), apparently is no longer going to be some sort of invoked emergency power, if the Trudeau government gets its way. It will become a way of life. Obviously, the Trudeauvians like that feeling of power. They'd like more of it. Ten days to stop the spread -- no, make that ten-thousand days. Laws are for little people and Trudeau flies above the law. Corporations are his handmaiden. Trudeau is truly his daddy's son -- the one who lies buried in Havana. And he too dreams of being a dictator: FLASHBACK: Trudeau Dreams of Being a Dictator ON CAMERA This is the LAST Video Trudeau Wants You to See Right Now pic.twitter.com/Szqx3wBX8W Benny (@bennyjohnson) February 15, 2022 Why does this matter? According to William A. Jacobson, writing in Legal Insurrection, this is not an irrelevant story for us Americans: Trudeau is dangerous not just because hes abusing Canadians, but because he is providing the wish list for crackdowns by Democrats in the U.S. We see it already. Big tech corporations do the Democrats bidding in silencing critics through deplatforming, censoring content from publication or social media sharing, deplatforming websites from hosting companies and, as in the case of Parler, from the cloud and app stores. Funding platforms like GoFundMe are pressured to suspend fundraising and deprive the beneficiary of the donations, and payment processors and banks are pressured to cut off deplorables. Removing the political opposition from the modern financial and technology systems is what Justin Trudeau is doing, and its the dream of the political progressives in the U.S. Its already happening here, though not with the brazenness of Trudeau. The Biden administration gives cover to and enourages every one of the actions listed in the preceding paragraph by declaring political opposition domestic terrorists (even parents at school boards), and by broadly blurring the distinction between policial dissent and terrorism. Social media platforms openly are solicited by the Biden administration to crack down on dissent. Now that the Biden administration is grossly unpopular, facing terrible polls, and unlikely to cheat their way into winning the next election based on various legislative actions taken in the states, how likely would it be for the old dotard with no political future to start steps to increase his power? It almost seems like a foregone conclusion. We do have more laws and protections here in the states than the Canadians do, but we've got to use them, hard, as well as get out and vote. Trudeau is a bellwether of sorts for the states and it's not tolling a pretty song. Image: Twitter screen shot Where is the fight now? The news about Chris Barbers arrest and the Canadian truckers response of retreat just broke when I asked this to two delivery guys in an elevator ride who were talking about Ottawa. Their sudden silent stares meant they most likely thought I was critical of the drivers. If only support could be gifted in some tangible tapestry for each and every trucker. Watching yet another battle in mans fight for liberty get extinguished, is watching yet another aspect of life die. Rivaling my focus on questions of Where is the fight now? - and Whats next for Canada and The United States? - were my feelings about the truckers. There is an interview in the A&E documentary for Steve McQueen where actor Don Gordon says that watching Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, Makes us feel like we can come back and we can kick ass. Don Gordons words about Steve McQueen fit the truckers. Watching their demonstration gave us vicarious strength. For the past few weeks, the truckers exemplified the zeal of a Trump rally, the non-violent commitment of a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march, and a God-given compass of walking towards freedom and away from government control. Communism is Abuse, Just Like Family Abuse Within families where the elders are committing abuse, there is often one member, a sibling, or even a distant cousin, who shows the will to fight fight against the abuse - for his own right to exist in freedom. His will to embrace life weathers him from the otherwise dehumanizing effects of familial cruelty. The power structure of government can sometimes have an unintended parental quality. Government officials do have some control over our behaviors and, in turn, our lives. The shared American ideology is that a system of checks and balances is a firewall for the overgrowth of government, dominance, and abuse of power. Like a family mired in mental abuse, the unbridled growth of government is marketed in every aspect of our lives. With the cadence of Chinese water torture is a steady drip of anti-American, anti-individual freedom rhetoric. Our Western culture family is being abused. Dying a bit each day are our collective basic freedoms, such as the freedom to select words, engage in private phone calls, and enjoy the freedom to safely walk through our neighborhoods, defending ourselves if need be. In turn, our individual freedom-loving spirits are demonized, marketed as dangerous, juvenile, and even evil. Within our Western culture family, are our cousins - the Canadian truckers in Ottawa. Watching others fight back from abuse is vital to survival and the prevention of further abuse. In addition to being an instinctual actor, Steve McQueens legacy is about overcoming obstacles, including early childhood abuse. He funneled frustration into his work acting feels like reaching into my gut and pulling out glass. Steve McQueen found his way out of the quicksand trap of pain and claimed custody of himself, I made my own opening. Is Ottawa a Foreshadowing? The truckers fight for freedom is our fight for freedom. Their enemy and our enemy are one and the same. The distortion of their fight by the media matches what is happening here. The consequences they are steeped in mirror what happened to peaceful protestors here. We know this. We also know that as long as we have our Second Amendment, we wont endure our bank accounts being monitored, our freedom of speech being regulated beyond prevention of yelling fire in a crowded theater, etc. We know that our private phone calls are private. Or do we? Can we know these truths to be self-evident that all law-abiding phone callers are created equally? What if Canada is a foreshadowing for what is on the agenda for the United States? What if our unbreakable firewall for guarding God-given liberty is seen differently by self-determined more equals? And what if to these more equals, what is God-given to us is just an academic chess game? What if words are their pawns and with enough maneuvering, can be weaponized, just so to break the unbreakable? Is breaking our way of life merely a win in an academic debate or a chess tournament? Most of all, where is our fight now? Image: Screen shot from Fox News video posted on YouTube See also: Putins cat and mouse game with Ukraine The famous Prussian general and military theorist Carl Von Clausewitz stated in his seminal work "On War" that "[w]ar is the continuation of politics by other means." Aside from our internal and external weakness and timidity as a nation, which precipitated the current standoff with Russia, what exactly are the political goals that Vladimir Putin wants to achieve by invading Ukraine? What are the issues at stake that would cause him to commit his forces to potentially the largest invasion since the end of World War II? I doubt that if a large-scale conflict does occur between the United States and Russia, Americans will be prepared to face the most certain cyber-attacks that will target the key nodes of our infrastructure. I suspect that many Americans would have a meltdown if they were unable to access Facebook or watch their favorite TikTok videos! I have not seen or heard much about the political issues at stake other than that Putin views the fall of the Soviet Union as a huge disaster and wants at some point to restore its former glory. But he is also angry (and rightly so, I would agree) with the expansion of NATO into former Soviet bloc countries a move designed to rub his nose into the collapse. So then when Ukraine started making advances about joining NATO, I believe that in his mind, that move was the last straw. It would be akin to Canada or Mexico joining the Warsaw Pact if it still existed. I do not believe we as a nation would have stood for that. So it would have been easy, and it still is easy for us to say to defuse the ongoing confrontation. Just say, "Putin, you are right Ukraine will not be allowed into NATO." Let's quit poking the bear and let him have his "victory." Let us take the long view that in the end will prove more beneficial to the United States and the cause of freedom. Putin will eventually be gone and, hopefully, then we can deal with a new and maybe more enlightened leader but in the meantime, the West can still bolster democratic institutions inside Ukraine. When this occurs, maybe then the Russian people will see the possibilities, once they have a close neighbor thriving with a democratic government and free-market economy. That's how the free world "wins" ultimately. One only has to look at the disparity between South Korea vs North Korea to see that it is easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar. Let's hope cool heads prevail, and we do not stumble into a confrontation where no one "wins." Image via Pixabay. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A soldier of the Pakistani army and five terrorists were killed in a clash in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an army statement said on Sunday. The intense exchange of fire took place when security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district of the province, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement. The killed five terrorists had been involved in terrorist activities against security forces, targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom, the statement said, adding that weapons and ammunition including submachine guns and hand grenades were seized from their possession. The Science, which leftists always speak of as an oracle independent from petty human concerns, has spoken: Outside of well-fitted N95 masks, the cloth or loose-fitting paper masks that people have been wearing for almost two years do nothing to stop COVIDs spread. When it comes to kids, we also have some generally accepted science about COVID and masksand none of it supports either COVID-panic or mask-wearing. Yet National Geographic, once a respectable magazine, insists that masks not only dont harm children, but theyre actually beneficial. My home in the 1960s and early 1970s was probably like most lower- and middle-class homes in America: We had a National Geographic subscription. The magazine, which was founded in 1888, brought the world into peoples homes. Suddenly, sitting in your living room or kitchen, you could see indigenous people in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Australia, as well as get a look at the folk cultures of Europe. It was a cruise around the world for the price of a magazine subscription. This picture, for example, shows that in 1921, ordinary people could see the Taj Mahal in color, which was very cool for that time: Image: National Geographic image of the Taj Mahal in 1921. Public domain. That National Geographic no longer exists. In December 2016, right after Trump was elected president, National Geographic showed its woke credentials by doing a gender issue that featured, on the cover, a sad-looking little boy dressed up in girls clothes with his long hair dyed pink. This, we were told, was a transgender girl. But back to the magazine. The issue is behind a paywall so I wont bother linking, but a HuffPost article excitedly reporting on National Geographics gender issue gives you a feel for whats in it: A stunning photo of 9-year-old Avery Jackson will appear on the subscribers edition of the magazine, which can be found below. The best thing about being a girl is, now I dont have to pretend to be a boy, Jackson says in a caption accompanying the cover image, shot by Robin Hammond. The Gender Revolution issue, which hits newsstands nationwide on Dec. 27, examines the cultural, social, biological and personal aspects of gender identity, according to a press release. Features include Dangerous Lives of Girls, which follows the lives of young women in Sierra Leone, and Rethinking Gender, which examines how science can help navigate the shifting landscape of gender identity. In other words, a science magazine went all-in for a theory that is utterly unsupported by science. (Although the psychology of missing fathers in an era in which single motherhood is promoted and men are demeaned may have something to do with the phenomenon.) Image: The lonely world of masked school children by Freepik. Given the direction in which National Geographic has been trending, it was to be expected that it would come out in favor of masks for children. Thats true despite what we now know pretty conclusively: (a) cloth masks dont work; (b) paper masks dont work; (c) only children with pre-existing conditions get seriously ill from COVID; (d) children do not spread COVID; (e) children are having speech delays because of masks; (f) children are having problems learning emotional and social cues; and (g) masks put children in contact with other serious diseases. But those are all facts, and who needs facts if youre in the business of The Science? Certainly not National Geographic, which is how you end up with this: Experts say most evidence suggests that masking doesnt harm childrenand that it benefits them in more ways than one https://t.co/zkNr0Sqe0b National Geographic (@NatGeo) February 18, 2022 When you read through the long article, you find some bizarre things, none of which support wearing masks. Thus, the article says, Theres no question that masking reduces the spread of disease, but thats remarkably broad. The spread of what disease? It certainly doesnt stop COVID from spreading. The article says that, when it comes to breathing, most kids can tolerate masks. Most parents want their kids to breathe freely, not tolerate the stale air constantly wafting around their faces. The article concedes the obvious, which is that masks muffle sound and claims that there are no speech delays, citing one study. And yes, children have a harder time reading the emotions of people who are wearing masks, but...heck!...thats not really a problem. In other words, at best, masks dont suffocate children. So, whats the benefit to an accessing that makes breathing merely tolerable, muffles sound, delays speech, and interferes with childrens social and emotional development? Hold on to your hats because its a biggie: Their schools and daycares were 13% more likely to remain open during the COVID madness. Yes! Thats it. If we stick useless diapers on childrens faces, they can go to school and sit in circles of isolation surrounded by faceless drones. National Geographic ought to be ashamed of itself but it wont be. Its run by open leftists, and they proudly flaunt their bizarre combination of ignorance and faith in The Science. Theres no room in their little world for facts, common sense, or decency. The unending search for equity in Democrat enclaves has now come for the bike helmet. When the King County Board of Health (which encompasses Seattle) discovered that Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, along with homeless people, were getting more citations for biking without a helmet, equity compelled action: So the Board of Health repealed the bike helmet law, ensuring that this particular inequity would end even as it increases the possibility of serious head injuries for people of all colors and housing situations. In 1993, almost 30 years ago, the King County Board of Health passed a law requiring people within that county to wear a helmet while riding a bike. Sure, it was a nanny state law but it definitely made a difference in the outcome of accidents involving bicycles. Thus, a 2016 study concluded that bike helmets reduce the risk of serious head injuries by almost 70%. In other words, at a relatively low cost and minimal inconvenience for the bike rider, the personal and societal costs of bike-related brain injuries are hugely decreased. But some things are more important than protecting people from terrible brain injury and one of those things is making sure that Blacks, Indigenous, and Peoples of Color, as well as homeless people, dont feel put upon by police anxious to force those helmets on their heads. And that seems to be what the police were doing: However, data presented to the Board of Health has shown racist and discriminatory enforcement. Seattle Police Department data collected and analyzed by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and the Helmet Law Working Group shows that police disproportionately gave helmet law citations to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color cyclists. Their analysis found that Black riders were nearly four times as likely to be cited by police for not wearing a helmet while biking compared to White riders. Further, in Seattle, nearly half of the citations issued for biking without a helmet were given to people living homeless. Im sure you noticed, as I did, whats missing from those two paragraphs. It doesnt say that those who are neither minorities nor homeless flouted the law in the same number as those cited. It simply says that minorities and the homeless got more citations. That minimalist statement leaves open the possibility that minorities and homeless people got more citations because they more frequently violated the law. Given that the law is intended to save lives, putting pressure on minorities and the homeless is, in true nanny state fashion, an act of generosity for their own good. Image: Bicyclist (edited) by prostooleh. Freepik license. But when the nanny state clashes with the Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DIE) state, peoples health and well-being fall by the roadside. Thus, in addition to declaring that racism is, with nothing more, a Public Health crisis, the Health Department did away with the law, even as it continued to scold people about wearing helmets: In light of this data, and in alignment with the Board of Healths declaration of Racism as a Public Health crisis, on February 17, 2022, the Board of Health repealed the King County bike helmet law while affirming the importance of helmets in preventing serious injury and death. In a companion resolution passed in the same meeting, the Board of Health emphasized the importance of helmet use for bikes, scooters and other similar vehicles and committed to work with community partners to expand access to low and no-cost helmets, provide education on helmet safety, and support the improvements for safer bike infrastructure. And as always is the case when equity is an issue, there was money involved. The Board of Health allocated $221,000 for the purchase of free helmets for those who cant afford them. Those helmets, of course, are not free because King County taxpayers are ponying up the money but, given that they voted for this execrable local government, they deserve what theyre getting. Incidentally, a quick look at Amazon says that, unless youre getting something really fancy, an adult bike helmet runs about $25.00. If King County buys them in bulk, it can probably get them for as little as $20.00. I really wonder if its going to need over 11,000 free helmets for an initiative it has no ability to enforce. Whenever I look at how leftists treat minorities, all in the name of equity, I am reminded of that old Nick Lowe song, Cruel To Be Kind. In pursuit of kindness to minorities, leftists are leaving them less educated, less safe, and less capable, all while encouraging them to feel hatred for their country, hatred for White people, and an abiding sense of victimhood that destroys character, ambition, and happiness. And now, in King County, its trying to give them brain damage on top of it all. If you ask any vaccine skeptics about their objections to the vaccine mandate their answer usually is two-fold. First, they are concerned about the effectiveness and side effects of the vaccine. The authorities are frequently redefining the term fully-vaccinated by adding boosters also alarms them. They are also troubled by government overreach. They realize that once freedoms and rights are encroached upon by the government, they are seldom fully relinquished completely. The Biden administration has successfully mandated vaccines for health care workers, military personnel, and non-citizen air travelers, while their attempts to mandate the vaccine for federal government contractors and employees and private sector employees have failed. There have been proposals to vaccinate children, including those under 5. State administrations have imposed restrictions on movement, access to public spaces, and public assembly. There have been instances of police arresting and fining individuals for merely attending a party or being part of religious gatherings. While other restrictions can be undone over a period of time, the citizen understands that the vaccine once injected into your body will cause permanent changes. Since the Democrats have been dogmatic about vaccine mandates, the people look towards the Republicans for support. The good news is that some Republicans have been showing the way to challenge undemocratic mandates. On Tuesday, February 15, Republican Sen. Mike Lee proposed an amendment to defund vaccine mandates for medical workers, military personnel, federal employees, etc. Senator Lee distributed copies of a letter to his Senate colleagues on behalf of himself, and Sens Roger Marshall of Kansas, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Mike Braun of Indiana, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Ted Cruz of Texas. The following is a key excerpt from the letter. We have consistently opposed President Bidens federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which would force millions of Americans to choose between an unwanted medical procedure and being able to provide for their families. For legal, constitutional, and policy reasons, we remain not only strongly opposed to the mandates, but also firmly convinced that the risk of inaction on our part is unacceptably high .@SenateGOP has a very real chance of defunding @POTUSs remaining vaccine mandates IF every Republican stays for the vote. Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 17, 2022 The amendment received support from some of Lees fellow GOP senators; however, the support was not enough to pass the amendment. Senator Lees amendment failed in a 46-47 vote. A mere day later on Wednesday, February 16, Republican Senator Ted Cruz proposed an amendment to the budget that would block federal funding for schools and child care centers that mandate Covid-19 vaccines for children. It was a very astute proposition. Cruz said the following while introducing his amendment: Enough is enough. Its time to stop the petty tyrants imposing Covid-19 vaccine mandates on families across the country. No child should be denied an education because of his or her personal medical choice. Schools shouldnt get federal taxpayer dollars to trample on our constitutional liberties. Its time for all of us to take a stand. Are you with parents and kids, or power hungry politicians? Senator Cruz even tweeted a warning to Republican Senators not skip town for his amendment NO REPUBLICAN SENATOR should leave town this afternoon. Schumer is panicking right now because Dems WILL LOSE THE VOTE on my amendment & @SenMikeLee amendment to BLOCK BIDENs VACCINE MANDATES & BLOCK MANDATES ON KIDS. The only way Dems win the vote is if Rs skip town. Dont! Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 17, 2022 Much like the support for Senator Lees amendment, Cruzs fellow GOP senators support was not enough to pass the amendment. Senator Cruzs amendment failed in a 44-49 vote. For both these amendments, the problem was with six GOP senators. The usually suspect Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted against the amendment; she was joined by Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri. Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma were absent. Senator Graham is currently in the UK, focused on defending Ukraine and holding Putin accountable, his back symbolically turned: Great meeting with my good friend, Prime Minister @BorisJohnson who is one of the leading conservative voices in the world. The US-UK relationship remains foundational to our foreign policy and who we are as a people. pic.twitter.com/8mQN1FXFAJ Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 19, 2022 Next, 19 GOP senators voted in favor of averting a government shutdown, which means they handed Democrats more time to fund their anti-citizen agenda. Last year, 80 House Republicans voted to fund the creation of a federal vaccination database. All polls and trends suggest that the GOP will have emphatic wins such that they will have a majority in both the House and the Senate. But power is meaningless if those who are in possession of it are reluctant to use it. Republicans are aware that their constituents are deeply skeptical about the vaccines and want the ability to choose what to inject into their bodies, yet 2 among them sided with Democrats and 4 were absent. This is inexcusable; at this juncture, there shouldn't be a bigger concern for Senators than that of their constituents. These constituents are merely demanding the freedom of choice, which is essential in a democracy. The Republicans must remember that in a democracy, the voter lends power to their representatives. This representative doesnt own power, they are merely custodians of power. They are hence obliged to act in the interest of the people. If the Republicans win majorities in both the Senate and the House in November, the people will have high hopes. If after that some among the Republicans side the Democrats for key issues and block the overall agenda of the people, there will come a time when the public will run out of patience. The Republicans must remember that patience when needlessly provoked turns to fury. Photo credit: Twitter (cropped) PLEASE NOTE: ALL ONLINE PURCHASES ARE AUTOMATIC RENEWALS UNLESS YOU EMAIL JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM OR CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE @ 256-235-9253.... Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM *NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY join with a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! AMEX is not accepted through this site. After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* The CBI Group has called for a permanent investment deduction to succeed the Governments temporary super deduction, claiming it would boost the economy by up to 40 billion a year by 2026. Data compiled by the CBI from 325 firms suggested that a permanent incentive could trigger an annual 17% uplift in capital spending. The CBI also said more than half of survey respondents had taken advantage of the super deduction or planned to do so to increase or accelerate capital investment plans. CBI director general Tony Danker called for a permanent incentive. CBI director general Tony Danker said: The Chancellors super deduction exemplified the boldness in public policy that we need to inspire investment and get the economy moving. Going by our survey results, it looks to be a real success. Its started the job but cannot be a one-hit wonder. Evolving the policy from short-term fix into long-term strategy will give firms confidence that Government and industry are aligned. The UK is facing the highest tax burden in decades. But by rewarding firms who put money into their operations, we can unleash new innovation and productivity the ingredients we need to escape the low-growth trap and build a stronger, sustainable and more equitable economic future. The CBI said the projected impact of a permanent incentive included: 24% of respondents said they would make additional capital investments in the UK. 13% would make additional investments and bring forward investment timescales. A further 13% would accelerate UK investments already planned. Respondents revealed plans for 1.3 billion of capital projects and said a new investment deduction of the type proposed would see 169 million of that spending accelerated, and a further 224 million of projects added. This is equivalent to additional investment worth 40 billion per year by 2026. Palestine condemns Israel's refusal to cooperate with UN inquiry commission Xinhua) 18:08, February 20, 2022 Palestine on Friday condemned Israel's refusal to cooperate with a United Nations (UN) commission of inquiry into the tension that broke out in the Gaza Strip in May 2021. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it condemns the Israeli government's decision to deny the entry of the commission's representatives to Israel and the Palestinian territories. On Thursday, Israel officially informed the UN Human Rights Council that it will not cooperate with the commission of inquiry and will deny the entry of its members to the country, according to Israeli media. "The decision is illegal," the Palestinian statement said, adding that it is necessary to support the commission's work "to succeed in its tasks consistent with the mandate granted by the UN and with international law and its references." In May 2021, Egypt brokered a ceasefire that ended 11 days of clashes between Israel and Hamas-led Islamic Resistance Movement in the Gaza Strip, during which around 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) PARIS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin pledged to "avoid an escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace" in eastern Ukraine during a phone call on Sunday, the French presidential office said in a press release. According to the Elysee, Macron and Putin have agreed to resume the work within the framework of the Normandy format on the basis of the exchanges and proposals made by Ukraine in recent days, and to enable a meeting of the trilateral contact group to be held in the next few hours with the aim of obtaining "a commitment to a ceasefire" from all the stakeholders. They also agreed on the need to favor a diplomatic solution to the current crisis and "to do everything to achieve it," adding that French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the coming days and several consultations will be held in Paris. "The diplomatic work should make it possible to progress on the basis of the latest exchanges by involving all the stakeholders ... in order to achieve, if the conditions are met, a meeting at the highest level to define a new order of peace and security in Europe," said the press release. Macron also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by telephone over the weekend. "President Zelensky has confirmed his determination to not react to the provocations and to respect the ceasefire," the Elysee said in another press release. On Saturday, France urged all its nationals currently in Ukraine to leave the country and advised citizens to postpone their trip there. A doctor who was stabbed nine times by a 17-year-old boy has said he would like to meet his attacker if given the chance. Chanz Maximen, now 19, knocked on Adam Towlers door in Clifton, Bristol, on the evening of October 30 2019, having apparently selected the address at random. He pulled Dr Towler into the road and knifed him repeatedly, inflicting a deep wound to the chest that punctured his lung and narrowly missed his heart. Maximen initially left the doctor bleeding in the street, but returned to the property once his victim had managed to get back inside and tried to break the door down. Dr Towler, 54, was the first of three people Maximen would randomly target in the Clifton area at night, before he was tracked down by police three weeks later. Neither the trial nor multiple psychiatric assessments has shed any light on his motive. The only common thread between Dr Towler, a warehouse worker who had stopped at a bench on his way home from a night shift, and a female student, was that they were alone when Maximen came across them. Chanz Maximen was jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years (Avon and Somerset Police/PA) Maximen, who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday, had been a normal teenager studying for his A-levels and had no history of violence. Although he had been diagnosed with a learning difficulty, Maximen was in mainstream school and did not need the help of the intermediary provided to him while giving his evidence. He was not found to be suffering from a psychiatric illness and was deemed fit to stand trial. He is now a category A prisoner at HMP Belmarsh in London, and has to be accompanied by three guards when he moves through the prison. Despite the ferocity of the attack and the severity of his injuries, Dr Towler has been concerned for Maximen since the incident. In a victim impact statement read in court, Dr Towler said: I am not upset or angry with you. I dont think you owe me an apology or anything, but I do want you to know what its like for me. Perhaps one day I will also learn what it is like for you too, since the events. What happened on that night happened, you and me were connected in it and neither of us can change the events of that night now. Speaking to the PA news agency after Maximens sentencing, Dr Towler said he believed it would help to be able to talk to him one day. He said: I owe it to him and he owes it to me if he wants to meet, I owe it to him to listen, because the consequences of his actions on me and the other victims have been enormous. I would like to learn what hes thinking what he was thinking and what he does think, whatever that is, because it helps me. He continued: Hes never admitted his guilt but I felt there was a shift in his position in court on Wednesday, because he listened very attentively to my statement, he had good eye contact, that was more engagement than he has shown previously. Dr Towler said he still asks himself why didnt he actually kill me? The first wound was the significant one to the chest, he could easily have overpowered me, if he had set his mind to it, he said. I didnt fight back, I just tried to keep things calm and calm it down he just didnt quite manage to go through with it, as it were. Maximen targeted three people in Clifton, Bristol (Anthony Devlin/PA) In court, Dr Towler expressed his anxiety about Maximens new life in prison, the fact his family have to live with what he has done and live without him, and the fact he has lost his freedom. In his statement, he said: I say again that I am not angry with you, but I want to say to you that I am a real human being, just as you are, and I respect our lives equally. Referring to Maximens other victims, Dr Towler said: We are all real human people who live, love and hate, but killing should not be a human thing and that nearly happened. Judge William Hart described Dr Towlers statement as extraordinary, telling the court: Whether it is the effect of intellect, or faith, or kindness and understanding, I dont know. If it is the consequence of intellect, I admire it. If it is the consequence of faith, I envy it. Asked he had come to terms with what happened, Dr Towler said: I dont know if one does come to terms with it, it kind of is in an existential way. It happened as I said in court, I wish I could unhappen those events, I wish I could unhappen them for me and I wish I could unhappen them for him. I got lucky and outwardly at least I am in more of a fortunate position than he is, considering future life prospects I wouldnt want to be in Belmarsh, I wouldnt want to be living with the responsibility of what hes done. The Democratic Unionist Party has been left devastated by the sudden death of Christopher Stalford, party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said. The DUP MLA, who died suddenly at the age of 39, was described as someone who was very articulate and had a great sense of humour. The south Belfast representative and father-of-four died suddenly over the weekend. Political representatives from across Northern Ireland have been paying tribute to the well-liked MLA. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Sinn Fein vice president, Michelle ONeill, were among those who spoke of their shock at his death. We are absolutely devastated to have received the news this morning that our dear friend and much loved colleague, Christopher Stalford, had passed away, Sir Jeffrey told PA news agency. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Laura, with his four children, and with the wider family. Christopher was first and foremost a loving husband, a father and a son and anytime you talked to Christopher he was always wanting to talk about his family. I had a conversation with him on Friday and we were talking about political matters and the forthcoming elections. But, of course, Christopher talked about school, about children moving to the big school. DUP MLA Christopher Stalford has died aged 39 (PA) He just lived for his family, but he also lived for his politics and Christopher loved representing his constituency of South Belfast, he wanted to work for everyone. Sir Jeffrey said the party is also also grateful for the many messages from other political parties. Christopher had the capacity to reach out across the political divide and he was someone who wasnt afraid to do the heavy lifting and to push the boundaries and to try and make Northern Ireland a better place for all of us, he added. Mr Stalford and his wife, Laura, a former dental nurse, have four children: Trinity, Oliver, Cameron and Abigail. Mr Stalford was elected as a Belfast councillor in 2005 to represent the Laganbank area and then, from 2014, represented the Balmoral area. He was elected the High Sheriff of Belfast in 2010 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2013. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson pays tribute to Christopher Stalford MLA https://t.co/SvGRAsA7Jw via @duponline @J_Donaldson_MP DUP (@duponline) February 20, 2022 In 2016, Mr Stalford was elected to represent Belfast South in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and from January 2020 he served as the principal deputy speaker of the Assembly. Sir Jeffrey added: Ive no doubt that one day Christopher would have been the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, something that would have made him immensely proud, given the very humble background that he came from. Christopher was very articulate, he made some fine speeches in the Assembly. He also had a great sense of humour. Even in dark moments, Christopher had the capacity to just lift the mood, say something that would bring a little bit of light into a very difficult situation. He was passionate about working for a better future. Our political world today is, Im afraid, a sadder place without Christopher. Mr Stalford has been involved with the DUP since he graduated from Queens University in Belfast. He went to work in former DUP member Jim Allisters European office three days a week, and in Peter Weirs Bangor office. He then moved to the DUP press office for six years, and went on to the policy unit. In 2005, he was elected to Belfast City Council aged 22, the youngest person on the council. He ran for the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007 but did not get elected, and was re-elected to the council in 2011 and 2014. Mr Stalford then got elected to the Assembly and had been working as an MLA in South Belfast for the last six years. DUP chairman, Lord Morrow, said: Ive known Christopher since his childhood. His family have been faithful members of the party from its foundation. As a party, we are shocked and saddened by his death but most of all we are heartbroken for Laura, their four little children and Christophers wider family who will feel this loss most keenly. We are praying that the God of all comfort will be with the Stalford family at this difficult and sad time as they mourn the sudden and unexpected passing of one who was so dear and precious to them. From his earliest days, Christopher was immersed in the politics of Northern Ireland. He was a committed unionist and was always destined to be an elected representative because he had a heart for the people, public service and making Northern Ireland better. We thank those across the political spectrum for their condolences and thoughtfulness. We ask that Christophers family are given privacy and space to grieve. Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria have purchased a sprawling farmhouse in the peaceful Vermont town of Arlington. (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images) Alec Baldwin and his family are officially heading to New England. The 30 Rock star, 63, has purchased a rural farmhouse in the peaceful Vermont enclave of Arlington, according to the Bennington Banner, a local newspaper. The announcement comes after several reports that Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, were house hunting in the area last year. The Baldwin family spent significant time in Vermont last fall following the tragic Rust shooting that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when Baldwin discharged a prop gun. According to the Banner, an ad previously described the Baldwins' new estate as a classic Vermont 18th century farm that features 55 beautiful acres, a 3,600-square-foot main house, and a nicely-renovated 1800 square-foot guest cottage with 2 baths. Additional details include numerous outbuildings, updated horse stalls, several pastures, expansive landscaped lawn areas, pleasant views and a pond with a picturesque waterfall spillway and substantial renovations that have taken place in recent years. Faith Rhodes, the principal broker and owner of Rhodes Real Estate, told the Banner that she isn't sure how much time the Baldwins, who have six young children, will spend at the home. "Its certainly not their primary residence. But they love the community as well," she said. "They got to know it and loved it. Video: Alec Baldwin returns to work for 1st time since 'Rust' shooting The property, which is located on Ice Pond Road, sold Feb. 15 for $1.75 million, multiple sites are reporting. Yahoo reached out for comment to Rhodes Real Estate, but did not receive a reply by press time. The article also states that Hilaria Baldwin's family has significant history in the Vermont area, and her grandfather even owned a home in Arlington. Vermont was also the location where Baldwin first spoke out on the death of Hutchins. Baldwin, who was with his wife and children, stood on a Manchester, Vermont street and spoke with a crowd of photographers about the situation, TMZ.com reported at the time. The news comes the same week as that Baldwin and others were named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Halyna Hutchins's family alleging "reckless behavior and cost-cutting" on the Western's set led to her "senseless and tragic death." The lawsuit was filed in New Mexico on behalf of Matthew Hutchins, Halyna's husband of 16 years, and their 9-year-old son. "Alec had the gun in his hand, he shot it, Halyna was killed," Hutchins' lawyer Brian Panish said. "The gun cannot fire unless the trigger is engaged and the hammer is back." Baldwin recently returned to work for the first time since the tragic shooting occurred in October. Baldwin asserted that he was told the weapon was "cold," meaning it did not contain live ammunition, and that he did not actually pull the trigger. In his first interview after the tragic shooting, Baldwin claimed he had "no idea" how a live bullet made its way onto the set. "I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me," Baldwin previously said. Honest to god, if I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible. And I don't say that lightly. The decline in daily COVID cases and hospitalizations is good news for the U.S., though health experts are warning to practice caution. Nobody knows for sure, Dr. Jay Schnitzer, chief medical officer at MITRE, a nonprofit that operates federally funded research, said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). But I, too, am cautiously optimistic that we are getting close to the end of the pandemic phase and hopefully entering the endemic phase. The numbers are certainly coming down dramatically, particularly with Omicron over the past few weeks, and hopefully will continue to do so." A disease outbreak is defined as endemic when it is "consistently present but limited to a particular region [which] makes the disease spread and rates predictable," according to Columbia University's School of Public Health. Fans take a selfie during the first half between the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards at FTX Arena on December 28, 2021 in Miami, Florida, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) In other words, Schnitzer expressed tentative hope that the coronavirus may soon become manageable enough to no longer cause major disruptions to everyday lives, much like the flu virus, but he also noted what can happen if restrictions are lifted too soon. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently stated that while he didn't think it was possible to eradicate the coronavirus, he was hopeful that COVID restrictions "will soon be a thing of the past" as enough people are vaccinated and have antibodies. 'This virus is teaching us humility' Over the past 14 days, COVID-19 cases have decreased by 66% while the hospitalization rate has dropped by 40%, according to data from the New York Times. This has led many government leaders to lift restrictions like mask mandates from indoor businesses and schools, though an overwhelming majority of states still have ICUs at 70% capacity or higher. My word of caution is that this virus is teaching us humility every single turn of events over the past two years, Schnitzer said. And weve got to be a little humble about our projections again today. It could mutate or create a new variant that could create problems for us in the not too distant future. We just dont know. Denmark, a beacon of optimism throughout much of the pandemic, lifted all of its COVID restrictions at the beginning of February and is now experiencing a major surge in cases, hospitalizations, and even deaths. According to Schnitzer, its a cautionary tale about what happens when leaders act too soon and lift restrictions prematurely. The issue that was for Denmark and still is for the U.S. is that even though weve come down a great deal on new cases per day and hospitalizations, we arent all the way down to a trough where we need to be and would like to be, Schnitzer said. And if we relax on these restrictions too prematurely here in the U.S., well see exactly whats happening in Denmark. His advice is that even if local politicians have removed mask mandates, people should still be cautious on an individual level through behaviors like social distancing, avoiding crowds, and practicing good hygiene. Plus, Schnitzer added, if youre going to an area thats crowded and indoors and you dont know the vaccination status around you and you cant maintain social distancing, even if theres no mask mandates at that location at that time, it is prudent to wear a mask. Adriana Belmonte is a reporter and editor covering politics and health care policy for Yahoo Finance. You can follow her on Twitter @adrianambells and reach her at adriana@yahoofinance.com. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn By Julia Love and Helen Coster (Reuters) -Donald Trump's new social media venture, Truth Social, appears set to launch in Apple's App Store on Monday, according to posts from an executive on a test version viewed by Reuters, potentially marking the return of the former president to social media on the U.S. Presidents Day holiday. In a series of posts late on Friday, a verified account for the network's chief product officer, listed as Billy B., answered questions on the app from people invited to use it during its test phase. One user asked him when the app, which has been available this week for beta testers, would be released to the public, according to screenshots viewed by Reuters. "We're currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday Feb. 21," the executive responded. The launch would restore Trump's presence on social media more than a year after he was banned from Twitter Inc, Facebook and Alphabet Inc's YouTube following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, after he was accused of posting messages inciting violence. On Feb. 15 Trump's eldest son Donald Jr. posted on Twitter a screenshot of his father's verified @realDonaldTrump Truth Social account with one post, or "truth," that he uploaded on Feb. 14: "Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!" Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the venture behind Truth Social, will join a growing portfolio of technology companies that are positioning themselves as champions of free speech and hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. So far none of the companies, which include Twitter competitors Gettr and Parler and video site Rumble, have come close to matching the popularity of their mainstream counterparts. "This week we will begin to roll out on the Apple App Store. That's going to be awesome, because we're going to get so many more people that are going to be on the platform," Nunes said in a Sunday appearance on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo'. "Our goal is, I think we're going to hit it, I think by the by the end of March we're going to be fully operational at least within the United States," he added. In addition to the post disclosing Monday's launch date, the screenshots seen by Reuters show the app is now at version 1.0, suggesting it has reached a level ready for public release. As late as Wednesday, it was at version 0.9, according to two people with access to that version. A representative for TMTG did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple's App Store listing indicates that Truth Social is expected to be released on Feb. 21, a date that a source familiar with the venture confirmed in January. But in recent weeks Nunes had said publicly that the app would launch by the end of March. On Friday, Nunes was on the app urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos and participate in conversations, in an apparent attempt to drum up activity, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Among Nunes' posts, he welcomed a new user who appeared to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more priests to join, according to the person with knowledge of the matter. NO WAY TO EDIT 'TRUTHS' The chief product officer's other responses during Friday's question-and-answer session suggested the startup's features would resemble those of Twitter. Asked whether users would be able to edit their "truths," the executive replied "not yet." The ability to edit posts after publication is something Twitter users have long sought. The next significant feature released on the platform will be direct messages, or DMs, between users, the executive wrote. The company is also considering allowing users to sign up to receive notifications when others post content, the executive said. He signaled that the ability to block other users would be an important component. "There will always be block functionality in the app," he wrote. Truth Social will issue a policy on verified accounts "in the coming weeks," the executive added. Even as details of the app begin trickling out, TMTG remains mostly shrouded in secrecy and is regarded with skepticism by some in tech and media circles. It is unclear, for example, how the company is funding its current growth. TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release. Additionally, in December TMTG raised $1 billion committed financing from private investors; that money also will not be available until the DWAC deal closes. Digital World's activities have come under scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, according to a regulatory filing, and the deal is likely months away from closing. (Reporting by Julia Love in San Francisco and Helen Coster in New York; Additional reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington; Editing by Kenneth Li and Daniel Wallis) JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi is accustomed to being first in worsts: It's one of the poorest, unhealthiest states in the nation, with public schools that are chronically underfunded. Some Republican leaders say a good way to boost the state's fortunes would be to phase out its income tax. There is no downside to putting money back into the pockets of Mississippians, said Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, one of the main sponsors of a tax cut bill advancing in the Legislature. Opponents say erasing the income tax is a terrible idea because it would mean even less money for schools, health care, roads and other services, especially hurting poor and working-class residents. The Mississippi income tax accounts for 34% of state revenue. Wealthy people would see the biggest financial boost from eliminating the income tax, because they're the ones paying the most now. Democratic state Sen. Hob Bryan said people dont choose where to live because of tax policy but because of family ties and quality of life. He said people live in high-tax New York, for example, because the city offers opportunities. The notion that if the people in Manhattan only found out that Mississippi did not have an income tax, theyd all ... get on a bus to Mississippi and move down here its just laughable on its face, Bryan said. Mississippi's population has dwindled in the past decade, even as other Sun Belt states are bustling with new residents. Tax-cut proposals are a direct effort to compete with states that dont tax earnings, including Texas, Florida and Tennessee places to which many young Mississippians are moving for fatter paychecks. Married couple Les and Amanda Jordan live near the south Mississippi town of Summit. He's a retired public school administrator and she's a retired nurse practitioner. Both worked for the state. Amanda Jordan said tax rates could influence young people's decisions about where to live. The couple has a grandson in Texas, one of the states without an income tax. Les Jordan said he's torn. On first hearing about it oh, great, we'd have more money," he said. "On the other hand, we're such a poor state. How would it affect those who are less fortunate? A single person with no dependents in Mississippi currently pays no tax on the first $12,300 of income, and because of tax cuts approved years ago the tax-free amount will increase to $13,300 after this year. The state has a 4% tax on the next $5,000 of income and a 5% tax on all income above that. Nine states don't have an income tax and one more, New Hampshire, only taxes interest and dividends, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Opponents of repealing the Mississippi income tax point to Republican-led Kansas, which enacted big tax cuts in 2012 and 2013 but repealed many of them in 2017 after large and persistent budget shortfalls. Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is wholeheartedly behind the income-tax elimination. We can throw out the welcome mat for the dreamers and the visionaries, Reeves said. We can have more money circulating in our economy. And it can lead to more wealth for all Mississippians. Republicans control the Mississippi House and Senate by wide margins, but the income tax elimination is not guaranteed. A proposal died in 2021 because of Senate leaders' concerns that it would undermine funding for schools and other services. People expect us to educate our children. That's the future of Mississippi," said Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, where he and other leaders are proposing a separate plan that would reduce the income tax but not eliminate it. The House and Senate are both proposing a reduction in Mississippi's 7% sales tax on groceries. The House would increase the sales tax on most items other than groceries, from 7% to 8.5%, while the Senate would not change the rate. Increasing the sales tax would have a disproportionally larger impact on people with modest incomes. The poorest residents would see no gain from eliminating the income tax because they are not paying it now. According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, people with incomes of at least $100,000 a year make up 14% of those who pay state income tax, and their payments bring in 56% of the income tax revenue. The department says people with incomes below $30,000 make up 49% of those who pay Mississippi income tax, and their payments bring in 5% of the income tax revenue. Mississippi is burdened by a history of racism that still shows up in disparities between thriving and struggling school districts. Legislators consistently shortchange the state's school funding formula by hundreds of millions of dollars a year. LaShauna Fortenberry, a former public school teacher, said eliminating the state income tax and increasing the sales tax are bad ideas. Fortenberry, who is Black, said schools already have aging buildings and textbooks. She said a brother who is 18 years younger than her is using one of the very same textbooks she had. How does she know? Her signature appears inside it. Fortenberry now works for an agency that provides in-home care for older people in Columbia, Mississippi. She said when she taught from 2005 to 2013, she routinely used her own money to buy classroom supplies trying to make sure that the kids had everything that they needed to be able to learn. She said teachers still do that. We need more money, if anything, in the schools, Fortenberry said. Grover Norquist is president of Americans For Tax Reform, a Washington-based group that labels many taxes as socialist. He said states that reduce tax rates are enjoying economic growth. Pretty soon, nobody is going to be more than a hop, skip and a jump away from a no-income-tax state, Norquist told Mississippi lawmakers at a hearing. The question for Mississippi and for all the other states is: Are you going to be an early adapter or are you going to be there afterward, catching up? ____ Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus. Infantry soldiers based in Northern Ireland have swapped the green fields for arid desert as they hone their skills with the Jordanian Armed Forces. 2 Rifles B Company, of Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, Co Antrim, who are on standby for deployment in the Ukraine, are the latest from the Army to take part in Exercise Olive Grove. Officer Commanding Major Mark Hayward told the PA news agency that the company as the UKs readiness unit for the next 12 months are ready for whatever the next challenge might be. Members of 2 Rifles taking part in Exercise Olive Grove in Jordan (Crown Copyright/PA) The contingent of Riflemen and officers, including some of the first women serving in frontline roles, have experienced temperature extremes living in a camp in Zarqa, around an hour from the Jordanian capital Amman, with cold temperatures at night and sunshine during the day. Partnered with 15th battalion of the Jordanian Armed Forces, they have been training in a model village and live firing ranges in an environment very different to home. It even involved one Co Antrim born Rifleman finding himself playing the part of a fictional top official who needed protection. Lance Corporal Lee Chapman explained his colleagues had to guard him while he went to a meeting. Members of 2 Rifles taking part in Exercise Olive Grove in Jordan (Rebecca Black/PA) Its a bit unusual but fun, every day in the Army is different, you get to travel a lot, he said. The exercise will conclude at the end of March with a full battle group style attack including air support, which is expected to be watched by some distinguished Jordan guests. Major Mark Hayward, who is originally from Manchester, said the soldiers have been learning from each other. The main thing with the exercise is to build interoperability and partnership alongside our Jordanian partners with the idea being that we can learn from them, they can learn from us and then together we can both become better armed forces, he told PA. Officer Commanding, B Company. 2 Rifles, Major Mark Hayward (Crown Copyright/PA) The unit were specifically partnered with, 15th Battalion from the Jordanian Armed Forces, are an urban battalion specialist so weve been able to use the excellent training facilities we have had here, both live and blank in order to develop our interoperability and our urban training ability. Traditionally, Olive Grove has partnered with units in the south so this has been a really good opportunity for a UK unit to come and partner with a unit that traditionally we havent been able to do and then train in a fantastic area that up until now we have never really been able to do either. The exercise comes after a recent exercise for the troops in Kenya. Canadian and American troops have also been involved in the exercise. Major Hayward said the cultural differences between all the nations are fewer than you might expect. I think we quite often get told to expect cultural differences and to some extent that is true but for the most part soldiers are soldiers, they sit down and have the same conversations, they have the same issues and the same enjoyments and once they get past worrying about upsetting each other, actually they realise there are very few differences, he said. But the Jordanians couldnt be better hosts and if we were going down the route where any offence might be caused, they would be very tactful to tell us, be aware of that, and we would correct it but for the most part soldiers are soldiers wherever you go. The exercise will conclude at the end of March (PA) Looking ahead to potential future deployments, Major Hayward said 2 Rifles are on stand by to support wherever they are needed. As all British Army units, we are very much stood by to support wherever we are needed, he said. At the moment 2 Rifles after the success in Kenya are stood by as the UKs readiness unit for the next 12 months. Obviously emerging situations in different parts of the world, we have to be prepared to respond there, but in the same way we have to be prepared to respond anywhere. If that sees us leaving here to go somewhere in eastern Europe, were ready for that challenge and that task just as we are any other. Two of the Armys military working dogs proved as popular as they were successful at a key training exercise in Jordan. While they collect admirers wherever they go, springer spaniel Ace and Belgian malinois Lucy perform critically important tasks, with the former able to sniff out weapons and explosives and the latter a key part of detect, detour and detain functions. They are part of the 1 Military Working Dog Regiment based at St Georges Barracks in North Luffenham in the East Midlands. This month, they are taking part in Exercise Olive Grove with 2 Rifles in the north of Jordan, around an hour away from capital city Amman. Lucys handler is 24-year-old Private Jamie Agnew, from Arbroath in Scotland. He volunteered with an animal shelter for three years, working with dogs who had issues, before joining the Army two years ago. He described Lucy as a real morale booster for the soldiers in camp. Everyone loves to come over and make a fuss of her which she laps up, he told the PA news agency. However he said she has two sides, with a much less friendly face for her day job. When I got Lucy she was already up to a good standard, she has been in Kenya but this is her first time in Jordan, he said. We dont normally do this sort of training so its good to see where her flaws are and what we need to work on but shes doing very well. We primarily focus on detect, deter and detain so we can detain people by releasing the dog, allowing the dog to bite and hold the person until we come and relieve the dog. There are definitely two sides to her, as some have seen when that side comes out, she is a different dog. Military Working Dog Lucy with her handler Private Jamie Agnew (Crown Copyright/PA) Meanwhile Aces handler is Private Molly Shaw, 23, from Manchester. She said Ace is the second dog she has been pair with, having passed out from his training around a year ago. He can search out ammunition, weapons, explosives and bomb making equipment. Aces career will last from six to eight years. This is my second search dog, but Ive been paired with him longer, hes cheeky but hes lovely. Every dog has a different character, Private Shaw said. He can get deployed anywhere, UK ops or anywhere in the world on exercise such as Kenya, Jordan and Cyprus. This has been a brilliant exercise, spending four weeks away with my dog, doing loads of training, working with the Rifles and different detachments. Everyone loves him. Hes got a lot of admirers. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting at a park in Portland, authorities said. The Portland Police Bureau said officers responded to a report of shots fired at Normandale Park on Saturday at about 8 p.m. Arriving officers found one woman dead, and two men and three other women were taken to the hospital, police said. Their conditions were not immediately known. Police have not named anyone involved in the shooting. Social media flyers show there was a planned march for Amir Locke, a Black man who was fatally shot by police in Minneapolis, the same time the shooting took place, KOIN-TV reported. The Oregon State Medical Examiner is expected to identify the woman killed and determine the cause of death. An investigation is ongoing. Part of a festival of music featuring women composers present and future Godolphin & Latymer students, who are taking part in the CoMA and Nonesuch Orchestra's 2022 Student Composition Project, together with the composer Andrew Toovey Chiswick Events Participate Sign up for our weekly Chiswick newsletter Comment on this story on the After a two-year break during lockdown, the Nonesuch Orchestra will return to Chiswick on Saturday 5 March to give a concert at St Michael and All Angels Church. The programme will feature Errollyn Wallens Concerto Grosso for Piano, Violin, Double Bass and Strings with soloists Andrew Zolinsky, Stephanie Waite (Leader of the Orchestra) and Lon Fon Law. Errollyn Wallen, described by The Observer as a renaissance woman of contemporary British music, draws her influences from both classical and pop music. Born in Belize, she was the first black female composer to have a work performed at the BBC Proms (in 1998). Her Concerto Grosso (2008) pays homage to Bach and Corelli with its combination of dance elements and buoyant rhythms. In preparation for the Baroque elements of this, the Nonesuch Orchestra will start the concert with Handels Concerto Grosso Op 6 no 5. Much of the concert, which forms part of CoMAs 2022 Festival of Contemporary Music for All , will comprise newly composed works for string orchestra by students from local secondary schools. The students from Christs School and Waldegrave School in Richmond, Twyford CofE High School in Acton and Godolphin & Latymer School in Hammersmith have been working on their pieces under the guidance of composer Andrew Toovey, who visited their schools during January to give workshop sessions. The Nonesuch Orchestra This is the fourth year of the Nonesuch Orchestras Student Composition Project and the second time that the project has formed part of CoMAs biennial Festival. This year, in contrast to previous years, the vast majority of the student composers are young women. Unlike 2021, when the project took place almost entirely online, due to the lockdowns, the performances will again be live. Details and ticket information for the Saturday evening concert which begins at 7.30pm can be found here. The student works will be workshopped and performed by the Nonesuch Orchestra, under the direction of their conductor Dan Shilladay and Andrew Toovey, on Thursday 3 March at St Martins Church, West Acton. The morning and afternoon workshops are open to groups of students from other schools, as well as members of the public. Details and ticket information for the Workshops can be found here. Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. 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February 20, 2022 Russias plan to invade Ukraine would lead to the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War, the Prime Minister has warned. Boris Johnson said he wanted people to understand the sheer cost in human life that an incursion into Ukraine would bring, with casualties on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides, as he continued to urged Moscow to engage in peace talks. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, meanwhile, used a separate interview to state that President Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine as she argued he is looking to piece the Soviet Union back together. The comments came as Ukraines military said two soldiers died on Saturday as violence escalated in the east of the country between government forces and rebels. There are growing fears Russia could use the increase in tension in the separatist-held region as a pretext for an attack. The Prime Minister spent Saturday engaged in diplomatic efforts to avoid war as he warned the Kremlin during a speech at the Munich Security Conference of increased financial sanctions should Mr Putin order troops across the border. He also told broadcasters that he believed Mr Putins invasion plan was in motion with the aggression in the Donbas region potentially a prelude to bigger action. In other comments made while in Germany, Mr Johnson warned that the sheer scale of the offensive being prepared by Moscow had not been seen for almost 80 years. He told BBC News: The plan that were seeing is for something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale. Youre looking at not just an invasion through the east through the Donbas, but according to the intelligence we are seeing, coming down from the north, down from Belarus and actually encircling Kyiv itself, as Joe Biden explained to a lot of us last night. I think a lot of people need to understand the sheer cost in human life that that could entail, not just for Ukrainians but for Russians. Ms Truss, speaking to the Mail On Sunday, said the West needed to stop Moscow in its tracks or else otherwise Mr Putin would look to turn the clock back to the mid 1990s or even before then by possibly annexing the Baltic States such as Estonia and Latvia and the Western Balkans, which includes Serbia and Albania. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Priti Patel warned that a conflict between Moscow and Kyiv would not just be a foreign quarrel about which we know little. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Cabinet minister said the effects would be felt here too given the UK has previously experienced Russian cyber interference against its media, telecommunications and energy infrastructure. Mr Johnson held talks with a number of European leaders while in Bavaria, including meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During his speech to the annual summit, Mr Zelenskyy was critical of what he called appeasement by the West in the face of Russian aggression. We have the right to demand to move from the appeasement policy to ensuring the guarantees of security, he said, in a translation offered by the conference. Mr Zelenskyy also questioned why western leaders were waiting for Russia to invade before applying sanctions, given 150,000 of Moscows troops are amassed on his countrys border, The criticism comes as anxiety in the West increases that mounting instability in the Donbas region in Ukraines east, where government forces have been fighting pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people, could spiral into a wider battle. Rebel leaders announced a call to arms in the Donetsk and Luhansk region, while Ukraines military said two soldiers were killed on Saturday in a government-held part of Donetsk. Top Ukrainian military officials also came under shelling attack during a tour of the conflict front, forcing them to flee to a bomb shelter. Mr Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarus president and Moscow ally, spent Saturday watching Russian forces flex their military might during massive nuclear drills, which involved multiple practice missile launches. It is feared the exercises are a further indication that Russia is gearing up for an offensive. Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content! We have learnt as a family that what we lack most terribly in India is geriatric care and an understanding of the last days of human life An overstrained medical system, the bartering and money chain, overworked doctors and nurses and all this is without the additional destructive nature of the Virus unless addressed now will cripple us totally as a society. (Representational image/ AP) The last weeks of January were spent in and out of hospitals. A father with a sudden sickness was plunged into that artificial world of strange green lights and beeping machines. Add his family left trying to cope with a lung cancer diagnosis to his getting Covid via an ICU. Its hard to keep your mind on track to make the right decisions as you plunge further into despair and displacement. Theres something about the light itself in most hospitals that terrorises you. To be healed is the hope. To have your mind scrambled by a neon light that flashes you into submission is like an additional disease. My very intelligent, articulate Father became completely disorientated and lost, after his first four-day stint in a medical ICU. He had walked in to the hospital and, suddenly, he was unable to even walk to the bathroom? The doctors, bless them, treated him like an idiot. They would not explain their own diagnosis or their suspicions to the patient but turned to his children. How does it help anyones health if they are separated from their loved ones and alone in a hostile environment full of people dying or in desperate straits, and not being told why? All my father, 84, wanted to do was to get out. The doctors wanted to keep him in, even as they explained that our options were limited. To what end? More machines, less humanity. To me, a cancer survivor, the pussyfooting around the word cancer was the first annoyance. Just say it. Its a disease. We all know about it. Its a leading cause of death globally. Not saying the word is not going to change its reality. Explain clearly and for gods sake, explain it to the person who you think has the disease. We managed to get Father out of hospital that time and he returned to his normal witty, larger-than-life self the second he was out in the real world. ICU psychosis, as someone within the hospital put it. What about the Covid he contracted there? Aah well, lots of shoulder shrugs, thats how hospitals are. These things happen. Occupational hazard. Madam, were probably all affected, but when someone tests positive, well, we have to follow the protocols. Luckily for us, the Covid was a-symptomatic, whatever I mean by luckily here because it was not long before our luck ran out. But until that happened, we went from frying pan to fire as the second hospital which offered the cancer tests had the most terrible Covid care. The a-symptomatic meant that we got Father home, we got a caring, wonderful nurse and we worked on getting him back on track. All we had wanted was a PET scan to confirm the cancer diagnosis. What we got instead was the virus and the bureaucracy around it. We thus brought Father home for the first time and it was a good time. Walking, eating, better, in spite of a pigtail. Chatting, reading, even as the oxygen concentrators and cylinders took a bit of getting used to. But he and the rest of us soon became experts at that. It was not the dignified life he was used to, but it was better than lying alone in an ICU ward or alone in a room. Through this, your mind plays tricks on you. He will get better; we will fight the cancer like I fought it, like my Mother did before me. Medical science has advanced so much. Through this, we know, we have seen first-hand what cancer can do, what the treatment can do. But can you give up hope? All we wanted after all was a PET scan so that we could understand the length and the breadth of the tumour. We also knew that theres a price to be paid for a lifetime of smoking. Father did not want to accept that, even though the chain-smoking had long stopped and in his own words, he was now a bum, cadging other peoples fags. The fights we had over this when I was a child. What use were those now? We had to go back to hospital and this time, it was bad. One lung was non-functional, the second was struggling. The hospital which gave him Covid now refused to take him back because he had Covid. It was only the kindness of friends that got him back in, and the tremendous personal goodwill he built with everyone wherever he went. As our young nurse was furious and ranted about the impersonality and greed of insurance-based hospital care. This time, we were cleverer. We spoke the tough words to the doctors who were too tired or scared to say them to us. We explained how impersonal ICUs were not where anyone wants to live their last moments. Isolation at 84, what does that mean? The room he was in had a wonderful view of forests and mountains. But the bed was pushed against the window so all the patient saw was a white wall. A design fatality rather than a design flaw. Arijit Banerji, October 23, 1937-February 5, 2022 We brought him home, knowing that we had no time. We talked and laughed and discussed our happiest times as a family. We never left his side for the 30 hours we had left with him. We knew we wanted him home a day earlier, he kept saying to the doctors I want to go home NOW, but they were scared. We signed those LAMA forms, even as they told us we were brave and we were doing the right thing. The irony of leaving against medical advice when the doctors applaud you for leaving against medical advice! He left us, a life well lived, a family broken. But I write this because we have learnt as a family that what we lack most terribly in India is geriatric care and an understanding of the last days of human life. An overstrained medical system, the bartering and money chain, overworked doctors and nurses and all this is without the additional destructive nature of the Virus unless addressed now will cripple us totally as a society. Many may have read Atul Gawandes Being Mortal, but I have not come across even one medical person who has understood what Gawande wrote or tried to follow the examples given to increase understanding of what most of us will go through. Were living longer thanks to medical advancements, but at the end of our days, are we living better? If we dont answer that question now, the answer will tragically forever be no. Athens, TX (75751) Today Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. On the other hand, after the impressive 1965 market performance, the Impala then started to decline, with sales going down gradually towards the end of the 60s.The drop, however, didnt come as a big surprise. It was mostly a result of questionable Chevrolet choices (such as the transition of the Caprice from an Impala version to a stand-alone series in 1966) mixed with the lowered market appetite for full-size cars.The GM brand tried to keep up with the competition, and the Impala SS was supposed to spearhead its push in this regard. In 1969, the Impala SS 427 was supposed to be the companys big star, though eventually, fewer than 2,500 units ended up seeing the daylight.The Impala that we have here isnt an SS, but it has something else to impress: amazingly low mileage paired with everything original and full documentation since new.Part of the same family since it rolled off the assembly lines and used by the sellers grandparents to travel to square dancing events, this Impala has just 15,000 miles on the clock (thats a little over 24,000 km for our European friends). Before you ask, no, the odometer isnt rolled over, and the Impala has the full mileage, gas, and oil log documented by the sellers grandfather.Powered by a 350 (5.7-liter) V8, the car still starts and runs, and it now comes with a new radiator and battery, as well as a new set of tires. Its ready for the road, though if somebody wants a perfect 10 condition, some minor TLC would still be needed.This Impala can be yours today for $15,000 from Craigslist and interested buyers must travel close to Denver to see it in person. Android Auto not launching Last status (November 5): Google requested phone logs Google Pixel 6 failing to launch Android Auto Last status (November 9): Google requested phone logs Notifications broken on Android Auto Last status (November 18): Bug acknowledged Screen/icons zoomed in on Xiaomi phones Last status (February 20): Google requested phone logs No text messages on Android 12 Last status (January 30): Fix released Sporadic voice commands issues on Android 12 Last status (February 20): Unconfirmed Google Maps missing from Android Auto Last status (February 7): Google requested phone logs Sporadic phone call issues after Android 12: Last status (February 20): Unconfirmed Android 12 was therefore received with much excitement by the entire Android userbase out there, but some of them ended up regretting the rush to install the update.Its all because of the nightmare experience on Android Auto that Android 12 seems to create, as Googles forums are filled with complaints from people who can no longer get the app up and running after installing the new OS version.In other words, Android 12 is causing all kinds of problems on Android Auto, and given the downgrade is most often the only workaround, the impacted users have no other options than to just wait for Google to come up with a fix.Today, were going to discuss the most common issues reported on Android Auto after the update to Android 12, and at the end of the article, youll find a summary of all bugs reported so far, along with the current status of the investigation.Without a doubt, the most common problem on Android Auto after the installation of Android 12 comes down to the app no longer running at all.Users complain here on Googles forums that connecting their mobile devices to the head units in their cars, using the same hardware configuration as before the update, doesnt seem to allow Android Auto to run. Nothing happens, these users claim, and regardless of the workarounds theyve tried, Android Auto just seems dead.The connection still works, it seems, as the phone starts charging, but for some reason, the app doesnt start on the head unit.Google confirmed back in November that it needed phone logs to look into these reports, but no further updates on the investigation have been provided since then.Its not clear if this is a problem thats specific to Android 12 or the Google Pixel 6, but it also happens on the latest Google mobile operating system.There are close to 600 upvotes for a discussion thread where hundreds of users are complaining of the whole thing, and all report the same behavior: the connection between a Pixel 6 and the Android Auto-compatible head unit is not recognized.Everything is working just fine with another Pixel phone, and this kind of suggest the problem comes down to either the Pixel 6 or Android Auto.Google last replied on November 9 and said it needed bug reports from phones to continue the investigation.This is another widespread problem, as users have been complaining that getting notifications (from first-party and third-party apps, as well as for messages) is no longer possible on Android Auto.This happens after the update to Android 12, and none of the workarounds users have turned to produce an improvement.Needless to say, this kind of defeats the purpose of having the phone connected to the head unit, and users claim the issue happens regardless of the phone model. Samsung and Google devices are confirmed to be affected.Google replied on November 18 and acknowledged the problem, but a fix is yet to be released. Engaging in gay conversion therapy is to become a criminal offence in New Zealand after legislation received near unanimous support from lawmakers. The ban makes conducting conversion therapy punishable by up to five years in prison. The law was passed by the New Zealand parliament on Tuesday, with 112 MPs voting in favour. Only eight MPs voted against the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill, which was introduced to the parliament last year. "This is a great day for New Zealand's rainbow communities," Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi said. "Conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand." Banning conversion therapy was one of the promises of Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party if it was re-elected two years ago. The New Zealand parliament's backing coincides with a new gay conversion therapy ban in the Australian state of Victoria. That ban came into force on Thursday and carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. It has been strongly opposed by evangelicals who fear that Christian parents risk going to jail unless they support their child's desire to transition. Reposted with permission from Christian Today In other words, the existing chip makers must pour in billions of dollars in their production lines to eventually align the output with the massive demand the world is dealing with. And of course, other players should step into this side of the market as well, especially as theres clearly enough room for more chipmakers given every little industry sector out there is entering a smart revolution.TSMC knows precisely that investing in its production capacity is the right thing to do. The company announced last November that its building a $7 billion factory specifically for the production of chips.Located in Japan, the new facility would help Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co to meet the orders from customers in the region in a timely manner, especially as the plant was supposed to produce no less than 45,000 12-inch wafers per month.But a few days ago, TMSC announced that its spending $1.6 billion more in the expansion of this new facility, as it plans to increase the production to 55,000 wafers per month.The construction of the plant will kick off this year, while the first chips should be produced at some point in 2024.The good news for automakers is that car supplier Denso Corp will receive a 10 percent stake in the new plant, so the industry should theoretically receive more help to deal with the shortage.On the other hand, with so many analysts predicting the end of the chip crisis at some point in 2023, it remains to be seen if TSMCs investments would still make sense in 2024. But as we said, theres a good chance they will, especially because every little piece of electronics ends up using an army of chips these days. In case thats a bit difficult to do, the U.S. Air Force ( USAF ) is giving us a hand with this incredible cockpit view of a formation of five F-16 Fighting Falcons (only three are visible in the pic) shooting straight up, and leaving the Earth to shrink away into a bubble behind them.The airplanes are the ones flown by the USAF Thunderbirds , and the image ( this is how it looks from the outside) was captured from inside the one operated by the teams commander, Lt. Col. Justin Elliott. The stunt was performed in late January over Fort Huachuca in Arizona.The Thunderbirds are getting ready for their first official outing at an air show this year, which will take place in March during the Luke Days Air and Space Expo at the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. This year, the team will be present at over 30 air shows across America, the last one being in November, at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada (you can have a look at the full Thunderbirds schedule here ).Depending on where youre located, chances are youll not be able to enjoy the aerobatic F-16s for a while still, and this is where incredible images like the one we have here come in. Because, as it did in previous years, we expect the Air Force to keep releasing them, showing the world what some of its finest pilots can do when paired with capable machines. The apps interface appears to be zoomed in up to a point where the icons on the screen become gigantic, so the only things users end up seeing are the microphone icon and the notification center, as well as the status bar data like the time and the battery level.Clearly, this is a rendering issue, but on the other hand, nobody knows precisely whos to blame and what to do to bring Android Auto back to a working condition.One thing is certain, though: the glitch appeared after the update to Android 12 , and at first glance, it looks like only Xiaomi phones are impacted.In some regards, this is good news. Google typically needs a lot of time to ship updates addressed even at widespread Android Auto bugs, so in theory, Xiaomi is the one that now has to come up with a fix.On the other hand, it doesnt look like the Chinese phone maker is in a rush to do it.Someone on Googles forums published a conversation they had with Xiaomis support staff, and as it turns out, the company is already aware of the problems encountered by Android Auto users following the update to Android 12. And Xiaomi is apparently working already on a fix, and it should be part of the next stable operating system update.When exactly this is supposed to happen is something that we can only guess, as the timing has remained as mysterious as it gets.Xiaomi releases monthly updates to its phones specifically to include the latest security patches, so hopefully, a fix for the Android Auto bug would land in March as well. But of course, dont be too surprised if it doesnt and the wait doesnt come to an end so fast. Firefighters are fighting a difficult battle to extinguish a large burning cargo ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores Islands, a local port official told Reuters late Saturday. Driving the news: The giant Felicity Ace cargo ship caught fire Wednesday in the middle of the Atlantic while transporting thousands of luxury cars, including Audis, Porches, and Bentleys, across the ocean. The 656-foot vessel was bound for Rhode Island when it caught fire, but is expected to be towed back to Europe if it's in good condition once the fire is put out, the Providence Journal reports. What they're saying: "It will take a while," Joao Mendes Cabecas, captain of the nearest port in the Azorean island of Faial told Reuters of the effort to extinguish the fire. While it's not yet clear what sparked the fire, the lithium-ion batteries in some of the cars are "keeping the fire alive," according to Cabecas. While the fire hasn't reached the ship's fuel tanks yet, it's getting closer as it has "spread further down," he added. The big picture: Part of the difficulty with extinguishing the fire is that firefighters can only tackle it from outside, due to the danger of boarding the burning vessel. In its dispute with Lithuania, Beijing has debuted a form of economic pressure analogous to America's powerful secondary sanctions. Why it matters: The approach challenges the idea that decoupling from China's market can free a company, or a country, from Beijing's coercion. What's happening: Beijing is pressuring multinational companies with business in China to cut ties with Lithuania, after the Baltic nation allowed Taiwan to open an unofficial representative office. Lithuania has relatively little direct trade with China, but its factories supply many multinational companies that do. German companies with Lithuanian suppliers have since seen their business with China grind to a halt, and they're pressuring the Lithuanian government to meet Beijing's demands, Reuters reported. In the past, Beijing has used denial of market access to punish companies and countries for political infractions, such as criticizing Chinese policies in Xinjiang or engaging too closely with Taiwan. This only gave the Chinese government leverage over companies and countries with direct business interests in China. Pressuring third parties to exclude an entity that has offended Beijing is similar to the concept of a U.S. secondary sanction that punishes third parties outside the U.S. for doing business with a sanctioned entity. Secondary sanctions could potentially allow Beijing to greatly expand the reach of its economic coercion. The big picture: "China is increasingly using its trade dominance to sanction countries in ways that strongly resemble the U.S.'s dominant position in international finance, but are much less transparent and comprehensible, and to what are arguably much less constructive ends," said Matt Schrader, adviser for China at the International Republican Institute. Though the effects are similar, Schrader said he is leery of a direct comparison with U.S. secondary sanctions, because "U.S. sanctions go through a careful legal process, are appealable, and are actually declared." What to watch: The EU has not yet taken significant measures to support Lithuania, even though it is an EU member. Iran is demanding during the nuclear talks in Vienna that the U.S. remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from a blacklist of foreign terrorist organizations as a condition for a nuclear deal, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday. Why it matters: Bennett used a speech to representatives of U.S. Jewish organizations in Jerusalem to highlight the remaining gaps between the U.S. and Iran as the talks approach the finish line. Driving the news: Bennett, who opposes a U.S. return to the nuclear deal, did not say whether the Biden administration had agreed to reverse Donald Trump's 2019 decision to blacklist the IRGC, a powerful branch of Iran's military with close links to the supreme leader. He did say the U.S. had thus far rejected another Iranian demand, that an International Atomic Energy Agency investigation into the potential military dimension of Iran's nuclear program be closed. But Bennett said that the U.S. and the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal had agreed to allow Iran to keep its advanced centrifuges in storage inside Iran rather than destroy them. Another sticking point in the talks is Iran's demand for assurances that it will get the expected economic benefits from a return to the deal and that no future U.S. administration will abandon it as Trump did. What he's saying: "And to cap the Chutzpa Iran is demanding to delist The IRGC. Do you understand? They are now asking to let the biggest terror organization on earth off the hook," Bennett said. Bennett also claimed Iran is hiding nuclear weapon-related materials. "Our friends in America are telling us that they are standing firm on this and I hope it will continue," he said. Bennett made clear that he feels the Biden administration inherited the nuclear crisis with Iran, just as his government did, and stressed that he doesnt want to play the blame game or pick a fight with the United States. Despite the differences we have on this agreement, our relations with our friend President Biden and his administration, will remain close and strong," Bennett said. He stressed that Israel wont accept Iran as a nuclear threshold state and will always maintain its freedom of action to defend itself against Iran. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on Bennett's remarks. What to watch: Both Iran and the Western powers say that a deal could possibly be reached within days, but blame the other side for failing to close the remaining gaps. The United States and United Kingdom could respond to a Russian invasion of Ukraine by cutting off Russian companies' access to U.S. dollars and British pounds, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an interview on Sunday with the BBC. Why it matters: The prime minister's comments come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to criticize the West for claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade, but not imposing sanctions until the attack has begun. "What are you waiting for? We dont need sanctions after bombardment happens, after we have no borders, no economy. Why would we need those sanctions then?" Zelensky said on Saturday during the Munich Security Conference. Driving the news: Zelensky's comments have re-upped the debate about the timing, scale and scope of the sanctions, with Johnson's remarks about a possible currency ban for Russian companies being among the most specific of the possible allied responses to date. "We are even, with our American friends, going to stop them trading in pounds and dollars," Johnson told the BBC's Sophie Raworth in an interview. "That will hit very, very hard." What they're saying: "The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence. But let's also recognize the unique nature of the sanctions that we have outlined," Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters on Sunday before departing Munich. You know that feeling when youre riding a fancy brand-new rollercoaster and youre literally being smashed and banged around from side to side and never know what to expect next? Well, as cheesy as it sounds, I can think of no better analogy to describe my college experience a rollercoast What will happen to Kingstons residents? A multiagency task force is working to find new homes for nearly 40 residents of Kingston Healthcare Center who need to be out by early next month. Representatives of the California Department of Health Care Services and the state Department of Public Health are working with the offices of the state and Kern County long-term care ombudsmen to make sure residents of the Real Road skilled nursing facility do not end up living on the streets. "The best outcome is that every individual who was at Kingston finds a new home, one that will meet their needs, where they're respected, they're treated with dignity and they are allowed autonomy as far as the choices that they should be able to make," said the state's long-term care ombudsman, Blanca Castro. She said the task force has been in close daily communication since the county ombudsman spread word Jan. 28 that the 184-bed facility had been decertified by the federal Medicare and Medicaid administration. As remaining residents undergo medical and mental health assessments, Castro said, the challenges ahead include finding an adequate number of openings at suitable facilities around Kern, resolving conservatorship questions and making sure residents don't suffer potentially harmful "transfer trauma" at their new homes. The Kern County Public Health Services Department has been in communication with the task force but has not been given a primary role as state officials oversee Kingston's wind-down and resident transfers. "Public Health stands ready to assist if the state were to ask for assistance in any way," agency spokeswoman Michelle Corson said by email Friday. A program director with Kern's Aging & Adult Services Department, Jeremy Oliver, said the state could have trouble finding enough beds in the county capable of delivering the same level of care as Kingston was supposed to provide. Castro noted it's possible some residents will be found capable of living independently or at a lower level of care, such as at an assisted living facility. The California Department of Public Health has said it approved Kingston's closure plan. Oliver said the county's expectation is that all residents will be moved safely. "My understanding is they will have everybody transitioned," he said. Bluefield, WV (24701) Today Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 58F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 58F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Walking into LaShae Williams library at Bingman Head Start during Black History Month is like opening the history book you never knew existed. Nearly half the room is lined with tables atop which sit dozens of items, most of which shes collected from Dollar Store and Amazon purchases. They are things we use every day a comb, a light switch, a baby stroller, cellphone, remote control, a traffic signal, clothes iron, a clock, wooden toys, slotted cooking utensils, potato chips while others, like the space shuttle retriever, the air ship and the worlds fastest computer created by a man known as the Black Bill Gates, have advanced technology on a higher scale. But all of them have one thing in common - they were invented by Black Americans, some of whom are featured in photographs lining the back of the display. Theyre the inventors we dont read about in most textbooks; the names that rarely, if ever, get mentioned during traditional Black History Month discourse. The history of Black Americans contributions to society goes beyond the big three most commonly referenced, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and George Washington Carver, Williams said. To learn the bigger story, you have to dig. Ive always been like that with my kids when they had to do a report for Black History Month, said Williams, who encouraged them to go and look for someone no one hears about. And Williams practiced what she preached. An avid lover of reading, history and especially the history of inventions, she delved into researching the contributions of Black Americans. Ive done my research, Williams said, adding, This was an eye opener for me, as well. It got me excited to start digging more, she continued, and culminated in the unearthing of a wealth of unknown Black history. Im grown, and I didnt know any of this stuff, Williams noted, adding, It gives you a lot of pride to learn that African-Americans have done so much. And to have a visual aid of all these things in one spot (like her display) really brings it into better focus. Its pretty awesome. Its a lesson not just students but fellow teachers and volunteer aids have enjoyed, as well, she said. That the vast accomplishments of Black Americans goes largely unknown in traditional curriculums is just the way it is, but its never too late for us to learn what we contributed to society, she said. For Williams, its a never-ending journey of learning, and one which she is proud to share. Thats my job sharing information and thats what Im doing, said Williams, whos been with BISD for 27 years. But Williams hopes to do more than simply share information. She hopes to inspire. Some people are born to create or are self-taught to make things. If you want to learn something, you just do it, because, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, she noted. The most basic of inventions, like a kitchen utensil or a doorknob, likely originated because they had to learn how to make things better for themselves, not knowing it would be great for the rest of the world. A lot of it is using your imagination and not being scared to take chances, Williams said. You have to encourage your kids to expand and dream big, that they can do anything they put their minds to, Williams said. That speaks to Williams over-arching message to be yourself and love yourself. Williams begins each school year by giving her students a mirror. I want every kid to look in the mirror and really like what they see. If you like yourself, you can conquer the world, she said. But every year, Williams sees students who cannot bear even a glance into that mirror. I see some of myself as a kid in these kids, Williams said. I think I could have done so much more if I had more of that (self-love) growing up, so I want to give them that, she said. As a child, Williams wanted to be a mechanic but was steered away from that dream. It wasnt a job for girls, she was told. That led to the most recent addition to Williams Black History Month display - more than a dozen Black female dolls dressed as athletes, a ballerina, an astronaut, a doctor and a marine biologist, just to name a few. Beneath each doll is a label featuring a real woman whos excelled in that role. I want little girls to know you can do a boy job and still look like a cute girl, she said. One doll, wearing a colorful dress and large hoop earrings with a bald head, is dedicated to the one and only Dionetta Hatcher a..k.a.Ms. Nettie our African-American hero at Bingman Head Start. Hatcher is battling cancer. No one fights alone the label says. Williams efforts to show the hundreds of students crossing her doorstep - many children of color - that you are every good thing as the banner lining her display says, isnt a message relayed just one month a year. Books featuring Black Americans and other people of color are a regular part of the curriculum. This color is all year long, Williams said. Looking over the array of Black accomplishments filling her library, Williams said When I turn this light switch or this doorknob - just the simple things we use every day - it makes me prouder of being African-American. We didnt do too bad. kbrent@beaumontenterprise.com Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, watch on a mobile phone a live feed of former Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's appearance at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on the second day of a hearing on the Rohingya genocide case, Dec. 11, 2019. The International Court of Justice in The Hague will hold hearings this week to determine whether it has jurisdiction to judge if atrocities committed by Myanmars military against Rohingya Muslims constituted a genocide. The West African nation of Gambia filed a case at the ICJ in November 2019 accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention through the alleged expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Rakhine state to neighboring Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown in 2017. Representatives of Myanmar and Gambia will present arguments as to whether the ICJ has jurisdiction to examine the claims, during the hearings scheduled for Feb. 21-28 that will include both in-person and virtual participants. The ICJ is the judicial arm of the United Nations. The case is separate from an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on whether two waves of violence in Rakhine that led to the forced deportation of more than 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh represented a crime against humanity. The ICC can prosecute individuals, while the ICJ works as an arbiter in disputes among nations. Myanmars military seized power from the democratically elected government in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup that ushered in a period of violence. Security forces have killed more than 1,560 people across the country since then. Myanmars National Unity Government (NUG), a government in exile formed by elected leaders, had previously refused to accept the authority of the ICJ to decide if the 2016-17 scorched-earth campaign constituted genocide against Rohingya Muslims. But the NUG recently changed its stance and urged The Hague court not to recognize the ruling military junta as the countrys representative. Rohingya living in refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh said they were hopeful that the ICJ could bring justice for the Myanmar militarys rights violations against the ethnic minority group. Mohammad Nur, former general secretary of the Kutupalong Camp-2 East refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, noted that the former government led by Aung San Suu Kyi had supported the militarys action in Rakhine, but now has reversed course. So, this changed scenario gives us hope, he told BenarNews. The Rohingya refugees are ineligible to become citizens in Myanmar under current policy. But last June, the NUG said that it planned to amend the countrys constitution to give citizenship to Rohingya, 300,000 of who still live in Rakhine state. Nur said they wanted to return to their home country because the refugee camps where they now live are squalid and overcrowded and offer limited educational and employment opportunities. If the court decision comes out in our favor, the military government will come under international pressure and, hopefully, agree to give us citizenship, he said. Jafar Alam, a Rohingya physician at the Kutupalong camp, told BenarNews that the NUGs reversed position supporting the ICJs jurisdiction over the genocide case will bode well for the refugees. We, all the Rohingya people, have been waiting eagerly to hear a decision in favor of us, he said. If the ICJ decision comes out in our favor, then there will be no problem for us to go back to Myanmar. During a video-conference on the ICJ hearing hosted by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Feb. 17, Wai Wai Nu, a Rohingya activist and director of the Womens Peace Network, said that the case opens the door for accountability and justice for Rohingyas and many other communities in Myanmar. Its helped [people] to realize the enormity of the crimes against the ethnic communities and the people of Myanmar, she said. It also raises the debate of justice and accountability domestically, not just internationally, which is very important for our country, Myanmar, because the questions of justice and accountability have always been under-discussed or dismissed, she said. Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director, said his group was trying to get more nations to support the ICJ case. Hopefully, were getting closer and closer to our goal of breaking the cycle of impunity that the Tatmadaw [Myanmar military] has sustained throughout the course of modern Myanmar, causing untold suffering against the Burmese people. Reported by the Myanmar Service of Radio Free Asia and produced the RFAs English Service. Kamran Reza Chowdhury of BenarNews contributed to this report. BenarNews is a unit of RFA. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low near 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low near 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low around 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low around 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. BEYOND THE WRITING OF FICTION Women-led slave revolts have been left out of the historical record. Author Rebecca Hall's 'Wake' brings their stories to light PITTSFIELD In this business theres a saying that all news is local. That mantra, which guides this reporters work so often, will be on display at the Board of Health meeting Wednesday evening as the board takes a stand on two large issues. The biggest news of the night will likely be what kind of force the board puts behind its recent comments on the telecommunication giant Verizon Wireless and the companys cell tower on South Street. At its last meeting on Feb. 3, the board gave Verizon seven days to agree to meet and demonstrate a sufficient commitment to removing or turning off the cell tower which residents, along Alma Street in particular, say is the source of several medical issues. The board said that without action from Verizon it would issue a cease-and-desist order and pursue legal action to back the order up. Alma Street residents who have immersed themselves in the issue both regionally and nationally said they believe this is the first health-related cease-and-desist in the nation. Well a week has come and gone. Health Department Director Andy Cambi wrote in an email to The Eagle on Friday that at this time there are no comments in regards to the cease and desist order. The final item on the boards meeting agenda lays out where things stand between the board and telecommunications company: To close the night the board will break into executive session for discussion around litigation measures on the cease-and-desist order. The other big item on the agenda will be a continuation of the boards now-regular discussion on masking. In each meeting since November, the board has looked at the coronavirus case data in the city and decided to maintain a mask directive a firm request that people mask indoors. That directive, issued in the midst of the delta variant and solidified throughout the wave of omicron cases, has been continued for the last four months with light discussion from the board. This week, the directive may be less of a sure thing. Cambi has been broadcasting positive news to the Board of Health and City Council on the coronavirus front. During the Feb. 8 City Council meeting, Cambi said that citys sewage data had given the department reason to believe that within a month or so we should be at a five percent [testing] positivity [rate]. Five percent is an important milestone for the city. Since late November, Pittsfield has been classified as in the red zone for the coronavirus or an area of high risk for transmissibility because theres been more than a five percent testing positivity rate and a two-week average daily case rate higher than 10 cases per 100,000 people. That five percent positivity rate is still a ways off the latest data from the citys community dashboard puts the two-week testing positivity rate at 9.4 percent as of Feb. 17 but the state and local landscape on masking has shifted greatly in the last few weeks. The Baker Administrations mask requirements for schools will end at the close of the month and the Pittsfield Public Schools mask requirements will expire soon after. State officials have also relaxed their own mask directive in favor of a mask advisory that says fully vaccinated people only need to wear a mask if they or a member of their household are at-risk or have a weakened immune system. Whether the citys Board of Health stands apart from the state mask guidance and continues the city mandate is up in the air. Heads-up Last week this column focused on the water and sewer rates put forth by the Tyer Administration. City officials had hoped to secure the Finance Committees recommendation that water rates increase 12 percent and sewer rates increase 15 percent this fiscal year and next fiscal year. A two-hour discussion between the committee and Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales and Finance Director Matt Kerwood wasnt looking in the citys favor until At Large Councilor Earl Persip III proposed a compromise: A 10 percent increase in water rates and 12 percent increase in sewer rates. That conversation seems to have made an impact with City Hall, which is now bringing forth the compromise rates to the City Council meeting on Tuesday. Scott Stafford has been a reporter, photographer, and editor at a variety of publications, including the Dallas Morning News and The Berkshire Eagle. College students who describe themselves as right-leaning say they are more likely to feel pressure to accept political views they find objectionable. And while graduate students say they are more likely to feel pressure from professors or instructors, undergraduates say they are more likely to feel pressured by their peers. Those are two findings from a statewide survey of students at Idaho colleges and universities, completed in late November. Meeting at Boise State University Thursday, the State Board of Education took a deeper dive into the data. It was the boards second look at the data; board members gave it a preliminary read in December. For the most part, students who responded to the survey had a positive read on campus culture. Overwhelming majorities of students said they feel valued, respected, and felt a sense of belonging. And 67% of students said they rarely or never feel pressure to accept views they find objectionable. The deeper look at the data revealed some differences, and not just along political lines. For example, younger students, under age 30, were more likely to say they feel pressured over their views. However, first-year students said they were less likely to feel pressured. The survey found no clear pattern along gender lines. At two-year schools, males said they felt more pressured over their views. At the four-year schools, this result flipped. And more than half of survey respondents said they werent sure what to do or how to report their concerns a potential action item for the State Board and the colleges, board chief academic officer TJ Bliss said Thursday. Thats one problem, and one area that needs improvement, State Board President Kurt Liebich said Thursday. But he and other board members were reluctant to jump to conclusions, based on the survey. Its an imperfect snapshot to what the culture and climate is on our campuses, Liebich said. Board member Bill Gilbert said he was uneasy about making snap recommendations to college and university administrators. They are the ones that are responsible for the culture on their campus, he said. Board member Linda Clark suggested a wait-and-see approach. If schools fail to respond over time, she said, the board might need to step in. Nearly 9,000 students responded to the survey, and Bliss cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions. Because response rates vary widely, its impossible to use the survey to use it to draw comparisons between colleges and universities. The survey results and a data dashboard are available on the State Boards website. In other board action Thursday: Academic freedom. With little discussion, the State Board adopted a rewrite of its academic freedom policy. Students have the right to engage in free inquiry, intellectual debate, and freedom of scholarship both on and off campus, the policy reads, in part. Students shall not be subject to retaliation, or censorship in response to their beliefs, opinions, research, publications, creative activity, and participation in institutional governance. The policy extends similar protections to faculty: In addition to constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion, faculty have the right to engage in free inquiry, intellectual debate, and freedom of scholarship both on and off campus. Faculty shall not be subject to retaliation or censorship in response to their research, publications, creative activity, pedagogy, participation in institutional governance, and all other official aspects of their job description. Optional student fees. The board approved a policy allowing college students to opt out of fees for student activities, clubs and organizations. The move comes a year after Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, proposed a fee opt-out bill. The proposal didnt pass. Students who opt out of fees will receive a refund this fall. All-day kindergarten. The State Board backed away from supporting a bill that would fully fund all-day kindergarten. The reason comes down to politics. Senate Bill 1315 would tweak the states school funding formula, providing more than $40 million directly for full-day kindergarten. Gov. Brad Little has proposed a different approach putting another $46 million into the states literacy budget, and giving schools the option of using the money for all-day kindergarten. The State Board, comprised largely of gubernatorial appointees, took no position on SB 1315. But board members noted that they came out in favor of all-day kindergarten in August. Were on the record, board member David Hill said. Dont put our foot in it. College entrance exam requirement. This years high school seniors will not be required to take a college entrance exam. The State Board waived the graduation requirement for the Class of 2022. The requirement has been waived since the spring of 2020, and the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The boards action is precautionary. The Legislature is considering a rule that would permanently rescind this graduation requirement, but that hasnt been approved yet. State superintendent Sherri Ybarra urged her fellow board members to act Thursday, so high schools have clear direction heading into the final months of the school year. Fetola in partnership with FNB aim to address the challenges facing 100 first-time entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, networks and funding. Image supplied The Youth Startup Accelerator Programme Programme structure Practical, inclusive, ongoing support Are between the ages of 18 and 35 Have a business that is at least 51% black-owned, younger than six months, and with an annual turnover not exceeding R1m, OR you are an individual with a unique idea for a business Are passionate, resilient, and driven The highest unemployment rate in South Africa is amongst 1524-year-olds. According to Statistics South Africa, only one in every four of these young people have a job. This is a crisis, and there is no quick fix. The economy, and by extension established businesses, are not growing fast enough to absorb the unemployed in significant numbers, and as technology continues to advance, more workers are made redundant.One possible solution would be a committed, multisectoral focus on supporting entrepreneurship and the growth of SMMEs. SMMEs have long been heralded as the future of job creation in SA, but they remain constrained by structural inequities and bureaucratic restrictions. In particular, hurdles facing those at the bottom range of entrepreneurial activity are often insurmountable.The Youth Startup Accelerator Programme, delivered by Fetola in partnership with FNB, aims to address the challenges facing first-time or nascent entrepreneurs by providing an innovative mix of mentorship, training, networks and funding.Heather Lowe, FNBs Head of Enterprise Development, explains: Unemployment, and youth unemployment, remains a major challenge. We dont pretend to be able to solve the problem, but we are looking to be pivotal in implementing models that can hopefully be scaled, from which we can learn, and which will provide a cohort of entrants with tangible support and resources that will hopefully empower them as entrepreneurs and eventually as job creators. Even those who do not progress to that stage will learn valuable skills that will serve them whether they continue as entrepreneurs or enter the job market.The Youth Startup Accelerator Programme is distinct from FNBs other enterprise development initiatives (including FNB Business Accelerator, SEIL and Vumela) in that it doesnt focus on a particular industry or entrepreneurial approach and supports the very start of the entrepreneurs journey. Many of the youth involved in the programme are expected to be unemployed, and youth from rural and peri-urban areas will be specifically targeted.The Youth Startup Accelerator Programme will be managed by enterprise-development specialists Fetola, with whom FNB has worked closely for several years. The programme will comprise two six-month phases. In the first phase training will be rolled out through online workshops, and 100 successful entrants will be taken through a process of leadership and confidence building, identifying and refining opportunities, and developing a practical understanding of how to grow a business. Participants will be guided through the process of market research and small grants will be provided to support costs incurred.After the completion of the first phase, 50 programme participants whose businesses have shown the most promise will be selected to continue to phase two. This phase will involve mentorship of participants and work shadowing opportunities with Fetolas alumni businesses, connecting entrepreneurs to discuss learnings, challenges, and the requirements of scaling a start-up. Phase two participants will also be given an opportunity to pitch for additional funding.Phase two will also focus on the importance of a resilient, healthy mindset and acceptance of failure as a valuable and important part of the entrepreneurial process, as Busisiwe Bebeza programme manager at Fetola, explains. South Africas poor long-term economic performance and the stresses associated with widespread unemployment and COVID-19 have taken a real toll on young peoples mental health. If you dont have a healthy entrepreneur who is ready not just to try but to fail and try again, often repeatedly, you dont have a potential business. We need to begin to see failure as productive.The programme is designed to offer inclusive support. Fetola will work closely with ecosystem partners so that options and resources are made available to all, even those who do not progress beyond phase one. The materials developed through this programme will be distributed through a platform called BIZLY, via which entrepreneurs can access tools, resources and self-assessments.Since the programme is national in scope, a large proportion of it will be rolled out online. A provision will be made to cover data connectivity costs. Programme partners will look at opportunities to convene regional workshops so that participants can meet one another, and mentors, in person.Were looking for this programme to be inspirational and a beacon of hope, concludes Busisiwe. We want our youth to see entrepreneurship as a genuine avenue to pursue instead of looking for a job. We hope to spark something that could change the trajectory of not just individuals, but families and communities. As a country, we are desperately in need of hope, and this need is most acutely felt amongst the youth. We want them to begin to feel a bit of control over their futures.If you are a young, passionate entrepreneur with a new business or simply a great idea for a business that you would like to take further, then the Youth Startup Accelerator Programme might be for you.If you:Preference will be given to applicants living in townships, rural or peri-urban areas, as well as those between the ages of 18 and 25.Applications close on 18 March 2022.For more, go to https://fetola.co.za/youth-start-up-accelerator/ The state capture commission has found that the former board of Denel abused its power and failed in its fiduciary duty when they suspended three executives, including GCEO Riaz Saloojee, in September 2015, on unsubstantiated misconduct charges. Commission chairperson Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Raymond Zondo has recommended that its members be investigated for their possible role in the advancement of the capture of Denel by Gupta-linked VR Laser, at the expense of the parastatal and the individuals suspended. Image source: George Becker from Pexels Irregular process LSSA acquisition Investigative report Separation agreements The board in question was chaired by attorney Daniel Mantsha, and had been in office for less than a month when it suspended Saloojee, group CFO Fikile Mhlontlo and company secretary Elizabeth Africa. The three were not formally charged until months later, and were never given the opportunity to go through a disciplinary enquiry where they could defend themselves.Zondo took particular issue with the fact that the decision to suspend the three was taken before a substantial analysis of the claims of misconduct could be made, and that instead of affording them a forum to defend themselves and argue for their reinstatement, the board was quick to offer them separation agreements, which they refused. This, he writes, leads to the conclusion that they were being removed from their positions to enable replacement with officials who would be more pliable to the demands of the Guptas.All the directors who supported Mr Mantsha in his corrupt endeavour to get the three executives out of the way are similarly probably culpable. The evidence before the commission does not enable one to name names in this regard, but it does show that at least one of the new appointees to the 2015 board did not go along with the scheme, Zondo writes.The three were eventually charged in December of the same year with misrepresenting the facts of a transaction carried out earlier in 2015, for the acquisition of Land Systems South Africa (LSSA), to the board and the ministers of finance and public enterprises. Upon the boards entry into office, Saloojee and Mhlontlo presented Denels acquisition strategy and the motivation behind its purchase of LSSA from BAE Systems. The transaction has been reported in the past to have cost Denel over R800m in total.In his testimony before the commission, Mantshas defence of the decision to suspend the two was that they had failed to disclose that they had committed Denel to a short-term repayment plan for a R450m loan with Nedbank, which was to help finance the deal. In essence, he said, the board that took office on 10 September learned after the pairs presentation that by the end of that month Denel would have to pay back this amount.Zondo challenges this in his report, stating that Saloojee and Mhlontlo had taken all precautions to inform and get approval from the previous board, then public enterprises minister Lynne Brown, and National Treasury, as required. This is also noted in a draft version of an investigative report by law firm Dentons, which was made available to the commission. The report does not appear to have been finalised, and thus does not conclude on the matter, Zondo noted.Furthermore, the existence of the report was accidentally shared with the suspended employees by Africas successor, who was meant to only communicate the status of the boards position with regard to the suspensions, in December 2015. In the documents sent to them was a letter from Mantsha in which he criticises the Dentons report.The utter cynicism of the suspensions was demonstrated by Mr Mantshas letter to the acting company secretary dated 17 December 2015. In the letter, Mr Mantsha, in so many words, castigated Dentons Attorneys for producing a report which did not justify the suspensions and called on them to fabricate a report which did. In the same letter, Mr Mantsha talked about settling with the three executives, two of whom he said had committed fraud and otherwise misconducted themselves egregiously.Zondo queried another point involving the cost of the separation agreements that were eventually signed with the three over a year after their suspensions. Saloojee was paid around R10m, while Mhlontlo received just over R8m. Africas settlement was shared by Denel, but only an ex gratia payment of just over R1.2m is noted in the report.The ACJ laments the fact that the board opted to settle with the executives in circumstances where it had not exhausted all the means open to it to test the validity of the charges against them. This, for Zondo, is indefensible as Denel was by this point in 2016 in financial strain, owing millions of rands in debt.The conclusion is unavoidable that the entire scheme was manufactured to get rid of three senior employees, not because they were guilty of wrongdoing because they were not, but because the employees in question were unlikely, going forward, to view wrongdoing with approval.Their removal was devised to replace them with officials considered more likely to advance the very schemes of wrongdoing that were contemplated by those who had worked to oust the three employees. A Gauteng High Court judge has laid down the law and cautioned attorneys and home loan providers that there will be no shortcuts in matters involving the forced sale of people's homes at auction. Rule unclear if reserve price isnt achieved Why homeowners must be properly served Judge Denise Fisher has ruled that if the reserve price set by a judge hearing the sale-in-execution matter is not achieved at auction, the matters must be brought back to court on a proper application, with proper notice to the affected homeowner, and will not be heard through a rote approach in chambers as has been happening.Judge Fisher had before her four matters brought by Changing Tides (the trustee of the SA Home Loans Guarantee Trust) which had been sent to her, in chambers, in which the reserve price had not been achieved.All had previously been dealt with under Rule 46A, which was introduced in about 2018 amid claims of collusion and corruption, with peoples homes being sold for far less than they were worth.In one reported instance, a home was sold for a mere R10 when it had a municipal valuation of R81,000.Rule 46A, and judicial pronouncements on it, requires a judge to set a reserve price in a matter where the property is the primary residence of the debtor.The judge has to take into account the municipal value, amount owed on rates and levies and on the bond, and prejudice to both the homeowner and the loan provider.Judge Fisher said this process was relatively clear, designed to protect the homeowner while allowing for the commercial necessity of execution.It specifically stated that the debtor must be personally served with court papers, so that the court could be satisfied that the debtor had been afforded an opportunity to be heard.However, she said, the portion of the rule which deals with what happens if the reserve price was not achieved at auction had not been framed with the same precision.If a property is sold at a price which is significantly below true market value, the homeowner is liable to lose the investment made in the property and still be indebted to the bank for more than is fair, she said.For most homeowners, the investment is the largest and most important of their lives. The very purpose of Rule 46A is to ameliorate the devastating effects of a debtors inability to meet the payments of a mortgage loan and to ensure that homes are not sold in execution for prices which are not market related, as was a prevalent iniquity in the recent past.Judge Fisher said there seemed to be a common temptation by lawyers who may be justifiably fatigued to do as little as possible when faced with matters where reserve prices had not been achieved.And the four cases before her were an example of this. She said in each, the original documents which guided the setting of the reserve price were not before her, there was no proper explanation from the Sheriff as to what had occurred at auction, and the attorney had simply sought orders authorising the sales with reduced reserve prices, or none at all.None of the documents had been served on the homeowners because, she was told, they were not applications and it was not required.Judge Fisher said the rule required in these circumstances that the Sheriff report back within five days of the auction.This suggests that the legislature intends the reconsideration of the reserve price must be done without undue delay. This stands to reason. Property values are not static.The report must contain information as to the highest bid obtained, the details of the people who attended the auction and any other relevant factors which may assist the court.She said the lawyer in the four matters had submitted that it was not necessary to make another formal application in open court. This was decidedly not the case.She said it could also not be assumed that the reserve price was too high simply because it had not been achieved and that, therefore, the property should be knocked down to the lowest punter.What, for example, if the sale was not adequately advertised? What if the auction was held over a traditional holiday period which meant that appropriate buyers were less likely to attend the sale? There could be many reasons for the failure of the auction.The judge said an application for reconsideration must, at least, seek specific relief in a notice of motion and satisfy the court that it was properly advertised, contain all relevant documents, explain any failure to hold the sale within six months of the foreclosure order, and place before the court any additional, reliable evidence of the true value.She said homeowners had to be properly served with court papers. Legal practitioners often claim that the fact that the Sheriff served on a tenant is proof that the owner does not live there.This does not necessarily follow, she said. The South African rental market is such that it is not unusual for homeowners to rent out rooms or out-houses while still occupying the property.A further approach is to submit that the spouse was served This fails to take into account the prevalence of divorce or spouses living apart.She ruled that the cases before her did not constitute applications, were irregular, and she made no orders. Biden quietly sent a letter to corrupt Speaker Pelosi and the US House and Senate stating that he is extending the National Emergency related to COVID beyond the current termination date of March 1st with no end date provided. The man-made crisis continues. Old senile Joe Biden sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi noting that he is extending the National Emergency related to COVID well beyond its current termination date set for March. The Conservative Treehouse reports: Joe Biden informed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that he intends to extend the federal National Emergency declaration beyond its termination date in March. [STATUTE HERE] By statute the State of a National Emergency expires one year after initial declaration. That meant the COVID National Emergency declaration was scheduled to end March 1st. However, the statute allows the extension if the executive office informs the legislative branch within the 90-day window prior to expiration. Biden informed Nancy Pelosi today of his intent to extend the National Emergency. Both the House and Senate will now have to schedule a vote to support the extension [SEE HERE]: Here is Bidens notice: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020, beginning March 1, 2020, concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is to continue in effect beyond March 1, 2022. There remains a need to continue this national emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public health and safety of the Nation. More than 900,000 people in this Nation have perished from the disease, and it is essential to continue to combat and respond to COVID-19 with the full capacity and capability of the Federal Government. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Proclamation 9994 concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Bidens decision to keep the emergency going has no end date. Marshall McLuhan's prophecy that "the successor to politics will be propaganda" has happened. Raw propaganda is now the rule in Western democracies, especially the US and Britain On matters of war and peace, ministerial deceit is reported as news. Inconvenient facts are censored, demons are nurtured. The model is corporate spin, the currency of the age. In 1964, McLuhan famously declared, "The medium is the message." The lie is the message now. But is this new? It is more than a century since Edward Bernays, the father of spin, invented "public relations" as a cover for war propaganda. What is new is the virtual elimination of dissent in the mainstream. The great editor David Bowman, author of The Captive Press, called this "a defenestration of all who refuse to follow a line and to swallow the unpalatable and are brave". He was referring to independent journalists and whistle blowers, the honest mavericks to whom media organisations once gave space, often with pride. The space has been abolished. The war hysteria that has rolled in like a tidal wave in recent weeks and months is the most striking example. Known by its jargon, "shaping the narrative", much if not most of it is pure propaganda. The Russians are coming. Russia is worse than bad. Putin is evil, "a Nazi like Hitler", salivated the Labour MP Chris Bryant. Ukraine is about to be invaded by Russia - tonight, this week, next week. The sources include an ex CIA propagandist who now speaks for the US State Department and offers no evidence of his claims about Russian actions because "it comes from the US Government". The no-evidence rule also applies in London. The British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, who spent 500,000 of public money flying to Australia in a private plane to warn the Canberra government that both Russia and China were about to pounce, offered no evidence. Antipodean heads nodded; the "narrative" is unchallenged there. One rare exception, former prime minister Paul Keating, called Truss's warmongering "demented". Truss has blithely confused the countries of the Baltic and Black Sea. In Moscow, she told the Russian foreign minister that Britain would never accept Russian sovereignty over Rostov and Voronezh - until it was pointed out to her that these places were not part of Ukraine but in Russia. Read the Russian press about the buffoonery of this pretender to 10 Downing Street and cringe. This entire farce, recently starring Boris Johnson in Moscow playing a clownish version of his hero, Churchill, might be enjoyed as satire were it not for its wilful abuse of facts and historical understanding and the real danger of war. Vladimir Putin refers to the "genocide" in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. Following the coup in Ukraine in 2014 - orchestrated by Barack Obama's "point person" in Kyiv, Victoria Nuland - the coup regime, infested with neo-Nazis, launched a campaign of terror against Russian-speaking Donbas, which accounts for a third of Ukraine's population. Overseen by CIA director John Brennan in Kyiv, "special security units" coordinated savage attacks on the people of Donbas, who opposed the coup. Video and eyewitness reports show bussed fascist thugs burning the trade union headquarters in the city of Odessa, killing 41 people trapped inside. The police are standing by. Obama congratulated the "duly elected" coup regime for its "remarkable restraint". In the US media the Odessa atrocity was played down as "murky" and a "tragedy" in which "nationalists" (neo-Nazis) attacked "separatists" (people collecting signatures for a referendum on a federal Ukraine). Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal damned the victims - "Deadly Ukraine Fire Likely Sparked by Rebels, Government Says". Professor Stephen Cohen, acclaimed as America's leading authority on Russia, wrote, "The pogrom-like burning to death of ethnic Russians and others in Odessa reawakened memories of Nazi extermination squads in Ukraine during world war two. [Today] storm-like assaults on gays, Jews, elderly ethnic Russians, and other 'impure' citizens are widespread throughout Kyiv-ruled Ukraine, along with torchlight marches reminiscent of those that eventually inflamed Germany in the late 1920s and 1930s... "The police and official legal authorities do virtually nothing to prevent these neo-fascist acts or to prosecute them. On the contrary, Kyiv has officially encouraged them by systematically rehabilitating and even memorialising Ukrainian collaborators with Nazi German extermination pogroms, renaming streets in their honour, building monuments to them, rewriting history to glorify them, and more." Today, neo-Nazi Ukraine is seldom mentioned. That the British are training the Ukrainian National Guard, which includes neo-Nazis, is not news. (See Matt Kennard's Declassified report in Consortium 15 February). The return of violent, endorsed fascism to 21st-century Europe, to quote Harold Pinter, "never happened ... even while it was happening". On 16 December, the United Nations tabled a resolution that called for "combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism". The only nations to vote against it were the United States and Ukraine. Almost every Russian knows that it was across the plains of Ukraine's "borderland" that Hitler's divisions swept from the west in 1941, bolstered by Ukraine's Nazi cultists and collaborators. The result was more than 20 million Russian dead. Setting aside the manoeuvres and cynicism of geopolitics, whomever the players, this historical memory is the driving force behind Russia's respect-seeking, self-protective security proposals, which were published in Moscow in the week the UN voted 130-2 to outlaw Nazism. They are: - NATO guarantees that it will not deploy missiles in nations bordering Russia. (They are already in place from Slovenia to Romania, with Poland to follow) - NATO to stop military and naval exercises in nations and seas bordering Russia. - Ukraine will not become a member of NATO. - the West and Russia to sign a binding East-West security pact. - the landmark treaty between the US and Russia covering intermediate-range nuclear weapons to be restored. (The US abandoned it in 2019) These amount to a comprehensive draft of a peace plan for all of post-war Europe and ought to be welcomed in the West. But who understands their significance in Britain? What they are told is that Putin is a pariah and a threat to Christendom. Russian-speaking Ukrainians, under economic blockade by Kyiv for seven years, are fighting for their survival. The "massing" army we seldom hear about are the thirteen Ukrainian army brigades laying siege to Donbas: an estimated 150,000 troops. If they attack, the provocation to Russia will almost certainly mean war. In 2015, brokered by the Germans and French, the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France met in Minsk and signed an interim peace deal. Ukraine agreed to offer autonomy to Donbas, now the self declared republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The Minsk agreement has never been given a chance. In Britain, the line, amplified by Boris Johnson, is that Ukraine is being "dictated to" by world leaders. For its part, Britain is arming Ukraine and training its army. Since the first Cold War, NATO has effectively marched right up to Russia's most sensitive border having demonstrated its bloody aggression in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and broken solemn promises to pull back. Having dragged European "allies" into American wars that do not concern them, the great unspoken is that NATO itself is the real threat to European security. In Britain, a state and media xenophobia is triggered at the very mention of "Russia". Mark the knee-jerk hostility with which the BBC reports Russia. Why? Is it because the restoration of imperial mythology demands, above all, a permanent enemy? Certainly, we deserve better. Follow John Pilger on twitter @johnpilger Aubrey Cottle, the hacker claiming credit for stealing convoy donor info, has boasted of work with the FBI and Canadian law enforcement. The data was published by DDoSecrets, an anti-Wikileaks non-profit which has targeted states in the crosshairs of US intelligence. On February 13th, the names and personal details of almost 100,000 individuals who donated sums to support the Canadian truckers protest against vaccine mandates through the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo appeared online via Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), an online archive seeking to easily connect journalists and researchers with leaked information. The mainstream media used the trove to frame the convoy as essentially foreign-funded, and harass small donors from average backgrounds. Numerous fascinating nuggets, such as the gifting of $215,000 by a donor whose identity, email, IP address and ZIP code was not recorded by the website, unlike every other giver, were in the process ignored. The hack-and-leak represented just the latest broadside against the convoy activists. Hours later, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau activated the Emergencies Act for the very first time in Canadian history, an unprecedented move effectively suspending the civil rights of the protesters and granting federal law enforcement the power to seize their bank accounts without a court order. An alleged founder of hacktivist collective Anonymous, Canadian Aubrey Cottle, took credit for the hack of the convoy donors information in the form of an online manifesto and accompanying video overlaying a clip from the Disney musical Frozen. Echoing Liberal Canadian politicians, Cottle accused the convoy of holding Ottawa hostage for weeks while terrorizing the peaceful citizens who live there. The hacker went on to baselessly allege the donations were being used to fund an insurrection, and that individuals who had contributed had also bankrolled the January 6th, 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Next, Cottle warned without evidence that the global convoy movement could be a cover for a type of Trojan Horse attack where extremists and militia groups arrive in large numbers with weapons, as large convoys of trucks moving in capital cities will look normal given the theme of these world wide protests. Absolutely nothing I say could EVER prepare you for this video of Aubrey Cottle, dude who hacked #GiveSendGo, writhing, preening, full-throated screaming into the camera WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO ME HUHHHH??!?pic.twitter.com/852h2RB6UB Mandy Stadtmiller (@mandystadt) February 18, 2022 It was a characteristically volatile outburst from the eccentric hacker, who has been praised in mainstream media for taking on the far-right despite his history of overtly anti-Semitic commentary. Operating in broad daylight for many years, the prolific cyber-warrior has somehow been able to function freely without any legal repercussions. Cottles impunity may stem in part from his apparently intimate relationship with a variety of intelligence services. In 2007, Cottle was reportedly visited at home by a representative of Canadas Security Intelligence Service, the nations equivalent to the CIA, which wished to exploit his hacking nous to battle al-Qaeda and terrorist groups. He allegedly declined the offer after some consideration. Nonetheless, Cottle claims to have oftendealt with feds such as the FBI and Royal Canadian Mountain Police. His activities include running child porn honeypot operations involving multiple sites that still give [him] nightmares. Ive done work for the fbi before and i give zero fucks, Cottle wrote on Twitter on January 20, 2017. As the right-wing outlet American Greatness noted, Cottle has boasted that he has been lucky enough to be granted the blessing of alphabet agencies slang for intelligence services to weaponize Anonymous for antiterrorism purposes. Further indications of Cottles ties to law enforcement arrived in July 2021 when journalist Barrett Brown released documents revealing how the hacker had collaborated with notorious neo-Nazi cyber-activist weev to conduct major hacks that could be blamed on Antifa. Brown suggests this just happened via GiveSendGo. We released documents in July showing FBI assets led by Nazi leader Weev and fronted by racist police asset Aubrey "Kirtaner" Cottle were planning to conduct major #Anonymous hacks that would be blamed on #Antifa. It just happened via #GiveSendGo. https://t.co/VnSb7NK5TY Barrett Brown (@BarrettB) February 17, 2022 Cottle has recently taken to Twitter to praise the Canadian government for activating the Emergencies Act. The hacker declared that THEY F***ED AROUND AND FOUND OUT. Though his Twitter account has since been locked, he has continued to brag about his GiveSendGo hack in a series of bizarre videos. In another possible hint of national security state involvement, a non-profit self-styled whistleblower site called Distributed Denial of Secrets, or DDoSecrets, has taken possession of the information supposedly obtained by Cottle, and begun distributing it to mainstream media outlets. Besides targeting right-wing websites, DDoSecrets has previously been implicated in hacking operations against the Russian government. Its founder, Emma Best, is a vitriolic antagonist of Julian Assange and has gone to extreme lengths to paint him as an asset of the Kremlin. DDoSecrets founder smears Assange, implicates Wikileaks Before its role in publicizing the GiveSendGo donors list, DDoSecrets published lists of GiveSendGo donors to causes such as the heavily-FBI penetrated Proud Boys, Kyle Rittenhouse, and an effort to fight voter fraud in the 2020 US Presidential election. Clearly aligned with liberal and Democratic Party objectives, DDoSecrets has also been a key hosting ground for terabytes of hacked data on private and public communications between members of militias, neo-Nazi and far-right groups hacked from social networks Gab and Parler, which Cottle claims to have obtained themself. Data scraped from Parler, including video from the January 6th riot, was subsequently used in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump in February 20201. DDoSecrets is a largely opaque outfit. Operated by an almost entirely anonymous or pseudonymous team living across the globe, its founder, Emma Best, is the groups only public-facing member. A former WikiLeaks collaborator and prolific Freedom of Information requester, Bests dissident bona fides seem on the surface to be beyond doubt. In 2016, after hammering the FBI with seemingly endless FOI demands, the Bureau appears to have considered prosecuting Best for vexsome activities. Five years later, it outright banned Best from filing such requests at all, but the decision was later overturned. Best also played a pivotal role in compelling the CIA to publish its 13 million-strong declassified document archive online in 2017. Likewise, DDoSecrets June 2020 release of 269 gigabytes of sensitive US law enforcement fusion center data dubbed BlueLeaks exposed all manner of abuses, corruption, criminality and excesses on the part of American police forces, leading to official investigations, and the seizure of servers hosting the information in Germany by local authorities. So why have mainstream media enthusiastically embraced DDoSecrets while advancing the Western security states crusade against WikiLeaks? The latter organization has faced condemnation, censure, and designation by the CIA as a non-state hostile intelligence agency, leading to the Agency hatching plots to kidnap or even kill its founder, Julian Assange, while subjecting his collaborators to intensive surveillance and harassment. By contrast, in 2019, the same year Julian Assange was arrested in Londons Ecuadorian embassy and hauled off to Belmarsh Prison to face extradition to the US, the federally funded Congressional Research Service recognized Bests organization as a legitimate transparency collective and not long after the IRS granted it 501(c)(3) non-profit status. The repeated hailing by mainstream and US government sources of DDoSecrets as a WikiLeaks successor or even its replacement is all the more perverse given that Best has repeatedly published private Twitter communications between the Wikileaks collaborators. The contents of these private discussions were dished out to corporate news outlets like Buzzfeed, which presented them as proof Assange was deliberately seeking to secure the election of Donald Trump, and knowingly collaborating with Russian intelligence to do so. You now have evidence? Emma Best's role in 2016 was to obtain evidence for BuzzFeed that would tie Guccifer2 to WikiLeaks. Emma shopping leaks that we're already in WikiLeaks possession is the proverbial dish "best served" cold. Thanks for playing. Game over. https://t.co/MHiZEbLtSf Pirate Party Weekly (@PiratePartyINT) April 6, 2018 Numerous interviews conducted by Best over the years amplified the fraudulent narratives used to frame Assange as a Russian asset. In the eyes of many, they have played a role in justifying or minimizing his life-threatening incarceration in Britains Gitmo on trumped up, bogus charges. A handful of independent journalists have been harshly critical of Best as a result, wondering how the public interest was served by publishing private communications that implicated Wikileaks in a security state intrigue. The DDoSecrets founder has consistently attempted to parry criticism by claiming their actions were not an attempt to attack or undermine Assange, and were curated for relevance. However, Best overwhelmingly curated comments and interactions painting Assange and WikiLeaks in the worst possible light, which inevitably proved extremely alluring to a hostile media. Any exculpatory content included in the leaks was summarily and unsurprisingly ignored. Whats more, the DDoSecrets founders own surging contempt for Assange is unambiguous. Over the years, Best has branded Assange as among things a cowardly, transphobic, antisemitic trash person made of tepid mayo and a bleached wig. What do such statements tells us about the motivation for publishing ? https://t.co/wL0gglC6w7 pic.twitter.com/DHoV7jo3kq Emmy B (@greekemmy) July 14, 2020 CIA hack-and-dump ops against Iran and Russia raise further suspicions In November 2021, Yahoo! News reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump authorized the CIA to run wild with covert actions in a bid to destabilize Iran. In 2018, Trump sanctioned the Agency to conduct much more aggressive offensive cyber activities, leading to the CIA launching covert hack-and-dump operations against Iran and Russia and cyberattacks on Iranian infrastructure with less White House oversight than before. Given that DDoSecrets was launched in December that same year, the timing of the effort was striking. The first major coup of DDosSecrets arrived weeks later when it published 175 gigabytes of messages and files from Russian politicians, journalists, oligarchs, religious figures, and nationalists/terrorists in Ukraine. The collection was dubbed The Dark Side of the Kremlin, and avowedly sourced from a hacking spree conducted against Russian targets. Transparency activists release massive trove of hacked, leaked Russian documents https://t.co/pyYTBtsW7W pic.twitter.com/hd550XKTXX The Hill (@thehill) January 26, 2019 Best claimed to The New York Times that the tranche was not published explicitly as payback for Russias alleged release of the DNC emails in 2016, while remarking that it does add some appreciable irony. She also used the opportunity to take aim once again Assange and WikiLeaks, stating she was disappointed at their dishonest and egotistic behavior. Best insisted that her organization had also posted material favorable to Assange leaked from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. This refers to internal files from National Intelligence Secretariat (SENAIN), a now-defunct Ecuadorian intelligence agency charged with protecting the WikiLeaks chief and extracting him to safety. The Guardian reported on these documents in 2018 and went to great pains to present SENAIN as villains in the process. Oddly, those files have since been removed from the DDoSecrets archive. In November of that year, The Intercept and New York Times published a number of articles titled The Iran Cables based on an unprecedented leak of 700 pages of reports supposedly compiled by Tehrans Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The series sought to expose the scale of Iranian influence in Iraq, in the process revealing the surprising ways in which Iranian and US interests often aligned in the years following the illegal war. News about Trumps loosening restrictions on CIA cyberwarfare to authorize hack-and-dump ops makes me wonder if Langley was behind the ICIJs #ChinaCables and the Intercepts Iran Leaks, among other leaks targeting designated enemies https://t.co/YMl3XbPMgM pic.twitter.com/MdDskVoRHB Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) July 16, 2020 The release of the leaked files may have played a role in escalating conflict between the US and Iran. A New York Times story based on the material focused heavily on the alleged role of Iranian General Qasem Suleimani as the shadowy puppet master of the Iraqi government, claiming he more than anyone else had employed the dark arts of espionage and covert military action to ensure that Shiite power remains ascendant. Two months later, Soleimani was incinerated in an illegal US drone strike launched as he left Baghdad International Airport for a peace conference. An Intercept article purporting to tell the true story behind the cables release wove a dramatic narrative straight out of a Le Carre novel, and which may have been just as fictional, claiming a nameless Iraqi approached the publication with the material in order to let the world know what Iran is doing in my country. Even if the outlets narrative was accurate, and the Russian and Iranian document troves had not been obtained through the CIA hack-and-dump operations sanctioned under Trump, it would be an extraordinary if not inexplicable coincidence that content which precisely matched that description was released the following year. CIA hack-and-leak operations are an increasingly common information warfare tactic. For example, in June 2021 a US government official acknowledged Washington was secretly financing investigative journalists and investigative NGOs and employing components of the intelligence community including the Agency to expose corruption by public officials abroad, having created the Organized Crime and Corruption Project (OCCRP) to serve as a funnel for this material. OCCRP is funded by a welter of US intelligence cutouts, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy. In October 2021, the OCCRP released the Pandora Papers, raising obvious questions about whether the underlying information was obtained through a US intelligence-related hack. Back in December 2019, DDoSecrets partnered with the OCCRP to publish documents and data related to the operations of Formations House, which registered and operated companies for organized crime syndicates, dubious state-owned companies, and fraudulent banks. Whether DDoSecrets and its founder are witting or unwitting pawns of the CIA is a moot point. Its commitment to publishing and hosting as much leaked material as possible makes the organization an extremely attractive conduit for ill-gotten sensitive documents, and the origins of this material is never questioned by news outlets that report upon it. After all, the imprimatur of DDoSecrets lends its releases credibility and legitimacy. DDoSecrets has been scrupulous about attributing sources in particular cases. For example, the DDoSecrets entry on the DNC emails released by WikiLeaks forcefully asserts the documents were hacked by Russian intelligence services. This claim was undermined, however, by the admission of the CEO of CrowdStrike the cybersecurity firm that made the attributions admitting under oath there is no concrete evidence the emails were actually exfiltrated by anyone. Meanwhile, other entries are careful to note constituent material was released by individuals associated with Russian intelligence, and may include forged documents. The only comparable disclaimer that can be found in respect of any Western intelligence service anywhere else on the DDoSecrets website today relates to Syrian government emails originally dumped by WikiLeaks. The emails now include an accompanying blurb noting the hack itself was not [emphasis in original] directly sponsored or conducted by Washington, although its subsequent release was carried out under the direct supervision of the US via FBI informant Hector Sabu Monsegur. Since its foundation, DDoSecrets has provided a reliable archive for compromising information and data tranches stolen from the servers of foreign states which happen to be in the US governments crosshairs. Following Bidens call to Trudeau, during which he demanded swift action against the truckers convoy filling downtown Ottawa and blockading US-Canadian border crossings in protest of vaccine mandates, DDoSecrets surfaced once again as a promotional platform for hacked data on convoy donors. And while Assange languishes in prison, DDoSecrets is once again shopping its data to mainstream media outlets and advancing the critical interests of crisis-wracked Western governments. Amassive leak from one of the worlds biggest private banks, Credit Suisse, has exposed the hidden wealth of clients involved in torture, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and other serious crimes. Details of accounts linked to 30,000 Credit Suisse clients all over the world are contained in the leak, which unmasks the beneficiaries of more than 100bn Swiss francs (80bn) held in one of Switzerlands best-known financial institutions. The leak points to widespread failures of due diligence by Credit Suisse, despite repeated pledges over decades to weed out dubious clients and illicit funds. The Guardian is part of a consortium of media outlets given exclusive access to the data. We can reveal how Credit Suisse repeatedly either opened or maintained bank accounts for a panoramic array of high-risk clients across the world. They include a human trafficker in the Philippines, a Hong Kong stock exchange boss jailed for bribery, a billionaire who ordered the murder of his Lebanese pop star girlfriend and executives who looted Venezuelas state oil company, as well as corrupt politicians from Egypt to Ukraine. One Vatican-owned account in the data was used to spend 350m (290m) in an allegedly fraudulent investment in London property that is at the centre of an ongoing criminal trial of several defendants, including a cardinal. The huge trove of banking data was leaked by an anonymous whistleblower to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung. I believe that Swiss banking secrecy laws are immoral, the whistleblower source said in a statement. The pretext of protecting financial privacy is merely a fig leaf covering the shameful role of Swiss banks as collaborators of tax evaders. Credit Suisse said that Switzerlands strict banking secrecy laws prevented it from commenting on claims relating to individual clients. Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and inferences about the banks purported business practices, the bank said in a statement, arguing that the matters uncovered by reporters are based on selective information taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations of the banks business conduct. The bank also said the allegations were largely historical, in some instances dating back to a time when laws, practices and expectations of financial institutions were very different from where they are now. While some accounts in the data were open as far back as the 1940s, more than two-thirds were opened since 2000. Many of those were still open well into the last decade, and a portion remain open today. Speaking to CBC on Saturday, Watson commended police officers for clearing protesters from downtown Ottawa, where they had been camped for three weeks protesting vaccine mandates. The demonstrations were broken by city and federal police officers between Friday and Saturday after Trudeau invoked the never-before-used Emergencies Act on Monday. Despite video footage showing shocking scenes of police brutality, Watson said that officers had done a remarkable job, and were very measured in their response. At least 170 protesters have been arrested, more than 50 vehicles have been seized, and the government has frozen the bank accounts of at least 76 protest participants and supporters. Mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, in an interview with the state broadcaster(cbc) praises Trudeau's use of the Emergencies Act, and is looking into selling confiscated convoy protesters trucks and RVs.https://t.co/cTm6cKHpsApic.twitter.com/zS3em5TAjf Efron Monsanto (@realmonsanto) February 20, 2022 Under the Emergencies Act Ive asked our solicitor and our city manager, how can we keep the tow trucks and the campers and the vans and everything else that weve confiscated, and sell those pieces of equipment to help recoup some of the costs that our taxpayers are absorbing? Watson told CBC. Watson also cited losses by local businesses as one of the reasons he would attempt to sell off impounded vehicles. Earlier on Saturday, City Treasurer Wendy Stephanson claimed that managing the protest was costing the city approximately CA$1 million ($785,000) per day, per CTV News. We should ding those people who have caused this chaos, Watson said in a separate interview with CTV on Saturday, referring to the protesters. It is unclear whether Watsons plan will go ahead, and whether the Emergencies Act actually allows the city to auction off seized vehicles. Ottawa Police have previously stated that seized vehicles will be held for seven days, after which time they can be retrieved. Likewise the Emergencies Act is currently being enforced despite not being debated in Parliament, and could end up amended significantly. While some of Canadas provincial premiers have relaxed their rules on masking and vaccination since the protest began, Trudeaus nationwide vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers and a rule requiring Canadians be vaccinated to leave the country remain in effect. AChinese satellite was observed grabbing another satellite and pulling it out of its normal geosynchronous orbit and into a super-graveyard drift orbit. The maneuver raises questions about the potential applications of these types of satellites designed to maneuver close to other satellites for inspection or manipulation and adds to growing concerns about China's space program overall. On January 22, Chinas Shijian-21 satellite, or SJ-21, disappeared from its regular position in orbit during daylight hours when observations were difficult to make with optical telescopes. SJ-21 was then observed executing a large maneuver to bring it closely alongside another satellite, a dead BeiDou Navigation System satellite. SJ-21 then pulled the dead satellite out of its normal geosynchronous orbit and placed it a few hundred miles away in what is known as a graveyard orbit. These distant orbits are designated for defunct satellites at the end of their lives and are intended to reduce the risk of collision with operational assets. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. POMPEII, Italy (AP) In a few horrible hours, Pompeii was turned from a vibrant city into an ash-embalmed wasteland, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in A.D. 79. A fresco is seen inside the kitchen of a house at the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) POMPEII, Italy (AP) In a few horrible hours, Pompeii was turned from a vibrant city into an ash-embalmed wasteland, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in A.D. 79. Then in this century, the excavated Roman city appeared alarmingly close to a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scant systematic maintenance of the heavily visited ruins. The 2010 collapse of a hall where gladiators trained nearly cost Pompeii its coveted UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. But these days, Pompeii is experiencing the makings of a rebirth. A fresco depicting a poet is seen in the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Excavations undertaken as part of engineering stabilization strategies to prevent new collapses are yielding a raft of revelations about the everyday lives of Pompeiis residents, as the lens of social class analysis is increasingly applied to new discoveries. Under the archaeological park's new director, innovative technology is helping restore some of Pompeii's nearly obliterated glories and limit the effects of a new threat: climate change. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, an archaeologist who was appointed director general 10 months ago, likens Pompeii's rapid deterioration, starting in the 1970s, to an airplane going down to the ground and really risking breaking apart. The Great Pompeii Project, an infusion of about 105 million euros ($120 million) in European Union funds on condition it be spent promptly and effectively by 2016 helped spare the ruins from further degradation. A damaged mosaic is seen inside the 'House of the library' at the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) It was all spent and spent well, Zuchtriegel said in an interview on a terrace with Pompeii's open-air Great Theater as a backdrop. But with future conservation problems inevitable for building remains first excavated 250 years ago, new technology is crucial in this "battle against time," the 41-year-old told The Associated Press. Climate extremes, including increasingly intense rainfall and spells of baking heat, could threaten Pompeii. Some conditions are changing and we can already measure this, said Zuchtriegel. A plastic bag contains tiles from a floor mosaic inside the 'House of the library' at the Pompeii archaeological site, southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Relying on human eyes to discern signs of climate-caused deterioration on mosaic floors and frescoed walls in about 10,000 excavated rooms of villas, workshops and humble homes would be impossible. So artificial intelligence and drones will provide data and images in real time. Experts will be alerted to "take a closer look and eventually intervene before things happen, before we get back to this situation where buildings are collapsing, Zuchtriegel said. Since last year, AI and robots are tackling what otherwise would be impossible tasks reassembling frescoes that have crumbled into the tiniest of fragments. Among the goals is reconstructing the frescoed ceiling of the House of the Painters at Work, shattered by Allied bombing during World War II. Robots will also help repair fresco damage in the Schola Armaturarum the gladiators' barracks once symbolizing Pompeii's modern-day deterioration and now celebrated as evidence of its revival. The weight of tons of unexcavated sections of the city pressing against excavated ruins, combined with rainfall accumulation and poor drainage, prompted the structure's collapse. Tourists walk inside the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Seventeen of Pompeii's 66 hectares (42 of 163 acres) remain unexcavated, buried deep under lava stone. A long-running debate revolves on whether they should stay there. At the start of the 19th century, the approach was let's ... excavate all of Pompeii, Zuchtriegel said. But in the decades before the Great Pompeii Project, there was something like a moratorium because we have so many problems we won't excavate any more, Zuchtriegel said. And it was almost like, psychologically speaking, a depression. His predecessor, Massimo Osanna, took a different approach: targeted digs during stabilization measures aimed at preventing further collapses. Tourists walk past a thermopolium, a commercial establishment where it was possible to purchase ready-to-eat food, inside the Pompeii archaeological site, southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) But it was a different kind of excavation. It was part of a larger approach where we have the combination of protection, research and accessibility, Zuchtriegel said. After the gladiator hall's collapse, engineers and landscapers created gradual slopes out of the land fronting excavated ruins with netting, keeping the newly-shaped hillsides from crumbling. Near the end of Via del Vesuvio, one of Pompeii's stone-paved streets, work in 2018 revealed an upscale domus, or home, with a bedroom wall decorated with a small, sensual fresco depicting the Roman god Jupiter disguised as a swan and impregnating Leda, the mythical queen of Sparta and mother of Helen of Troy. But if visitors stand on tiptoe to look past the marvelous fresco over the home's jagged walls, they'll see how the back rooms remain embedded under the newly stabilized unexcavated edge of Pompeii. The director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Pompeii archaeological site, in southern Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. In a few horrible hours, Pompeii went from being a vibrant city to a dead one, smothered by a furious volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Then in this century, Pompeii appeared alarmingly on the precipice of a second death, assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scanty systematic maintenance of heavily visited ruins. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Nearby is the most crowd-pleasing discovery to emerge from the shoring-up project a corner thermopolium" with a countertop setup similar to current salad-and-soup bar arrangements. This fast-food locale is the only one discovered with frescoes in vivid hues of mustard-yellow and the omnipresent Pompeii red decorating the counter's base apparently advertising the chef's specialties and including a bawdy graffito. Judging by the organic remains found in containers, the menu featured concoctions with ingredients like fish, snails and goat meat. Quick street meals were likely a mainstay of the vast majority of Pompeiians not affluent enough to have kitchens. Archaeologists have been increasingly using social-class and gender analyses to help interpret the past. When they explored an ancient villa on Pompeii's outskirts, a 16-square-meter (172-square-foot) room emerged. It had doubled as the villa's storeroom and the sleeping quarters for a family of enslaved people. Crammed into the room were three beds, fashioned from cord and wood. Judging by the dimensions, a shorter bed was for a child. When the discovery was announced last year, Zuchtriegel described it as a window on the precarious reality of people who rarely appeared in historical sources about Pompeii. This winter, an afternoon guided tour is offered at sites not otherwise open to the public. One such offering is the House of the Little Pig. On a wall of a tiny kitchen is a whimsical painted design of a pig's head with a prominent snout. The park's ambitions stretch further: Nearby Naples and its sprawling suburbs ringing Vesuvius suffer from organized crime and high youth unemployment, which drives many young people to emigrate. So the archaeological park is bringing together students from the area's more elite institutions and from working class neighborhoods who attend trade schools to perform a classical Greek play at the Great Theater. We ... can try to contribute to a change, Zuchtriegel said. There are also plans to create public strolling grounds in an unexcavated section of ancient Pompeii which, until recently, had been used as an illegal dump and even a marijuana farm. OTTAWA - Police officers donned helmets, wielded batons and deployed pepper spray in downtown Ottawa on Saturday as they tried to clear out protesters putting up what the city's interim police chief described as a "barrage of resistance" to ending their illegal occupation of the national capital. Advertisement Advertise With Us Toronto Police mounted unit charges the crowd in a dispersion tactic as police take action to put an end to a protest, which started in opposition to mandatory COVID-19 vaccine mandates and grew into a broader anti-government demonstration and occupation, in Ottawa, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - Police officers donned helmets, wielded batons and deployed pepper spray in downtown Ottawa on Saturday as they tried to clear out protesters putting up what the city's interim police chief described as a "barrage of resistance" to ending their illegal occupation of the national capital. Steve Bell said officers had little choice but to use greater force in the face of demonstrators who refused to heed repeated requests to clear the area they've occupied for four weeks, adding protest participants have been aggressive toward police and assaulted them on multiple occasions. "I have been at this podium for the last five days, imploring people to leave, asking them to get out of our streets," Bell said at an afternoon news conference. "This occupation is over." Police later said they deployed mid-range impact weapons on Saturday evening after protesters allegedly assaulted officers with weapons. They said in a tweet that they deployed these weapons to "stop the violent actions of the protesters." The second, more acrimonious day of police enforcement operations came as members of parliament resumed debating the government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in an effort to quell the demonstrations, which persisted in cities beyond Ottawa's borders. At the same time, an Ontario judge reserved a bail decision for one of the protest movement's key organizers, while another saw his case postponed to early next week. Earlier in the day, lines of officers clad in riot gear massed along Wellington Street near the Prime Minister's Office. Officers advanced toward the protesters swinging batons at them, while the crowd pushed back amid shouts of "shame" and "freedom" mixed in with other taunts. As police forced some in the crowd around a street corner, one man retreated and began washing an eye out with milk, saying he got a face full of pepper spray. Despite their multiple warnings to leave, the heavy police response appeared to catch some protesters off-guard. "It has been three weeks of peace and then the cops come in and do this," said a woman named Valerie, who was in tears and declined to give her last name. Tom Marazzo, a self-declared spokesperson for protesters, told a news conference that truckers were prepared to leave if police would remove barriers that would allow them to refuel their rigs. He said police hadn't responded to the request. That withdrawal did not appear to have taken effect by late afternoon when hundreds of protesters faced off against rows of armed officers south of Wellington Street. The crowd of drum-beating, flag-waving demonstrators, which included at least half a dozen elementary school-aged children, were packed tightly against the police line. The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa urged parents to remove their kids from the protest site immediately. As nightfall came, the street in front of the parliamentary buildings was clear of protesters as snow swirled in the unplowed streets, where some cars and big rigs still remained. Fencing had also been installed to block further access. Bell said 47 more people had been arrested, bringing the total to 170 since police moved in on Thursday. Police also said 46 vehicles were removed from the downtown core since Friday, while 53 others were towed. Bell warned police would be working for months to come to identify other protesters and bring criminal charges or financial sanctions against them. The ongoing police operation prompted Parliamentary Protective Services to place the precinct under a hold and secure order on Saturday, limiting movement between buildings. The service noted the area was not under lockdown and staff were on hand to manage the situation. In the West Block, MPs in the House of Commons resumed their debate on the government's historic invocation of the Emergencies Act that had to be paused Friday because of security concerns. "I talked earlier about my frustration with the failure of Ottawa police, but what we saw yesterday was policing at its best in this country," NDP MP Charlie Angus said to a light smattering of applause. Angus called for a public inquiry, saying it was needed to determine why Ottawa police let large trucks enter the national capital and set up a blockade that included bouncy castles while members of the freedom convoy harassed local residents and forced businesses to close. "We cannot be made to look like a failed state to the world," he added. Government House Leader Mark Holland has said MPs will vote early next week on the Emergencies Act motion. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, meanwhile, said the government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act is giving police additional tools to restore order in downtown Ottawa. "We will only use the Emergencies Act as long as it is necessary," he told a virtual news conference. Mendicino noted that authorities used the measure to freeze 76 bank accounts with $3.2 million earmarked for the illegal blockades. The federal government announced Saturday that $20 million will be made available to downtown Ottawa businesses to help recover from the occupation, with individual eligible businesses able to get a maximum of $10,000. Elsewhere Tamara Lich, one of the convoy organizers, appeared for a bail hearing in an Ottawa courtroom before Ontario Court Justice Julie Bourgeois. No publication ban was requested in the proceeding. Lich faces a charge of counselling to commit mischief. She promised to give up her advocacy of the protest and return to Alberta, leaving Ottawa by vehicle. She told the judge she doesn't have the required vaccine passport to travel by commercial air and her bank accounts are now frozen. She pledged a $5,000 bond, saying that was all she could afford, while her husband, Wayne, promised the same amount. Under cross examination, Wayne Lich told the court that he flew to Ottawa on a private jet to meet his wife in early February. The $5,000 bill was paid for by a man he hardly knew. He also questioned whether the Emergencies Act was invoked unlawfully by the current Liberal government, saying that people's right to protest in Canada "was part of our first amendments." Bourgeois interjected: "First amendment? Whats that?" Lich said he didnt follow politics, and just wanted to make sure his wife was safe. The judge reserved her bail decision on Lich. She will return to jail until a court appearance on Tuesday morning. Another prominent protest organizer, Patrick King of Alberta, is expected to appear at a bail hearing early next week after he was arrested by police on Friday. As in previous weeks, some protests in solidarity with the Ottawa demonstrators unfolded in other parts of the country. In British Columbia, the Canada Border Services Agency announced the busiest Canada-U.S. border crossing used by the province's truckers was experiencing a service disruption due to protest activity in the area. It said the Pacific Highway port of entry remains open, but advised travelers to use an alternative route. RCMP said an arterial road near the border crossing had been closed and access to the border was blocked as a preventative measure to help ensure public safety. In Quebec, thousands of protesters converged on the provincial legislature to take part in a rally inspired by the Freedom Convoy protest. Horns could be heard as a convoy of vans and cars circled near the legislature. Quebec's government has already announced its phasing out use of its vaccine passport and intends to withdraw most COVID-19 health measures by March 14. Protestors in Fredericton, N.B. also staged another anti-mandate rally, with police saying the crowd reached about 100 people at the peak of the protest. Organizer Adie Pearson of Hampton, N.B., said the demonstration was an effort to maintain momentum. "We had a rally here last weekend and it was supposed to go non-stop but it petered-off through the week, so we decided to rally some more people up here today," she said. "We are all here with the common goal of standing up for our human rights." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2022. With files from Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal, Kevin Bissett in Fredericton and Amy Smart in Vancouver Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes says his plan to buy Australias largest power company and close its coal plants will be good for the economy and consumers, setting the stage for an election year clash with the Morrison government over energy bills. Mr Cannon-Brookes and Canadian asset manager Brookfield on the weekend lobbed an audacious $8 billion takeover bid for 180-year-old energy company AGL, offering to spend up to $20 billion to convert Australias highest-emitting power company to a clean energy giant and speeding up plans to close its coal plants by 2030. Mike Cannon-Brookes has hit back after Scott Morrison warned coal plant closures could lead to higher energy bills Credit:Wolter Peeters, Bloomberg, Paul Jeffers The proposal, which was rejected by the AGL board on Monday, was also criticised by Prime Minister Scott Morrison who warned that power prices would go up if more coal plants were closed too quickly. We need to ensure that our coal-fired generation of electricity runs to its life because if it doesnt electricity prices go up. They dont go down, Mr Morrison said. Our government is very committed to ensure we sweat those assets for their life, to ensure that businesses can get access to the electricity and energy that they need at affordable prices to keep people in jobs. Infrastructure giant Transurban says it does not expect a new legal challenge to its contract to develop a $US5 billion ($7 billion) toll road in the US state of Maryland will threaten or significantly delay the project, a key component of its North American expansion. The Montgomery County Circuit Court last week ordered the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to reconsider a protest from Spanish firm Cintra for the right to develop 60 kilometres of toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270. The losing bidder on the project says Transurban used unrealistically low construction costs on its bid. Maryland signed a predevelopment agreement with a consortium made up of the $39 billion Transurban and fellow Australian firm Macquarie Infrastructure, calling themselves Accelerate Maryland Partners, in August which gave it exclusive rights to design the project and negotiate a deal to build and operate the lanes. But Cintra, the losing bidder, has twice applied to the MDOT asking it to disqualify Transurbans bid and reopen the contest, arguing that the consortium used unrealistically low construction costs and did not have a lead contractor secured to build the project. Im from a tiny village in Cambridgeshire, you know. My parents started with nothing and ran a shop, and they continue to run a shop. They wake up every day at 5am and deliver papers, says Himesh Patel. The 31-year-old, whose acting career has achieved vertical lift-off since he left EastEnders to star in the Beatles-inspired romcom Yesterday, the time-travelling blockbuster Tenet and the meteoric Netflix hit Dont Look Up, is explaining why he still suffers from impostor syndrome. Its such a long line between that and meeting Meryl Streep at a premiere. Its wonderful but its also sort of unfathomable, really. Maybe its not an unhealthy thing, he muses. Its probably good to have a certain amount of it, just so you dont get too carried away. Were chatting in person over coffees, which arrive with a cake on the side, at a hotel in Soho. The cake is free, he says with mild surprise, if you needed proof that his absence of movie-star entitlement is unfeigned. Himesh Patel at the premiere of Yesterday in 2019. Credit:Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP Make no mistake, though, Patel is the real thing. He has a star quality about him that few actors share: he can play the emotional centre and have you warm to him immediately, like a Tom Hanks or James Stewart, and hes funny, too. But hes been mixing it up with some fascinating performances. His character in Dont Look Up he plays Jennifer Lawrences opportunistic boyfriend is an absolute heel, while in Tenet hes a ruthless fixer who drives a plane into an airport building. It chimes with a description Id read of him as a kid who liked jumping out of windows. Bond next? Im not sure Im right for James Bond, but I certainly wouldnt say no if they asked me to audition, he says. CHESHIRE A former Connecticut correctional officer has been accused of selling marijuana to inmates and getting paid through a Cash App account. State Police arrested the former officer on Thursday, charging him with conveying an unauthorized item into a correctional institution. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on March 17. Advertisement The former officer, who resigned in October, was initially implicated after an inmate was found with drugs on Jan. 28, 2021. An investigation by the Department of Correction discovered a note informing the inmate to have his people go to a Cash App. The note included a phone number that was eventually linked to the officer, according to a warrant cited by the Waterbury Republican American. An inmate told correctional officials the officer would leave marijuana in a garbage can for inmates to pick up, according to the warrant. The inmate said the officer had been providing the marijuana since November 2020. Advertisement The now-former officer has denied using the Cash App account, and his lawyer said he is contesting all the allegations. The number of primary school-aged children getting vaccinated has plummeted in the past two weeks as experts warn overcoming parents complacency and reluctance will be critical in boosting uptake. Despite the sprint to secure early bookings, the pace has slowed dramatically with about 5000 children aged 5 to 11 nationally receiving a first shot each day last week, down 89 per cent from about 47,000 daily doses in the programs first fortnight. Leichhardt pharmacist Christine Kelly administers a COVID-19 vaccine to 5-year-old Felix Robson. Credit:Louise Kennerley I think we still have our work cut out for us reassuring some parents about mRNA vaccines in kids, said Margie Danchin, immunisation researcher at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital. The initial response before school started was strong ... but I didnt expect it to slow so quickly. About 49 per cent of youngsters have had a first dose, with the rate dipping to 42 per cent in Queensland and 46 per cent in NSW. A convict-era bounty has been unearthed beneath Adelaide Street, in one of Brisbanes most significant historical finds. The team working on the Brisbane Metro busway project has discovered a convict-era hospital, as well as the stairs, walls and foundations of an early penal colony building, plus bottles and coins from the early 19th century. Excavation work under Adelaide Street reveals a significant part of Brisbanes 19th century history a 30-metre-long drystone wall. Credit:Brisbane City Council The historic site, which was discovered in October last year, could provide a better idea of what Brisbane was like almost 200 years ago. So far, the archaeological finds include a convict-era hospital building dating back to the mid-1800s, a Lands Office building also from the 1880s, and significant artefacts, including a penny from 1811. Australias borders reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists on Monday, but the head of Melbourne Airport warns it will take years for international arrivals to return to pre-COVID-19 numbers. On the eve of the first flight carrying overseas travellers to Melbourne, airport chief executive Lyell Strambi cautioned Australians not to expect a bumper reopening for international travel. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi at Melbourne Airport on Sunday. Credit:Paul Jeffers Unlike domestic travel, he said, it would take time probably years for confidence in international travel to be restored. We are all intrigued about what enduring changes there will be as a result of our COVID-19 experience, Mr Strambi told reporters at Melbourne Airport on Sunday. Emily Stephens has just six overseas bookings for her Apollo Bay holiday apartment business, but thats just enough for a glimmer of hope that Victoria can reclaim its place as a popular international tourism destination. Overseas guests made up 40 per cent of her bookings before the pandemic, so the reopening of Australias borders to vaccinated foreign tourists on Monday promises to bring back a crucial income stream. Dolphin Apartments manager Emily Stephens is preparing to welcome back international guests and already has six overseas bookings. Credit:Joe Armao But operators across Victorias tourism sector have warned it could take two years before international travellers return in numbers comparable to those before the pandemic. Ms Stephens hopes Australia, and particularly Victoria with its many natural attractions, will appeal to foreign visitors who might still be concerned about COVID-19. People within my circle are having more house parties, hosting dinners, having picnics in the parks and training at the beach or going rock climbing instead of going to the gym. It started by word of mouth and on social media, and its really built over the past few weeks. There are lots of groups that help people find jobs that dont require proof-of-vaccination status and even groups for unvaxxed singles to date. Mr Pasco said the mandates had led to some unexpected health benefits. I stopped drinking because I couldnt go to bottle shops, even the drive through, he said. Its crazy. I can go to Aldi and do my shopping, go through the same checkout as everyone else, but I cant buy alcohol. Clearly this part of the mandate is not about health. Loading Perhaps Premier Mark McGowan agreed the booze ban had reached its shelf life, revealing on Friday WA would drop its hard border on March 3 and announcing proof of vaccination for entry into liquor stores would no longer be required. While only a small concession on the State Governments raft of restrictions for the unvaccinated, its no doubt a relief for liquor store employees who will no longer have to cop abuse for asking customers to show evidence of their COVID vaccination history. Mr McGowan has flagged a review of other proof-of-vaccination measures as the state enters the next phase of the pandemic. For many, where the mandates hurt most is the inability to earn an income, with Mr Pasco conceding it is near impossible to find work given the very limited industries that dont require proof of vaccination. WAtoday has found Facebook groups springing up acting as a jobs board for desperate people looking for work. One woman who lost her employment due to the vaccine requirement had applied for more than 400 jobs over the past five weeks and has been unable to even get a job washing dishes. Perth man Daniel Hartigan launched a pro-choice business directory the day vaccine mandates were introduced. Economy For Everyone is an online platform that advertises businesses for people who are awake to the persecution being felt by opponents of the vaccine and its restrictions. Already hundreds of businesses - from accountants to florists - are listed. Mr Hartigan said on Facebook that plans were afoot to expand the website to advertise job vacancies, hire tradies and allow people to set up a profile that specifies their vaccine status. This search engine is for everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, medical status, education, wealth, or anything else you can think of, he said. Having your business advertised on here is not a red flag. It is your choice to mention whether you are inclusive of certain things or not. Otherwise, you are just another business owner trying to maximise your exposure by advertising on this free platform. Mr Hartigan said it was up to customers to determine vaccine requirements with the individual businesses. In Dunsborough a community Facebook page has rebranded, to advertise jobs that dont require vaccination passports. It has just shy of 8000 members. So far, jobs have been advertised for labourers, pamphlet distributors and sales consultants. Some businesses are not just concerned about government overreach, but are calling the mandates medical apartheid. The Black Sheep Deli is only offering takeaway to avoid segregating customers. Credit:Facebook - Black Sheep Deli The Black Sheep Deli in Cowaramup posted on Facebook it would not comply with the governments intention of division and fear, suppression and repression and has been creative in its efforts to ensure customers affected by the mandates arent excluded. The popular south west eatery is no longer doing sit down dining and is only offering takeaway. When one cant sit, we stand for all, its Facebook post read. We wont partake in this medical apartheid. We arent breaking any rules. We are being as creative as possible to be able to include everyone. On Sunday Opposition Leader Mia Davies said a review into the current mandates must be expedited, and those that remain must be proportional and reasonable. Opposition Leader Mia Davies Credit:Getty Mandates were brought in to rapidly increase uptake of the vaccine and we have achieved this at very high rates, she said. WA has some of the highest first and second dose rates in the world, and were on track for very high booster rates as well. WA Liberals leader David Honey said business was carrying the burden of enforcing the mandates. Loading It is not at all clear that they serve a useful purpose any longer it would be a misuse of mandates if they exist simply to punish unvaccinated people, he said. A large number of medical experts and epidemiologists are now saying that the mandates have served their purpose and it is time to end them, as has happened in Victoria. A State Government spokesperson said showing proof of vaccination was implemented based on the latest public health advice of the Chief Health Officer. Two people with COVID-19, including one who is unvaccinated, are being treated in hospital with Premier Mark McGowan anticipating the number to rise significantly. Neither of the two cases are currently in intensive care. WA Premier Mark McGowan. Credit:Peter de Kruijff On Sunday, Western Australia recorded 222 new local cases of COVID-19, which includes seven travel-related infections. There were 11 results self-reported from rapid antigen tests. Clive Palmer has spent more than $31 million since August on political attack advertising for his United Australia Party, dwarfing the outlay of the major parties and putting him on track to fulfil his promise to run the most expensive election campaign in the nations history. The advertising blitz in the lead-up to an expected May election has been described as obscene and dangerous for democracy by former Appeal Court judge and chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, Anthony Whealy, QC. United Australia Party founder Clive Palmer announcing candidates for this years federal election. Credit:Zach Hope Television ads urging viewers to back the UAP have been running in most capital cities for months, but Mr Palmer is also spending big in metro and national newspapers such as The Australian, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and in online publications. Figures obtained from Nielsen Ad Intel, which tracks ad spending across metro TV, print, radio and digital, show Labor has spent just $266,494 on party ads since August and the Liberal Party $246,133. Prime Minister Scott Morrisons attempt to establish a bipartisan commission to oversee live television election debates has stumbled at the last minute after the Labor Party failed to back the revised framework. In their final head-to-head battle of the 2019 campaign, Mr Morrison and former opposition leader Bill Shorten agreed to establish a commission to govern the way election debates take place. In their final leaders debate, Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten agreed to form a commission. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Election campaigns in previous years have been filled with carping between leaders over how many debates should be held and what form they should take, and from competition between media companies over who will host them. A note to a media company involved in the commission, seen by this masthead, from Special Minister for State Ben Morton says the commission cannot be established before the next election because its principles require bipartisan agreement.